The Masquerade

CHAPTER 18: Couldn't Be.....

ANNA

"Show me!" I tell them.

They all look at each other again and the next thing I see is them all standing up and asking me to follow them out in the back.

When we get to the porch and they have me wait there as they all walked down the steps and out onto the grass towards the entrance to the woods. Where they stopped and turned to look at me.

"Are you sure about this?" Giselle asks me.

"Yes. Now let's see it. And don't worry, it isn't like I haven't seen naked bodies before." I assure them I'm half serious an half teasing since I still think this is all part of their plan.

They all start removing their clothes and tossing them off to the side onto the grass then very quickly, I begin hearing them start to growl a little while their bones snapped and made a cracking sound and as I watch them begin to shift right in front of me, I begin to panic.

This isn't normal or right at all. Nobody's body should be able to allow that to happen. This can't be real neither. Werewolves don't exist.

Then again, CLEARLY I can't just turn and look away and deny what it is I'm seeing here right now.

I guess I should be running. I should be slapping myself to wake me up from this nightmare I'm in but I know in the back of my mind that what I'm seeing is real.

As they all stand on their hind legs, I notice that of course with Landon being the tallest of them all, he obviously is the Alpha too.

I hadn't realized I was standing there still not saying anything while not taking my eyes off of them and not blinking.

Then once I blinked, I snapped myself out from a daze and began trying to fathom what it was I was really seeing in front of me.

They all look at one another and then next started shifting back into their human forms again. Once they got done getting dressed, they started heading back towards me where I began walking back inside the house.

Once we were in, I had walked back to the table and sat down in the chair I was in. They followed soon after.

There was a a brief moment of silence again like there was earlier but this one was thicker than the one before.

"All I'm gonna say is that I still feel hurt but, I'm not as upset as before towards you guys because I understand as to why you didn't tell me." I began.

"We don't want you to be scared of us. Because we would never hurt you." Kavina says.

"I know." I reply. "I just, you all know that I've been already through a lot in my life that to me, to find out this, it oddly enough doesn't phase me. Maybe I'm in shock and my mind hasn't processed it all yet but, I just am gonna need some time to think. But tell me one thing." I say as I begin to fight back tears while still trying to avoid looking at Landon. Though I can feel him looking at me.

"Anything." Elliot replies.

"Is my ex Arlen a werewolf also?" I ask not even believing my own ears.

"Yes." Landon says. "But he isn't like us. He was bitten and turned into one. Unlike us who were born as one." He begins to explain.

Confused and curious at the same time as to what he means, I look up at him.

"How is there a difference? A werewolf is a werewolf right? And why didn't he ever try to hurt me or kill me..." I started but was stopped.

"We don't know why he hadn't tried to kill you or mark you or anything. In fact, we had found out recently, just a couple weeks before you had come here, that he was one. What we do know is that he belongs to Rivers crew." Landon says.

"None of this makes sense. Especially the part about there being different kinds." I tell them.

"Well, for one thing, you're right in a sense." Giselle starts. "There are many types out there. Him, in practicular, we consider to be a rogue."

"And what is that exactly? Someone who lives by their own rules or something?" I asked.

"Yes. In a sense. They don't follow ANY of the rules or laws for both our kind or the humans. Rogues typically don't follow anyone. But in this case, Rivers' pack, have seemed to change how a rogue and non- rogue act."

"And is that one of the only things that makes a difference between those who are born like you guys or bitten and turned into one? Or are there rogues no matter how you became a werewolf?" I asked more curious.

"No. Any one of us could go rogue. But a big difference between being born as one versus not, comes down to when a human is marked and turned, they usually end up having to figure out what they have become. They don't know the history of our kind and still think too much like a human. Along with their training being much harder. Some even think of it as a curse and others, like Rivers and his group, think of it as a perfect weapon. See, he wants power and to rule over humans and our kind. They kill for sport and the taste for blood. We kill only if we have no other choice. We follow the laws and the rules. And, our Alpha." She says as they all begin to look at Landon.

"So if you're the Alpha, why don't you have your mate? Or is that just in stories and movies?" I ask.

"I did find my mate." Is all he says as he looks at me with a softened look and a little smile.

Oh my god, he can't mean what I think he means.

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)