LEGACY OF THE FIRST WOLF

The world we thought we knew

SORAYA

“What the f**k happened to you?” Ellen gasped the moment her eyes fell on me. I grimaced at the pain that threatened all parts of my body. I didn’t even want to think about it, the injuries that marred my skin. I haven’t been able to think about anything ever since I woke up to that face, that scent, that warmth.

I shook my head, looking around. The diner was full and I could feel eyes on me.

“I don’t know.” I simply answered, offering her a small smile. Her forehead wrinkled into a frown, but she didn’t push.

“Can I go upstairs, please?”

She nodded her head frantically.

“Sure.”

I made my way upstairs with a lot more difficulty than when I climbed down from the car. Something told me that crazy dude was going to do something stupid if I fell or showed any sign of discomfort. I still didn’t know what his deal was, and it creeped me out. Everything about him did. I closed my arms around myself, hugging myself. The remnants of that warmth, of his scent that was intrusive, free, a riot of movement, like the wind itself stuck in my head were all that was left. No more tingles, no more sparks, no more electricity moving under my skin. It was empty. So empty.

I shook myself out of my thoughts, adding it to the piles of nothings that had happened so far. I refused to look behind and catch a glimpse of him.

Finally, up at the room, I eased off my leg. Almost immediately, my phone lighted up, and I picked it up. My professor was calling and I could only imagine how worried everyone had been. Yet, I still haven’t wrapped my head around anything to be able to explain what had happened the past three days. So, I dropped the phone, picked up my necklace, located my pc and plugged in the USB. The video I had made that night was still right there, staring at me, hopefully without being corrupted. This was the only proof that I wasn’t going insane, and all I needed to complete or almost complete my thesis.

But had I really seen the wolf statue? The town? The fog? The people? The dance? And the wolves that haunted me? The memories of that night followed me, yet I doubted. Even with the injury on my body. I shook my head, reining in my nerves. This was unlike me. One deep breath in, then out, and I hit play.

Anxiously, I watched the video roll in. For hours, I had walked and everything had happened as I remembered it. I saw the old Caelmont. I saw the people. And it was beautiful. But the last few moments before I became unconscious were what I was mostly after. And it came. Times I was breathing too hard or running too fast, the camera just swayed here and there, making me dizzy, but the wolves had attacked and I had fought back.

Another wave of distress passed through me when I saw the wolf turned man. Proof I had not been seeing things when a head ripped out of his and someone came to view. My stomach did itself and I ran into the bathroom and threw up my entire breakfast.

The camera didn’t catch his face. And try as hard as I can, I couldn’t remember the face of the monster that tore someone into two. Amongst all the s**t I have found myself in, I also realized that I witnessed a murder before I was saved,

The face of that creep came to view, and that tingling followed me. Kael Thorne. I stepped out of the bathroom and made to my browser and typed in the name. And there he was. A Hollywood actor and rated one of the most beautiful men in the world.

That I didn’t doubt. His face came to view and my heart fluttered. I shook myself out of it and turned to the video again. If he saved me, had he been the one to rip a man’s head off? A shudder passed through me. If he had done that, it meant he was a werewolf too and a murderer.

No. He couldn’t.

The camera didn’t catch what happened to the others. But I didn’t want to think about it. About the blood or death or why they had followed me or wanted me dead.

Was it because of my research? Or something else? I haven’t actually been subtle about my thoughts and believes in the fact that werewolves had once existed. My social media page was all about my findings, and my followers saw everything as it came.

My head was beginning to hurt. I came to Caelmont to follow the trail and I didn’t even have to work hard for anything to get to my answer. An answer that had been more than I bargained for. Werewolves hadn’t just existed sometime in the past. They were real. And they lived amongst humans.

The sound of my phone buzzing cut through my thoughts and I turned to it to find Maeve’s name displayed on the screen. I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn’t continue to do this to them.

“Hey.” I entered quietly.

“Jesus, Soh.” I heard her breath loudly from the other end of the line. Guilt followed, making my heart sink into my stomach.

“Are you okay?” She entered quickly, getting back up too quickly. She had always been like that.

“Yes.” I answered, taking in the sound of her voice as I relaxed into my butt, back against the wall.

“Are you hurt?”

Tears blurred my vision. I had almost died. And that was only going to make her worry and nag and I would hate it, but we had made this promise to each other a long time ago. We would never lie to each other.

“Yes.”

“Oh, my god!” a sob racked through her throat, but I could swear she was trying to muffle it.

“But it wasn’t so bad, I was rescued, and I only just returned. I have a few bruises, but I am fine,” I added quickly. She said nothing for a very long time. I waited till she had gathered herself and her voice became stronger.

“Tell me what happened.” It was an order, not a statement, not a question. We always shared everything, no matter how bad, even my obsession, my thesis and the myths surrounding folkores around the world. She never did understand it, the need to go and poke a sleeping bear or scientifically prove that something existed or was or history is incorrect. But she supported me anyway. I remembered when I opened my social media, she was the first to follow for all of them. And even when she didn’t understand, she would sit and watch, so she will comment and like. She barely understood somethings I say, but she would sit and listen to me ramble for hours. She was my number one supporter, my best friend and I have never held anything back from her. And I wasn’t planning to begin now, not like this anyway.

“I don’t think it’s something words can explain.” I answered, taking a deep breath.

“Soh…” A warning tone. If I refused to give her what she wanted, I was sure she was going to find her way here.

“I will send you a video of the night instead.”

She quieted.

, and“Your thesis?” She took in a sharp breath and I waited for the reprimand. But nothing came, she only sighed.

“Send it now.” Another order. I nodded my head, though she couldn’t see me, then I heard shuffling at the other end of the line and immediately stilled at the sound of my father’s voice.

“Soraya.” Now a sob wracked through me and I pulled my knees to my chest.

“Dad.” With him, I could never hide my emotions. He had always thought us to be expressive, and he was never the kind to be stoic or stiff. My father was full of life, and he took every experience as it came.

“Are you okay?” His voice broke, bringing tears running down my cheeks and I suddenly wished he was in front of me, where he could hold me and rocked me forth and back till the discomfort in my chest disappeared.

“Yes.” I whispered, then cleared my throat and repeated.

“I’m sorry I had you so worried.”

“I’m just happy you are alright. Are you safe? Do you want us to come get you?”

I took a while to respond to that. Was I safe? I had not been safe at home, not for the past few , anyway. And I never saw the need to tell anyone. Not even Maeve. Well, in my defense, I knew I would leave for the field research soon so I didn’t see why it bothered. But he had followed me to Caelmont. And they weren’t just men but werewolves. And he was probably dead. Will the cops come for me now?

“Soraya.” Father’s wary and heavy voice pulled me out of my thought.

“You don’t have to come get me.” I answered.

“I am fine, I promise.”

He sighed. He knew I wasn’t fine. He knew it was dangerous. He could probably tell that I wasn’t safe, but he also knew that I wouldn’t listen, not even if he came to Caelmont himself.

“Okay. Just promise to remain safe and the moment anything goes sideways, let me know.”

“I will, dad.”

“Good.”

“I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, baby girl.”

And just like that, my sister was back on the phone. I quickly sent her the clip of what I discovered, after making sure it would only be for her eyes only. The video will corrupt on its own after two minutes once it ended.

Once that call was done, I sent an email to professor, knowing he was likely the one to call next. I was supposed to text him the moment I arrived at Caelmont, but I had not gotten around to doing that before all the chaos that followed. I sent an email, and his response came almost immediately. I could imagine the frown on his face and the whip in his voice even as I read the email. I responded by telling him everything that happened with an attachement of the video. Only, I cut the part where the strange man appeared and decapitated a man.

I turned back to my pc. I stared at the video as it stared back at me. My heart full, yet it seemed my mind and heart were still trying to catch up to what happened. It was definitely one of the scariest moment of my life, but my life’s work was no longer a fantasy. I shot back up and immediately logged into my social media accounts. I had a 5k to 10k following across all platforms. YouTube had the full video except for the part a murder occurred, t****k had the part I was being attacked by the wolves and my i********: had the reel of the very moment I stepped into the other side of Caelmont. All of which had a link to my youtube. And I titled it “the world we thought no longer existed.” I took a follow up picture, of me, just laying on the bed and posted it, just to let everyone know I was alive, saved by a creep and housed in a nice lady’s house.

Once that was done, I breathed in and let out a loud, exciting shriek that had me laughing at the end.

This was going to change everything. I just knew it.