Children of the Night

I really hate how people portray werewolves. They have no idea what we’re really like. Hollywood has pretty much been the source of the deceptions. We don’t turn in to the ugly, hairy, half-man, half-hairy beast things that walk up right, and look really scary. We are elegant, graceful, sly, and cunning; we are nothing like the things you see in the movies.

When we change, it’s a beautiful explosion ending in the form of a wolf. In our wolf form we are bigger then normal wolves and our eyes become more intense then they already are. To humans we just look like huge wolves. Another thing that they got wrong was we don’t only change in the presence of a full moon, yes it strengthens our power and makes us most defiantly unstoppable, and we always change during a full moon, but we can also change when ever we feel like changing. Well, most of the wolves get stronger.

My name is Artemis Lupesco, I’m a werewolf, but I’m different then the rest. I was born with a marking; a sign of being a direct decedent of the first, Lucian. I am stronger then everyone, and powerful all the time; not just under the full moon. I’m a pure white color, though I roll in the dirt so I don’t raise suspicion, because no were wolf has ever been pure white. No one can know what I am, because of a prophecy my parent’s believed me to be apart of. My mark is a paw print, just under my ears on both sides. It glows at night, but I cover it up with a little bit of foundation. My skin also glows under the moon so I wear a jacket at night time so no one can see. Mom says that when I was born, I was glowing brighter then the moon; this is how I was named, Artemis, because she was the goddess of the moon.
I only trust my pack with my secret. If word got out to the other creatures of the night, I would be dead faster then I could change. I just hope that I can trust them all. The moon was about three weeks from being full, I judged from my spot on the windowsill in my room. I could see the reflection of the glow from my mark on the window pane, and I smiled. I moved over to the mirror on the opposite side of the room. Sure enough my skin was brighter, my dark reddish brown hair seemed to be alive, and the green and blue of my eyes were enhanced.

I covered up my marks and threw on my jacket just when Sam and Lacey burst into my room. Lacey has been my friend ever since we were little, and Sam has been our friend since five years ago, when he showed up. He was really messed up. He said that his family had been killed, that someone found out what they were, and the only reason he wasn’t harmed, was because he was over at a friend’s house, but when he got home, and saw what happened, he was so mortified, that he just ran until he came to our town, he said he felt that there were many of his kind here. He told me that he felt so bad about it, and that he thought that it was his fault, but I remind him all the time when it comes up that it wasn’t his fault, and that there was nothing he could have done. I would trust Sam and Lacey with my life. This is why they, along with my mom are the only ones who know that I can hear Lucian’s voice in my head, and that I can talk to him. My mom said that it’s a great gift, and that I shouldn’t tell anyone, because if the wrong person found out, that it could be very, very bad.

“Are you ready yet?” Lacey asked.

“Yeah, we have to leave like, now.” Sam said sarcastically looking at his watch.

“I’m almost done.” I told them as I glanced at the mirror one last time before heading out my door.

“You look fine.” Sam said smiling at me.

“Thanks, so do you.” I returned his smile.
As we were on our way to the abandon warehouse where we held our meetings, I heard Lucian’s voice in my head.

‘Jesse has something big planned for tonight. I don’t know what it is yet, but you need to be on your guard.’

‘I will be. What do you want me to do?’

‘Nothing. Not until we know what is going on but be careful. He is leading the pack in the wrong direction, and he must be stopped.’

‘OK, when and how? How do you know that I will be able to do it?’

'Do not worry. You have been given great gifts, you can do it. You have to do it before the full moon, other wise; we will have lost our chance. Jesse has turned to the shadows. He is no longer on our side. He is on the side of power. If he is not slain by the next full moon, then he will grow strong by sacrificing the pack to the shadows, and everyone will die.’

‘Thanks for not putting a whole bunch of pressure on me.’ I thought sarcastically.

“Artemis?” Lacey said worried.

“Huh? What?” I said coming out of the daze I was in.

“Sorry.” I said.

“It’s OK. It was him again wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. He said that we need to be careful tonight. Jesse has turned to the shadows and if I don’t stop him, then he is going to sacrifice the pack for power on the next full moon.”

“Wow. That is not good.”

“Nope.” I said looking down.

“What are you going to do?” Sam asked looking slightly worried.

“I don’t know yet.” I told them as we walked to the door of the warehouse.

“We’ll talk about this later.” I opened the door and we went inside.

We found a place in the middle of the pack, and sat down. We started talking to the people around us, and then everyone got silent. Jesse stepped out onto the center of the makeshift stage, and we all saluted him in the traditional way of showing him our bare necks as a sign of dominance. Jesse started the meeting off the same way he always did, then he changed things up.

“On to new business. You all know that I have been with Sarah for eight years now, and it’s customary to pick a new wife every eight years, so it is time for me to name my new mate.” He said looking around the crowd. Then his eyes stopped on me.

SHIT! I knew exactly what he was doing. Jesse became the pack leader, by killing the previous leader. Jesse has been the pack leader now for about nine years, and I hate him.

My father was the pack leader before him, and Jesse killed him. Most people look up to him as the strongest, but he’s not. He cheated. He poisoned my father with silver, giving him little doses over the course of a few months, to the point where he couldn’t stand for very long. Then Jesse waited until the whole pack was gathered, and he challenged my father.
My father would never back down, because he has too much pride is what he told me, so he agreed. I knew what was going to happen, so did my mother. I wanted to run to him and tell him not to, but my mother held me back. When Jesse killed my father, all I could do was cry. I was my father’s favorite child, because of my marks, and he taught me everything I knew. He sent me to the finest school, and the best fighting classes. He even sent me out side of our pack to the humans fighting schools so that I could learn different styles so I could beat anyone, and no one would know my moves or style. When Jesse killed him, I vowed that I would get revenge. If he would have beaten him fair, then I would probably look up to him too, but he didn’t. He knew that he couldn’t beat my father. Ever since that day, he has had his eyes on me. He saw me in our fighting class, and he knew that I was powerful and that I was special. He was going to tell the pack that he chose me. Just about every girl in our pack would jump at the chance to be with him, but I saw him for what he really was. A liar and a fake.

As I looked down at him talking about our traditions before he asked me to be his new “wife”, I felt sick. He still looked the same as the day he killed my father. You see, we don’t age very much. When we hit a certain point in our life, sometime after our twentieth birthday, the aging process slows down a lot. It takes decades to age, so we are alive for a long, long time. This was because Dracula had his scientists altar our DNA so we could live longer, which meant that he wouldn’t have to go out and find a new alpha male that the wolves respected enough to listen to every few years. It has its up sides.

“So, that is why I have to pick a new mate every so many years.” I tuned back into Jesse’s stupid rant.

“My new mate this time should come to no surprise, for she is very special.”
I froze where I was. I knew exactly what was coming next.
“Artemis Lupesco.” He said staring straight at me.

I knew it.

‘What the hell do I do now?’ I cried out in my head reaching for Lucian.

‘Well, at least it isn’t as bad as it could have been.’

‘Are you freaking kidding me?! This is horrible! You know exactly how I feel about him! I can not become his new mate! I don’t love him! I love some one else…’
I thought looking over at Sam.
He looked really sad.

‘Well, no one has ever said no to a pack leader.’

‘Well, then I guess I’m just going to have to be the first.’

‘You can not do that. He can not know what you suspect of him! Do not worry, just act happy, you do not have to answer him until the meeting is over. Ask him to meet you out back, and tell him that you have to think about it. That is the best we can do right now.’

‘FINE! But I am so not happy about this!’

‘I know my child, but you have no other choice.’ Lucian’s voice faded from my mind, and I was left, sitting speechless, as everyone stared at me.

As much as I knew it would hurt Sam, I gave Jesse a big smile and blushed, making him think that I was happy that I was his choice. It killed me inside to see the look on Sam’s face. I sat there, mortified, until the meeting was over.

“Will you guys wait for me please? I’ll explain everything, but I have to go talk to Jesse first.”

“Of course.” Lacey said, understanding the position I was in.

Sam didn’t say anything, and it hurt. I tried to grab his arm, but he pulled away and walked out the door with Lacey. I headed over to where Jesse was standing, and waited for every one that was talking to him to leave. He smiled at me and I wanted to puke.

“Hey.” Jesse said acting like we had been teenagers going out.

I wanted to turn and run to the bathroom.

“Hi.” I fought the urge to vomit.

“So, are you here to accept my offer?”

“Can we go out back, or some where private?”

“Sure.” He said smiling, thinking that I wanted to do more than talk to him.
He led me to the room in the back of the ware house that had a table, chairs, and a couch. He went and sat on the couch, and pulled me to him. I fought the urge to puke again. He was trying to act like he was my age.

“What’s up?” Jesse asked getting closer.

“I need to think about it.” I blurted trying to get this over with as soon as possible.

“Think about what?”

“About your “offer”.”

“Why?”

I had to think quick.

“Because…”

Shit. I couldn’t think of anything good.

“Because I killed your father.” He said flatly.

Damn, this was going to be easier than I thought.

“Yes. That’s exactly it. I need to think about it.”

“I understand, but that was nine years ago, and it is the way of our people.”

“It still hurts. I mean, no girl would date, let alone marry, the man that killed her father, even if
it was tradition.”

“I see. Well, then I guess that I have no choice but to wait for your answer.”

YES!

“OK.” I said as I got up and walked toward the door.

“Wait.”

Shit.

I turned around, and Jesse was right behind me. Before I could say anything, he pushed me against the door and kissed me. I could feel the passion in his kiss. It made me want to vomit, again.

“I love you Artemis. I want you to know that.”

No, really? I couldn’t tell.

“I know.” Was all I could say as I walked out the door, and met up with my friends out front.

Sam looked as if he wanted to leave, and wouldn’t look at me. We weren’t officially going out, but the feelings were there. I knew that he liked me ever since we met, and I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was into him.

“Look you guys, you have to understand that I don’t have a choice. No one has ever said no to a pack leader. Ever.” I said mostly to Sam.

“I know” Lacey said.

She really did too. That’s why she is my best friend, she knows how much I hate Jesse, and she knows how much I don’t want to be with him. Too bad Sam wasn’t as believing. He knows how much I hate Jesse, but it still hurts him.

“Lucian told me to talk to him, and tell him that I had to think about it. Jesse thinks it’s because he killed my father. I don’t know what to do to get out of this. I really don’t want to be with him.”

“Any other girl would kill to be with him.” Lacey said.

“I know, but most girls haven’t found true love…” I said looking at Sam.

He didn’t look at me. He had no clue that I was talking about him. Lacey saw how much it hurt me, and she punched Sam in the arm.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“For being so stupid!” Lacey said as she walked off.

I looked at Sam. He looked like he wanted to leave too, but he didn’t. He looked at me instead. I saw the hurt look in his eyes, and I wanted to cry.

“Sam?”

“What?” he said it without emotion, but I knew that he was upset.

“Can we talk? There is something that I have to make sure you know.”

“I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“OK, let’s go for a walk in the park.”

We headed to the park, and I found a bench that we could sit on. We sat in silence, as I thought of a way that I could tell him. Finally, I just came out and said it.

“Do you know why I don’t want to be with Jesse?”

“Because he killed your father, and he cheated when he did it?”

“That’s part of it, but mostly, it’s because…”

This was harder than I thought it would be.

“I don’t Love him. I love some one else.”

Sam just looked at me confused.

“Sam…”

I love you! God why was it so hard to tell him? I could beat any one that wanted to fight me no matter what their size and I could tear down huge oak trees with little effort. I could fight an army if I wanted to!! So why is it so hard for me to say these three little words!?

“What?” He looked at me, his gaze filled with hope.

“I… I love you.”

There! It was out! I feel so much better!

He didn’t say anything. I started to get a little worried. I didn’t say anything, because I didn’t know what to say. I got up and was about to leave to avoid further humiliation, when Sam grabbed my hand. He stood up next to me.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to say that?”

Before I could answer, he kissed me, long and passionate. It was nothing like Jesse’s kiss. I kissed him back, and all thoughts about what I was going to do about Jesse, and becoming his new mate flew from my head, as Sam held me in his arms and kissed me.