HOWL ABOUT LOVE

The pain was excruciating. Every bone in my body felt like it was tearing, and my skin stretched and tore as if it was trying to break loose from my body.

It was my first shift, and it was happening in the worst possible place—a dark alleyway behind the school, with my boyfriend Kelvin beside me and a group of bullies in front of us.

I had always known I was different, but I never knew why until that moment.

My senses were heightened, and I could smell the fear emanating from Kelvin as the bullies advanced on us.

They had been taunting him for weeks, and I couldn't stand to see him hurt anymore.

Without thinking, I lunged at the bullies, my body contorting and twisting as my bones rearranged themselves.

Fur sprouted from my skin, and my nails elongated into razor-sharp claws.

"What? This is not some woods or a remote area. Why the heck is there a wolf amidst us?" I could hear one of the bullies query.

"Isn't she the girl with him all this while? How then has she turned into a wolf?" Another asked.

They were all taken aback, but they quickly recovered and began to fight back

" I think it is time I use my gun," one of them said as he brought out his gun to shoot me.

I don't recur much of what happened next. My mind was clouded with the pain of my transformation, and I could only see flashes of the fight.

Although the bullies were no match for me, they still succeeded in leaving a braze on my body with their gun and that happened because I was finding it difficult to focus.

I managed to dispatch them leaving them bloody and broken on the ground but not without sustaining an injury myself.

Kelvin looked at me in shock and horror, but I couldn't find the words to explain what had just happened. All I knew was that I had to protect him, and I had done just that.

As the adrenaline wore off, I began to feel the full extent of my injuries. My body ached, and I was covered in blood—both my own and that of my victims.

I knew I had to get out of there before anyone saw me in my werewolf form.

I stumbled away from the scene, my body reverting back to its human form as I went.

By the time I reached home, I was barely conscious, my body battered and broken. But as I lay there, nursing my wounds, I knew that my life would never be the same again.

I was a werewolf, and I had to learn how to control my powers before anyone else got hurt.

I managed to keep my werewolf secret safe from everyone and even avoided Kelvin who was in the alleyway the night of my first transformation.

Today, as we were walking home from school, he turned to me, his eyes curious. "Sophia, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I replied, trying to keep my voice casual.

"What happened in the alleyway that night?" "When did you save me from those bullies?" he asked, his voice lowering.

I felt my heart sink. I had been hoping he would forget about that night, but it seemed that the memory was still fresh in his mind.

"I don't know, Kelvin," I lied. "I was as surprised as you were." "It was like... something inside of me just took over."