Chapter 11: All About Them

"And it never once occurred to you that you were not human?"

"It did not. I had always lived among humans. I had only ever read about all other types of creatures, and I didn't correspond with the werewolves I was reading about. They supposedly can only change form during a full moon, and have no control over their wolf side. And they transform back and forth with their clothes on."

"That's true. We feed false information humans so that they don't know what to look for when they look for us. We have to keep our existence a secret, you know," Luna explained.

"Why?"

Luna pinned her gaze on me, her stormy grey eyes cold and commanding for the first time. "Humans are greedy and cruel. They also outnumber us. If once we were discovered, we would be captured and enslaved for our multiple powers. Our weaknesses would be exploited mercilessly. We would end up as pets and toys for the humans to play with, and any who broke free or escaped would be considered a monster. We would be bred. This is why you must never, ever, betray to any human that you are not one of them. According to them, if you are not human, you deserve no freedom, no choices, and no say in what happens to you. Understand and remember."

I nodded.

"Now, this is the first book you need to read. We would help you, but we are busy right now. Come, Lexi," Luna said, giving me a book titled Werewolves, and All About Them.

I gulped as Luna and Lexi left me alone. Then I got stuck right in, knowing that I had to sooner or later. Afterwards, I stood up and gave myself an oral report.

"Werewolves are born seemingly human. They develop sharp senses, extra speed, extra strength, and speedy recovery at an early age. Most wolves experience their first shift between seven and twelve years. In a pack, the wolf then moves to the pack house and remains there until his or her mate is found. Then they move out.

"The pack is ruled by the Alpha male and his mate, the Alpha female, or Luna. They own the pack territory and rule with the help provided by the Beta male and female. The Alpha's son will become the next Alpha, and his best friend, chosen from a very early age, will be the next Beta. Alphas and Betas are extremely dominant, and disrespect is usually punishable by violence. I should not talk back to Alpha or Beta, nor retain eye contact.

Deep breath. Go on, you're doing well, said the inside-voice-that-wasn't-mine.

"Omegas are the 'last' wolves of the pack. They are relatively submissive, obedient, and quiet. The pack treasures and protects their Omegas, and provides for them. I must never be mean or rough with an Omega. I must remember that they have low self esteem.

"Pack wolves communicate through the pack link. This is a way of communicating when one is in wolf form, and is also used when one is in human form. Wolves that do not belong to the pack cannot use the pack link. They can link with pack wolves, but cannot convey their words to the whole pack.

"Rogue wolves are wolves that have been banished from a pack. They live and hunt alone. They are dangerous because they are usually bitter towards pack wolves. Rogue wolves have a certain scent, which I should learn and avoid. Lone wolves are wolves that haven't been banished, but left the pack because they needed to find their mate. A wolf usually does not leave until around thirty years, when the need for a mate is driving him crazy. Most unmated wolves do not survive past fifty."

I stared at myself in a mirror provided in this library. I wondered about a few things. Like, if Luna is the Alpha's mate, that would make Lexi the Alpha's daughter. And since she has no siblings I know of, she would be the next Alpha. If that happened, how would she have a Luna of her own?

Another thing. The Wolfsbane Luna was mentioned in passing in that book... who was she? Why was she important?

Lexi's profile showed itself in the mirror, but I had already smelled her.

"Who is the Wolfsbane Luna?"

"The Wolfsbane Luna is the... sort of leader of all the wolves. She is the one who monitors our status with other beings, creates new packs when it is necessary, such stuff. She knows literally everything there is to know about wolves. She gives advice when we have strange cases of wolves and such. But that's just how it has been since her mate, the Alpha King, died," said Luna.

I blinked. "Wow," I said. "I need some time to get this straight."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Lexi sat next to me and put her arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry," she said. "You'll get used to it soon."

I smiled. I had found a good friend in Lexi. The type of friend I needed to get me through this. I promised myself then that I would never let her go, nor allow anything bad happen to her.