I woke up to a dismal winter morning. There was no snow again today and everything looked so lifeless without the snow. It was all just dead looking. The forest looked barren without the snow and ice covering the branches, or the snow making the fir tree's branches sag under the weight. I threw on a hoodie over my t-shirt and pj pants and my feet were still warm in my socks. But I hated leaving my warm, comfy bed. The forest stood still through the window of my room. I loved looking at the forest through the wonderful bay window in my room. But today, I had things to do. Like, finish my homework for tomorrow, and do chores around the house while my parents were at church. I would go, but the house was left to me on Sunday, and I was to visit my grandma. I visited her every Sunday. She was too old to go out during the winter, to make the trip to the church. And she didn't think she had to go to church to pray and be close to God. Which is how I looked at it too. I grabbed my book bag, and car keys, and headed out to my car. I always did my homework at Grandma's house while she knitted or something. I loved going to her cottage in the heart of the woods. I could walk, but it was too dang cold. My faithful truck started like it always did, sputtering to life in any weather. I cranked up the heat and drove off to my Grandma's house. I also brought us cookies and sweets to munch on. Grandma still had a sweet tooth after all these years. She even got denture glue so she could eat candy. She was a sweet old lady, and I loved her so much. Sometimes I loved her than my own parents. I didn't agree with everything my parents believed in, and they pressured me to be someone I'm not. I was always forced into doing things I didn't want to do, like dance and singing and everything. But my grandma listened to me and let me be whoever I wanted to be. She didn't really agree with my parents either. They were too concerned with the appearance of things, what other people thought, but I didn't care what people though of me. Then my grandmother's house came into view and I smiled. I turned off my old truck and gathered up my things. I went to open up the door but it was locked, so I knocked loudly, as my grandmother was hard of hearing. She came to the door quickly, and looked...relieved that it was me. Her door was always unlocked.
"Hey Gran," I said and she quickly shut and locked the door behind me.
"Hey." Her words were clipped and rushed.
"Something wrong?" I asked heistantly, making my way into the living room where I put down my book bag and sat cross-legged on the floor.
"Oh, I've just heard some things. Your mom warned me." I couldn't help but laugh at this.
"Since when do you listen to mom's warnings?" I asked.
"Well, darling, your mom is smarter than she seems sometimes." Is all she said before smiling her usual smile and settling back into her chair and began knitting, which was her sign that the discussion was done and to move onto happier things. That was always her sign that she was done talking about something, she always settled back, smiled and sighed and either became quiet or changed the subject. I began my homework.
"Gran, do you mind if I stayed with you tonight?" I asked, I was worried for my grnamother. It wasn't because she was old or frail, heck, I wouldn't want to cross her on a bad day, she was a scary old lady. But because she was my grandma, and I just wanted to know what was going on.
"Oh, but it's a school night honey." She said, not even looking up.
"I know. I just really want to stay with you. I haven't spent the night with you in a long time, and I already have clothes here and everything." I said.
"I dont' think that's a good idea." Is all she said.
"You're worrying me. I want to know what's going on." I told her, stopping my work. Gran sighed and looked at me.
"I don't quite think it's the right time to tell you, but I can't keep it from you forever. There are things in the woods, my little Red, dangerous things. Just promise me you won't go looking for those things. And they're getting closer, getting braver, evolving so to speak." My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head.
"Like, the wolves?" I asked. Gran nodded.
"They aren't just wolves. They're shifters, half human half wolf. They used to stick to the inner forests, in their own villages, only coming out when they need to, but now, people are encroaching on their turf, and they will stop at nothing. I sometimes take in hurt wolves, nursing them back to health after fights, they happen from time to time. And your mom hated it. She thought they were savages, beneath us. But that didn't stop me." Gran had now stopped her knitting and was getting very into her story.
"But now new groups of wolves are forming, to take out the humans, to start a war. And wars are breaking out amongst the clans. And they aren't happy that I help the wolves. They don't trust any humans, I'm scared for my wolves, Red." Gran said. I had never seen her this worried. I was just trying to figure things out, after all, how many times do you find out werewolves are real, but something is making them evolve?
"Gran, what do you mean, evolve?" I asked, not even knowing if I wanted to know.
"Well, the old generation of wolves, the ones I cared for as a young child, only turned into humans on full moons. Like the legends. But as time went on, and humans encroached on their territory, they were able to form into humans freely during the warm spring months and throughout the summer, and now, there are wolves that can change anytime, and any place they choose. A few of them started their own clans, and decided to wipe out all the humans around them, to start their own civilization I guess, and to take down all the humans that help them. I'm not the only one Regina. There are others like me, who take care of the wolves, who help them birth the babies, or tend to wounds when war breaks out. But you have your traditionalists, who think they should be able to care for themselves, and should avoid humans at all costs. But some of the new wolves are thankful for my help, and the help of others. And they are wanting to socialize with the humans, but undercover of course." Gran said grinning, she was obviously fond of this idea. "But please be careful my granddaughter, I do not want you to go looking for trouble where you don't belong. Leave the helping to me, and I will call on you if I need your help. Just go back to your homework, and promise me you won't tell your mother I told you anything." She winked at me and I nodded happily. It would be our little secret.