The years that had passed were quite forgiving, you were now at the sweet age of sixteen. Your brother was now around the age of thirty four.
You'd gotten a nice little job down in the at the village. A quaint little place, homely and warm with the nicest people you'd ever met, all apart from your family that was.
"Morning," you greeted the old man and woman.
"There she is all bubbly and raring to go," the old man smiled.
"If I don't who will," you grin as you take your large hat off, that your brother had bought especially for you. "Must do what I can to help my brother."
"Speaking of brother," the old woman now brought up. "How is he? I heard there was some sort of accident down at the mill?"
You nod glumly. "He's doing well at the moment, but he's just annoyed that he's had to take time off to heal. He lost a finger in one of the machines."
The old woman gasped loudly. "Oh my!"
"They believe the machine had been tampered with. Someone from one of the other houses or something?" you shrug, none to caring about all the House wars and what not. "So I've been putting in the hours instead to help out."
"How's your sister and mother?" she now asks as you reach up to grab one of the boxes on the top shelf with minimal effort.
"Just look at how big you're getting," the old man interrupted as you gave him a smile before turning to face the old woman again.
"Elena's getting worse by the day, doctors say they can't do much for her. Mother's worried as anyone would be," you sigh.
"I'm sorry, dear." She says softly as she places a hand to your back.
"Morning Mihaela, my dear. How are you today?" a chirpy woman asks as she steps in.
You look to her with a smile as she now sets eyes on you.
"Oh, is she the new help?" she asks.
Mihaela nods.
"She's tall isn't she?" the woman comments.
"Towers over us oldies," the old man chuckled.
You shake your head with a smile. You'd never put much thought into your height. The woman now walks over to you, placing a hand on your arm.
"It's so wonderful to see the young helping out the old," she commends you.
"I enjoy their company very much," you smile. "They're lovely people."
"You're one of a kind, my dear."
She now leaves you to it as the old man walks over.
"Got a delivery coming in sometime after lunch," he tells you.
"No problem," you nod.
Once the woman's done, she waves her goodbyes and gives you one also. You kindly respond with a goodbye yourself. Stocking up wasn't quite as boring as it would be if it wasn't for the old couple.
"No Ştefan the other side," his wife frowned.
"Don't tell me what to do, woman!" he snapped back at her, though not angrily.
You found their banter funny.
"Delivery," you now heard a man call out.
These deliveries were quick, people never stayed longer than they had to. You stepped out to help with the heavy boxes, something they'd grown used to seeing.
"Thanks," the man nodded to quickly head back.
You now leave the boxes until you've finished with the old stock.
"Lunch break, dear." The old woman reminds you.
You flash her a smile before grabbing your coat and hat. Your dinner usually consisted of raw meat, which you'd come to find wasn't everyone's meal. So you'd started calling round to the local butcher to grab a fresh slab of meat and small cup of blood to go with it, and go find a secluded place to eat. Once you'd finished, you'd then head back.
"You're going to get into trouble," you return to hear Mihaela warning her husband.
"I can do it," he insisted.
Taking off your coat and hat, you now come to find the old man trying to lift the heavy boxes.
"Hey, put that down." You scolded him.
He gave you a look of annoyance. "I may be old, girly. But I'm not that old to not be able to lift a box like th- Ow! Ow! My back!"
"What did she tell you," his wife frowns.
You're now beside him with Mihaela at his other side, your hand on his back gently rubbing circles.
"You're right. Should have left it to you," he sighs.
"Are you going to be alright?" you ask him.
He nods, now walking with a slightly hunched back.
"Why don't you both go home. I can manage the shop, stocking up and what not. Then I'll lock up and sort out the delivery and reopen on the morning?" you offer.
"You're an angel sent for heaven you are," the old man smiled.
"I-I couldn't leave it all to you," the old woman frowns slightly.
"Go on its fine," you smile as you're now escorting them out.
"You're such a dear. We don't deserve you."
"Go on," you smile.
Once the pair's out the door, you turn back to the boxes to start lifting them with ease into the back. The sound of the door opening again, has you announcing you'll be with them in a second. You stack the boxes up as neatly as possibe before heading back out.
"How can I help-" you now ask to no one. "Shit!"
You wonder if you'd just had a thief, until something grabs your hand or rather someone. A hooded hunched over old lady now raises her head to you.
"I know what you are," she then starts cackling. "I know just what you are. I just hope you don't find out."
She lets go of you to back up before turning around to head back out the door, leaving you to look at your wrist which has a red mark of the woman's tight grip.
"What was that all about?" you ask aloud, though there's no one to answer you.
Turning back to the boxes, you stack the rest to take into the back. The woman's words kept playing on your mind, over and over again.
"Hope I don't find out what?" you frown as you try to take your mind off it.
Sighing loudly, you're now broken from your thoughts as the door goes again. Your heart races, wondering if it's the woman again. Thankfully it isn't.
"I'll just take these," the man tells you as he hands over the money.
"Thank you," you smile as you hand him the change.
He gives a forced smile back at you before heading out. Knowing it was time to close up, you head over to the door. A figure that looks so much like the old woman is seen in the glass, making you quickly turn to see no one there.
"Alright," you tell yourself. "Calm down."
You lock the door and head into the back again, sorting the empty boxes and other such rubbish to throw out into the bin. Once you're out back, throwing the rubbish away you stop at sensing something. Two rather large orbs look back at you. At first it looked to be a wolf, but the thing rose up.
"That's not like any wolf I've ever seen before," you think aloud as the creature is now accompanied by its brethren.
Your eyes dart from making contact with the beast opposite, you're now desperately searching for something to use to defend yourself if it came to that. Only the creature now turned its head as if not bothered about you. It drops to its forepaws and runs off, the other running off with it. You can't help but let out a sigh of relief, until looking down at your hands.
"Oh my-" you gasp sharply as your finger nails now looked a lot like razor sharp claws.
Your hands are now shaking along with the rest of you. How do you undo this? You close your eyes and will them away, opening them again you're greeted to normal looking nails.
"What's happening to me?" you panic as the woman's words come back to haunt you again.
Quickly darting back inside, you shut and lock the door. Quickly unlocking the front door, you lock it after yourself and head for home, howls are now heard as you swiftly pick up the pace.
"Why didn't mother tell me anything?" you frown as you carry on up the long dirt road.
People are quickly closing the curtains as you pass, as well as locking and bolting their front doors.
"What's wrong with this village?" you now wonder as you stop to look out at it properly.
The sound of panting and howls grow nearer just as you hear a voice.
"Hey, you're a big girl."
You look to the man standing by the side of someone's house. He unfolds his arms as he walks over to you.
"I don't have time for this," you warn him.
He snorts in amusement. "Not scared of a pack of wild dogs are you?"
"You haven't seen what I saw back there," you point, not caring if he believes you or not.
The sound of a horse lets out a frightened cry as snarls grow nearer.
"Come on, beautiful." He smiles. "Never done it during a full moon?"
"Leave me alone!" you snap at him.
He draws closer to you now, his hand on your arm. "You're cold, darling. Let me warm you up."
You seem to lose control and push him back. He hits the ground hard with a hiss, his hand going to his head. Once he pulls his fingers away to look them over he sees blood.
"You bitch!" he snarls, standing up.
You feel the sudden urge to feed, but a growl is heard right by your left ear. You stiffen up as the large wolf creature opens its long maw, showing off a set of pearly whites coated in blood.
"W-What the fuck is that?" the man you'd now forgotten all about is now pointing at the creature.
The strong smell of urine now hangs in the air as the man's trousers grow damp. He quickly turns to run, but slips on the dirt. He scrambles to get back up only something large tackles him from the side. You're still trying to control your nerves as the creature standing beside you eyes you up before strongly pushing past you to sink it's teeth into the squirming, screaming fool on the floor.
"Gotta get home!" you tell yourself as you ignore the man's cries and pleas for you to help him.
Once back at your home, you quickly shut and lock the door before sinking down it. Daniel comes in to see you sat looking at your hands. You seemed to be in some sort of daze.
"Luna?" he calls out to you.
You don't even realise he's there until he places a hand on your shoulder.
"Luna, what happened?"
"I-I s-saw creatures," you tell him.
He hangs his head to then shake it before looking back up at you.
"Did they hurt you?" he asks.
"N-No," you tell him shakily.
He wraps his arms around you, thankful you're safe.
"What am I?" you now ask him as he pulls away.
He gives you a look.
"What do you mean?"
You stand to hold up your hands, your nails growing out to form claws.
"What is this?" you ask, clearly upset.
He shakes his head again just as your mother walks in.
"Is everything alright?" she asks.
You retract your claws slowly now.
"Mother," you start to ask, but Daniel quickly stops you.
"Yes, dear."
You give your brother a look as he silently tells you not to say anything.
You give him a glare as you turn to face your mother again.
"I love you," you tell her.
A smile breaks out on her face at this.
"I love you too, sweetheart."
You turn to look back at Daniel now, grabbing his arm you lead him out of your mother's range of hearing.
"Tell me!" you now demand.