"I can't believe it," Grady panted as he came to a stop, his heart about to beat out of his chest. Cassie stopped as well, though she looked like she could keep running. "Will, a werewolf?"
"He shouldn't have attacked you," said Cassie, eyeing Grady with a strange gleam in her green eyes. The same gleam Will had. Grady found her reply odd.
"I can't believe it," said Grady. All this time, you two kept insisting the swamp hermit was the werewolf..."
"That's why I came tonight," explained Cassie, wiping her damp red hair out of her eyes. "To warn you. But he came before I did."
"Thanks," said Grady gratefully, though he wondered why she couldn't have warned him sooner. "But we have to get going. Before Will—"
He didn't get the chance. They heard the low, deep growling behind them. Grady's blood went cold, and Cassie froze as well, though she looked more angry than frightened. Her green eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. When Will stepped out in front of them on his hind legs, his paws reaching out and his dark eyes seizing Grady greedily, Cassie's eyes met his, equally angry and vicious. Will looked at her calculatingly. He was still wearing blue shorts on his stubby, hairy legs, his teeth bared. Grady found their interaction almost as confusing as it was frightening.
"Leave him alone!" Cassie yelled. Grady jumped. Her voice sounded nothing like before. It was still deep and raspy like before, but much more so. It came out in a growl similar to Will's. "Leave him alone, Will!"
Will growled back at her, and then, to Grady's immense surprise, spoke. Grady suddenly noticed that along with his shorts, he was wearing a little of his shirt as well, torn and dirty as they hung to his fur. He was standing up on his hind legs, and his face also wasn't completely covered in hair. His ears and hands, balled into fists, looked like a normal human's especially hairy ears and knuckles. His eyes looked exactly like they did as a human, with the same human gleam and intelligence in them. He must not have finished transforming completely.
"Go away, Cassie," Will growled. "He's mine."
"No he's not!" Cassie screamed. "He's not yours!" Despite Grady's fear at her strange behavior, he couldn't help feeling grateful. Maybe she would protect him.
His hopes were dashed by her next words. "He's mine! He's mine, not yours!"
Grady watched in horror as Cassie started to transform as well. Her green eyes flashed, but remained the same as hair grew all over her body and an equally loud growl escaped her throat. Then Will got onto his front legs as more hair grew over his body. He looked like a complete werewolf now, standing on all fours as he glared angrily at Cassie, as if getting ready to fight her.
Will didn't need to see anymore. He turned around and started running faster than he had ever run in his life. Fear and panic filled him, but also another emotion. Sadness and disappointment. Will and Cassie weren't really his friends. They just wanted to get close to him so they could make him his prey.
He heard snarls behind him, and his heart dropped even further. Why had he been stupid enough to go out into the swamp at night, let alone on a full moon? His legs ached and burned, until he couldn't run straight anymore. They suddenly gave away as he tripped over debris, his hands flying forward uselessly as he landed hard on his hands and knees. He panted and breathed heavily, his face close to the ground as his terror overwhelmed him and his heart beat frantically. He could hear snarls behind him, almost feel them on the back of his neck. He closed his eyes. Was this how he going to die?
Suddenly, Grady heard another howl. It was even louder and deeper than the other two, but also hoarser and more weary-sounding. It also sounded furious. He heard several growls and snarls behind him, along with thumping and slashing noises. He looked over his shoulder to see what looked like several ferocious werewolves fighting with each other, gnashing and clawing at each other as they rolled in a heap. It seemed to be two on one.
Grady forced himself to his feet and found a hiding place behind an enormous tree. He leaned against the huge trunk and almost collapsed, breathing heavily. He could see the fight if he popped his head out from behind, but he didn't. Hearing it was terrifying enough. He had never heard such horrible, ferocious sounds in his life. They sounded like they were in pain. After a while, they started to die down, and then whimpered off completely, though he could still hear heavy breathing.
For a long time, Grady stood frozen, unable to move. He felt light-headed, and thought he might pass out right then. The swamp was completely silent, so silent that it was deafening to Grady's ears. He could still hear the sounds from the fight ringing in his ears.
Suddenly, he heard soft, but heavy footsteps approach him, along with heavy breathing. He froze. It had to be one of the werewolves. He inwardly cursed himself. Why hadn't he ran out of the swamp while he had the chance? He had been frozen in fear.
As the werewolf came into view, Grady's heart stopped. Then it relaxed again as he saw that it wasn't Will or Cassie. It was a much larger werewolf. It looked exhausted and heavily battered from the fight. Chunks of its fur were missing or bleeding, and slashes covered its face. Then, Grady realized. The werewolf had saved his life.
The werewolf held out its paw, and as it unfurled it, Grady saw something in it. It was his silver watch. It was burning the werewolf's skin, leaving a mark, but he was carrying it. Then he dropped it in front of Grady.
Grady picked it up. "Th-thank you," he stammered.
The werewolf raised his head and looked Grady right in the eye. Grady gasped. The werewolf had dark green eyes.
I got the werewolf returning the human's silver item despite it burning his skin from an episode of the Nightmare Room.