Werewolf or Lycanthrope are names to describe the man-wolf or wolf person. Legend tells of the man Lyacon who sought to challenge the gods by inviting Zeus into his home and offering him the flesh of one of his sons as a meal to trick him. Zeus saw through the ruse and cursed Lyacon and his sons to be wolves. In popular myth, werewolves are people who are generally half human, half wolf. Folklore also paints them as humans who have been gifted the ability to shapeshift into a wolfish creature, usually on the night of a full moon.
People could be born as a werewolf if one or both of their parents are werewolves themselves though there is a chance that they could be born as a normal human. There are three ways for a normal human to be turned into a werewolf. The most common way to be turned is by getting bitten by an Alpha. Though, there is a risk that the person bitten can't bare the transition and would die from the process though the chances of the bite killing a person is not too high but can still be a slight risk. The second way is by a scratch made from an Alpha's claws though they have to go pretty deep through the flesh. This method is somewhat less successful than an Alpha's bite and much less common. The third and most rarest method is for a person to drink fresh rainwater from a wolf's pawprint. In the most rare and extreme of cases, the person may not turn into a werewolf but assume the form of another creature that reflects and matches that person's inner nature.
Commonly, most werewolves simply transform by displaying an animalistic looking face whenever the shift is voluntarily invoked or forced often with negative stimulation or a raised heart rate. An example would be when the werewolf is getting stressed out or is being hurt. The shift includes the werewolf's fingernails growing out into claws, and in some extreme cases, as do the nails on their feet. Fangs appear at their canine positions primarily though some do go on and develop them all along their jaws. Their eye retinas also emit a glow of either red, blue or yellow depending on their rank and circumstances. These shifts can be controlled through training and practice. A common way that werewolves achieve this is to find something to ground them to their human half by finding an 'anchor' which is unique to each werewolf though it is commonly memories or a person. Werewolves have great physical strength that surpasses that of normal humans. They also possess heightened senses of sight, smell, and hearing. They also possess the ability to heal from physical injury and most natural ailments. They are sensitive and susceptible to the cycles of the moon, becoming strongest when it's full though they could easily lose control and be more susceptible to having no control of their transformation or animal nature.
The power to shapeshift into a wolf does exist but is in truth quite rare among werewolf kind. It has been commonly seen with born werewolves. They either initially possess the gift or could go on and 'evolve' and develop it. Those with this ability transform into a wolf that is nearly indistinguishable from a normal wolf. A trait that exposes what they are is when they make their eyes glow. However, there are rare and extreme cases when a werewolf could go on and transform into a larger, stronger and sometimes monstrous version of a wolf. It has been seen in Alphas that are feral and mentally unstable where they become a malformed and ghastly form with little resemblance to an actual wolf.
Werewolves also have the ability to siphon and pull pain out of others and into themselves through physical contact that can be identified by their veins running black though the process drains them of their strength and stamina. A less common ability that not all werewolves might have is the power to look into and manipulate a person's memory. They achieve this by driving their claws and connecting to a person's spine, commonly through the back of the neck. This process carries a degree of risk, especially in normal humans, as a mistake could render the person paralyzed and even get them killed. A werewolf's eyes also give off a flare when they try to get photographed. This is a common way to expose a werewolf especially one who was turned recently. Two light spots or beams will appear on a werewolf's picture at it's eyes when it gets developed. However, a werewolf can learn to dampen the flare so that it doesn't appear. It has even been seen that werewolves could learn how to dampen and mask their scent, even from other werewolves.
Werewolves hunt and live typically in packs. Packs not only help each member become stronger but also help in giving them control as they all work and build off one another. Werewolves can instantly pick out and identify a packmate's howl or roar when heard, even at a distance. A werewolf's place in the pack is decided by their rank and they are three ranks: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. Alphas can easily be identified by their glowing crimson red eyes. Betas and Omegas can have either yellow or blue eyes. Betas and Omegas with golden yellow eyes signify that they have never taken an innocent life. When a werewolf kills an innocent, their soul is said to become darkened and splintered which makes their eyes go and become a steely and cold blue hue to reflect that change.
Betas are the most common type of werewolves and the rank humans assume when they are first turned. Betas are stronger than werewolves of an Omega rank though weaker than those of an Alpha rank. They answer to the Alpha and work and fight with other Betas in the pack. Betas have a connection with their Alpha whose strength is dependent on the level of loyalty they have for them. An Omega can become a Beta when they get accepted into a pack. An Alpha could fall into the rank of a Beta should they lose the full loyalty of their pack or sacrifice their rank.
An Omega, also known as the 'lone wolf', is said to be the weakest and lowest rank of werewolf. They are werewolves that are not with a pack and live by themselves. A werewolf could be an Omega by their own conscious choice to be alone and without a pack. An Alpha and a Beta could fall to the rank of an Omega should they lose their pack by death, get kicked out of or abandoned by their pack. Omegas kicked out of a pack by their Alpha are banished permanently from the pack and can never return to it. However, Omegas have the option to go off and seek a different pack to take them in. It has been seen that a werewolf could still be of an Omega rank even if they do belong into a pack. This is often from a wolf that is looked at as the weakest and most helpless member. This type of Omega often suffers from ridicule and abuse from the Alpha and Betas. Commonly, Omegas do not tend to last very long.
Alphas are the highest rank and serve as leaders of the pack. They are considered the strongest type of werewolves. They are the only ones that can generally turn people into werewolves with a bite and expand their packs by inviting other Betas or Omegas in. An Alpha needs at least three betas for a pack to have stability. Alphas help Betas achieve control of their shifts and become stronger in exchange for getting stronger themselves. Alphas also possess a string of abilities and powers not seen in Betas or Omegas. An example of an ability only seen in Alphas is the power to heal a Beta from near death though it comes at the cost of their rank. To become an Alpha, a Beta or Omega would have to kill an Alpha which would enable them to take their rank and power for themselves. Should an Alpha die otherwise, their power then transfers to the Beta that they've selected as their 'Second' or Successor. However, if no Second was appointed, or was removed from the position and not replaced, then the Alpha's power is lost. There is a rare case, seen once a century or so, in which a Beta or Omega can become an Alpha without having to kill another Alpha for their power and claim the rank by rising through the strength of their own will which they called a True Alpha.
Werewolves are very susceptible to species of the plant Aconite or Monkswood, also more commonly known as Wolfsbane. The plant is poisonous which could hinder their healing or have more lethal effects. A way to purge the wolfbane in their system is to burn it out of their body or create an antidote using burnt ash from the species they've been infected with. Except with a few rare exceptions, all werewolves could be blocked passage behind a line of Mountain Ash made from the wood of the Rowan Tree. Contrary to popular myth, silver does not kill werewolves though it can somewhat hinder their healing should it stay in their system for continuous periods of time. Electricity is known to make werewolves paralyzed and will render them helpless for a short time after it ceases running through their body and they've recovered.
Currently, there is no knowledge of any cure to lycanthropy. A common rumor is that a werewolf could become human again if they killed the Alpha that turned them but this turned out to be false. In truth, once someone has been turned into a werewolf, there is no conceivable way of them ever turning back into a normal human again.
In regards to numbers, it would seem that werewolves are actually among the more common type of shapeshifters in the supernatural world. Most of them are able to insert themselves into normal human society though commonly come off as somewhat private or reclusive people. Though there are some, mostly Omegas, that live in complete isolation and try to put as much distance from people and society as possible as they find it all uncomfortable and/or disturbing. They try not to call to much attention to themselves to avoid exposure and being identified by hunters. Hunters are seen by werewolves as their mortal adversaries. They tend to avoid them at all costs or actively seek to bring them down. Though, there was a rare case where one particular teenage werewolf and a girl from a hunter family genuinely fell in love. The relationship however was difficult and taxing, not lasting long. They broke it off though they remained friends until she abruptly died soon after. The opinion of werewolves is greatly divided among other shapeshifters. It has been seen that they are able to bond easier with supernatural creatures within the Canine family and are more adversarial with those of the Feline family though that's not to say they don't develop rivalries or bonds with the latters.
A/N: I hope you liked Lydia's werewolf entry in her bestiary. The next one will be The Beast.