Chapter 2

Supernatural creatures for dummies, 3rd edition

extract from Chapter 6: Werewolves: fact and fiction

6.2 Packs and Snacks

As we explained in section 1 of this chapter, lycanthropy is a purely genetic condition. There are numerous legends in the non-magic community stating that a bite from a werewolf can turn a human into one. The myth was probably created by werewolves who were captured and were facing persecution from human authorities but didn't want to implicate their relatives. They might have come up with a story that some unknown werewolf bit them and turned them, but their own family is fully human. As you can see, human authorities are often very gullible. Lycanthropy-associated genes are recessive, and not completely penetrant. That is, even those with two copies of the gene do not always exhibit werewolf characteristics (for the full list of werewolf characteristics, see section 6.1).

Educating a young werewolf to control their shift and consequent violent tendencies is the task for the adults in the werewolf pack. Young wolves left, for whatever reasons, on their own, used to be put down, if no pack claimed them. This barbaric practice, however, was stopped in the US in the late 19th century, with the establishment of werewolf sanctuaries (under the guise of so-called "National Parks", did we mention how gullible humans are?), and later with the decision to admit werewolves into Schools for Magic and Supernatural Creatures, along with other species. This decision was the result of a long legal battle, many parents being uneasy with their children learning and living alongside potentially violent students. This court decision was another step in the long struggle for equal rights for were-creatures, which unfortunately still continues to this day.

That said, one should always remember not to provoke werewolves, especially before they locate their mate. You might just become a snack for one of them, and werewolf bite remains one of the few magical poisons that has no antidote.'

Scott used to live in Beacon Hills, same as Stiles. This was the first thing that made them talk to each other, and Scott was the only person so far, who didn't mind the fact that Stiles was a spark.

'Wow, that's cool. What's a spark?' - was Scott's reaction.

Even after Stiles explained the concept to him, he was still fine with it. Stiles : 1; Prejudice : 0! Well, by now he's met enough students that it was actually Prejudice : 48, but who's counting?

Scott was a werewolf. He started attending this school last year, when he reached the equivalent of werewolfy puberty at 15 and found out that he had a tendency to grow fangs and claws every full moon. Apparently, no one was aware of werewolves in Scott's family history, so no one knew that both his parents were carriers for this recessive gene.

It was very rare to find werewolves in this school, or in any magic school for that matter. Werewolves were pack creatures, and didn't like sending their young ones away God knows where. Scott didn't have a pack, so he was admitted to the SMSC. There were only five other werewolves here, brought in by various circumstances, often unfortunate ones. Every wolf would rather stay with their pack, if they had a choice. There were Erica and Boyd, from a pack near Sacramento, whose territory was badly damaged by forest fires several months ago. They had to send the two young betas to school, since no adults could pay enough attention to them. There was Jackson, whose exact story nobody knew for sure. He seemed to be a pretty normal werewolf, but rumor had it that he was almost turned into a kanima last summer and his pack was now too scared to let him stay. Jackson was a douchebag, but Stiles still felt bad for him. What kind of family does that to one of their own members? For now, while they were in school, Scott and Jackson officially belonged to Mr Ennison's pack, the resident alpha wolf, who was also the professor of Shapeshifting studies. Once they were ready to graduate they would have to search for a pack to take them in.

Then there was the fifth student, Derek Hale. His story was the weirdest, in Stiles' opinion. Derek belonged to a large well-established pack in Eastern California, and no one kicked him out of it. His problem and the reason why he was enrolled in SMSC was that he hadn't found his mate yet.