Chapter Four- The Ceremony
"You forgot to tell him about our ears," Atticus said to Syrus as they sat in study hall of which they were twenty minutes into.
"I'm sure he noticed them." Syrus reached under his hair to lightly trace the slight but distinctive point of it. All werewolves had pointed ears in human form and most grew out their hair to conceal them. "And, if not, I will tell him tonight."
"You're certain he'll be one of us?" Bastion asked.
"I think you know the answer to that Bastion seeing as three of us are half-breeds, though that term doesn't really apply anymore. We're werewolves and that's that."
"I do know the answer. You are certain. Half-breeds tend to become werewolves which changes their race to werewolf."
"That is all true," Banner said, joining the conversation. "Half-breeds do become werewolves which gives us hope of increasing our numbers."
"Professor? How was I able to become a werewolf when my family are vampires?" Syrus asked.
"There are two possibilities. One is that your genes were different from your family. The other is that there was a werewolf somewhere in your family line that contributed to your gene pool and became a recessive gene."
"So, it all comes down to genetics," Bastion said.
"Exactly."
The door opened and everyone looked to see Jaden enter with a gloomy expression that became a cheerful one upon seeing the werewolves. "Hi, everyone."
"Ja? What's wrong?" Syrus asked as he went over to him.
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong," he said, sounding very sincere.
Syrus sniffed and frowned. "Don't lie to me. I can smell sadness around you."
"You can smell my emotions?"
"It's an alpha trait. Last year's alpha tutored me and I practiced all he taught me. So, tell me what's wrong."
"I thought I'd get some homework done while I spent time there, but the sophomore vampires kept giving me cold looks. I tried to ask for a little help on my math homework, but all they did was give me those looks. I chose to come here." He sighed. "I don't understand why I'm being signaled out."
"Probably because you're the only sophomore who hasn't changed yet?" Atticus suggested. "And you're the only one who stated his parentage. Freshmen aren't asked to do that. Jaden, did you do anything wrong today?"
"Wrong how? The only thing wrong I can think of was called Doctor Crowler Mister when I went to get my schedule."
The werewolves, even Banner, flinched. "Yeah, that would do it," Syrus said. "He doesn't take kindly to that. He did have to look at your records in order to get your schedule and he probably had the teachers make you introduce yourself."
"What? Just because I called him Mister?" Jaden asked, surprised at how petty that was. "I thought vampires were unfeeling."
"Doctor Crowler is a little unusual for a vampire," Banner said. "He is quite proud and vain about his degree and those who don't address him properly tend to receive some unpleasant backlash. I've once seen him drain someone for his mistake and Crowler had already fed so the attack was unnecessary."
"I'm guessing doing that to a student is frowned on," Jaden remarked.
"Correct. Principal Sheppard would severely punish him."
"Jaden," Bastion said. "Did you say you were having some trouble with your math homework? I could help you as I'm quite proficient in math."
"I do need help. Thanks, Bastion. Jaden and Bastion sat down to go over the assignment, the former wanting to get all of his homework done before being turned as it would be hard to hold anything with paws. I will be a werewolf. Half-breeds tend to be werewolves, which is why Sheppard said that half-breeds are highly valued. Hey! Maybe that's why the vampires looked coldly at me. I could be seen as a threat to their vampire majority. Well, who needs that kind of attitude? Not me.
After school had let out, the human students and Syrus milled around or explored the school more thoroughly, Jaden doing that with Syrus beside him. "Are there places that are only for vampires or werewolves?"
"Aside from the study halls, no. Of course, there are places no student is allowed to go."
Jaden nodded. "Hey, Sy? Do all werewolves have pointed ears while human?"
"They do and once one is old enough, they can make them look normal. Principal Sheppard is one example. So, you did notice."
"Kind of hard not to. Chumley and Bastion didn't conceal them."
Dinner was a silent affair as the students were tense and nervous save for Jaden and one freshman. He was muscular and exuded a confidence that Syrus could smell. It wasn't an alpha's confidence; it was just confidence in oneself and destiny. I wonder if he knows what he'll be.
Once night had fallen, everyone trooped into the gym where the roof had already been retracted and the disc laid beneath it. Crowler and Sheppard stood before the assembled teens. Syrus shifted into a wolf with fur the same color as his hair and stood to one side of Sheppard with Crowler on the principal's other side.
"And now the moment we've been waiting for," Sheppard announced. "You will stand on the disc, I will speak the ancient words, and you will turn into a vampire or a werewolf." He pointed at Crowler and then Syrus. "Doctor Crowler is the head of the vampires and Syrus is the alpha wolf. You will report to one of them once you have changed." Crowler leaned forward to smirk at Syrus who stared back blandly.
"Let us begin with our transfer student. Jaden Yuki, please come forward."
Jaden stepped out of the small group and onto the gray disc that had shimmering gold and silver stars across its surface. He looked up at Sheppard who smiled gently.
"It won't hurt. You will feel a tingle and some warmth and then it will be over."
"I'm not scared," Jaden stated. It was true; he had been told all his life about this day and he had eagerly looked forward to being turned.
Sheppard nodded, closed his eyes, and began to speak in a language Jaden had never heard before, but liked how it had a nice sound to it. The disc under his feet glowed a soft gray and there were awed sounds from the students at the sight.
Jaden saw the light spread up his feet and then to his legs, torso, arms, hands, neck, and head. It was indeed warm and a sense of peace filled him before a pleasant tingle raced through him as he closed his eyes to enjoy the sensations.
The warmth and tingle ended and he felt an urge to howl like a wolf and did not fight it. He tilted back his head and a loud real wolf's howl emerged. He opened his eyes to find everyone looking down at him. He saw a long object in front of his face and crossed his eyes to see it was the nose and muzzle of a wolf. He noticed fur the color of his hair on the muzzle before looking down to see two brown paws instead of hands and a wolf's grin appeared. Yes! I'm a werewolf! Jaden thought happily.