Amity was glad she used her healing spells when she did. Because when the paramedics arrived, they determined that Luz's injuries weren't serious enough to take her to the hospital. All they had to do was give her some antibiotics and a rabies shot before bandaging up her shoulder. The others meanwhile were giving their report to the police, and thankfully Gus' story was convincing enough for the officers to believe it.

Several more cars from state troopers and Fish and Wildlife arrived soon after, and the officers knew it was only a matter of time before the news crews would come as well. So they recommended the group to stay at a friend's place for the time being, something they wholeheartedly agreed to. Not only did they need to have an emergency family meeting, but they knew just the person to turn to in this dire situation.

With the authorities occupied with searching the surrounding woods and sealing off the area, it wasn't hard for the group to sneak through the portal door and back to the demon realm where the owl house awaited them.

Given how late it was, it took several knocks on the door before Eda finally answered, understandably annoyed that she'd been woken up. Owlbert, who was sitting on her shoulder, shared the same expression.

"For Titan's sake," Eda said. "It's two in the morning. You better have a good reason for waking me up."

"I'm sorry, Eda." Camila said. "But we need to have an emergency family meeting right now. Something's happened to Luz."

That instantly snapped the owl lady out of her frustration and her half asleep state, her face adopting a look of worry. As she glanced at the rest of the group, she sure enough saw her apprentice standing in the back next to Amity. Her shoulder was bandaged, and she looked scared and distressed, emotions the human witch rarely ever showed.

She turned to Owlbert. "Go get Raine."

Her palisman nodded and flew upstairs as she ran to her apprentice. "What is your Mom talking about? What happened?"

Luz only gave a small whimper in response, her body shaking. She didn't know what to say at that moment. How was she going to tell her mentor?

Fortunately, she didn't have to as Amity spoke for her. "There's really no way to sugar coat this, so I'm just gonna say it. Luz was…bitten by a lycanthrope."

Eda froze in place. Her heart started racing and her eyes widened in horror. At that point, Raine had reached the front door in time to hear what was said, and they shared the same expression.

"What did you just say?" The owl lady asked.

Amity winched, trying to hold back tears. "L-Luz was bitten by a lycanthrope."

Eda's breathing became more frantic, and her hands started shaking. "Amity, I swear to titan if this is a joke…"

"Why the hell would I joke about that?"

"A lyc…are you sure?" Raine asked.

"There's no doubt about it." Vee said. "We saw it clear as day. It had been killing pets in our town and we tried to catch it, thinking it was some exotic animal from the human realm. A lycanthrope was the last thing we were expecting."

Eda was starting to panic now. She was very familiar with the legends of these monsters. They were horrific creatures whose bite would curse the victim to bear their mark, and now she was hearing that Luz had been infected with this very curse, a curse that was similar to her own, only worse.

No. She thought. This can't be happening. Luz is such a sweet and innocent soul, and she's already been through enough already. She doesn't need this kind of fear and pain!

She was hyperventilating now. Seeing this, Raine recomposed themself and stepped in front of her to put their hands on her shoulders.

"Dear, take deep breaths."

Eda gave a scowl. "Deep breaths?! How am I supposed to do that right now?! Did you not just hear Amity?! Luz has lycanthropy!"

Raine shook their head. "I'm just as shocked about this as you are, but panicking won't help anything. You'll only make Luz more upset. You need to be strong for her like you always are."

This thankfully snapped the owl lady out of it. Her spouse had a good point. Her apprentice was very distraught right now as is. The last thing she wanted to do was make that worse. So she began to do as she was told, trying to calm herself to the best of her ability.

Raine then turned back to the group. "Let's all gather in the living room. I'll make some coco if anyone wants some."

Luz gave a small nod. "Yeah, I kind of need one right now."

"Me too." Amity said.

"Same here." Camila added.

Vee nodded and pulled out her phone. "I'll have some too, but I'm gonna call Masha first. They're really big into this stuff, so they'll be able to give some good insight."

Raine nodded in agreement. "Please do. We'll need every piece of knowledge we can take."

…

The family were soon all seated in the living room either on a couch or on the floor, all with worried looks on their faces. When Vee called Masha and told them what happened, they were obviously shocked, but immediately came over to offer their help and support. King was the same way when Eda woke him up and told him, but he was clearly very distressed. He had always viewed Luz as a sister, and knowing that she had been infected by the curse known to the Demon Realm as lycanthropy was devastating to him. But he tried to be strong for her, as did everyone else in the room.

The human witch herself was very quiet, probably still trying to process how much her life had just changed. It was clear that she still felt some form of guilt, even though there was no way she could have predicted what had transpired. Amity especially hated seeing her that way, but that was something they could address later. Right now, they had to discuss how they were going to tackle this problem.

Raine was the first one to speak. "Alright, the best place to start is by telling you exactly what we're dealing with. According to legend, the lycanthropes were a tribe of wild witches that lived in the demon realm five hundred years ago, a hundred years before Belos became emperor, and they used a horrible form of dark magic. By giving up their souls, they would gain the ability to take the form of a savage wolf-life beast that came with incredible physical and magical abilities. These abilities were matched only by their bloodlust, and they were feared all across the lands. Eventually a group of elder witches fought back using specially forged swords, and were able to banish the lycanthropes from the demon realm. Though it's clear now that at least some of them took refuge in the human realm."

"Five hundred years, huh?" Masha said. "That makes sense. Those things are talked about in folklore all over the world, and sightings of them are not uncommon."

"I can attest to that." Camila said. "When I was little, my grandfather told me stories about them. He called them el lobizon, a creature who was half man and half beast."

"And now I'm one of them." Luz said with a shaky voice. "A monster."

"Hey!" Eda shouted, startling the human witch. Now that she had had time to process the situation, she was starting to handle herself better. Her cup of apple blood helped too.

"I don't want to hear any of that from you." She continued. "You may be cursed, but that doesn't make you a monster."

"How do you know that?!" Her apprentice shouted back. "I'm literally going to turn into a wolf every full moon! And when I do, I will be a danger to everyone around me, even to the people I love! I could tear them apart and not be able to control myself! How does that not make me a monster?!"

She was starting to become hysterical, and Eda couldn't stop a few tears from falling down her face. Luz's feelings were justified. The idea of turning into a bloodthirsty beast and hurting someone you loved was terrifying, and it was something Eda knew all too well. In fact, she understood her apprentice's fear better than anyone possibly could.

"What about me?" She asked.

This made the human witch pause. "Huh?"

"You heard me. You forgot that I'm cursed too. I also become a beast that could hurt someone, and a few times I have. Do you think I'm a monster?"

That snapped a little sense into Luz. It was true. Eda's curse caused her to transform into a monstrous owl creature. And while she had a good hold on it now, it was a rocky road to get there. There were times where she lost control of her beast form, and that caused her to do some terrible things. But despite that, Luz never blamed her, because she knew she was trying her best and would never do any of those things willingly.

Luz shook her head. "No. I don't think you're a monster."

"Exactly. We may not have the same curse, but we're still in the same boat. So if my condition doesn't make me a monster, that means yours doesn't either. And you know what? Even though it took time, I was able to learn how to control my curse. That means you can control yours too."

"Scratch that." King said "You will find a way to control it. You're Luz Noceda for titan's sake. You never let anything stop you, and this isn't going to be any different."

The human witch froze for a moment, because they both were right. Why would this be any different for her than it was for Eda? She had a family who loved her and were always there no matter what. There's no way they would hate her for something she had no control over. They would do everything they could to help her and make her better, just like she once did for them.

Tears started forming in her eyes and she nodded. "You guys always know just what to say, and so does everyone else here."

"Good save, Batata." Amity said with a wink, getting a light laugh out of her girlfriend.

"Thanks. I'm sorry, everyone. I'm just really scared right now."

"Anyone would be." Camila said. "But we'll do everything in our power to help you, Mija. You know that."

Luz smiled softly and sniffed. "I know. Thanks, Mom."

She took a few breaths to calm down some more before speaking again. "I guess the best way to start is to talk about details." She said. "How exactly am I going to tackle this?"

Masha then spoke up. "Well, you need to know exactly how your curse works. To start off with, what you said about the full moon is only partly right. A werewolf's power is at its strongest during the full moon, and it would be difficult to control yourself then, but the transformation isn't restricted to it."

Luz frowned. "Then what causes it?"

"A few things. Intense anger, stress, or adrenaline can cause a transformation. Basically emotions that can trigger your primal instinct."

"It can also be caused by certain magic and potions." Raine added. "Lucky for you, I know what those are. So I'll make sure to keep them away from you."

Luz nodded. "Okay. So if for whatever reason I do change, would an elixir be able to stop it?"

Raine pursed their lips as they pondered this. "Maybe, but I wouldn't bet on it. Remember, the lycanthropes were banished from the demon realm five hundred years ago. It's likely they and their descendants have adapted or changed the ways of their magic over the years, possibly mixing it with elements from the human realm. So elixirs may not be as effective for you as they are for Eda."

Vee then perked up. "Maybe someone in the human realm made medicine for a lycanthrope. Masha and I can go to the library in Gravesfield tomorrow and do some research on it."

"You read my mind!" Her partner said. "I saw a documentary that mentioned one in European folklore, but it didn't say how it was made. We'll have to see what we can dig up."

"That sounds like a plan!" Gus said. "While you guys do that, I'll go to the library here and see if I can find some stuff as well."

"You mind if I tag along?" King asked. "Two brains are better than one after all."

"You bet, pal!" Gus said and gave him a high five.

Amity then spoke up. "I can also build a chamber for Luz to step into in case her beast form gets out of hand. I'm sure my dad will be able to help. I'll also go see Lilith and ask for her advice as well."

"That's definitely a good idea." Raine said. "She knows the history of the lycanthropes even better than I. If anyone would know what to do, it's her."

Willow nodded but gave Amity a worried look. "Your chamber would have to be really strong and resistant to dark magic, Amity. Remember, the lycanthrope we fought broke your abomination shield like glass."

"Yeah." Luz said. "I really want to make sure I can't hurt anyone. Or even worse, infect someone else with the curse."

"You don't have to worry about that, Kiddo." Eda said. "Only umbra lycanthropes can curse people."

"What do you mean by that?" The human witch asked.

Raine spoke up. "Remember how I said lycanthropes give up their souls for immense power? The reason why is that having a soul limits the amount of dark magic the body can use. These are known as umbra lycanthropes. You however are an animae lycanthrope, one who still has a soul. Because of this, you won't be able to use many of the abilities an umbra lycanthrope can do. This includes cursing others."

Luz let out a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank titan. That takes a huge weight off my shoulders."

Camila nodded, also sighing in relief. "Same here. Even so, there's still a lot to do with many risks involved. That's why I think for now you should stay here at the owl house until further notice. And I think you should always have someone with you if you ever go out in public just in case. We can't take any chances."

"I agree." Amity said. "The last thing we want is for people in the Human Realm to find out about Luz's condition. They're not exactly rational and kind when it comes to things they don't understand."

"Ain't that the truth." King grumbled.

"Ditto." Eda said. "Though I think we should play things close to the vest here in the Demon Realm too, at least for now. I think the residents here will be a lot more understanding, Luz saved them after all, but learning that she's now a lycanthrope might still shake things up. We should at least wait until we can get this under control before telling them."

Luz nodded, but also looked sad. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I guess I'll have to forget about going back to college, huh?"

Amity gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "For now, but that's okay. People attend college at their own pace all the time, so there's no rush. I know that's not your style, but this is far more important."

The human witch sighed. "I know. It just stinks, you know?"

Her girlfriend giggled. "Just wait till you start rolling in the mud with Hooty. Then things will really stink."

Eda groaned. "Oh, titan. I didn't even think about that. Luz, please tell me you're not actually gonna do that."

Her apprentice managed to give a small smile. "No promises."

This got an even louder groan from the owl lady as she took a sip of her apple blood. Everyone else burst out laughing.

"That's the spirit, Mija!" Camila said. "Okay. On that note, I think we should all go to bed. It's very late, and we could all use some rest right now."

"Yeah, good call." Masha said. "We can sort this out more in the morning. I'll just call my parents and let them know I'm staying over."

"You don't have to do that, Masha." Luz said.

"Nah, you're my girlfriend's sister. Of course I'll be there for you. Come on Luz, we've known each other for six years now. You should know that."

The human witch teared up. And as she looked around, she saw that everyone was giving her the same warm smile, showing that they all felt the same way. She really did have an amazing family.

"You…You guys are just the best." She choked.

Amity leaned over and kissed her cheek. "That's because we learned from the best."

….

It was only after things had calmed down did everyone realize how tired they really were. It had been a long and stressful night for all of them, and right now sleeping sounded like the best thing in the world for them. Even Luz, despite her anxious state, couldn't stay awake long after going to bed. The same could not be said however for Eda. She was still wide awake as she laid on her back in her nest, her mind racing at a million miles an hour.

She couldn't believe how much things had taken a turn for the worse so quickly. Luz, her apprentice and adoptive daughter, was now cursed to become a savage beast, much like herself. The owl lady winced as she remembered all the horrible things her own curse had done, and the pain it caused her and others. Was Luz doomed to follow the same path? Just thinking about it made her feel sick.

She snapped out her thoughts when a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Raine giving her a concerned look.

"Can't sleep?" They asked.

Eda sighed. "I don't see how I could. I just found out my kid has one of the worst curses in demon realm history, one that's even worse than mine…"

Her spouse pursed their lips and nodded. "I know. I'm scared for her too, but I also know she has what it takes to get through this. Not to mention, she has you. You said it yourself. You and her may not have the same curse, but you're still in the same boat. The Titan could not have blessed Luz with a better person to help her."

Eda choked and shook her head. "It's not that, Raine. I know I can help her. It's just, I worked so hard to keep her safe from my own curse, and all the pain it could bring. Titan, the look she gave me the day I was nearly executed broke my heart. But now, despite everything I've done, she's cursed to become a beast just like me. What…What kind of mother am I?"

She was about to start sobbing when Raine grabbed her chin and turned her head to face them. They had a soft but firm look on their face which surprised her.

"Don't go there." They said. "What happened was not your fault in any way, shape, or form. For centuries, Lycanthropes were just creatures people saw in books. Until now, nobody even knew where they went after they were banished. How could anyone have predicted this? The answer is, there was no way, and you can't blame yourself for that."

They then kissed Eda's forehead. "I know it hurts you to see Luz go through what you did, but at least you know how she feels, and that's exactly what she needs right now. She needs to be reminded that she's not alone, and that will go a long way in helping her. Let me put it another way. Yes, Luz is now cursed, but are you gonna let it hurt her the same way it hurt you?"

Those words really got through to the owl lady, and her face formed a look of protectiveness and determination as she shook her head.

"Hell no. Luz deserves to be happy after everything she's been through, and I won't allow this curse to say otherwise. I'll gladly give up my other arm if it means keeping her safe."

Raine gave a big smile. "Now that's the Eda I wanted to see. All we have to do now is make sure Luz has that same attitude, and I'm sure everything will fall into place."

The owl lady smiled back and gave them a kiss. "I think there will be more to it than that, but yeah. That will definitely be a good start. Thanks, hon. You made me feel a lot better."

Her spouse chuckled. "I have my moments."

"You most certainly do. Let's get some shut eye. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day, and we need to be as well rested as we can for it."

"Agreed."

The couple shared one more kiss before they laid back down and drifted off to sleep.