by Raquel Paiva
“He wants you.” Pedro said. “And when the moon is full, he won't hesitate to come for you. He will be completely out of control.”
“What can I possibly do then?”
Pedro wanted to embrace her, but decorum stopped him.
“I wish we were already married. We would have consummated our marriage by now and he would lose interest in you. But we are not so he won't stop until he gets what he wants.”
“Do you think this werewolf that wants me is the very same creature that killed Amélia?”
“I don’t know. Apparently there are others, at least one more.”
“Luvinus doesn't...”
“Lúcia, listen to me.” he asked, grabbing her by the shoulders and making her look right in his eyes. “Luvinus, on Full Moon nights, is as dangerous as the other.”
“But he means no harm.”
“Even if he doesn’t, his wild nature will take over. Lúcia, he will act without thinking, without knowing. On Full Moon nights they can't control themselves even if they try.”
Lúcia lowered her head. The Full Moon was only a few days away now and the confrontation would be inevitable.
“What's Captain Nogueira's plan? Is it not possible to try to catch the other monster before the Full Moon?”
“To go aimlessly through the forest is unreasonable, as we don’t really know where he hides or how many they really are. Even with silver, we will be vulnerable in his territory, he can ambush us. Best not to take chances and have our men killed for nothing. Also, these two creatures already know about silver, so the monster will not reveal himself before Full Moon. Unfortunately, the only way seems to be to let him come to us, when the moon is full.”
Lúcia sighed. Their lives completely depended on fate’s mercy. She thought about Luvinus again. She could only hope he was still alive after the fight against his alpha.
XII
Luvinus and Shorath fought for a long time, scratching and biting each other mercilessly. The brawl moved them away from Lúcia's house and deeper into the forest. Luvinus was the one who got tired the quickest and Shorath, as the alpha, took advantage of it. He scratched and bit the insolent omega until the young werewolf's fur was soaked with blood. Finally, both exhausted, they fell to the ground, Luvinus leaning against a tree and Shorath lying in front of a bush. They were both panting.
“You're getting tougher, brother.” Shorath growled. “And more and more insolent.”
“Don't call me brother”. Luvinus demanded, through gulps of air.
Shorath looked at the house far away and then asked him:
“Do you feel this in the air?”
Luvinus closed his eyes. He felt two human bodies in love each other, but at the same time trying to suppress their desire. Pedro and Lúcia. Pedro and Lúcia were in love and only reason and decorum kept them from going up to a room and making love to one another.
“That girl is mine. I will have her on the Full Moon when I am at the height of my power.”
“What if they don't resist one another?” Luvinus challenged him, smiling ironically. “You should hurry up. If you break into the house now, you can have her. Just don't forget that the village is under surveillance and the soldiers have silver bullets now.”
Shorath looked at him menacingly.
“You think I’m stupid? Because of you I missed my chance tonight. So I shall attack again when the moon is full.” he said. “Even with silver it will not be easy for them to kill us. On Full Moon nights we are so powerful that it will take perfect aim and a lot of strength and courage to kill us. They are nothing but weak human beings.”
Luvinus got up and started to walk away. Shorath was partly right. Even though the eighty men were all armed with silver, the truth is that on Full Moon nights, a werewolf like Shorath could kill several men almost at once. And the werewolves were six. If Luvinus lost his control too and took part in the attack, they would be seven. He ran far away. He couldn't afford to be near the village when the moon was round in the sky. He thought of Lúcia. There was no way the men could catch his alpha or the pack before the Full Moon. The fight would really take place then and he could only hope that Lúcia escaped unscathed.
Luvinus wandered for two days without a destination. The moon was already in a wanning gibbous and he felt his strength develop within him. He stopped and curled up beside a tree, looking at the stars and the dark sky, wishing there was another solution. At Full Moon, he would become as dangerous as Shorath and the others, and if he stayed there, he would most likely participate in the attack on the village when the moon showed its round and luminous shape in the black mantle of the night. He might be able to save Lúcia on the other phases of the moon, but he would not be able to spare her on a Full Moon night. The men would be busy fighting the other wolves while Shorath would chase the girl. Pedro alone couldn’t do much, even if he armed himself with silver from head to toe. It was then that Luvinus made a decision. It would be extremely risky, but he had to stay and force all the humanity still left in him to dominate his werewolf instinct. He had never been able to on Full Moon nights and that was why he always hid away, as far as possible from any human settlements. In no way did he want to put human beings at risk. But, on the next Full Moon, he had to stay in Sintra and protect Lúcia, in any way he could, even if that meant being killed with silver bullets. He would be the only one who could face his alpha if Pedro failed. As brave and well-armed as those men were, he knew too what his alpha was capable of. Shorath attacked without mercy, a true beast possessed by the most evil forces of hell. There was nothing that could stand against him. Luvinus got up and went back. He had to try to talk to Lúcia that night and, if Pedro was present, perhaps even better. He could talk to both about his alpha’s powers.
He approached the house, but first he made sure that Shorath and the others were not around. He felt them hunting in the distance. He hoped that none of them realized that he was by the young girl’s house. The kitchen light was on. He called Lúcia, as loud as he could to make himself heard, and as low as he could to not wake anyone else. He felt some excitement inside the house. Pedro forbade her to go out and took up his gun. Luvinus walked into the backyard.
“I won't hurt you.” he whispered.
It was Pedro who opened the door, with Lúcia huddled behind him. He aimed his gun at him with a fierce, defiant look. Luvinus looked at Lúcia, who was staring back at him.
“It's you, you are alive and well!” she said, relieved. Pedro, however, grabbed her by the arm and didn’t let her approach the werewolf. He looked Luvinus in the eyes and anger rose inside him, burning like flames. So this was one of the creatures that had killed Amélia and their unborn child two years ago. A huge, bulky wolf, walking on his two hind legs as if it were a man, hunched forward, with gray, stubby fur and bright eyes. A werewolf. How could such a monster live on that planet? God could never have created such a monstrous and bloodthirsty being.
“You are brave, Pedro Fernandes, but I am sorry to tell you that all your bravery may not be enough next Full Moon.”
“I will fight until the end.” Pedro said defiantly.
“You certainly will. But there are things that both of you need to know if you are to protect yourselves.”
“Pedro, please, we have to listen to him.”
But Pedro continued to stare at the werewolf, rage sweltering in his eyes. He did not know what was stopping him from firing the silver bullet in his gun straight into creature's heart. Luvinus sighed and sat on his hind legs, like a normal wolf. This time, Lúcia managed to free herself from Pedro and ran to Luvinus, without any fear, before the soldier could grab her again.
“Lúcia, no!” he shouted in distress. He immediately went after her and pointed the gun at Luvinus's muzzle. The werewolf didn’t even move.
“Kill me, Pedro. I have lived long enough and there is not much left for me in this meaningless life. But believe me, you may need my advice in a few nights time.”
Lúcia stared at both, no
t knowing what to say to calm them down. Pedro was too angry, his spirit burning with the thirst for revenge for what had happened to his young wife and their unborn baby. Luvinus, however, was not evil like his alpha from whom she had run away nights ago.
“Shorath will come after your beloved, Pedro. On the Full Moon he will be almost invincible and he is fully aware that you have brought silver.”
“I know he wants Lúcia, but we have eighty men armed with silver to eliminate you one by one. I am not afraid of this Shorath.”
Luvinus sighed and looked at the horizon. He didn't have much time, as the sun was beginning to shine its first beams on the horizon and even though it wouldn’t harm a werewolf, its light was definitely unpleasant. He felt his brothers falling asleep in the distance and was relieved by that. They would no longer wake up until sunset.
“I could advise you to escape. But I know Shorath will go after you all anyway so there’s no point.”
“We will leave Sintra. But not before we kill you all. Believe me, monster, that if it depended on me, I would have already taken her away and married her. I don’t even know why I haven’t killed you yet.”
“Pedro, please understand that Luvinus is not a monster like the others.” Lúcia pleaded.
“He is a monster!” Pedro shouted. He still had his gun aimed at Luvinus' chest, ready to fire at the slightest sign of attack.
“If you want to look no deeper than my appearance, there is nothing I can do about it. However, perhaps you should know that if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already without any difficulty. I've also been alone with Lúcia at least twice. If I wanted to devour her, nothing would have been easier for me.”
Pedro was even more enraged.
“I'm going to kill you!” he snapped. But Luvinus got up and hit him so quickly and hard that Pedro fell on the ground and dropped his gun. Lúcia covered her mouth with both her hands. The werewolf stood still then and did not take advantage in that moment of the soldier’s weakness, even though he could feel his own anger grow. He was enraged against Pedro’s stubbornness though, nothing else.
“Go upstairs, Lúcia. I will sort this out.”
But Lúcia stood between him and the giant wolf, determination in her eyes. She would not allow bloodshed that night.
“Listen to him, Pedro. He speaks the truth and does not want to hurt us. It was not him who killed Amélia and you cannot judge him by what others of his kind have done. Please understand that Luvinus is different.”
Pedro sighed and closed his eyes, sadness filling his body and soul. Only then did reason slowly begin to block his emotions. He looked at that huge wolf who was staring back at him in a mixture of pity and determination. He thought he saw a glimpse of compassion in his eyes. It was then that Pedro realized that behind that cloak of thick gray fur, a real man was indeed hiding. But how could that be? None of his books kept any record of benevolent werewolves. Lúcia put her hand on his shoulder, something that further calmed him down. She trusted them both now. Finally, man and wolf let the tension leave them.
“Your hatred is perfectly understandable, Pedro. I hate what I have become myself, how could you not hate me if one of mine killed your wife?”
“I had a terrible time because of your kind. There were times when I thought madness would consume me if I remained alive. But who exactly are you anyway?”
“Even I don’t know. I've been looking for the answer to that question since Shorath transformed me. But we don't have time for my story. You should expect the worst on the Full Moon. Arm yourselves with as much silver as you can and do not walk around in groups of less than five men. Those who do not fight such as women and children should take shelter in the church. Shorath isn’t the only one coming, there are five more who should not be underestimated.”
“Five? Do you mean to tell us that besides your alpha, there are five more creatures like you?” Pedro was startled. The prospect of having eighty men fighting a single creature seemed optimistic to him. However, if there were five more like him the situation would be much more complicated.
“And on a Full Moon night, I myself cannot assure you that I will not harm you.” Luvinus added. “I am the only one willing to face Shorath, in case you can't protect Lúcia, and that's why I’ll be staying. I will do my absolute best to neutralize my predatory instincts, but I cannot guarantee you that I will succeed. So count on seven of us.”
“What will we do then, if you join them against us?”
Luvinus sighed and closed his eyes. The three sensed the answer.
“You must kill me. A silver sword or bulled must destroy my heart.”
“Isn’t there another way?” Lúcia asked anxiously. “I don't want you to die, Luvinus.”
“There will be no other way. You cannot be alone that night and we will both have to protect you. I advise you to light torches every night. Fire is the only other thing that can destroy us besides silver. There is yet something else I need to warn you about. Whatever happens, don't let yourself be bitten. And if you do, do not allow your blood to mix with that of my brothers. If that happens...”
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. None of the three wanted to admit that possibility. Death would be a better fate.
“What if I die before you?” Pedro asked.
“In that case, God have mercy on you all.”
The sun started to rise in the sky and Luvinus covered his eyes with a paw, feeling uncomfortable.
“We'll see each other again.” he said before bolting toward the forest.
Pedro and Lúcia watched him disappear through the bushes. The world was silent now, with only the early morning chirps of the birds filling the air. They went back inside. They were both exhausted, it had been a night of very strong emotions. However, neither of them was sleepy. How could they even think of sleep? Instead, Lúcia warmed up water and bread. The sun had already risen and, at least until nightfall, they would be protected. Neither of them spoke while Lúcia prepared breakfast. Each was left to their own thoughts. She couldn’t explain why but she believed that Luvinus would succeed in overcoming his beastly nature. Pedro was not so sure. Even if he wouldn’t do it deliberately, Luvinus might try to kill them. Pedro knew that he would be uncontrollable that night. He had seen with his own eyes and at great cost, what a creature like that was capable of. It had not been able to spare a poor pregnant woman. Had Luvinus been present on that fateful night? He found himself feeling some pity for that being, neither fully man nor fully wolf and at the same time both. What kind of experience could that creature’s life be? The others at least didn’t suffer because they just gave in to their beastly instincts. It was so much easier to use their power to kill and cause havoc rather than try to find out who they really were. They could never live with other human beings, so what was the point of even trying to understand? However, Luvinus was different. Luvinus had never been able to completely abandon his human side and that made him suffer. He was not capable of killing relentlessly like the others, he was just a man covered in a coat of fur that he could never take off. His eyes revealed the humanity that still prevailed in him, that was fighting desperately against the ferocious beast that he could have become. How could Luvinus possibly find peace of mind?
Lúcia sat across from him and handed him a mug of tea with milk. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly between his fingers. He would have to be ready to defend her. That same day he would speak to Captain Nogueira and they would outline a defence plan.
“I'm afraid for Luvinus.” Lúcia confessed. “Even if he tries to protect me, the other men will try to kill him.”
Pedro did not immediately answer. It was true and there was nothing he could do. If Luvinus ended up being part of the attack, it was quite possible that he would have that fate, one way or another.
“Lúcia, if Luvinus fails to control the beast within and tries to attack you or anyone else, I shall do what I must do. I will not risk anyone's life for him. You bette
r accept that.” he finally answered.
Lúcia lowered her head. A tight knot pulled in her chest but she knew Pedro was right. They couldn’t let him harm anyone. The soldier drank his tea in one go. He stared at nowhere specifically, he was just letting his thoughts swirl in his brain. There was so much to think about and he couldn't afford to forget the smallest detail. He couldn't go to sleep that morning, unlike Lúcia who went upstairs to rest after the meal. Pedro, however, didn't have a minute to waste. He would speak to Captain Nogueira immediately.
XIII
Pedro explained all his theories to Captain Nogueira and how he suspected they would be fighting more than one werewolf.
“We should expect at least six werewolves, captain. Werewolf packs are usually composed of five or six members, I studied my book again yesterday evening to make sure we prepare the best way possible. I could be wrong but it’s best to expect the worst.”
This was all he could think of to avoid revealing his strange encounter the night before with Luvinus. Although a couple of men suggested looking for these giant wolves before the Full Moon to prevent them from reaching their full power, Pedro told them it would be a waste of time. The men would just be walking around in circles. Rather let the werewolves come to the village where they could try to ambush them. They had no choice but to wait for the Full Moon for the confrontation and fight on their own territory.
Unfortunately, Pedro was unable to convince most of them that these creatures were extremely dangerous. Many thought it perfectly ridiculous that they could be killed by only five or six wolves, when they far outnumbered them. They burst out laughing, underestimating that enemy. This had enraged Captain Nogueira, far more than it enraged Pedro Fernandes himself.
“Laugh if you will. But on the Full Moon night, you better be prepared to face creatures as diabolical as the Devil himself.”
“Well, well.” a bald and flustered man mocked, his breath stinking of wine. “They are just wolves. We are eighty men. We will beat them in the blink of an eye.”
