Issue 1.8: The Truth About the Murders

The forest clearing is silent except for the sound of your ragged breathing. You aren’t sure if you believe John Trent. You did just watch him transform into a werewolf and then back to human, but he controlled his hunger and didn’t kill or eat you, even though he easily could have. Maybe John really is what he says he is: a superhero. An Alpha Wolf who hunts monsters.

"Bennet! What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Maria suddenly appears in the clearing, her silver choker gleaming in the moonlight and a gun tucked into her waistband. You’ve been so busy preparing for this fight that you haven’t spent time with her over the last couple of days.

"The kid is okay," her uncle says, his voice low. "I recognized his scent and made sure I didn’t hurt him, at least not too badly."

Maria notices your silver weapons: the gun, the knife, and the makeshift spear. Her voice is sharp and hurt as she speaks to you. "So this is what you’ve been doing since Jake died. You thought my uncle was the killer and wanted to kill him."

You reply, your voice unsteady. "I saw your uncle transform into a werewolf and leave your house a few nights ago. Then I remembered your silver choker and realized that... did you always know your uncle is a werewolf?"

Maria sighs and steps closer, her expression serious. "I did. I was there when he caught the curse." She reveals the truth. "A few months ago, the three of us, me, my mom, and my uncle, went camping in the woods to celebrate his homecoming." Maria grits her teeth, the memory clearly painful for her. "That night, under a bright full moon, we were attacked by a werewolf." Her fingers tighten around the gun at her waist. "My uncle fought hard to give me and my mom a chance to escape, but the werewolf was too strong and overpowered him. It killed my mom and would have killed me too if I hadn’t been wearing this." She taps her silver choker. "My uncle woke up in the hospital after a two-day coma, and he was a lycanthrope himself." She looks at you, her silver eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Since then, we’ve been hunting monsters together across America. My uncle and I are a team. We’re searching for the werewolf that attacked us and killed my mom. We moved to Silverbrook because we were on its trail... not because we wanted a change of scenery."

John cuts in, his voice low and dangerous. "But it’s not the monster that killed my sister. It’s a different one. We have been investigating since we moved to Silverbrook, my niece and I, and we finally became sure today about his identity." He adds, "You know the man he is during the day."

"Who?" The question bursts out of you, shock and realization hitting you at once.

"Steve Kirby," Maria replies. "The gym teacher."

The pieces of the puzzle fall into place. You remember the way Mr. Kirby looked at John Trent, almost jealous and resentful. It wasn’t because John was an outsider. It was because they are both werewolves, and Kirby didn’t like having a bigger, stronger wolf, an Alpha, in his territory. His hunting ground. You also remember how John Trent stared at the stage during the town meeting at the gym. His expression had been predatory. He too had sensed a rival werewolf among the mayor, the principal, the sheriff, and the teachers, though he probably hadn’t pinpointed it was Kirby yet.

"But why would Mister Kirby do this?" You struggle to wrap your head around it. Your gym teacher is a werewolf, the one who murdered three people in town, including your friend Jake. Well, Steve Kirby has always been a bit of a bully, but killing and eating three people? That’s psychotic.

"Like you said, most lycanthropes can’t control their hunger or bloodlust when they transform," John, or Alpha Wolf, replies, his voice grim.

Maria crosses her arms. "Their hunts also have a sexual motive sometimes. Kirby has been going after men whose mates he’s sexually attracted to. Did you notice how he looks at Mrs. Annie Rubenstein? He always wanted to fuck her and felt jealous of her husband, David. Same thing with Bill Stanler’s wife, Ruby. And when Lisa started dating Jake officially, he went after him too, because he wants to fuck Lisa." Maria locks eyes with you. "I’ve been helping my uncle hunt supernatural threats for a while. I do the research, he puts down the monsters, and I cover his back."

"Let me help you with the hunt tonight," you say, your voice steady now, beginning to fully trust John and Maria. You’ve been wrong about John, and now you’re ready to help him and Maria stop the real killer. "I’ve been preparing to hunt werewolves for a week. I have a silver knife, a silver-tipped spear, and a gun with silver bullets. I can help you hunt the real monster."

John and Maria exchange glances. After a moment, John nods. "All right, Bennet. You can help."

Maria crosses her arms, looking more than a little mad at you. "You trained for just one week, and you thought that would be enough to kill a full-grown werewolf, one who used to be a powerlifter, veteran, and Navy SEAL? How could you be so stupid, Bennet?"

You sigh. "I knew it was stupid." You admit. "But I thought... you are in danger. I thought you wore that silver choker to protect yourself. I thought your uncle might lose control and hurt you. I was scared for you... and wanted to protect you."

Maria’s expression softens. "I understand." She realizes that your mad, **** plan to hunt a savage werewolf on your own was because you wanted to protect her. She adds, her expression turning serious. "My uncle and I are planning to hunt Kirby tonight, before he can kill anyone else. That’s why my uncle transformed into Alpha Wolf tonight." Maria says. "We don’t have long. Kirby should be passing through this clearing soon. My uncle will fight him, and I always got his six. Will you cover us, Bennet?"

"I will," you promise, feeling determined to avenge Jake, protect your hometown, and be useful to Maria. "Let’s hunt the bastard together."