Curse of The Crescent Moon

Moon And Fertility

"What's happening to the female wolves?"

This question has been circulating across different packs for a year now, and still, even the wisest pack doctors haven't got an answer. It was like an odd occurrence had struck the entire species of female werewolves. They suddenly wake up one morning unable to bear a pup, and upon consulting the pack doctors, later on, they discover that a large number of their females had strangely become infertile. And of course, this phenomenon can't continue, for this will affect the entire werewolves' lifestyle, especially their mating tradition. No alpha werewolf would want an infertile mate. And the worst-case scenario, with no newborn pups, the entire werewolf species would reach extinction. So all werewolves from different packs came to convene tonight, to search for answers, or a solution maybe.

All packs came, except for the Hungry Fangs.

" Why aren't they here?" one elder wolf asked, wondering.

There were lots of murmurings and speculations going around until the commotion was interrupted by a middle-aged man who's looking young and fit far from his age. Every wolf in that forest fell silent. They know how to respect a Gamma wolf shaman.

The Gamma werewolves are naturally a predator of the Alphas, Beta, and Omega. They were said to be the strongest of all werewolves, and to Magnum's advantage, he was the only Gamma alive. And since he's the only one alive in his bloodline he maintained peace, befriending all the packs, instead of preying on them.

" Magnus!"

They greeted the Gamma wolf shaman and glanced their eyes at his companion. Salvatore was with him. Despite the crowd's intrigued faces, still they welcome them.

"So, what do you have for us?" the meeting presider asked Magnus and Salvatore.

Magnus, the gamma wolf shaman takes a unique kind of authority among the werewolves. If the Alpha's rule was limited to its pack, the wolf shaman is transcendent. The werewolves' belief has made Magnus' influence almost limitless, especially now that the entire specie is facing extinction. They were in a great crisis and they need an answer. The moon goddess doesn't speak. She only answers to her chosen. The general public can't expect something from her. And Magnus' presence right now was all that they need. Being a gamma wolf shaman means he can do greater stuff than shifting on a moonlight. He has nearly divine powers. For many werewolves, Magnus was like an incarnation of a deity. They go to him when they have inquiries about the past, and would want to see the future. He has the gift of foresight, and he's a master in combat.

Magnus glanced at Salvatore as they seated. It was like they were up to something. They exchanged meaningful glances in which they only knew what does that mean, but the crowd was too preoccupied to notice their odd behavior.

" What do you have for us, wolf shaman?" the meeting presider asked again.

Magnus took a deep breath as if he's gonna be telling a long story.

Then he began talking.

" What the werewolves didn't know is that our she-wolves' fertility and pregnancy are connected to the moon," Magnum began.

The ears of the crowd tickled up in curiosity. That was the first time they heard it. Though their eyebrows were creased they continued listening, and Magnus continued talking.

" The moon phases can magically affect the female werewolves' bodies like how the moon's gravity affects the earth's water... you know, the moon, water, and the she-wolf's physiology have some kind of connection which was before was not a problem until..."

Magnus hangs up for a while letting his listeners wait in anticipation.

" Until what?" the crowd exclaimed. They were eager to hear what the shaman will say next.

Magnus relaxedly smiled and continued.

" Until the moon goddess gifted supernatural ancient fangs to one of the werewolf pack," he said.

There was silence in the atmosphere.

All the werewolves in there have one common thought running through their minds - the Hungry Fangs were to blame.

They get it.

It was like the wolf shaman is saying that the moon goddess' favor to the Hungry Fangs had caused an imbalance in how the werewolves' nature should be. Their fangs are now bringing an imbalance and danger to the rest of the werewolves' existence.

" Huh! And to think that only the females of Hungry Fangs were okay right now!" one wolf sarcastically blurted out, breaking the short silence in the air.

All eyes were directed to the she-wolf who has spoken.

She was right.

She said out loud what the crowd was actually thinking at the moment.

And they can't go on like this.

So, they have to choose a sacrificial lamb so the future would continue. And it doesn't have to be the majority. It has to be that small pack of the Hungry Fangs.

"So, what exactly are we gonna do?" one of the pack elders asked the wolf shaman. But it was Salvatore who answered.

" Well, their females aren't enough for the continuity of our specie, so we have three choices. One, plucked out their fangs but that would cure us? Two...cultured their hormones and inject them into our females, Three...to do the two...I think we gonna need to kill them," Salvatore said with that wicked grimace on his face.

The entire crowd was silent. Their faces were neither agreeing nor objecting. And Salvatore knows they need a little more push.

"C'mon guys! Drop your morality! You choose! Whose bloodline will continue, theirs or yours?" Salvatore convinces them more.

And the entire crowd, after thorough thinking had agreed that the entire Hungry Fangs pack must all be executed, and their remains be subjected to an experiment.

From that day on, Andrea's pack was considered an enemy of the entire werewolves specie. Their pack was hated. They have been running like a fugitive, not from the hunters but from their own kind. They want two things from them, their fangs, for weapons, and their female werewolves' DNA and hormones for an experiment. Without their fangs they are nothing. It's so sad how fast everything changes. It feels like it was just yesterday when their pack, the Hungry Fangs were living on a pedestal when they were considered heroes. They were once feared. They were respected because they were one special werewolf favored by the moon goddess. Their fangs were that gift. Andrea never expected that this gift of theirs would now become a curse. She didn't understand why the sudden infertility of the female werewolves in other packs is blamed on their fangs, on their pack's nature.

They must have been mistaken. But their arguments seem real which she herself now is even asking, was their fangs really a gift or a curse? Or this sudden sickness among the werewolves' specie, where did this all start? She has a lot of questions in mind.

Andrea remembers that heated argument she had one time with the elders of the united werewolves, a group that mediates all packs. The elder's words were humiliating. He told her how their fangs were supposed to be for salvation, but now it was meant for destruction. He said to her that, their fangs aren't a gift but a disgrace because just when her entire pack is fine, the rest of the werewolves are suffering to extinction. Her fangs aren't for life, but for death, and they were like parasites feasting on a host for their survival.

Andrea doesn't understand why such mean words were thrown at her. What more she can't understand is why these werewolves are thinking, that their death would mean the specie's continuity, and why their pack is causing the entire specie's extinction.

It's been months since their pack decreased in numbers, and now there were only ten of them that were left alive spending sleepless nights in grasslands and caves, hiding and fleeing. Andrea could feel how her pack was suffering from their current situation but to be honest, none of these bothers her. She doesn't care if life is difficult as hell as long as she has Blaine on her side, she's fine. He's all she needs to go on, to keep fighting.

" Hey," Blaine interrupted her thoughts.

He was smiling at her when she turned. A kind of smile that's trying to give comfort.

"Here," he handed him a bottle of water.

"Are you tired?" he asked her sounding worried.

Andrea shook her head.

" No," she replied, and let out a sigh.

"Then what's that face?" Blaine asked her.

There was a single moment of silence before Andrea speaks her thoughts. There's one thing that concerns her - Blaine's life.

" I think you must leave," Andrea said without looking at Blaine. She's afraid he might see that her eyes say the other thing.

"What? No?!"

" You must!" Andrea raised her voice.

" You see many of the males in our pack had died protecting their Luna, and the other she-wolves! You can't die protecting me!"

Blaine shook his head.

" I am your Beta. I made an oath!" he insisted.

" Exactly...you're my Beta and now I order you to leave!"

"No!...have you forgotten...that I am also something else...You're my mate!" Blaine exclaimed.

Andrea was lost for words for a moment.

Then she shakes her head. She almost fell into his words. But no, as the Alpha of their pack, she must be thinking straight and make clear decisions that are beneficial to all that's left alive.

" No," Andrea whispered. Now her voice was like melting.

There's not any sound of conviction nor firmness because deep inside she really wanted Blaine to be always by her side. She's used to his scent, to their teamwork, to battle together with him. But the other packs, it's her that they wanted. She can't risk Blaine.

Blaine moved closer to her and held Andrea in his arms. Blaine hugged her long enough to hear each other's breathing. He sniffed her hair and rubs his palms on her back. If only a hug could heal her fears away, then he'll hug her all night.

" I won't die, Drei..." Blaine whispered to her ears.

" I will live...for you,"

Okay, that's all she needs to hear. That's the kind of assurance she wanted.

" But...promise me Drei...that...you won't leave me, that you won't allow them to kill you," Blaine added.

Andrea smiled and looked up at Blaine's face. She gently caressed it as she looked him in the eyes.

" Even in death...I will find my way back to be with you," she whispered.