Chapter 3
Caitlyn was stewing all throughout her final period.
Lycanthropic Studies was an elective. One that taught students about the psychology, biology, and everything else one could possibly know about werewolves.
It wasn’t exactly a respected subject (Not as much as Marksmanship or anything in STEM,) but her mother had always encouraged her interest in the field.
The more you know about your enemy, the easier it will be to destroy them. She would remark cooly, running a brush through a young Caitlyn’s hair. A curiosity for how the other side lives alsomarks the character of a leader. While others blindly follow the mainstream, a leader will question, argue, seek out any knowledge they could to understand why things are the way they are, and come to an educated conclusion.
She still remembered the feeling of Cassandra stroking her face, pinching her cheeks. And you’re gonna be a great leader, aren’t you Princess?
“- The process of a full shift is simple.” Professor Viktor wrote furiously on the chalkboard. “In the beginning, a turned werewolf can only do this on a full moon.”
Caitlyn wrote the latter phrase down in her notebook. Which wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary. What was different was the fact this information was now much more relevant to her life.
“After the first shift, the turned wolf becomes more in tune with their animal instincts. They are more affected by their primal urges. They also begin to develop the ability to control their sensitive hearing and acute sense of smell.”
It wasn’t a hypothetical scenario anymore. It was (possibly) very real, and was about to become a reality for someone Caitlyn cared about.
“With every shift after that, the turned wolf gains a better handle on their abilities. This also begins the process of ‘Merging’, which describes the turned wolf growing closer and closer to the animal living within their body.”
Caitlyn hesitated for a moment. When had she begun filing Vi away in her mind as someone she cared about?
“The ‘Merging’ process continues, until the split between human and wold erodes completely, and the humanity of the turned wolf is lost to the creature within.”
She didn’t not care about her. But she wasn’t exactly someone she considered a close friend.
“Half-shifts can occur much sooner. They are far easier for the turned wolf to gain control of, and they involve things like a change in eye color, the release of fangs from their sheaths, releasing claws from fingernails. Things like that.”
It was normal. Caitlyn assured herself. They had a near death experience, Vi had heroically and recklessly risked her life for Cait’s. Anyone would begin to form a connection with someone who’d do that for them.
“These can, in some cases, be uncontrollable. When the turned wolf feels intense anger, sadness, elation; any strong emotion can cause these reactions in the turned wolf, which is where danger can arise.”
The only trouble was that Vi felt . . . Different. Cait didn’t feel about Vi the way she felt about Jayce or- or any of her other friends.
“When a being with greater strength, greater speed, greater stamina, greater energy than a human cannot control themselves, it brings a significant power imbalance into play. Make sure you highlight the term ‘power imbalance’, examiners will look for it in your answers.”
She felt like a puzzle. One filled with complicated mechanisms and latches. Secret compartments and buttons and levers that left Caitlyn guessing. She never knew what Vi would say or do next; which lever to pull, which compartment would pop open.
“Now, there are varying schools of thought on the topics of half-shifts and Merging.” Viktor turned to face his students, resting heavily on his cane. “Some believe the information I just gave you to be exclusive fact.”
It left Caitlyn feeling nervous, but in a good way. It left her constantly guessing, and it made a fluttery excitement form in her stomach when they were together.
“Others,” Viktor waved his chalk in the air, turning back to the board to the class’s collective annoyance. “Others believe that the ‘Merging’ process is an outdated and incorrect approach to understanding the psychology of the turned wolf.”
After all, Caitlyn always did enjoy a good puzzle.
The bell sounded out, and students rushed to gather their things and rush out from their seats. Professor Viktor had a tendency to declare, ‘Just one more thing’ before going on a tirade about things not on the syllabus, and so students of his were quick to leave the minute they got the chance.
Caitlyn was broken out of her reverie by the sound. She shook her head, looking down at the notes she didn’t remember taking.
The notebook slammed shut, being shoved into her bag in an instant. Cait’s face was pink, and she glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention.
They weren’t.
Instead of the notes she had been wanting to take, Cait had apparently spent her time drawing a crude, cartoony drawing of a familiar girl with a ‘VI’ tattoo and a spiky haircut on the body of a dog. Complete with the floppy ears and big, pleading, puppy dog eyes.
She’d burn that page once she got back to her room.
Cait stood and trailed behind the crowd, dragging her feet until she was the only student left in the classroom.
“Professor, if you have a moment?”
Professor Viktor turned his head from where he stood, wiping his miles and miles of scrawl from the chalkboard.
“Ah, Caitlyn.” He said cordially. “What can I do for you?”
“Hypothetically speaking,” An amused look crossed Viktor’s face. He was one of the few teachers who entertained her abstract questions and hypothetical scenarios, even shooting her some of his own in response. It made him one of her favorite Professors. “If a turned wolf was bitten not too long before a full moon, would they still undergo a shift?”
“Well, it depends on how soon before they were bitten.” Viktor stated. “The wolf saliva begins to spread immediately, but it would need 24 hours to take enough effect for a full shift.”
“Only 24 hours.” Cait muttered under her breath. “And is there any way to delay the shift? Or- or even the transformation process?”
“Besides small methods to slow things down, like avoiding exercise, I can’t think of anything.”
“And there’s really no way to reverse the process?” Cait’s voice was tinged with slight desperation. “Not if it’s treated early, or-“
“No, Caitlyn. There is no cure for lycanthropy.” Viktor watched his student falter, deflating visibly. He frowned.
“But,” He turned, walking over to his desk and resting on his cane to rummage through the drawers. “Some schools of thought believe lycanthropy isn’t a disease in the first place.”
“How can that be?” Caitlyn argued. “The entire basis of the curriculum frames lycanthropy as an incurable illness.”
“It’s new, less than four decades old, and is viewed as quite a radical ideology.” Viktor confessed, pulling out a large tome from his drawer. “Here we go.”
He began to walk over, and Caitlyn met him half way. He extended the tome, his thin arm shaking slightly under its weight.
“This was published around 20 years ago by a scholar who believed that lycanthropy didn’t need to be cured. Only understood.”
Caitlyn had to hold the hardcover with two hands, and it still felt far too heavy to lug all the way out to the lacrosse fields. She’d need to stop by her room.
“It was rumored the author’s husband was a turned wolf.” Viktor added conversationally. “Which was why his works were considered biased and controversial.”
“His husband was a werewolf?” Caitlyn whispered in disbelief. Her eyes traversed the elegant cursive on the cover, ‘The Flaws of The Disease Model: Criticisms and Expansions on Outdated Beliefs on Lycanthropy’.
“It’s uncommon for people to believe that lycanthropy doesn’t turn someone into a mindless beast, but it’s nowhere near as blasphemous as a belief as it was back then.” Viktor tapped the cover with his finger. “I think this will be a good read for you, if you’re interested.”
“I am.” Caitlyn felt her heart swell at the teacher’s thoughtfulness, at the prospect that there was a chance Vi wasn’t entirely doomed. “Thank you, Professor.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” He waved her off. “I must admit, I am a little biased in my recommending this to you. Discussing these ideas with any other scholars runs the risk of academic exile, so I’m eager to have a partner I can talk to about this.”
A partner. Cait grinned at her Professor, who grinned back. “I’ll tell you as soon as I finish, Professor.”
“And I will be ready with a thousand and one questions,” They laughed lightly at that. “And please, when we are in private, you can call me Viktor.”
“Oh, I- I couldn’t.”
“I can hardly expect my partner to address me with that overly formal title.” Viktor sent her a cheeky smile that Cait returned.
“Okay, Viktor.” Cait tried. She clutched the time to her chest and found she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “Thank you. I can’t express how much this means to me.”
Viktor dismissed her with a shake of his head. “You can repay me by telling Jayce his abstracts are far too convoluted to be understood. I spent far too much of my time yesterday trying to wrap my head around the point he was getting at, only to find the journal was on a different topic entirely.”
“I will.” Cait laughed lightly. “But I can’t promise he’ll listen.”
Viktor gave a fond eye roll before hurrying Caitlyn out the door.
————————————
“Now that we’re all warmed up, we’re gonna have us a little practice match.” Coach Sevika announced, clapping her hands together. “6 on 6, so all you benchwarmers can have a chance to play. This is so I can see exactly what you’re lacking on, and I can drill that shit into your skulls before we start having games.”
The team was still catching their breath from the warm ups. Coach had them run laps till they were half dead and while a game was exciting, no one was excited at the prospect of Coach analyzing them for weakness.
Vi used the bottom of her shirt to wipe at her sweaty face, panting. She sent another cursory look to the stands. Still no Caitlyn.
It didn’t matter. She told herself. She probably had like, piles and piles of homework to do. Or she had to study for a test coming up. Being the top student probably meant Caitlyn didn’t have time to sit and watch some random’s lacrosse practice.
Sevika split the team down the middle. Vi’s half wore red armbands and the other half wore green. In less than a minute, all players were in position for the initial standoff.
Vi channeled the restless energy thrumming beneath her skin into the game. The second the game started and the other team gained possession, she was off like a shot, using her crosse to stick check the attacker and scooping up the ball the moment it hit the floor.
She felt faster, stronger, like she had all the time in the world to grab the ball and get across the field. She effortlessly swerved and dodged the defenders, stopping just short of the crease and shooting.
First blood went to her team.
Other members swarmed her, slapping on her helmet and shoving her around. Vi couldn’t help but grin.
Everything else today was just a setback. She couldn’t focus in Math because it was boring. She was overwhelmed in the halls because people were annoying. Now though, when she was playing lacrosse, she was in her fucking element.
There was a quick return back to positions. Leona threw a ‘Save some goals for the rest of us, Lanes’ over her shoulder before retreating back to her attacking position.
The game began again, red team had possession.
Vi was quick to launch herself upfield. She pushed herself between the opposing team’s defenders, following like a tail behind Diana as she made the run up to score.
At the last second, Vi saw a crosse reach forward to wrap check her teammate and she reacted fast. Getting down low, she pushed her shoulder into the other player’s side.
The ball was in the net, and the other team member was on the floor all in the same instant. Vi’s eyes were wide as she looked down at Illaoi, who’d been launched a good few inches away and landed hard on her ass.
Sevika’s piercing whistle made Vi wince and she turned.
“Excessive force during practice is a bad look, Lanes. I’m giving you a three minute penalty.”
“Three-“ Vi was cut off by a thump to the back of her helmet. Diana had sidled up next to her, giving her an unamused look.
“You say ‘sorry’ before you start bitching about your penalty.”
Vi grimaced. “Sorry.”
“I’m fine, it’s good.” Illaoi grunted as a few others pulled her to her feet. She rubbed at where she was hit with a pained expression. “Damn Lanes, what’s your workout routine?”
Illaoi was big. A head taller than Vi and a lot wider, so while she didn’t have any ill will to her teammate, knowing she made an impact did wonders for her ego.
“Lanes. Penalty bench. Now.”
Vi grit her teeth and forced herself feet to drag herself off the field. Sure, it was rough, maybe a little excessive, but Vi hadn’t done it on purpose. One minute would’ve been more than enough.
“You got something to say, Lanes?” Sevika spoke casually as Vi stomped past.
The student froze in place. Anger begun to bubble up to her throat before she forced it down. “No, Coach.” She choked out.
“That’s what I thought.”
Vi slammed herself down on the bench, throwing her stick to the ground with some real fucking excessive force.
She pulled her helmet off and slammed that down on the bench too, hearing it crack under the slam.
Why was she so fucking pissed? Vi ran a hand through her hair and sighed, doing her best to let the anger dissipate. It was an objectively good call. Other referees would probably bench her for the game. Hell, it wasn’t even a game. It was a practice.
A familiar trace of lavender invaded Vi’s senses and all her anger seemed to leave her at once.
Her head whipped around to scan the benches one more. This time, along with the other stragglers, one Caitlyn Kiramman sat to watch practice.
She wore a navy blue knitted scarf that matched her sweater vest, and her hands were covered in matching blue mittens.
Caitlyn clutched a large cookie between her mittens, and it appeared Vi had caught her in the middle of her final bite.
Her eyes widened at Vi’s attention suddenly being on her and she waved cutely at the other student with one hand, hurrying to wipe crumbs from her mouth with the other.
Vi laughed, sending a more casual wave back before turning her attention back to the game.
She wasn’t sure why Caitlyn’s presence made her heart beat feel so much louder. She chalked it up to a pressure to perform, now that she actually had someone watching her.
Meanwhile, Caitlyn screamed internally.
God, why did she have to look over at the worst time? Cait was sure Vi had gotten an eyeful of her gaping mouth filled with chewed up cookies. Then she’d waved. Like a dork.
Caitlynsighed at herself, shaking her head. Then, she dusted the crumbs off her mittens and pulled her notebook from her bag. She had already ripped out and disposed of the unhelpful drawing, and so she settled back onto her checklist of symptoms.
Vi definitely seemed faster. While Caitlyn didn’t make a habit of attending games, she did occasionally show up to help sell tickets or to help with other activities around the place.
From her limited experience watching games, she could tell Vi was normally a defensive player. Her position as Midfielder allowed her to do both, but she often stuck around the bottom end of the field to guard the crease.
Now though? After her penalty was over, she was zipping and zooming up and down, seemingly never running out of stamina. Always too fast for the other team to even have a chance of catching up.
Caitlyn put a check near ‘Increased speed’, ‘Increased stamina’ and hmm’ed over ‘Increased strength’ before giving that a check as well.
She had managed to fling a girl almost twice her size across the field and onto her ass. So Vi had either gotten stronger, or she was missing her true calling as a powerlifter.
The game continued on for about an hour. Vi received a few more penalties during the match and Caitlyn watched her wince as the Coach blew the final whistle.
Caitlyn hadn’t even begun to consider the ramifications of if Vi truly was becoming a werewolf. The long term consequences.
Every textbook described the process of when a human began to lose their humanity after being bitten. There was never an exact time or date, only a vague description of the ‘Merging’ that would occur, turning what used to be your fellow man into a violent, bloodthirsty creature hellbent on destruction.
If Vi had been bitten, Caitlyn thought, watching the pink-haired student stand with her teammates in front of their coach, then that would mean . . .
“This was a poor fucking showing ladies.” Sevika boomed, hands on her hips as she regarded each of her players.
“Red Team made a mockery out of you and you just sat there and took it.” All the players on the red team relaxed slightly, no longer under scrutiny. “It’s fucking embarrassing.”
“And you,” Sevika swiveled to face the Red Team. “I see more passing at the fucking dinner table with my grandma. And shehas no arms.”
“All of you have showed me something important today.” Coach continued easily. “You’ve shown me that I need to be a lot fucking harder you. Tell me why,” Her great metal arm extended, index finger pointing at Vi who stood straighter under the attention. “Not one of you could stop Lanes from dog walking your asses the whole fucking game?”
Blowing out a little sigh of relief, Vi tried her best to stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.
She’d really been expecting, dreading, one of the public scoldings Sevika was known to give. Instead she received what was almost praise disguised as an insult for the rest of the team.
Eventually Sevika’s attention returned to Vi. Her tirade at the players growing to a halt. “Wipe that look off your face, Lanes, I got a bone to pick with you.”
Fuck. “Yes Coach?”
“Why the hell are you launching players across the field like this is the fucking NFL? You got something going on giving you some repressed rage issues you need to work out? Failing your classes? Friends don’t wanna play with you at recess anymore? Maybe you found out your little girlfriend over there’s cheating on you, huh?”
Vi’s face erupted in colour. None of the other players had the confidence to laugh outright, but she could feel Diana’s shoulders shaking as she stood next to her.
“No Coach.” She answered like she was supposed to. Then she continued, like an idiot. “I- she’s not my-“
“Oh, is that what it is? Too much of a wimp to ask her out so you’re taking it out on your poor teammates? Or are you tryna look cool so she makes the move for you?”
Vi kept quiet, trying her best to keep her eyes locked on Coach’s despite the immense warmth radiating from her face.
Everyone on the team knew by now that when Coach was on a rampage, you kept your mouth shut. Any protests told her exactly what your weakness was, and Sevika was like a dog with a bone once she got something out of you.
This time, Vi wisely kept her mouth shut.
“You might as well give up on her and start dating the fucking penalty bench the way you kept coming back for it like a desperate ex. There’s no fucking use having you on the field if you aren’t gonna stay there.”
“Yes Coach.” Vi bit down the denials that were bursting from her tongue as Sevika continued to refer to Caitlyn as her girlfriend. She was definitely gonna get shit for this later.
“Your whole fucking team was dogshit without you there, so I don’t wanna see my best player taking herself out of the game just because she wants to look all macho for her little girlfriend. Understand?”
“Yes Coach.” Vi’s face was still warm but the words best player replayed in her head.
The rest of Sevika’s tirade was filled with genuinely helpful criticisms buried deep underneath mounds of insults and cursing.
When Vi finally approached Caitlyn, the blue haired girl was waiting at the bottom of the stands with a conflicted expression.
“How was-“
“We should go.” Vi blurted out. Her eyes were constantly glancing back at her teammates, her Coach, anyone who glanced their way.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, nothing. It’s just-“ Vi ran a hand through her hair, face pink from exertion. “I mean, if we’re gonna talk about me being a werewolf we probably shouldn’t do it out in the open, right?”
Caitlyn winced at the word, the weight it now held. She saw Vi’s eyes dart to a point over her shoulder. Whatever she saw made her face redden further, and hand wrapped around Caitlyn’s wrist, tugging before she could turn to see what it was.
“About that,” Caitlyn said, unable to hold it in any longer. “I don’t think we should be hasty with ‘labeling’ things just yet.”
“Seriously?” Vi scoffed, looking back at her with amusement. “This whole time you’ve been on my ass about it not being a coincidence, and now you change your mind?”
“Look, I just think that it’s quite a- a serious accusation that has a lot of implications I hadn’t really considered before.”
“Yeah, no shit.” Vi’s already loose grip relaxed further, then dropped, as the two began to walk towards the school building. “It’s like one of the worst things that could happen to someone. Ever.”
Caitlyn remained silent at that, stewing. The two entered the school building together, Vi holding the door open for her and a few others that were close by.
“God, I need to take a shower.” The pink-haired student groaned. “I can smell my socks through my shoes.”
Vi laughed at the wrinkle that formed on Cait’s nose.
“Do you have to tell me about that? Keep it to yourself.” She complained.
“I thought we were friends, Cupcake. Friends care about what other friends have to say.”
“You could have gone to the locker room after practice. You did this to yourself.”
“I couldn’t, actually, because a huge six foot tall Cupcake was standing on the bleachers waiting for me to finish.”
“Dumb.” Cait nudged Vi with a shoulder, small smile on her face.
A staticky groan erupted from the speakers. Cait felt Vi tense next to her, a wince contorting her features.
“Violet Lanes, please report to the Headmaster’s Office immediately.”
The intercom shut off with another groan and a click.
Caitlyn sent Vi a look of immense disapproval.
“What?” The pink-haired student exclaimed. “I actually haven’t done anything. I’ve been a paragon of sunshine and good behavior!”
“Paragon?” Cait echoed, tone tinged with humor.
“Okay, so poor people can’t use big words now. Think I can’t afford a dictionary, Cupcake?”
“That joke is starting to get old, Violet.” Cait hesitated, then tacked on, “I’m coming with you.”
“Really?” Vi’s face was full of suspicion. “Why?”
“Because I have a feeling I know what this is about.”