Luke woke up with the first light of the next day. His long gaze at the simple wooden ceiling was not a search for a fading dream, but a harsh acknowledgment of an inescapable reality; what he had experienced downstairs was not a passing nightmare, but a damning truth.
He rose slowly from his bed, burdened by a hidden sorrow and a deep fracture tearing at his chest, but he quickly gathered himself with firm resolve. There was no time for crying or the luxury of grief; the forest does not pity the weak, and he had to master the laws of his new body and his power as a werewolf as quickly as possible, learning how to survive and stay alive. Luckily for him, he had an ideal teacher for such a difficult task.
He stepped out of his room and headed straight to the small bathroom. He splashed his cold river water onto his face, then raised his eyes to look at a sleek mirror hanging above the sink. The same face of the dark-skinned, rough, bald man with a thick beard and rugged features met him... instead of the white, youthful face and blue eyes he had known all his life in his old world.
Luke sighed with deep regret, quickly wiped his hands, and left his house toward the front clearing.
There, in the open clearing, Luke stopped in utter astonishment.
Paige was chopping wood with a heavy, agile axe, wearing a form-fitting black undershirt, with her favorite shirt tied around her waist over her blue jeans. Her sweat-dampened brown hair clung to her velvety cheeks, and her clear blue eyes stole the breath away with an overwhelming, undeniable beauty.
Luke was lost in her charm for a moment, marveling at how her simple clothes powerfully and unmistakably accentuated her athletic and lithe build.
Paige suddenly turned toward him, and as soon as she noticed him standing there, she drove the axe deep into the tree trunk and walked toward him with a light, radiant smile on her face: "You're finally awake... you really did lose your memory, Luke; the Luke I know would have woken up hours before sunrise."
Luke snapped out of his daze at the sound of her voice, and asked hesitatingly, trying to extract any answer that would quench his burning curiosity: "Tell me... tell me more about myself."
Honestly, what bothered him most—besides his reincarnation in this body—was the fact that he was born without the memories of the original person whose identity he had usurped.
Paige looked at him with a heavy silence, as if weighing her words on a precise scale before speaking. She parted her cherry lips and said quietly: "You were... unique."
Luke frowned and furrowed his brow: "Unique?"
Paige nodded and continued: "Yes, unique. Because unlike the rest of our society, which is built on conflict and violence, you always preferred quiet and peace. That's why you chose to live isolated by yourself here. And most importantly... you always hated being a werewolf."
Luke frowned with even more confusion: "Why? Why would I hate it? Is it because of the painful transformation?"
Paige shrugged regretfully and said: "I honestly don't know... you just always found our kind to be naturally lethal and violent creatures and utterly resented that even before you were able to transform, which made your standing within the pack..... very poor and a subject of reservation for many."
Luke asked with puzzled eyes: "If that's the case... then why are you helping me? I mean, why not banish me away or leave me to my fate?"
Paige raised an eyebrow slightly and asked: "And why on earth would I do that?"
The question left him speechless, and Luke remained silent, finding no reply.
Paige sighed sharply, then took another step toward him, patted your shoulder with tenderness and support, and said in a decisive tone: "Look, Luke... you might have lost your memory, but there is one thing you must never forget; you are part of this pack, and everyone here is like family to me. I will never abandon you, and I will always take care of you whenever you need me, and the same goes for everyone in the pack... is that clear?"
Luke looked into the depths of her blue eyes, watched the clear reflection of his own image within them, and said in a steady, assured voice: "Clear."
Paige nodded in complete satisfaction, then stepped back a few steps toward a nearby tree where her gear hung, put on her shirt, buttoned it up securely, and said: "Now, let's go."
Luke was surprised, his eyes widening: "Where?"
At that moment, Paige lifted a large wooden bow and a quiver full of arrows, suddenly tossing them toward him. Luke caught them in a daze, fumbling between his hands.
Paige said coldly, ignoring his obvious shock: "Hunting."
Then she picked up her own bow and arrows from the ground, turned to stealthily delve deeper into the dense forest brush, leaving him behind.
Luke watched her lithe back gradually disappear among the tall trees, then gripped the bow tightly with his fingers, trying to calm his pounding heart, which threatened to break through his chest from Paige's captivating beauty.
Without further hesitation, he set off immediately to follow Paige.
Paige wove through the dense pine trees, and they stopped together at an elevated vantage point overlooking a wide swath of the surrounding forest. She slowly turned back to him, her expression both serious and relaxed as she began her first survival lessons.
"Listen to me very carefully, Luke..." Paige said in a calm, explanatory tone: "Our senses aren't the only things that are supercharged; our muscular strength, speed, and reflexes surpass humans by light-years, even when we're in our normal human state, long before the full moon rolls around. We aren't human, and you have to get used to this latent power in your blood."
Before Luke could fully grasp the dimensions of her words, something happened that completely stunned his mind.
Without any warning, with a movement as swift as a lightning strike, Paige turned her face away from his direct line of sight toward the wooded area, raised her bow, and loosed an arrow without even looking, relying entirely on her concentration and seemingly trusting her hearing alone!
Shoooo-thwack!
The arrow pierced the air with a sharp whistle, and after a few fleeting seconds, the sound of an impact and a straining thud was heard, revealing that the arrow had struck with astonishing precision the neck of a deer running and hiding among trees hundreds of meters away!
Luke froze in place, his eyes wide in disbelief: "Did... did you just do that without even looking at it closely?!"
Paige smiled lightly as she lowered her bow and said with confident coolness: "In time, with werewolf senses, you won't need your eyes to see your target; you'll feel its scent and heartbeat in the air. Listen, Luke, we don't have the luxury of going to the grocery store, ordering pizza, or getting our food through normal human means. We live in the wild, and we rely on what nature provides us every day to stay alive. If you want to survive and not die of hunger, you have to learn how to hunt for yourself."
Luke nodded earnestly, picking up the bow with nervous hands. He took a step toward a dummy target Paige had pointed out on a distant tree trunk, raised the bow, and tried to draw the string, but his arms trembled under the required tension. He released the arrow, and it veered sharply, crashing to the ground far away from the target.
He tried again and failed. Then he tried a third time, and the arrow wobbled and struck the tree trunk far from the center. Frustration overtook him, and annoyance showed on his face.
Sensing his difficulty and clumsiness, Paige took calm steps toward him.
She said in a warm, reassuring voice: "Let me help you... holding a bow requires harmony between your mind and your body, not just muscular strength."
Paige stepped close until she was standing right behind his back. She raised her hands to place them on his hands holding the bow and string, pressing almost flush against him; he felt the warmth and agility of her body touching his back.
At that moment, his hyper-senses flooded with details of her body; he caught the faint scent of her sweat mixed with the fragrance of pine and fresh air. The scent wasn't unpleasant at all—quite the opposite, it was one of the most beautiful and sweetest smells Luke had ever breathed in his entire life, a pure and soothing scent that made his heart pound wildly inside his chest.
Sudden heat rushed to his face, and had it not been for his rough dark skin and beard partially masking it, the clear redness of his face from sheer embarrassment and confusion would have been entirely visible.
Paige whispered in a soft, low voice close to his ear, to the point that her warm breath brushed the skin of his neck: "Don't be afraid... leave the sorrow and the past behind, Luke. Accept who you really are, and don't fight your nature. You can do this... your body already possesses a deep muscle memory for all these movements, just... let it out."
She wrapped her hands around his trembling ones, guiding him tenderly step by step; she lifted his arms to the correct angle, adjusted the placement of his feet on the ground so he was as solid as a mountain, and then slowly drew the string with him until they both felt the tension balanced evenly between them.
"Now... take a deep breath, don't think about anything except the target ahead, and when you feel the time is right... release."
Luke relaxed his trembling fingers at her guidance, and the arrow shot with immense force from his hands.
Shooo-clack!
The arrow tore through the air with a resounding whistle, embedding itself dead center in the target on the distant tree trunk!
Luke's eyes widened with sheer amazement and overflowing joy, and he quickly spun around to find Paige standing before him with a wide, bright smile gracing her beautiful face, her blue eyes gleaming with pride and satisfaction, letting him know then and there that his true survival journey had just begun.
They both returned to the simple wooden house, carrying their heavy, fresh kill. The orange hues of twilight had begun creeping over the pine tree tops, casting long, warm shadows onto the dirt yard.
They dropped the two deer onto the wide wooden table behind the house designated for preparing game. Paige moved with the smooth expertise of years spent in the wild, while Luke stood wiping sweat from his forehead, looking at the prey with apprehension and wonder, awaiting further instruction.
Paige turned to him, took a broad, sharp-bladed knife, wiped its edge with a rag, and motioned for him to come closer: "Now the real skill begins, Luke. Hunting doesn't end with loosing an arrow; handling the carcass is what determines whether we eat fresh, clean meat or get sick."
Luke stepped closer, holding his breath slightly as he watched Paige firmly grasp the deer's skin near the belly.
"First, skinning..." Paige said as she lightly slipped the knife edge between skin and flesh: "The secret here is not to puncture the entrails by mistake. You make a small coordinate here, and then use your fingers and other hand to pull the skin away firmly while the knife slides smoothly. Grab from here and try."
Luke hesitated for a second, but placed his hand over the warm fabric stained by the hunt, pulling the skin just as she had shown him. He felt a swift flexibility in his strong hand muscles, as if his body already remembered the process.
Paige smiled lightly as she watched him: "See? Your body knows what it's doing! And now, evisceration... this is the most important part."
She took a smaller knife, expertly driving it near the lower belly, then slipped two fingers in to ensure the knife didn't touch the intestines or gallbladder: "If you puncture the guts or the gallbladder, the meat will be completely ruined with a bad smell and taste. You have to empty everything in one light, confident motion... like this."
With a single, masterful pull, she removed the entrails and tossed them into a side wooden bowl. Luke's eyes widened in amazement at her speed and precision: "That... looks amazing! How do you do that with such ease and speed?"
Paige let out a light, warm laugh that shook her shoulders, looking at him with her sparkling blue eyes: "Years of living in these mountains, Luke. The wild is a strict but fair teacher. And now, cutting the meat and preparing it for grilling."
She took the small axe and severed the antlers and skull with a precise, single blow: "Antlers and bones aren't thrown away; we boil the bones for broth and nutrient-rich stocks, and use the antlers to carve tools. As for the meat, we cut it into good medium-thick strips so they cook over the campfire quickly without burning on the outside while staying raw inside."
Handing him the knife, she said: "Cut the first piece yourself."
Luke took the knife and began slicing the red meat strips, guided slowly and tenderly by Paige's continuous instructions: "Excellent... press here with focus. Yes, just like that!"
As they worked side by side, her hands brushing against his from time to time to adjust his slicing angle, Luke found himself stealing glances at her every now and then. He was mesmerized by her skill, her wisdom, and her simplicity blended with astonishing strength. Every gesture from her, every tender smile, and every word of encouragement brought him closer to her, planting deep attachment and a suppressed passion in his heart that blazed hotter with every minute spent by her side.
"And what about the rest of the meat?" Luke asked in a raspy voice, trying to hide his fluster at her closeness: "How do we preserve all this quantity so it doesn't spoil?"
Paige raised her head and wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, saying: "We use dry salt and smoke-curing. We place the meat strips on elevated wooden racks above the hearth, letting the indirect smoke permeate them for several days. This drives out moisture and preserves them for months without needing refrigerators or electricity."
Luke looked at the amount of prepared meat, then at Paige who looked back at him with pride and satisfaction, and said with a tone full of sincere gratitude: "I don't know what I would have done without you, Paige... you're teaching me how to be a human and a werewolf at the same time."
Paige smiled gently, leaning in slightly to pat his clean, blood-stained arm: "I told you before, Luke... we're family. Now, let's get a fire going; you've worked hard today and deserve a hearty meal!"
After half an hour of grueling work and prepping the hunt, Luke sat opposite Paige in front of the simple wooden cabin, and they began eating their hunted meat in satisfaction and quiet, peaceful silence wrapping the place.
Luke looked at Paige, who was devouring the food with feral eagerness and appetite, and said in a calm, curious tone: "You stayed away from the pack all day... and yesterday too."
Paige stopped eating abruptly, then said with calm, unshakeable firmness: "You need me more."
Then she went right back to eating in total silence once again.
Luke chewed a few pieces of meat while humming softly, then set his fork and knife aside with a slow motion, and said seriously: "I have a question."
Paige stopped eating immediately, looking at him with interest and anticipation: "What is it? Is something bothering you?"
Luke nodded with absolute certainty, and asked with deep curiosity and confusion: "Why are you taking care of me like this? Why are you leaving your home and comfort zone and leaving the pack leaderless, knowing full well others might exploit the situation to unseat you as Alpha?"
Paige frowned, narrowing her eyes with mild annoyance, and said sharply: "I've told you more than once, Luke, you're a member of my pack, and it's my duty to take care of you."
Then Luke hesitated and said hopefully, "Could it... could it be that you're my girlfriend?"
Paige looked slightly startled, then burst out laughing immediately and cried, "Your girlfriend?! I'm forty-seven, you idiot! I'm old enough to be your mother; to me, you're just a little fledgling!"
Luke felt a heavy wave of disappointment at her words and said, "Then why are you taking care of me like this? What's wrong with you?"
Paige said with annoyance, "Because I am your Alpha! Just drop it, what's with all these questions?!"
Then she went back to eating annoyingly.
Luke leaned in closer to her to object strongly: "And your duty as leader is to lead the pack and take care of all of them, not neglect the rest for just one person..... all these things you're teaching me could be taught by anyone..... all you had to do was give a single order and the problem would be solved."
As soon as these words left his lips, Paige clenched her fist with terrifying, immense force until the metal fork completely snapped between her fingers upon hearing his sharp words.
At that, Luke quickly leaned backward, pulling back cautiously, and said in a reconciliatory, calm tone: "Sorry if my questions bothered you.... but I want to know why you're doing all this, Paige. It's my right to know."
A dark, heavy silence fell over the surroundings when Luke finished speaking, with nothing heard except the faint crackle of firewood.
Paige looked at him with bottled-up anger for several long seconds, then sighed heavily and said with a hint of reproach: "I forgot how annoying you used to be."
Then she looked at him with a deep, complex expression and said: "I am helping you personally and doing all this because I have to..... I owe you that."
Luke frowned in confusion and misunderstanding, asking: "What do you mean?"
Paige looked straight into his eyes without hesitation and said with decisive finality: "I am the reason you are a werewolf the way you are."
Luke clenched his fist tightly until his knuckles turned white, saying with a voice pulsating with rage and profound shock: "What?! Are you the one who turned me into this monster?! Are you telling me because of you, every bone in my body broke and shattered, and I went through all that agony?!"
Suddenly, Paige slammed her fist onto the wooden table with supernatural force and shouted with all her might and blazing anger: "I had to do it! You were the only one in the pack who hadn't awakened your curse!!! Even young children awaken their curse by age six and are trained to survive!! But you! The noble Luke Caven! Who doesn't want to take a human life! Who rejects his very nature and hates being a werewolf, opposed everyone, broke our traditions, and isolated yourself in this gloomy cabin!!"
Luke was utterly stunned by the magnitude of what he heard, speaking with a shock that paralyzed his tongue and mind: "What? What..... what do you mean?"
Paige said with bottled anger and resentment: "We are born werewolves from birth, born with a curse that turns us into animals every full moon, but this curse is dormant, and to awaken it....."
Luke finished in absolute shock and disbelief, as if a terrifying revelation had dropped onto his head: "You have to kill someone.... a human.... you have to kill a human."
Paige leaned back on her chair coolly and confirmed: "Exactly."
At that moment, Luke felt nausea strike him instantly, his stomach churning. Him? Lucas Thiemen... someone who used to be a regular human... killed someone?! How was that even possible? And how could his mind accept such a catastrophe?
Luke stood up angrily, weeping bitterly and completely breaking down: "How could you do that?! How could you force me to do that?!"
At that exact moment, Paige rose with blazing fury and violently threw the table between them away with supernatural, destructive force. Booooom!!! The table instantly shattered into flying splinters in every direction.
"I did it to protect you, dammit!" Paige screamed with angry violence, heading toward him with burning eyes.
Luke fell completely silent, staring at her in shock, frozen in place.
Paige inhaled deeply to regain her balance, speaking with a broken voice dripping with pain and pent-up anger: "Before you awakened your curse, a group of vampires attacked us."
Luke's eyes widened in shock, staring at her in utter disbelief.
Paige exhaled to calm herself slightly and continued: "I don't know how they found us, but they did and killed dozens of us."
Paige clenched her fist so hard her hand bled, her blood dripping onto the ground in a dead silence, then said: "Luckily, we managed to hold out and survive until sunrise because of our extensive knowledge of this forest's terrain.... And afterward, our enemies tried to hide in the shadows to survive, but we flushed them out and burned them alive in the sunlight that is lethal to them. But during that battle, your parents died."
Luke's heart instantly seized with intense violence. This body had real parents, after all?!
Paige looked at him, her eyes brimming with burning tears that refused to fall: "Your parents... they were my childhood friends..... the best people I ever met in my life, and I grew up with them..... I watched them cherish you, build a family, and rejoice over you.... and I raised you alongside them."
Then Paige stepped toward him quickly, striking his chest with her palm, and said with a trembling voice dripping with sorrow: "Don't you understand? You are like a son to me, and I can't lose you too."
She gently grasped his cheek with warm, pure tenderness and said, "And do you know the last thing your parents said to me before they died in my arms? They told me to take care of you."
Luke's heart clenched tighter and tighter, his painful emotions igniting upon hearing her sincere words.
Paige sighed as she stepped back a single pace in total silence: "You are already twenty-five years old, yet you never awakened your curse because of your personal convictions..... When your parents were alive, they could protect you from both the pack and other dangers, but now they are gone, and you are a grown man isolated from your community, unliked and lonely without any support, and I can't live my life worrying about you and acting as your personal bodyguard... So I forced you to awaken your curse a month ago."
Luke clenched his fist tightly, staring at her with unbearable pain and anger.
Paige let out a bitter, raspy laugh amid her tears and said: "But you lost your memory because you awakened your curse.... because of me."
Then she looked straight into his eyes deeply and steadily: "You can hate me all you want, but I am staying to take care of you until I'm sure you can survive on your own."
She then turned and strode away with steady steps, leaving Luke standing alone amid the wreckage, staring in stunned, profound bewilderment at the shattered wooden wall of the room.