A Werewolf Fantasy

The Full Moon Feast of werewolves was one of Erin’s least favorite events to attend, but unfortunately for her, she has never had the best excuse to avoid going since she became eligible to participate seven years ago.

She could not for the life of her understand why the clan Chief and his ancestors made the event mandatory for all adult werewolves; why didn’t they just restrict attendance to married werewolves only?

Or to werewolves who enjoyed boring speeches about who was doing great in their human lives and which werewolf had finally found a mate in the slim pickings available in the clan? Why did she have to be involved in all of that, especially the “networking” sessions?

“Erin! What are you doing up there? You’re going to be late!” her mother called out to her from downstairs.

“Ugh!” Erin groaned and quickly applied a dash of pale pink lipstick to her luscious lips before dropping it into her heavy handbag that contained her laptop, notepads, half a dozen pencils, a pen, and her mini toiletries bag.

When she finally made it downstairs, her parents were already at the dining table, eating breakfast. One look at her and her mother let out an involuntary gasp, while her father shook his head slowly, although Erin could see a small smile tugging at the side of his lips.

“Why on earth are you dressed like someone going to a rock music concert on a Monday morning?” Bernice Brown asked her daughter. “It’s your first day at work, so why not look professional instead?”

“Good morning to you too, Mom,” said Erin dryly before lowering herself on a vacant chair at the dining table. “Hey, Daddy. Running late too?”

“Nope,” replied her dad. “Jonathan should be at the trading post already. That’s what I hired him for. Now I can enjoy a leisurely breakfast with you and your mother before I go there.”

“Splendid,” Erin grinned.

“Don’t change the subject, Erin,” her mother snapped. “Your dressing…”

“Mom, please. It’s an art gallery, not a law firm. I don’t have to show up at work in a designer pantsuit.”

“Still – “

“Darling, please. Leave the girl alone,” Andrew Brown suggested to his wife with a pleading look in his warm eyes.

Bernice pursed her lips and said nothing further. Her attempts to make her daughter more ladylike have been met with stiff resistance since Erin was a teenager. What Bernice had assumed to be teenage rebellion had morphed into a way of life for her daughter, who still dressed like a crossbreed of a hippie and an emo artist.

It was no surprise that at twenty-five, none of the eligible werewolves in their clan had ever shown even a slight interest in her. How was she ever going to find a mate if she continued like this?

Aware that her mother was shooting daggers at her with flaming eyes from across the table, Erin chose to ignore her and instead buttered a piece of toast generously before taking a big bite. She heard her mother’s low growl of disapproval and she stifled a giggle. For some reason, Erin enjoyed annoying her mother, who by now has almost given up all hopes of ever making her the ideal daughter who would someday attract a worthy mate in the clan.

“Big day, huh?” her dad said, trying to make conversation. “I bet you’re excited about this new job.”

Erin shrugged. “It’s just an internship, but if I’m lucky and if the labor market gods smile on me, I might get a full-time position at the gallery. Although, I don’t know if they’ll need an additional art curator by then.”

“Well, let’s hope they do.” Her father smiled at her. “I wish you would get back to painting again. You never told us why you stopped.”

Erin made a show of drinking her coffee to avoid responding to her father’s last statement. She had never said it out loud before, but she had taken an extended break from painting six months ago after her four year relationship ended.

It wasn’t because she was in love with her ex, but it was mainly because she’d gotten so used to having Mike in her life and she had created a routine around her life with him, that when things finally ended, she hadn’t known what to do with herself or how to continue with her life.

She’d met Mike during her sophomore year at the University of Chicago where she was studying to get a degree in Art History, while he majored in Creative Writing. They’d hit it off right away from the moment they bumped into each other at a mutual friend’s birthday party.

They had been inseparable since then and had even moved in together after graduation. When Mike nailed his dream job at the New York Times, he’d asked her to move to the Big Apple with him but Erin had declined. It just hadn’t felt right to her to pack up her things and follow him on his journey to live his dream, when all she really wanted to do was to return to Fairbanks to live with her family.

It still didn’t make sense to her that she wanted to return home when all she had done since she was sixteen was to find an opportunity to get away from her hometown.

It was why she had chosen to go to college in Chicago instead of going to any of the universities in Alaska. It was as if some unseen force had been pulling her to return home.

“Ooh, look at the time! I better get going,” she said and quickly got to her feet. “See you guys later.”

She kissed her parents on the cheek and hurried out of the house before her mother could issue another word of protest against her manners. Erin dumped her heavy handbag in the back seat of her Honda before getting behind the wheels.

The art gallery was only about a mile away, but she was already running late mostly because that blasted alarm clock of hers had failed to go off at the right time. Never mind that she’d forgotten to replace the worn-out batteries, but yeah, her alarm clock was to blame for her tardiness on her first day to work.

Twenty minutes later, Erin parked her car in the only vacant spot in front of the gallery. Despite being late already, she couldn’t help but take a moment to pause and admire the exquisite building that housed the art gallery.

The structure was two floors high and it was a mix of brick, glass, and wood, with giant pots of ferns and Monstera flanking it on all sides. Erin still couldn’t believe her luck at getting the opportunity to work in the newest and swankiest place in Fairbanks, thanks to her big brother, Eric, who had mentioned the opening to her after his friend, Farida Burns, had told him about it.

Inside the gallery was even more divine than the exterior. The walls were painted in white and different shades of azure, making the place look like an underwater haven. There were paintings of different sizes on the walls downstairs, while the top floor was for sculptures and a variety of metal works.

“Hi Jade, I’m here to see Farida,” said Erin to the friendly receptionist.

“Hi, Erin,” Jade replied with a big smile. “Farida has been expecting you. She’s at the back of the gallery.”

“Thanks,” Erin said with a grateful smile and began her journey to the back of the gallery. The short walk gave her some time to admire the paintings hanging on the wall and the ones set on columns around the room. 'I should bring some of my watercolors here too,' she thought to herself wistfully.

She finally reached her destination but there was no Farida to be found. Instead, she is greeted by a variety of tastefully done oil paintings that were probably waiting to be displayed in the front hall.

Erin knew she should call out to Farida, but she was so captivated by the sheer talent displayed here, that all she could do was just stand there and get an eyeful. One huge painting propped on an easel caught her attention, and Erin walked toward it to get a closer look.

Standing in front of the easel, her breath left her. The painting showed two giant werewolves standing on a hill at sunset, their eyes trained on a glowing white stone that appeared to float above their heads. What stunned her the most was that one of the werewolves in the painting was her in wolf form.

“You’re here.”

Erin turned around at the sound of the male voice behind her and she found herself face-to-face with a man she had never seen before. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and although he wasn’t the most handsome man Erin had ever laid eyes on there was something powerfully alluring about his aura that made her want to run into his arms for safety. Right now, he was looking at her as if he’d just seen a ghost.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop. I was looking for Farida,” Erin explained.

“You are truly here,” said the man softly, his eyes running over her as if trying to make sure that she was who he thought she was.

Erin couldn’t hide her confusion. “Do I know you? I’m not sure we’ve met before.”

“Not in this lifetime, but you are mine,” he replied confidently.

“Excuse me?” Erin asked in utter confusion. Who is this guy and why the heck was he saying weird stuff to her? And where on earth is Farida?

“I know you don’t know me yet,” the man continued. “But you will, Edvana. You will know me because you are my mate.”

“I beg your pardon!” Erin said haughtily. She didn’t know which one annoyed her the most – that this strange man had the audacity to call her his mate or that she felt he might be telling the truth.

“Erin, there you are!” Farida said and waltzed into the back room in her flowing chiffon kimono with beautiful Aztec prints. Her chocolate skin glistened with health and her full Afro hair looked like a dark halo around her head.

“I see you’ve finally met our boss, Mr. Devon Grey,” Farida continued cheerfully, completely oblivious to the tension in the room. “Devon, let me officially introduce you to our new intern, Erin Brown.”

Erin couldn’t believe her ears – this weirdo was the owner of the gallery? Great!

“This is the Devon Grey?” she asked incredulously.

“The one and only!” replied Farida proudly.

While Devon may not be a known face due to his reclusive lifestyle, his talent and work made him famous in Alaska and the entire northwest region of the country.

His paintings had been featured in several art exhibitions around the country and he had also won many awards for his outstanding pieces. Curiously, not many people knew what Devon looked like and Erin could now see why – the guy may be a genius with a paintbrush, but he wasn’t quite right in the head.

“Oh, what a… pleasure to finally meet you in person,” said Erin, unconvincingly.

“Sure,” he said, still looking at her strangely. He finally turned to Farida and said, “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

“Of course,” she said and stepped aside to let Devon pass on his way out of the back room. Once they were alone, Farida returned her full attention to Erin.

“So, are you ready to start? Are you excited?”

“Yes, and yes,” said Erin with a laugh. She loved Farida’s bubbly personality and she was sure that working with her for the next couple of weeks would be fun.

“Great. Now let’s begin with the inventory. Some customers will be stopping by today to pick up a few pieces and we will…”

As Farida continued talking, Erin couldn’t help but be drawn once again to the giant wolf painting that featured a werewolf with an uncanny resemblance to her. Now that she had seen Devon in person, she knew without a shred of doubt that he was the male werewolf in the painting.

But how could he have known her? He may not have a remarkable face, but Erin was sure that if she had ever met him before, either in human or wolf form, she would have recognized him today thanks to her sharp memory.

“Outstanding, isn’t it?” Farida asked beside her, jerking her back to reality.

“Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, I got carried away with my thoughts,” Erin apologized, slightly embarrassed. “What were you saying?”

“The painting.” Farida nodded at the masterpiece that has held Erin’s attention since the moment she set eyes on it. “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Is this one of Devon’s works?”

“Yes. He spent months working on it in his office and as soon as he finished it last week, he brought it down here.”

“Why here? Why not out there in the main gallery?”

Farida shrugged. “I don’t know. He has vehemently refused to display it and wouldn’t say why. You can’t imagine how frustrating it is for me to leave this beautiful body of work to remain hidden here like this. Trust me, if this baby makes it to the front, it will be snatched up within seconds.”

“I know,” Erin agreed. “Does it have a title?”

“'A Werewolf Fantasy,'” replied Farida quietly. “I love it.”

“Very apt.”

“And there’s a story too. According to Devon, that stone in the painting levitating above the wolves is called the dream stone, passed down from generation to generation by werewolf ancestors. Legend has it that the stone has the power to take the keeper to their past or future to seek the truth they wish to know.”

Erin replied with a raised eyebrow and Farida raised her hands in surrender.

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t make up the story, Devon did. And the best part? There is an actual stone to prove that this werewolf legend thingy is true.”

“Are you serious?”

“Hold on, let me show you,” said Farida, and she walked over to a small desk at the end of the room and retrieved a small tan pouch from the drawer. She brought the pouch to Erin and emptied the content onto her open palm. The translucent stone was cool to the touch and was the size of a large lemon. It looked like a diamond but it didn’t have the luster to qualify as one.

“It’s – it’s beautiful,” Erin whispered, mystified. “Where did he get this?”

Farida shrugged. “He didn’t say. Besides, I kinda believe he made that story up to give the painting an air of mystery, not that it needs that to sell by the way.”

“You may be right,” Erin said, her eyes still glued on the stone.

“And on that note, I say we get on with our work for today,” said Farida.

“Sure,” replied Erin, handing the stone and pouch back to Farida for safekeeping. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there might be an element of truth in Devon’s story about the stone. It may all sound somewhat woo-woo to Farida, especially the bit about werewolf ancestors since she was human, but for Erin, it was believable.

Her werewolf ancestry thrived on legends and many of them were true, so this story about the dream stone might just be legit after all. She made a mental note to ask her sister-in-law, Aubrey, about it later tonight at the Full Moon Feast.

***

Six hours later, it was time for Erin to pack up her stuff and go home after a busy day of work. Who would’ve thought there was much work to do in an art gallery?

Farida had been such a great supervisor, patiently taking her through the gallery inventory, showing her the basics of curating remarkable pieces of art, guiding her through intricacies for displaying the right pieces on the main floor, and which spots were best for different paintings depending on their sizes and visuals. It had been such a wholesome experience for Erin that she couldn’t wait to come back to work again tomorrow.

She couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t get another glimpse of Devon after their awkward meeting in the morning. As she backed out of the parking space in front of the gallery, she thought she saw someone stepping away from a window upstairs just as she looked up. She suspected the person might be Devon and she wondered why he had acted so strangely with her earlier. She wondered if he had never participated in the Full Moon Feasts and how come she had never noticed him before.

There weren’t many werewolf packs in their clan and newcomers were always introduced on their first attendance, so if indeed he had attended before, she would have seen him and recognized him when they met today. And he’d called her by a strange name too – what was it? Edwina? Or was it Edna?

Erin shook her head as if to clear away her thoughts. The more she thought about her encounter with her new boss, the more the situation confused her. For the first time in her adult life, she was looking forward to the feast tonight because she was sure that was the best place for her to get answers to this new puzzle that she has stumbled on with Devon.

***

Later that night, barely an hour before midnight, she ran beside her parents as they made their way to the forest near the Denali Mountain where they would be congregating with their fellow werewolves.

When they arrived at the rendezvous, other clan members were already present and everyone was in their werewolf form. As usual, the Chief, Gary Silver, took his spot on a raised boulder in front of the gathering to address everyone. He was a majestic silver wolf with an air of authority that is befitting of his position.

“Family, friends, welcome to this quarter’s Full Moon Feast,” said Gary proudly. “You all know how much I love these meetings because it’s our only way of keeping in touch with our werewolf ancestry over time. I am glad that centuries of living among humans have not robbed us of the memory of who we truly are.”

There were murmurs of agreement across the gathering. Erin tried not to look bored, but she feared that this intro from Gary was the beginning of a long windy speech that might not end any time soon, and that was one of the reasons why she hated coming for this feast thing.

“Being that we are very few compared to our human neighbors, it is important that we stay close and never miss an opportunity to welcome a new member into our fold. With that said, I would like to introduce to us a new member of our clan; a werewolf who has achieved notable feats in his chosen career, won accolades for his admirable talent, and has only recently set up a business that is already creating employment for locals. Please welcome into our midst, Devon Grey.”

Erin felt the hairs on her spine rise when she heard the name. Devon was here? How come she didn’t notice him before?

As if to answer her unspoken question, a huge grey wolf stepped out from the gathering and made his way to the front to stand beside Gary. When he turned around and faced everyone, Erin recognized him as the wolf she had seen in the giant painting at the gallery.

She didn’t know whether he had spotted her in the crowd already, but the moment he turned his face to look in her direction, their eyes met and she saw the recognition registered there.

“In case you are wondering why none of you have ever seen Devon before,” Gary continued speaking. “It is because he has been quite the nomad, traveling from place to place to practice his craft, but now, he is finally ready to establish some roots and make his home amongst us. It is my pleasure to also announce that Devon has found his mate and I am hoping that he will reveal the identity of the lucky she-wolf to us tonight.”

Erin stiffened where she stood when the last part of Gary’s speech sank into her brain. Devon had told her this morning that she was his mate but she had chucked that aside as some sort of confusion on his part.

Now here he was, about to announce to the entire clan that she was his mate, when she doesn’t even know him. Didn’t she have a say on who she’s supposed to spend the rest of her life with? Was she supposed to just accept this stranger as her mate with no questions asked?

“Over to you, Devon,” Gary said excitedly. “Please, go ahead and tell us who your mate is. The suspense is killing me.”

There was a smattering of laughter in the gathering because everyone could relate to Gary’s sentiment. Announcing a mate on a night like this was one of the most auspicious things to happen in the werewolf clan.

While everyone eagerly awaited Devon’s announcement, Erin found herself digging her claws into the cold earth, dreading the words that were about to come out of the grey werewolf’s muzzle. With her heart pounding furiously in her chest, she stood and watched helplessly as Devon opened his mouth to speak.