"So I was coming home from a restaurant where I had dinner with friends and I noticed that a man was following me,” he said, completely lost in thought. He looked a bit out of it, probably high on sedatives and painkillers. Oh, how I would love to swallow some more painkillers right now. "I went around the corner of the building and pulled out my phone to call the police, but another man was waiting for me there..." He paused, lost in his memories. "They dragged me into an empty alley and beat me and demanded I give them money. But I didn't have much with me, just some change. When I told them so, one found a metal pole and broke all the bones in my body.” Henry shuddered and rubbed his right side.

"I was sure they'd kill me - they were completely mad!" Tears welled up in his eyes. I had an unpleasant feeling of guilt. Even though I had nothing to do with it. "And then I saw him. At first, it was just his eyes glowing yellow in the dark." He looked at me hopefully. I swallowed hard. "He threw himself at the men and tore them to pieces! He ripped them apart like dolls! Made of butter!” he continued in fascination. Yeah, he was definitely high…

“He was huge! Four foot seven at least! He had black fur that blended with the night. A horde of muscle, claws, and teeth… The perfect killer… ” he muttered and looked through me at something no one but him saw. "And he saved me. At first, I thought he was going to kill me too, but… He didn't... He licked my face, just like my dog ​​Crow used to do every time I was upset."

"It didn't hurt you?" I asked even though I knew very well I did. A new wave of pain shot through my head. Even through the closed door, the muffled voices of the journalists pierced my ears.

"No." He shook his head immediately, but then froze and looked at his shoulders. "I mean, not intentionally. At least I don’t think it was intentional." You're wrong about that… "I'll have scars like you!" He pointed to my face with a smile. Yes, I also had scars on my stomach, thighs, calves, and actually everywhere… “I don't mind, at least I'll look tough! He saved me, I know that… Without him, I would have died there…"

"You keep saying him…” Simon said carefully.

"He's not just an animal! He can't be!” Henry frowned indignantly. "You weren't there, you didn't see him. He had intelligence in his eyes, almost human!"

"I think the drugs are affecting him more than the doctors thought," Caroline said grimly.

"You see! They don't believe me! But you believe me, don't you? You saw him too!” He turned to me for support. I didn't know what to say.

"The wolf is white, officers Aston and Cross confirmed that," Caroline replied softly.

"I know what I saw!" he whimpered desperately and looked into my eyes. "You believe me, don't you?"

"I believe you saw him like that," I said slowly, choosing each word carefully. "I believe it was a very traumatic experience and---" I didn't have time to finish.

"Get out! Get out of my room! Liar! I trusted you! Get out!” he yelled, outraged, and I had to cover my ears to keep my skull from shattering under the pressure of his voice.

Holding my head, I left the room, broke through the journalists, and ran down the stairs. What was I supposed to tell him? What could have I possibly done? I didn't want to hurt him, more than anything I wished I could help him. But I didn’t even understand this myself.

I stopped some distance from the hospital and took a deep breath. What the hell is going on with me? My whole body ached, my every nerve was tense, and it felt like my head would explode any minute. I whimpered desperately, as Henry had before, and ran home through the city.

My body was absolutely exhausted when I got into my soft bed. But the damn pounding in my head didn’t let me fall asleep. And so I had no choice but to lie on the bed and think... A monster. Yes, that’s what I am now. A monster that killed two people. How the hell did this happen? Guilt swept over me, and my conscience dug into me mercilessly.

Yes, they wanted to kill Henry, but that didn't give me any right to tear them into pieces. I was a man of justice... I have deprived them of the right to pay for their sins, the right to repent, I have taken lives that did not belong to me, and why? Because I was attracted to their tasty flesh? Because I really liked the power that their screams gave me? Because I already missed the amazing feeling that flooded me every time the flesh gave away under my fangs?

I realized something in horror... I didn't regret it. I couldn't bring myself to feel sympathy for the men I had killed. It was just my human mind, driven by justice, that screamed that I should feel bad, that I should pay for my actions, but I didn't really feel that way. What monster have I become? I got up feeling broken. I didn't have to be a genius to figure out that I was... a werewolf. But it meant there was another. The white wolf that turned me into this. I had to find him, was he human every day just like me? In that case, it could be anyone... Great.

My stomach reminded me sadly that I had deprived us of any nutrients this morning. I got up numbly and shuffled into the kitchen. I chose some noodles because I was too distracted to actually cook something. Also to avoid meat that was out of the question. Leaning against the kitchen counter, I swallowed my first bite. Well, maybe I should have risked the meat. The noodles tasted like... well like clay. Tasteless, bitter, and simply awful.

I set the bowl of soup on the table and went into the bedroom, deciding to go hungry today. However, the taste didn't leave me, so I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I splashed my face with ice-cold water as if I could wash away all the problems and questions that surrounded me. Then I reached for a towel, but before I buried my face in it, I noticed a red color on the normally white surface. What the hell?

I pressed my nose against it and took a deep breath. It smelled of washing powder, myself, and something sweet and exciting. My heart pounded. Blood... I guess I had to wash it off somehow, didn't I? I looked at the shower and realized that I didn't even know how I got home from the woods. Before the words could raise panic, something caught my attention. The laundry basket was covered in red spots aswell. With considerable curiosity, I opened it and stared in confusion at the strips of fabric that had once been my clothing. At least I got rid of the evidence... The officer inside me pointed out immediately followed by the simple man who said: Did I come home naked?