"How did this happen to me, what's going on!?" Hans asked as he loomed over his sleeping human body.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened, Hans then saw Eric enter the room.

"Hans I talked to the king and- WOLF!" Eric yelled as he grabbed his crossbow from his back and prepared to shoot the wolf standing over Han's sleeping form.

"Eric, Eric you have to help me I- no, no Eric it's me, it's me your younger cousin- AHHHH!" Hans wolf form yelled, but to Eric it only sounded like barking and whimpering. "I have to get out of here!" Hans thought to himself as he dashed past Eric while Pavlova nodded her head towards the bedroom door to which Hans ran out of, downstairs and out of the toy shop into the night-shaded town. "Thanks to Pavlova I was able to escape, I have to find out how I can turn back into a human, I have to find Clara!" Hans thought to himself as he hurried to the gates of the village where the guards were sleeping and with a little luck Hans was able to sneak past them through the drainage system leading outside of the wall.

Hans then rushed into the woods heading for Clara's den. "I have to find Clara, I have to find Clara!" he panted as he rushed through the woods. Once he reached the cave in the secret den Hans found himself surrounded by Clara's growling wolves. He then looked around to see Clara and her older sister's human bodies asleep on the same mat he had seen earlier that day. And standing before the two girls was Clara's light brown wolf form growling at him.

"Clara!" Hans exclaimed.

"Hans?!" Clara's wolf form said in realization as she and the other wolves stopped growling.

"S-somethings happened to me!" Hans exclaimed with his head and tail hung low.

"Yes, I can see that!" Clara stated as she circled Hans. "oh... I don't get it, I thought I fixed the bite, I thought you'd be fine! Oh, Lousie, Pantaloon, and Trudy are gonna kill me!" Clara exclaimed, glancing at her sleeping sister.

"Well, my cousin WILL kill me!" Hans stated as the other wolves began to sniff him curiously, making Clara frown.

"HEY! Stop sniffing and give him room!" she ordered, making the wolves stop and sit down as she examined Hans. "well... you seem to have made it out of the town without getting injured, and you look pretty great as a wolf too" she stated.

"It's 'great'? I'M A WOLFWALKER!" Hans yelled.

"I know! Everyone in my pack said this would be bad, and the alphas say never to bite anyone ever, but I love what it's done to you, now you're one of us, and you'll be adding to the Wolfwalker population.

Hans frowned. "Clara it 'is' bad alright, I'll get killed like this, and what about my body back at home?!" Hans exclaimed worried.

"It's asleep, nice and warm," Clara explained as she gestured her head to her and her sister's sleeping human bodies. "Look, you are a person when you're awake and a wolf when you're asleep, no big deal" she stated simply.

"But, but, the soldiers, the king, and my cousin they are 'hunting' wolves!" Hans said in a state of panic. "There has to be a way to undo this!" he said, but to his dismay Clara shook her head. I'm sorry Hans, but once a human is turned into a Wolfwalker they stay one forever. That's how this whole thing was set to work" she stated.

"How did this happen to you anyway, were you and your family bitten by other Wolfwalkers?" Hans questioned.

Clara sighed. "No me, my siblings, parents, and the rest of my pack were all born Wolfwalkers, but the story of how our kind came to be takes place many generations ago; they say a small village accused an old woman of witchcraft and before they executed her she cursed the people to walk as wolves when their human bodies lay asleep, and if any harm came upon their wolf body the said wound would appear on their human body as well and if it was bad enough it could kill them and she called these people 'Wolfwalkers', she also said the curse would be passed down to all of their descendants, however she also gave the cursed people the power to heal since she wasn't a terrible and evil witch, she was only a person who wanted acceptance in the world and soon the people who killed her would know what that felt like too she gave them the power to teach the same lesson to other humans as well since if a human is bitten by a Wolfwalker they will become one too..." Clara said finishing the origin story of the Wolfwalkers.

Hans was speechless for a moment. "So that's it, I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life?" he questioned blankly.

Clara frowned, "it may seem like a curse, but personally I like being a Wolfwalker, it's so much better being a wolf than a person, it's much more fun, come on I'll show you!" she said as she led Hans and the other wolves outside of the cave.

"Okay, lesson one; a wolf is a mighty animal, we have the ability to track anything with our noses. Our sight and hearing are very strong as well, and finally were fast" Clara stated, pacing in front of Hans a few feet away. "now, can you smell me?" the she-wolfwalker asked.

Hans took a deep breath through his wolf nose and gasped. "Lavender and wildflowers, I smell them as if they're being held right up to my nose!"

Clara giggled. "That's not even the half of it, come on let's go for a run, the forest is ours at night" she said as she ran out of the secret wolf den with her wolf pack and Hans sprinting close behind her as she picked up speed in her wolf legs.

"I can't remember the last time I felt so alive and free!" Hans thought to himself as he and Clara ran side by side with the wolf pack following close behind them.

After spending nearly the entire night running and exploring the woods, Hans told Clara he had to head back to the town before the sun rose once again.

"Well Town Boy, this is as far as I can take you... again" Clara told Hans when the two of them had arrived at the edge of the forest where they had only been the day before in their human forms.

"Are you sure the pack will be okay roaming the forest by themselves?" Hans questioned as he gazed back into the forest.

"Oh don't worry, they'll be fine. I sprun every trap yesterday so we'd be safe tonight" Clara replied.

Hans face then relaxed at his friend's words as he gazed at her. "Even as a wolf, Clara's so beautiful, especially in the moonlight" Hans thought to himself as he then looked back at the town with Clara and sighed. "I'm scared, Clara" was all he was able to say.

"Yes, and I understand why, a town is no place for a wolf, or a wolfwalker for that matter" she stated.

"I know, if they don't shoot me, they'll cage me" Hans replied, making Clara's eyes widen.

"NO! They mustn't! I know, you could come with me and my sister when we go back to our main pack. I'm sure the alpha's and the others would accept you, you're a wolfwalker now, you'd be safe and... and we wouldn't have to say goodbye to each other..." Clara trailed off bashfully.

Hans could only stare at Clara as her light colored fur shined in the full moon's light.

"I want that... I want that so much...." Hans said hesitatingly.

Clara raised an eyebrow. "But...?" she questioned.

"But what about Eric? He's my cousin and true he can be.... Difficult to say the least.... But he's the only family I have left and we both promised our uncle when he died that we'd look out for each other... I really do want to go with you Clara. I really do, but I just don't know if I can leave my cousin" Hans said his wolf ears and tail drooping low.

"I understand how you feel, I'm not leaving this place without my sister Louise...." was all Clara could say softly.

There was a moment of silence before Hans spoke up.

"Do you think, I mean do you think someone might have-" he started but Clara cut him off.

"NO! no one can catch my big sister!"she stated stubbornly.

"I'm sorry Clara, we'll find her I promise," Hans said senerily.

Clara perked up. "Yes, there's two of us now after all"

"When you and your sister are reunited then you two and your pack can leave and be safe" Hans said.

"You'll think about coming with us at very least, right?" Clara questioned.

Hans sighed "Of course I will... I better be heading back now.... I'll see you tomorrow at the place we agreed on" the wolf boy said as he rushed off back to the town.

"I'll be waiting for you" Clara said softly as she turned and ran back into the woods.

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Once back inside the town, Hans used the abandoned alleyways of buildings to make his way back home. He was just next to his uncle's toy shop when he smelt a familiar scent with his canine nose.... "Hm...?" Hans said to himself as his curiosity got the better of him and followed the scent to the royal palace.

"This scent.... It smells similar to Clara's...." Hans thought to himself as he snuck into the palace through one of the dungeon's barred windows where he saw hundreds of Prisoners asleep and cramped in small cells, but he paid them no mind as he quietly made his way to the upper part of the palace. Hans followed the scent until he found himself in a large study room. "The scent is strongest here..." Hans thought to himself.

"Boy..." a female voice whispered, making Hans jump.

"Who's there?!" he questioned.

"Over here!" the voice whispered urgently.

Hans followed the voice to the darkest corner of the room to see a large crate covered in a thick sheet. Hans cautiously walked over to the crate and used his mouth to tear the sheet off, and what he saw made his eyes widen in shock, there before him in a large cage was what looked like a larger version of Clara's wolf form.

"You're- you're Lousie aren't you, Clara's older sister?" Hans asked.

"You used to be human right? Only a wolfwalker can create another, was it my sister Clara who bit you?" the she-wolf asked, ignoring Hans' question.

"Oh, just wait until Clara hear's that I found you, she'll be so happy" he said with a smile as he put his front paws on the cage bars.

"What!? She's still here?!" Lousie questioned whispering in terror.

"Hold on I'll have you out soon-" Hans started as he made his way to the lock on the cage but Louise cut him off.

"NO, leave while you can and find Clara, tell her she must take the pack and leave, and you boy, you must go with her, this place is not safe for our kind!" Lousie urged.

"What, no Clara needs you-" the boy started but the wolf in the cage cut him off.

"No, you don't understand, she mustn't wait for me and she must not come for me, the king and these people are completely mad, they want to kill wolves and anyone else who gets in there way of power and control, now go!" Louise insisted.

"But-"

"GO!" the she-wolf demanded.

But before Hans could say or do anything else, footsteps were heard coming toward the study. Hans then quickly hid under the nearby desk.

"Ha, tomaorrow you will be executed you stupid wolf!'' the king boasted, kicking the side of the cage that Lousie was in, making Hans let out a low growl before he could stop himself.

"WHO'S THERE?!" the King bellowed as he then began to search around the room.

Hans knew he had little time before the king found him, and knowing there was no other way, he made a dash for the opened window of the study behind the desk.

"WOLF!" the King shouted as Hans jumped out of the window onto the roof and ran at his top speed across it while the king yelled for his guards to chase after him.

"I have to hurry or they'll kill me!" Hans thought in terror as he ran and ran across the rooftops of the royal palace all while the guards where shooting arrows at him from nearby balconys.

"SLAY THE FOUL BEAST!" the king demanded as he watched the scene from his study.

Though great fear plagued his heart, Hans wolf reflexes were able to help him dodge every arrow shot at him and was able to escape into the sewer underneath the village and castle.

"I WANT EVERYONE IN THE CASTLE SEARCHING THE SEWERS AT ONCE! FIND THAT BEAST AND KILL IT!" The King bellowed with a redneing face.

Hans couldn't remember the last time he had been so out of breath... or so afraid, for even back in the forest when he had first faced Clara's wolves he wasn't as frightened as he was now. "Clara was right, humans can be the most unaccepting beings ever... poor Louise... what do I do now? If I tell Clara she'll stop at nothing to get Louise back.... And if I do nothing Louise will die...." Hans thought to himself with a sorrowful sigh as he made his way back to the toy shop he called home.

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Once Hans was able to sneak back into the toy shop he noticed Eric was nowhere to be seen. "The King must have called him about the incident back in the castle" He thought to himself as he hurried up to the bedroom to find his human body still asleep in bed.

"Alright, now to wake up..." he said to himself as he then saw Pavlova at the foot of his bed meowing happily upon seeing him. "Pavlova! I'm happy to see you too" Hans proclaimed as he nuzzled the kitten's head.... But the moment of relief and happiness was short lived... Hans then smelt a familiar scent coming up to the bedroom. "Eric? OH NO!" Hans said to himself as he quickly jumped onto his bed and hovered over his human body. "Alright, alright, how do I turn back, how do I do this oh-!" he cried, but when one of his front paws made contact with one of his human hands, Hans' wolf form evaporated into golden light and ascended to his human body. Once his wolf form was completely gone Hans ' human body jolted up and fell off of the bed, nearly onto Pavlova.

"Huh, well I know how to change back at the very least" Hans said as he looked at his hands.

"Hans I- Oh good you're awake hurry and change you have a new job at the castle" Eric said after entering the bedroom.

"What?" was all Hans was able to say.

"You see I talk to the king about a job for you and he wants you to be a dishwasher in the kitchens," his older cousin replied.

Hans then cleared his throat. "Eric we need to talk..." he trailed off.

"Yes, what is it?" The older boy questioned as he pulled out an arrow from his pack to inspect it.

Hans then took a deep breath and began to speak. "I want you to stop hunting wolves and try and help me convince the king to stop cutting down the forest" Hans stated firmly standing up and clenching his fists.

Eric physically paused and turned to his younger cousin. "I'm sorry?" he questioned.

"Eric, we're hurting innocent creatures that don't want to fight, the wolves they're.... They're waiting for the wolf that the king has locked up in his study. Please, he must release her and let her and her pack leave this land..." Hans very nearly begged.

Eric could do nothing but stare at his younger cousin for almost an entire minute before speaking. "How did you know about the wolf the king and I personally caught? No one knows about this but me and him... what did you do...?" Eric asked in a low serious voice that made Hans gulp.

"I... I just know..." Hans trailed off quietly.

"Hans, tell me the truth now!" Eric said as if he were talking to a small child.

"No, I won't, all I can tell you is that you must release Louise"

"Lousie? You named that monster?" Eric questioned in disgust.

Hans frowned. "No, that really is her name, she would never hurt anyone, and the real monster is the king who is a tyrant of a man!" Hans shouted.

"You talk as if you know this wolf as a friend, so I will ask you one last time and you will tell me; what is really going on here?" Eric demanded.

"I. Will. NOT! PLEASE JUST RELEASE THE WOLFWALKER AND BE DONE WITH ALL OF THIS!" Hans yelled.

"Wolfwalker? That insane story that Mr. Miller told the king?" the older cousin asked.

Hans face went pale when he realized what he had said. "...yes" he replied meekly.

"Do you honestly believe that silly little fairy tale?" Eric questioned with concern in his voice.

"Yes, because it's true and I can prove-" Hans started but was cut off when Eric grabbed him by the th arm and pulled his younger cousin down stairs with him. "What are you doing Eric?!" Hans questioned in a state of panic.

"Hans, I'm sorry but to be a man you have to do what you're told, and you've been very disobedient toward the man of this house and the king" Eric said calmly as he took Hans to the back of the shop to the workshop the boy himself always worked in and threw him to the floor.

"What are you doing?!" Hans questioned when he saw Eric then take his tool set and stopped when he was in the doorway.

"I'm sorry Hans, but this is for your own good..." he trailed off as he then closed the door..... And locked it.

"NO! ERIC PLEASE, LET ME OUT!" Hans shouted at the top of his lungs as he bangged on the door even though he knew it was pointless. "Oh... I've failed.... I'm so sorry Clara..." Hans trailed off, his failure weighing heavily upon his shoulders. "I couldn't save your sister... but I can still save you..." the boy whispered to himself as he grabbed a quill and parchment and began to write..."

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Clara sat patiently under the tree she and Hans sat under yesterday when she heard a familiar 'meow' up ahead. "Pavlova, What are you doing here without Hans? Where is he, did something happen?!" Clara asked, kneeling down to sit with the kitten, fearing that the worst could've happened to the boy she deeply cared for.

Pavlova meowed as she dropped a letter in Clara's lap, which the wolfwalker girl picked up and read aloud;

"Dear Clara,

I hate to tell you this, but for reasons I can't trust will make it to you in this letter, I cannot go with you and your pack to freedom. I am so very sorry, but you all must leave the moment you get this message. I hope you will find your way back to the rest of your pack mates and can forgive me for not giving you a proper goodbye.

Your dear friend, Hans."

Clara was stunned by what she had just read and without thinking, made her decision. "Please take me to him" she stated firmly turning to Pavlova, who gave her a nod.

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"I have felt hopelessness before, but not like this. True, I couldn't stop my parents or uncle's deaths, but the fact that Louise is still alive at this moment and I can still do nothing hurts so much more" Hans thought to himself as he sat with his back against the locked door of his workshop and his knees held to his chest.

Suddenly he heard the door knob jiggle, Hans then quickly stood up in front of the door, hoping it wasn't his cousin again. "Hello?" he questioned cautiously.

"Hans, is that you?" a familiar voice whispered.

"Clara?! What-" the boy started but stopped when Clara opened the door after using a key she had found on the front counter.

"Hans, are you alright?" Clara asked as she ran up and hugged the boy close, making Hans himself blush.