Ok, ok, I'm kidding. Got you.

What really happened was this:

I was running through the forest and was only about ten minutes away from my den. I passed by a weird little pond, and suddenly I'm unconscious. No idea how it happened, but let's get back to the present because boy is it weird.

•••

I hit the ground softly but don't feel it, because as soon as I pass the pond I... fel inside my mind? I don't know how to describe it, but suddenly it's like my vision was folding inward?

I slump gently onto a tree in the real world, but inside my head it's a whole different story.

•••

Oh goodie. I'm in this big open plain of white glowy grass with wolves and yellow birds around me. Exactly what you expect when your vision caves in right? Yeah, didn't think so.

I wiggle my fingers and toes. I'm lying flat on my back and staring up at the sky, and I feel like I'm dead. Good news, I can still move my body and I stand up to look around. Bad news, I have no idea where I am, this place doesn't even look real, and I have a weird floaty feeling in my chest.

I gently walk forward towards the only visible break in the landscape: a small pond almost exactly like the one I'd passed when I was in the forest and home.

A man is standing there, staring off into the distance thoughtfully. He's wearing a simple green tunic and brown belt, but his eyes look wise and his wrinkles show wisdom.

Gathered around him are many people, young and old, men and women, different eras of time from many centuries ago to modern day. A few of them are looking at me curiously. Some young children under the careful watch of a man and woman are playing with the birds. A lot are gazing silently out at the landscape. And a couple are talking amongst themselves, their mouths moving even though I'm still too far away to hear what they say.

Finally, a young woman with flowing blond hair, rich blue eyes, and a simple white dress with gold accents stands off to the side but nearest to me. She's peering at me curiously and unnervingly.

So yeah. Awesome and slightly strange welcome council to this very weird place.

The woman rose and walked towards me, her white dress now shimmering silver in the light.

"Welcome, child. I am Drehdea, goddess of the Moon. You are in Ionicia, but you cannot stay long. The fate of your kind depends on you, but you must get the necessary information first."

Ok, ok, back up. Goddess? This lady is a goddess and I'm on this super magical realm where I'm supposed to get some important information to save the werewolves, which by the way rests entirely on me?? Yeah no, not happening. There must be some kind of misunderstanding.

"Excuse me but... why am I even here? How?" I ask hesitantly.

She turns to study me, then at the now silent crowd around the water. "Yes, I suppose a story is in order. Listen up, for I will only say this once and it's a tale worth hearing."

Oh goody! A story! From a goddess who's crown is slightly askew and has on way to much blush! (Hey, I may be a werewolf but Ma tought me a bit about beauty. I just don't use it on myself. At all.)

Almost as if she can hear my thoughts, she reaches up and fixes her crown, then begins her story.

I guess I'll just let her tell the story herself without my interruptions. It might be easier that way.

•••

Everyone here knows the tale of Leif and he was the first of your kind. You know the power of the moon gave him the ability, and you know it stopped after a while. But you don't know the true story, and now I must tell you quickly.

Ever since I was released from the control of my father, Novdos, I always yearned for more. I wanted to not just be the goddess of the moon and the daughter of the skies, but to be the favorite of the people and be seen as the most important.

However, the more I fought to achieve this the more I felt myself distancing from my father and the other gods. I grew terribly lonely, and longed for a companion.

One night when I was most powerful, I spied a wolf next to the Pond of Worlds, the pond that appears in every world and realm somewhere.

I carefully infused some of my magic into him, giving him the ability to shape-shift into a wolf. That man... was our very own Leif. She looked up and nodded at the man in a tunic before continuing.

I grew ever greedier. I created more beings, dubbing them werewolves. Eventually, my sister Thyana brought me back to my senses and I stopped, but it was already done. I had created a thriving community of werewolves deep in a human forest.

Yes, humans were there before you all, but not in such great numbers. They are the problem you face now.

•••

I take back everything I said about boring goddess stories. That one was honestly kinda amazing, and not something you hear everyday. I can definitely believe humans are this mysterious threat that could wipe out all of the werewolves. (No pressure on me or anything.)

"Look around you. All of these people, except for Raven, myself, and Leif, are your kin and were killed by humans." Drehdea says softly as she gestures around her.

I look around. There must be dozens, even a couple hundred of them. And every one was killed by the heartless humans.

Fangs and Fates, a Wattpad story.

Word count, 975