Oh, perfect. My totally-not-a-crush-(we're-just-friends-I-swear) is here. Because my day and night can't get any weirder.

I sit up and rub my head. "What's going on? Why and how are you here?" I ask before I can stop myself.

He looks at me like I'm crazy. "Are you crazy?"

Funny how things like that work, isn't it?

"You just fell out of the sky, after I spent forever trying to look for you, and you ask me how I got here?"

Oh yeah, I guess he has a point. But seriously dude, can a girl not fall forty feet from the sky in peace? I suppose I need to explain all of what just happened to him, since apparently he needs to help me. This is gonna go so well.

"Listen up buddy, I'm clearly having a rough night. So you are going to listen to me explain, then we're going to my den to say bye to my Ma, you hear me?"

"Yes ma'am," he said quickly. I should start talking sternly more often if this is the result.

"Ok. So after I ran off, thank you for that by the way, I was next to this pond," I pause to wave lazily and the Pond of Worlds, the moonlight glinting off the surface, "and I collapsed. Next thing I knew, I woke up in Ionicia. That's like my version of a heaven," I add, seeing his mouth open to ask an obvious question. He quickly closes it and nods.

"So there's, like, a bunch of wolves and yellow birds and stuff there, and a big group of people watching me when I stand up. I go over and this middle-aged lady, who's actually Dreadea, Goddess of the Moon, walks over and introduces herself.

"She says some stuff about like her origin story and how werewolves came to exist. Something about how she became unsatisfied with the amount of power she had so she did some things to get more. Then she infused it into a man near this pond one night and just does it again and again until there's a bunch of werewolves. She made it sound kinda like we're technically her children? I think that's how that works? Even if we're second or third or fourth generation?" I frown, computing what I'm saying in my mind. Explaining complicated godly stuff is surprisingly hard.

"Anyways, let's move on from that and stop breaking our brains."

His mouth twitches slightly, upturning into a small smile as he listens to me. I think he's enjoying listening to me talk... that's a new sensation.

"She explained some stuff about how her sister eventually broke the greedy hold on her and she stopped making werewolves but by then there were so many that the damage was done. What damage, I dunno but she probably got backlash from the gods for creating a new species. Then she showed me that the wolves around us were actually part of the people — werewolves — nearby. And that the yellow birds were actually the souls of the humans who had their life ripped away to create the werewolves. They were so quiet..." I trail off, heartbreak seizing my throat and rendering me unable to talk. Why? Why had those people been robbed of the chance at a happy human life?

"She said life can't be created or destroyed, only given or taken, and by infusing the man into wolf and giving him the ability to shapeshift, she took away a life," I whisper. I clutch my knees toughly, my skin cold and clammy. Why am I breaking down like this? I shouldn't be, especially in front of Viktor and with Dreadea watching.

Viktor crouches next to me. "Hey, it's ok. Sometimes you need to feel upset and cry. Especially about things like this. It's so cruel to know about life being destroyed..." he murmurs. "I'm not gonna judge you. You can cry if you want, ok? Whoever this Dreadea is, she can suck it if she thinks she can tell you all this and you'll just go on your merry way."

I look at him through tears blurring my vision, his face looking at mine with a genuine expression of concern. "Really?"

He nods. "Really. And if she has a problem with it, she'll have to get through me first." He flexes his arms and grins, and a laugh a little too. Maybe Viktor isn't so bad.

"Anyways, she said some stuff about how werewolves and humans are at risk and we need to stop it by infiltrating the humans, but first we need to pick up a magic hourglass that show help us. Oh by the way, it's extremely difficult to get to and guarded by multiple gods and traps!" I say. Well, maybe not exactly what she said but that's the gist of it.

Viktor whistles lowly. "Wow, this lady really thinks we're gonna do all that?"

"I mean, we kinda have to. I have a Ma and siblings, and you have your family. We have to do this for them. We're in an impossible situation, you see?" Despair starts to seep back into my voice and I rest my head between my knees.

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be ok. Just breathe with me, got it?"

I nod and he takes my hands. His palms are surprisingly soft.

"Breathe in... breathe out. Breathe in... breathe out," he says, drawing and releasing breath with me. "Think of pink fluffy unicorns..."

"What?" I giggle.

"Hey, it worked didn't it? You're not as upset anymore. Now, you ready to go kick some goddess butt?"

"Maybe, but first we gotta go see my Ma. She's gonna be so mad at me though..."

"All's the  better! More angry women to deal with!" Viktor says cheerfully. "Lead the way!"

Fangs and Fates, a Wattpad story.

Word count, 976