Glass and pain shattered behind me and I got up fast, crying and my skin was bloody and glass was in me and I ran out onto the frozen pond.
“Seth No!” the same person that had thrown me out the window was now telling me to stop? How could I? The secret and lies were too much for me I didn’t want to believe them and then he ran out onto the ice, half scared and half annoyed.
“Seth you’ve got to move.”
“Why should I trust you?” I yelled back above the wind and the unmistakable howling of wolves. The moon came out from the clouds and my brother was tearing himself apart, ripping off his human skin for the wolf inside of him.
“Leave Seth!” he hissed trying hard to fight the moon’s call.
Then the thin ice cracked and I went down.
“No! Dammit!” he cursed, his voice mutated by the change and he jumped. I opened my mouth to scream and ice cold water rushed into my mouth and I blacked out, but not before there was a searing pain in my shoulders and the already black water was filled with my blood. How can I see this, am I really seeing this? I thought and then blacked out. I woke up coughing and my father, brother and uncle were kneeling around me.
“Trent?” I whispered, my voice gurgled and it hurt to talk.
“Seth just stay quiet okay? I am so sorry I really am I didn’t know, I didn’t mean it, just shut up.”
“Trent why don’t you get the case for the beginning?” Uncle Jarrod told Trent and I groaned.
“Easy Seth you’re one of us now, I guess it didn’t matter whether you had the recessive gene or not does it?”
“What?” I sat up, my head spun and I looked at the ground, not looking at anyone.
“You’re a descendant, just like we are of hell itself, a demi- shifter and what happened last night, well we think instead of Trent making you, he activated the blood in you.”
“You think?”
“Do you remember anything?”
I flinched. “Yeah, everything.”
“What did you see when you fell through the ice?”
“It was dark but the water was already black and I saw the water around me fill with my blood before I blacked out.” I whispered.
“I knew it, that jerk was right none of us can get away from it.”
“What are you saying dad?” I looked up and met his eyes, which were probably exactly how mine looked now, his eyes were a shimmery violet and there was a ring of gold with black flecks in it around his irises.
“I’m saying you bled out and the demi blood took over.”
“How is that even possible?”
“Who knows, all of us are sentenced to hell so it could be the dark magic was once again released.”

“What magic and is this suppose to explain what happened to me?”
“Yes your mother didn’t want you to know and I see now that I should have told you anyway. We work for the devil unwillingly, our futures were set in place even before we ever set foot on this earth and there’s nothing we can do about it. Our very breed name, the demi-shifters means exactly what it sounds like, demon shifters or demons of the dark and our powers are just as demonic as expected from the devil himself.”
“So we’re basically hounds of hell right?”
Dad smiled. “You’re brother said the exact same thing when he turned, I think you understand everything, but then again. . .” his voice trailed off and he went back to that sad state and frowned. “You don’t understand the change, you might be scarred from it, but you don’t understand it. You saw only the very beginning of it when Trent tried to protect you. There are four, technically five days of the full moon and every other night of the moon days; we’re in our forms all day, even in daylight, yesterday was the start of the moon days so you’re in the beginning of it yet.”
“And tonight is an every other night right?”
He sighed. “Yeah, and what bothers me is none of our family ever actually turned in the moon days, all of us except for you turned before or after it so you might be a lot more freaked out than we were and I wouldn’t blame you if you were. Seth never forget we’ll be there for each other like especially tonight we’ll stay by your side and help you, but you should get the hang of it in two days or three. Also we do have the ability to change willingly, but –“
“We can’t fight it and it’s stronger on the moon days right?”


Dad smiled again. “Right, you’re better at this than Trent was.”
“We’ve still got the nights Dad.”
He saddened again. “Right and that worries me, because if you get this so easily, what if you lose it badly at night?”
I sighed. “I guess we’ll find out later.”
He sighed. “Right I guess we will, I guess we will.” We stood and dad saw what Trent had in his hand.
“We don’t need that, put that away now!”
“Uncle Jarrod told me to grab it, speaking of which where is he?”
“Put it away and then go look for him.”
“Alright fine.” He jogged back to the house and came back a few minutes later.
“Seth how are you doing?”
“Fine I guess.” And I looked at Dad for a complete answer I knew he’d give.
“Trent it wasn’t your fault and actually I think Seth is going to be okay with it, although we’ll just have to see about how he is with tonight. He got everything I told him, even better than you did and he might get spooked with that.”
Trent sighed and looked at the ground. “I had no idea that Seth was on that rare list.”
“None of us did, so don’t blame yourself. Time’s time and colour’s colour and the time must’ve been his.”
“Well I guess that’s it then, we’re all in for the ride. See yah bro.” and he jogged off, going to look for unc. I used to be the jock and straight A’s student and now I was tied to my family’s curse just like they were, depending on how this would affect me, I could never go back to school great, well I guess we all have our futures, some more predictable than others.
“Oh yeah and Seth our family surname, Dowyll is from the Irish Gaelic word to mean "Dark/Evil Foreigner"; or Dubh-Ghaill (Du- Gall) and your name means placed, so we can never get away from it, ever.”
I sighed. “Great.”
“And Jarrod’s name means descendant so that’s also a plus for our last name. Trent’s means dweller or journey and mine well mine is nothing good either, Damien the damned or the devils’ follower or to kill.” He sighed. “I figured we might as well know since our family is what it is.”
“That’s just great and I was planning on being a lawyer.”
Dad laughed and put his arm over my shoulder. “Now that’s something I wouldn’t mind seeing.”
“What?”
“You as a lawyer, you’d be a natural at it.”
“I guess I’m going to be a natural at something else huh?”
He sighed again. “Yeah Seth I guess we are.”
“Can I just set one thing straight with a question?”
“Sure what?”
“Are we more like vampires or werewolves?”
“A twisted all of the above, but more on the werewolf side.”
“Oh okay.” And we spent the rest of daylight playing cards and listening to Trent and Unc bickering on who was the better fighter.
“We’ll find out tonight then huh?” Unc asked and folded his hand.
“Oh defiantly and I’ve got Seth on my side as well, I bet we’ll have a ball.” And he also folded.
“Uh no way I don’t want to deal with that I’m staying out of it.” I protested and folded.
“Yeah boys he’s the newbie, give Seth a break and be nice to him we all know it will be a tie, you’re to evenly matched.” Dad folded and Unc. won the round.
“Okay it’s almost sundown I guess we should start heading out now huh?”
“Yeah we should.” And dad looked over at me. “Can you feel it?”
“Yeah.” Wow I was surprised; I understood just exactly what he meant. There was this weird feeling in my bones and my body ached, half in a good way and half in a way that made me want to crawl under the table and hide.
He nodded. “It’s always different for everyone. You’ll get use to it.”
“It’s okay dad it feels right somehow.”
Dad had a funny look on his face then he shrugged it off. “Like I said it’s different for everyone.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Well wear shoes you can slip out of easily and an old pair of shorts you don’t care about.”
“Alright.”
“All of us are going to do that right now anyway so meet us at the woods when you’re done okay?”
“Got it.” And followed dad up the stairs and went into my room. I took off my shirt and jeans and pulled on my hang around beige kakis and slipped my feet into my Nike black and silver slip on sneakers. I started for the stairs as dad came out of his room and waited for him, and then I followed him outside.
“I will help you out okay? But when I lose my voice just keep calm and listen with your mind. Trent and Jarrod will be just in front of us in a small grove. This will be scary for you no doubt and if you stay relaxed, you won’t have a problem.”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t say anything I hadn’t done or been told to do Seth.”
I inhaled a deep breath and my bones started to hurt and I felt heat boil through my blood.
“Dad-”
“I know son I know just stay calm.”
We walked past Unc and Trent and Trent looked at me sadly. Right then and there in his shorts and bare feet, he looked like the laid back care free brother I used to know, and now more than less become exactly like him, matured with the curse.
“Okay lose the shoes; throw them up there so they don’t get ruined.”
There was a natural ledge in the tree to the left of me and that’s where we put the shoes.
“And now we wait.”
When the time came the first thing I noticed were dad’s eyes, the gold with black flecks ring around his irises spread until it became his new eye color. I knew it happened to me as well because my eyes stung, my vision went foggy and then it cleared, sharper than ever. Then my heart picked up speed and pounded in my chest, the heat in my blood rising and it spread across my skin, feeling like I was standing very close to a fire, or in one. M y bones cracked and my skin rippled and flexed, making room as my bones turned, my skin twisting and bubbling in ways I didn’t think possible.
“Here comes the pain just stay calm.”
Then we heard the sickening snap of dad’s spine flexing and stretching and he was thrown forward onto his hands and knees as his spine arched. My own spine started snapping, flexing and stretching and I was also thrown forward as my spine arched. Suddenly my spine stopped and it felt like someone had shot me in the butt and it vibrated throught my entire being. I heard a crunch and my spine was being pulled and I let out a cry of agony.
“Seth relax it’s fine, this is the way it is.”
I looked up at dad and we both had tears streaming down our faces and I looked back at the ground. My hands burned and my nails slid out of their places and all that was left was the pink fleshy part underneath. The skin on my hands began to ripple and bubble, just like what the rest of my body was doing and pitch black nails began to grow. They curved into sharp points as they grew over the skin and their size shot to be twice as long as my fingers. My fingers then twisted into a fist and my new claws twisted and pulled the bases from where they grew up to the joints before my knuckles and my fingers literally melted into my palms. This was defiantly uncomfortable and it hurt badly as my feet did the same thing and twisted very awkwardly. Then my muscles grew until they were tight against my skin and my skin flexed and my muscles grew some more. It kept doing this until my skin just melted off of me in sheets and fell to the ground. Then my body stung like a thousand bees were attacking me.
“Seth lose your shorts if you can otherwise don’t worry about it.” His voice was starting to change and I didn’t dare find out how mine sounded. Somehow I managed to get them off with my awkward hands and threw them at the tree where my shoes were. I gave out a low groan and was pushed back down to all fours, my body unable to stay upright with how my bones were, my arms and legs grew to support my massive size and as my body stung, my pelt of fur grew and it felt like it was growing straight from my bones. My face started to crunch as the bones changed there as well and my fur grew quickly. I cried out in agony again when my teeth hurt and certain ones crunched. I threw my head back like I was going to howl, my mouth open and my canines grew and sharpened to an incredible sharpness and I closed my eyes and begged it to be over.
Finally it was and I was freaked, freaked about what my body had become and just exactly what kind of powers I had. Then someone was in my head with me and it screeched; You’re a follower of hell now and you shall serve me. Then it made an indescribable sound and flew out of me in a black mass and I was knocked onto my butt and I laid down all the way, not wanting to know what I looked like in dad’s eyes.
Seth? Dad’s voice filled my head and I hid my muzzle with my paws. I heard the click of his claws as he walked and he huffed and sat down next to me.
Seth. He nudged my shoulder with his muzzle and I flinched, my new muscles rippling under my skin.
Easy this is what we are; this is what we’ve always been. Come on talk to me, the devil already saw you; I too heard the greeting he gave. That’s good, you’ve got control, and he hates that.
When I understood how he was able to talk to me finally, I too began to talk. Dad I hate this, I ‘m freaked, I don’t understand it. I want to be somewhere else, anywhere else but here.
Seth this is what you are, you do understand this, just relax okay? I’m right here; I’m not going to leave you. And to emphasize that, he lightly pressed down with his teeth on my shoulder. I promise alright?
I sighed as my body relaxed and I put my paws down. Okay.
Whoa that’s different.
What? And my head jerked up when I realized that he was sitting on his hind legs.
Your eyes, they’re silver with gold and black flecks instead of well mine, Jarrod’s or Trent’s.
I nodded my head slowly. Uh huh.
Ow Seth!
What?
Your tail you smacked me.
I did? I have a tail? I turned my head shocked and sure enough I had one and so I curled my tail around me. My tail had long hairs that touched the ground and my fur was pitch black, the tips reddish brown which made my fur shine under the moon’s light and look. . . well really cool actually. Then I winced as I remembered the pain I was put through to get my tail and this really cool body and fur.
Jesus does it have to hurt that much for this?
Kind of, my dad answered, the moon days defiantly and regularly well maybe, depending on where we are in bringing you up to your full potential. We are warriors, actually the best around and you will find that the better you become, the easier it is to sense other creatures of the dark.
I snorted. How many are there here?
In upstate new York? Well three to four thousand.
My jaw dropped. No way. Ow! When I closed my mouth I bit down on my tongue, my new canines were really sharp.
You okay?
Yeah I bit my tongue.
He smiled. It tends to happen a lot. Anyway we’re going to hunt now and the only thing you have to do is keep your demon in check and give yourself free reign otherwise, you might not be comfortable with the feel of the hunt because we’re so many things, but your demon self will and if you hold back too much, you’ll get a fighting match with yourself.
Okay. And I stood up, pushing my legs under me. Wow. I murmured, my height was massive and my muscles powerful.
Dad had on an old knowing wolfy smile and he nodded. Yeah it feels that way all the time and it never gets old.
I stretched, putting my weight on my hind legs and stretching out my front legs and stopped when another Demi-shifter walked into the clearing. My ears and head pricked up and I gave a low greeting. He gave it back and rushed over putting his head on my back in a wolfy hug.
Seth.
I t was Trent, my brother and I playfully nipped his neck so he would lift his head and he backed off.
Whoa bro who gave you that color? He was teasing in a still playful tone about my eye color since it wasn’t the normal color and I laughed in his head, my eyes sparkling with laughter.
Who the hell knows right?
He laughed back. Yeah, who the hell knows? Oh boy.
Are we going to hunt?
Yeah but first you can use your howl.
What?
We howl before the hunt so we can bring our pack together there’s let’s see seven . . . oh wait nine more in this woods with us that are family, more or less people you’ve never met.
And this would be all on your side?
Yeah all mine joy and now yours as well.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Yeah whatever.
Dad started to howl and Trent and Unc joined in. I joined in as well and when I got my voice, I couldn’t believe that that song was coming from me, wow. Dad looked down at me and he was proud, I could see it in his eyes and so I threw my head back and just let the calling song pour out of my throat and not hold back. When we were done nine more voices rose, answering our call.
Good job. Dad whispered to me and brushed his tail along my back. Then a minute later I heard the pounding of paws contacting the ground and I flexed my own claws, aching to feel the run with my own muscles. Trent growled and my ears went back and my head snapped up.
Easy that’s just Trent; he’s talking to one of them in the beast’s language.
I cocked my head towards him. Huh?
He snorted and pawed the ground with his foreleg. Remember when you asked what we were more like?
Yeah
Well listen, what do you hear?
I put my nose to the breeze and closed my eyes. There were two of them that their smell was of leather, woods, and the fading smell of being brand new.
They turned two and three days before the Moon Days and they are your cousins, Mike and Shawn. Dad’s voice was soft in my head; he wanted me to understand what were by myself.
Okay well demons of the night, the full moon, well werewolves right?
More or less yes, there’s a long history about us and-
Hey Damien.