This is my first attempt at writing for public consumption. I'll appreciate constructive criticism and feedback to help better my art. Thank you.

Disclaimer
All the characters and events described in this story are purely fictional and an resemblance to real persons or incidents is purely coincidence.

Copyright Notice
This work is original intellectual property of the author "Jjagz" who has sole rights over it. No portion of this work shall be reproduced in any form of media without the express permission of the author.
Thank you.

She was out of breath. She had been running for at least twenty kilometres, she didn't know where the strength or endurance came from. She was tired but kept running. She just had to. Her life depended on getting way from who or what was chasing her. She didn't know why it was after her or how she started running from it. She couldn't say if it was man or beast. It was something. Something terrible.

She looked back, it was gaining on her. Damn it was fast. That only meant she was also that fast to have evaded it for so long but she did not understand how.

The beast wasn't clearly visible to her. It was huge and the sounds it made couldn't be described in known words. It was a primal guttural sound of a killer out to devour it's prey. Tonight she was that prey.

Suddenly the ground started to give way in front of her as if dividing into a rift and she had to slow to a stop. It was difficult given her speed but she barely escaped not falling over the newly created cliff.

She turned back to face the monster. The normal response to fear is fight or flight. It seems flight had been taken off the table. Looking straight at it. She took in its features. It was huge, over eight feet tall and commensurately large. It stood like a man but had the face and body of an animal with bent hind limbs and fore limbs with menacing claws. The face was like a dog of sorts, the Alsatian breed. It had large canines and it's eyes had a red glow.

Suddenly it was like could see through it's eyes. But what she saw shocked her because while the body she was now seeing through the eyes of the beast felt like hers and reacted as hers what she saw was a young boy, no older than 22 perhaps with sharp handsome features. What shocked her most was that his eyes also had the same red glow to it. It lasted barely a split second and she was back to herself in the boy's body.

The beast seemed taken aback for a second following the encounter. It looked up and howled wildly into the night as if preparing to attack but never moved. Suddenly she felt her eyes hurt.

Her backbone cracked, her fingers became claw like. Her jaw extended, legs cracked. Hairs growing out of her body. All these happened slowly and the pain was excruciating as the tried to resist was what happening to him/her.

Then there was a moment she could swear she heard the beast talk directly to her almost telepathically. All it said to her was "give in"

And she did.

Gave into the change and howled into the night just like the beast before her had done.

As she/he howled she woke up screaming and her bed drenched in enough sweat to turn a desert into a forest.

It had been a dream. A very bad one.

2.

She had been having this particular dream since turning eighteen four months ago. Initially she dismissed it has her over-active imagination at work. But the dream never stopped. Each night the same dream.

She was too scared to tell anyone before the whole witchcraft angle will come into it. She didn't have energy for that one. Mother would not let her rest she told her about the dreams.

Tonight, however there was something added
about the dream. She had never seen through the eyes of the beast and it shocked her to see that who the beast was chasing wasn't her or at least wasn't her body and finally she or whoever she was actually did transform too. She needed answers. And she needed them quick.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her head she looked on to the bright side. The whole registration bullcrap at school was done. Lectures were finally starting. At least they would be cute guys to distract her from all this.

After finding sleep to no avail, dawn finally came and she stood up exhausted rather than refreshed and set out preparing for school. Blazing Ed Sheeran's album X and singing along as she went about being a girl.

Looking at herself in the mirror she smiled. She totally killed it. She chose to go denim that day. With a jean hugging her and a white top underneath a blue denim shirt and black sneakers to round off. She was about 5'7, and had a body built to kill sculpted by her years running in secondary school. She had this sexy in a Rihanna kind of way thing going for her.

Her mom was a nurse and was on the night shift she was the only one home. She left home early to not miss the first lecture. She just couldn't.
Anyway, for the most part the day turned out to be less than she expected. She meet up with her friend Steph early in the morning and they found themselves a seat at the back of the class in a typical back bencher fashion. Steph was sha a tatafo and started checking out the guys and running a commentary on them.
"
Look at the guy in the white shirt, that beard is killing sha" Steph said

Before Beth could reply she had turned to another.

"Ohh, what wouldn't I give to get under Mr. Nerdy muscle's shirt and feel those abs" she said pointing at a guy in glasses.

"Oya Steph, e don do for you o. You no fit see fine boy carry eye?

"Why, why" Steph said. "When boys dey look me from back I dey complain? Lemme joor" and she continued on her shameless checking out while Beth provided an able listening ear and occasionally chipped in when a guy was remarkable.

Sha finally the lecturer bundled himself in at about eight twenty for an eight am class, rattled an apology and on went the glass. After the lecture one lousy guy claiming class rep came to make announcements. The class wasn't really mingling yet sha. It was like everyone was sizing themselves up.

Two more boring lectures later and she and Steph were on their way to Tasties, an eatery on campus to grab lunch. One girl overhead them talking about it and asked to join. She introduced herself as Rose. So off they went, three hot girls leaving a trail of turned heads behind them.

Getting to Tasties, Beth was about to pull the door and step in when suddenly the door swung open and hit her squarely in the head. She was falling and felt a pair of hands catch her and help her up. Whoever owned the pair of hands lead her inside and was apologising profusely as Steph and Rose finished him with mouth as expected.

She finally came to and looked at the guy in question. Gosh he was cute. She couldn't tell his exact height since they were seating. But the clean haircut, chiselled chin on a square face and deep set eyes and low cheekbones and that he looked vaguely familiar were all she could concentrate on till he tapped her.

"Excuse me, can you hear me?"

"Sorry" she said coming out of her reverie. "the knock was quite hard" she lied.

"No I'm the one who should be sorry, I'm so clumsy. I should have been looking" he said.

"It's okay" she replied still staring.

He looked up and caught her and she blushed crimson.

"I'm Mathew by the way, most people just call me Matt. You?"

"I'm Elizabeth, Beth for short".

"This is stupid and forward" he said. "But I was in a hurry as you must have seen, but I'd like a chance to say a proper apology. Say we could see sometime?"

Inside she was seething. Imagine the nerve. Him don see chick now. But outwardly she smiled " give me your number, I'll see if I'm still pissed off enough to need an apology"

He scribbled his number on a piece of paper handed it to her and left saying
"Hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I really wish you're pissed off enough"

As soon as he left Steph and Rose descended on her with teasing. But all the while she was silent deep in thought about where she could have meet him earlier as he didn't seem to recognise her.

"After all my search, Beth na you finally don find fresh guy today" the way Steph spoke betrayed her affluent background.

"The guy is sha fine" Rose concurred.

"Anyway see as the guy get nose like you. Him fit be your cousin from your Mama Papa Uncle side" Steph joked.

"I'll kill for him if so" Rose said joining in.

Then it hit her. What Steph said hit her harder the door hit her.

Matt looked like the guy from her dream last night.

Sh*t was getting real. Now she was scared.

nice story line going here, I gat ur back.

sammyendowed:
nice story line going here, I gat ur back.

Thanks bro.

following intently

Nice. Lets see how it goes

3.

That night back at Matt's
"Stupid boy, you never listen. What do you even need with school" Matt's guardian Eli screamed at him.

Eli was a wizened old man, whose long crooked nose appeared like it had been broken in a fight and never healed well. Dark meditative eyes and crease lines of worry and aging on a strong narrow face with a mane of white hair indicated a man who had been through a lot in his time and had the experience of a sage. However, all these belied the true strength that hid underneath.

"I never asked to be a part of this" he replied calmly. "The least I can do for myself is have a semblance of a life"

"And that involves going to listen to stories you do not need and writing exams and answering to weaklings?" the man spat.

"You need a lesson in humility" Matt shot back at him.

Eli had been taking care of him for as long as he could remember. Which was a long time now. Eli was his only family. He was told his family died in an accident. He still had his doubts and Eli never changed his story.

"I'm a realist. My instincts never fail. And believe me when I say I feel a certain darkness in the air" he said solemnly "when it comes down, we have to be ready. We have to find the last of the bloodline. And here you are going to school"

"We have been searching for years. No sign. It's over. Live with it. Your glory days are over" Matt said and stormed out.

As he stormed out. A dark figure in the shadows watched him intently and thought
"His foolishness will be the end of him"
As he followed Matt into the darkness
--------------------------------------------------

Beth got back home late that evening about just as it was getting dark after spending the rest of the day sitting physically in class but absent in mind. When the last lecture rounded up by five she didn't even wait to say her goodbyes to Steph and their new friend Rose who were now really getting along. She didn't want to hear them berate her for her unusual silence and find a way to link it up with Matt.

She got to a clearing with trees for shade and concrete seats the Nigerian campus way. She observed her surroundings and saw a lot of people in pairs and for a minute almost felt a pinch of jealousy but set her mind back to her task.

Matt.

She began searching for the paper with his number but try as she could. It was nowhere to be found. Not in of her trouser or shirt pockets or her cursed handbag. She turned out all the contents of her bag, turned her pockets out, checked hidden parts of the bag, opened her notes page by page and even went as far as searching her make up kit. Still nothing.

Throwing everything haphazardly into the bag, she screamed out in frustration drawing quizzical looks from people around as if questioning her sanity. They were the least of her problems as she kept a blank expression and rushed off in the direction of Tasties.

Getting to Tasties she met another dead end. The staff had changed shifts and besides if she had left any paper it would have been swept away by then. She left dejected and dragged her feet walking slowly to the school gate where she got a cab and several cabs later had navigated the evening traffic of Paradise City to get home.

Her mom was still on the evening shift and had some errands to run before getting to work so she left early. At least that was what the stick it note left on the fridge said. More importantly it also said there were different kinds of soup in the fridge. But Beth had no appetite for food.

All she wanted was Matt.

As he stormed out Matt stood on the street confused, he didn't even know where he was headed to. He just needed to get away from Eli and his bullcrap. Strangely he felt as though he was being watched but shrugged it off as paranoia.

He decided to get some cans of Orijin from the shop down the road and chill at the rooftop of their apartment block hoping no riff raff will be there smoking weed tonight.

Getting to the rooftop he smiled. No weed smoker. Who would have thought. As he set his cans down and sat down to pull his earphones out and listen to music the same eerie feel of being watched came over him again. He paused and scanned the area with heightened senses. Nobody.

He then relaxed and popped his first can and chilling in the wild vibes of Burna and thinking of the beautiful Beth and why she hadn't called him.
"Oh, well I'll just have to track her down" he thought.

At least her tatafo friend had left enough info indicating they were in the faculty of arts. That was a bleak start. But it was a start nonetheless.
---------------------------------------------------
"It's time" the one in the shadows thought.

The boy had good perception, he had to give him that. But he was yet to trust his judgement else he would have been discovered by now. The boy also lacked a certain finesse to his abilities.

Well, all those worked in his favour he continued thinking as he stepped out from the shadows behind the boy and waited.
---------------------------------------------------
Now Matt was sure it wasn't a feeling. There was someone behind him. He scrambled to his feet and turned back to face who was behind him, taking slow but sure steps away from him.

"Who are you" Matt inquired.

"Someone you don't know" came the reply in voice that had the character of a whisper, yet very audible, as if the owner of the voice had permanently lost his voice due to shouting too much but maintaining a deep quality to it. "And someone you do not need to know"

"You've been following me a while now" Matt asked

"You should probably trust your instincts more, it could have saved you" the figure replied "unfortunately, there will be no next time"

"What do you mean, what do you want with me?"

"With you, I want nothing. It is what you represent I seek to end"

"And what is that?"

The answer that he got shocked Matt. He didn't expect anyone to know of it and as the answer took him off guard, so did the action.

"Hope for the BloodLine" came the voice again.

This was followed immediately by a low growl, glowing red eyes and a punch so quick Matt didn't see it coming. It hit him squarely in the stomach and he feel to his knees in pain. If only the Idiot knew he wasn't in the damn Line. Well he had to fight for his life, if only to see Beth again. He had to live.

His pupils glowed blue and his fingers became claws as he dodged the next punch to his face. Trapping his opponents right hand and getting ready to attack he felt greater pain as the other hand connected with the right side of his face.

Eli was right. He should have listened were his last thoughts as he slipped into oblivion.

NYC.. following wella

Will follow till the end. You are a good writer but i hope you will end your own story and not leave it just like some did.

I love this, keep them coming

4.

His head ached terribly as he began to regain consciousness. He was disoriented and confused as he opened his eyes and his surroundings came into focus. He looked around and saw he was in his apartment.

"Damn it" he thought "this must be my personal hell"

There was no way the strange guy did not kill him. However when he heard Eli's voice he was sure this hell was horrible. How would he have his personal tormentor too. But what he heard wasn't the brash reproach he expected but genuine concern in Eli's voice. And he tried to sit up as Eli rushed to his side and gently put him back down.

"You need to rest. You're lucky I heard the noise and came up" Eli said.

"Who was he"

"I don't know" Eli said and added reflectively "but he was strong. I doubt if I could stand him myself. Only my reputation made him cease the attack"

"He mentioned the Line"

Eli didn't look surprised. And that in turn surprised Matt.

"You don't look shocked" he said "what is it you are not telling me?"

Eli closed his eyes and decided to tell the boy at least some part. He almost lost his life today. He deserved to know.

"Now if you expect to hear a tale of how the line of Lycans started. Just go to bed" he started

"I don't want bedtime stories Eli. I want the truth"

"Okay. It all started here over 250 years ago. During the time of the slave trade. Everyone knows about the massacre of the leaders of Old Town by the British and the Leaders of Duke Town, all in old Calabar. But few if any know how. They were brutally murdered and mangled beyond recognition. It could not have been done by human means. Or even the wildest of animals known then."

"What did it? And how does it concern us?"

"Patience young one. In our local supernatural environment, we had shapeshifters. Back then it wasn't all foreboding of evil. The range of animals shifted into was wide. And even then, they took on the natural qualities of the animals. Haven't you ever wondered even with all your education, wolves are not indeginous to Africa, yet there you stand. One of the last werewolves in existence in Nigeria?" he paused.

"That massacre introduced the old calabar people to a beast above all they had ever seen. A force reeking of evil. The first of the wolves in Africa. Long story short, he allied with Duke Town and transitioned several of thier members to wolves. This lead to a rise in their military power and the slave trade prospered for them. The one catch was only born wolves could pass down the gene. The changed ones couldn't."

"Let me guess, so they gave the beast a maiden?" Matt asked.

"No, they never knew or needed it. See when a werewolf is in his active transforming years. Aging slows in addition to his abilities." He went on "while they revered the beast, they were also scared to him and had strong witches limit him once they had enough military power. The heart even of a beast can feel something. He did find love in the arms of a fair maiden. The hidden relationship produced a child"

"The child and his love were cast out to die in the woods or forest. A poor lady rescued them. The beast unaware gave up on life and stopped changing. Finally aging and dying. Soon that was the fate of all the others he changed.
The child grew and soon reports of a new beast began surfacing. His life was once again in danger. Hiding in the forests and never coming out. He was never seen. Duke town was never forgiven by Old town till this day. The search has been on for progeny of the Son of the beast. Till this day."

"If all the others changed died, how about me? How about my attacker today? You're not telling me the total truth" Matt said.

Eli looked down deep in thought. The boy was smart. But he knew enough. Enough for today

dis story is captivating, I really enjoy it. pls ride on

Captivating
.... Sipping origin and supporting it with Asun, enjoying the flow... Ride on



"Dandypearl where art thou ?!"

To all who are following and commenting. I'm thankful to you.

To the ghost readers, thank you a lot too. Though I'll sha appreciate your comments and criticism.

Continue to read, share, like and comment.

Next update drops this later this evening/early night.

Thanks once more.

remiseyi:
Captivating
.... Sipping origin and supporting it with Asun, enjoying the flow... Ride on



"Dandypearl where art thou ?!"

I don land. Grabs chair and origin. Lemme check it out. Thanks dearie

I smell a nice story here. You should proof read before posting and I tell you its gonna make a whole lot of sense. Mind you, I'm not going till d end of dis story because iyaff come to stay

DandyPearl:
I smell a nice story here. You should proof read before posting and I tell you its gonna make a whole lot of sense. Mind you, I'm not going till d end of dis story because iyaff come to stay

Thanks alot. I'll work on my proof reading and editing.

It wee be a preashure to haff you hia.

Barman!! two bottles of pure water.

5.

Twelve figures cloaked in the darkness. Their long shadows cast under the light of the full moon. Faces underneath hoods and heads bent in reverence and solemnity. The were shadowy figures. Almost in consonance with the shadows they cast.

One voice spoke out.

"For the better part of two centuries, we have been on the search for the descendants of the Beast of Duke Town. We thought all hope was lost, till the foolishness of one of our brothers has shown us the light. He came to me and informed me of an aura he perceived around a young boy whom he thought was a wolf"

"There have been no new wolves since we were turned; the fourteen of Old Town" a voice said, sounding shocked as whispers went through the circle.

"Quiet" The first speaker bellowed. "It was his hypothesis that this young boy was either in the Line or turned by the Line. I ordered him to follow, observe and report back to me. He disobeyed and foolishly attacked. His head was all that was left of him. Oko was a strong and ancient werewolf, an established shapeshifter before he was turned. Only a seasoned fighter could have taken him down. The boy must have been in the Line."

He continued.

"Due to his actions, of the fourteen of Old Town only twelve remain. Unfortunately I do not know the boy. But I will find him. Myself. Enough of our secrecy has already been jeopardised. We will find the Line and get our vengeance."

"Vengeance shall be ours" a voice spoke out.

"Vengeance shall be ours" they chorused in unison.
---------------------------------------------------
After regaining consciousness Matt healed completely in a matter of hours. Immediately he could get on his feet, he was all about training and in between sparing with Eli and punching different punching bags for the past day the only thing that punctuated his thoughts were Beth and why she had still not called him. Being that he missed school Tuesday, he'll have to find her tomorrow. However, he didn't understand why he felt so drawn to her.

"I'll just have to found out"

That evening around 7 pm he found himself at Tasties asking the waitress if any girl matching Beth's description had come in that day. Unfortunately she had the evening shift and had not been there in the day.

He was sure she had been there. He could never mistake her scent after holding her that close the day before. She had a flowery aroma about her that overwhelmed his senses and intoxicated him.

Just as he was about to leave, the waitress called him back from the counter.
---------------------------------------------------
Tuesday was uneventful for Beth and Steph and Rose saw how irritable she was and did their best to avoid setting her off.

After her Ten am class, she found herself in Tasties asking about Matt. He was a regular there, but none of the waitresses had seen him that day. She sat down and stayed there till 6.45pm before leaving. As soon as she was out of sight of Tasties, Matt came in sight.

Wednesday saw her there by Eight am. She wasn't leaving Tasties till she saw Matt.
---------------------------------------------------
Idara had seen different kinds of love birds while selling at Tasties, but the latest was just crazy.

First the girl came in Looking for Matthew's number which she misplaced. Then spent the whole day waiting for him to show up which he didn't which as unusual as her tatafo friend on the afternoon shift told her. Now she was on the evening shift, just after her friend who gave her the girls gist left, Lo and behold Matthew appears and is asking about the girl. Luckily for him she overhead him asking her colleague from inside and rushed out to tell him.
"Bobo Mathew" she called our from the counter as he was about to open the door.

He turned and was surprised to see it wasn't the waitress he spoke with but Idara. The girl had sha been giving him eye. He didn't have time for her stress today.

"You sef sha" she started "see as u take dey bone face look me. Smile a little joor. Or you won't hear about that dark skin, fine hips girl that has been looking for you"

"I don't know what this one is forming sef, because he is fresh na" Idara fumed inside while smiling outwardly.

On hearing what Idara said, his face lit up like a bulb that hadn't tasted NEPA for years. His prayers had been answered.

I feel the update is short this evening. Please bear with me.

Meanwhile, Eli said he did not fight with the mysterious wolf we now know as Oko. The leader of the twelve reported his death in the fight. What do you think? Who has something to hide.

In others news, someone is not happy with me. I hope my dark mood doesn't tell on the story.

Thanks.

The story is simply wonderful. I'm amazed.

Meanwhile, please work on your use of grammer, and some of the spellings.
You have a superb story here.
#Following!

'Walk in majestically so everybody wud notice' i promise u sometin, will dliver it b4 d end of d story

I gat the front sit this time... Let roll on with the story

I'm lovng dis story, pls, bring it coming

great story, correct some misspelt word n d story is superb.

Pls try usin puntuation marks tanks

nice work... But it's been 3days now please update. Thanks

Wow..... the suspended is killing....
I hope you will not mind in answering one or two questions in course of your posting, related to what inspired you to put such a beautiful piece together.
I called get to know your author.....
I hope you will accept sir??

Thanks guys. I'm very sorry I haven't updated. it's been a busy time for me the last three days. I promise to make it up this weekend.

boss,you no dey do us well o.come and update nau...