13
Before it all started
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Mystic Falls, 995AD.
Lilibeth lived with her family, their village was blessed, a certain gene ran through their veins, one that made them stronger, faster, agile in every way. They were werewolves, shifting every full moon into wolves, the moonlight gave them power that they could not posses any other way. Lilibeth loved the life in her village, it was everything and more, nothing would make her want to leave this way of life.
It was the morning after a full moon, and twelve year old Lilibeth knew what she had to do, she woke up before the sun had rise, then woke up her little brother, Fenrir, and started getting ready. Lilibeth and Fenrir were the only members of their family that hadn't awaken, yet, their wolf gene, so it was their task to look for their family the morning after a full moon and bring them clothes, but also to have food ready for when they finally retuned.
"Fenrir," Lilibeth exaggerated, "keep moving the pot, we do not want to give them burned food like last moon," Fenrir groaned in return.
"I know what I am doing Lilibeth," eleven year old Fenrir claimed, Lilibeth laughed.
"If you knew what you were doing," she started, "you wouldn't burn the food every moon," Fenrir groaned again.
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They left their home with bags full of clothes for their grandma, mother, father, and two sisters, the food was ready and warm, ready to be eaten, they just needed to return with their family.
Lilibeth and Fenrir walked into the woods and saw many families from their village doing something similar to them. The wolves family's were always very tight knit, they supported their own and looked after everyone they considered to be family or pack.
In Lilibeth's village there was only one pack, led by a man called Ansel, Lilibeth always wished for her mother to be their alpha, but Sigrid wouldn't challenge the man. Sometimes the lines between pack and family blurred with the wolves, they took care of their own, and to them everyone with the gene was their own.
Lilibeth and Fenrir walked in the woods looking for their family, her grandma always said you find one of us the others are not so far behind, her grandma said that even in wolf form we run together. They walked through the woods seeing their neighbors waking from their moon night, as her sister Frida liked to call it.
"Morning Lilibeth," said their alpha fully clothed, Lilibeth smiled, "Fenrir," little Fenrir nodded to the man, "I believe I saw your father near the edge of the forest, almost nearing the river."
"Thank you," Lilibeth then nodded her head to the man as a sign of respect.
"You heard what Ansel said," Fenrir said excited, "near the river," Lilibeth smiled, "maybe Frida finally tried to jump it," Fenrir was so excited that it was hard to conceal it.
As both children neared the river, they finally heard the voices, their family's voices. Her father, Erik was arguing, clearly trying to teach a lesson to Frida.
"We are not supposed to be near the river Frida."
"But father, it's not so fun if we're not," Frida argued, "and I almost made the jump," she was getting excited again, when Fenrir heard those words he ran to her sister and hugged Frida.
"Did you make it?," he asked Frida. Lilibeth was walking behind her brother.
"I almost did," Frida answered just as excited.
"You almost died," corrected her other sister, Agatha, and then laughed.
"Lilibeth help your grandma," said her mother once she saw her daughter approaching. Grandma Lilibeth was old, but she still could shift, the downside part it was that the morning after a full moon she needed more help than most. Lilibeth approached her grandma.
"Let me help you stand," Lilibeth said and her grandma used her to help herself up, "here are your clothes grandma," the older woman grabbed the clothes from the hands of her grandchild, and with her help started dressing up.
"Fenrir give us our clothes," her mother ordered. As Fenrir was giving everyone their clothes they all started dressing.
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When the Erikson were dressed they walked out the woods, as they they did they received stares, from some people more than others because not everyone in their village had the wolf gene, but even when they received those stares, they also received warm greetings from others families that were making the same journey to their homes after the full moon, there was camaraderie and a sense of belonging that everyone felt, every last one of the people returning from the woods felt they belonged, what more they could ask for?
"Mother, see," Fenrir said pointing at the pot, "I didn't burn it," he was excited.
"Finally," Agatha said, "I was getting tired of burnt food," she laughed.
"Don't be mean Agatha," Frida Interjected, Agatha groaned and Lilibeth laughed at her sister's bickering.
"Stop children," Erik, their father said, "let's eat," Erik started placing the small bowls on the table, and Fenrir poured the broth in the bowls, given the fact that Fenrir prepared the broth he was also in charge of serving it. Then they started eating.
"How was it?," Lilibeth asked once she thought her family had recovered some of their strength. Her grandma tried to stop her laugh from coming out, "did Frida actually almost died?," she was curious, "or is Agatha just lying?," she was getting more excited by the second, "did you howled near our home?," the speed in her voice was increasing, "cause I can swear I heard you calling."
"Lilibeth slow down," said her grandma and then secretly winked at her, Lilibeth smiled at her grandma. Both women had a special connection, Lilibeth believed it was because they had the same name and that gave them a special, different connection.
"I wasn't going to die," Frida argued, "I had that jump," she almost shouted.
"No you didn't Frida," Agatha argued back.
"So did she almost died?" Lilibeth asked again.
"No," her mother said, "but she could have," Frida was ready to keep arguing but one look from her mother stopped her.
"Next moon," her father said, "I'll help you with the jump," Frida smiled, but Sigrid sighed.
"And I'll make sure to find nice flowers for your boat," said her mother.
"What do you mean mother?," Fenrir asked.
"For their burial, when you both die," Agatha snorted and both Lilibeth's laughed with her. Erik winked at Frida.
Lilibeth loved her family, yes, the bickered most of the times, but she never felt out off place with them. She was glad of the family the gods gave her, she was ecstatic that they were able to shift, she couldn't wait, she wanted to be a wolf more than anything else.
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