The Werewolf Next Door | WangXian

Chapter 1 - Weird Neighbor

It has been several hours since the sun went down, leaving behind a gloomy grey in the afternoon sky. Several yards from the quiet neighborhood of Bloomfield, in the clearing, surrounded by pine trees, a young man, Wei Ying, stood frozen in his tracks, his eyes doubling, and his feet were on the verge of collapsing.  

A foot-front from where Wei Ying stood, a deep, almost ringing howl of a wolf echoed throughout the dark, lifeless forest, sending the little woodland critters scurrying on in different directions. 

Having nowhere left to run and completely out of breath, Wei Ying panicked, his fingers trembling. He has been running - escaping from a wolf, at least, that was what he believed. Although he hadn't seen the creature, the growling and howling were enough for him to figure out what had been chasing him.

Desperately seeking a way out of the forest, Wei Ying took off once more. He ran through bushes and stumbled onto branches, tripped over twigs, and dodged tree stumps until, finally, he made it out into the open streets of Bloomfield, where it was clear. 

Home. Wei Ying will be home soon. 

However, when Wei Ying thought he was safe from harm's way - for a second time, a deep growl crept up from behind. This time, he didn't bother looking back as he took off, sprinting for dear life and screaming as he went, in hopes someone - anyone, could hear him. Unfortunately, there was no one. He was alone with the wild beast - a beast whose intention was to kill. 

As Wei Ying continued running, he stumbled and fell, landing in a puddle of dirty water on one of the street potholes. Heaving, he twisted around - unbothered by the cuts and scrapes on his hands and knees - he gasped. 

Wei Ying could hardly believe his eyes. There, looming above him, stood the wolf - white as jade, a breathtaking creature, eyes a soul-stealing gold whenever it glistened against the full moon, and canines bared as blood dripped from its mouth. It was no ordinary wolf. It was a werewolf - a creature that shouldn't have existed unless in fairytales and fiction novels. 

When the creature pounced on him, Wei Ying screamed.

----------

Wei Ying jolted awake. His screams filled the room he shared with his younger adoptive brother, Jiang Cheng. As he clutched tightly against his racing heart, his silver eyes scanned the room, searching for the werewolf. There was no werewolf, no creature chasing him - God-dammit, it was a fucking dream. 

Slowly, relief washed over Wei Ying, and he could feel his heart rate coming to ease. Unfortunately, when he heard the low groans coming from the opposite direction of his bed, he turned his head and - oh shit. It was Jiang Cheng, sprawled on the floor where he had fallen from Wei Ying’s unmanly screams. Dammit, Wei Ying swallowed down the lump in his throat, ready to face the wrath of his brother. However, when the branches from outside rattled against the windowsill, his bravery swiftly went through the roof as his feet bounced off the bed, running over to Jiang Cheng and nestle himself under his brother’s sheet cover. Stupid dream, Wei Ying trembled, hoisting the sheet over his eyes. 

Jiang Cheng bolted off the floor, his face red, covered in invisible steam. “Again?” he yelled, his voice sending tremors throughout the bedroom walls. “I swear to God if this happens one more time - I’m going to lock you outside for the rest of the night,” he continued, waving his hands in the air, emphasizing what he meant before snatching the covers off Wei Ying’s face. 

“Give it back,” Wei Ying gritted, quickly snatching the sheet away from Jiang Cheng’s hand and covering himself for a second time as he continued shivering like a frail leaf.