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Tommy has always been drawn to the forest.
He couldn’t tell you why this was.
Whether it had to do with how he always preferred grass to hardwood floors, or how he couldn’t stand to be around anything silver.
But what he could tell you was when he felt it the most.
During a full moon.
On normal days, it just felt like a gentle nudge – a playful shove at most. But on those full moon days, it felt like a siren's call with how powerful it was.
His father always helped him resist though.
____
Tommy felt the cold shackles click open as he slowly woke up. He could only remember fragments from the night before.
Getting dragged down stairs. Something hard and cold around his neck, wrists, and ankles. A calm but cruel voice telling him to be good.
Pain. Pain. Pain.
While he was thinking, trying to piece together his memories, a hand made its way to his hair, petting it soothingly.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” The voice was familiar; it sounded like the one from last night.
The voice sighed at his unresponsiveness; it almost sounded annoyed. But it couldn’t be when it was still petting him so nicely.
He leaned into the touch like a needy dog. Could you blame him? It felt so nice. He would live in this moment forever if he could.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Suddenly the hand drew tighter, pulling Tommy’s head back.
“Get up.” It said harshly, yanking Tommy up from the ground by his hair.
Tommy yelped from the sharp pain, stumbling to keep his balance. The tug had woken him from his daze; he was now fully aware of where he was and who he was with.
But oh, how much he wished he wasn’t with them.
___
His father never really let Tommy socialize.
He said that brats don’t deserve to speak.
Which Tommy totally agreed with! He was always annoying his father with how much he spoke anyway.
(That’s what Dream told him over and over and over again. It took Tommy a while to shut up, but now he knows the consequences.)
Plus, Tommy doesn’t need friends when he has his father! Even though he is always busy… Tommy’s fine!
He does sometimes wish he was home more often though, it would help with the weird daydreams he has been having. They always consist of the same thing.
A pack of wolves.
But not normal wolves, werewolves.
There are three of them, which is unusual for a pack. They all care for each other deeply. So deeply that it makes Tommy want to run out from the shadow of his dream and join them. But he doesn’t. He resists.
He doesn’t need another reason to be drawn to the forest.
(Almost every time he has to bite his hand to keep himself from making any longful, unfamiliar noises towards the three. Even if it is a dream, he swears they would be able to hear him from his sheer desperation.)
___
“I’m going to be gone for a few days this time.”
Tommy looked up from where he was coloring on the floor. His father was putting on his shoes at the door, not even looking at him.
“Where are you going?”
His father glanced at him before scoffing.
“Prime you are so nosy,” Dream sighed, “Just a little ways out of town. Nowhere too far.”
Tommy shrunk slightly at his tone. He never wanted to be annoying! He just hates when he is alone for so long.
“O..Okay. I’ll miss you, father.”
Dream stared at him minutely before sighing once more.
“I know you will. Don’t mess anything up while I’m gone.”
Before he walked out, he beckoned Tommy closer. Before Tommy could ask what he needed, he yanked Tommy’s chin up to look him in the eyes, grasping it tightly.
“And remember, do not, under any circumstances, go out to the forest.”
His grip tightened.
“Do you understand?”
Tommy’s eyes filled with tears at the grip, but he nodded nonetheless.
His father let go, supposedly satisfied with Tommy’s answer.
Without another glance, he grabbed his things and walked out of the house. Leaving Tommy alone in the entryway.
Tommy tried his best not to let his tears fall. He was a Big Man! Yes! A Big Man with a capital B and a capital M! He would do just fine without father here, he was sure of it.
___
Tommy was not fine.
The wind was howling, the windows were shaking, and the thunder was booming.
Tommy burrowed himself deeper into the blanket cocoon he constructed himself. He has never been home alone when the weather was this bad…
He was totally not scared though! Not at all! Why would you even think that?
He wasn’t shaking with tears rolling down his face, nope, that’s your imagination.
While Tommy was definitely not trying to hype himself up to leave the safety of his bed, he heard a loud siren like noise.
No, not a siren.
A howl.
Tommy froze in his movements and stared out his window. He swallowed down an unfamiliar noise that was surely just a fearful whimper.
Just as he was about to start moving again, there was another howl.
This one had a deeper and gruffer edge to it than the other one.
Tommy’s slow tears from early were now gushing down his cheeks.
But he also felt something else. A tug almost. It was barely there, but it was familiar.
It was the same one he felt on full moons.
Shit.
Tommy jumped out of bed, abandoning his blanket. He rushed to the window to look up at the sky and–
His eyes went wide as he stared at the moon.
How could he have not known? How had his father not known?
Tommy’s mind was running at a million miles per hour. But there was one thought that pushed the others to the back of his mind…
Where was the unrelenting urge to run into the forest?
Yes he feels it subtly, but usually it consumes his whole being. That’s why his father always restrains him!
Maybe he is cured? Oh, father will be so happy!
But just as Tommy felt a slight smile creep up onto his face, the last howl occurs.
Tommy doesn’t even have time to think before his mind is shrouded in haze. The same haze he was just hoping was gone.
Tommy stands there for a moment, trying to clear his mind. But he is too young and too far deep to shake himself out of it.
He begins shakily walking out of his room and down the hallway.
One foot in front of the other, he eventually makes it outside.
He didn’t even realize he made it to the door, let alone onto the grass. But he doesn’t mind as he continues his way to the one place his father told him to never go.
The forest.
___
The twigs and leaves on the ground crunched as Tommy stepped on them. He was soaked to the brim due to the storm.
He felt weirdly calm even though he was actively disobeying his father.
(It always ended with a new bruise when he broke a rule.)
That unfamiliar noise rose in his throat, begging to be let out. But even though Tommy was still dazed, he swallowed it down. He just kept walking without knowing where he was going.
The trees felt welcoming, even with the creepy atmosphere that they made. Their shadows moved as if they were alive. Yet Tommy still felt blissfully calm.
After what felt like hours of walking, Tommy heard a rustle behind him. He turned and his eyes widened while he felt something other than the strange calm he had been feeling ever since the last howl.
There stood the biggest wolf he has ever seen, it had to be at least five feet tall. With its blonde fur and blue eyes, it looked kinda majestic.
But that wasn’t all.
Tommy recognized this wolf.
No, not wolf. Werewolf.
This was one of the three from his dreams.
This one was the one that Tommy assumed to be the leader of the pack.
Tommy stumbled slightly backwards, away from the huge werewolf.
It didn’t seem violent though. If anything it seemed… curious.
It took a single step towards Tommy, who then let out a scared whimper. Well… that’s embarrassing. But! It got the werewolf to stop in its tracks. So win for Big Man Tommy.
Tommy continued to stare at the large creature, fearful that it would lunge at him. But all it did was lay down slowly.
Huh?
“Huh?”
The werewolf huffed, almost sounding amused, and made itself seem as small as possible. Which was difficult due to its humongous size, but Tommy still somehow felt himself calm down.
They stood at a standstill for what felt like hours, though it could've only been about five minutes.
Tommy stared at the creature, trying to decipher what the fuck was happening.
After a moment's consideration, Tommy mimicked what the werewolf did earlier and slowly sat down on the ground.
“Are… are you going to hurt me?”
The creature startled slightly at the sudden noise, but they quickly composed themself and shook their head.
“I recognize you.”
The creature didn’t react.
“I thought you were just something I made up in my head.”
The werewolf crawled forward slightly. Tommy didn’t move.
“You and your pack look happy together. I could tell just from watching.”
Closer.
“It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. My father doesn’t really do affection.”
Closer. It’s muzzle almost touching Tommy’s leg to the point he could feel its breath.
“Why do I feel drawn to you?”
Tommy reached his hand out slowly. The creature hesitated only a second before pushing its head into Tommy’s hand.
The two stared at each other, Tommy with wonder and the werewolf with expectancy.
Before Tommy could guess why the creature was looking at him like that, he felt the unfamiliar noise clawing at his throat again. Except this time it was accompanied with this strange tingling beneath his skin.
His body felt wrong.
There was more rustling behind the creature. Tommy looked up to see the other two from his dreams. One had brown fur and deep brown eyes. It was taller than its two pack members. The other had light pink fur riddled with scars and red eyes.
They were looking at him with the same look the blonde werewolf was.
Tommy wanted to say something, but just as he opened his mouth the feeling underneath his skin turned from tingling to a deep pain.
He gasped at the sudden feeling, his vision turning spotty.
The creatures came in close, licking and nuzzling him, almost as if they were trying to comfort him.
He felt tears leave his eyes once more at the unfamiliar sensations.
He felt his bones changing and fur begin to coat his body. It took him a second to realize what was happening.
He was transforming.
This was why he felt drawn to the forest.
This is why he dreamt of these creatures.
This was why he went into a daze once he heard the pack leader’s howl.
Everything that didn’t make sense his entire life was slowly falling into place.
Tommy is a werewolf.
And with that last thought, he fully transformed.
He collapsed against the blonde werewolf with a huff. It licked at him lovingly before nuzzling him to look up.
“Hello, mate. We’ve been waiting for you.”