Page 26 of Black Hollow: Awakening

“The phases of the moon mainly affect the flow of power. Witches and warlocks feel it the most. For us, it doesn’t have any effect.”

“So when do you change?” Will pressed, not hiding his curiosity. This newfound paranormal world terrified him, but at the same time, he wanted to know as much about it as possible.

“Whenever I want to.”

“Is it… painful?”

“No. Not for me. The sensation during the change varies from person to person. For me, it feels… strange, but the end result is liberating.”

“So you could change right now?”

“Yes.”

Will pictured himself standing across from Liam in his furry form (though he had no idea what that actually looked like) and felt uneasy.

“And… after you change… are you in complete control?”

“Yes. In a way. I don’t think the same way I do in this form. My instincts take over. But I’m conscious.”

“So if you did change, you wouldn’t eat me alive?”

Liam tilted his head, studying Will intently.

“Depends,” he finally replied after a deeply unsettling silence.

“On what?”

Liam leaned in, and with a wide grin, he asked, “Are you tasty?”

Will smiled back. He thought he was starting to get Liam’s sense of humor.

“So… alphas, betas, all that stuff…” he began, and Liam snorted with laughter. “Come on! I’ve seen a few movies, and I wanted to know if it’s true.”

“That kind of division doesn’t exist in nature. That’s behavior wolves exhibit in captivity. They fight for dominance, try to control the others. Under normal circumstances, wolves prefer teamwork. They live in packs, take care of their family, and value loyalty. It’s similar with werewolves. Or it was. The world is different now. There’s no need to stick to small groups.”

“Judging by your friendship with Blake, I’m guessing the whole vampire-werewolf conflict is bullshit too?”

“It’s a bit complicated. There’s no real conflict, but both werewolves and vampires like to blame each other for mistakes of the past. I don’t give a shit about any of that.”

“So no alphas, no anti-vampire movements, and no uncontrolled transformations,” Will summarized, pleased with all these findings.

“That last one isn’t entirely true,” Liam corrected him, once again filling Will with unease. “I told you I can change when I want to and that I’m conscious when I do, but there are exceptions. Some try to reject their own nature. Live like normal people and never change. That has zero chance of success. The transformation will happen on its own sooner or later, and usually at the worst possible moment. That’s when the animal nature becomes so strong it eclipses consciousness. It’s similar in situations where we’re driven by strong emotions.”

“So you transform when you get angry?”

Liam chuckled.

“I haven’t had an uncontrolled transformation since I was about thirteen. But the answer is: in a way, yes. But your idea of anger is getting an F in math. I’m talking about more overwhelming feelings. Something that’s hard to cope with. Other than cases like that, we can feel the beast inside us stirring and we know how to suppress it. It’s the same with Blake, by the way. And Norma. And you. The only difference is my beast is literal, and yours… Well, yours is the magic you still haven’t mastered.”

“How do you know I haven’t mastered them?” Will asked defensively.

Liam gestured with his phone.

“Because about five minutes ago, you completely drained my battery, and it was almost full.”

“Oh my God,” Will said, horrified. “I’m so sorry. I have no idea how that happened.”

“It’s fine.” Liam didn’t seem to hold it against him. “You’ll get a handle on it sooner or later.”