My Neighbor Is A Werewolf!

Chapter 1

Rude

***

Leila thanked the taxi driver as she stepped out of the car with her one huge black luggage and a medium-sized black and gray traveling bag waiting at her side. The driver closed the door of the car, just humbly smiled at her, then drove away after she had paid a few bucks.

She stretched her limbs to at least ease her outstretched arms from the long drive. She was oblivious to the things around her as she stared at the small bungalow house she inherited from her loving grandparents from his father's side, Emilio and Josefa Mercado.

Her mind was clouded with flashing memories she had with her loving late grandmother, who would run towards where she was the moment she had stepped out of their car, while her late grandfather would just smile – while watching them.

Good old days.

That was what she was thinking while looking at the old house.

It was a single-story house with a slope roof that was made of concrete, glass, and bricks – and the colors were mixed of gray and white. It was a modernized version of bungalow houses. It had gray vinyl windows from both sides of the house. It also had a small veranda surrounded by white railings and a front porch.

The front yard was covered with grass and the big shady maple tree was still standing proudly. The whole house was surrounded by a wood fence colored with white and gray paint.

She was glad that the housekeeper maintained it as if it had never been years since she last saw it.

Leila smiled sadly as her tears swiftly flowed to her cheeks because she just missed her grandparents so much – especially that the house also carried the memories of her dad, who died more than a decade ago.

Her grandparents were so loving and caring that their family always loved to take their vacations at this house. When her father died, she never stepped foot on it again. After two years, her grandparents died.

She sighed and shook her head lightly – wiping away her tears.

"Too much of being emotional, Leila. Think of the good and happy things, girl. Don't let your horses down." She lowly whispered to herself as she was wiping her tears away.

Her forehead creased when she saw a huge mansion just beside hers. She remembered her grandparents' house was deserted and the nearest house next to hers was one kilometer away – not to mention the huge trees in between. Her grandparents loved nature, so they choose one which was so close to the forest.

The Sacred Place Village, which was where she was right now, was surrounded by a virgin forest anyway. The community living there was just a family of fifteen – more or less. Some of their relatives flew to the city to find a better job like everyone else.

She shrugged at that thought.

Leila was just so glad. Now, she finally had a nearest neighbor.

She stared at the huge mansion – it was a three-story, she guessed, because of the gigantic concrete fence with thorny vines at the edges.

She cringed slightly as she thought of the possibility that whoever might try to climb on it would surely be torn and full of wounds after.

The mansion was to her taste anyway, it was like a gruesome-like mansion, but she loved how intricate and classic the design was. It also had a huge balcony that surely created a relaxing ambience.

She was hoping to get a chance to be friends with her neighbor – whoever it was.

Her forehead creased when she saw a silhouette on the balcony, then it vanished for a matter of seconds. Her spine covered with chills as she remembered the horror movie, she had watched with her seven-year-old stepbrother, Darcel, last night.

"Oh, my goodness' gracious!" Leila exclaimed horribly when a cold hand, held her arm.

She was horrified that she flinched – causing her luggage to fall together with her travelling bag which was placed just above it.

Her widened eyes dropped towards the lady who was confusedly looking at her.

"Cristine! Oh, my gosh, you took me by surprise." She shockingly stated.

Her heart was still thumping hard as she was trying to calm her nerves.

Cristine was the fifteen-year-old daughter of their housekeeper, Carina. Her mother was paying them to keep her grandparents' house clean – especially when she finally decided to move in.

"Sorry. I was calling you twice already, but you haven't noticed me." Cristine shyly answered while helping her with her luggage.

That conversation kept her mind at ease – forgetting the goosebumps she felt a while ago while looking at the huge, weird mansion just beside hers.

"Finally, you're here!" Carina giddily exclaimed and welcomed her with a warm hug.

She was close to her family, most especially with her grandparents. Maybe, one of the reasons why she voluntarily asked them to look after the house. Her mother just gave her a few bucks out of courtesy.

Leila looked around. The beige couch was decorated with dark brown pillows and a small sofa table with a succulent plant in a small pot was placed in front.

The flush mount ceiling lights give a unique touch to the living room. On the right side of the house was the kitchen and dining, while on the left side were the rooms.

She couldn't refrain herself from feeling the nostalgia of the memories rushing through her mind.

Then, the huge mansion caught her attention once again. She was about to speak when Cristine interrupted her thoughts.

"How was Miss Sheila? It was strange that she allowed you to live alone." Cristine asked while serving her tea.

She sat on the single couch and thanked her.

"Well, she's fine with it, besides, she couldn't say 'no' to her lovely daughter, aight?" Leila playfully said and winked at her.

Cristine and Carina laughed hard at her mischievous remarks.

"Anyway, I didn't know that I already had a neighbor here. How long has it been there?" She curiously asked as her eyes moved to the glass window facing the huge mansion while sipping her tea.

She saw how fidgety Cristine was and avoided her gaze. She worriedly looked at her mother who just let out a deep sigh.

"Well, I don't really know. They're just new here. I must say to just stay away from them, Lei. I heard rumors that the man living there was kind of rude, unsociable, and mysterious. We haven't seen him go out of his house, though. Only the butler, but he is too snob and cold, too." Carina seriously told her.

Her eyes even widened while talking about it.

Leila just chuckled.

"You're being too judgmental, Carina. Don't believe rumors like that and just give them the benefit of doubt." She simply uttered.

Carina just shrugged while Cristine remained silent and just listened to them.

"Well, at least I have already warned you." She finally said and gave her a flat look.

Leila just gave them a soft smile before staring at the mysterious mansion. She just hoped to be friends with her neighbor.

Meanwhile, as the clock just struck past twelve, everything was embraced with a deafening silence.

The almost full moon, which was proudly illuminating in the dark sky, was the only source of light radiating through the large glass windows.

A man was lying on the cold floor as his chest moved up and down while panting. His heart was frantically beating, and his eyes squeezed shut for the burning sensations that crept into his whole system.

It was just the start of his miserable and tormenting shift. He eagerly wanted to stop it as much as he could, but his inner being was gradually becoming uncontrolled.

He was slowly losing his ounce of humanity, and he was too weary to fight it. He was all riled up, and he screamed – his trembling fist clenched tightly, and his knuckles started to pale.

His shaking body bent – his both knees touched his chest, and his temple throbbed.

A pair of sympathizing eyes just watching him in the shadows, wearing a distressed face. He couldn't do anything for him, nor could he stop what was happening. All he could do was wait for whatever would happen next and make a move from there.

He was patiently waiting for whatever form would take over him – his sense of humanity or his cruel ruthless wolf.

The man on the floor cried out of pain as his glossy eyes glistened and rolled to the back of his head. His ankle twisted followed by the rest of his body – as a loud and shivering howl escaped from his lips, echoed in the entire manor.

The man standing readied himself as he witnessed that it was the cruel ruthless wolf which was winning and taking over. He silently prayed to the moon that he would still be alive after this.

Another loud growl broke the silence of the night – mixing with the lurid panting and whimpering in satisfaction.

A huge dark brown furred wolf appeared in front of the man attacking the metal cage railing. It was growling and moaning – expressing his starving self.

The man standing instantly threw a massive piece of raw meat and the wolf vigorously eaten.

He was bewildered that after years the wolf became wild and overpowering. He just hoped it would turn out okay as he stared at the moon – praying for his master.

Chapter 2

Neighbor

***

Leila was humming her favorite song as she placed the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the cooling rack.

"Finally..." She smilingly clasped her both hands together while her eyes glittered while looking at it.

It was a fine sultry day, and she decided to give some of her neighbors her own version of chocolate chip cookies. Her mother, Sheila, and her stepbrother, Darcel, truly loved it and she was hoping her neighbors would love it, too.

She was looking forward to selling some cookies and other pastries for her to have some extra income. She was dreaming of having her own bakeshop soon.

Leila giggled at her thoughts.

She rummaged through the hanging cabinet in the kitchen for possible containers, and she sweetly smiled when she found ten of it.

"Nice! I can't believe Carina bought some of the things that I need." She whispered to herself.

The market was an hour-drive from her house. She still needed to ride a taxi from the arc of the Sacred Place Village, and that was more or less a thirty minutes' walk.

Honestly, it was working just fine for her. She loved the greenery, and walking wasn't a massive turnover of her decision.

She immediately placed the cookies inside each of the containers, munching one in her mouth – it was chewy and delicious, like what she wanted them to be.

"Wow! I can smell something from your door. What's that?" Cristine cheerfully asked as she went to her side.

She swiftly motioned the cooling rack to her – where the excess cookies were. Her eyes glittered and she couldn't help but laugh at her.

"Wow! This is so great!" Cristine commented.

"Really?" She loudly inquired.

Cristine just nodded her head while her mouth was full of cookies. Leila chuckled. She felt more confident now.

"You can have the two containers, okay?" She smilingly reminded her before riding her old bicycle – given to her by her grandfather.

Good thing, it was still fine. She could use it to sell her pastries soon.

Leila stared at the huge mansion just beside her house. She surely wanted to give some to her nearest neighbor, and it was her chance to build rapport and friendship.

She walked towards the gate and pressed the doorbell, but no one opened it. She tried pressing it again and waited for a couple of minutes, but to no avail.

"Was there anyone inside?" She lowly whispered to herself.

But she was surprised by a man with a cold stoic expression pasted in his gorgeous face suddenly open the gate with a bang.

She was about to wear her famous sweet smile, but it was hanging into thin air when she fully saw his face.

Leila blinked her eyes as she tried to prove to herself that she wasn't dreaming. He was surely someone with a menacing aura yet complemented with a handsome face. One thing that was more appealing in her eyes.

His perfect jaw had some stubbles on it, but it only added to his manly aura. His soulful deep ocean blue orbs were like taking her to a whole new dimension. His perfectly carved lips were lusciously pink – that she couldn't help but bite her lower lip while staring absentmindedly at him.

Her heart was beating so hard that it ached a bit. This was the first time she had ever felt this way.

Was she having a heart attack? – She mentally thought as she held her chest.

His simple black shirt hugged his perfectly toned body. And what had made him more strikingly gorgeous was his dark brown hair. He was literally a godlike man living in the human world.

She bit her lower lip more to prevent herself from smiling.

"What do you want?" He harshly said those words, but his voice seemed to be music in her ears.

The man pursed his lips – pure irritation was visibly written on his face.

"If you're just going to stare at me like that, just leave." He rudely stated and was about to walk away when she automatically held his arm to stop him.

The man looked at her with a death glare. She felt a shiver down her spine, but the volts of electricity creeping into her nerves caught her attention more. She bit her lower lip and immediately removed her hand from him – like she's been burned or something. She gave him a forced smile.

Leila shook her head – as if dragging herself from her drifting reverie.

"Uh, c-cookies?" She stupidly uttered.

The man's forehead creased – but it didn't even lessen his appeal.

"I don't eat something from a stranger." He coldly replied.

Leila couldn't help but smile at him.

"I'm your new neighbor. I'm Leila. Now, we're not strangers anymore." She swiftly introduced herself and pointed at her bungalow house before raising her hand for a handshake.

The man just stared at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Then, his expression darkened.

All of a sudden, Leila felt the hair at her nape stand up. Her smile turned sour as she put her hand down with her lips slightly pouted. But her optimistic side was getting out of her control. She instantly got one of the plastic containers where her cookies were.

"I just want to give you these cookies that I personally baked. I hope you'll like it." She smilingly stated.

She was loud and outgoing – not to mention nosy and optimistic. She knew that, and she was hoping she could reach for his coldness and melt it down.

Her smile grew wider when the man let out a deep sigh before receiving her cookies. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at him, opening the gate without even saying 'thank you' or 'goodbye.'

At least he got her cookies. He would surely love it the moment he tasted it. – A part of her mind soothed her.

Her heartbeat faster and harder this time.

She was just downhearted that she didn't even get to know his name. Well, she had a lot of time to talk to him. He was her nearest neighbor, anyway. She giggled just by thinking about it.

But before Leila could even took a step, she had heard the man talking to someone. And because she was such a nosy creature, she even moved closer to the closed gate – putting her ear on the metal to listen to their conversation more.

"Who was that?" A hoarse voice asked.

It was surely from someone older than her neighbor.

"I don't know. Some random people." Her neighbor replied.

Leila felt offended that he didn't even remember her name, but his next words made her blood boil.

"Just throw these cookies away. I don't like any of them." He ruthlessly commanded.

She gasped in horror and her eyes widened.

Her cookies!

"What kind of cookies? Maybe, I can taste it. Just give it to me." The man with the hoarse voice answered.

And their voices drifted out until she couldn't hear them anymore.

Leila's heart was undeniably beating so hard and fast, but it wasn't because of her fascination towards the man anymore.

It was because of pure annoyance and frustration. She wanted to talk to that rude man, but she wouldn't surely stoop that low just to prove her point.

That made her day turn sour, but she tried to compose herself as she gave her other cookies to her other neighbors to build a good impression on them – and possibly market her pastries. There was so much positive feedback, then, that they were asking for her contact number if they wanted to order something from her.

It turned out just great, yet the nearest one was just so rude, distant, and cold, which was certainly bugging her mind until she had already fallen asleep.

Little did she know, someone in the darkness of the woods was already spying on her every move.

The silhouette of the man lit his cigarette in the middle of darkness. He was watching her even before she arrived at the place.

"I've already waited long enough, my dear Leila." He maliciously uttered those words and wore an ominous smirk that could have sent shivers down anyone's spine.

With that, the man instantly walked away and vanished into the depths of darkness.

"What are you staring at?" Hunter was on his mansion's balcony, staring at that particular side of the forest, when his butler named Henry appeared at his side.

He didn't bother to look at him or even to answer his question. He was more curious – more so, bothered – about the man he had seen in the forest, staring at the bungalow house just beside his mansion.

Then, the smiling face of that loud and nosy lady appeared in his mind – making him frown.

Butler Henry, on the other hand, looked at him with amusement, for he rarely expressed his true emotions – not even in front of him.

He instantly wore his blank and stoic face as he turned away and marched towards his room.

Whoever it was, he didn't care.

What bothered him more was the woman that really irritates the hell out of him.

Chapter 3

Curiosity

***

It was a busy day for Leila. She had received so many texts about ordering cupcakes and cookies. It made her so busy that she almost forgot about what happened to her yesterday.

Well, almost, but not quite, for the moment she went to her gate, and she had seen the massive mansion just beside her house – everything just popped into her head like a fleeting mockery to her.

She pouted and let out a deep sigh before shrugging her shoulders. Maybe, she wouldn't ever forget how he treated her cookies!

She'd made sure to avenge her poor cookies when the time came!

She chuckled at her own joke and slightly shook her head. She wasn't that morbid, though. Maybe, she'll just put some stimulant laxatives in his food – nothing more.

Leila bit her lower lip as her mind drifted towards the man who had occupied her mind the entire night. She let out a frustrated sigh before driving towards the arc where her customers were waiting for her pastries and cupcakes.

"You're such a talented young woman, Leila. Josefa and Emilio would be so proud if she's still here with us." An old woman tenderly told her as she smiled at her.

Leila reciprocated it with a sweet smile.

"That was so kind of you, Mrs. Gomez. Thank you." She softly replied.

If her grandparents were still alive, they may have looked like the old woman in front of her. She just missed them so much.

"By the way, I just want you to be careful. You're living alone and your nearest neighbor was just so snobby and mysterious. Be careful, okay?" Mrs. Gomez worriedly reminded her.

"No worries, Mrs. Gomez. I have my baseball bat with me." She jokingly stated as she pointed her bat at the back of her bicycle.

The old kind woman giggled at her funny remarks.

"By any means, do you know who the man living in that mansion is?" She curiously asked.

Mrs. Gomez' forehead creased as she tried to remember something.

"Well, I heard his name was Hunter Black and he was just living with his butler named Henry. They were just so aloof that not anyone in this village had always seen them. Anyway, what I know of was they just moved in recently. They didn't attend to any of the invites that we sent them, so..." Mrs. Gomez shrugged her shoulders.

"They were just so distant and mysterious." She simply added.

Leila just nodded her head. So, the gorgeous rude man's name was Hunter Black. It suited him well. She bit her lower lip as she remembered how stunningly handsome, he was – if not for his rude behavior.

She instantly thanked Mrs. Gomez and went home. She needed to clean up her mess. She was her last customer for the day. She was so glad, though. She had four of them, which was very satisfied with her pastries. They even told her that they'd recommend her to their relatives.

"Oh, wait, I still have my carrot cake." She, then, remembered and immediately went to her fridge after cleaning up the mess in her kitchen.

Her perfectly baked six-round carrot cake was standing proudly there. And she thought of a bright idea. She immediately placed the cake into a box. She would try to talk to her rude neighbor once again.

Well, she was certainly too persistent that way.

Though she wasn't that heartless, she didn't put any type of laxative in her cake. She mentally chuckled.

She pressed the doorbell once again, but no one went out. She's been pressing it thrice, but to no avail.

"What kind of mansion is this? Was no one around?" She suddenly thought as she tried to push the gate, and to her surprise, it was open.

Leila shrugged her shoulders and peeked into the gate.

"Hello?" She softly whispered.

She saw a vast lawn with various plants around it. The brightly colored flowers were blooming attractively, and their fragrance filled her nose. She was undeniably awed!

Leila was just so amazed and curious that she walked towards the stone pathway that led towards the mansion. She was just right. It was so beautiful, and the design of the mansion was just so intricate and stunning.

She swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to grasp the magnificence in front of her. Not until she had heard a loud eerie scream coming from the second floor of the house. She gasped in horror.

A loud painful cry resonated in the entire mansion once again and it made her more worried and scared at the same time.

Did someone need help? – She mentally thought as she felt doubtful whether to go up or just walk away.

She went there unannounced anyway.

Leila was so agitated until a loud painful groan echoed throughout the entire mansion once again.

With that, she slowly walked towards the grand staircase.

Her heart was pounding so loud because of mixed nervousness and concern.

She heard a hurtful panting followed by a loud crashing sound and then a painful growl.

Leila swallowed the lump in her throat as she found a huge wooden door where the noise was coming from. She held her breath as she held the doorknob – when someone had grabbed her hand.

She flinched and almost screamed out loud if the man didn't cover her mouth.

"Who are you?"

His voice was hoarse – full of unsaid accusation and coldness.

It was an old man wearing a black waistcoat over his white long sleeves and tie paired with black trousers and black shiny shoes.

A typical uniform for a butler.

He must be Henry!

Leila was staring at him with her eyes widened.

He was maybe in his mid-fifties, yet still muscular at his age. His gray eyes were like piercing the hell out of her.

She bit her lower lip and played with her fingers, the moment he removed his hand in front of her mouth.

"Uh..." Leila couldn't find the right words to say.

Her eyes widened when she heard the loud screams once again. She stared at the closed door and then at the butler standing in front of her. She saw a bit of concern that flashed in his eyes but immediately changed into coldness – as if she was just hallucinating.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The man strictly interrogated her.

Leila cleared her throat.

"Uh, I'm Leila. I live in a bungalow house just beside the mansion. I met Hunter yesterday and I just wanted to give you this – only to find out that the gate wasn't closed. I heard loud screams that led me here. Your Butler Henry, right?" She swiftly said those words without a pause – as if some horses were tailing her.

She took a deep breath right after.

The man held the box that she gave and nodded his head.

"Yes. I'm Henry and I think you need to go now, Miss Leila. Master Hunter didn't want any visitors in the meantime. He was resting." His hoarse voice sent shivers down her spine.

She looked away because of the embarrassment she felt.

Butler Henry led her downstairs. He was just a few inches taller than her – for she had just reached his shoulders.

"Uh, what is h-happening inside? Is someone hurt?" She nosily asked while slowly following him.

The butler's forehead creased and let out a deep sigh.

"Master Hunter likes to watch suspense and thriller movies. His room wasn't soundproof yet." Butler Henry simply replied.

Leila just felt her entire face turn bright red because of the pure humiliation she felt. The loud screams were just the sound effects of what Hunter was watching?!

What the heck was she thinking anyway?

She harshly bit her lower lip as they reached the gate.

And before she even took a step out, she gathered all her strength to face the butler.

"Uh, sorry for barging in." She sincerely apologized.

The butler just nodded his head, and she immediately went out of the gate.

Leila slightly knocked her head twice for the embarrassment she felt.

"So much for being so nosy, Leila." She lowly whispered and marched towards her house.

On Hunter's mansion, Butler Henry heaved a deep sigh before proceeding urgently towards the second floor, where the woman named Leila almost caught Hunter's shifting.

He immediately opened the huge wooden door and found Hunter lying naked on the cold floor. He instantly went near him and covered him with a huge blanket.

"I smell someone entered in my territory." Hunter seriously commented while gritting his teeth.

Butler Henry's eyes widened.

He wanted to hide Miss Leila's trespassing escapades, but Hunter had advanced senses – even more advanced than their Alpha Hudson, his father, had.

Butler Henry cleared his throat.

"Our neighbor went inside the mansion." He plainly stated.

With that, he saw how his deep ocean blue eyes darkened – because of fury.