The Slaughter
an excerpt

The remote had fallen from her hand as she stared at the TV in utter shock. The rest of the family sat likewise in a stunned silence, all eyes riveted to the screen where The Alpha stood calmly at the front of a stage that had moments ago been housing a political debate between presidential candidates.

"What is he doing?" One of her brothers breathed out, and was quickly hushed by everyone as The Alpha began to speak.

"We no longer wish to live in secrecy. I have come to show you that some stories are true." With that short declaration, his body began to shift and contort. The family's soft cries of horror were echoed by those spilling through the debate audience. His limbs were contorting, soft pops and cracks sounding out as the bones and joints realigned themselves. His clothing was torn and falling away in tatters. Black fur sprouted out through his skin, like a video of grass growing played in fast forward. Soon he was covered in it. His face was elongated into a snout and his eyes glowed a brilliant yellow.

He was a wolf. Only a moment passed by before there was a sudden movement from the side of the stage and a gunshot rang out. Blood blossomed from The Alpha's ribcage, and he gave a wet cough before collapsing to the wood planks. The dark red liquid quickly puddled around him as he gave a last shuddering breath and grew still. The bodyguard that was the source of the shot was falling to his knees, shuddering and covering his eyes with his hands, the gun still clutched in one. He had obviously reacted out of fear, as any of the werewolves would have predicted -- except for The Alpha, it seemed.

The resulting pandemonium was the audience screaming, shoving at one another as they desperately attempted to escape the room. Their writhing bodies rose and covered the sight of The Alpha, enough to break their locked stares from the TV screen.

"How could he?" Their mother and alpha, MoonBones cried out with outrage heavy in her tone. Nightfall knew they all felt much the same. No one was horrified over his death. He would've been put to death by the werewolves themselves if he had lived through revealing their secret. It was perhaps the most important rule amongst them, and now it was ruined.