Jack's POV
I sat in an old wooden chair beside the bed as I read a book and watched over as Ark slept.
After everything that happened earlier, I wasn't about to leave him alone.
His breathing had steadied since the encounter with Rook, but his face was still tense, so I had summoned Lavender earlier to ease his sleep, if only slightly.
The others wanted to stay with us, but I had them leave and go on their quests.
Five people watching over Ark was a bit much, so I had them go... plus, me and Ark had to talk about more private things that they shouldn't hear just yet.
I put the book down and looked out the window at the bustling city and the sun shining down.
I listened to the faint sounds: the chatter of merchants, the occasional clang of metal from a blacksmith's forge, and the distant laughter of adventurers.
It was so different compared to the silence in this room.
Then, Ark stirred.
His ears twitched first, his tail curling slightly before his eyes slowly opened, and I dismissed Lavender to let us be alone.
For a moment, he just blinked up at the ceiling, confused. He shifted slightly and looked around the room.
Then, his eyes landed on me.
He froze.
I could tell the moment he remembered everything that happened a few hours ago.
His body tensed, and his breathing grew unsteady. His ears flattened against his head as his eyes widened in panic.
Tears welled up almost instantly.
I gave a calm and relaxed smile but didn't move. I wanted to give him space, so instead, I spoke softly, keeping my voice calm.
"You're safe, Ark," I said.
He let out a quiet sob, and he curled himself up into a ball, but his shoulders were clearly shaking.
I stayed where I was, letting him cry without pressuring him. He needed this. After everything with Rook, after my reveal that I knew his secret—he had been holding too much in and needed more time to let it all out.
If he wanted someone to cry on, I was here, but I would only move if he showed he wanted it.
I didn't wait long, though, as I saw him shift slightly over and give me a hesitant look but quickly look away.
I didn't need much more than that. I got up and sat on the bed next to him. I didn't touch him, but if he needed a shoulder to cry on, I was here.
He took the hint and leaned over onto me.
I slowly reached my arm around him. Seeing him not flinch away, I hugged him tight and pulled him closer.
He reacted well and buried his head into my chest as he started to cry harder, letting more of the stress and worry he kept bottled up for so long pour out.
I felt his tail curl around my waist, trying to hold me tightly.
Minutes passed before his sobs finally began to fade.
He pulled back, realizing the position he was in.
He wiped at his face with his sleeve, his breathing still uneven, and mumbled, "…Sorry."
"You don't need to apologize," I assured him. "Crying isn't a weakness."
He didn't respond, but I could see the way his ears twitched slightly at my words. He was listening.
I waited a little longer before speaking again. "Can I ask you something?"
Ark hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"I understand hiding... what you are, away, but why did you react like that? It wasn't because of Rook, not entirely anyway," I said, looking for answers.
He flinched but slowly responded. "There aren't many of us... even with how they treated me, my father and siblings, even with how much I fear them, I always follow one rule they always drilled into me when I was little. 'To hide it away from everyone or else we would all die.'"
Angered, I thought to myself, 'Despicable. They did that to him when he was a child? No wonder he's terrified. If I ever meet them... No. It doesn't matter right now. Ark comes first... wait?'
I paused. "Why aren't there many of you? The Moonlit Path is the story of your creation, but that story is over 300 years old. That doesn't add up unless your Primogenitor held off on reproducing until recently."
He sniffled, his tail twitching behind him as he thought. "I… don't know all the details. But…" He hesitated, his expression uncertain. "…It's because there aren't many of us left."
I frowned. "How many?"
"…Twenty."
I stiffened slightly. That was an even lower number than I expected.
"You said 'left,'" I met his gaze. "What happened?"
Ark's ears drooped. He let out a shaky breath. "My grandfather… When he was young, he lived in a werewolf village. It had over three hundred werewolves."
'Had? Oh no...' I thought.
"…The village was destroyed," he continued, his voice quieter now. "He ran with the survivors. A few of them managed to escape and built a new village in Bestia. That's where I was raised." His fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. "We hide as wolf beastmen. Our appearances are close enough that no one questions it."
I nodded, taking in the weight of his words. It made sense now—why Ark could pass as a beast-man, why no one suspected the truth.
"I'm not going to expose your secret," I told him firmly. "Or put you in danger. I want to help you and, if possible, the others too."
Ark's eyes widened slightly. I could see the hesitation in them, but also something else—relief.
Slowly, he nodded. "…Okay."
He hugged me tighter, and I started to rub his head gently, and he seemed to like it.
"H-how do you know... about us? Was it what you talked about with Volt when we first met him?" Ark asked hesitantly.
i shook my head "no it wasn't that, Volt noticed... something else, but you don't worry about that" I said and leaned back.
I looked into his eyes and asked, "Do you remember yesterday when I said I had a contract where a spirit provided me with knowledge I shouldn't have?"
"Yeah... like the..." I paused, looked around, and whispered into my ear, "The Goddess of Magic?"
I smiled at his worry and said, "I put up a soundproof barrier, don't worry."
He relaxed slightly and nodded.
"Anyway, back to the main topic, my contract gives me knowledge. That's how I knew about the werewolves. But my knowledge isn't perfect. Some of it is fake, incomplete, or corrupted by misinformation from other sources. If you're alright, I'd like to ask you a few questions to clarify some things."
Ark hesitated again but eventually nodded. "I'll try to answer," he said, and I noticed his tail wagging slightly.
Smiling, I took a moment to organize my thoughts before speaking.
"Werewolves are shapeshifters by nature, correct? You have a humanoid appearance and a beast appearance?"
Ark nodded. "Yeah... we have some transformation powers."
I nodded. "Your true form, is it a large wolf form or a larger and more buff-looking wolf beastfolk form?"
Surprised by my knowledge, Ark hesitantly said, "It's both... some only have one or the other, but some can do both."
I smiled and asked, "Okay, and what about you?"
Ark hesitantly looked at me and looked away, not willing to answer.
*cough*
Realizing I asked a touchy subject, I coughed and asked something else. "What's your connection to the moon?"
"It makes us stronger. Our power increases when the full moon is out, and we weaken when there is no moon."
I nodded. That lined up with what I had figured.
"Are you able to control when you transform, and does your mind remain the same when you transform?"
"We can change whenever we choose... but what do you mean, our minds remain the same?" he asked, confused.
I paused and thought of how to explain it.
"I'm asking if it's still you when you transform, or if it's like you fall asleep and something else takes over your body until you change back... I know it's an odd question, but I had been told both, so I want to be sure."
Ark flinched and said, "I-... we remain ourselves when we transform..."
I sighed in relief.
Most myths in my old world painted werewolves as monsters when they transformed during the full moon. Hearing that wasn't the case was reassuring.
Though… his hesitation earlier made me suspect there were exceptions.
I decided not to push on that. Instead, I moved to the next question.
"Do werewolves have a weakness to silver or wolfsbane?"
Ark shook his head. "Silver? No. But wolfsbane…" He frowned. "It weakens us a lot, and just being near it can make us sick."
"Good to know," I said.
"Do werewolves follow the rule of the strongest in a pack?"
"Yes." Ark nodded slowly with some remorse. "The alpha is always the strongest. If someone challenges them and wins, they become the new alpha..." He lowered his head and quietly said, "...My father is the current alpha."
That lined up with what I expected.
I hesitated on the next question, as it could be the oddest one, but I needed to know.
"…Are werewolves able to turn humans into werewolves?"
Ark blinked in shock. "What? No!" He looked bewildered. "You can only be a werewolf if at least one of your parents is one."
I frowned. "So werewolves can only be born, not made?"
"Yeah," he said tilting his head.
Curious, I followed up. "Then… do werewolves have to marry other races to reproduce?"
Ark nodded shyly. "Y-yeah. Even if we have a child of another race, the child is always a werewolf. But our humanoid forms follow the same rules as beastmen."
That explains why Ark claims to be a wolf beastman.
"Thank you for telling me all of this," I said sincerely.
Ark looked down, ears twitching slightly. "yeah... it was nice to talk to someone about this..."
I smiled and moved closer and wrapped my other arm around him and gave him a tight hug.
Ark flinched, his entire body stiffening. His tail went rigid, and for a moment, I thought he might push me away. But then… I felt him relax. His muscles loosened, and his breathing steadied.
I could almost hear his heartbeat slowing down.
He didn't return the hug, but he didn't pull away either.
I saw his face and his relaxed expression but also also a look of contemplation hidden in his eyes. Ark was confused, he was questioning why he felt a certain way, why my presence calmed him.
He didn't realize it yet.
That was okay.
He would eventually, and I would be there with him when he was ready.