Chapter 1: Loyalty and Insult

When my childhood friend first awaken him werewolf side, na him boys call me make I come try calm am down, but my guy just talk say:

"I no wan let her get am too easy. We werewolves dey loyal pass anybody for love. The first person wey we mark, na only her we go dey with for life!"

Him voice get one stubborn pride, like person wey don already make up mind. Even the way he talk am, e get that Naija young guy swagger, as if he dey toast babe, but still dey guard himself like say na gold.

"If Kamsi show, even if she beg me, I go still bone—make she no think say I dey easy."

He talk am like Lagos boy wey dey flex for Lekki club, but heart dey shake small inside. Body tensed, but the small fear for him voice still dey leak out.

But he wait tire, I no show face!

As per Naija babe, I no too wan rush go dey expose myself when the person dey yarn dust. I just keep face, package myself, even though my mind dey run.

He no know say na him brother bodyguard dey disturb my phone:

"Aunty Kamsi, oga dey see you as him only babe o!"

The bodyguard voice get urgency, as if na matter of life and death. You know these house staff wey dey loyal die, if dem no carry out oga instruction, wahala fit burst.

"Abeg, fit come help us kiss am?"

The question come with small laughter for the background—boys dey always like wahala.

E come be say, five years ago, I fall for valley as we dey try oyinbo sport for Jos hills, but cold nearly finish me. I die. Na him brother, to save me, use werewolf mark divide half him lifespan give me, drag me come back from death!

The cold for that Jos valley that year, e no be here. E bite my skin like harmattan for December, valley quiet like graveyard, only wind dey whistle for my ear. Just imagine say your own soul dey waka far, then one strong hand drag you come back—if no be jazz, wetin be that?

For night, I hold him brother neck, dey beg am: "Brother Qing, abeg no dey form. Tell me true, how long you don dey like me for secret?"

My voice dey shake as I ask, my chest dey tight. This kind question, Naija babe no dey ask am anyhow, but when you don see death, shame no too dey matter again.