Chapter 1

A Chapter by Van Rogue

Valentine could tell that the diamond in Ms Patterson's ring was a fake. He wondered if she knew but bet she didn't. Ms Patterson was young and naïve, always believing in the best of people. It was because of that, that she was one of his favourite teachers. She was one of the few that didn't treat him like he had a highly contagious disease. Valentine was a snowy white weretiger with jet black strips. Therianthropy disease was very well known about. There were laws about discriminating against therianthropes but people still did it. Valentine knew it was because they were afraid. Normal humans were weak compared to therianthropes. But normal humans did have their silver daggers and bullets and other elements that worked against the therianthropes. Most people hid that they were therianthropes from their workplace due to the fear of being fired for it. But it was different for children with therianthropy, they couldn't hide it. Schools were required to know or the guardians of the child would be given a heavy fine. But schools had to allow the child to enrol or they might get sued.

"Valentine?"

Valentine turned his attention onto Ms Patterson, "Yes miss."

"Are you ok? Your hair is turning white."

Valentine sighed, "I'm fine."

"Perhaps you should go home Valentine."

"Yeah, send the beast home." One of the students called out. Valentine wasn't too sure who nor did he really care. He was use to it.

"I will not have name calling in my classroom Kane."

"I'll go home miss." He said as he stood up and starting packing away his stuff.

"I'm sorry Valentine." Ms Patterson apologised as Valentine was about to leave.

"It's not your fault that some people are just pathetic miss." Valentine said with a smile as he left. Valentine let out a sigh as he walked down the corridor to the front office. This was always happening when there was a full moon. His golden-blonde hair always turned snowy white. It also changed colour when he experience strong emotions such as anger. Valentine pulled out his iPhone and called up Neo.

"Valentine, why are you calling me during school hours?" Neo asked.

"And hello to you Neo. My hair has turned white again." Valentine said annoyed.

"I see. I'll be at the school in five minutes. Make sure you sign out."

"I will. Don't worry. I'll see you when you get here." Valentine hanged up and put his phone away.

"Valentine! What you doing out of class?"

Valentine groaned. He knew it was Friedrich, his godfather. Six years ago, Valentine's parents were murdered by a white weretiger. The weretiger has also attacked Valentine but failed to kill him. Instead, Valentine's weretiger genes he inherited from his father were tainted and he became a white tiger once a month. If it hadn't been for the attack, Valentine would still be human. Sons of weretiger and werefoxes inherited the therianthropy. It was unsure why only tiger and fox strains were hereditary. They were also the rarest strains to get.

"Valentine!" Friedrich sounded angry, like how a parent would if they caught their child wagging. Valentine finally stopped and turned to face his godfather.

"Hey dad, I was heading to the office." Valentine answered with a weak smile. Even though Friedrich wasn't his actual father, he was the closest Valentine had for the past six years and Valentine had fallen into the habit of calling Friedrich dad.

"Because of this?" Friedrich tugged lightly on Valentine's now snowy white hair.

"Of course." Valentine slapped Friedrich's hand away.

"Perhaps you should consider putting a dye through your hair. It might stop this." Friedrich suggested.

"I rather not. Dye smells revolting and it lingered for ages."

"Alright. Where are you planning to turn tonight?" Friedrich asked.

"I haven't really thought about it." Valentine replied, "I guess I'll go to Deemer's lakeside house."

"You're actually going to see Deemer at your own free will." Friedrich joked. Deemer was Valentine's older brother and his only remaining relative that he knew about. They didn't exactly get along. Deemer was disobedient, slept with every attractive woman he could, stole cars and raced them. And Valentine always bailed him out of jail. Despite all that, Valentine still loved Deemer. He was still his brother and the only family he had. He was also one of Valentine's bodyguards.

"Might as well make sure he's keeping out of trouble."

"Valentine, Deemer is not your responsibility. If anything, you're his responsibility. You should quit bailing him out." Friedrich said.

"I guess. I better get to the office and sign out. Neo's picking me up and he should be here soon."

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Be careful tonight."

"I will. See ya later." Valentine turned and headed to the office.

Neo was waiting across the road when Valentine left the office. He was leaning against his blood orange Ford Falcon BA XR8 with an unlit smoke in his month. Valentine frowned at this, Neo never really smoked but it was common to see him with an unlit cigarette in his month. Valentine guessed that it relaxed Neo somehow.

Neo Millstein was Valentine's other bodyguard. Valentine was the leader of the largest mix therianthrope clan in Australia, the Sang clan which was why he had two bodyguards. The Sang clan had migrated from France a few centuries ago and were the reason the town Hazelton existed. Valentine was the youngest Leader the clan had ever had. He had been leader for the pass four years, getting to his position with the help of Neo and Deemer as well as a few other followers.

"Afternoon, Valentine. Where to?" Neo asked as Valentine approached him.

"The Lakeside house." Valentine replied. Neo raised an eyebrow, "Deemer's house? Sure."

Neo pulled the unlit cigarette out of his mouth and got into the car. Valentine threw his school bag into the boot and hopped into the passenger seat. Valentine watched houses go by silently as Neo drove. He was very annoyed with his hair changing colour and he was starting to consider dying it just so he wouldn't be sent home. Not that it mattered really, despite all the missed classes he was a straight A student.

"How's school?" Neo asked, breaking the silence.

"It's boring. And I wish I could half the students apart." Valentine replied as he looked around at Neo.

"You shouldn't talk like that Valentine. You'll get in trouble. Though I can't say I didn't feel the same way. I hated school, would always wag with my little brother. We would hang out at the park and forget everything."

"Will you ever return home Neo and visit your family there?" Valentine asked curiously.

"Why would I ever return to that hellhole?" Neo said darkly. Valentine frowned at Neo and remained silent. He still didn't know much about Neo's childhood but he figured that Neo had been abused. When Neo had first arrived at the house, Valentine was young, around 7 but he could still remember the filthy, underweight teenage weretiger. At first Neo had been a little aggressive but Valentine's father managed to get him under control. When Neo eventually calm down, he became like a brother to Valentine. At the time, Deemer was in Juvenile Hall for breaking and entering and beating a man to near death so Valentine was lonely and glad to have Neo as company. Neo was always happy when he was with Valentine but the happiness disappeared when Neo witnessed Valentine's parents be murdered. Neo became depressed and was put on medication to help cope with it.

"Neo, what did your parents do to you?" Valentine asked, breaking his silence. Neo didn't answer at first; he just kept his eyes on the road but he eventually let out a sigh, "Valentine, I really rather not remember my childhood. I just want to forget."

"I understand Neo. I won't say anymore."

Neo smiled, "Thank you."

Valentine smiled back before looking out the window again. Before long, the houses disappeared and there were only trees.

"We're here." Neo said. Valentine looked at Neo before looking out the windscreen at Deemer's lakeside house. Neo parked in the driveway behind a motorbike that Valentine guessed was Crevan's. Valentine got out of the car and walked up to the front door while Neo followed behind him. Valentine let himself in, using the key that Deemer kept under the mat. The house had almost no furniture, pretty much there was only a futon, a recliner and a 52 inch TV in the lounge room and a fridge in the kitchen. Deemer never bothered buying furniture for the rest of the house except for a king-size bed in the bedroom. He only stayed at the Lakeside house when he had a date or got into a fight with Friedrich or Valentine.

Valentine found Deemer curled up on the futon, fast asleep and Crevan was sitting in the recliner watching TV. He looked over at Valentine and Neo as they walking into the lounge room.

"Afternoon young leader, Neo." Crevan said with a smile.

"Heya Crevan." Neo said as he dropped down on the futon at Deemer's feet, waking Deemer suddenly.

"What the…" He said startled.

"Sorry Deems." Neo said with a chuckle. Deemer glared at him before noticing Valentine.

"Little bro. What are you doing here?" He asked as he sat up.

"I'm planning to turn here tonight." Valentine replied as he sat beside Deemer.

"Really? Surprised to see you after our fight yesterday."

Valentine shrugged, "Yesterday's fight was over nothing important. No point dwelling on it still."

"Always the sensible one, aren't you? Little brother." Deemer said with a sneer.

"One of us has to be." Valentine smirked.

"Enough you two. You're acting like children and it's really irritating." Crevan said with a sigh.

"Whatever," Deemer got up from the futon, "I'm going to finish my nap in my room," Deemer grabbed his pillow and headed upstairs, "Wake me in an hour Crevan." He called out.

"Will do." Crevan called back.

Valentine let out a small sigh and began questioning why he decided to come here.

"Don't let Deemer get to you Valentine," Crevan said, "He's just been in a funny mood lately."

"Deemer is always in a funny mood." Neo commented.

"He never used to be." Valentine said quietly.

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