Chapter Text
It began with the murder of a man named Miguel Garcia.
Miguel wasn’t someone who was politically important - nor was he someone with any sort of mass influence. He was just a forty nine year old man from Texas. A single father who’d spent more than half of his life travelling just to keep his daughter safe.
A daughter he hadn’t even planned on raising alone in the first place.
In February of 1995, Miguel had been approached by a woman named Victoria, with a rather interesting proposition. To assist her in ‘creating’ a strong hybrid.
Victoria thought herself a genius. A scientist who would make incredible discoveries for creatures similar to them and their species. She was a vampire, and he was a werewolf. In Victoria’s mind, a child with both bloodlines intermixed in their blood was a golden opportunity. This vampire was determined, and had done more research on who she was to bed with, than the species she hoped to create. If she’d done further research into hybrids, and actually pursued older texts, she’d have learned her experiment was not the first of its kind. But she’d spent more time looking for someone suitable to father the child. Miguel was the perfect opportunity.
Miguel’s father had come from a strong bloodline of alphas- and though Miguel had chosen to not follow pack life ( instead pursuing a more solo modern approach ) - the blood would still run through his veins. There wasn’t much that was special about alphas. Other than that they were typically larger wolves, with stronger grasps on their abilities, but it was a safer bet for a successful experiment.
She promised, and even offered Miguel a contract to state that she would not force him to be involved in the child’s life. She wanted full control over her experiment, and allowing such unnecessary drama into the equation would surely tamper with the results. But Miguel simply stated he’d ‘see where things went’ after the hybrid was born, and decide then if he wanted to stick around. He worried about what sort of motherly methods Victoria would have up her sleeve, and felt an obligation to the new life they’d be bringing into the world.
Luna Garcia was born December 5th of 1995. Luna hadn’t been Miguel’s first choice for a name, but Victoria had insisted they choose one they wouldn’t get attached to. Still- even with Victoria’s protests, Miguel still gave his daughter the middle name Isabella in honor of his mother. Silly little connections that Victoria deemed unnecessary.
From the beginning it was clear that Luna had not turned out the way Victoria had imagined. She was a grotesque little thing, who’s infant body did not resemble a human's as much as it should have. It was as if she still couldn’t quite decide her own form.
“Perhaps it’s the werewolf blood,” Victoria had suggested one day, watching her child hobble around on her trembling legs, “The need to shift, but not being old enough to do so.”
“Maybe,” Miguel reluctantly agreed, “But even werewolf babies don’t struggle with their forms this much. This is not a werewolf transformation. Do you vampires have alternate forms?”
“Purebloods,” Victoria had sighed, “But I supposed that’s my flaw. I was turned into one. Not born as one. A shame, really.”
She’d watched as Miguel would go to the young creature, trying to better help her walk. They had originally thought that the hobble was just the natural hobble of an infant- but as Luna kept growing, and the hobble stuck around, it became all too clear that wasn’t the case. There was something structurally wrong with her bones. It was a painful situation too- because Luna spent much of her time crying. Too much pain for a creature as herself to take. Crying and crying- screaming when left alone.
Victoria was thankful Miguel had stuck around - because while he took care of the little monster, she could focus more on her research. Only looking into the hybrids some more once she grew annoyed with Luna’s worsening health.
She was disappointed to learn she was not the first to see what would happen, and even more disappointed when she learned that Luna would most likely die at a young age anyway. Every case ever recorded said the same thing. Unless they could figure out shifting early on enough- there would be fatal trouble down the road. Most hybrids like Luna had horrible bone structure that made it incredibly difficult for them to walk, let alone function.
It wasn’t as if Victoria had grown attached to the little thing anyway. She’d barely touched Luna unless it was to take samples of her blood, and her daughter had grown to heavily dislike her own mother. Even at the ripe age of two, Luna could give the most haunting glares to Victoria when she’d enter a room, as if knowing deep down why she existed. As if she knew that she was considered a failure by her own mother - before she’d even been given a real chance at life.
Perhaps that’s why it was so easy for Victoria to make an attempt on Luna’s life.
The hybrid hadn’t even turned three yet, and already she’d faced her first near death experience.
“I wonder what the best way would be to preserve your body,” Victoria had told her, “I suppose if I choke you to death- oh but there’s the risk of bruising.” She spoke so nonchalantly in front of Luna, who only stared back at her in silence. Her eyes never left Victoria, not even as her father slowly snuck into the room. She was so focused on the woman plotting her death.
“Victoria…”
Miguel had finally spoken up, his claws protruding from his fingers. Shaking- trembling. He was trembling with absolute rage, “Victoria what are you telling her? Why would you say that?’
“Oh calm down,” she responded, not even giving him her full attention, “It’s not like she can understand me. I don’t think she’s ever spoken a word.”
“She speaks all the time,” Miguel muttered, slowly moving between Victoria and Luna, reaching to pick up the hybrid from the chair she’d been sitting in, “Vic- What about your experiment?”
It was the only way he really knew how to talk to her.
Treating his daughter, his own flesh and blood, like nothing.
“The experiment's off, Miguel.”
“What? Why?”
“You know why. It won’t WORK. If I was pure-blooded, maybe she’d have a chance. You read the same reports I did. She’s going to die anyway. At least let me make it quick.”
Victoria reached out to grab Luna, but the hybrid struck out, claws swinging as she tore into the flesh of her mother’s arm. Victoria yelled out in pain, giving Miguel enough time to grab Luna and make a run for it. He could still hear Victoria yelling as he fled, and though he hoped he’d never encounter her again, he did on occasion.
As Luna grew up, Miguel found out that Victoria had indeed kept tabs on them, even while they were on the run. He’d told her to stop- to just leave them alone. But she said Luna had been her idea, so she had a right to know the results of the experiment.
It was as if she forgot the ‘experiment’ was a living, and breathing person.
Most of the time though, Miguel and his daughter were completely on their own. Sure there were a few slip ups here and there- mostly during her childhood years, but otherwise they maintained a ‘mostly’ clean record.
There hadn’t been too many hiccups with Luna’s development - and only one more near death experience. The hybrid had gotten extremely sick around the age of ten, just before she hit puberty. There were nights where Miguel had been preparing himself for a cold empty room- but thankfully, that never happened. She’d always be there, wheezing softly under her blanket, trying to quiet her crying.
She got better as she got older, and wiser with the more she watched the world around her. Luna had developed a fascination with how things worked at such a young age. There was a why for every situation, and a question for every ‘no’. Why couldn’t she go to school with the other kids? Why wouldn’t mommy just leave them alone? Why did she hurt so much?
The bone structure issue hadn’t gotten too much worse, and she’d of course learned how to maintain a proper form as time went on, but it still gave her plenty of pain. Stormy nights, long winters - both put Luna through extensive amounts of agony.
Miguel had grown more curious of the world as well- and even more curious about what sort of creature his daughter was. Like for example. When they hunted. Miguel could live off of prey like deer or even a rabbit or two if he was lucky. Rabbits were…significantly smaller, but a treat nonetheless. However- Luna couldn’t just live off of deer like Miguel. Nor could she eat ‘human’ food in amounts that he could. She needed fresh meat.
She needed human meat.
At first Miguel figured they could kill one human, and use the meat over a period of time. Granted they kept it frozen. But Luna had apparently gotten a very unfortunate vampire trait. She could not consume the blood of someone who was dead. She needed to eat from someone who was alive. At least this was only necessary once a month. A human- or two as she got older- would be just enough to give her energy for the next month.
Luna hadn’t been screwed over too badly with the traits she’d gained. Though she couldn’t eat dead humans- nor could she escape the wrath of a silver bullet, she could at least go out in the sun without worrying she’d turn to dust. The full moon still boosted her strength and abilities, and her wolf form had proven itself to be much stronger than her ancestors. A massive beast, she towered over most in her secondary form- her coat practically identical to her grandfather’s.
It was bittersweet in Miguel’s eyes.
Though Luna would never be able to meet her grandfather, there was still some part of him within her. And…it was a pleasant thought.
All in all, the life of the Garcia’s had been rather peaceful. A father and his daughter, always travelling, always learning.
But we know it didn’t last forever.
After all.
This whole story began with the announcement of his death.
It was early March in 2021, and Luna had plotted their next hunting trip. Hunting down in Colorado was her preference - but . . . as the day of the hunt drew closer, Luna began to get an extremely worried feeling in her gut. She couldn’t quite explain it- but it was as if she were scared. She thought maybe it was because of the blizzard hitting the part of the state they’d be in but her and her father had never had issues with storms before.
“Relax, mija,” her father had told her, “You’ll spoil your dinner with an attitude like that.”
“But I’m serious,” Luna had protested, “I can’t explain it- but I feel like something really bad is going to happen.” She’d looked over at her father, hoping to perhaps guilt him into turning the truck around. But he only shot her a quick side glance and a toothy grin, “Tell you what. If I feel like we’re in danger, I’ll call it off. But as of right now, our only concern is getting onto that side road. Considering I can barely see the damn street as it is- I am sure it’ll only be worse once we’re off it.”
Maybe he’s right.
Luna decided to ignore the fear she felt, and trust that her dad knew what he was doing. Besides, she needed to help keep an eye on the storm outside and look for approaching cars. Unlike most of the humans on the streets right now, her and her father could see a little better in this snow.
Her father had been right about the dirt road being even harder to drive on. The truck bumped its way down the old roads, upsetting the hybrid’s stomach even more so as it did. Just pretending her fear didn’t exist was not helping. If anything, she was more conscious about it than ever. Trying to figure out why she felt so upset. What was so wrong about today?
“Oh!”
The vehicle came to a halt, jolting Luna out of her thoughts. She looked to her father as he unbuckled, feeling a bit more comfortable now that the truck had stopped.
“Come on, Luna. You’ll feel better with some fresh air.”
“Freezing fresh air, mind you.”
The wind howled around them, snow coming down so hard and so thick that it was becoming harder and harder to see through. It was becoming almost too cold for them to deal with- as Miguel notably began to tug his jacket tighter around him.
“I told you, you shouldn’t have worn it.”
“I like to look stylish.”
“Just because it’s leather, doesn’t mean it’s stylish.”
Miguel faked a gasp, “I cannot believe my ears! Wearing leather just proves I have an incredible sense of fashion! And leather in this sort of weather? I guess it makes me pretty…cool~”
He finger gunned at her, prompting a loud groan of annoyance from Luna, “Daaaad, that wasn’t funny.” It was as if she gave him the perfect prompt, as he laughed and retorted with, “Oh no need to be so cold! Get it?! COLD.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe I’m related to you.”
Miguel just laughed, leading the way into the storm. Towards the cabin where the three human hunters would be. Where they should have been.
As they grew closer however, and Miguel got a better look at the place, he found himself growing confused, “Ah- Luna? Didn’t you say they were coming up to this place?”
“They shoulda been, why?”
She followed his gaze to the cabin that was very clearly falling apart. It looked abandoned.
“I-I don’t understand,” she stepped forward, that sinking feeling returning to her chest, “I don’t….Maybe we were given false information?”
“You talked to Daniel, right?”
“Yes sir. He said there was a hunting party comin up here this weekend.”
Miguel looked around, as if trying to find something- or rather someone, “Luna…When did you start having that bad feeling of yours?”
Luna had desperately wanted her dad to side with her when she said she’d gotten a bad feeling, but now that he was, she realized it wasn’t exactly making her feel better. Acknowledgement that something was wrong had only made this worse.
“After I spoke with Daniel about the location.”
“...On the phone?”
“No. Through text.”
Miguel found what he was looking for.
“Okay,” he responded softly, “It’s okay. We’ll be okay.”
“Dad?”
B A N G
She couldn’t move.
She could only stare as her father clutched at his chest, stumbling back. His body- just beginning to contort to shift before bullets rained down upon them, piercing him over and over again.
I’m dreaming.
It’s a nightmare.
I’ll wake up.
Another bullet flew by, skimming her cheek, finally prompting her to take action. Anger flooded through her body as she shifted into her wolf form, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she rushed their attackers. Hunters hiding in trees, five of them by the looks of it. Clearly caught off guard by the goliath of a werewolf that was suddenly fighting back against them. Each of them were armed with blessed weapons and silver bullets, but the hybrid was just too fast for them to keep up.
They weren’t high enough in the trees, and she began to pluck them out one by one with her bare teeth, ripping each one to shreds before going after the next. Her body burned all over from the assault of silver bullets, but she couldn’t just stop. Not now. Not when her father’s body was already growing cold on the forest floor.
His expression was stuck in her mind.
That fearful expression.
He wasn’t supposed to be scared. He was supposed to be brave.
Luna dragged the last screaming human to the ground, this time silencing him by tearing his head clean off his throat. Her stomach was full- practically begging her to stop with the consumption, but he was her last course of the meal. As soon as he was down, she shifted back to her human form, slipping and falling to the ground in pain. Her skin felt as if she’d been lit on fire.
As if her flesh was melting off her bones.
Still she crawled- practically dragging herself through the snow to get to her father. He lay motionless in the snow, his body soaked in his own blood. A horrified cry ripped out of her as she saw that he’d been shot straight through his skull.
I WANT TO WAKE UP.
She clutched at his jacket, sobbing and begging him to stay. To not leave her. But there was no response other than the cold screams of the blizzard.
As much as it pained her to bury her father in the same place he’d died, this forest was one they’d frequented many times in their past hunts. Besides, it wasn't as if she could take him to a funeral home. He wasn’t human. She wasn’t human. How would she explain his partially shifted body, his fangs, his ears…even his eyes. She didn’t want his body to become a new toy for humans to learn about. She just wanted him to be able to rest in peace.
At least it was easier to dig a grave with such a large wolf form such as hers. A horrible, pitiful thought, but one that brought the slightest comfort to her as she dug out his new resting place. Carefully removing his jacket before lowering him into his grave, and shifting only once more to move the dirt and snow into place. And then it was done.
This area was not commonly visited by humans.
She could tell that much.
Even with her sense of smell as impaired as it was.
It was difficult to tell when the sun began to set, but eventually she made her way back to the truck, sliding into the driver’s seat with her father’s jacket still clutched tight in her hands. She looked down at it, wondering how she’d fix the bullet holes and the blood stains. Hell- she was already beginning to wonder why she’d grabbed it in the first place. Perhaps it was just instinctual. A favorite jacket- one too big for her. Maybe because it would still have his scent on it even when she made it back home. He had other clothes too. No. She didn’t have a reason for grabbing it, but she wasn’t about to leave it behind either. Ah- it had the keys to the truck in the front left pocket.
Luna started up the truck, leaving the jacket in her lap as she began to drive back up the old road, her mind straying further and further from her current task. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do. Going home seemed like the best idea, and yes that’s where she would go now, but she didn’t want to stay there. She didn’t want to be alone.
However, she no longer had a choice.