Werewolf Physiology
Mercy Thompson Series
Moon Called
Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called
have a distinctive musk-and-mint scent03
some people will tell you that werewolves can only shapechange under a full moon04
werewolves, even in human form, do have the strength they're credited with in the old movies09
a werewolf won't freeze to death sleeping outside, however bad the weather11
werewolves can take as much as fifteen minutes to shift shape—and shifting is painful for them12
werewolves aren't the most friendly animals anyway, but if they've just shifted, it's a good policy to leave them alone for a while13
most of them felt that becoming short-tempered and occasionally furry was a small price to pay for extraordinary strength, speed, and senses—not to mention the fringe benefits of a body immune to disease and old age24
there are no drugs that work on werewolves24
werewolves, fully changed, weigh upward of two hundred and fifty pounds27
werewolves heal too fast27
drugs don't work on werewolves; their metabolism is too high34
super strength; super healing40
werewolves usually have markings that are more doglike than wolflike47
for all their size werewolves still resemble their gracile cousin the timber wolf more than the mastiff or Saint Bernard who are closer to their weight61
when weres run, they move with a deadly, silent grace; they aren't really built for running, they are built for fighting61
werewolves are tough65
werewolves heal incredibly fast86
werewolves needed a lot of food92
werewolves are very densely muscled; they tend to have a difficult time swimming even if they want to, because, like chimpanzees, they have too much muscle and not enough fat to float96
are very good at sensing arousal; not just smells, but elevated temperature and increased heart rate129
arousal in werewolves tends to bring out the fighting instinct in all nearby males129
a lot of werewolves can smell a lie142
cells repaired themselves and removed damage of age, disease and experience168
werewolves can run faster than greyhounds178
werewolves' front legs are built more like a bear's or a lion's than a timber wolf's198
werewolves use their claws to rip and tear flesh198
the average life span of a werewolf from his first Change until his death is ten years; most werewolves died in dominance fights with other wolves201
because of their high metabolisms, werewolves usually feel warmer to the touch250
Blood Bound
Mercy Thompson Series #2: Blood Bound
servant of the moons phases02
when werewolves finally admitted what they were, the scientists immediately started looking for a virus or bacteria that could cause the Change03
cannot be mistaken for wolves; much bigger and a lot scarier02
have strength; semi-retractable claws and inch long fangs15
werewolves can be very long-live creatures23
werewolves don't like the heat237
heal fast, but their bones still break and a punch still hurts94
werewolves aren't immortal, just immune to age; time is their enemy anyway; after so long, nothing matters anymore and death looks better than living another day108
even werewolves need sleep114
werewolves heal incredibly fast; they are strong, graceful; never grow old131
a werewolf's shoulder is articulated more like a tiger or bear than a wolf, giving them lateral motion and the ability to use their impressive claws132
with some of the bigger males, the effect can be almost grotesque132
when they move they look gracile and strong, just not entirely canid132
a wounded werewolf is dangerous, the wolf nature superceding the human control—and a werewolf is a very nasty creature212
werewolves heal very fast once they're able to change241
Iron Kissed
Mercy Thompson Series #3: Iron Kissed
werewolves are tough03
make having a private conversation difficult05
can smell a lie at a hundred yards11
most werewolves are attractive; it goes with the permanently young-and-muscled look41
werewolves like things a little cooler98
are fast112
never seen a werewolf that was out of shape or fat; the wolf is too restless for that157
can jump down entire staircases207
werewolves can't swim; they have too little fat; they're too dense to float209
werewolves can take a lot of damage212
werewolves can't talk in their wolf shape213
werewolves in their wolf form, are not always angry—just as a grizzly bear is not always angry; it only seems like it214
don't die of old age221
Bone Crossed
Mercy Thompson Series #4: Bone Crossed
supernatural strength13
werewolves have very good hearing30
werewolves don't die of old age the way humans do, it can kill them just as effectively37
most werewolves carry dark glasses or wear hats that can shadow their eyes55
werewolves don't like the heat237
Silver Borne
Mercy Thompson Series #5: Silver Borne
they have a distinctive odor11
most werewolves are attractive regardless of bone structure; perfect health, permanent youth, and lots of muscle are a pretty surefire formula for good looks11
werewolves take a lot of food to keep themselves fueled up25
a werewolf pack can feed off any of its members, borrowing energy39
they can't swim; their bodies are too dense50
werewolves all have different relations with their wolves139
think of werewolves as conjoined twins; some are quite separate, barely sharing anything at all with their wolves; just two entities under the same skin—they all start out this way139
when their human side is able to take control, wolf and man work out a balance; just as their human soul loses part of what it was to be human, the wolf loses part of what it means to be wolf139
werewolves tend to lose their human halves when badly injured, but they can be recalled to themselves by a mate or by a more dominant wolf168
no painkillers work on werewolves for long170
werewolves deal with germs better than people do175
nifty werewolf superpowers of healing183
werewolves are pretty immune to the cold184
werewolves, even the same werewolf, will heal wounds at different rates depending upon a number of things230
medicine among werewolves is, in many ways, much simpler—if more brutal—than for humans242
River Marked
Mercy Thompson Series #6: River Marked
werewolves can't swim; their muscle mass is too dense to be buoyant, so they sink to the bottom like anchors47
werewolves are seldom out of shape48
werewolves are quick; not cheetah fast, but faster than timber wolves or dogs48
werewolves don't age at all73
infection wasn't a concern with werewolves178
medical procedures you have to work quickly on a werewolf; they heal pretty fast181
werewolf teeth are sharp enough to make an impression206
a werewolf can stay wolf for a while; a couple of days, no trouble; a few weeks, not so good, but most of them will be okay afterwards261
months were possible—one or two; after that, he would be all wolf with no human261
smoothly muscled280
werewolves are tough309
being a werewolf halts and reverses the aging process42
Frost Burned
Mercy Thompson Series #7: Frost Burned
muscle-bound werewolf11
always thought that werewolves were invulnerable to drugs; SDK Cocktail: Silver Nitrate, DMSO, Ketamine20
most of the wolves that got hit with stuff were fine; but new werewolves are more vulnerable20
able to boost their metabolism20
baring the threat of infection, which isn't an issue for werewolves34
a werewolf's scent changes when they are in human form, becomes diluted78
hard to land quietly on a hard surface with werewolf-sized claws81
unless you are a werewolf, bare feet can't do much damage82
smelled of musk and mint that said werewolf104
werewolves never died of old age because they didn't age106
werewolves are different when they are in their wolf shape, less human and less caught up in human manners132
conservation of matter is a funny concept when expressed by a werewolf; who knows better that magic makes science blink than a 170-pound man who turns into a 250-pound werewolf</sup>
older werewolves didn't make a lot of noise when they ran226
the colder the better for a werewolf239
even in human form, werewolves have strong jaw muscles243
werewolves are good runners, but even a werewolf can run only so fast in their human form257
werewolf fangs are more impressive than vampire fangs310
werewolf claws are a good weapon319
Night Broken
Mercy Thompson Series #8: Night Broken
too much testosterone07
werewolves don't age physically88
werewolves smell like musk and mint124
can smell emotion, can smell when something is off124
werewolves have retractable claws that don't dig into the dirt unless they are running—almost like a cougars's128
a lot faster than any human158
werewolves don't have extra fat on their bodies; they burn calories in the change from human to wolf and back, and they burn calories moving because a werewolf doesn't have the proper temperament to be a couch potato176
werewolves were edgy around moon time; edgier290
Fire Touched
Mercy Thompson Series #9: Fire Touched
don't lie to a werewolf; they can tell05
werewolves were two-hundred pounds of fang and claw who mostly healed nearly as quickly as they could be hurt21
werewolf jaws do fine with rending and ripping37
werewolf claws are like those of a grizzly58
werewolves heal fast, which was good up to a point—but if a bone wasn't set correctly, it would heal just as it was; then it would need to be rebroken82
are not fragile creatures264
werewolf shoulders are built more like those of a bear or a cat; it meant that they were excellent climbers316
magic resides in werewolves; it produces their condition but the werewolves themselves could produce and use magic336
Silence Fallen
Mercy Thompson Series #10: Silence Fallen
werewolves bounce back from a little thing like a car wreck a lot faster than humans15
distinctive musky mint scent57
had huge claws that give them traction like the bigs catd do60
dual-natured210
werewolf blood was enticing and addictive to vampires26
alcohol would give a werewolf a momentary jolt, then the effects dissipated171
even a werewolf could get drunk by drinking Everclear, the 190-proof version, fast enough171
vampire bites heal as slowly on a werewolf as any wound on a mortal288
Storm Cursed
Smoke Bitten
Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten
werewolves, all of them, are hard-muscled because the wolf is a restless creature116
werewolves don't float—they sink; too much muscle, not enough fat; or maybe it was something about the way their magic worked163
werewolves have lots and lots of big sharp teeth228
werewolves couldn't talk in their wolf form228
werewolves don't feel the cold as much272
they need fuel for shapeshifting272
Alpha & Omega Series
Alpha & Omega Novella
Alpha & Omega Series #0.5: Alpha & Omega Novella
being a werewolf gives you greater strength and endurance173
werewolves shouldn't let themselves get so thin—it could be dangerous to those around them185
you have to eat more as a werewolf to maintain your weight210
Cry Wolf
Alpha & Omega Series #1: Cry Wolf
giving first aid to werewolves was fraught with danger; pain could make a wolf lose control30
best not to startle a wounded werewolf; even one in human form34
never seen a feverish werewolf34
werewolves seldom scar on the outside118
werewolves whose human and wolf were almost entirely separate—usually didn't survive long; either they attacked someone older and stronger than they or they were killed because they had no control over the wolf131
werewolves are very fast184
cold doesn't bother werewolves261
Hunting Ground
Alpha & Omega Series #2: Hunting Ground
senses, werewolf sharp; werewolf reflexes01
some werewolves talk as if they and the wolves they shared their skins with were one; some werewolves had nothing wolfish about them, even in wolf form, than a nasty temper and a need to kill things that ran from them46
to function, most werewolves have to make their wolf obedient if not completely subservient; after a while, the wolf spirit is reduced to a part of the man's spirit; an unthinking, violent part full of instincts and desires but no true thoughts61
werewolves are denser than humans106
injured werewolves, when not attended by more dominant wolves, tended to be violent237
Fair Game
Alpha & Omega Series #3: Fair Game
werewolves were, as a whole, young, healthy, and muscled118
werewolves can be whatever color154
werewolves could control themselves when they ran as wolves—though they tended to be hot-tempered228
all werewolves had to change during the full moon, but most of them could change whenever they wished it228
mostly werewolves were immune to drugs and alcohol; their metabolism just ran through it too fast239
drugs might not work right on werewolves, but enough drugs could knock her out for a few minutes264
Dead Heat
Alpha & Omega Series #4: Dead Heat
werewolf DNA is just like human DNA; you can't tell the difference unless the sample is taken when in werewolf form—then it's different06
there's no way to use a blood test to see if someone is a werewolf or not06
a werewolf didn't mind the cold32
werewolves have two natures; the human part and the wolf part60
the wolf isn't like a real wolf—it's a lot more angry than that60
being a werewolf is not a panacea to death80
well-fed werewolves are easier to deal with than hungry ones140
werewolves could live forever, but on average lived far shorter lives than their human originally could have expected to142
it wasn't healthy for a werewolf to stay in wolf form for very long204
werewolf bodies were not exactly designed to climb ladders233
Burn Bright
Alpha & Omega Series #5: Burn Bright
there wasn't a werewolf on the planet fast enough to dodge a bullet55
werewolves can climb trees; like a grizzly, they could climb as far up as a tree would hold them64
werewolves were tough but not indestructible69
werewolves could probably stroll around carrying a VW Bug from the bumpers and not show much strain112
werewolves smell of musk and mint152
all the werewolves had a bit of multiple personality disorder—the human half and the wolf half sometimes existed in a state of conflict177
a werewolf doesn't need to worry about poison216
hunger tended to destabilize even the most controlled werewolf254
it was usual for an out-of-control werewolf to eat his victims254
wrestling with werewolves was complicated by the fact that weight didn't hold a werewolf unless his opponent was the size of an elephant, maybe; joint locks still worked though261
Wild Sign
Alpha & Omega Series #6: Wild Sign
hyperfit look most of the werewolves acquired03
werewolves can live a long time08
werewolves can smell lies26
werewolves are immortal33
even a werewolf had limits234
werewolf endurance and speed272
werewolves couldn't swim314
Mercyverse Short Fiction
The Star of David
Roses in Winter
Mercyverse Short Fiction: Roses in Winter
werewolves have very good reflexes284
no one could afford to have a werewolves who couldn't be trusted287
werewolves were not hounds, they did not need to make noise when they hunted295
can't be killed by a little cold300
Werewolves & Fertility
Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called
Mercy Thompson Series #2: Blood Bound
female werewolves can't have children; their pregnancies spontaneously abort during the moon's change47
human women can have children with werewolves, but they can only carry to term the babies who have only human DNA47
Mercy Thompson Series #3: Iron Kissed
women don't survive the Change as well as the men for some reason; the women who do cannot bear children95
they're fertile enough, but the monthly change at the full moon is too violent and they abort any pregnancies when they shift from human to werewolf95
werewolves can mate with humans; but they have a terribly high miscarriage rate and higher than usual infant mortality96
the only children who survive are completely human96
Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten
male werewolves could father children; but female werewolves could not carry them108
the moon's call ensured that all werewolves had to change108
the change from human to wolf is violent, too violent for a fetus to survive the first trimester108
surrogate; maybe someone who wanted to become a werewolf109
if there is a reproductive specialist willing to work with werewolves; there would be a long line of werewolves who want children109
Alpha & Omega Series #0.5: Alpha & Omega Novella
Alpha & Omega Series #3: Fair Game
Alpha & Omega Series #4: Dead Heat
werewolf DNA is just like human DNA; there's no way to tell if an embryo is human, genetically, or werewolf06
there's no way to tell which embryo is werewolf, human, or some combination of the two, there's still a good chance of spontaneous abortion, the same problem human mates of werewolves have07
the issue of what happens to a human woman who carries a werewolf baby for nine months; will she become a werewolf07
werewolves should consider a surrogate who wants to be a werewolf07
it would eliminate problems if such a pregnancy does make her Change, if the child is a werewolf instead of human07
no one knows if carrying a werewolf baby and giving birth would infect the mother; or if so, when07
Blue Jay Woman
Blue Jay Woman
Moon Called
Iron Kissed
she was from a family that was gifted with magic native to this land and not Europe as most of our magic-using humans have96
she was able to hold off the change every month until Charles' birth; weakened by her efforts, she died96
Alpha & Omega Novella
her father was a person of magic and he helped her when she told him that she needed to stay human until Charles was born191
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she grew weaker and weaker; she was killing herself191
she held out until Charles' birth; weakened by the magic of fighting the moon's call, she did not survive it192
Dead Heat
werewolves weren't genetic; Blue Jay Woman was a Flathead, one of the Salish tribes, a wisewoman with magic of her own60
werewolf woman can't have babies, but she did anyway60
The Effects of Silver
Chat Transcripts
Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called
dart of experimental drugs; combined silver nitrate with DMSO and Ketamine114
Ketamine has been used as a recreational drug but started out as an animal tranquilizer114
Silver Nitrate is used to develop film; a convenient way to get silver in a solution114
DMSO—Dimeythyl Sulfoxide can carry other drugs with it across membranes114
take DMSO and mix it with a silver nitrate; the silver is carried through the werewolf's body, poisoning as it goes so that the Ketamine goes to work without interference from the werewolf metabolism that would normally prevent the drug from having any effect at all115
some werewolves were more sensitive to it than others253
prolonged exposure to silver increases sensitivity258
silver ammo makes wounds that don't heal fast; there is a chance of bleeding out259
Mercy Thompson Series #5: Silver Borne
silver is harder than lead, and the bullets sometimes blow right through and leave the wolf sick, in pain, and alive50
silver shot works a little better, but unless rigged just right, it can take a long time to die50
Mercy Thompson Series #6: River Marked
Mercy Thompson Series #7: Frost Burned
painful; silver hits werewolves like that21
werewolves and silver do not mix131
their body rejects silver133
Alpha & Omega Series #1: Cry Wolf
Alpha & Omega Series #5: Burn Bright
silver didn't mushroom like lead; it was too hard; silver bullets, then, were not as deadly to werewolves as legend would have it71
the wounds they made were more like the wounds from arrows than from lead bullets: a neat an tidy hole71
werewolves mostly healed human slowly from such wounds—but as long as the hole wasn't in the wrong place they survived71
the silver bullet that killed
Hester behaved more like a lead bullet than a silver one; it hadn't mushroomed exactly; instead it opened up like a flower with sharp-edged petals
71
Alpha & Omega Series #5: Wild Sign
How to Kill a Werewolf
Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called
werewolves are hard to kill29
shot in the back of the head from less than six feet away62
suicide is difficult for werewolves95
even silver bullets don't always defeat the wolf's ability to heal itself95
decapitation is effective95
drowning works very well; werewolves are very densely muscled; they have too much muscle and not enough fat to float95
massive allergic reaction to silver; combined silver nitrate with DMSO and Ketamine114
most wolves died in dominance fights with other wolves201
you have to take out the spinal column if you want to kill a werewolf without silver259
Mercy Thompson Series #5: Silver Borne
werewolves are too tough to die easily50
there aren't many ways for a werewolf to commit suicide50
self-decapitation just isn't all that easy50
silver bullets have some difficulties; silver is hard than lead, and the bullets sometimes blow right through and leave the wolf sick, in pain, and alive50
silver shot works better, but unless rigged just right, it can take a long time to die50
the most popular choice is death by werewolf50
drowning is the next popular choice; werewolves can't swim; their bodies are too dense; even a werewolf needs to breathe50
most werewolves die before they have spent a decade as a wolf; fight for dominance235
Mercy Thompson Series #9: Fire Touched
Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten
Mercyverse Short Fiction: Silver
The Change & Shifting
Chat Transcripts
Mercy Thompson Series #1: Moon Called
werewolves can take as much as fifteen minutes to shift shape13
the most prevalent of the cautionary tales werewolves tell each other is what happens the first time a werewolf changes if he doesn't know what he is20
any person bitten by a werewolf doesn't turn into another werewolf; it takes an attack so vicious that the victim lies near death to allow the magic of the wolf to slip past the body's immune system21
in the US, most werewolves are brought over by friends or family21
there are occasional attacks by rogue werewolves; it is one of the duties of a pack to kill rogues and find their victims21
no drug in the world that would undo the Change24
few werewolves considered their state a curse after the first few months24
the change is not easy or painless at the best of times, and it was worse without the aid of the moon's call46
some werewolves can change relatively quickly with practice46
shifting is not easy or painless at the best of times, and it was worse without the aid of the moon's call46
sometimes the shift helps werewolves heal faster; usually the shift from human to wolf but the other way works as well95
most people don't survive the Change if they're already too sick104
usually when a wolf lives through the Change but doesn't survive his first year, it is because the human cannot control the instincts of the wolf110
Mercy Thompson Series #2: Blood Bound
when werewolves finally admitted what they were, the scientists immediately started looking for a virus or bacteria that could cause the Change03
Johns Hopkins had a whole team devoted to the issue03
werewolves are made, not born; to become a werewolf, you need to survive an attack so vicious that you nearly die—which allows the werewolf's magic to defeat your immune system47
females don't survive the Change as well as males124</sup
* it's not that easy to become a werewolf; you have to be nearly killed<sup>214
Mercy Thompson Series #3: Iron Kissed
the change is very painful, especially if they wait too long to change at a full moon and the moon pulls the change from them17
werewolves, with one exception, are made, not born95
a human who wants to change must be savaged so badly that he either dies or becomes a werewolf and is saved by the rapid healing that is necessary to surviving as a hot-tempered monster among other such beasts95
the change is a slow process and it hurts; if they are tearing up clothing as they change, it just hurts that much worse; makes them grumpier than usual—so mostly they take their clothes off first208
Mercy Thompson Series #5: Silver Borne
most werewolves have all the change they can deal with the first time they become wolf; other kinds of change are tough on them25
for a werewolf the change is slow and painful57
werewolves whose wolf had superseded the man often occurs with the newly Changed wolves; they are vicious, unpredictable, and dangerous even to the people they love65
Mercy Thompson Series #6: River Marked
Bran Cornick requested the wolves refrain from changing where others could see; the werewolves were beautiful—but the change is horrific
234
werewolves are moon called; they have to change during the full moon, and it is harder for them to control the wolf during that time234
a lot of werewolves only shift during the full moon—two or three days a month235
the shift is painful and takes a lot of energy235
shifting more than a couple of times a week was beyond a lot of wolves' abilities235
Mercy Thompson Series #7: Frost Burned
Mercy Thompson Series #9: Fire Touched
most werewolves take a while to change—ten minutes or even fifteen or twenty32
its freaky looking32
it's hard for a werewolf no to change when something's trying to kill them32
a werewolf in midchange isn't helpless, just not as good in a fight because he's distracted; not a likely to be able to control himself33
werewolves had to strip to change307
werewolves in the middle of shifting could and did protect themselves, but they couldn't do it well until they were fully in either form307
Mercy Thompson Series #11: Storm Cursed
Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten
Alpha & Omega Series #0.5: Alpha & Omega Novella
there are rules31
first is that no person may be changed against their will31
second is that no person may be Changed until they have been counseled and passed a simple test to demonstrate that they understand what that Change means31
a werewolf took a lot longer than five minutes to change back to human form188
Alpha & Omega Series #1: Cry Wolf
something horrible about seeing someone's arms and legs twist and bend—and there was that stomach-churning part in the middle where there was neither fur nor skin to cover the muscle and bone26
usually when a wolf Changed someone, it was drawn back to the new werewolf for a while; some genetic imperative to make sure that an untaught, uncontrolled werewolf wasn't going to draw too much unwanted attention201
Mercyverse Short Fiction: Silver
Mercyverse Short Fiction: Seeing Eye
Mercyverse Short Fiction: The Star of David
shivery, icy pain slid over his bones while fire threaded through his muscles, reshaping, reorganizing, and altering what was there to suit itself258
experience kept him from making noise—it was one of the first things he learned: how to control his instincts and keep the howls, the growls, and the whines inside and bury them in silence; noise can attract unwanted attention259
his lungs labored to provide oxygen as adrenaline forced his heart to beat too fast259
his face ached as teeth became fangs and his jaw extended with cheekbones259
his eyesight blurred and then sharpened with a predatory clarity that allowed him to see prey and enemy alike no matter what shadows they tried to hide in259
Mercyverse Short Fiction: Roses in Winter
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-
the inductees—the Marrok's word for the humans who wanted to become werewolves, filled the Marrok's home to bursting283
the wolves and, in some cases, the human relatives who had come to support the inductees, took over the small hotel in town283
the Marrok required anyone who wanted to be Changed to come two weeks beforehand; he told them it was so he cold make sure they knew what they were getting into283
it also gave him one last chance to talk them out of it283
the Marrok's rules about Changing had save countless lives—and probably the werewolves as a species—but it had not been without personal cost288
no child survived a werewolf attack to be Changed: exception
Kara Beckworth296
the Marrok built a pole barn about thirty years ago because he did not like Changing people in the school auditorium; too much blood and misery leaves a mark on a place301
Mercy Thompson Series #3:Iron Kissed
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like one of the between forms a werewolf takes on when he's changing255
more complete than that, as if the between form had become finished and useful255
covered from top to tail with black fur and his hands looked very functional—as did his teeth-laden mouth255
stood upright, but not like a man; his legs were caught halfway between human and wolf255
huge claws255
voice was guttural and oddly accented from speaking out of a mouth meant for howling rather than talking256
roared more like a bear than a wolf256
dropped to all fours and pulled the power of the pack to change; only took five minutes; either it was easier to change from a transitional stage, or the pack sped his way257
Mercy Thompson Series #11: Storm Cursed
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his body caught halfway back to human; stuck in a bizarre mismatch of human an wolf limbs and features that looked incredibly painful and completely unsustainable112
caught-between-change shape of his mouth; words mangled112
couldn't change his whole body quickly enough for his purposes; just changed what he needed117
-
Mercy Thompson Series #12: Smoke Bitten
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his face a nightmare version of a werewolf's face228
massive lower jaw was undershot and more like a bulldog's than a wolf'; but it was wider than the upper jaw, too; the whole muzzle was too long for the width of his face228
teeth would have done credit to a T.rex; they were black228
his eyes were entirely human228
Alpha & Omega Series #3: Fair Game