In my werejaguar tale, Destiny's Prerogative, I have it that the weres go through different changes as they mature. They are born human, age like a human. Then at thirteen they go through their first change of being able to shift.
Then later at thirty human years, their body goes through another change and they must find a mate. After the mating ritual, they age at a slower pace than a human.
Humans, who are changed, will shift once the DNA transfer is complete. At this point, they will also age at a slower pace than a human. They have one offspring at a time, though two can be a possibility.
I had the other were-creatures stay true to the characteristics of their animal. Jaguars love water, Cheetahs prefer to be alone (they do not run in packs), wolves mate for life, etc. You get the picture.
I intertwined my werejaguar tale with the legend of the Mayan Indians. The jaguar is a spirit guide and is able to travel in the astral plane of dreams and between life and death.
In my werewolf story- Moon Shifter, I took the legend of Ireland to be the basis of my pack, their history. I call them the Mac Tíre. They are very wolf-like in most aspects, but can blend with humans when they must. Multiple births are expected. For a human to be infected, they are bonded to the one who has made them, but they still have a choice to pick their life-mate. I also mentioned the Mac Tíre in Destiny’s Prerogative.
I figure I’ll keep the werewolves in my stories consistent. I’m working on a vampire tale and his good friend is one of the Mac Tíre.
