Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! nor its characters. I also do not profit from this work of fiction.
A/N: I meant to publish this right after I put it up on ao3, but I never got around to it. I eventually forgot.
Summary: Out for food, and soon running for his life, Atemu needs to find shelter quick. Life as a werewolf is spent on the lam, and tonight is no different. Atemu will need to fight to get out of this alive.
Warning: Language, Mild Torture, Blood, Violence
The Things You Couldn't Say
Getting shot sure hurt like a motherfucker.
At least that was Atemu's opinion on a particularly humid night. He was out in the woods, a preserve by a small town that barely had its own city hall, the closest hospital a hundred miles away. Atemu was hunting for a meal past midnight when most humans were asleep in their beds. He stood the least chance of running into them, except for the dumbass teenagers that thought it fun to get lost in a forest. Daring, reckless, and often inebriated, the teenagers trampled around the woods and Atemu could always hear them coming, laughing as they bumbled around in the underbrush with only the light of their phones to guide them. Atemu tended to stay clear, lest they go too far in to get out safely. In which case, Atemu wholeheartedly helped them by scaring the living hell out of them, herding the kids out of the woods with threatening growls and barks that took years off their lives. As it was, there were no children out as Atemu hunted that night.
The greyish-beige tinge of his fur coat was not excellent camouflage in the black around him, but his paws on the forest floor were silent as he stalked a brown hare out past its bedtime. He would have gone to the store for food, but the Change had come early that month and he would be unable to shop for five days, three if he was lucky. He had no thumbs and working a debit card with his fangs was not something he would like to try a second time. Disregarding the fact that teeth marks would ruin the strip of code on his new card, humans did not take kindly to dangerous wolves waltzing into their stores with or without money. Moreover, the hunting helped his restlessness, keeping him calm and clear. So Atemu was hunting, sniffing the air and keeping downwind from his prey.
He was close. Only a few more steps and he could pounce on his dinner. The stream nearby did well in helping his stealth, covering the sound of leaves he rustled with its rushing, watery song. However, as Atemu snuck closer, he heard the unmistakable sound of a safety switch being flicked off. It echoed in his large ears, a grim realization that dropped into his stomach like a heavy stone. He and the hare were not alone. In that second, Atemu stilled, eyes searching for the source, and in the next, a loud crack ripped through the silence and tore through the muscle of his shoulder. The bullet lodged inside him and Atemu yelped in pain, angrily jerking to the side. He turned away from the direction the bullet had come in and took off running. Despite his pain, the adrenaline rushed through him and Atemu knew he had to get away.
An injured wolf that fought was a dead wolf, and Atemu was not stupid enough to engage the assholes that had shot him. So he ran for his hideout, a den at the side of a rocky hill he had scoped out before he changed. But as he entered the area, Atemu skidded to a stop and darted into a bush when he smelled them.
Hunters.
Two of them, he could hear them lying in wait. His den had been compromised. Thinking quickly, Atemu slowly backed out of the bush. With his injury, he would not be able to outrun the hunters for long. Running around the woods would not help him. So if he could not hide in the woods, he would hide in town. Turning tail, Atemu took off in the other direction, veering away when he was about to stumble into a hunter's path. He ran towards the edge of the tree line where the road to town began, listening to the pounding footsteps all around him as the hunters gave chase. The bad thing about getting shot? It made Atemu a hell of a lot slower and the hunters were fully taking advantage of that. They were closing in on either side of him, keeping on his tail and crashing through the forest after him. He could hear them communicating, but not their words as the blood was heavily pounding in his ears. Fortunately, Atemu was able to outpace them enough to reach the edge first.
Running out into the road, Atemu headed into the dark outer streets of the town. However, they were waiting, two motorcycles revving to life as they followed. He darted into alleys, panting heavily as he tried to lose them. The strain was hurting his shoulder, blood oozing out of him in a steady gush as he trudged on. He was growing rapidly tired, his legs weakening, but the hunters were relentless. They dogged him, cutting off his escapes as though they could read his panicked mind. So when Atemu finally caught a break and arrived at an empty plaza, he halted, sitting and leaning heavily against a wall for support as he panted. The stores around him were dark, long since closed, and the hunters were nowhere to be seen. In his pause, his pain grew, leg throbbing. He felt lightheaded, exhausted, and the edges of his vision were definitely going dark.
Atemu was scared. It was becoming more likely by the second that he would not survive this. As he glanced around for a place to hide, he spotted the sign almost immediately. A veterinarian's clinic. The lights were off, but Atemu stood on shaky legs and limped towards it anyway, his head buzzing and his body about to collapse. Weakly, he pawed at the door with his injured leg, scratching with his claws and whimpering, desperate for a miracle. He could hear a motorcycle coming, the growl of its engine growing louder with every second.
Atemu had reached the end of the line. There was no way he could continue to run. He had lost too much blood already and his legs were beginning to feel numb. He doubted he could even fight. By this time tomorrow, Atemu was sure his body would be stuffed and placed like a trophy in someone's home.
But then a light poured through the gaps in the blinds of the glass door and overhead, illuminating his surroundings. Heart skipping a beat, Atemu dared look as the blinds parted and two wide plum-colored eyes looked down at him in shock.
"A dog?" the man said disbelievingly. He opened the door then, blinking. "Not a dog," he said, "a coyote?"
He was Japanese, short with dark violet curls, and pale skin. He wore grey slacks and a maroon button-up with a white doctor's coat over it. In his entire life, Atemu had never been more thankful to see a vet.
"You're not a coyote," the man said suddenly, before he noticed Atemu's wound and gasped, "oh, my god."
Atemu could only whine pitifully in reply.
"It's okay," said the man, slowly lowering himself to look Atemu in the eyes, "it's okay." He reached out a hand, letting Atemu snuffle his nose against it before he let it rest gently in the fur of his neck. "Where did you come from, little wolf?" he said before he patted Atemu's fur. "Good boy," he said, "come on. Come on." He beckoned, moving back and holding the door open, trying to get Atemu to enter.
And without hesitation, Atemu did. He would put his life in this stranger's hands. He would trust this man who looked too young to be a doctor and smelled like lavender and disinfectant. He had no choice after all. It was either this gentle-looking vet or the seven hunters trying to kill him. Promptly, Atemu limped inside and pressed his muzzle to the man's midsection, begging for help with a low whine.
"It's okay," the man whispered as he closed the door and locked it. "It's alright," he said as he placed a hand to Atemu's neck and slowly led him to an examination room. "Come with me," he egged on, "good boy. You're such a good boy."
In any other situation, the pet treatment would have earned the man a rather painful bite on the closest piece of skin Atemu could reach. But under the circumstances, Atemu doubted he could even make the lunge. However, he was grateful for the encouragement as it kept him awake long enough to climb the stairs to the table before he finally passed out.
x x x
When Atemu awoke, he was aware of three things. The first that he was warm, without pain, the second that there was a hand on his neck, petting him in comfort, and the third that he could hear some terrifyingly familiar voices.
"He's definitely in there," hissed one voice and Atemu's eyes weakly opened. He struggled to raise his head and failed, unable to make his body move as he wanted it to. His limbs refused to cooperate with what he was telling them to do. They simply twitched, waving sluggishly, and the cold feeling of his shoulder told him he had been shaved there as well. Belatedly, Atemu realized he had been drugged.
"How do you know?" said another voice as Atemu tried to register his surroundings. His vision was blurred, but he could see enough to conclude that he was still in the examination room, lying on a metal table. There was a blanket over him, encasing him in warmth, but that was about all he could discern. A soft voice made sweet hushing sounds, the hand in his fur moving to rub at a spot behind Atemu's ear.
"Look," said the first voice, "blood. And it leads to the door."
"We've found him," said the second in sadistic glee, and Atemu closed his eyes, dizzy as a knock echoed through the clinic.
"Who's knocking at this hour?" said a voice, and Atemu opened his eyes to see the man with blonde bangs and violet hair come around from behind him. Turning to Atemu, he leaned in close and smiled gently. "Hey there," he whispered, "I'm so glad you're awake. I'll be right back, okay?"
Atemu whined feebly in protest and a soft hand carded through the fur of his neck in a sweet caress.
Don't, Atemu thought as the man pulled away, please. But the man could not hear his thoughts and he left without looking back. They'll kill me.
x x x
Approaching the front door, he yawned tiredly. Yuugi Mutou had spent the past several hours fixing up and watching over the creature that had appeared from nowhere. He could have called up his assistant for help, but as it was rather late, Yuugi had not wanted to dial and wake him. Yuugi could handle things on his own. Though, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep, he knew true rest would be impossible until the poor beast was out of danger. He did not know how his patient had arrived at his doorstep, but Yuugi knew that the appearance of the mysterious wolf could only be a sign that he was meant to help.
Yuugi was meant to save the wolf.
Although, it was a curious thing. To Yuugi's knowledge, there were no wolves in the woods, especially not this Arabian wolf that had no business being so incredibly far from home. In addition, Arabian wolves had naturally yellow eyes, but this wolf had violet-red ones, and Yuugi could not explain such a trait. It was all very strange, but Yuugi took it in stride. As soon as the poor thing was healed, he would contact wildlife preserves and find his little wolf a home.
Reaching the front door, Yuugi unlocked and opened it, surprised to see seven men standing outside. It was a small town, and he had never seen these men before in his life. They were dressed curiously, some in camouflage and a couple in leather. There was a badly parked, red Ford pick-up truck, a semi-decently parked black 1967 Mustang, and two black Ninja Kawasaki motorcycles next to it in the parking lot. They did not give Yuugi a good feeling, and the rifle he could spot sitting upright in the truck gave Yuugi a downright awful twist in his gut. Brow creasing in confusion, Yuugi cleared his throat and greeted them.
"Hello," he said nervously, "how may I help you?"
"Sorry to disturb you," said one wearing camouflage, an African American man of average height, clean-cut and friendly. His brow creased in worry as he said, "My name is Jackson, Hector Jackson. My associates and I have been tracking a very dangerous animal –"
"A wolf," Camo Two, short and buff, input.
"Sorta beige, looks almost like a coyote," said Camo Three, the tallest.
"Vicious," growled Camo Four, short and bow-legged.
"It killed our friend Nick," said Motorcycle Jacket, a twin of Motorcycle Jacket Two, and the other six nodded quickly.
"We managed to wound it," said Jackson, "but we lost track of it. You must understand, this is a highly dangerous animal. Have you seen it?"
But as they spoke, all Yuugi could think about was the wolf. It had wrenched at Yuugi's heart to see that pitiful violet-red gaze, the pain in its whimpers as its head hung low, and the tail tucked between its legs, begging for help. And as he thought of the majestic beast he had just saved, Yuugi grew angry. By the looks of things, there was no way these men were any sort of officials. Wary, Yuugi gripped the door, ready to slam it closed at any given moment. These strange men had shot the poor wolf and if it was really as vicious as they said, it would not have let Yuugi as close as it did. Aside from that, there was no evidence to indicate that the wolf had attacked anyone. By nature, wolves avoided humans, and the only blood Yuugi had found on it had been its own from the gunshot wound.
Gritting his teeth, Yuugi knew in his gut that they were lying, and he swore they would never get their hands on his wolf.
"I'm sorry," Yuugi said apologetically, "I haven't seen this vicious wolf." He shrugged, nonchalant. "I've been doing inventory all night," he said, "and haven't seen or heard anything unusual except for Hernando the Hamster getting out of his cage. I'm sorry I couldn't be any help to you gentlemen." Pausing, Yuugi narrowed his eyes on them. "Regardless," he said, "it is illegal to hunt anything in the preserve, you do know that, right?" Looking between them, he saw them stiffen, a couple clenching their fists. "I must ask you to stop or I will be forced to contact the authorities." And with that, Yuugi closed the door firmly on their livid faces.
Yuugi waited several seconds, bracing the door closed until he heard the engines turning over and starting before the sound of wheels peeling out of the parking lot shredded the quiet. Peering through the blinds, Yuugi watched as the seven rode away and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he locked the door securely and returned to the room he had left the wolf in. To Yuugi's great surprise, however, the wolf was not on the table where he had left it. Instead, the wolf was on the floor, flopping like a dying, drunk fish as it tried to worm its way to the door.
x x x
Atemu heard the gasp before he felt warm hands threading through his fur.
"Oh, my god, are you okay?" the man from before asked him, tenderly petting him as Atemu's rapid heartbeat calmed. He could not hear the hunters anymore. They had gone. Relaxing, Atemu released a sigh. He thought for sure the hunters had gotten him. Atemu had expected them to storm in and gut him where he lay. However, they had not and he was alive, sedated, but alive. A high whine left him in relief and Atemu let himself lie still, letting the man check him for ripped sutures. "Where do you think you're going?" the man reprimanded him.
Was trying to get the hell out of dodge, Atemu thought idly, and he faltered when the man embraced him.
"Oh, you silly beast," he said with a sigh, "please don't do this again or you'll rip your stitches." With a gentle touch to his muzzle, the man smiled tiredly at him. "My name is Yuugi, by the way," Yuugi said, "I'm your doctor and I'm going to take care of you. Don't worry. No one will hurt you here."
An earth-shattering relief spread through Atemu's body and he was grateful to Yuugi. "Safe" was a concept Atemu had little familiarity with. He had not been safe in what felt like almost two decades. Since his parents died when he was fifteen, Atemu had spent his life running. It was hard to be safe being what he was. "Safe" rarely came and Atemu treasured the few instances he could lay down and not have that dreadful twisting knot in his gut that made him sleep with one eye open for fear that they would come for him in his sleep. But at that moment, "safe" was with him, that young doctor holding him close. So for the first time in what seemed like years, Atemu breathed easy and closed his eyes, safe for a brief moment in his life.
x x x
The next time Atemu awoke, he was alone and lucid. His shoulder throbbed idly, a sign that the pain medication the doctor had given him was wearing off. As he glanced around, he noticed he was in a kennel, lying on a cot with a cozy blanket that smelled of lavender spread over him below his wound. Slowly, Atemu stood, hobbling his way to the gate and peering out either way. Straight across from him, was a Rottweiler, cowering in a corner of its cage. No doubt, it sensed Atemu was not what he appeared to be, and it rightfully feared him. In the cage next to the Rottweiler, was a group of Pomeranian dogs, growling lowly at him and baring their teeth. Atemu snuffled, amused despite himself. Small dogs were always a problem for him. With their Small Dog Syndrome, they lacked the capacity to understand that Atemu was a ferocious predator that could easily eat them.
Other than the Rottweiler and the group of Pomeranian dogs, Atemu was alone. Looking up at the gate, he huffed when he realized it was a simple latch keeping him in. Carefully, he moved onto his hind legs and braced his good leg on the gate. With the other, he carefully stuck his paw through and pressed down on the latch, his shoulder twinging in pain. The door unlocked with a clank and Atemu shoved it open, landing lightly on his good leg. The Pomeranian dogs only grew louder, a couple barking at him. In the next cage, even the Rottweiler growled lowly. Licking his chops, Atemu fiercely ignored his need to growl back, leaving the pen as he ventured down the hall to the door. This time, he was faced with a knob and Atemu stilled. Here, he would have some trouble.
Damn these useless paws, Atemu thought, I miss my thumbs.
But before he could even attempt to open it, the doorknob turned and the door swung open, almost smacking him in the face. He stumbled back, staring as a tall blonde froze in the doorway, a brown paper bag in hand, and wide brown eyes on Atemu.
"Oh, shit," he said and then he was running away. "Yuugi! It's out!"
Huffing a sigh, Atemu watched him run, bored as he began to make his way down the hall, past a couple of examination rooms before he was finally met with Yuugi's legs. He paused, looking up at Yuugi. The man who had saved his life looked shocked to see him.
"What?" Yuugi said, bewildered as he stared down at Atemu, "Did I not close the gate right? How did you get out?"
Intellect, Atemu answered silently.
"Yuugi!" shouted the blonde somewhere in the clinic.
"Hey there," Yuugi said with a smile, reaching out a hand for Atemu to sniff. His clothes smelled of food, and Atemu's stomach growled. He had not eaten yet. "You sound hungry," Yuugi chuckled and Atemu licked his hand in affirmative. He had planned on leaving. Now that hunters had found him, Atemu knew they would be back. They would not rest until they knew he was dead and stuffed, and Atemu refused to give them the chance. He would leave while he could, pack up his meager belongings back at the motel room and take off. Glancing behind the doctor, Atemu eyed the front door. It would be easy to get out. However, he still had a few days to go until his Change, and he was quite vulnerable in the state he was in now. This Yuugi person could offer him some protection, but Atemu needed to get going as soon as possible. "Want some food?" Yuugi asked kindly.
Instantly, he found himself changing his mind. If Yuugi was going to feed him, Atemu supposed he could stay for a while longer.
"Yuugi, get away from that thing!" cried the blonde from within an examination room.
"He's safe, Katsuya," Yuugi said as he kneeled and rubbed Atemu's ears, adding a cutesy, "aren't you, boy?" Unwillingly, Atemu let him. He would suffer through the pet treatment as long as he got food out of it. It helped that Yuugi really knew how to scratch an ear. "Don't worry, he's friendly."
"That's a wolf," Katsuya retorted and Yuugi sighed, shaking his head at Atemu.
"Katsuya's a little scared," Yuugi said, "don't mind him."
I wasn't going to, Atemu thought. He smelled peanuts then and he moved forward, pressing his nose to Yuugi's pocket. Yuugi had candy on him, a bar of caramel coated with peanuts if he was not mistaken. He could smell the meat the blonde had as well, but Atemu would much rather have that candy bar. Eagerly, he went for it and Yuugi chuckled, trying to shift away from his searching nose.
"Hey, what – no," Yuugi reprimanded, using his hands to cover his pocket, "that's definitely not for you."
Atemu tried his best pitiful whine, looking up at Yuugi pleadingly. As he had expected, Yuugi faltered, expression becoming conflicted.
"Don't look at me like that," Yuugi whined back at him, "I'm not going to give you my candy bar." Atemu licked Yuugi's hand then, whining one more time as Katsuya emerged from the room, eyes wary. "Seriously?" Yuugi said with a sigh, "Fine." With a grimace, Yuugi reached into his pocket and pulled the candy bar from within. Opening it, he broke off a miniscule, "could one really call that a bite" piece and held it out to Atemu. "Here you go, you cute little thing."
For his remark, while Atemu retrieved his prize, he bit at Yuugi's fingers lightly.
"Ow," Yuugi said, pulling his hand away. "Hey, watch those teeth."
Don't call me cute, Atemu retorted with a hefty huff.
x x x
The wolf was skittish, Yuugi soon found out. Whenever there was a sound too loud or unexpected movement, the Arabian wolf stiffened and growled, as though ready to fight. Concerned, Yuugi spent all of his time as near as possible, visiting the wolf constantly throughout the work day after he lured it back into the kennel with the meat his assistant had brought. Yuugi even went as far as sleeping on the couch in his office that night. He used his lunch break the next day to go home, shower, and change, before he was back and checking on the poor wolf. Something told Yuugi those seven men were not done, and he refused to leave the canine alone until Yuugi could take him to a proper home.
As it was, Yuugi had neglected to call the park rangers. He had decided on waiting until his wolf was completely healed for that.
That second day as he closed up, however, Yuugi paused as he made to shut the blinds. Looking out, his eyes widened as he registered a familiar motorcycle at the end of the lot. The driver had a helmet on, so Yuugi could not identify him by face, but the black leather jacket was more than familiar and Yuugi was certain that he was one of the seven men from the previous night. Immediately, Yuugi locked the door, closing the blinds there and the windows' next. He went to the alarm pad then, quickly setting it and sighing. He would not be going home that night either. As long as his wolf was in the clinic, Yuugi would stay by his side.
Suddenly nervous, Yuugi made his way to the kennel, needing to check on the wolf. When he got there, however, he stilled when he noticed the open gate to the wolf's pen. Heart skipping a beat, Yuugi rushed down to the door, looking in only to find it empty. Heart sinking in his chest, Yuugi ran out of the room and towards his office, intending to call the police. When he got there, however, he faltered when he saw the wolf eating his leftover chicken sandwich, the mini fridge open beside it. Hands on his hips, Yuugi sighed in relief and relaxed from his panic before he scowled in disapproval.
"Bad boy," Yuugi reprimanded, and the wolf looked up at him, snorting before it returned to eating Yuugi's food. "Seriously," Yuugi said, "how did you even – I was saving that for my dinner." With a desolate sigh, Yuugi carefully walked over and slowly shut the fridge so as to not startle it. "You're a very smart wolf," Yuugi commented, "how do you keep getting out? How did you even get in here for that matter? The door was closed … I'm pretty sure it was anyway." As soon as it finished eating, Yuugi extended a hand to pet the wolf, but was disappointed when it moved away from him. He instead picked up the shredded bag the sandwich had resided in, tossing it into the garbage can next to his desk. He was surprised the wolf had not eaten the plastic as well. Yuugi looked up just in time to see the wolf leap up onto the sofa and he instantly shook his head. "Oh, no you don't," he said, "bad wolf. You're going back to the kennel."
A sad whine answered him as the wolf made itself comfortable, and Yuugi raised a hand to rub at his tired face.
"C'mon," Yuugi begged, "don't do this to me. Wild wolves don't stay in the office. Wild wolves stay in the kennel." He dropped his arm only to see the wolf wagging its tail, ears perked up. "That's unfair," Yuugi sighed, "you can't be this adorable." Moving to stand outside the room, Yuugi called to the wolf. "Come here, boy, come here." He motioned to the wolf, but the wolf simply lay on the couch, turning its face away in disinterest. Frowning, Yuugi stared at it. He needed to get the wolf back in the kennel somehow. Thinking quickly, Yuugi held up a finger as an idea suddenly came to him. He went to his desk, opening the top drawer and reaching inside. As he grabbed the candy bar from the top, the plastic crinkled and he looked up at the wolf, noting the interested twitch of those large ears. Closing the drawer, Yuugi opened the candy bar, smiling as the wolf looked around, sniffing the air.
"Want some peanut-covered caramel?" Yuugi asked, slowly stepping towards the door. The wolf licked its chops, head lifting off its paws. Pulling off a piece, Yuugi laid it on the ground and moved back, satisfied when the wolf leapt down from the couch. It limped over to the piece, eagerly taking it and scarfing it down. When it finished, it lifted its head to Yuugi and Yuugi stepped back again, waving the bar before him. The wolf followed and Yuugi stepped out of the office, pulling off another piece as he went. He laid that one down as well, waiting for the wolf to come out and take it.
However, the wolf paused just inside, staring at Yuugi with narrowed violet-red eyes before it turned and made its way back to the couch. Carefully, it climbed up and laid itself out over the length of it, pointedly stretching itself out in a wriggle. Shoulders slumping, Yuugi groaned.
"C'mon," Yuugi begged, "please get out of my office. Where am I supposed to sleep?"
Sighing, Yuugi leaned against the wall, looking into his office as the wolf turned its head to look at him briefly before laboriously shifting to one end of the couch, glancing at Yuugi again and curling up. The message from the wolf was clear, and that in itself made Yuugi take pause, bafflement prickling at him. He wildly brushed his confusion aside as he thought of his current dilemma. If his wolf were a dog, Yuugi would not hesitate to let it sleep with him. However, the wolf was wild and Yuugi did not want to wake up with his face chewed off, no matter how domesticated this wolf seemed to be with its suspiciously clean fur and trimmed nails. It was still a wild animal and Yuugi could not let down his guard like he would with a pet. Sliding down the wall, Yuugi sat against it, forearms on his knees.
"Well," he said, "you ate my dinner, so I guess I'll have to order in." At that, the wolf looked at him, head tilting and ears twitching. Yuugi smiled at it. "Did you understand that?" he asked, "Think I'm going to give you any of what I order?" The wolf licked its chops, wagging its tail, and Yuugi scoffed. "No way," he said, "I'm not even supposed to give you candy. It's bad for you, and you're a wild animal. I can't go spoiling you." With a huff, the wolf looked away, and Yuugi got the very distinct impression that he had offended it.
x x x
A half an hour later when Atemu heard the car pull up in the parking lot, he raised his head, attentive as his ears twitched. At the desk, Yuugi looked up, glancing at him before looking at the door. He had moved there shortly after telling Atemu he would not share his food and made a call to the local pizzeria.
"Someone here?" Yuugi asked him and Atemu listened as a car door opened, and someone stepped out. The door closed and they walked, pausing again for a brief second before they continued to the front of the clinic. Atemu growled as a knock sounded on the door and Yuugi stood from the chair. "Is it those creeps?" Yuugi questioned, grabbing his phone from where it sat on the desk as he approached the door. Atemu watched him dial three emergency digits, his finger hovering over the call button as he left the office. Anxious, Atemu followed silently.
He went all the way up to the entrance, watching as Yuugi raised a hand and parted the blinds. A sigh of relief left him and Yuugi cleared the number on his phone, slipping it into his pocket as he made his way to the alarm and turned it off. He then went back and unlocked the door, about to open it when Atemu growled and Yuugi jumped in surprise, turning to him.
"It's just Haga, the pizza guy," Yuugi said nervously, and Atemu tilted his head, listening carefully as Yuugi opened the door. It was not just the pizza guy. He could hear a radio playing softly somewhere outside. Someone else was out there. He growled again as Yuugi opened the door, but Yuugi only sent him a slightly worried look before turning to his side, trying to keep Atemu within view and blocking the door as if to prevent him from getting out.
I'm not going to bite you or get out, Atemu thought, I'm trying to warn you.
Yuugi pulled out his wallet, greeting the pizza boy with a smile.
"Hey, Haga," Yuugi said.
"Hey, Yuugi, fifteen fifty-three?" questioned the teenager in the calamitous throes of puberty, and Yuugi nodded, passing over two tens.
"Got him, should I take the shot?" Atemu heard and his head darted up in alarm.
"Yes, thanks, Haga, please keep the change," Yuugi said and Haga smirked at him, though it did not seem malicious. The teenager simply had an unfortunate smile.
"Thanks, Yuugi," he replied as he made to hand over the boxes in his hands. Atemu growled a bark, trying to alert Yuugi while the teenager faltered, fumbling the boxes, and Yuugi looked at Atemu in alarm. "The hell is that?" the teenager said, panicked, and Yuugi quickly took the boxes from him.
"No," came the crackle over a radio, "no witnesses."
"Sorry, just a dog, see ya!" Yuugi said as he closed the door, locking it before he leaned against it. He stared at Atemu with wide eyes, the boxes held in front of him like a shield.
"Wolfie?" Yuugi said quietly, and Atemu looked at him, smelling the fear. Instantly, he sat, releasing the tension in his body as he ducked his head. Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief. "Cheese and a cracker, I thought you were going to eat me just now."
I don't eat bones, Atemu retorted silently, moving around Yuugi to the general direction he assumed the voice had come from. He growled another low bark and Yuugi frowned.
"What is it?" Yuugi asked and Atemu growled again.
Assume I'm trying to point out a threat, doctor, Atemu thought and Yuugi turned around, parting the blinds again.
"...There's someone out there," Yuugi murmured, "it's that truck again – those creeps. Is that what you're growling at?"
Good doctor, Atemu thought and barked an affirmative.
"Smart wolf," Yuugi commented as he locked the door securely. He made his way to the alarm pad next, turning it on before he cast a wary glance at the door and patted his leg. "Come on," he said, "let's go back to the office."
No need to tell me twice, Atemu thought as he pushed ahead of Yuugi, brushing by his legs and tail held high as he made his way back to the office.
"Wait," Yuugi said suddenly, pausing in the hallway, "dammit, I should have taken you to the kennel."
Too late, Atemu snorted with amusement, making himself comfortable on the couch once more. As Yuugi walked in, however, he fixed a gaze upon Atemu, lingering by the door with a confused crease in his brow. What? Atemu thought, but Yuugi continued to stare at him, brow furrowing further.
"Are you sure you're a wolf?" Yuugi asked suspiciously.
I never made such a remark, Atemu thought amusedly, tilting his head to the side.
"If I didn't know any better," Yuugi suddenly laughed, "I'd say you could understand me perfectly."
I can, Atemu thought, snorting again. He was amused for all of three seconds, when Yuugi suddenly smiled at him, and Atemu faltered in confusion. With a small laugh and a shake of his head, Yuugi went over to his desk and set down his boxes, turning to grin at Atemu.
"That would be nice," Yuugi said wistfully, "if you could understand me."
Please tell me you're not about to treat me like some type of confessional in a church, Atemu thought tiredly, knowing full well of the human tendency to treat animals like they owned psychology degrees. They thought pets were there to listen without judgment, witnessing humans drone on and on until they felt better. Disgruntled, Atemu laid his head down and turned away to discourage such an act, Dammit, Jim, I'm a werewolf, not a therapist.
"Then you could go back to the kennel where you belong," Yuugi said with annoyance and Atemu looked back at him, offended. "You look offended," Yuugi said narrowing his eyes at him, "is that because you're a secret wolfman and can understand me?" Yuugi waggled his eyebrows playfully before seating himself on his chair, sighing. He leaned forward on his elbow, placing his chin into his hand. "Now that would be cool," Yuugi said.
Someone give this doctor a prize, Atemu thought, impressed, if only you knew.
Yuugi hummed to himself, sighing as he opened the box of pizza, Atemu watching him closely. He had ordered a small size, skimping on the toppings and asking for a small order of wings as well. By the way Yuugi had greeted the man on the other end of the line and ordered in a breeze, Atemu could tell that this was not his first time doing so. He recalled the teenager. Yuugi had known him by name. Atemu wondered just how often this young doctor ordered from the pizza place, and if he spent many nights alone like this, eating at his desk in the quiet of the clinic with only animals to accompany him. He watched Yuugi take a slice of the pie, holding it up to his open mouth before their eyes met, and Yuugi blushed. He set down the pizza slice and sighed.
"I can't just eat in front of you," Yuugi said, pursing his lips. Opening his drawer, Yuugi pulled out a paper plate and opened the next box, taking three wings from within. He carefully removed the bones from the chicken and placed the de-boned wings on the plate before setting them on the ground beside him. "Alright," Yuugi said, "join me. I've already spoiled you with candy, why not wings as well." When he noticed Atemu did not come for them, Yuugi frowned. "They're not hot or anything," Yuugi said, "they're plain. Come on, boy." He motioned to Atemu, but Atemu stayed put. "Hmm," Yuugi hummed thoughtfully, "that's a first." He watched Atemu for a few moments, violet eyes confused. "You really are unusual," he said softly.
x x x
Long after dinner, Atemu feigned sleep as he heard Yuugi venture to the bathroom. As soon as he was out of the office, Atemu opened his eyes. He jumped off the couch and moved to Yuugi's office chair, climbing onto it. As he sat, he looked over the desk in mild curiosity. The doctor had already put away his leftovers into the small fridge, leaving nothing that Atemu could quickly steal. There was nothing unusual on the desk. Atemu saw an office telephone, a heavy-looking basalt stone paperweight of a sleeping dog, medical files, a black wire-mesh cup with pens and paperclips, and a picture frame. In the frame was a picture of the doctor and the blonde man from earlier. They were in an examination room, both hugging a large black dog sitting on the metal table with a cast on its leg. The doctor was smiling brightly, looking proud. In the photograph, he was slightly younger, more carefree, and less tired. Tilting his head to the side, Atemu stared for a moment longer before he turned away, settling down on the chair and curling up.
He listened as Yuugi readied for the night, brushing his teeth and changing his clothes from a toiletry bag Atemu had spied in one of the drawers earlier when he had been snooping. It seemed this doctor spent a great deal of time in his office, even spending nights there as well. Why the doctor would do such things, Atemu did not understand. When Yuugi returned, Atemu heard him pause as he registered Atemu's change of bed. Tiptoeing, Yuugi made his way over to Atemu and kneeled beside him. There was the barest of pauses before a gentle hand sunk into the fur of his neck, scratching affectionately.
"Thanks, Wolfie," Yuugi whispered, and Atemu could smell his minty breath. It threatened to make him sneeze. He almost gave a start when Yuugi pressed a kiss to his head. "You're a good boy." Then Yuugi was gone, quietly putting away his toiletry bag and moving to the couch where he settled down with a sigh. He heard the drag of cloth as Yuugi pulled the blanket from across the back of the couch over himself. "Please don't chew my face off in the morning," Yuugi said tiredly, and Atemu heard as his breaths slowed and he slipped into sleep.
Raising his head, Atemu looked to Yuugi. He watched him sleep for a few moments before he leapt off the chair and opened the office door with little difficulty. With a glance back to make sure the doctor was still sleeping, Atemu left, making his way to the front and sitting promptly on the welcome mat. He sat there for a long time, listening as the radio played softly outside. At one point, another vehicle made its way onto the parking lot, and Atemu heard the two drivers converse. They exchanged information, mostly about Yuugi's habits and possible points of entry. They remained convinced that Atemu was inside despite never having seen him. Concerned, Atemu glanced back down the hall to the door where Yuugi was sleeping peacefully in the office.
"I'll bet that vet knows something," said one, "otherwise he would have called the cops by now."
"Lower your voice," said the other. It was Hector Jackson. "That thing is probably listening."
"I doubt it," said the first, "it probably feels safe in the hands of a human."
"Well," said Jackson, "not for long."
Jackson left after that and the other man replaced him in watch duty. With a low growl, Atemu made his way back to the office and climbed onto the couch, sneaking under the blanket as he went. Beneath him, Yuugi murmured unintelligibly, but did not wake. Atemu laid down, placing his paws over Yuugi's stomach and his head on Yuugi's arm. He stayed awake for long after that, only succumbing to sleep when the morning rays of the sun shined in through the gaps of the closed blinds.
x x x
Upon waking, Yuugi sat up with a start, the first thought in his head that the wolf had chewed his face off. He grabbed at his cheeks, feeling dumbly for chewed flesh. But as soon as those first few seconds of hallucinatory fog wore off, Yuugi settled down, aware that his face and body were intact. He dropped his arms, yawning as he registered his surroundings. Everything was where he had left it … except for the wolf. Eyes wide, Yuugi searched for the animal until his eyes fell to the carpeted floor and he stilled.
On the floor beside him, the wolf was fast asleep. The sight of it made Yuugi take a breath, barely a gasp as he eyed it in bewilderment. It was then that Yuugi began to grow suspicious. It was not normal for a wild wolf to be so tame, to understand basic words. Yuugi grit his teeth, angry at the thought of someone raising a wild animal as a pet. Huffing, Yuugi crossed his arms thoughtfully, still gazing at the wolf.
"Who do you belong to?" Yuugi asked quietly, "What hapless idiot tried to tame you?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. His thoughts immediately jumped to the seven that had come in search of it and he frowned. It was likely that the wolf belonged to one of them. And more than ever, Yuugi refused to hand the wolf over to them.
Over my dead body, Yuugi thought darkly.
Yawning, Yuugi covered his mouth and pressed his fingers to his lips, humming as he thought of what he could do. If the wolf really was tame, there was no way it could survive in the wild, and Yuugi was doing it no favors by treating it like a pet.
He'll have to go to a zoo, Yuugi realized and something inside him firmly rejected the idea. No, Yuugi thought, I won't let that happen. And as soon as the stubborn thought cemented in his mind, Yuugi's eyes widened and he groaned, squeezing them shut.
"Oh, darn," Yuugi sighed, burying his face into his hands, "I've grown attached."
It was then that a knock came at the clinic door and Yuugi lifted his head as the wolf startled awake. Immediately, the wolf growled, moving to stand as its head lowered in warning.
"It's alright, Wolfie," Yuugi said and the wolf turned its head to look at him, ears twitching. "It's probably just Katsuya. I locked the door from the inside, so he probably just can't get in."
Pushing the blanket away and standing, Yuugi made his way out of the office, the wolf at his heels. At the door, he parted the blinds first, checking and recognizing his assistant before he made his way to the alarm system and keyed in the code to turn it off. He returned to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open to smile at Katsuya. Katsuya was dressed in jeans and a green button-up, ready for work with a brown paper grocery bag in his arms.
"Morning," Yuugi greeted and Katsuya stared at him, taking in his black long-sleeved cotton shirt and soft duck-patterned sleeping pants before sighing heavily.
"You slept in the office again?" he said as he walked in, seeing the wolf and holding his bag aloft when it sniffed the air and wagged its tail excitedly. Katsuya sidestepped it. "Yeah, I got your breakfast," he told the wolf warily before returning his gaze to Yuugi. "And are you really covered in that wolf's fur?" he said disbelievingly, "Geez, Yuugi, you need a life!"
"What?" Yuugi said, looking down at his clothes, baffled when he noticed the fur. He looked at the wolf, confused before registering Katsuya's comment and bristling indignantly. "I have a life!" Yuugi said irritably, opening the blinds from the door and the windows. He looked out to the end of the parking lot, relieved to see no vehicles of any kind. "A very fulfilling life!"
"Yuugi," sighed Katsuya, making his way to the front desk and setting the bag onto it, out of the wolf's reach. He moved behind the counter to boot the computer. "You spend more time here than you do at home," Katsuya said, "you have a drawer in your desk for your clothes." He looked up from the keyboard, eyeing Yuugi closely. "You need a relationship – get yourself a nice S-O and just get a life."
"Are we really going to talk about this again?" Yuugi groaned, grabbing the bag and taking out the wolf's breakfast. It was a bag from the supermarket, filled with cuts of beef. He held it aloft as the wolf licked its chops. "Like really?" Yuugi said to Katsuya as he made his way down the hall with the wolf at his heels. He opened the door to the kennel, allowing the wolf to precede him before he let the door swing shut.
"We never actually talk about it, though!" came Katsuya's shout from the front, muffled through the heavy door, and Yuugi grimaced, "I bring it up, you evade. I give up, you go back to being forever alone!"
There was a table directly to his right, covered in clean bowls and a sink beyond it. Yuugi grabbed a bowl from the stack. The kennel was silent, the animals that had previously been there had been picked up by their owners. The only animal left within the clinic was the wolf.
On the table, Yuugi served the wolf its meal before setting down the bowl and watching him go at it with an enthusiasm that made Yuugi smile. Taking the leftovers, Yuugi moved down the room to the refrigerator there and set the rest of the meat inside it. They had only been buying enough for a day, unsure when the wolf would have to leave. Pushing that thought away, Yuugi quickly served the wolf some water in a bowl and left it close by before he made his way back to the door. Opening it, Yuugi stepped through, leaving the wolf to eat in peace.
"You're cruel, Katsuya," Yuugi called to the front as he headed to his office. He received a grumble of acknowledgment just as he closed the door, and he headed over to the desk, pulling out the large bottom drawer. Taking off his pajama, Yuugi wondered at the fur that clung to it before he pulled on a fresh change of clothes consisting of a pale, blue shirt and grey slacks. He grabbed his toiletry bag next, putting his used clothes in the drawer. Making his way out of the office, he headed for the restroom, pausing just before he reached the door.
"Hey, Katsuya?" he said.
"Yeah?" Katsuya said as he tapped away at the keyboard.
"When he's done eating, could you take him out back please?" he said quickly, "He'll need to go potty – thanks!" Then Yuugi ducked into the bathroom, closing the door before Katsuya looked up with a disgruntled face.
When Yuugi came out of the bathroom, he heard growling barks and immediately ran towards the commotion, opening the door to the kennel only to find Katsuya holding a leash in one hand, the other trembling with a doggie bag as it tried to reach for the wolf who only growled, backing away when Katsuya stepped closer. Yuugi watched them for a few seconds before clearing his throat.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"He won't let me put this on him!" Katsuya whined, "I hate you for making me do this!"
"The back is fenced in," Yuugi said pointedly, "he can't go anywhere even if he wanted to. Just open the door and let him out. He comes right back in anyway." With that, Yuugi took the doggie bag in Katsuya's other hand. Patting his leg, he began walking, listening as the wolf followed behind him with a low close-mouthed bark. When he opened the back door, the wolf went out and Yuugi watched it go out of his line of sight. Yuugi had quickly learned that the wolf liked a large amount of privacy when it did its business, growling when he was too near, and did not follow it.
Barely thirty seconds later, the wolf came back and Yuugi smiled wryly at it before he left to pick up its droppings. When he came back, they went inside together and Yuugi disposed of the bag in the trashcan by the door. Katsuya was no longer in the kennel, having already gone back to the front desk. With a sigh, Yuugi went to wash his hands then, smiling when the wolf followed. Once he dried his hands, he reached down, affectionately ruffling its fur.
"Who do you belong to?" he asked, aching to know, "You're too domesticated to be a wild wolf and you obviously aren't from around here." He crouched then, sighing as he rubbed at the wolf's ears with both hands. He smiled slightly when the wolf closed its eyes in satisfaction. "I'm growing way too attached to you," Yuugi said sadly and the wolf became oddly still. It looked at him, staring for a long moment as though considering him before it leaned its head forward and licked his cheek. Laughing, Yuugi scratched at its ear. "Yeah," Yuugi said with a watery smile, "me too."
x x x
Atemu raised his head from the low cot, growing increasingly bored and annoyed by his mundane surroundings. He was in the kennel, enclosed in a pen where Yuugi had left him. He was only there because Yuugi had lured him in with a candy bar that he had proceeded to take away before Atemu could get at it. Yuugi had apologized profusely to him as he shut the door, guilty to his bones before he locked Atemu in, padlock and all.
Atemu would not forgive him. Especially since the doctor had managed to make him fall for such an obvious ploy.
While he waited for the work day to be over, Atemu began to plan his escape. By past Changes, Atemu guessed that he had little more than twenty-four hours before the beginnings of the Change were upon him. He had to get out before then, if not, he would risk exposure. If Yuugi were to find out what he truly was, there was a large chance that he would gladly hand Atemu over to the hunters. Atemu had long learned that exposure was not an option to consider. No matter how kind humans seemed, they could and would turn on one if they felt threatened. That was just how it was. That was life and Atemu knew it all too well.
But as he lay planning, Atemu's back leg suddenly jerked, the muscle spasming before it settled. He immediately sat up, panic building in his chest as a pins and needles feeling began to envelop his leg.
No, no, no, Atemu thought, it's too soon. It's only been three days. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, Atemu knew his Change was coming. The tremors would come and go over the course of a few hours, slowly growing longer and more painful until his body was fully ready to transform. He had to get the hell out before the spasms became too severe to move. So if Atemu was going to get out, he had to do it now. Moving to the door, Atemu looked up at the latch, his stomach clenching with dread when his eyes fell upon the lock.
Fuck, he thought.
x x x
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Yuugi," said Katsuya as he got up from the front desk. Sunday was a "half-day", where they closed four hours earlier than normal, and his assistant was already going to head on out. Yuugi leaned against the counter across from him, chin in hand as he gazed through the open blinds at the sky outside. It was a streak of oranges and pinks, and while Yuugi could not see it himself, he was sure it was a beautiful sunset.
"Yeah," Yuugi said, "see you tomorrow."
"Or," Katsuya said, tilting his head to the side, "you can come with me tonight to Seamos'. Finally get that life you desperately need?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Ey?" Seamos was the only bar in town, where all above the age of twenty-one hung out on weekends. It was large and had a bowling alley attached from when the bar owner, Seamos, had had a particularly brilliant idea and bought the bowling alley next door, taking down part of the wall to make it look like one large pub.
Katsuya had been needling Yuugi all day with the invite, trying to wear him down, but Yuugi had no interest in going. He had a very strong pull holding him in the clinic, and he would not shirk the chain holding him there.
"I'm fine here," Yuugi said with a lighthearted shrug, "you go and have fun." He waved Katsuya at the door, hoping it would get him to drop the subject and leave. "Anyway, I need to stay with Wolfie. I have a bad feeling –"
"You named him?" Katsuya said with incredulity, raising a hand to rub at his face, "Seriously? Do you realize that wolf is a wild animal? You can't keep him Yuugi!"
"I know that!" Yuugi said indignantly, "And I didn't name him, I'm just calling him what he is – a wolf! Just with an 'ee' sound at the end." Yuugi shrugged sheepishly, avoiding Katsuya's disbelieving and stern gaze. But when he looked back at him, Yuugi hunched his shoulders. "Stop looking at me like that," Yuugi complained.
"You're going to the bar," Katsuya said with a tone of finality, "got it?"
The protest built up in Yuugi's chest. He did not want to leave Wolfie alone, not with those men out there lying in wait. He glanced at the window, scanning the parking lot. There were no vehicles out there except for Katsuya's blue Sedan. Yuugi's own moped was around the back in the stables meant for the larger animals from nearby farms. He bit his lip, running distressed fingers through his hair. He knew he was overreacting slightly. They had an alarm system. Even if those men broke in, the police would get there before they could do anything to Wolfie. They were just three blocks down from the station after all. The real and only problem here, was that Yuugi was already quite attached to the wolf and wanted to spend as much time as he possibly could with Wolfie while that was still a possibility. The wolf was healing abnormally fast, and any day now, he would have to contact a wildlife preserve to find Wolfie a home. He could not keep the wolf locked up like it was.
He needed to let Wolfie go and there was no better way than to pry himself away by the nails on his fingers. Sighing heavily, Yuugi met Katsuya's expectant gaze and let the protest die. He nodded reluctantly.
"Okay," he said, shoulders slumping, "fine. I'll go with you."
"Nine o'clock," Katsuya said with a grin as he headed for the door. He turned as he grabbed the handle, pointing a finger pistol at Yuugi. "If you're not there by half past, I'm coming for you, got it?" He pushed the door open, but paused, waiting. With a heavy sigh, Yuugi rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah, yeah," Yuugi said, grimacing, "see you in a couple of hours."
And with a wink, Katsuya was gone.
Lips twisting wryly, Yuugi moved forward and locked the door, his heart heavy with dread. He did not feel good about leaving Wolfie behind. A foreboding chill went down his spine, leaving him cold with trepidation. But Yuugi pushed those thoughts aside, gathering his courage as he made his way to his office. He would grab his keys, get onto his moped, and go home to shower and get dressed for a night out with his friend. He would not pass go and he would not collect two-hundred dollars. But as Yuugi fished his keys out of the top desk drawer, he halted for a moment.
On top of his prescription pad, there was a half-eaten candy bar. He gazed at it, thoughts churning.
I should at least say goodbye for the night, Yuugi thought, a little piece won't hurt. Taking the candy bar, Yuugi peeled back the plastic and tore off a peanut-covered piece. Placing the rest back in his desk, Yuugi dropped his keys on top of the wood next to his phone. He would come back for them after he spent a few minutes with the wolf. Smiling wide, he headed to the kennel, pushing through the door, and hurrying to Wolfie's cage.
And letting him out to do his business won't take too long, Yuugi thought, his smile growing.
He stopped at the gate, looking in with a grand smile to see Wolfie moving to sit up. Yuugi thought he saw the wolf's leg twitch, but the wolf shifted, staring up at him with those beautiful violet-red eyes.
"Hey, Wolfie," Yuugi greeted, kneeling before the gate and holding up the piece of candy. "Look, he said, "I brought you a treat."
Immediately, the wolf moved to the gate, sniffing and licking its muzzle.
"I got some bad news," Yuugi said as he poked the piece of candy into Wolfie's pen. The wolf instantly ate the candy before it pawed at the gate, making it clank as it whined. "Yes, yes, I'm taking you out," Yuugi said, searching his pockets for the key before he got back to his original thought. "I'm not staying tonight," Yuugi said and the wolf stopped moving, its eyes looking to Yuugi intently. Biting his lip, Yuugi found the key and stood, slowly unlocking the cage. "Katsuya's making me go to the bar or whatever," Yuugi said unenthusiastically, "I mean, it sounds like fun and all, but I'd really rather stay here with you, you know?" Removing the lock, Yuugi opened the cage. The wolf immediately leapt out before turning to stare at him, as though waiting for Yuugi to continue.
"Did I mention I've grown attached to you?" Yuugi said quietly, crouching and reaching out to card his fingers through the wolf's greyish-beige fur. Though Wolfie leaned into the touch, those unwavering violet-red eyes were on Yuugi. A soft smile spread his lips and he rubbed those large ears. "I wish I was selfish enough to keep you," Yuugi said, and Wolfie's soft ears twitched in his hands, "but that would be wrong." He sighed, finally letting Wolfie's ears go as he stood. "Let's go," he laughed suddenly, shaking his head, "Katsuya's right, I guess I really do need a life."
Leading the wolf away, Yuugi paused to grab a doggie bag from the dispenser on the wall before he went to the back door and pushed it open. It was dusk, the sun had gone down, and the winds were slowly cooling. He breathed in the air, sighing it out. Looking down, he expected the wolf to rush out, but the wolf idled at his side, looking up at him with those intent, oddly-colored eyes.
"What?" Yuugi said, "I'll be back tomorrow, I promise." He shrugged, a mischievous smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Or maybe I'll fake sick later tonight and sneak back here," he whispered, reaching down to scratch at the wolf's ear, "and you can sleep with me in the office again."
With a lick to his hand, the wolf finally made its way out to the yard. Yuugi watched, curious as the wolf looked around.
What is he doing? Yuugi thought in confusion. Usually, the wolf headed off to the side, out of sight, but this time, it was headed straight to the end of the yard by the chain link fence next to the stables. It paused, seemingly getting ready to do its business before it suddenly darted forward, and in an incredible maneuver, it dashed up the fence, pushing itself up the links and right over until it landed gently on the other side.
Disbelieving his eyes, Yuugi stared in shock as the wolf shook itself and trotted off.
"Wait!" Yuugi shouted, running to the fence to grasp at the metal, "Come back!"
But the wolf never looked back. It did not even acknowledge Yuugi's voice.
Distraught, Yuugi took a shaky breath, his thoughts flying in a panic over his next move. He looked at the gate latch, grabbing it and shaking it. The metal clanged and Yuugi grabbed at the padlock there, uselessly pulling on it. When he realized it would do no good, Yuugi looked to where the wolf had gone and stood there, clinging to the gate for several minutes. He was still trying to comprehend the fact that the wolf had jumped the seven-foot high fence, an impossible task, especially with its injured shoulder.
"How even..." Yuugi mumbled in disbelief, his words trailing off, and he shook his head, clearing it. "I need to call someone," he said, "park rangers, the police – cheese and crackers, I'm going to get yelled at." Groaning, Yuugi ran back into the building, making his way to his office to do just that. He could not let that poor wolf wander around until it got shot again. He would do everything in his power to keep it safe from harm. Even if he got reprimanded for it, Yuugi would make sure that wolf was okay. But as he made to go into his office, a knock at the front door stopped him. "Dammit," Yuugi said, his thoughts darting to Katsuya, his forgetful assistant, "what did he forget this time?"
As he passed the front desk, he spotted it, Katsuya's iPod was sitting next to the fax machine. Rolling his eyes, Yuugi went around the desk and gathered it with a sigh. He went to the door with it in hand, a wry smile on his face as he unlocked it.
"Seriously," Yuugi said, opening the door, "this is the fifth time –" But Yuugi's voice died in his throat as he registered who was standing outside the clinic. It was most definitely not Katsuya. He dropped the iPod, his gut clenching tight.
Outside the clinic stood the seven men from before. They wore street clothes, normal citizens at first glance. On the second, one saw the sawed off shotguns peeking out of their jackets and the handguns tucked discreetly inside their pants.
"Hello again," said Jackson pleasantly, "remember us?"
Quickly, Yuugi tried to close the door, only for it to be kicked open, shoving him back. Turning, Yuugi tried to run for the alarm pad on the wall when he was yanked back and swung around, mouth rapidly covered by a hand and a pistol jammed into the bottom of his jaw. Fearful, Yuugi kept his arms down, compliant. From this position, he watched as the six other men walked in, one placing a large, black duffel on the counter.
"We're here for the wolf," Jackson said into his ear as one of them closed the door and locked it. Two others quickly shut the blinds and another came over to feel Yuugi's pockets. "So just stay still while we grab the bastard and we'll be out of your hair in no time, doc." The man pawing at Yuugi straightened and shook his head.
"No phone," he said and Jackson uttered an affirmative sound.
"Flotsam, Jetsam, go."
Motorcycle Jackets One and Two nodded. They were identical twins, lanky and olive-skinned with pinched faces and permanent sneers. They pulled out their weapons, pistols, from their inner pockets with attached silencers, each taking off the safety as they raised them, pointing them ahead as they slowly headed off into the hall.
It's a wolf, Yuugi thought in panic, it's just a little wolf. What's wrong with these people? It was more than obvious to Yuugi that there was something very wrong with the seven men. No sane individuals held a man at gunpoint all for a simple animal. Oh, my god, Yuugi thought, I'm going to get shot.
"Gaston, grab that chair behind the desk," Jackson ordered, "let's get the doc nice and comfy."
Gaston was a large man with a strong jaw and long hair tied at the back of his head. He went to grab the chair, lifting it over the counter unnecessarily and placing it before Jackson.
"You could'a just rolled it around, ya wank," Jackson scoffed as one of the others came forth with rope and duct tape. Yuugi had to hand it to them, they had really come prepared. "Sit," Jackson said as he forced Yuugi into the chair, another large man ripping off a piece of duct tape and quickly covering his mouth with it. Yuugi did not struggle, trembling as his arms were forced around the back of the chair. He winced, clenching his fists as they tied him up. When they finished, Flotsam and Jetsam came back to the front, both looking grim.
"Not here," they said in unison and Yuugi recoiled as Jackson turned to him, expecting a severe backlash. However, Jackson's face was not angry. Instead, Jackson's expression was filled with gut-knotting seriousness.
"Look, doc," Jackson said calmly, "believe it or not, we're the good guys here." He crouched to Yuugi's eye level, sighing as he rubbed at his face. "That thing … it's dangerous," he said, placing a hand on either armrest, "did you have it transferred somewhere? Did you let it go? You need to tell us where it is, okay? That's all you have to do." He reached out a hand, hovering it over Yuugi's mouth. "Don't scream. If you do, Rolfe over here is gonna put a bullet in your leg so you have something to really scream about." He jabbed a thumb at the short, yet bulky man behind him. "Now we're not here to hurt you," Jackson said, "we just need the wolf." He pinched a corner of the tape. "Do you understand?"
Yuugi nodded, and Jackson pulled the tape away carefully to hang on the side.
"Where is the wolf?" Jackson asked.
"I-it's just a w-wolf," Yuugi said, his voice shaking, "why can't y-you ju-just leave it alone?"
At his words, Rolfe started forward and Yuugi's eyes widened. But before Rolfe could have at him, Jackson stopped him by holding out a hand.
"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," Jackson said quietly, "you'd call us crazy."
"Try me?" Yuugi suggested, silently praying that the wolf was long gone. Before him, Jackson took a breath and sighed it out. The other six men waited silently, shifting restlessly every second that passed by.
"Alright," Jackson said, "that thing you're calling a wolf?" He shook his head. "Not a wolf," he said, "not completely, anyway. It's a shapeshifter – a werewolf if you will." He shrugged nonchalantly, uncaring of Yuugi's reaction. "Believe it or don't, but the bottom line is that thing is dangerous. It will kill without remorse and it's our job to stop it. We're hunters – the kind that take down the things that go bump in the night."
Yep, Yuugi thought without a shadow of a doubt, they're insane. But the expression he made must have clued Jackson into his thoughts, because Jackson smiled ironically at him and shook his head.
"I can tell you don't believe me," Jackson said with a sigh, "but I'm not about to show you all the scars I've gotten from similar beasts to prove myself. I don't need you to believe me. I just need you to tell me where this particular beast is." He waited patiently, watching Yuugi expectantly.
"The rangers took him," Yuugi said quietly.
From behind Jackson, one of the hunters, a short one with vivid green eyes sighed heavily.
"Why do they always lie?" he groaned, "Every. Single. Time?"
With a grimace, Jackson reached out and pressed the tape back in place, startling Yuugi. He then motioned to Rolfe, snapping his fingers. Nodding, Rolfe waved at him in reply as he moved behind Yuugi. For a moment, Yuugi stiffened, paranoid, until he felt two hands touching his bound ones. He jumped and Jackson grabbed a hold of his nose, pinching it closed as Yuugi squirmed in panic.
"Go for it," said Jackson, and Yuugi realized what Rolfe was going to do a split-second before it happened. He jerked, trying to get away, but the man behind him seized a finger and swiftly bent it backwards, popping it out of place. Choking on a scream, Yuugi slammed back his head, eyes watering as the man returned his digit to its original position. Jackson let go and Yuugi huffed lungfuls of air through his nose, lightheaded as he glared with wet eyes. "For the record," Jackson said, pointing to Rolfe, "he's gonna do that every time you lie to me." He pulled the tape away again. "So," he said, conversationally, "where's the wolf?"
"Is it even true?" Yuugi gasped, "About your friend Zack? You said the wolf killed him –"
"Of course it's true!" Gaston boomed and Yuugi clenched his jaw.
"Really," Yuugi said stiffly, "because you never mentioned any Zack, only a Nick."
"Clever," Jackson said with a smirk as Gaston glared at Yuugi seethingly, "but unimportant. Even if it hasn't killed anyone yet, it's only a matter of time before it does. Do you really want the bodies that pile up to be your fault?"
At that, Yuugi faltered. If there was even the slightest chance that they were right and his wolf was not actually a wolf, Yuugi would never rest easy knowing it was his fault people died. But he thought again of Wolfie. He recalled the way the wolf had warned him, obeyed him, never aggressive or threatening. Biting his lip, Yuugi took a breath.
"It's a good thing then that werewolves don't exist," Yuugi said and Jackson stared, evaluating him with his focused gaze.
"Is this thing really worth your life?" Jackson asked, "Werewolf or not, would you really die for it?"
They're going to kill me? Yuugi thought with a sharp breath. An ominous chill ran down his spine and his blood ran cold.
"According to you," Jackson continued, waving a nonchalant hand, "it's just a wolf. So hand it over. It's just an animal. It does not hold equal value to a human life. Why are you risking your life for it?"
But Yuugi did not have an answer for Jackson. He could not just say he had grown attached to it. He doubted that would even be enough to assuage them.
"He knows," said Gaston, eyeing Yuugi maliciously, "why else would he be so stubborn. He knows that thing isn't a real wolf!"
"The doc is covering for the werewolf," said Flotsam or Jetsam, Yuugi was not sure which was which, "he's wasting time to give it a head start."
But Yuugi shook his head, his heart racing.
"What's a matter?" said the other twin, "Did you see him transform? Did you take one look at that handsome mug and fall in love?"
"He's just a wolf!" Yuugi sputtered, "He didn't transform into anything! I just refuse to see any living thing suffer – sue me!"
"Don't worry," Jackson said lightly, "it won't suffer. We're not the bad guys here. It's quick and mostly painless." He turned his head slightly. "Dan, Sean," Jackson called, and two men raised their heads. One had long hair, at least a head taller than everyone else. The other was bow-legged with his hair cropped short. "Give me the pictures."
"Danny's got them, don't ya, Danny?" said the short one, Sean, patting the other on the stomach. The tall one, Dan, frowned at him.
"No," he said pointedly, "I gave them to you, Sean."
"Was it when I was talking to the cute blonde at the bar?" Sean asked curiously, trying to remember, and Dan shrugged at him.
"Um, yeah, I guess so," he replied.
"Then they're in the backseat of the car, dude," Sean grinned, patting the other's shoulder. Dan grimaced at him.
"You're disgusting, bro," said Dan as he left to retrieve them.
Meanwhile they waited, Gaston, seemingly tired of standing, moved over to the seating area, plopping down on one of the chairs like it were his throne. The twins followed, sitting together, but apart from Gaston. Behind Yuugi, Rolfe moved next, grabbing a chair and handing it to Jackson without a word. Jackson accepted it with a nod of thanks and sat before Yuugi. It was obvious then as Jackson met Yuugi's eyes that the men were not leaving anytime soon. A lump of dread formed in Yuugi's throat and he tried to gulp it down, sinking into his chair with helplessness. He looked up as Dan returned with a nondescript, manila envelope, handing it over to Jackson with a sigh and a slight glare at Sean, who raised his arms in surrender. Sean went to sit down as well, legs spread carelessly.
"Thank you, Dan," said Jackson as he opened the envelope. Dan merely nodded and stepped back, watching Jackson pull out several sheets from within. Turning them so Yuugi could see, Jackson grimaced. "This is the human form of the creature we seek," he said and Yuugi stared at him.
Human form? Yuugi thought, Are you kidding me?
"Look," Jackson demanded and Yuugi looked down at the photograph. The man within it was wearing a coal-grey sweater and a pair of regular jeans. He was a redhead with golden bangs and streaks, looking away from the camera as he looked up the street. The photograph had been taken from a distance, the definition less than decent, as though taken with a phone that had been zoomed in all the way. He had ochre-brown skin, and he looked completely normal as he crossed a street. There was nothing nefarious or wrong about the picture, he was just a man. However, Yuugi looked at Jackson, realizing that Jackson wanted to see his reaction. Looking at the picture once again, he shrugged.
"I've never seen him before in my life," Yuugi admitted.
Without answering, Jackson changed the picture. It was practically the same, but the man was looking around in the general direction of the camera. His face was hard to discern from the blurriness of the picture, but Yuugi was adamant in his position that he had never seen this man before.
"Yeah, he's cute, but all you're proving is that you've been stalking some poor man," Yuugi said.
"We've followed it to several different rural towns like this, every single one was next to a forest of some kind," Jackson said, lowering the pictures to his lap. "In every single one," he continued, "livestock, and wildlife were attacked and eaten at a higher percentage than usual within the month of his arrival. We've had some close calls, but unfortunately, it was like chasing a ghost until this town." Jackson smiled sinisterly. "We caught up to it just in time. And we're not going to let it get away again. Its appetite is only growing, and soon it will start to crave human flesh."
"And you really think you're just going to get away with this?" Yuugi asked him, incredulous, "You've got me tied to a chair. You're holding me hostage. All because you think this poor man can turn into a wolf?"
"Like I said," Jackson shrugged, "we're not letting it get away this time. So if you know what's good for you, start talking."
x x x
Looking down at the card in his hand, Atemu felt ridiculous. His mouth was twisted and his eyebrows furrowed with disapproval. On the card, was a grinning cartoon puppy, holding a heart between its paws with the phrase "Thank you!" scribbled onto it.
"This is a whole new level of lame," Atemu muttered to himself, sighing heavily as he ran a hand through his golden bangs and red hair, shoving it all back from his face before his bangs fell again across his brow. He shoved the card into the duffel bag hanging off his shoulder as he walked away from the pharmacy. He had made a quick stop for some essentials like snacks, water, and toiletries to take with him on the road. He had not planned to buy the thank you card, but as soon as he had seen it, he had grabbed it without a second thought and set it into the basket with the rest of his things. The doctor had saved his life after all. The least Atemu could do was thank him, even if Yuugi would never know the reason why. So, climbing into the stolen blue Sedan, he started the car and headed back to the clinic. He would ditch it in the next town and find another to get himself far from there.
But first, Atemu thought as he made to turn into the plaza, I need to – fuck. He braked abruptly, staring at the front of the clinic where two motorcycles, a car, and a red truck were parked. He recognized the vehicles instantly and his gut churned with dread. They're here, Atemu thought darkly, gritting his teeth. He quickly swerved away from the plaza, pressing on the gas and speeding away.
x x x
"I don't know!" Yuugi shouted, gasping through the pain of his swollen fingers, "Please, I don't know!"
"Stop yelling," Jackson ordered, and Yuugi snapped his mouth shut, his chest heaving as the tears welled into his eyes. "Now tell me, doc, you sewed the beast up, did you not?"
"Yes," Yuugi hiccupped.
"So that would make you a surgeon?" Jackson inquired.
"I'm only certified to operate on animals," Yuugi whispered, unsure of where Jackson was heading.
"So enlighten me," Jackson said in contemplation, "what is a surgeon without his fingers?" He reached to his side, and Yuugi's breath died in his lungs as Jackson pulled a hidden hunting knife from its sheath. His insides twisted, and suddenly, Yuugi felt like he would throw up.
"Useless," answered Sean from his seat in the waiting room as if he were watching a game show and calling out an answer before the contestant could guess. Yuugi's heart skipped several beats.
"P-please," Yuugi begged, his voice catching on a sob, "I swear I don't know anything. I went to check on him yesterday and he was just gone." Jackson handed his knife to Rolfe over Yuugi's head, and Yuugi's chest heaved as he breathed shakily, trembling uncontrollably with fear. He felt Rolfe grab at his hands and he quickly sputtered his next words. "I-I don't know how he got out, I swear. He's just a wolf – please, no!"
"Shut up!" Jackson suddenly hissed, pressing the tape back across his mouth. He stood, waving at Rolfe as Yuugi whimpered. Behind him, Rolfe let go of his hand and Yuugi whined with relief. The only sound in the room then was Yuugi's sniffling, and Jackson frowned. Holding out his hand, he took his knife back from Rolfe and tucked it away. "Flotsam, Jetsam," he murmured, pointing to the hall, and the twins stood, readying their guns. They went forth quietly while the rest watched, waiting.
Twisting his head around, Yuugi watched them check the two examination rooms and his office. They then proceeded down the hall to the kennel, one opening the door and the other darting inside. The door closed behind them, and Yuugi waited with bated breath, hoping someone was there to put a stop to the utter madness.
However, the seconds ticked by and nothing happened. There were no cops busting through the doors, no sirens outside, and no rescue. Crestfallen, Yuugi closed his eyes, not bothering to hold back the tears slipping out from between his lids. He breathed shakily, jumping when Jackson called out.
"Flotsam? Jetsam?"
Yet no answer came and Yuugi opened his eyes, looking to the kennel door with apprehension. His heart was beating fast, his chest burgeoning with hope. Head turning, Yuugi looked to the clock on the wall. It was nine o'clock, he realized, and his eyes widened.
Katsuya! Yuugi thought, Oh, please tell me he came for me, saw their cars, and called the cops!
"Gaston," Jackson said.
But when Yuugi looked, he noticed that Jackson was motioning to Sean and Dan instead. "Go through the front and check out back," he said, pointing down the hall twice, "I have a gut feeling that the doc here wasn't the only one to catch a case of butterflies." He smirked at Yuugi, but it was humorless and disgusted. "Looks like your boyfriend came back," he said as he turned to the counter, unzipping the duffel to reveal what looked like a giant speaker without the case, hooked up to a large block-like device with, knobs, switches, and buttons.
Gaston left out the front as Dan and Sean readied their own weapons, two sawed-off shotguns. Jackson pulled the device from the bag and set it on the counter. He fidgeted with the knobs and buttons before he flicked a switch and stepped away. Turning, he gestured to the two and they quickly made their way to the kennel, bursting through the door and beyond.
"It's emitting a frequency that will incapacitate your boyfriend," Jackson said, answering Yuugi's unspoken question as two shots rang out. Yuugi flinched at the sounds, but Jackson appeared completely indifferent. "We can't hear it, but he can," he said, continuing his explanation with a calm smile, "at most, you'll experience some discomfort or nausea." He waved his hand in a so-so fashion, and took pause, looking Yuugi over for a long moment as his brow furrowed. "Come to think of it," he said, and another shot rang out, "we haven't checked you for the Bite." He snapped his fingers at Rolfe and the man came forward, instantly lifting Yuugi's pant legs and feeling his limbs as Yuugi struggled in vain. "Don't worry," said Jackson, "if that thing hasn't bitten you, you've got nothing to worry about and we'll be out of your hair as soon as we've caught the beast."
x x x
"And they call me a monster," Atemu muttered as he dumped the guns into the trashcan next to the back door. He grabbed the unconscious twins by their wrists next, dragging them along to what had been his pen. He smirked to himself when he noticed the lock was still there, forgotten by the doctor. Tossing them inside, he closed the gate slightly, listening as Jackson spoke again in the next room.
"Gaston," Jackson said, and Atemu crept closer to the door, "go through the front and check out back."
I'll be waiting, Atemu thought with a smirk.
"I have a gut feeling that the doc here wasn't the only one to catch a case of butterflies," said Jackson and Atemu frowned, pausing. "Looks like your boyfriend came back," he continued and Atemu heard a zipper then as the front door opened and Gaston left.
Humans, Atemu thought with distaste, they think love is at the root of everything – try sense of duty. He began to make his way to the back door when a sudden ear-piercing, high-pitched screech ripped through the air and Atemu slammed his hands over his ears, grunting as he collapsed onto his knees in sudden disorienting pain. The door burst open from behind him and Atemu turned, squinting to see Sean and Dan scanning the room before they spotted him. They grinned, swiveling their shotguns to point at him, and Atemu dodged as they pulled their triggers. When he hit the ground, he rolled behind the wall of pens, out of sight and shoved a hand into his pocket. He yanked out a pair of ear plugs as he hoisted himself up by a gate, eyes squinting as his head spun with pain.
The shorter of the men, Sean, ran into view, aiming his shotgun, and Atemu's eyes widened as he took the shot. The buckshot hit him wide on the left side of his stomach and his arm, the pellets embedding themselves into his flesh. Cursing in pain, Atemu summoned the claws of his right hand and feinted a swipe before he rushed forward and seized the shotgun, twisting it out of his arms. Undeterred, Sean instantly pulled a hunting knife from his belt, slashing at Atemu who stumbled back and out of the way. His reflexes were severely compromised, the screeching ripping through his ears with a vengeance.
Dan turned his gun on him, hesitating when he realized his ally was in the way. Taking advantage, Atemu kept Sean between them, quickly stuffing a plug into his ear. His distraction cost him as he failed to dodge another slash at his arm, blood spurting from the gash, and Atemu dropped the second earplug as he tackled Sean head-on, shoving him back until he slammed into the wall, striking the back of his head with the force of it and rendering him unconscious.
"Sean!" Dan cried as he ran forth, slamming Atemu into the adjacent wall and knocking the breath out of his lungs with a strike of the rifle to his gut. He twisted, bringing the gun up before bashing Atemu in the chin with the butt of it and knocking him aside. Atemu fell with a grunt, the pain in his head increasing with the dealt blow. His vision blurred and Atemu blindly threw the gun at Dan, the grunt that came afterward telling him he had hit his target. Moving onto his hands and knees and trying to blink his focus back, he saw the second earplug and seized it, stuffing it into his other ear. With the piercing screech muffled, Atemu regained his senses rapidly and threw himself out of the way as Dan leapt at him. Standing, Atemu ran for the back door. He opened it, taking one step out before he ducked the incoming machete. The blade stuck itself in the door and Atemu kicked out at the newcomer, hitting him between his legs without remorse.
As Gaston went down, Dan tackled him and they fell in a pile. Atemu immediately elbowed Dan in the face, knocking him off with a loud curse before punching Gaston in the nose. Noting the magnum tucked into Gaston's pants, Atemu pulled it out and struck him twice before rendering him unconscious. Turning, he pointed it at Dan as he made to pull out his next gun.
"Don't even try it," Atemu panted, and Dan gritted his teeth, lips pursing and eyes narrowed on Atemu in a glare of death before he finally released the weapon with a grimace. Slowly, he lifted his arms into the air, fingers twitching as though he wanted nothing more than to reach for his gun. He took a shallow, seething breath, his jaw working angrily.
"You're not getting out of here alive," Dan said, "you know that, right?" He laughed, but it lacked an amused bluster. "Jackson is determined to kill you this time."
"Always hate to disappoint him," Atemu said with a sarcastic smile, "see ya, Dan." With that, Atemu hit him in the temple and watched him fall to the ground, eyes closing. Gathering the two hunters up by their wrists, Atemu dragged them inside like the others, tossing them onto the twins in the pen. He then returned for Sean, pulling him along by the end of his pant leg.
"Morons," Atemu hissed, huffing with effort as he settled that fifth body into the cage before closing it and locking it with the padlock Yuugi had left. He was tired and injured by both the buckshot and the slash to his arm. The Change had taken a lot out of him and fighting these hunters was only wearing him down. Reaching up, he pressed the earplugs further into his ears, wincing heavily. The hunters had a frequency emitter and Atemu was glad he always kept a pair of ear plugs handy. He had certainly learned his lesson when the tactic had been used on his father several years ago. Since then, Atemu had sworn never to be without them. They served as a reminder of how Atemu could never let down his guard if he wanted to continue breathing.
Quietly, Atemu moved to the wall near the door, slowly pulling open the metal hatch of the fuse box there. Grabbing a hold of the topmost and largest switch, Atemu smirked.
"Can y'all see in the dark?" he whispered as he shoved the switch off, "Because I can."
The lights flickered off throughout the clinic, and Atemu distinctly heard a curse from the front as the light from the reception room went out.
"Dammit!" hissed Jackson, "That son of a bitch!" He heard Yuugi whimper, and Atemu silently opened the door, watching them at the front as he crept forward. Jackson had seized Yuugi by the neck of his shirt. "Where is the fuse box?" he demanded and Yuugi whimpered, yelping as Jackson ripped the duct tape from his lips, "Where!"
"The k-kennel," Yuugi said, voice trembling with fear.
"I got a flashlight, boss," said Rolfe then, and Atemu ducked into Yuugi's office as a beam of light flashed his way. "Want me to go after him?" he said, and Atemu clearly heard the slick snap of a rod thrown into place.
"No," said Jackson, "let him come for his doctor." There was a sound of rope being tugged and Yuugi gasped as he was yanked onto his feet. "The examination room," Jackson said, "go." They shuffled down the hall, and Atemu watched as the light moved closer to the office. He frowned when the light shined into the room and realized quickly that Jackson had misled him once again. Gritting his teeth, he ducked behind the desk as they entered the room moving into the leg space underneath it. "Turn the light off," Jackson said, closing the door as Rolfe switched off his lamp, and Atemu scowled. He now had to figure out a way to get Yuugi out of the way before he took those last two out. The blinds were closed tight, and while Atemu could still see, he doubted those hunters could.
There was a shuffling of footsteps then and Atemu froze as Yuugi was shoved before him, arms and legs tied. It was not so much that he was surprised by Yuugi's appearance, but more that Atemu was taken aback by Yuugi himself. The simplicity of his wolf brain was not there to stop his full range of emotions this time. Because now Atemu had human eyes with which to see Yuugi. When he had been a wolf, his thoughts on Yuugi had been little, though his instinct had told him that Yuugi was safe. This time, however, he looked out at Yuugi with a human mind, and his heart skipped a beat.
x x x
"Sit there and be good," Jackson said, "and you might survive this."
Yuugi settled onto the spot, his heart racing. The very little light that came in through the closed blinds was only just enough to make out vague black shapes. He could see Jackson's silhouette standing beside the desk, shifting until a soft click was heard through the room. The soft glint of the object told Yuugi it was a gun, and the sound was the safety being flicked off. There was a blue light blinking intermittently on the desk and Yuugi realized it was his phone. If he could just get to it –
"Ah," Jackson said, taking the phone up, "can't leave that there, now can I?" He tucked the phone away, and Yuugi bit at his lip.
"Do you really think it'll come?" Rolfe asked, standing on one side of the door.
"If it didn't care about the doc, it wouldn't have returned," Jackson murmured back, and he left to stand by the door, feeling his way there.
Yuugi was kneeling, sitting still and quiet. He shifted minutely, uncomfortable being on his knees, but too scared to move. He did not want to anger them and wind up dead all because of a witch hunt. It was then that he heard a soft rustle and Yuugi's gaze snapped to the desk, to the area underneath. He stilled, searching blindly for the source of the sound, but he could see nothing. Yet he could feel as though he was being watched and the thought sent shivers down his spine. It was just as he was about to look away when he saw it, a flash of two eyes reflecting the very little light. Yuugi just barely withheld his gasp, and his eyes widened.
Wolfie, Yuugi thought, incredulous as those two eyes moved closer, is that you?
But the hand that suddenly covered his mouth was not canine in any way. It was a large, callused, human hand firmly holding his mouth closed, and Yuugi felt a scream building up in his throat. Fear of the unknown filled him and he felt another hand brush his bangs away, fingertips trailing the side of his face in a faint caress. There was a dark shape before him, looming out of the leg space underneath the desk. And for a single, paranoid moment, Yuugi wondered if Jackson and the other six men were telling the truth.
Is Wolfie really a werewolf? he thought before he violently shoved the thought away. No, Yuugi thought, that's ridiculous. Werewolves don't exist. The most likely explanation for what was happening was that someone had snuck into the clinic and was now either going to help him or not. The flash of those eyes had simply been his mind playing tricks on him, taken in by Jackson's tale. So Yuugi calmed himself, nodding so that the stranger could feel his compliance. Slowly, the hand came away from his mouth and Yuugi felt a finger press against his lips, a sign for silence. He nodded again and the stranger moved even closer, the warmth of their body like a radiator. Yuugi felt their presence like a heavy weight on his skin, and he breathed sharply when their face loomed before his own, his cheeks unwittingly growing warm.
Yuugi would never admit it in a thousand years, but the untimely excitement that coursed through his veins right then brought a blush to his cheeks that burned so bright, he thought the stranger would see it. He gulped, chasing the inappropriate thoughts away as he refocused on the situation at hand. The stranger embraced him then, and Yuugi stilled, his blush increasing.
Wait, Yuugi thought, confused, this isn't the time for this!
But when he felt them touch his wrists, Yuugi suddenly understood and lifted his arms slightly so they could untie the rope. He flinched when they touched his injured fingers, and he must have made a sound of some sort because Jackson's sharp voice called to him.
"Don't move, doc," he snapped and Yuugi jumped.
"Sorry, I'm just uncomfortable," Yuugi whispered as his savior made quick work of the rope. They moved to his legs next, untying that rope as well. When he was free, the stranger prodded him into motion, quietly switching their places. They tucked Yuugi into the space underneath the desk, pressing a finger to his lips for silence before their touch disappeared completely.
"Stay," was the nonverbal command, and Yuugi obeyed.
x x x
After he backed up, Atemu looked at Yuugi's face for a long moment, his stomach clenched with restraint. Yuugi looked terrified, but his expression was one of strength, and Atemu knew then that Yuugi was a fighter. He tore his eyes away, slowly standing as he moved out from behind the desk. Jackson and Rolfe's attention was on the door, their weapons at the ready. He froze when Rolfe's light flicked on and swiveled to him, lighting him up and blinding him momentarily.
"Son of a –" Rolfe spat in disbelief and Jackson cursed.
"Shoot!" The gun went off and Atemu felt it graze his arm as he dodged to the side, leaping towards them with his claws drawn out. Jackson's gun went off again, and Rolfe ran at him, light flashing in Atemu's eyes. He feinted, watching Rolfe follow his movement before he moved the other way and ran past him, throwing out an elbow to hit him in the back of his head.
Rolfe went down, the flashlight going off as it hit the floor, and Atemu turned, searching for Jackson. However, he was taken by surprise as Jackson leapt at him from the side, knocking him to the ground as he pressed the barrel of his gun to Atemu's head.
"Say goodbye," Jackson hissed as Atemu stilled, "you disgusting monster." He laughed. "I've been chasing you for so long," Jackson said, "that I'm going to throw the biggest party after this." He grimaced. "I had planned on a new rug for my bathroom," he said, "but your scalp hanging above my fireplace will be enough –"
A hard thump echoed throughout the room and Jackson released a soft grunt before his eyes rolled and he fell onto Atemu. Quickly, Atemu shoved his unconscious body away, looking up to see Yuugi standing with his dog-shaped paperweight in his hands.
"That," Yuugi huffed, "is enough out of you." He dropped the paperweight to the floor, the dog hitting the carpet with a heavy thud. Cradling his hands against himself, his violet eyes trailed away from Jackson's form to look at Atemu, eyes squinting to see. "You okay?" he asked, holding out a searching hand.
Taking it, Atemu saw Yuugi's wince as he helped him up, and he quickly let go. He watched as Yuugi sighed, sniffing and rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands.
"I'm glad that's over," Yuugi mumbled, "I'm going to call the cops." But before he could even take a step, Yuugi twitched, his body jerking before he fell to the ground, Rolfe taking a stand behind him, electrical rod held aloft.
"Did you forget about me?" Rolfe said with a smug laugh, "Bad doggie." He wielded the stun baton, pointing it at Atemu who clenched his jaw in anger. He jabbed at him, and Atemu jumped back, wary as Rolfe laughed and stepped closer. "Come here, mutt," Rolfe growled, "I'm going to wear your teeth as jewelry."
"That's disgusting," Atemu retorted as Rolfe leapt at him. He barely managed to get out of the way, spinning behind Rolfe and kicking at the hand with the electric rod. Rolfe grunted as he dropped it and Atemu did not give him the chance to retaliate. Grabbing the rod from the floor, he pressed the switch and stabbed it below Rolfe's rib cage, keeping it there until Rolfe collapsed to the ground, twitching, but unconscious. Glancing around, Atemu retrieved the ropes from behind the desk and bound Rolfe and Jackson tightly. Whoever untied them would have to use a knife to cut the bastards free and the thought made Atemu smile. When he was done, he dragged them into the kennel and dumped their unconscious bodies into separate pens. When he finished, he quickly went to the front and turned off the frequency emitter before pulling the plugs from his ears, sighing heavily with relief.
Even with the plugs, his brain felt scrambled, and there was a ringing in his ears that would not dissipate. Running his hands through his hair, Atemu took deep breaths, letting his body stand still for only a minute before he pushed himself away from the counter and made his way back to the office. Yuugi was still unconscious when he got there and Atemu quietly moved to his side. Gently, he lifted the doctor into his arms, wincing in pain as Yuugi pressed the pellets into him further. But he ignored his wounds, letting Yuugi's weight ground him. Atemu carefully cradled him, looking down at Yuugi with a lump in his throat.
Yuugi had never given him up, and Atemu did not understand why.
Just a wolf, Atemu thought, I was just a wolf to you. He shifted Yuugi, lifting his head with his elbow and Yuugi groaned.
"Wolfie," Yuugi muttered.
"Wolfie's alright," Atemu wanted to whisper, "he's safe thanks to you." But he said none of that as he gently set Yuugi down on the couch, draping the blanket there over him. Tenderly, he brushed the bangs from Yuugi's face, tucking the strands behind his ear. Still, Yuugi did not wake, and Atemu breathed for a moment as he crouched before the couch. It was with great effort that he finally tore his gaze away, the ache in his body crying for rest. From his back pocket, Atemu pulled the card he had bought. "Thank you!" it read, and Atemu felt a wry smile pull at his lips. His heart was softly beating the desire to stay and meet Yuugi as a man. He wanted to be there when Yuugi awoke, to calm his fears and reassure him of his safety. His duffel was waiting in an alley nearby, hidden well and awaiting his return. It would be all too easy to grab it and return to the motel he had been squatting in. It would be some kind of relief to call the cops and wait with Yuugi for their arrival.
He wanted to be the man who saved Yuugi and be hailed as the hero. Yuugi's hero. This town could be where he finally planted roots. There would be no more running, only standing and defending his territory, very possibly with Yuugi at his side.
It would work out, Atemu could finally be happy, and Yuugi would never have to eat alone again.
With that same wry smile at his lips, Atemu made his way to the desk, opening the topmost drawer and staring at the card in his hand.
x x x
In the early hours of Monday, Yuugi sat in the police station, a shock blanket draped over his shoulders and Katsuya at his side. A police officer was talking to him, explaining what they had found, and trying to get more information out of him. However, Yuugi had told them everything he knew and had nothing more to share. He had found a wolf at his doorstep, taken it in, and healed it. Seven strange men had come asking for it, and Yuugi turned them away. Their vehicles kept appearing at the end of the parking lot. The wolf ran away. The men had held him hostage. He had slipped free and bashed one of them in the head when his back had been turned. It was too dark to see. He did not know how the seven had ended up in the kennel. He had no idea who placed him on the couch and covered him up. He did not see anyone else, it had been too dark. It had been an overwhelming situation and far too dark. He did not hear anyone else. He knew nothing else.
"Well," sighed the officer, looking through the copies of the photographs Jackson had shoved in Yuugi's face, "how about this man in the photo?" He held it up, showing it to Yuugi. "Do you know him? Have you ever seen him?"
Yuugi stared at the photo. The redhead was about the right height and body type. It had been too dark to make out hair color, but the outline of those wild locks seemed the same.
"I don't know him," Yuugi said, "and I've never seen him before in my life. I told Jackson that." He shrugged. "Could I have a copy?" he said. "Maybe it'll jog my memory later if I keep looking at it."
"Take this one," the officer said, handing him the one where the redhead's blurry face was visible. Setting the ice pack in his hands onto the officer's desk, Yuugi took the picture carefully, his fingers aching. "Let us know if you remember anything else," he said gruffly, handing Yuugi a contact card, "and we'll be calling you if we have any more questions."
"Of course," Yuugi said, absently taking the card as he stared down at the copy, "I'll let you know if anything comes to mind."
"Um," said Katsuya then, "about my stolen car?"
x x x
A week later, Yuugi reopened the clinic, finally cleared by the police and cleaned by he and his friends of all the fingerprint dust and crime scene tape. His hands did not hurt as much anymore, the swelling had gone away, and none of his fingers had been broken. Rolfe's only intention had been to cause pain, not maim. But what weighed on Yuugi's mind was not Rolfe or any of the men that had attacked him. What kept him up late at night was a pair of violet-red eyes and soft fur. According to animal control and the park rangers that had been called, there was no sign of Wolfie anywhere. A part of Yuugi was glad that the wolf had not been found dead, while another spent every waking moment wondering if it was okay.
Seating himself in his office chair, Yuugi sighed heavily, still tired as it was quite early. With a roll of his shoulders, Yuugi leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk as he glanced at the frame sitting close to the edge.
He stilled then, staring at it in shock. The picture of Katsuya and he hugging the large black dog was gone, leaving only the generic picture of a yellow duckling that had been behind it in its place. Taking the frame, Yuugi opened up the back and pulled the paper picture from it, searching for his photograph. However, it was more than obvious that it was not there. Setting the frame and picture down, Yuugi let out a disbelieving breath.
"What?" Yuugi said, bewildered as he grabbed his phone from his coat pocket and quickly dialed his assistant.
"Yo, be right there," Katsuya answered, "getting donuts, man."
"Wait," Yuugi said, "did you take the picture?"
"What?" Katsuya said, confused.
"The picture on my desk," Yuugi said, "the one where we're hugging Tito, the black lab?"
"Oh, that one," Katsuya said, "been meaning to get a copy of that."
"So you have it?" Yuugi said.
"What?" Katsuya asked.
"The picture, Katsuya," Yuugi pressed, "did you take the picture to get a copy?"
"What – no," Katsuya said, sounding more confused by the second, "nah, dude. I haven't gotten anything."
"Are you sure?" Yuugi asked and Katsuya huffed.
"I didn't touch it," he said and Yuugi sighed.
"Okay, thanks," Yuugi said, "get me plain donuts, please."
"Sure," Katsuya replied and Yuugi ended the call, returning his attention to the frame with the missing picture.
Instantly, his thoughts went to that mysterious stranger that had saved his life, and his heart skipped a beat. The only other person who had been there that night had been that individual, the one with warm hands and strange flashing eyes that Yuugi refused to dwell on. Lifting a hand to his lips, Yuugi leaned back in his chair, sighing. He did not know how to feel about the theft. He was confused and he wanted answers, but Yuugi knew he would not be getting them. He had lied to the police, and his mysterious hero had vanished into the night with all their secrets intact. Momentarily, Yuugi wondered if he had made the right choice, and he rubbed at his face, pushing the frame aside with a huff. It did not matter if he had made the right choice or not because he had already made it and he would have to live with it. In any case, the police had not come kicking down his door to interrogate him further. Opening his topmost desk drawer, Yuugi looked down, intending to search for his flash drive where a backup of that picture was saved.
But Yuugi stilled, his hand hovering over its contents with the slightest tremble at his fingertips.
Right at the top sat his half-eaten candy bar, and Yuugi's heart clenched in his chest. He slowly took it into his hand, lips turning down at the edges against his will. A sorrowful lump settled into his stomach and Yuugi's brow creased. His heart hurt, squeezing in his chest with melancholy, and his sinuses began to burn.
I miss you, Wolfie.
x x x
There was a blizzard.
It was not unusual this far north, but it certainly put a damper on things. Atemu was ill at ease as he laid in a cave deep into a forest. He had planned to go out for a run to put his mind off his troubles, especially the deep longing in his gut that begged him to turn his nose south to where a pair of gentle violet eyes waited. However, the inclement weather had decidedly rejected any inclination he might have had to follow through. It had been six months since Yuugi, the veterinarian. Six very long months since Atemu had looked upon his soft face. He missed being fed, the ear scratching, and even the one-sided conversations. Being with Yuugi was as close as Atemu had ever felt to anything remotely resembling a home.
A veterinarian's office.
The irony was not lost on Atemu.
He huffed through his nose, shifting his head as he listened to the moaning of the howling winds and the rapidly falling snow. With a tremble, he scooted backwards, further into the blankets he had set out when he was in human form. There was nothing to do but wait until the blizzard passed. He had already eaten, his stomach full with hare, but far from satisfied. For the past couple of days, Atemu had hunted, catching anything that dared cross his path. He had very well eaten his way through half the cast of Bambi, but Atemu's jaw ached for more. He could not satisfy the itch in his gums, even gnawing through bones of the carcasses he left behind to try and subside the yearning for something more filling.
But nothing would do. Atemu was cursed with an unsated voracity and it made him restless. Pacing the cave did not help and neither did chewing the shattered bones of his past meals. So Atemu reluctantly lay, agitated and slowly losing his mind as the storm raged on.
He despised the cold.
I should have gone south, he thought with a growly grumble, I could be sleeping on a beach instead.
However, Atemu knew that if he had gone south, the hunters would only find him more easily. They knew him, had studied him, and they were quite aware that Atemu preferred warmer climates. Habits were dangerous things he did not dare indulge in at the risk of his life.
Abruptly, Atemu lifted his head, a soft sound alerting him.
Somewhere, beyond the howling wind, he could hear the crunch of snow and grunts of a telltale struggle. Alert, Atemu stiffened, moving onto his feet with a low growl.
Hunters? Atemu thought, Have they found me?
He waited on edge, teeth bared and braced to attack anything that came around the cave corner. The footsteps paused and the echo told Atemu the intruder had found the mouth of his cave. A sigh of relief sounded out, followed by a laughing sob.
"Thank god," said a voice, the alleviation palpable in his voice.
Atemu caught the scent of the human, his nose delighting in the warmth of it. He began to move forward, following the sounds of rustling nylon, propelled onward by an urge tightly coiling in his gut. Upon reaching the bend in the cave, Atemu peered around it to see the hapless human brushing the snow from his limbs at the mouth of the cave. He had a backpack which he quickly dropped to the ground. "I knew hiking would bite me in the ass today," said the stranger as he watched the flurry outside, "I sure hope this stops soon."
Atemu's stomach clenched, squirming inside of him and grumbling with a hankering ache that belied the meal he had consumed only hours ago. It was not hunger he was feeling when Atemu stepped forward, the nails of his paws clicking on the stone. The itch in his maw grew exponentially, grating at his nerves and crawling under his skin. He growled, and the human turned, expression falling in horror.
"No," the man whispered fearfully, and Atemu launched himself forward, streaking across the cave. The man threw up his arms, and Atemu leapt, sinking his fangs into the jacket and straight to the tender flesh within.
The man screamed, his voice lost to the howling winds.
x x x
Panting, Atemu lay naked on the cold floor of the cave, trying to regain his breath as his body shivered compulsively. It was freezing, his breaths coming out in steamy puffs. His teeth were starting to chatter as his body cooled down, but he could not move, not yet at least. His body still twitched from the Change, jerking his muscles every so often. The minutes passed and Atemu only grew colder, his body shaking almost violently. He tried to move then, forcing his stiff limbs to obey him. Slowly, his arms snapped at the joints, and they bent, his wrists and knuckles following. His shoulders were next, cracking as they settled back into their normal positions. On Atemu went, bending his body every which way until all of his bones were in their rightful places and his muscles had been sufficiently flexed.
Darkly, Atemu mused that the Change was similar to coming back from the dead. He pushed himself off the rocky floor, shuddering and chilled to his bones as he maneuvered himself into sitting. His head spun and Atemu lifted his knees, burying his face into them and hugging himself. When the dizziness finally passed, he lifted his head and sighed, strongly refusing the urge to look around. He did not want to see what was there, just a few feet away.
Sluggishly, Atemu pushed himself onto his feet, taking a step before he stumbled and fell, striking his hands and knees against the stone floor. He grunted in pain, squeezing his eyes shut before he opened them. With a sigh, he lifted himself back to his feet, staggering as he made his way to a natural hollow in the wall. From within the crevice, Atemu retrieved his clothes and slowly dressed. When he finished pulling on his shoes, he hugged himself, unable to help his morbid curiosity when he glanced towards the back of the cave. But as much as he had wished otherwise, the carcass was still there. He quickly looked away, stomach twisting with nausea as he ignored the ripped denim, nylon, and goose down littering the blood-soaked ground. Reaching back into the crevice, he took his duffel bag from within and pulled the strap over his head to settle onto his shoulder. Tugging his thick jacket closer to himself, Atemu took a shallow breath as he returned for the blankets. Slowly, he wrapped them around himself and left the cave.
x x x
Atemu crossed the street quickly, hands buried into his pockets and head ducked against the freezing wind. He approached the car, a white 1995 Toyota Corolla, glancing around before he opened the door and ducked. Grabbing the keys from underneath the floormat, he climbed inside and shut the door, shivering. Pulling his duffel from his shoulder, he laid it in the passenger seat and tried starting the car, turning the key and failing twice. The engine sputtered, and Atemu frowned, jaw clenching. He pressed the gas, turning the key once more before the car finally started. After turning on the defrost and the heater, Atemu huddled into the seat, blowing on his hands covered in fingerless gloves. Once the inside began to warm, he opened his duffel and pulled out a candy bar. It was peanut-covered caramel. Unwrapping it, he bit off a piece, sighing as he relaxed into the seat, focusing on the sweetness rather than the metallic taste glued to his tongue. Turning his head, he reached into his duffel once more, fingers searching. His digits brushed against paper and he paused. Carefully, he pinched it and pulled it out to hold it in his lap.
Two pieces of paper, the one on top was a card with a cartoon dog holding a heart. It was creased and a little worn with small tears at the edges. After six months of being stuffed and taken out of the duffel, Atemu was more surprised that it was still intact. He read over the two words, the edge of his lips twitching before he placed it back into the duffel. The next sheet of paper was a picture, a little creased at the edges and mostly pristine but for the drop of blood at the one corner. Yuugi, the doctor that saved his life, looked out at him with a smile, and Atemu sighed. His gut clenched with guilt and regret.
"I'm sorry," Atemu said to the picture, his thoughts swinging violently to cave where the stone was drenched in red, "I couldn't stop myself." He ran a finger over Yuugi's cheek, and he could almost imagine that it was Yuugi's soft skin. Atemu breathed, brow creasing. "I didn't even hesitate." He pulled down the visor above, tucking the picture under the strap before pulling on his seatbelt. He pulled out into the road, driving away from the parking lot outside a bar called Pelican Bay. He drove out of the city, arriving to the highway. Idling at the intersection, he looked right, the way he had come just a couple of weeks ago. That way led to Yuugi, his doctor, and Atemu gripped the steering wheel tight, the wrapper of the candy bar in his hand crinkling. He looked up at the photo, his heart twisting inside of him. It took several seconds before he finally forced his eyes away. Flicking on his signal, Atemu turned left. His heart squeezed tight, its beat quickening the further away he drove.
"I'm not ready," Atemu said to the picture, "I can't give myself up yet." He took a deep breath, his thoughts turbulent as he bit off more from the candy bar, trying to rid himself of the taste of blood. It was all over his tongue, impregnated into it. The worst part was that it was not at all disgusting like it should have been, and that made his stomach turn with nausea. "My humanity isn't gone yet."
He drove on in quiet for half an hour, finishing off his candy bar and gritting his teeth at the dissatisfied grumble of his stomach. He looked up at Yuugi's picture, taking in those happy plum-colored eyes with longing.
"I'll see you before then," he promised, "I'll see you soon, my doctor."
The End
A/N: There's no more to this. Please don't ask.