Chapter Two: House of Hunters
"Look." They were sitting down around the little table in Aomine and Momoi's house ("It's not like that! Our parents made us live together!"). Aomine sat across from them while Momoi prepared the tea. "Instead of just dancing around the subject I'm going to go out and say it. That guy out there was a werewolf." Surprisingly enough, neither Takao nor Midorima cracked a smile. In face, the greenette didn't even look surprised. "Dunno if he's dead, honestly; the mercury from the thermometer I stabbed him with might do him in."
"Mercury?" Midorima raised an eyebrow and coughed into his fist. "I believe it's silver that kills werewolves."
"And I believe that out of the two of us, I'm the werewolf hunter." The pair started and Aomine rolled his eyes. "Calm down, we only take care of the pups and the ones that go rogue."
"Pups?" Takao asked uneasily.
"New wolves." Aomine shrugged and eyed both of them carefully. "They're out of control. Within a few hours of the bite, they'll be a mess. Most wolves keep their human conscious when they transform, but the first change without an Alpha or being the Alpha they don't. It's dangerous. We either chain 'em up or kill them when they escape."
Midorima went stiff and Aomine seemed to pick up on it, his eyes lazing around them before rolling and closing.
"Which one?" He asked knowingly. Momoi walked into the room with a platter of steaming mugs, setting one down for everyone before sitting herself next to Aomine. He picked his up without opening his eyes and took a sip, wincing at the harsh flavor.
"Which one what?" Momoi asked.
"One of them got bit. I'm asking which one."
Cue awkward silence. Then Midorima said, "Me."
"I-is he going to transform?" Takao asked nervously. Aomine rolled his shoulders with a grimace and looked like he was making a tough decision.
"Yeah…look, it's not ideal, but you have to get out of here. It's dangerous for you. Don't—" He eyed Midorima with a calculative look. "Don't go home. Call your parents and tell them you're staying out tonight, but don't go home and skip school tomorrow. We'll have it under control by then."
"Why should I—"
"I'll give you a drive to your house so you can pick up your things," Momoi interrupted, standing up and pushing Takao out of the room and through the front door. The lock clicked shut behind them.
"What is it?" Midorima asked, preparing for the worst. Aomine grimaced again.
"Look, Midorima, I don't…fuck this! They never trained me for this! I can't believe I let this happen!" He growled, standing up in fury and kicking the wall before turning to his old friend. "Knowing you, you're an Alpha. Which means that the first thing you're gonna want to do is make a pack."
"A…pack?" Midorima could hardly believe what he was hearing.
"Yeah, a pack! A fucking pack! And do you know who you're gonna go after first?" Aomine pointed to the door angrily. Now that it was just the two of them, his boiling emotions were showing through. "Him! You're fucking wolf DNA shit is gonna go fricken' haywire around him and any other person you like or respect!"
"Wha—no. Absolutely not. I'll contain it. I can't miss basketball practice." Midorima crossed his arms. There was no way he was missing practice, not when they were all so close to becoming a true team. Especially after Akashi beat them; he could never let that happen again.
"Forget practice!" Aomine yelled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "You can't go to school like this!"
"Forget about it." Midorima leaned back in his chair and scoffed. "I don't know whatever this werewolf story you're talking to me about is, but no matter if it is someone wooing Takao or these werewolf urges you're spouting about, I will suppress them."
Aomine gaped at him and Midorima slapped a hand over his mouth. Crap…?! Why did I say—
"It's already kicking in. You—you're already losing control." Aomine whispered hoarsely. "Shit, it's already kicking in. Shit shit shit. Man, you—you can't leave. We have to chain you up. Like now." He advanced towards Midorima, who backed up.
"Get away from me!" He snarled, feeling an unnatural savageness pulsing through his veins, and when Aomine took another step forward he whipped his hand out and punched the other in the gut. Hard. Thankfully the bluenette was built of steel and it only momentarily winded him, but it brought both of them to a realization of the situation they were in.
…I could hurt Takao. Midorima realized, and could almost smell the worry flowing from Aomine. He allowed the other to grab his wrists and lead him out of the room to the basement, feeling like he was in some kind of horrible, twisted trance.
"We have some silver chains downstairs. I don't know how long it's going to last for you since it's—uh—you, but I'm guessing maybe a day or so…? Normally the Beta would be here to help you through it…um, don't freak out when you wake up, just call me or Momoi down. You'll be naked so we'll stop by your house and pick up some stuff, okay?"
"…Alright." Midorima nodded, affronted by how well-prepared Aomine seemed (even if he was a little impulsive and nervous).
"Okay." The bluenette nodded and opened the door to the cellar. There were a few beaten wooden posts a few feet from each other in a half-circle. Aomine gently set him against one of them and dragged a giant heap of silver chains from the corner. Moonlight filtered into the otherwise empty room from a barred window. "Sorry about this."
"It's…alright." Midorima said calmly, though inside his senses were raging, ordering him to throw Aomine to the ground and sink his teeth into that long, strong neck. I really need help…Maybe after this he'd talk to Miyaji about self-control. The teen didn't seem to have it most of the time, but it was true—he was the best with advice on reigning in one's frustrations. At least, he'd relieved Midorima of his stress multiple times.
Aomine finished chaining Midorima to the middle post and stood back with a grim expression. "Don't worry." He decided to say. "You're not alone. Momoi and I will help you through this, man."
"I know." Midorima anwered. He couldn't stop staring at the other's neck and god he could practically hear the man's heartbeat and—"Please leave."
"Y-yeah." Aomine nodded to him and headed towards the door.
"Aomine?" The greenette called before he could exit.
Aomine turned. "Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Aomine grinned nervously. "Thank me when you wake up tomorrow."
8 P.M the next day
"How is he?" Momoi asked as Aomine walked up the steps from the cellar. His expression was still haunted from the guilt of letting his friend get bitten. He wiped his face with a bony hand and grabbed a doughnut from the counter.
"Not good." Aomine groaned, biting into the confection. "He wants Takao. Is it possible for a wolf to mate without knowing it?"
"I haven't heard of it before," Momoi said, patting her friend on the back comfortingly, "But knowing how oblivious Mido-kun can be he would figure out a way."
"Yeah," Aomine chuckled darkly, leaning into Momoi's touch. "I bet—"
A noise like cracking wood filled the air. It was coming from the downstairs.
Both hunters shared a panicked look before bolting down to the basement. The sound of metal wrenching filled the air and when they flung the cellar door open, the sight before them filled them with horror.
Midorima had come free of his chains, wrenched the bars away from the window, and shattered the glass to freedom. The cellar was empty.
"Shit." Aomine cursed and flipped open his phone.
"Who is he trying to find?" Momoi asked worriedly.
"Takao. It has to be."
Shit indeed.