Warnings

Puzzleshipping: M

Mauling, violence, blood

"It's been two weeks since we last saw or heard from them. You can't tell me that something isn't up," Joey told Tristan as they walked out of class. "All of them have gone missing. Yugi, Solomon, Ryou, and Malik and his family. Something isn't right."

"Yeah, but what can we do?" Tristan asked. "It's only me, you, Amane, Serenity, and Téa and the others. And the older four of that group are always busy with work after class. Mikey and Rebecca are too busy with school activities. So what can you, me, and the girls do? We don't have special powers like Yugi and the others."

Joey huffed, knowing that Tristan was right. The four of them didn't have special powers like their friends. And that was probably why their friends were hiding right now. "Do you think they're okay? Amane is really worried about Ryou. I don't think she's been able to sleep good since he went missing." Now that he mentioned her, he saw her sitting on a bench all by herself. It looked like she hadn't slept real well in a while. Her usually healthy looking pale skin was now sickly pale as if she looked like she was fighting to stay awake and she had dark circles under her eyes. He and Tristan walked over and sat on either side next to her. "You okay, Amane?"

She shook her head, not answering out loud. Tristan sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "We'll find them, Amane. Just be confident."

"I can't sense him anywhere," she said quietly. "I'm scared, you guys. What if he's danger? I can't lose him too…"

"Hey, you won't lose him," Tristan assured her. "Joey and I are gonna go look for them right now, starting with the woods outside of Domino. I remember your brother saying something that the Millennium Ring was leading him there. Maybe we'll find something there."

"Let me come with you," she pleaded. "I promise I won't get in the way and I'll do what you order if you let me come with you."

Joey and Tristan looked at each other over her head. Both of them didn't want her nearby if there was possible danger, but they knew she would only follow them along with Serenity. And that would put them in more danger. "Fine," Joey agreed. "But if something goes wrong and Tristan or me tell you and Serenity to run, you run and don't look back. Got it?"

She nodded. "Okay. I promise."

"Well, let's go see what we can find," Joey said, standing up.

Yugi was wandering around the mansion that they'd been living in since the attack. He and the others had been safe so far from any attacks. Odion was still recovering from his attack. The first three days had been hard on his family since they weren't allowed to see him, but now they could. They'd left a few hours ago to go be by Odion's bedside since he hadn't woken up yet. So that left him and Yami alone in the house…

He felt his face heat up at the thought. He'd never been attracted to anyone before Yami and now he couldn't stop some of the thoughts that were running through his head. Sure he'd seen others in relationships like Téa and Alister, Valon and Mai, and Mikey and Rebecca. But he'd never been in a relationship let alone kiss or even…

"Stop thinking about that, Yugi!" he scolded himself. Now wasn't a good time for him to have these thoughts. His grandpa was still missing. Arkana was still out there waiting to strike and Yami's enemies were still at large. He couldn't afford to have these thoughts. Even though wearing one of Yami's shirts that had his sandalwood scent on it was still haunting his mind.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" Yami was suddenly there, hugging him from behind. He couldn't help but smile at seeing Yugi jump in surprise.

"I-I'm fine," he answered, hoping he wasn't blushing. If Yami knew of the thoughts in his mind, he would probably think Yugi was some kind of pervert. He didn't need to be thinking of all that right now. He felt Yami's lips against his ear, trying his best not to shiver. "Is everything okay?"

"I can read your thoughts," Yami revealed. He saw Yugi's cheeks turn even more red and chuckled. "It's normal to have those thoughts, Yugi. You don't have to be ashamed of them. Soul Mates who haven't Bonded yet tend to have those thoughts more than those who are Bonded."

"What does that mean? Soul Mates? Bonded?" Yugi asked.

Yami rested his head on top of his head, looking at him through their reflection on the glass. "Soul Mates, it means that two people are meant to be together and there's no other person in the world for them. When dragons are born, they have to find their Soul Mate or they lose the ability to see in colors and feel emotions after a century or so. Most of the time if they don't find their Soul Mate by then, it means their Soul Mate is not alive. In some rare cases, their mate can be human. Even some humans have a Soul Mate out there though most of them don't know it."

"So the concept of Soul Mates is real," Yugi said quietly. "Most people think it's a woman's fantasy, but I see now that isn't the case. And what does being Bonded mean?"

"When a dragon finds their Soul Mate they have to Bond. Their life forces are combined and when one dies, the other will be able to feel it. They'll be able to stay connected with each other at all times. And it's one way to show others that they've been claimed," Yami explained.

Yugi couldn't help but blush as he asked his next question. "And…what do we have to do to be Bonded?"

The older man smirked and whispered in his ear. "Exactly what you think. I would have to bite where I want my Mark on you. The bite mark will show others that I've claimed you as mine."

The smaller boy couldn't help but shiver at his words. But it wasn't from fright. He could already feel his body slowly getting hard for Yami. It scared him yet at the same time it excited him. "What happens if you don't claim me?"

"You continue to live as a mortal and I remain immortal, unless I decide to give it up," he replied.

Yugi looked at him from the reflection in the window. "But if you become mortal, won't your powers fade away?"

The pharaoh nodded, kissing his forehead. "Yes. I will become a lot weaker in time should I become mortal, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for you once this war is over."

Yugi turned in his arms to look up at him. "But you can't. What if the others still need you?"

Yami rested his forehead against Yugi's and closed his eyes. "I know I shouldn't be so selfish. I'm the leader of the dragons. And there's only a few of us left. But this is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself. Is it so wrong to be selfish this one time?"

The younger boy stood on his toes and kissed his cheek. "You're not selfish. I know everything about you and I know you've sacrificed a lot to save the world and your people. You told me that most dragons can't go pass a century without their mate and you managed to hang onto life for two thousand years. If anything, you deserve to be selfish once in a while."

"Be glad I'm not," Yami said quietly, tracing his finger along Yugi's soft lips.

Yugi gently nipped at his finger then blushed a little. "Why not?"

Yami didn't answer him, but instead grabbed him by the hips and lifted him up a little so that he could grind their hips together. He saw Yugi blush even more when he felt his hardness pressed against him. He looked straight into those amethyst eyes, letting him see the hunger that he felt. "Because if I decided to be selfish, I would claim you right now. Consequences be damned." Before Yugi could even respond, he brought their lips together and started kissing him heatedly. He knew he should've been gentler with his little mate, but two thousand years of having no light in his life made him feel like he was starving for it. He hoped Yugi wouldn't be too upset with him for being this rough, but he needed at least something to help satisfy this craving that he always felt whenever he thought of Yugi. He heard the smaller boy make a sound and pulled away. "Are you okay?"

"Why did you stop?" Yugi asked, looking up at him with those big amethyst eyes that looked so innocent and sexy at the same time right now. He was a little scared of where this was going, but he never let fear stop him from doing anything before and he wasn't going to let it stop him now. He wrapped his legs around Yami's waist and held onto his shoulders with his hands. "I…I want you, Yami…"

The pharaoh gasped as he heard those words and looked at him with wide eyes. "Yugi…you don't have to do anything-"

He didn't get to finish sentence since Yugi kissed him. I want you, Yami. Can't you feel what I'm feeling? I want this…I want you.

Those words sealed the deal.

Holding onto his precious mate, he used his superhuman speed to return to his room and gently threw Yugi on the bed. Seeing him look at him with those beautiful eyes that showed him how much Yugi wanted him and looking disheveled was almost too much for him. But he would be gentle. He wasn't going to be an animal and take him roughly. No, he would show him just how much he treasured him. He leaned down and kissed him gently while slowly removing their clothes. He nipped at the skin of his neck then slowly nipped his way down to his chest. He'd thought about leaving his Mark right there, but he had to make sure that Yugi would want to be Bonded first. But now wasn't the time to ask him of making such a commitment. That would be for later when they had time to discuss it. "Are you sure about this, Yugi?"

"I'm sure, Yami," he replied truthfully. "I-I've never done this…so I don't know what to do…"

Yami smiled down at him, tracing his finger along his cheek. "I've never done this either. But I promise to be gentle with you."

Yugi looked at him with wide shocked eyes. "Really?"

"Yes," he replied. "I never felt any desire for anyone, even before I lost my emotions. Only you have made me feel this way."

Yugi looked up at him, brushing his fingers through the hair that looked so much like his own. But this was a man who'd lost just about everything in his life. The place he once called home no longer existed, his comrades were alone with no mate or had denied them, and he had lost one of his dearest friends who died trying to save lives. He'd seen that Yami was ready to spend the rest of his existence alone. Giving up all hope that he would one day find his mate and living alone while fighting the darkness inside had begun to take their toll on him. If he could help take the weight of the world off his shoulders for a few minutes then he would do anything for this man. Yugi knew this was the one for him. "I'm ready, Yami."

Yami looked down at him for a few seconds then leaned down to kiss his forehead down to his lips. The younger boy was amazed that someone so strong was being so gentle with him. Those same lips kissed their way down to his collarbone as he started unbuttoning the shirt. He could see the blush tinting the pale skin all over his body. Once the shirt was off, he pulled his pants off along with his boxers, leaving Yugi bare for his eyes to see. The boy was small indeed, but Yami could sense the strength deep inside him. He saw Yugi shiver and smiled down at him. "You're beautiful, Yugi."

Yugi just looked at him with wide eyes, trying his best not to blush. "C-Can I see you?" he asked nervously. He'd never seen anyone naked. Sure he'd seen other men and even his male friends shirtless, minus Joey who always hid his body with t-shirts even when they went to the beach. But the first time he saw Yami without a shirt…he swore his face was about to burst. He gasped when he saw that Yami's clothes suddenly disappeared, leaving the man naked. His eyes trailed over his body, noting all the scars that were all over. A part of him wanted to know how he got each scar and another part of him was too afraid to hear the truth. He traced his finger along one scar that went across his torso. "Do you remember how you got this one?"

"From the final battle in our war against the darkness," Yami replied. "We were battling against our enemy, Zorc, and he managed to injure me." He felt Yugi's hand stop at his naval and sensed the hesitation in him to go any further. Then again, he knew Yugi refused to look down pass his torso. Before he could move his hand away, he grabbed it and moved it to his cock. The younger boy's breath hitched as Yami closed his fingers around it. "You don't have to be nervous, Yugi. My body is yours as yours is mine."

The smaller boy looked down to where his hand was. He knew Yami was bigger than him, but he didn't think he was that big. He slowly moved his hand, hearing Yami moan as he stroked him. It turned him on even more to know that he was the reason why Yami was moaning like this. He moved his hand a little faster, hearing a growl.

Yami pulled his hand away and held his wrists together above his head while he kissed him feverishly. He moved his hand to Yugi's lips, gently pressing three fingers into his mouth as he ravished his neck. "Get them wet. I don't want to hurt you, Little Light," he said. He groaned when he felt Yugi suck on the digits hungrily and let his hands free. Yugi held his wrist as he sucked, watching Yami kiss his way down to his naval. He stopped his actions when he felt Yami go lower and started sucking on his hardened length. The older man looked up at him as he slowly bobbed his head. Yugi's small hips would involuntarily thrust up as he continued to suck on Yami's fingers. The older man pulled his fingers away when he thought they were slick enough and pull away to look down at the younger boy. "Yugi, this is going to feel uncomfortable, but I promise I won't hurt you." He slowly inserted one finger inside him, making sure to keep an eye on Yugi's face to make sure he wasn't in pain. Once he got used to one finger, he inserted a second finger and started stretching him slowly.

"Yami, it hurts a little," Yugi admitted, trying to relax his body. But it felt weird to him and it was slightly painful having two fingers somewhere that he never bothered to explore. He gasped when he felt Yami press against something that made him see stars. He heard the older man chuckle and pressed against the spot again while still stretching him out with two fingers. "Yami!"

Bingo. Yami thought as he continued to stretch his Little Light out. Now that he was used to two fingers, he inserted the third and final finger. He saw tears fall from Yugi's eyes and kissed them away while scissoring his fingers inside him. "I'm sorry. It'll go away soon."

Yugi shook his head, moving his hips against the fingers inside him. Having never even touched himself, the sensations he was feeling was almost too much. "Yami," he moaned as he felt those long fingers press against his sweet spot. "I-I want you!"

Yami didn't hesitate and pulled his fingers out, positioning himself in between Yugi's legs. He would never forget the way Yugi looked at this moment. His eyes looked even brighter, his skin had a light sheen of sweat covering it, and his overall smaller appearance. All of this would be his. This boy who had looked into his mind and saw everything that he went through was willing to give him this little piece of paradise. "Yugi, are you sure about this? If you tell me to stop, I will try my best to. But I can't guarantee that I…"

"I've never been more sure about anything else in my life," Yugi told him, smiling brightly at him. He was a little scared, but he didn't want to stop. He knew if he didn't do this now, he might not ever agree to do it again.

Yami nodded, slowly thrusting inside the small body beneath him. He groaned at the tightness that surrounded his hard length. It took everything in him to not start pounding away into him like his body wanted. Yugi was digging his nails into his back and breathing heavily until he was all the way inside him. He looked down at him, seeing the faint flush on his cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asked, keeping still so that Yugi's body could adjust.

"Yes," Yugi gasped out. He shifted his hips a little and wrapped his legs around his waist. "You can move now."

Yami started moving, not thrusting too hard but moving a little faster as Yugi encouraged him. He knew if he thrust any harder then Yugi wouldn't be able to walk later. His Little Light was already going to be sore as it is. But those moans were driving him crazy and the tempting whispers his dragon kept saying didn't help. It wanted nothing more than pound into the boy beneath him and Mark him. And it also didn't help that Yugi's body was tightening around him to the point that he wanted to cum right now.

The younger one saw the battle in his eyes. Those beautiful ruby red eyes were slowly turning into the gold they turned into when he transformed. "Yami, it's okay. I can handle it," he assured him. "You don't have to hold back." The older man looked down at him with one red eye and one gold eye, seeing if Yugi was telling the truth. Yugi smiled up at him. "Just don't be too rough?"

Yami buried his face at the crook of his neck, inhaling his orchid scent as he started pounding into him harder and faster. Yugi screamed out loud in pleasure as his prostate was hit over and over again with each thrust. "Mine," Yami growled as he held Yugi's hips still as his continued his thrusting. His eyes turned gold and both he and the dragon felt like they were in paradise. Two thousand years of waiting was more than worth it now that Yugi was here. He wanted to keep this rhythm up and knew he could last for hours, but his mate wouldn't be able to handle much more of this. He started stroking Yugi's cock as he thrust even harder into him and made sure to hit his prostate with each thrust, loving the cries of pleasure Yugi let out.

"Y-Yami, I can't last-" Yugi wasn't able to finish his sentence and came in Yami's hand. His nails were digging into his shoulders, leaving little red marks and tightening his body around Yami's cock inside him.

Yami didn't last much longer. The feeling of Yugi's body shuddering around him was too much. He gave one final thrust and came inside him. He nuzzled Yugi's neck, sucking on it and left a small mark. It wasn't what he wanted, but right now, it was more than enough. He looked down at his mate, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Are you okay?" he asked, making sure not to crush him with his weight.

Yugi gave him a heartwarming smiled and nodded. "I'm okay." He traced his finger along his brow bone. "Your eyes have gone back to normal."

The pharaoh nuzzled his hair. "I'm sorry about that. I hope I didn't scare you."

"You didn't," Yugi told him. "Was I o-okay?"

Yami smiled down at him. "You were perfect." He slowly pulled out of him and laid to the side, holding him close. "You should get some rest. You'll be very sore when you wake up. I'm sorry if I was too rough."

Yugi shook his head as he yawned. "You weren't too rough. I'll be okay…" The moment his eyes closed, he fell asleep.

Yami just looked at him for a while, watching him sleep peacefully. Never once in all these past two thousand years did he think he was going to find his Soul Mate. Yugi was truly a treasure that he would cherish for the rest of his existence. And now that Yugi willingly gave his body and heart to him, he knew he would never be able to let him go. And that anyone or anything who tried to take him away, may the gods have mercy on their souls because Yami wouldn't.

With that thought, he held his mate closer and closed his eyes to rest. Finally being able to dream for the first time in two thousand years.

Bakura was walking through the hall of Shadi's home, cursing the man for making him stay here. He could sense his would be mate here along with the family of that man who got injured in the fight. He still couldn't believe his mate was such a weak and pathetic human. Was it too much to ask for a mate that wouldn't faint from feeling too much anger? But the boy wasn't too hard on the eyes, despite their very much alike appearances. The boy was shorter and more slender than him. His eyes were bigger and rounder and his face looked softer.

And those lips…

He shook his head at that. He should've just let the boy die when that rain of daggers was coming down. At least then he wouldn't be feeling disappointed and hopeless.

"Bakura, your mate is in the kitchen," Shadi told him from behind.

He growled. "Dammit, stop appearing out of nowhere like a ghost! Don't you ever get tired of being a freak?"

Shadi ignored his outburst. "Will you not claim the boy?"

"Hn, never," he said. "That boy is too weak. The boy can't even protect himself from emotions of anyone around him and will faint if they're too strong. What use is he to me?"

"That boy has suffered most of his life. Much like you," Shadi said calmly. "His mother was killed in an accident that almost took the life of his sister. His father no longer speaks to him. And he had no friends until a few years ago when he met Yami's mate."

"And? Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for him? He didn't lose his entire family," Bakura spat.

"No, he didn't. But that boy has been emotionally abused his whole life. His father continues to blame him for his mother's death. His sister has had a slight limp in her walk ever since. Every time he sees her, he's reminded of their mother's death and that he could've lost his sister. Perhaps the gods made him for you so that you learn compassion."

"Compassion? Why would I need that? Emotions like that will only get me killed," he said and walked off. Sure enough, he could smell the sweet vanilla scent of his mate. The boy was sitting by the dining table and drinking a glass of water. It was obvious that he had a headache from the way he was shaking. How could this weakling be his? Why couldn't the gods have given him a stronger mate?

While he was too busy wondering, Ryou could feel the anger coming from him. Shadi had given him a warning that Bakura was living in the house for now. Ryou was scared of him, but he felt that the man's anger was justified. He wouldn't even pick himself for a mate if he had the choice. He stood up from table and walked out. He wanted to get as far away as possible from Bakura. He just wanted to get far away from everyone right now. But he really wanted to get away from Bakura the most. Ryou felt horrible that he was the man's chosen mate. He felt like a failure that he wasn't strong enough to make him happy.

He sat outside, heading to the small flower garden. Now that he was far away from everyone, his headache was finally going away.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," a voice growled behind him. He turned around, seeing Bakura standing behind him.

He looked away. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just wanted some fresh air."

"Or did you want to get away from me?" Bakura sneered. "I know you felt my anger."

Ryou didn't say anything. What could he say? He ruined the man's life. Funny, he couldn't feel any emotions right now. "Why can't I feel your emotions?"

"I can shield myself from you if I want," he snapped angrily. "It doesn't take much energy."

Before he could say anything, he felt a wave of panic coming from the woods. And it wasn't until he heard a scream that he knew who it was. And that something bad must've happened.

All he heard was one word from a very familiar voice.

Serenity.

"JOEY!"

Before the screaming...

"I thought you said Kaiba was gonna tell you where Yugi was," Tristan said as they walked through the woods.

Joey sighed as he thought of the prick. "He lied. He just told me that Yugi was safe with his friend. But now we gotta find Ryou and the others too. Do you think something happened to them?"

"They're not dead," Amane said as she walked passed them. "I know Ryou and the others were here."

"How can you be so sure?" Tristan asked.

"I just know," she replied.

"You don't think something happened, do you?" Serenity quietly asked. This whole thing was scaring her. First Yugi and his grandpa went missing, now Ryou and the Ishtar siblings were missing.

Amane shook her head. "They're alive. I would've known if my brother was dead."

Joey continued walking with them. "Hey, there's a house up ahead," he pointed out. It was a big house, big enough to be considered a mansion. "Should we check it out? It could belong to Kaiba. Didn't you say you catch him walking to the woods, Tristan?"

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, but do you think he lives here? And why would he want Yugi anyways? I understand Yugi beat him as his own game, but that's no reason to go kidnap anyone."

The blonde boy shrugged as they continued to walk towards the mansion. "But it's always the people we least expect to do something like this. And Kaiba has enough money to-Whoa!" He looked at Amane as part of her arm disappeared. "What happened?"

"There was a portal of some sort here," she said calmly. "I opened it with what little magic power I have. I can feel Ryou's presence in here. He's somewhere in there."

"Is going through a magic portal to some unknown place really the best idea? It's only four of us," Tristan said.

"We can't ask Téa and the others since they're always busy," Serenity pointed out. "And no one will believe us if we try asking for help."

"Good point," Tristan agreed. "Well, all in favor in going through this freaky portal raise your hand." He raised his hand and so did his friends. "Okay, then that's settled."

Amane was about to go through first until Joey stopped her. "Let me go first. If something happens, I'll just push ya back in." He walked through first, seeing nothing but trees surrounding them. "Great, more walking."

"You've got to be kidding me," Tristan as he walked through with the girls. "Please tell me you can sense your brother, Amane."

She nodded. "Yes, I know where he is. Just follow me." She walked next to Joey since he refused to let her walk ahead.

"Is anyone else feeling creeped out about this, or is it just me?" Tristan asked.

"I'm a little scared," Serenity admitted. "None of this is normal." She gasped when she heard something moving in the forest. "What was that? Did you guys hear that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not willing to find out," Joey said. "Let's keep going. Hopefully we find something." He heard the same moving in the forest and that it was coming closer to them. It looked like a tiger that had bandages wrapped around its body and half of the skin on its head was missing along with an ear¹. "Are you guys seeing this?"

Tristan pushed both of the girls back. "Seeing, just working on believing."

The tiger growled at them, getting ready to attack. Joey looked around, hoping to find anything that he could defend them with, but there was nothing. "Can you guys climb on the tree?"

"Only if the big kitty here waits for another minute," Tristan said, slowly walking back and keeping the girls behind him.

Joey looked back at his sister then back at the monster. "You guys have about fifteen seconds…make it count." He started running away, knowing the beast would come after him. Sure enough, he heard it running after him. But there was no way he'd be able to outrun something like that. A heavy weight pushed him down from behind. He tried to roll away from it, but the tiger had him right where it wanted him. It brought its claws down on his chest, easily tearing through his clothes and skin and biting at his neck.

Serenity watched in horror as her older was being mauled by the tiger. Her brother didn't even look recognizable anymore. His throat had been ripped out, his chest and torso were being ripped open and had punctured wounds from it bit him. And his face had deep cuts. She jumped off the tree, ignoring Tristan and Amane. "JOEY!" Before she could even reach him, a bright blue blast shot the tiger down. She ran to her brother, kneeling next to him. "Joey! Please don't die!" she begged. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. She didn't want her last sight of Joey to be of him being mauled. "Joey!"

Her brother didn't respond.

"What happened?"

She looked up to where the voice came from, eyes widening at who she saw. "Seto Kaiba?"

But he didn't say anything to her. All he could see was the bloodied body that was next to her. It wasn't until the wind blew and carried the faint scent of honey that he realized who it was.

And he didn't hear any of his comrades or his brothers appear. He didn't hear anything. All he heard was a faint and slowing heartbeat coming from Joey.