"So, you're all going out tonight?" Hesitantly, I step towards them, hands held close to my heart. I know fully well that they are capable of taking care of themselves but something keeps gnawing at the back of my mind. Just a few nights ago were the last fight they had, and even though the scars are gone, in my mind they seem as fresh as the day they received them. Glancing at the others sitting on the opposite couch from me, I hope that they'll say something against all this, but they remain silent for the most part.
Something taps my shoulder and I look over to see Cecil there, leaning forward slightly in his chair, he whispers, "You know they can handle themselves." I nod in understanding but that doesn't keep me from worrying.
"It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice, do we?" Masato fixes the hood of the gray hoodie he's wearing. "That wolf is still out there. And by now, her paw has probably healed."
"And we have a clear plan for tonight too, so we'll be extra careful." Ren rolls up the sleeves on his shirt as he says this. "I'll be trying to follow the scent of that wolf for most of the night, just to check and see if she's still in the area or has a general territory where we should keep away from."
Masato gives us a small smile. "I'll be walking around the building to make sure she doesn't get in. I've already made sure any accessible window or door is secured tightly."
"And I'll be here for tonight," Otoya grins widely at us. "If the she wolf does get in somehow, I'll know in an instant and keep her preoccupied until these two arrive." He gestures to Ren and Masato.
Syo points out, "How will you know if she does get in? Masato could be on the other side of the building. Could you really hear Otoya from wherever you are?" He rests his head on his hand.
"Our hearing has gotten better, so there's a good chance I'll hear no matter what." Ren taps Masato's shoulder, nodding to him, and they start to head toward the doorway. "We'll see you all later." As they leave through the doorway they flash some reassuring smiles and wave us goodbye.
When their gone, Natsuki turns to Otoya and ask him, "Will you be turning into a wolf while you're here?"
Otoya awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "Well no. Not yet I mean. I'll turn into a wolf if there's danger around but I'd rather not right now. Besides, I can't change back at night like Ren and Masato can, and I'd rather not be stuck as an animal and unable to talk to you guys." We nod our heads in understanding.
"Too bad," Natsuki sighs. "I wanted to see what you look like, but that's okay."
"Eh, what for?"
Natsuki smiles widely. "I bet you look cute as a wolf!"
Otoya blushes lightly. The memory of the first time Otoya became a wolf and how energetic he was comes to mind. Giggling, I slightly nod my head. Otoya coughs and stammers, "I-it's not that cute and besides shouldn't you all be going to bed soon?"
Tilting my head, I give him a quizzical look. "You don't want any of us to stay up with you and keep you company?"
He shrugs his shoulders. "I just think you all would be safer in your rooms tonight."
"And with that said," Tokiya stands up. "I'll be heading to bed. I have work tomorrow. Just like the rest of you do." He waves us goodnight and leaves the room. There are a few silent murmurs of sleep, followed by a few yawns, before everyone seems to agree that sleeping is the best option. Syo and Natsuki both wave us goodnights as Otoya, Cecil, and I stay behind for just a moment more.
Turning to Otoya, I ask him "Are you sure you guys will be alright tonight?"
He answers with a smile and a nod. "I wouldn't worry too much. If she does get in, we can handle it. We'll do our absolute best to keep her at away." I muster up a smile for him while Cecil places a hand on my shoulder and nods to the stairs that lead to our rooms. Nodding in return, we walk briskly out of the room, but as soon as were out of Otoya's sight we slow down.
Cecil turns to me. "Have you had any dreams lately?" He smiles eagerly at me and waits for my reply.
"Not since their fight from a few nights ago. Not that I'm complaining or anything, its just nice to not have a nightmare once in a while." Frowning slightly, I remember the different nightmares I've been having the past few weeks. Though all of them were about a monster coming after me, some were different from others. In the beginning, it was just the monster and me until later on when the wolves showed up. And said beast would always attack in different ways every other time.
"Have you thought anymore about what I've said; about your dreams and the others?" His smile drops and is replaced with a more serious look.
I hum softly. "I'm still not completely sure about it. I mean, why would my dreams have any connection to this at all? I'm just a composer. It does seem like the better explanation, but I'm just… Plain..." Cecil listens to me thoughtfully. He then smiles and stops walking causing me to stop as well as I look up at him, head tilted slightly to the side. The next thing I feel is his arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace. "Eh? C-Cecil? What are you doing?"
He chuckles in my ear. "The muses told me of the connection your music gives people. Every song you compose, every note you write down, weaves us together tighter than before. I can assure you; you are not as plain as you may think." He lets go of me and smiles.
Blushing, I reply, "Thank you, Cecil." We continue walking down the hallway and make it to the women's dorm. Cecil wishes me a good night and leaves me in the cool marble hall as he walks toward his own room. I make it to my room safely and open the door to a dark room. With a flick of the lights, I make my way to my desk and pull out the slip of paper with the list on it and begin writing something down.
8. Werewolves heal quickly.
9. Every person has a wolf inside them that 'talks' to them.
I furrow my brow at the list. It seems a bit short. It's been almost a month now; shouldn't I have more than this? Momentarily, I debate whether or not to add something concerning the dreams, but decided that it has nothing to do with werewolves specifically. Yawning, I place the paper in a drawer in the desk. After I dress myself in a white night gown, one that fell to my mid-thigh, and brush my teeth in the bathroom, I decide an early turn in would be better than staying up and composing till the early lights of day.
As I walk to my bed, a sudden chill shoots up my spine as I freeze in place. I take a quick glance around my room to see if there was a draft coming from somewhere, but see that every door and window was closed. Shaking my head of the thought, I pull back the covers of the blanket and slide into its comforting embrace. As I lay my head down on the soft feather pillows, I feel myself instantly pulled into my dreams.
A soft laugh leaves my lips as I chase after the other three wolves. They dashed ahead of me; occasionally looking back to make sure I was keeping up. While the red wolf seemed happy to be here, the other two looked warily around them as they ran. The grassy plains stretched far in front of me as faint breezes rolled over the blades. Everything seemed so at peace around me, but I knew those two were keeping their eyes open for the familiar mist. When a dark cloud rolled by the sun, efficiently blocking out the natural light, they jumped to their feet and growled at it before it carelessly floated by. The red wolf seemed as careless as the cloud, I didn't react much to it until the others two started growling.
Stopping, I turn to them and crouch down to their eye level. They slow down and stand in front of me. "You don't have to be on edge all the time. You fought the shadow away just a few nights ago. I don't think they'll be back tonight." I smile reassuringly at them but they still seem hesitant to let their guards down. "What harm can it do if you let your guard down for a while? It's no good if you're constantly cautious of every little thing." The red wolf runs up to us and wags his tail enthusiastically, clearly wanting to play. "I think the both of us would be happier if you played just a little bit." Raising my hand up, I pat the red wolf on the head. The orange and blue wolves share an unreadable look with each other.
Abruptly the orange one walks off to the side and crouches down in a playful position, tail swaying rhythmically. The red wolf seems to grin as it runs forward and bounds around the orange one. He pounces onto its back playfully before dashing away a safe distance, crouched in a playful position. The other runs after him, quickly turning it into a game of tag between the two.
I glance at the blue wolf, who was only mildly interested in the game going on, and stood stoically as it looked off at something in the distance. Following its line of sight, I see… absolutely nothing. He notices me staring off in the distance with him and squints, which is their way of smiling I've learned. My eyes tear away to a tree not too far away from the others. "Why don't we take a seat in the shade over there?" The blue wolf follows my eyes and nods his head.
Under the shade of the tree, we both watched the game of tag unfold into something more. Both wolves tried even harder to avoid being 'it' and even went to such lengths as the start jumping over the other. The orange wolf was clearly having fun being able to relax and cut loose for a bit while the other seemed happy just to have someone else to play with. I take another look at the blue wolf to see him wagging his tail but otherwise keeping glued to the spot. Chuckling, I place a hand on his shoulder and soothingly pet him. "You can go play with them if you want. I'm perfectly fine right here." The blue wolf looks between them and me, still not moving. "It's ok, really. If there's any danger, I'll come running towards you, ok?" Hesitantly, he looks between us again before bounding after the other two wolves, barking excitedly.
Sighing, I relax against the bark of the tree and look through the sun dyed leaves, brilliant waves of greens creating patterns on my skin. A gentle breeze shifts through the leaves and grass, pushing a few on the ground out of its way. The clouds continuously drift by lazily as the occasional wind blows through my hair. I smile and soak in the warmth and peace of the whole scenery. A smile tugs the corners of my mouth as I watch the other three enjoy their time playing tag. It seemed that the red wolf was 'it' and was having a tough time deciding who to tag next, while the others kept a safe distance away. In just a short moment, the red wolf makes a mad dash for the blue one, and, after a few short moments, is successful in his plan. Smiling, I turn my gaze to the field as a whole.
Out of nowhere, the color of the area around me starts to change to a much brighter orange. I furrow my brow in confusion. Is the sun setting? A quick glance to the sky confirms my thoughts as the sun seems to fall behind the horizon, dragging the daylight with it. The wolves notice this change in time and rush over to my side, all traces of playfulness gone. They stand defensively around me and growl in low tones. By now, the sun has completely disappeared and the moon has risen over the horizon just as quickly as the sun fell behind it.
Both the orange and blue wolf walked in circles around me, growling at the sky, while the red wolf sat by my side and rubbed his muzzle against my arm. "I'm sure its fine. Don't worry." Forcing a smile, I pat his red smoky fur. The moon continues to rise until it reaches the peak of the sky and stops moving altogether. Stars appeared in the sky quickly thereafter, millions filling the black canvas in moments. Shades of blue spread out through each dot of light, creating an image as beautiful as any painting. Hesitantly, I let the stillness of the night wash over me. Both wolves have stopped growling, realizing that nothing was posing a threat, as they relax and sit on the ground next to me. Seeing nothing better to do, I slowly pet the wisp like fur of the blue wolf, attempting to keep him from growling anymore.
The fire like strands flow through my fingers and dissipate into the air above them. I've never been able to get a close look at their fur till now, and didn't realize how strange they seemed. They gave off a light from their very bodies and it casted shadows across the ground in front of us. The red, orange, and blue lights danced between the blades and pebbles, efficiently weaving through them. Though they appeared to be made of differently colored flames, they actually gave off soothing warmth that would spread through my whole body. The shadows on the ground moved whenever they did, and I giggle at the beautiful designs and move my hands into the light. The wolves aren't sure what to do with the childish act, but they seem to smile nonetheless.
A strong wind blows by and they huddle closer to me, offering their warmth. I sigh in content and close my eyes as we sit in peace. Instantly, I feel the one of the wolves tense up near me and an open my eyes to see the red wolf had his head raised high and with ears perked up.
"Hm? Is something wrong?" He doesn't seem to be growling, and looked more curious than anything. I follow his eyesight into the open field beyond us to see something in the far distance. It shined like a star but it was on the ground and not in the sky. I squint in the dark, but it doesn't help and I'm sitting here guessing what it could. It takes me only a moment more to notice that the light is getting bigger, or actually it was getting closer. The other wolves stand up and take a couple of steps forward. Surprisingly, none of them were growling at this new light and only looked on in curiosity. I feel my heart drop in my chest and start imagining the worst. A shiver shoots up my spine as a single thought crosses my mind. "That's someone new, isn't it?"
I jolt awake, gasping for breath as I frantically look around my room. Getting on my feet, I turn the lamp next to my bed on. A quick glance around the room calmed me down in a second. I place my hand over my chest and feel how frantically my heart was beating. After a quick glance to my clock, I see it reads 1:38 AM. Slipping on a pair of slippers, I head towards the door of my room. I need to go check on them, or at least have a quick look around. My thoughts flashback to the shadow in my dreams and the wolf in reality, but I opt to ignore it. The second my hand reaches the knob, a long howl echoes off the walls. Freezing in place, I listen to the note and recognize it as an F note, in terms of music. An F note; from a wolf? A second howl resonates in the room, a C note this time and very close by. The first thought to cross my mind is; 'Trouble? Why else would they howl?', but it's quickly pushed aside by my second thought; 'They sound… wonderful.' The notes were perfect and even and sounded just as good as the songs I've heard them sing so many times. A third howl sounds outside; an A note much farther away. Shaking my head, I frantically open the door.
My shoes hardly make a sound on the marble floor as I run to where I heard the first howl. It sounded as if it came from the men's floor, though the hard floors and walls might have caused it to echo from somewhere else. I slow down as I make my way up the stairs and continue down the halls. Pausing momentarily, I realize I might not have been the only one to hear the howl; the others could be awake right now. Rounding the corner, I narrowly avoid collision with someone in a silk gray shirt. I take a step back and look up to see Camus' serious face.
"Camus! W-what are you doing up?" I stutter.
He glares at me for a moment before saying, "I heard something close by and decided to see what it was; if you'll excuse me." He starts to walk around me and I feel my breath catch in my throat. Oh no.
"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing worth investigating!" I quickly shut my mouth and press my lips together as much as I can.
"Hm? Why do you say that?" He looks back and me and stares curiously. "You're not hiding something are you?"
Panic starts to rise in me. "N-No, of course not, it's just that…" I furrow my brow slightly. "The sound was uh… me! Yea, I was working on a new song and was thinking of some notes on my piano." I force a smile at him but he doesn't seem to accept it.
"It sounded more like an animal than a piano." He glares at me once again.
"Uh… My piano needs tuning it would seem." I feel my neck burn from the thought of being caught by someone, especially one of our seniors.
Camus continues to glare at me, but it softens into his usual stoic face. "You should probably tune it sometime soon." His brows furrows. "What are you doing here?"
Gulping audibly, I manage to force out, "I need the hammer to tune it, you know? I seem to remember one on the fourth floor." Forcing a smile, I continue. "Though it is late in the night, honestly it was foolish of me to stay up so late composing. I think we should both try to get our beauty sleep, right?" I laugh nervously and hope that Camus doesn't pick up on any of my behavior.
He gives a soft 'hmph' before turning back towards his room. "In the future, I expect you not to make such a ruckus, as others are trying to sleep. Though I suppose you're right. Good night then." He continues to walk down the hall before softly closing his door behind him. A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I lean against the wall. It felt like my heart was about to burst from my chest.
"Nice job Haruka, I was worried about what might have happened if he noticed us." I yelp and whip around to look at the owner of the voice. Syo and Natsuki were standing close by, attired in loose pajama clothing and both had curious looks on their faces. Otoya was standing next to them in his wolf form, occasionally switching his attention between the three of us. Syo laughs nervously. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. We were just heading back to our rooms."
I'm too shocked at their sudden appearance to say anything instantly but when the shock passed just a moment later, I forced out a dire question, "What are you two doing up? And Otoya, why are you a wolf?" Otoya tilts his head to the side before looking to Syo and Natsuki, most likely waiting for them to explain what's happened.
Syo shrugs his shoulders and Natsuki smiles before saying, "Apparently, I was sleepwalking when that she wolf got in. She didn't do any damage, and from what I know, and she didn't attack anyone tonight. I believe Otoya fought her off before he howled for the others. They'll be here momentarily." He frowns. "I wish I wasn't asleep during the whole thing. I was completely useless during it all."
Syo walks up to him and places a hand on his back, a grin plastered across his face. "Don't worry about it! You didn't miss much, nothing worth noting at least."
Natsuki smiles in return and nods. "Yea, you're probably right." He yawns. "I think it's time I went back to bed anyway. Good night, everyone!"
Syo nods in response, "I'll be there in just a moment." Natsuki starts walking towards their room, and the second the door is closed behind him, Syo's smile drops and he sighs heavily, rubbing the back of his neck as well.
I turn to him. "What really happened?"
He glances at me, as if thinking of if he should tell me, then sighs. "She snuck in while we were asleep. Natsuki doesn't sleep with his glasses on, so when Satsuki suddenly woke up and saw her there, he immediately chased after her."
"Is he okay?"
He nods. "He's fine from what I can tell. She seemed surprised that he suddenly came after her, and she ran out of the room. I found Otoya and told him that she got in. He howled for the others but by the time we found Satsuki, he already fought with her and she was running away. He wasn't bitten from what I can tell, and in fact Satsuki confirmed that, and I quote, 'I'm not dumb enough to be bitten by some stupid mutt.' I got his glasses on him before he could do anymore damage after that."
I sigh and place a hand over my heart. "That's a relief." So the light in my dream was nothing more than a simple light in the distance. The sound of footsteps on tile resonates into the hall and Masato and Ren, both in human form and in loose clothes, come running in.
"We heard you howl," Masato stops in front of us, panting slightly. "Is something wrong?" Otoya looks up at him and starts a series of soft barks and yips. Both Ren and Masato crouch down to his level and listen intently to him, facial expressions hardly changing. Otoya nods to Syo and they glance up at him. Masato stands, "You saw the whole thing right? Are you sure he wasn't bitten?"
He nods in response. "I didn't see any blood when I arrived and Satsuki said he wasn't."
"But in the end," Ren walks forward, placing a hand on Masato's shoulder, and leaning on it. "She got away into the night." Otoya whimpers and Syo looks down. Ren gives a 'tch' before turning around in a huff. He runs his hands through his hair, growling in frustration. He glares harshly at nothing in particular, but it's obvious he's trying to keep his cool about the whole situation. "Damn it!" Growling harshly, he slams his hand against the wall.
"Ren," Masato places a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Calm down. We'll figure out where she went later, but now is not the time to get angry over it."
"Easy for you to say!" Glaring, he gives a low growl to Masato. "How can you be so calm right now, doesn't it trouble you that she's threatening our pack?" Otoya barks harshly at him, and Ren stops growling though his glare remained.
"Of course it bothers me," Masato nods to Otoya. "It bothers both of us, but reacting too harshly to the matter will only make things worse."
"Masato is right," Syo takes a step forward. "It's important that we try to keep calm about this whole thing. If you don't relax, you won't be able to solve problems clearly."
Ren's features relax slightly. "Alright, I see what you mean. Sorry, it's just…" His words die off.
"Is it because of your wolf?" I ask, tilting my head. Four pairs of eyes look in my direction, and I flinch under their stares.
Ren sighs heavily before giving me a sly grin. "Yea, though I am surprised by you, Little Lamb. You seem to understand my wolf better than I do."
Well, I have been around them a lot in my dreams. Smiling, I nod to him. "Lucky guess, I suppose."
Syo brings my attention to him by yawning loudly. "I don't know about you all, but it's one in the morning and I think I'll be going to bed now. You should be too, Haruka."
Otoya nudges my hand and yips at me, tail wagging. I smile. "Yea, that's a good idea." Wishing them a good night, I go back down the stairs to my room, closing the door softly as I enter. I take off my slippers and place them by the bed. Taking a seat on the bed, I think back to the dream last night. If Satsuki was bitten, he would've appeared in my dream, but he didn't. That means there's still a chance these dreams aren't connected to any of this. I sigh happily before lying down on my bed and closing my eyes. However, something in the back of mind kept bringing itself to attention; the chance that I was only trying to kid myself about everything.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, and a thanks to all who've followed and liked the story. Please, leave your reviews and opions on this chapter and any future ones. Your reviews keep me writing!