So I decided that I'd surprise you guys and post a day early in a pathetic attempt to make up for all the times I've posted late! Woot! I know not much is happening, but thank you so much for bearing with me! You guys are awesome!

Thank you to In The Mix and ririlion for faving! You rock!

I do not own Himaruya Hidakaz.


As the Alpha looked down at the four Werecat Cubs, all of the brothers -even Conor- found themselves looking to Alistair for the go-ahead. He nodded and cued his kin to shift into their human forms as they prepared to follow the Werewolf through the forest and into the human village. It just made the humans uneasy if they were in their first forms while in town.

Alistair had brick-red hair, the same color as his pelt, and stood only a few inches taller than Conor who had deep black hair matching a midnight pelt. Alistair and Conor were their mother's first litter and twins by definition. Dylan and Arthur were the second litter, but they were identical twins. They shared the same hue of the famous, green Kirkland eyes as well as the sandy blond hair. Only their personalities made them any different at all.

The four boys stuck together as the entered the town and tried to avoid eye contact with any of the inhabitants. They had been brought here a few times by their parents when they needed supplies they couldn't make for themselves, but it wasn't a setting they felt comfortable in yet. The forest was home. This place was not.

It wasn't like the town was unfriendly to members of other species. It was just that it was painfully obvious the citizens were wary of any outsiders. The humans were the ones that seemed to give them the hardest stares. Even though they lacked the advanced sense of smell to identify them by their species, they did not recognize their faces. The werewolves were more willing to let the anomalies go even though their sense of smell was much more acute only because they had a sort of Shifter kinship. It was this "kinship" that the Werecats had been exploiting when their father brought their mother to the town for medical assistance. They would have played any card if it would have helped their mother.

Suddenly, a small brunette kid ran up to them out of nowhere and hugged Arthur. The little troupe stopped and stared at him as Arthur was smothered in between the other child's arms. Alistair intervened, prying the two apart, and the other child looked at him with shock. His eyes were a green -a shade deeper than the Kirkland green- but the fact they sparkled with a joy for life made a bigger contrast than the hue.

"I saw you and I knew your madre must be that nice lady that Gilbert's padre is helping. I just thought you looked sad so I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't worry. Diarch Beilschmidt is the best doctor ever so you don't have to worry! She will be fine!"

The Cubs stared at him –the concept of showing that sort of care for a stranger was completely foreign to them.

"Antonio, can you show our guests to their mother? I am going to check on my sons. As future Alpha, I'm sure you can do it."

"Of course, Alpha Romulus!"

The Alpha nodded, a pride showing in his eyes, before leaving the group.

"Follow me!" Antonio announced, taking Arthur's hand and leading the Kirkland children down the road.

Arthur was glad for this strange Werewolf child because he didn't seem to mind how hard he squeezed his hand in anticipation of seeing his mother nor did he seem to mind the glances people shot toward him for being with a group of outsiders.

He led the Cubs to into a building that clearly smelled of blood and medicine even in their weaker and less sensitive forms. Still, this was where their mother was so it was where they would go.

"Mummy!"

Arthur couldn't keep his composure any longer. He ripped his hand from Antonio's as he barreled into a back room. Alistair tried to stop him, but the little Cub was too fast. The rest of the children entered the room with more composure.

Upon arriving, they saw their mother lying on a bed of white sheets. She was bandaged so heavily and so tightly. It was as if the doctor was afraid she would fall apart. Arthur was already clinging to his mother, overjoyed past the point of words – only making happy-sounding noises and purrs.

She looked pale, Alistair observed, just as he observed every other evidence of injury with guilt. But what Alistair chose to ignore was her relieved smile as she stroked her youngest son's blond hair and told him over and over how she was so happy to see them.

"Oh! Antonio is here too! Boys, have you met him? He kept me company while I was resting here. I think you would be good friends with you."

Antonio smiled wider if possible, but the doctor's hand on his shoulder kept him joining the Cubs. Dylan stood behind Arthur, patiently waiting for his turn to be doted on while Conor and Alistair hung in the back.

There was a movement beside them and they were startled by how still their father must have been to not be noticed until now. His face was grave and hard-set. Alistair visibly shrunk down. He would have done anything to avoid that man's gaze, but the man never looked to his son. He never once took his eyes off his mate.

The serious-looking doctor, satisfied that the children had enough time to see that their mother was fine, stepped forward and addressed the Cubs' father.

"The bleeding has stopped, and she is able to ingest and hold food again. With care and extreme gentleness she can return to your home. However, it would not inconvenience me if she remained here for a few more days."

"No. She will come with us."

Alistair's father finally spoke. Alistair's mother caught her husband's eye with a worried expression. Her eyebrows were furrowed with a knowing look that was lost on the children –a communication only decipherable by years of marriage.

Dylan quickly pulled Arthur back as their father approached knowing it wouldn't end well for anyone to be standing in the way of their father and mother at this moment. Arthur reluctantly allowed Dylan to guide him away, but he comforted himself in the fact he could still see his mother at least.

Their father tenderly helped slide her off of the bed so she could stand on her own feet. However, he allowed her to grip onto his arm for balance and summoned Conor over to balance her on the other side. Carefully the two guided the wounded Werecat outside the doctor's office and out to the street.

Alistair made sure to open all the doors for them and clear the way, but he dared not look his mother nor his father in the eye. He was too ashamed to meet their gazes after what he had done.


It was an enormous surprise and relief to Dylan that his brother hadn't been spending all this time by himself. He was actually doing the most oddly responsible thing Dylan could think of –raising children (using the most open definition of "children" that he could think of).

He had to admit, they were kinda cute in a weird way. After all, he never really stopped to consider the "cute-ness" of the prey he was about to eat so he hadn't any sort of frame of reference for the "cute-ness" of a toddling Bird or a Centaur Calf. But, if he there were cute ones, he would take a shot in the dark and say that these were it.

Still, he was concerned for Arthur and the practicality of raising the…kids. There were so many things that could go wrong, and Dylan knew it would absolutely destroy his brother if any of them happened. This project was doing wonders for him while everything was going smoothly. Come on! He actually admitted he missed him! But, every day held risk, and Arthur was probably too blinded by affection for the children that ran at his feet to think rationally about it.

Don't get him wrong, Dylan wasn't opposed to Arthur raising the kids. He really wasn't. He just cared deeply for his twin. He didn't want to see him hurt by this. So he decided that he would just ask Arthur a few questions. If he had the right answers, Dylan would be more at peace. But, if he didn't, he would try his hardest to explain to Arthur that maybe he should seek someone else to raise them. After all, it was his job to ask the hard questions.

"So, when I first saw them, the little Bird-"

"Alfred," Arthur corrected.

"Yes. Alfred." Dylan humored him. "When I first saw Alfred, he mimicked me and even started to growl at me."

"…He's going through a phase."

"Are you sure? Does he even try to use his wings?"

"He's too small to fly. You know that."

"But he should be practicing, getting them stronger?"

"I don't know. I assumed instinct would handle that. When the time is right, he'll try flying."

"Does the "phase" he's going through allow for it?"

"…Whatever you are insinuating, just say it, Dylan."

"Arthur, does he even think he's a Bird?"

Arthur crossed his arms indignantly.

"Of course he does! Why would you ask a stupid question? What? Do you think he thinks he's a Werecat? I don't have wings, and he can't shift. I don't understand how he could be confused in that regard."

"I'm just worried that since he doesn't have any Bird influences…he might not turn out…right." Dylan said his words slowly and with timidity, knowing full-well it was not wise to insult a mother on her parenting skills.

Arthur bristled.

"Alfred! Come here!"

"No~!" The little lad scampered behind Matthew as if to get a head start for the game of tag he knew his disobedience would start, giggling mischievously the whole time.

"Alf-! Ugh. Matthew! Get that little brat over here!"

Matthew sighed and turned around to get his brother. Alfred tried to wiggle out of his brother's reach by dodging around under his legs, but the Calf, after shuffling, used that strategy against him –trapping him between his front legs. After that, the Bird was easy pickings.

Arthur tried not to watch as Matthew walked over to the two Werecats, wrestling with the energetic toddler the whole way.

"Here, Arthur."

Matthew presented the squirming Bird, holding him by his ankles upside-down. The Bird swung himself from side to side, his shirt slipping down to reveal his pudgy, bellybutton-less tummy.

"Thank you, lad."

Arthur took the child, attempted to right him, but Alfred struggled -apparently loving the feeling of blood rushing to his head. Arthur so did not have time for this. Trying to remain cross, he raised the lad up so that he at least dangled at eye level.

"Alfred," he began, but stopped when the Bird started swinging back and forth and booping Arthur on the nose every time he got close enough.

"Alfred, stop! I have to ask you a question!" the Werecat sputtered, trying to keep Alfred from ignoring the seriousness of the topic.

"Uh huh." He cocked his head to the side, his too blue eyes sparkling with mirth and mischief, and he poked his caretaker's nose once more.

"Do you know what you are?"

"Yessss~" Alfred said as he made a grab at Arthur's large eyebrows.

The Werecat shook his head and craned his neck away, commanding Alfred to stop and be serious. He flipped the lad right-side up with much effort and held him out at arm's length.

"Alfred, what do you think you are?"

The lad appeared to think and even scrunched up his face. A moment passed, and Arthur wondered if the lad had already forgotten the question before he burst forth with his answer.

"A hero!" He declared, smiling and slashing out with his hands, fingers curled like they were claws. "I stop the bad guys and save the day!"

"No, you're not. This isn't a bedtime story. You're a Bird, Alfred," Matthew offered, annoyed with his brother's response.

"M-matthew! I wasn't asking you!" Arthur huffed.

The Calf obviously couldn't understand what Arthur's purpose was in asking Alfred the question, but Matthew was beginning to get into his rebellious pre-teen years. Timid and sweet as the Centaur was, his mood would swing without warning like any hormonal kid. Essentially, Arthur was raising a moody pre-teen and a child in his terrible twos. Alone. At the same time. It was a wonder he didn't have grey fur by now.

The "hero" writhed in Arthur's arms.

"No-o! I'm the hero! I'm the hero! Mattie's stupid! I'm the hero!" he screeched.

"I'm not stupid! You're the one who doesn't know anything!"

"That's it! Matthew, go over there and actually eat something! You are getting cranky."

The boy opened his mouth to protest but shut it on his own –hopefully retreating back into his more docile, quieter self.

"Alfred! You're in time out!"

He deposited the writhing boy down on the opposite side of the cave as his Centaur brother, which caused the Eaglet to immediately cross his arms and pout his lips -grunting and kicking his feet angrily against the floor.

"And Dylan, you're wrong!"

Arthur walked up to his littermate and grabbed his wrist to lead him to just outside the cave entrance who, up into this moment had been watching with a partly horrified, partly justified look as the scene blew up around him.

Dylan watched as his brother's red cheeks paled out again and his rough breathing calmed to a normal rhythm. Identical pairs of green eyes met. One set was hard then softened under the familial understanding in the other.

"He will be fine." His voice cracked. He cleared his voice to try again. "He will turn out completely fine. He's going to be a fine, young Bird. He will receive a thorough education of the forest and how to hunt. Matthew is another positive influence in his life too. Normally they're wonderful playmates. They're good for each other. What more could he ask for?"

Dylan remained quiet as Arthur pulled at his blond mop of hair, willing away the emotion that was making his eyes well up. Dylan brought a hand to rest on his littermate's shoulder, but it was brushed off in a manner that was so Alistair-like it was frustrating. Dylan took a deep breath.

"Arthur, why are you doing this?"

"Hey, Alfie! Look how big this bug is!"

Arthur gratefully turned away from his brother.

"D-don't do that, lads!"

He took a step toward the inside of the cave but hesitated a second to give his brother one last glance. He opened and closed his mouth as he tried to summon up the right words and settled for, "I'm obviously not doing it for my own sanity."

Then he went inside.

Dylan remained. He wrapped his arms around akimbo and sighed to himself for what seemed the thousandth time. A small smile pushed on his lips. His brother was finally allowing himself to feel something other than anger and bitterness. While he wasn't sure if it would work out in the end, he was glad his brother, even though he wouldn't admit it to himself, was happy for once. That was all he ever wanted for his twin. He then went to join his littermate in the cave.


So this part of the flashback (which takes place immediately following the flashback in the previous chapter) explains how Arthur already knew Antonio and how Antonio somehow knew something about Arthur's mom in chapter four. So, yeah. I didn't expect anyone to really remember those foreshadowing (or past-shadowing as it would be) about Arthur's mom and his past and stuff, but you can go back and reread chapters four and five and things will make a little more sense now.

After a little brainstorming session with my mom, I've planned out past the plot block that I've had for a while that I was getting worried about because it's coming up soon. A 'plot block' isn't writer's block, it's just when I need to figure out something to do for a specific part in the plot and I don't know what/how to get done what I need. But now it's all good and coming together just in time for me to kick out some foreshadowing before it too! Yays!

Oh, yes. Francis will probably return in about three more chapters. I know that's longer than I thought, but he will start becoming more of a consistent character after that. Something to look forward to.

Anyway, the story's coming together well and this part two isn't going to be as short as I thought it would. It will probably be as long as part one. Woot!

Thank you so much for all the support!

Fav and review as you so desire!

Looking forward to it!