A/N Hey guys, hope you're liking the training arc so far since something will happen in this chapter that you won't be expecting so, without further ado, enjoy.
With the weather clearing up, we finally left the den and made our way to the stream we used for spearfishing, which I considered as the most beautiful spot in the montane forest since the crystalline meltwater glimmered like a precious gem under the daylight, flowing down the mountainside in multiple little steps at a very gentle speed.
Vibrant green moss covered the trees and boulders lining the shore while fish lazed about close to the surface in search of bugs to feed on, their scales glinting in gold and silver through the translucent water while songbirds composed a soothing constant ambiance in the background.
The stream had easily become my favorite place on this mountain, just being able to listen to the rippling water lapping at the shore brought me an incomparable sense of peace like a powerful spell capable of pushing away the burdens weighing down my shoulders and such an effect was even visible in Shirou, whose posture significantly relaxed whenever we visited this place.
I paused to take a deep breath of the fresh revitalizing mountain air and crouched down by the water, resting two buckets on the ground and the reason why I had them was that we had come to the stream to refill our water supply, but something told me that Shirou had another underlying reason for it so maybe he brought me to my favorite spot to alleviate my stress caused by the morning hunt, though it was unlikely he would admit that.
I had filled up the buckets when my lupine ears twitched towards the sound of splashing water nearby and I glanced over to see Shirou washing the blood off his neck, though what really caught my eye was the collar left on the pebbly ground and an idea probed the back of my skull, a pretty stupid idea, but an irresistible one nonetheless as my curiosity became too powerful to resist.
I checked a second time to make sure Shirou wasn't watching and snatched the black collar up off the ground, then I paused and simply rotated the object around in my hands like a precious relic as I took in every little detail, then any semblance of hesitation was wiped away and I clasped the collar around my neck with a single click.
I adjusted the collar a little to see if it fit, the object fitting around my neck nicely while it caused a fulfilling sensation to bloom in my chest so for some reason, there was a sense of empowerment in wearing Shirou's collar since it was as if donning it had passed over his abilities, strength, and overall qualities as the mighty silver wolf so I smiled with a sense of pride and leaned back on my palms.
"What the hell are you doing?" Shirou asked suddenly, snapping me out of it and I quickly looked to see him sending me an intense questioning glare, though there were hints of genuine puzzlement and I wasn't surprised by that since catching me wearing his collar was anything but predictable in his book.
"Sorry, it's just that I've never seen you take this off so I wanted to know what it was like to wear it," I replied sheepishly as my ears lowered slightly to express my embarrassment and Shirou looked far from amused.
"Now that your curiosity's satisfied, give it back," Shirou demanded while his muzzle wrinkled into a scowl and he reached for me, though I had jumped to my feet and away from his grasping hand as a strange sort of mirth filled my very being and it made me smirk.
"Make me," I challenged as laughter bubbled in my chest.
Shirou raised a brow and I knew I was treading into dangerous territory because he wasn't the type who had the patience for this kind of thing so I was wondering what's gotten into me since I was starting to act like a playful little kid, though it was refreshing in a way since I haven't felt this way in a long time as Shirou started looking irritated.
"This is ridiculous, just give me the damn thing already!" Shirou snapped as he stood up with a glare.
A part of me repeatedly warned me against pushing Shirou's buttons, but that was squashed down when a strange instinct deeply ingrained in my senses roared to life and it told me to lure the other male in, to temp him into chasing me so I had no idea where it was coming from but it made my body tingle with excitement as I felt empowered, bolder.
"And why would I do that?" I questioned with a snicker, sending Shirou a wolfish grin that made his hackles stand up while he looked stunned at how I was defying him so boldly, something that probably hasn't happened to him in centuries.
"What..." Shirou trailed off as he looked bewildered.
"What's in it for me if I give the collar back? You don't expect me to hand it over that easily, do you?" I asked as my grin became more predatory.
The space between us was suddenly filled with a strange kind of tension that charged the air with static and felt as dense as a brick wall but not in a negative way because, if anything, its effects resembled an adrenaline rush as my heart sped up, pumping fresh new vigor into my veins in ways that made my body buzz in place, ready to burst into action and I was sure that Shirou was feeling the same effects as well.
"If you don't give it back, I will take it by force," Shirou stated with narrowed eyes and he took a few steps forward, only I merely ran away and looked back at him after stopping several feet away.
"You'll have to catch me first!" I dared as I gestured for him to come and get me.
I was startled at first when Shirou sprung forth and crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye, his hands outstretched as he went to attempt to tackle me to the ground, only I quickly leaped out of the way just as fast as Shirou grasped at nothing but air and did a roll on the ground to cushion his fall until I started chuckling while I was crouched on all fours with my tail swishing behind me as Shirou quickly looked at me.
"Enhanced reflexes, so you'll have to try better than that, old man," I taunted, mocking his age for good measure and Shirou's icy blue eyes narrowed dangerously from the insult.
After hearing me mocking his age, Shirou lunged for me more than once but I kept skillfully dodging him with each graceful and nimble movement that contrasted his brutish ones, and soon enough, the two of us were engaged in an intricate dance of jumps, sprints, and flips while the experience was euphoric and I couldn't help but show a big grin while laughing in excitement until I caught a grin on Shirou's face as well.
We ran around through the forest for a while until I jumped onto a tree branch and held up a hand at Shirou to signal for him to wait, causing him to raise a brow but he still complied with the request as he walked under the branch where I was sitting and crossed his arms, silently telling me to say what was on my mind.
"What if we made this a bit more interesting?" I offered slyly and Shirou frowned.
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"Let's make a bet," I said as I sent the wolf beastman a smirk, then Shirou sent me a half-lidded glare to express his annoyance.
"A bet? Seriously? Haven't you abused my patience enough, already?" Shirou questioned dryly but I was very aware that he had been enjoying our little game of tag and simply refuses to acknowledge it, though it boosted my self-esteem in ways I didn't expect and it motivated me to push the wolfman's buttons even further.
"Not really, though how about this...whoever pins the other down gets one wish," I proposed and I knew that would catch his interest.
"A wish?" Shirou asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, I get to give you an order and you'll have to do it no matter how hard or embarrassing it is," I clarified with a feral grin and Shirou pursed his lips as he frowned, looking thoughtful as he appeared to consider my offer but then he took a while to respond.
"What's the matter, Shirou? You aren't scared, are you?" I inquired playfully, snapping the wolfman out of his train of thought and an irked glint shone in Shirou's eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous," Shirou retorted and I chuckled.
"Uh-huh, I think you're scared or maybe old age is starting to get to you a little bit," I mocked and Shirou started looking more than irritated at me insulting his age as his muzzle wrinkled into a snarl and that's when I knew I had him.
"Very well, you thieving pup, with one condition," Shirou growled with a sneer on his face, his words catching my interest.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Try not to make it too easy for me or yourself, make things more challenging," Shirou said and that intrigued me as I stared down at him.
"Only if you don't use that enhanced sense of smell since I don't want you to rely on that, so focus on your other senses this time," I pointed out, then Shirou snorted as his nose twitched until he smirked.
"Fine, you have a five-second head start," Shirou stated and that took me off guard.
"W-Wait, what?" I stuttered with a look of surprise.
"Four," Shirou counted and my eyes widened but I was quick to react.
Within milliseconds, I jumped to the ground and darted away like a blur as my inhuman speed helped me get away from Shirou rather quickly, not to mention that the forest wasn't as dense on this part of the mountain and that allowed me to run in between trees in zigzags with relative ease.
Soon, a rustle to my left made my ears twitch and I didn't need to look to know that Shirou was running right by my side so I continued to stare ahead, entirely focused on not stumbling or tripping on any rocks or exposed roots.
More rustles caught my attention but a recognizable pattern in them triggered an instant reaction from me as I dug my feet into the ground and halted to a stop, which kicked dirt and debris all over Shirou who had just landed in front of me and he was forced to close his eyes while shielding his face with an arm.
Thanks to the fresh adrenaline pumping into my veins, I didn't hesitate before hopping onto Shirou's hunched form and launching myself up towards the closest tree as Shirou grunted and staggered from getting kicked in the back, then I started jumping across branches with a spirited laugh.
Shirou kept chasing me around while I was moving fast across branches and having the time of my life when the trees suddenly stopped in front of a steep rock wall covered in moss, bushes, and vines and I let out a startled yelp.
I immediately stopped on one branch and jumped down so it was a good thing I was paying attention or I certainly would've collided into the towering cliffside and to make matters worse, I turned around to find Shirou standing behind me with a smirk.
"Oh, shit," I gasped as I backed up until I had pressed myself against the wall.
Shirou, however, merely stepped closer as my eyes widened until he placed both hands on the rocky wall and trapped me between his arms while our heaving chests were almost touching, then I got a good look at his torso and arms now that he was up close.
Despite all the fluff, I could see how solid and defined his muscles really were as his chest and abs were rock solid, his shoulders and possibly back were broad, and his limbs were chiseled like stone, truly the body built for a god while it made him look more appealing and attractive as his facial features gave him a handsome appearance.
Shirou was panting deeply, his nose taking in every bit of my scent while I was doing the same as I felt strange, almost as if a primal beast was waking up inside me and was eager with what was happening as Shirou and I stayed frozen in place.
By now, I was blushing hard as my face felt hot and my heart was racing while the air surrounding us was once again heavily charged with static, and since we were so close, I could even feel the heat emanating from Shirou's chest and the fact that he was shirtless made me blush even harder.
That primal raw part of me was demanding I kiss him, telling me dangerous little suggestions in my ears and I had no idea what the hell was going on with me or where the hell these thoughts were coming from but they gave me an idea.
Still staring into those icy blue eyes, I slowly raised a hand and placed it on Shirou's chest until my fingers gently buried into his fur and rubbed the hot skin underneath in slow circles, then Shirou's eyes widened and flicked down but he didn't move away and leaned into the touch, followed by a low hum of appreciation and closing his eyes to savor my touch so I couldn't help but smile at his reaction until my smile turned into a sly grin.
I used that same hand on his chest to give Shirou a hard shove, making him stumble back with a surprised grunt and I took advantage of that by spinning around, running up the wall, and kicking off it as I launched myself over Shirou and took off back into the forest with a snicker.
While I was running, I heard Shirou catching up to me and I smirked as I was enjoying this little game of tag we were doing and the chase was helping to take my mind off of earlier when I felt a sharp tug on my tail that nearly threw me off balance and I let out a yelp before I quickly looked back, catching a glimpse of Shirou holding the limb in his hand.
"Hey, that's low!" I retorted irritably and Shirou merely shrugged mid-run.
"So was what you did back there," Shirou countered cooly and tugged again, this time hard enough to force me to slow down and I started looking annoyed since that hurt.
I skidded to a stop and Shirou crashed into me with a yelp but I wasn't done as I did a little jump and twirled around to lock my legs around Shirou's head until I twisted my body and used the momentum to throw Shirou almost ten meters ahead as he was taken by surprise, though he had no trouble flipping in mid-air and making a smooth landing.
"I didn't know you could do that," Shirou pointed out as I stood up after doing a roll to soften my landing.
"All that training in the army and the CIA really paid off, now let's continue," I said with a lupine grin and a spark made my body tingle with adrenaline so, with only a few heartbeats, Shirou and I charged at each other with the speed and resolve of a bull.
I started skillfully dodging and blocking Shirou's attacks while he did the same to avoid mine, the two of us evenly matched but I knew that each time he touched me could be a golden opportunity for him to subdue me, though I understood that he was holding back for my sake since he has centuries of experience and could easily overpower me if he wanted to.
Still, I used my experience in Krav Maga and MMA to land a few good hits of my own while using my enhanced flexibility to avoid most attacks when I attempted to throw him into the air with my legs again, but Shirou grabbed my legs firmly with his hands and started swinging me around in a circle and I yelped in response from the sudden counterattack.
I was suddenly thrown onto a tree trunk with a loud slam and I let out a choking gasp of pain as my back and head impacted the tree trunk, and even though I've faced worse, the hit still made my back burn from its impact on the rough bark and I groaned as I rubbed my aching head, grimacing while Shirou quickly approached with an expression of concern.
"Are you alright?" Shirou asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I grumbled as the pain was fading away thanks to my enhanced healing abilities and Shirou frowned as he crossed his arms, his towering form shadowing my sitting one.
"We should call this off because despite how well-trained you are, you know very well that I'm far too experienced and that it's impossible for you to overpower me so if you keep trying, you'll just end up getting yourself hurt," Shirou pointed out and I scowled.
Hearing that felt like a blow to my pride and an insult to my skills since Shirou just challenged my fighting capabilities and he implied that I was so clumsy that I would hurt myself so my mind immediately started forming a plan, and while it wouldn't be much, it didn't need to be since all I wanted to do was surprise Shirou and show him why Legion operatives were known to be highly dangerous.
An opportunity revealed itself when Shirou offered me a hand to help me up and I seemed to gladly accept his offer by reaching for his outstretched hand, but just before I could touch it, I swiftly knocked Shirou off his feet with a roundhouse kick.
Shirou let out a pained grunt as he fell onto his back and I quickly ducked into the nearby bushes to hide so that he couldn't locate me, then I watched quietly as Shirou lightly growled in annoyance while he slowly rose to his feet and shook the dirt off his fur until he looked around to try and find any trace of me when he raised his head and was about to start sniffing to try and find me by scent, making me pick up a small pebble and I threw it at his head.
"No scent tracking, remember?" I reminded him as the pebble hit Shirou in the head and bounced off his skull.
I moved silently like a ghost as Shirou whipped his head around in an attempt to find me but there was a reason Legon operatives were known as silent killers in the program as I went to quietly climb up a tree and hid in the leaves while Shirou let out a sigh of exasperation.
"You don't give up, do you? You can't hide forever," Shirou stated as he sounded irked and I smiled.
"Try me," I challenged and simply waited for an opportunity to strike as Shirou's ears flicked back and forth, letting me know that he was resorted to using his other senses to try and find me.
I just watched as Shirou tried to find me, the wolf beastman walking around and checking bushes or other possible hiding places when he started appearing more and more irritated as time went by as he turned his attention to the trees around him, looking up each one to see if he could spot me but I was too well hidden once he found my tree and he looked more than fed up at this point and was about to start yelling for me to come out.
"Got you," I whispered eerily and Shirou quickly looked back up, just in time for me to dive down on him with a feral grin.
I tackled into his body with the force of a speeding train and Shirou instinctively clung onto me as we rolled across the ground, only the dense thicket we fell into unfortunately hid a steep slope and we found ourselves going down it.
We unceremoniously rolled down the hill like a rock, bursting through countless shrubs, roots, and entangled twigs while some of them had thorns that tore clothing and scraped skin as I clenched my teeth and buried my face in Shirou's chest.
This reminded me of the freefall a few months ago and I recalled that it was Michiru whom Shirou had been holding onto, only instead of resulting into a fall on hard concrete, we found ourselves dropping into a deep pond.
The freezing water overwhelmed my senses and I quickly burst out of the rippling surface with a sharp inhale, coughing and desperately swimming my way to shore until I made it and slowly left the water shivering with a grimace as I heard splashing sounds with someone dragging themself to shore with a tired groan and a loud pop that told me something had been reset so I knew that Shirou had made it as well.
I looked at the jeans that I had on and let out a groan of dismay when I saw how soaked they were, almost appearing fused to my legs like paint and I looked to see how Shirou was doing when I saw him laying on his back with his fur looking like a wet mop and his fluffy tail had been reduced to a thin clump of wet hairs.
I went and instinctively shook myself dry like a dog and my fur poofed out like a shaggy old carpet, much to my displeasure and I stared at Shirou with a hesitant and pensive expression since I could see a golden opportunity while that primal instinct in me was whispering for me to take it.
The thought alone made my skin feel hotter, both from sheepishness and excitement despite the fact I just came out of the freezing pond but in the end, I was unable to resist the temptation anymore as I started crawling over to Shirou slowly and silently, then I swiftly climbed onto his body after gulping down the knot of hesitation clogging my throat, straddling his torso and placed both palms on his chest as Shirou shot a startled look at me and I felt him tensing up beneath me.
"Doug, what are you-" Shirou tried to ask but I cut him off.
"I win...I have you pinned so you lost," I declared while trying to sound firm and confident, despite the fact that my ears and face were flushed a vibrant red.
Shirou opened his mouth but no sound came out and he just gaped up at me, the wolf beastman completely speechless from how I had tested his patience for a half-hour and fooled him three times until ultimately winning our game on Shirou's terms so pride swelled up in me as I realized that I had defeated the silver wolf himself in a game of strategy, which would be something I would never forget for the rest of eternity.
Suddenly, I felt Shirou's torso heave with genuine lighthearted laughter as it made me bounce in place and caught me off guard, having never heard Shirou let out an actual full laugh before but I still found myself feeling delighted by the sound, and witnessing the older wolf god express such happiness filled my chest with a familiar pleasant warmth.
"What the hell are you laughing about?" I questioned with an arched brow, looking amused and I was surprised when Shirou rested his hands on my waist and gently rubbed circles in the damp fur, causing a spark of electricity in my veins.
"You really are something else, Doug...fine, you win," Shirou said but his voice sounded different, now huskier and I felt like shivering from how good it sounded as my heart skipped a beat when I realized what he said and I blinked at that.
"Wait, really?" I asked with a look of surprise.
"Yes, you've earned it," Shirou replied as he closed his eyes and laid his head back onto the pebbly floor, taking in a deep breath.
I couldn't help but smile in excitement and even my soggy tail wagged to express what I'm feeling right now, which sprayed water all over the place so it's not every day that I would be able to make Shirou admit defeat on anything so to think I had not only won against him for once, but on a physical challenge of all things, had filled me with joy and pride.
Now, with my victory being officially recognized, my mind quickly started buzzing with ideas for my winning wish and as tempting as it was to put Shirou in an embarrassing situation, it would feel too petty and short-lived while I also didn't want to punish Shirou when he had just overcome his stubborn pride to admit defeat, so I wanted something more meaningful and special until I recalled one thing that had been tickling the recesses of my mind ever since we got here and now could be the perfect opportunity to have it.
"I think I know what my wish is," I spoke up, causing Shirou's body to stiffen again and he let out a weary groan while opening his eyes to look up at me.
"What is it?" Shirou questioned in a deadpan voice, which had no effect on my excitement.
"I want you to turn into the silver wolf, at least so that I could get a better look at what I will be turning into from time to time," I replied and a long pause settled between us as Shirou's face became expressionless, with the growing sign of his confusion being a couple of slow blinks.
"What..." Shirou trailed off, and that caused my smile to fade slightly as I started wondering if maybe I was crossing a line.
"Sorry, I just wanted to get a better look since I can turn into a silver wolf so I wanted to see that part of you to gain a better understanding of what I am now," I said a little sheepishly and Shirou frowned suspiciously.
"You've seen it before, during that incident with Yaba," Shirou pointed out and I sighed.
"Yeah, but that was in the heat of the moment since we were busy trying to survive against Yaba so I never got the chance to take a proper look at it, you know? I'm just curious what it would be like to actually see it up close without having to deal with a dangerous threat so can I see it?" I inquired as I absentmindedly fiddled with Shirou's chest fur.
For a while, Shirou's features remained unchanged and I waited for his answer as I hoped he would say yes but I knew that I was bringing up a very personal subject and had to prepare for the fact that he would say no since Shirou was wary of that part of himself after massacring every single nazi and destroying their research facility so he had locked it away and would only use it in times of desperation, then I saw Shirou's icy blue eyes narrow and my heart sank.
"No," Shirou said and I couldn't help but flinch at his stern tone.
"I expected you to say that but can you at least tell me why?" I asked and Shirou scowled.
"I'm not doing that because the silver wolf is only for times of need, so I'm not turning into it just so you can stare at me like I'm some kind of zoo animal," Shirou told me and I gawked at that until I started looking offended.
"Hey, that's not why I wanted to see it so don't go putting words in my mouth, and need I remind you that we had a deal? The loser would do anything the winner asked, remember?" I retorted irritably and Shirou rolled his eyes.
"Well, I'm breaking the deal and I never cared about it anyway, I just said that so you would stop pestering me," Shirou grumbled and I started getting pissed at his callous disregard of how much fun we had as I glared at him.
With only a couple of words, the once-pleasant atmosphere surrounding us had turned sour and we stared at each other intensely for what felt like an eternity as I looked pretty angry and hurt while Shirou's impassive features refused to budge.
The tension between us was cut short when a chilly wind reminded me of our soaked state and the moisture clinging to my fur seemed to turn into sharp needles, digging into my skin and spreading a piercing cold straight to my bones as I instinctively hugged myself and hissed uncomfortably while I trembled when Shirou sighed.
"Come on, we should dry ourselves," Shirou told me as he shivered since he was more drenched than I was and he gave my legs a little nudge, which I got the message and stood up but not before shooting Shirou one last cold look.
For a while, we gave ourselves the silent treatment and focused on shaking off as much water as possible so at least the activity helped dissipate my anger and frustration towards Shirou since the sensation was surprisingly relaxing, though the bitterness lingered.
It was something I had noticed about Shirou the entire time I lived in the same building with him and worked with him while the mayor's explanation of his past helped but just when I was making progress in winning his trust and affection, he pushed me away and destroyed any semblance of progress between us so while it wasn't all that unexpected, such behavior infuriated me and especially when we were getting close these past couple of months.
"Great, I bet the den will smell like a wet dog now," I grumbled while shooting a glare at Shirou out of the corner of my eye and wrinkling my nose in distaste, ignoring the dirty look he sent my way as I shook my body off again when I was suddenly sprayed by water and I recoiled as I heard Shirou shaking his body a lot.
"Hey, you asshole!" I shouted and I faced him fully, about to yell at him for doing something so petty to get back at me for my comment when any words I had just died in my mouth at the sight that met my eyes.
I saw that because he had shaken off so many times, his long thick fur had become so poofed up and clumped that he looked like a white and teal dandelion, then all my irritation vanished and I couldn't help but burst into wheezing laughter at the sight.
Shirou looked less than amused as his ears folded back and he sent me an irked expression while I was laughing my ass off, unable to help myself and I know it wasn't cool to laugh at someone like that but he just looked so ridiculous and it made him appear less threatening to the point that even his glare didn't affect me all that much.
"Ideally, you should get rid of those pants but I'm sure you wouldn't like that," Shirou spoke, which silenced me instantly.
I suddenly felt particularly aware of my own body, especially when I noticed Shirou unbuttoning his pants so I felt flustered as I turned away and quietly worked on wringing out my jeans, so at least that momentaneous rush of humor served to alleviate the tension in the air and I decided to push the bitter thoughts to the back of my mind since those could be addressed another time.
Still, the bothersome feeling of those freezing sodden pants sticking to my legs made Shirou's snarky suggestion genuinely tempting but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I quickly shoved it away while swearing under my breath.
I had learned very early in my new life as a beastman that differently from humans, they didn't find nudity such an offensive matter and while it still wasn't considered ideal to be nude in public settings, it was mostly tolerable.
One would compare it to how humans viewed swimwear in certain locations so it certainly helped that most beastmen had some sort of coverage for their privates, whether it was fur, scales, or feathers so thanks to that factor, I looked at a naked Shirou with the same indifference I would to a pet dog.
But even with my fur in my beast form, my human roots meant that I still felt too uncomfortable with exposing my nude body to anything but a mirror, though I caught myself wondering what a certain wolfman would think of it since I was naked around him today and I started thinking that maybe that drop in cold water had been well-deserved when Shirou sighed.
"Doug, you should head back to the den and light the fire since you must be freezing," Shirou told me and I looked at him before noticing that he had taken off his pants and thrown them over his shoulder.
"What about you?" I questioned as I gazed at him with a frown, then there was a pause as his pensive eyes followed mine while an enigmatic expression covered his features and was as unreadable as ever.
"Don't worry about it, just wait for me in the den and I'll be back with some fish," Shirou replied, and based on how stiff his posture looked, I could tell that Shirou was still very tense and it especially showed in the way he awkwardly avoided my gaze and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck so even though he was essentially pushing me away again, his words carried a very subtle hint of care that didn't go unnoticed by me.
Knowing Shirou, he probably wanted some time alone to think through everything we had just experienced and even I had to admit that I felt a little overwhelmed by the rush of the past hour or so and a break didn't sound half bad, not to mention that bringing up the silver wolf had struck a nerve in Shirou so I pursed my lips and could only hope that he would come around and open himself up to me about it later.
"Yeah...I guess I can do that," I muttered with a sigh and sent Shirou a slow respectful nod before turning around and about to walk away, only to surprisingly have a hand on my shoulder to stop me before I could take a step forward.
"Wait," Shirou said as he tugged at me to make me turn around to face him as he clearly intended on saying something, though he appeared to have trouble trying to say what was on his mind as his mouth opened and closed several times while I waited expectantly, wondering if he was going to apologize for his hurtful comment.
"The collar, you didn't give it back," Shirou blurted out after being silent for a while and my visage went from hopeful to angry in a fraction of a second.
I had completely forgotten about the collar and now that Shirou had asked for it back, the damn thing seemed to weigh on my neck like a shackle so I hurriedly unclasped the collar and shoved it in Shirou's hands, then I gave him a cynical smile.
"At least I know how to keep a deal," I said bitterly before storming away after that.
I let out an irritated sigh as I lay down on the bed, noting that a few hours had gone by since I returned from the pond and Shirou still hasn't come back so my options for entertainment in this small cave were minimal and I could only speculate what the hell he must be busying himself with, not to mention that I can't use my phone since the battery had run out the previous day.
At least the fire burning by the entrance was keeping the place warm and pleasant since the cloudy day had been rather chilly so far, which made the cave's cozy environment all the more inviting as I had used the ornate dagger Shirou had given me to cut some rope and improvise a line on which to hang my wet jeans near the fire and I also spent a good while wrapped in towels next to it, enjoying the heat until I eventually changed into a pair of dark green shorts once I was dry.
However, it didn't take long for loneliness to make its looming presence known as it prickled the back of my head like a stubborn needle, growing stronger and stronger until it had turned into a nail being hammered into my skull.
Before then, it hadn't dawned on me how much Shirou's company had become an essential part of my daily life since, back in Anima city whenever I had time off and Shirou was sometimes absent, I would usually have distractions from that in the form of my phone, friends, exercising, and so on but his absence was impossible to ignore this time.
It was simply frustrating how even though I was still pissed at him, I found myself deeply yearning for his company, his touch, and his laughter as my mind kept returning to that moment at the pond, replaying the sounds of his laugh and realizing that I had been the one who brought it out of his lips filled my body with glee.
It was at that moment that I started frowning and pulled the ornate dagger from my holster and rotated it in my hands, absentmindedly analyzing every little detail of the golden vines engraved on its dark oak handle.
It surprised me when Shirou entrusted the beautiful relic to me and he wanted me to keep it to help with daily tasks during our stay in the forest besides being a good weapon in case any trouble showed up, and I understood his reasoning since War Dogs and Legion was still out there so I also didn't want to take any chances when it comes to those two highly dangerous threats.
In a way, this dagger wasn't much different from Shirou since it was ancient and enigmatic with its elegant finish hiding a long unknown history of violence and bloodshed so I felt drawn to its mysterious beauty, wishing to know more about it, wishing to master the weapon myself, even if that meant getting hurt in the process and hurt I was.
It was easy to forget that the same hands that had gently touched me earlier had caused an unmeasurable amount of pain and suffering to others but instead of being scared, I found beauty in Shirou's duality because he had chosen to be his gentle self around me these past couple of days when he easily could've shown me his claws, so much so that after growing closer to Shirou these past couple of months, what happened a few hours ago had stung particularly hard.
The dagger in my hands glinted for a moment like a reminder of its sharp blade and that made me pause thoughtfully, then I started wondering if I had grown so comfortable with pushing his boundaries that I had possibly crossed a line.
With a sigh, I slipped the weapon back into the holster attached to my belt and gazed longingly at the forested landscape extending beyond the cave entrance, then I considered that maybe I was the one at fault for ruining our pleasant moment at the pond and a pang of guilt tugged at my heartstrings as I wondered whether Shirou hadn't returned yet because he was angry at me.
It was always the same, I would ruin something and blame others for something I caused so it was like a vicious cycle that never seemed to end, then I raised a hand to rub my forehead stressfully since it was impressive how fast guilt turned into self-loathing and would invade my thoughts, festering like an infectious disease so I should have done better than falling for its cursed allure so easily.
In a desperate attempt to clear my head, I stood up and grabbed a broom before I started sweeping the den floor and it wasn't dirty by all means, but having two beastmen in their beast forms at all times meant that there was plenty of shed fur to take care of so no wonder beastmen spent most of their daily lives in their human forms in this day and age.
One corner eventually got my attention, being the only cluttered spot in the cave and I was puzzled by that since Shirou was usually a very tidy person so it was strange to see a bunch of logs, ropes, broken spears, and torn sheets haphazardly piled up against the wall.
Confused, I placed the broom aside and started removing the clutter since I figured that would be doing a favor for Shirou and I could use the wood for the fire right now, then I had removed two logs when I spotted the blood on the wall.
'Another painting?' I thought as I raised a brow.
Why would a painting be under that pile of junk of all places? My curiosity only spiked further as I uncovered more of the bloody mural, rolling the logs one by one to another wall and pushing aside the rest of the objects but it didn't take long for me to realize that this wasn't any ordinary painting.
My eyes widened as I saw that the painting was much more detailed than the rest as it showed Shirou in his beast form, but what took me completely by surprise was that he was holding a man in his arms intimately while they were standing in the middle of a field.
I examined the man and could see that he had blond hair with blue eyes and the same skin color Shirou had in his human form while his height was about at Shirou's chin and he was just as built as the wolf beastman, though it was the tender smiles he and Shirou were sending each other that told me that this man had been more than friends with the wolf beastman.
Shirou was in love with someone once and he was gay? I certainly wasn't expecting that and it made me wonder why the painting was being hidden since it had been created with such care when something about the scent of the blood got my attention.
Now that it wasn't being obscured anymore, the coppery stench of the dried blood immediately wafted in the air but something was different about the scent since it smelled familiar, way too familiar so I was suspicious as I approached the art piece and inspected it, sniffing it closely as the cold surface of the stained rock bit at my fingertips and contrasted the warmth associated with fresh blood.
My nostrils flared as I took in the scent and wondered where I had smelled it before when I recalled the incident in the warehouse and my eyes shot wide open in a mix of horror and realization, making me jump back with a gasp and I clutched at my head.
The painful memories of that horrific day flooded my head with the force of a tempest, overwhelming my senses with visions of death, gore, and suffering as I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation but I was helpless as my mind conjured up images of Yaba in his mutated appearance with his horn dripping blood and those horrific memories of my time in War Dogs and Legion came rushing back to the forefront of my mind as I realized that the painting had been made from Shirou's blood.
I shook my head with a pained expression and stepped further back, only to trip on one of the logs and I lost my balance before stumbling backward with a startled yelp but to my surprise, my back met a warm soft body instead of the rocky cave floor, then a hand on my arm gently turned me around and I felt a glimmer of relief when I saw that it was Shirou.
"Shirou, you're back," I breathed out with a smile.
Unfortunately, my relief was short-lived and my smile vanished when I noticed that his eyes weren't aimed at me but straight ahead in a distant empty stare, his eyes locked on the man in the painting and I recognized that look, which was the same one I had after remembering my time in War Dogs.
Something was seriously wrong as I saw Shirou's eyes glazing over and he appeared to be remembering something when his expression started to show a multitude of emotions that were mostly unreadable but then his eyes settled on nothing but pain and anguish while I was shocked to see him looking like that since he was looking like he was remembering something personal that was very painful for him.
I started looking visibly concerned as I stared at Shirou when I soon felt his hand tighten around my upper arm, digging his fingers into my skin in a way that made me grimace so I gave the hand a puzzled glance for only a moment but when my gaze returned to Shirou's face, I saw him staring at me and the sight made my blood turn ice cold as he looked livid, his features twisting into a snarl so vicious that his upper lip was curled back in a primal display of lupine teeth as if he were ready to rip out my throat.
"So, this is what you do when I turn my back?! You dig through my things?! Stick your nose where it doesn't belong?!" Shirou snarled with a look of pure feral rage on his face, and I was terrified as my ears folded back since the only time he was ever this angry with me was back when we first met, when he mistook me as one of the terrorists that bombed the festival.
"N-No, I-" I tried to say as I tried to pry his hand off my arm, but he only yanked me closer in response with a louder enraged growl, causing him to squeeze tighter to where it was really starting to hurt and I let out a pained groan.
"Shut up, I went out of my way to bring you here, I brought you into my sanctuary, I trusted you and this is how you repay me?! How dare you, you have no fucking right!" Shirou roared as I was clutching at his arm and letting out noises of distress and pain.
"Shirou, you're hurting me!" I shouted as nothing but fear and terror flooded my system.
Shirou only snarled ferally as his hackles had risen and his fur was bristling to make him look bigger and more frightening while I was desperately hitting his arm to make him stop as his hand kept squeezing tighter and tighter when a loud snap echoed throughout the cave, then the pure agony hit me and I screamed uncontrollably.
I realized that Shirou had broken my arm and that's when I saw that he was gone and the man who murdered my parents was in his place while I was now in that alley in Manhatten until my eyes bulged and I felt nothing but animalistic terror.
"Stay away from me, you murderer!" I screamed as tears started running down my cheeks and I stared at my parents' killer with nothing but complete fear while my tail was tucked between my legs and my fur was bristling as my ears were pinned back against my skull.
My words caused the killer to stop squeezing me and quickly let go, then I quickly yanked my arm away and frantically backed up while I was hyperventilating and my eyes darted around the den for any kind of escape when the killer was gone and Shirou was back while the alley had become the cave as his eyes were wide and he looked shook up from what I called him.
"Doug, I-" Shirou tried to say, but I wasn't listening as I managed to spot the entrance and immediately bolted for it.
I ignored Shirou calling out for me as I ran into the forest as if my life depended on it, my feral instincts currently in control of my body as they were screaming for me to get away from the dangerous predator that wounded me, though my training had kicked in enough to where I had managed to find a soft part of the ground to cover my entire body in mud to mask my scent so that the predator wouldn't be able to find me by scent.
I continued to run even deeper into the forest in an attempt to get as far away from the predator that hurt me as much as possible, then I dove into some bushes after a certain amount of time and looked around while my senses were on high alert.
I waited for an extended period of time and didn't sense anyone coming so I slightly relaxed as I managed to regain control of myself and then I rested my back against a tree trunk, checking my arm to examine it.
I shuddered as I saw that my upper arm looked like it was bent the wrong way as there was a nasty-looking bump, telling me that the bone was pressing against the skin and I was lucky that it didn't become a compound fracture or it would be even worse.
I felt the agony dulling into that numbing sensation as I witnessed the bump disappearing while the bone sunk back down and my arm reset with a loud crack, making me queasy as my arm didn't hurt anymore but seeing it heal reminded me that I was no longer human and it was that thought that made the stress of what happened become too much for me to handle, then I broke out sobbing after that as I went into an emotional breakdown and wondered if it'll ever end.
A/N Geez, Doug is not in a very good emotional state right now so it might be best if he avoided Shirou for a while since seeing him again so soon might not have a good effect on him, so he'll need some time to himself to cool off in the meantime.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter so let me know what you think and stay tuned.
