Shadows That Bleed

by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper

Pure-Bloods are said to be myths, not even well-known within stories. "A specialized genetic coding of the moon and the dire," their spoken lore proclaims. They are creatures beyond the power of mortality, gifted by the gods themselves. Known as the Eternal Ones, their existence once extinguished, resurrection foretells a powerful omen.

8. Wolves

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day (no update on June 2nd)

Chapter warning: None really (There is a misuse of information regarding lunar phases and the Wiccan practices regarding them, but that shouldn't be offensive)

So! Work killed me. I had to cover for a friend and it gave me overtime (yay~!) but it SERIOUSLY cut me off from doing edits or writing anything. So this is being posted on the wrong day since I was HOPING to do it yesterday and that didn't pan out. TRYING to get back on schedule for the 31st and past that. So expect the next update to be on the 31st and then to HOPEFULLY get back on schedule with it again.

Yugi might seem slightly OOC in this chapter, especially when he talks about the wolves. The reason being is he's caught up in his own thoughts and things of that nature. He's also slightly depressed because of all that is going on and he's desperate not to believe in what he realizes/finds out afterwards.

Chapter VIII: Wolves

Work Log Entry VIII: September, 1994

September 20

The pair has finally copulated for the first time. There is no indication that the female went into heat at any time prior to this. We are still watching to see if perhaps we have overlooked her cycle.

His skin was beginning to itch along his fingers. It was one that spread down into the muscle, refusing alleviation as he tried to scratch it away. The flesh had turned bright red with irritation, burning from the abuse, and Yugi absently turned back to the laptop in front of him as he brought his left index finger to his mouth. He gnawed on the offending digit, his saliva seeming to soothe and irritate it all at once. His right palm was itching as well now, sweaty where it rested against the mouse he had hooked up. He scrubbed it against the material of his jeans, still struggling with the task of chewing away this annoyance on his left hand. He thought briefly of reaching into the desk to pull out a pen and use the engraved logo on the side to scratch it but he didn't want to waste the energy.

The denim just wasn't working, however, and it almost seemed to be making it worse. Distractedly he pulled his hand away from his mouth again to scratching rigorously at his palm. Heat burst upwards at the action but gave no relief. Yugi let out a furious rumbling noise from somewhere deep in his chest and scraped his hand against the underside of the desk.

"For fuck's sake!" he spat out, realizing rather abruptly what the sound he had made was.

He straightened, forgetting even the tingling that had demanded his attention only moments before. The realization was a sobering one and the intensity with which it barreled through him made his spine ache violently. He was growling again, like a disgruntled dog. Yugi nearly groaned at the idea but sighed loudly instead and drummed his nails against his thigh. He supposed the noises came with the territory or something like that. But, then, he didn't really think that mattered all that much when it came down to it. What actually mattered in that moment was that he suddenly felt hyperaware of just what time it was.

He glanced towards the window and his stomach turned. The sun had just set but he couldn't see the moon due to the amount of clouds in the sky. What phase was it in? It wasn't a new thought that maybe the Change corresponded with the moon, but it seemed to have more truth to it now. When had he been bitten? When the moon was waxing or waning? He thought it must have been the former, that the full moon had been on its way to appearing beforehand. But then, how close was it?

He would have to check one of the lunar calendars later, though with how his body seemed to be reacting he imagined the moon could not be far from being full. And it was still October, the Month of the Gods, which meant there would be a festival in honor of them. Domino, however, was known for worshipping the okami more than most of the others, and the irony of this was not lost on him. Unlike most of Japan, it had not lost its worship of the Oguchi No Magami, the Large-Mouthed Pure God, otherwise known as the wolf deity.

He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling with a wry smirk, and pushed the soles of his sneakers against the wall behind the desk. He had forgotten to leave them in the living room in his haste but he doubted anyone would mind when it came down to it. His mom was not as strict as she could have been where this rule was concerned. He thought it was more that she was tired after work and so didn't think much of it despite their culture. At a friend's house, however, he would never have done such a thing and would have put them away for house slippers immediately.

He squinted, eyes cast out the window, straining for a sight of just how full the waxing moon was. He couldn't tell by the light reflected by the clouds around it and he did not want estimations but an actual answer. But he could smell the rain even through the tiny gap in the window and he knew just by the heaviness of its scent that it would be lost for several hours in the very least.

He turned back to the laptop, pursing his lips and chewing the inside of his cheek. The browser was still up and waiting and Yugi felt his stomach twist uncomfortably as his mind drew itself at a blank. What was he supposed to search exactly? And how was he meant to phrase it? His fingers hovered over the keyboard as if it might help him find the words, and he found himself somehow soothed by the clicking of his nails when he tapped them against the silver keys. He took a moment to consider simply putting in the full moon for October that year but it occurred to him to try to plan ahead with it all. He could write each of the dates down and prepare to the leave the house those nights.

When he put in a search for lunar cycle, links appeared for similar things, one of which read "lunar cycles and magic". It was not the exact thing he had been searching for, but he did realize that the concept was of the same general reality. Werewolves weren't natural, so they had to be classified as somewhat magical, right? Or maybe that was too large a leap to make.

Yugi hesitated for a few minutes and then slowly clicked on it, stomach twisting violently. The first link that appeared said something about Wiccans and he tilted his head at the thought, but it also mentioned "the true phases of the moon". Despite his initial skepticism that the moon was the same everywhere and so its phases and cycles were no different, he clicked on it. In the few seconds he had spared for brief debate he had come across the very disturbing thought that he needed to be absolutely sure. He didn't want to underestimate it all and find himself harming someone because he had dismissed information outright.

A visual display of the moon going through its cycles was the first thing to appear on the screen in front of him. The small teen pursed his lips as he used the mouse's scroll button to read beneath it. The display moved with it for a split second before minimizing and taking place of his cursor. Yugi eyed it uncomfortably for a long moment, the constant movement catching his attention continuously. He turned away again to look at the words on the page but it still made him hiss with displeasure as he exhaled softly. He hated the stupid icon as it pulled at his attention with such demand. His eyes easily glanced over the information—the moon was perceived as a female goddess, the moon had a profound impact on everyone, the highest energy occurred when it was at its fullest and so that was when it was the most powerful for magic working.

Yugi skipped past that and froze, eyes wide. Beneath the last handful of words, was a divider, made of eleven wolves crossing the screen. Under this was a list of the moon's phases and then below it was a list of the phases' correspondences for magical working. He couldn't stop glancing at the eleven silver wolves on the screen in between words and his heart stopped as he looked at the passage again. Beneath the listing of the full moon and its influence was yet another list of days that read from one to seven and he realized with dread that each phase was written the same way. Each of them read that there were three days before, the day it was at its most powerful, and three after.

He nearly puked as he stared at the screen blankly. It read that each cycle lasted seven days.

Yugi whimpered softly, clicking the back button even as his eyes shot once more to the wolves. He swallowed thickly and the cursor seemed to be vibrating before he realized his hand was shaking. The next site mentioned a ten-day use of the full moon and the third said only three, one day before and one after. Each heavily implied that the influence in question became apparent the moment the sun began to set.

He groaned softly, annoyed, as he quickly closed the browser and ran his hands through his hair. He was somehow exhausted now as he leaned back completely in his seat and struggled to keep his breathing steady. Panic was setting in, a slow and harsh chill slamming through him violently.

Which did he go by, the ten-day idea? The seven? The three? Or was it just the one?

But he didn't think someone's body could possibly be forced into an entirely different shape so often without dire repercussions.

Wouldn't someone's brain become immensely stressed from the constant pressure each Change must have placed on it?

Wouldn't it reduce its capabilities somewhat, if not drastically?

Wouldn't it become all but dead after a few times?

If not, then something had to make it immensely more powerful in that either it was somehow cushioned or it protected itself. How that was even manageable was another question altogether. He didn't want to fully think on such a thing at the moment, however, and so he pushed it away with another.

He had not figured out how close the full moon was, considering that had been the only reason he had run across the last few sites. He almost reached for the mouse again but instead scrambled to remember the date for the festival he was going to be attending later that month. The whole thing was focused around the full moon, after all, and he knew the date was not too far away.

He narrowed his eyes, closing them tightly and pressing his shoes more fully against the wall as he made the chair stand lightly on two legs. He had memorized the date in order to be sure his time would be free to hang out with the others as he had wanted. He ignored the thought of just how impossible that might be and instead dug further. It eluded him for several minutes before slowly coming forward as his stomach jumped and somersaulted.

He only had ten days—including that day—before the full moon came.

That debunked the ten-day idea that the magic was meant to abide by according to that second site, but that did nothing to assure him of the seven-day. There were only going to be three days before the start of it and then he supposed by sunset he would have to be out of Domino and far enough away that if it happened he wouldn't hurt anyone.

With such a rather nonexistent understanding of this disease, Yugi thought it was easily best to assume the worst and prepare accordingly.

---

Yugi was only partially surprised when he found a new voicemail while he was playing on his phone looking for some information on wolves to help calm his nerves after breakfast. He had not recognized the number and so had simply ignored it, not expecting a message at all. It was still extremely early and school had been canceled for the day because a teacher's workday was in order. The rest of the week would be the same in honor of the festival as it was one of the largest in Domino. With most of his days freed up, as he knew they would be, he had decided there was no better time to research. Apparently the library agreed with him because the books had come in and all but one of them was waiting for him.

He hummed softly, relieved by the arrival of these new resources to use. The internet was giving him recycled information like that they looked a lot like large German shepherds with pretty silver pelts. It also said wolves were one of—if not the—most hated animals on earth. There were always small bits about them having forty-two teeth and usually dying when they were around seven. There was, of course, the constant note that dogs were descended from them. Everything was extremely limited and increasingly frustrating to read under so many different links.

Yugi welcomed the arrival of the books with an intense excitement and curiosity he had never truly thought himself capable of concerning learning about wolves of all things. He made his way there quickly, hoping to learn as much as he could about the animals before he went to possibly turn into one later that day.

Due to the early hour, the building was nearly deserted. He recognized two of his schoolmates sitting at one of the tables, but he could not recall their names. They had their seats pressed close together, however, and he thought they might have been holding hands under the table. He thought they looked cute but not in a way that was memorable. He dismissed his immediate thought that maybe he and Anzu would have been just as easily overlooked in the grand scheme of things. It was disconcerting to realize the weight of such an idea. Maybe they would have been a simple background noise in everyone else's lives as a couple if not for the very reason he was there. Looking at them, with that thought in mind, he doubted he would ever have that simplicity again.

It had been lost in only a matter of days.

He wanted to laugh at himself. What hadn't changed recently? What wasn't able to be snatched away in mere seconds in life? At least he was still alive, which was more than he could say for others. Whatever the reason, the wolf had chosen to save him just as Tomoya had seemed to do when he and Ushio had fought. Whatever this new wolf wanted—with him, with their own life—was another thing entirely but he knew it was there. It had howled when the Burger World employee had gone after him and he highly doubted that it was by mere coincidence. It seemed to be watching out for him for whatever reason and he could not deny that he was thankful for it, no matter what its motivation was. It could have easily killed him at any moment if it so wished.

It knew where he lived. It had demonstrated well its capability to kill and go undetected. He was sure it would easily be able to eat him alive if it only wanted. He could have wound up the next Miho or Tomoya or Ushio any time. And now, maybe, with this bite and the infection—if it wasn't a curse—he might be able to even go as far as to protect himself and even heal from wounds quickly. They could have—Tomoya or Ushio or this wolf—inadvertently given him the very gift of survival despite it all.

Yugi at least counted that as a blessing as he went to the hold bookcase and pulled the fourteen reference books with his name written on the slip of paper wrapped around their spines with a heavy rubber band. He didn't bother with the main desk, heading for the self-checkout machine. A small metal cup with a note taped across the front was filled almost to the brim with rubber bands. He pulled his own off, listening to the sharp thudding noises it made against the lamination of each cover, and dropped it into the cup.

His actions were automatic, almost mechanic, as he pulled his library card from his jacket pocket. When he scanned it, he thought the beep was deafening in the silence and he glanced around awkwardly. No one seemed to notice, however, or at least no one looked up. He glanced around at them all for a long moment and then turned away to see his account highlighted on the screen. He scanned each book, surprised to find that one was actually a magazine that he knew would not be solely about the canines. He printed a receipt though there was no due date for them unlike at the high school. No public library in Japan had due dates on their books when they were checked out, but he did know that Domino High was the only school library system that did that as well.

He headed for the door without a backwards glance, wishing momentarily that he had brought his bag. But it was early and he had not thought to with the need to get the books. It had seemed like a waste to grab it, as if he thought this wealth of information—as limited a he knew it might have been—would disappear if he did not gather it quickly.

It seemed foolish now but he hardly cared any longer. The walk was only about ten minutes if he moved fast enough. He'd be home with plenty of time to read up and maybe take notes about whatever it was that caught his attention. He questioned what in all he might find, especially now that he realized only one looked like it might have more than mostly just colorful pictures and small passages. Most likely he would have to order some American books as he had originally assumed.

But, in the meantime, he could learn whatever these books had to offer.

He was paranoid when he walked inside. His ears were strained immediately with the intent to catch any movement. He had decided he would put the books in his bag whenever he wasn't reading he wouldn't have to worry about his mom finding them that way. But the harder he listened the less he seemed to truly hear. He could only catch the sound of the clock ticking and the hum of the refrigerator. He faintly recognized the tapping of water dripping from the faucet in the bathroom sink but there was nothing else as he struggled harder for any hint of life there. There were no heartbeats or steady breaths, however long he listened, and so he made an immediate beeline for his room.

He dropped the books on the bed, glancing at his laptop distractedly, and then quickly grabbed the magazine to skim through. As he had expected, it was not all about the wolves, and really all he could find were four articles. The rest were about their prey and how humans had exterminated them like rats in several areas because of livestock. He read some of the information rather sparingly on their reintroduction to certain areas, and all it did was anger him. It had become a well-known and proven fact that wolves did not care to be around people. They wanted nothing to do with the areas in which humans lived and so thought it was rather sufficient to say that cattle was not truly in danger. He thought it was an excuse to kill them because people were greedy and stupid. And he was rather sure there had to be another, more peaceful way, to protect livestock.

Yugi finished having only learning that red wolves and coyotes had crossbred to make a species called the coywolf and the obvious statement that they came in various colors.

The second reference he grabbed heralded the unusual information that some dogs—possibly wolf-dogs—could climb trees due to rougher pads on their paws. There was another bit that they never matured with blue eyes. He also learned that wolves did not have dewclaws on their hind legs and that it was a sign of it being a hybrid should such a trait be seen.

He stopped reading after the fourth, too frustrated to go on. It was all repeating itself again and he had no real need to know the differences between wolves and dogs. Sure, it might help him to identify the hybrid species should he ever need it, but he wanted something completely about the wild canines. He needed something that had more to it than the fact that they howled and the leader was called the alpha and the weakest the omega.

Something had occurred to him, however. Since each book had mentioned the howling so often, how was it that no one had noticed the wolves in the first place? He realized, of course, that there were packs of wild dogs out in the woods, but surely their howls would sound different, right? He was sure wolves had a rather unique howl, barring that each of them had their own personal voice. He knew that dogs could howl and some people tried to make their pet imitate wolves using videos, but he felt that there would be a difference regardless. He thought for sure that the hybrid would sound different than the wolf that always seemed to howl when he was threatened. Or perhaps it was so subtle a thing that no one would be able to tell the difference.

Yugi blinked at the thought and then narrowed his eyes. Some people believed that the wolves still existed there regardless so maybe the howls had become nothing more than a reassurance to them that their guardians had not abandoned them. It was a strange thought but it made sense to him, especially where the older cities were concerned. Everyone had their own beliefs, no matter how small or large or practical or nonsensical. He did not think that it was as confusing and humorous as it had been before he had werewolves slip into his life like this.

Maybe someone had seen them at some point and that was how the rumor had remained alive. But then, most of those stories resolved around the Honshu wolf and never the Ezo which the werewolves' sizes were more similar to. Yugi shook his head, exhausted by the way his mind circulated so pointedly over that fact and left it spinning. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples, shaking his head slightly and sighing loudly.

He had not gotten enough sleep to stay awake and focused on all of it. When he glanced at his reflection in the corner of his eye he almost wanted to snarl in frustration. The entire situation was dragging at him now with such incredible force that he wanted to lie down and not bother with anything for years.

Grinding his teeth forcefully, he moved to scoop his books together and place them in his bag before dropping it beside his desk and humming softly as he fell back against the mattress without a second tired thought. He yawned softly and squeezed his eyes shut as his mind began to sluggishly slow to a slight halt. The sunlight burned behind his eyelids, coloring them bright pink, and Yugi felt it lull at the edges of his consciousness. It felt like warm water caressing his skin and lapping gently at his senses.

Small touches of something like a gentle breeze seemed to travel over his skin for the briefest of moments. He startled violently, awake instantly, at the sound of the hallway door opening. He sat up, listening, and then made his way towards the door as well. The moment he stepped out, his eyes fell on his grandpa in the doorway. The elderly man was carrying a small bag of groceries and he could smell a hint of olive oil, immediately claiming his interest. Was he going to lay out another scent test for him or was it actually going to be used for cooking?

He never did know when it came to oils. He never knew the amount through smell alone because the scent was too thick and laden or thin and overpowering. There was never an in between with them and that was always enough to have him unable to identify its amount.

"Grandpa, hi," he greeted warmly, smiling faintly and watching as he looked up with a somewhat startled expression.

"Ah, Yugi!" he stated happily, grinning and gesturing with a sweep of his arm towards the kitchen. Yugi watched the bag as it swayed with the movement, and hurried in to take a seat at the table. There was a cloth on it, he noticed with interest, a white cotton or polyester with knitted, entangled flower-like designs about an inch long on the edges. He stroked it for a moment but quickly looked up again as his grandpa spoke.

"So, it's the Month of the Gods," he announced with a lazy smile, making Yugi tilt his head to the side.

"The Month of the Gods," he echoed, voice light and curious, the undertone of interest making his ears burn. The olive oil smell burned at his senses and his head was beginning to feel lighter. But something almost ionized and warm, light to touch with gossamer affection, seemed to stroke at his senses. "Yeah."

"Do you know who Oguchi no Magami is, Yugi?"

Yugi stayed quiet for a moment, staring even as he tilted his head to the other side in clear question. He pressed his foot against the ground heavily, leaning forward with curious eyes. "The Large-Mouthed Pure God," he said with an odd sense of awe and excitement mixing as he smiled widely. "He's a wolf."

"So you do remember him then." Yugi watched him place a small jar of olive oil on the table like it was a center piece. The small teen stared at it momentarily and then lifted his eyes to his grandpa's once more. An intense sting of curiosity made him lean forward further, eyes wide as he watched him pull out what looked like a dark red candle. He couldn't smell around the oil, however, and pursed his lips at the realization. It was frustrating to be unable to tell if it was scented or not ahead of time because he knew that would be the question asked soon enough.

"Yeah." He had never been able to forget him. He had always imagined a bright white wolf with fur that glowed like sunlight and eyes that had no true colors. He was massive, with jaws the size of a house, which opened and closed like a crocodile's. His shoulders rose like mountains and his paws were the size of lakes. "I remember him."

His grandpa nodded and set the candle next to the small jar. His eyes were burning with something like amusement. "Can you smell it?"

"No," he admitted with a firm frown. "It is scented?"

"That's for you to tell me."

He fell silent, staring at the wax and chewing his cheek as he narrowed his eyes. The candle sat in a low glass bowl with a gray lid that had been pulled off and set beneath it. Yugi leaned back in his seat, biting his lip. The tag had been pulled away and he could see only the white of the thin paper and glue aged lightly yellow. He recognized the brand but he could not match the color with any certain scent. The colors were all similar shades when it came to red due to the pigmentation it possessed. Candle wax didn't ever seem to hold its various shades and hues as it so easily did others.

He tried his hardest to smell it, leaning forward again and breathing deeply. He opened his mouth a small centimeter, drawing in a breath and nearly choking. The olive oil was heavy, swamping his senses and making his throat feel swollen. His mouth watered, trying to push the smell out, and he blinked hard to prevent the urge to gag as his stomach somersaulted once. His nose ached and burned as he tried again. He took a moment to breathe slowly and fully to rid himself of the sensations as quickly as he possibly could.

His grandpa chuckled in amusement at the sight and his mustache wiggled with the movement. Yugi ignored him and shifted his teeth against each other awkwardly to keep from gagging. The motion helped to calm his frustration somewhat, the noise clearing his head minutely. He waited a moment after his nose seemed to lose its burn and then drew in a slow, steady breath that seemed to take minutes to fill his lungs. He could only catch the olive oil and he wiped his nose unhappily as it tingled.

"It's unscented," he scoffed, glaring at him angrily. "It's unscented but you spilled some oil on the top of it."

He chuckled a little louder, shaking his head with bright eyes. "It's scented," he replied, "but you're right. I did spill some oil on it. You would know what it was otherwise."

Yugi scowled. "I don't see why you keep doing this anyways," he snapped in annoyance. "It's not like it does anything for me."

"Don't you like learning about your own capabilities?"

"No." Yes. "It's stupid." It's amazing.

"You think that now, but one day you'll be thankful for it," the elderly Motou teased, smiling widely and shaking his head.

"I highly doubt that, Grandpa."

"Oh, but you'll see some day, Yugi."

He rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself. His gaze flickered briefly towards the candle again. If he could get it closer he knew he would have been able to identify it immediately but he also knew the point of it was to figure it out without taking an easier route. He was testing his sense of smell and cheating would do him no good. But focusing on it only made the pungent olive oil nearly drown him and that was not something that he could stand.

"You'll like it after you figure it out."

"I'd like it more if you would just tell me."

He chuckled again and shook his head, smiling at him and looking over his two items on the table. "You'll feel more accomplished when you find out yourself, Yugi."

"Whatever."

It was true, however. He knew that. It was undeniable and his draw to using his senses to find out was quickly becoming a necessity in mere seconds. He would end up furious and malcontent if he were to be told now. The idea of the easiest route possible was upsetting now and so he settled back against his seat again.

"Are you looking forward to the festival?"

Yugi hesitated and then chewed his cheek. "Yes."

"But?"

He narrowed his eyes, trying to find the words, and ground his teeth together to soothe at his jumbling thoughts. It all seemed to be racing in, like when a TV show used the black and white technique and then sprang into color again. He thought of wheels spinning and water crashing into land, of thunderstorms and dancing flames when the lights were turned off.

"Grandpa, why do we still celebrate the wolves if there aren't any left?"

It was something of a childish question and he felt almost as if he were six again, asking about things he didn't understand and had no grasp on. He felt small, undeniably so, and his mind seemed to flare with a curious intensity that made him want to flinch.

His grandpa tilted his head, leaning against the table and watching him with bright eyes. "What do you mean, Yugi?" he asked. "There are wolves all around us."

Something clawed at the surface of his mind, struggling for his attention but he was unable to focus as they looked at one another. The olive oil was making his head lighter than ever and his mind was scattered with jumbled, twisted thoughts. The wolves were all around them? Yugi watched him with an expression that he was sure showed his dazed confusion.

"Then why hasn't anyone said anything about them?"

He chuckled again, full of amusement and affection. "Because only the open-minded and smartest people can identify them. And most people won't accept what they can't explain. The wolves are intelligent creatures, Yugi, and they know how to hide and wait. They won't let anyone see them without their permission." He paused for a long moment, plum eyes sparkling with a keen intelligent mirth that made Yugi tilt his head. "They have to want to let you see them or you'll spend your whole life wishing."

"Why would someone want to see them so badly?"

"Because, Yugi, they are a blessing and should be cherished. Many people will never know that, but those that do will never tell."

"Why not? Why wouldn't someone tell about the wolves if they're a blessing?"

"Because you should never share a blessing lest you can deal with the consequences, Yugi."

"What kind of consequences?"

"Many people would kill to gain the blessing that the wolves are."

Yugi stayed silent, pondering, and then looked at the candle again. He caught the knit edges of the tablecloth between his fingers and twisted them back and forth. Something was still trying to come to the surface, clawed and drawing blood as it scrambled and tore through the mess of thoughts in his head. He scraped his nails over the threads for a moment, peering at the candle again.

"If they're a blessing, then why are they extinct here?" He shook his head. A million thoughts flashed through his head, of stories about wolves guiding lost souls through woods without exits. He thought of the stories about the wolves giving humans guidance and helping them to sort out their problems. "Or why did they try to hunt them to that state?"

"Because people are always afraid of what they don't understand."

"Why should they be afraid?"

He was silent for a moment and then watched him curiously. "The wolves are as much a curse as a blessing, Yugi, and people fear them by nature. And the wolves were too smart to stay openly around people. They are still here, but not to be coveted or abused like some would do."

"Why would someone want to abuse them?"

"People want things that they are not allowed and their blessing is something that they would murder for, Yugi."

"You said that," he mumbled almost inaudibly. He watched him with wide eyes for a moment, settling into the backrest of his chair once more. His mouth was growing dry again, eyes narrowing into slits as he watched his grandpa's face. He swallowed hard and then turned his attention towards the table for a moment. He closed his eyes after a second, shaking his head briefly. What was that thing clawing at his mind like this?

"So, the wolves…moved away then?"

"Some did."

There was a pause.

"But some are still here."

"Have you seen them?"

"No. I haven't been blessed enough to see them."

"Then…how do you know?"

His grandpa was chuckling again as he opened his eyes. Both of them were watching each other now, and Yugi felt himself leaning forward as if compelled to do so. His eyes shot to the table again, the small teenager feeling somehow unable to look at his grandpa any longer. That sensation of being small, almost tiny, made his head ache as he tried to concentrate again there was some kind of weight, a severity to the situation, and his throat seemed to close as he tried to push away the nagging in his head.

"I know more than you think, Yugi. The wolves are just one of many."

"And you're sure? That there are still wolves? How do you know they aren't dogs?"

"Trust me, Yugi, you know a wolf from a dog immediately."

He was dazed when his voice came out in a weak mumble of "Cinnamon. The candle is cinnamon-scented." Yugi shook his head slowly and got to his feet, unsure of what more to do or say. He made his way to his room again, head feeling oddly light and dizzy as the teen took a seat and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He felt almost exhausted again as he fell backwards onto the mattress once more. He remained still, feeling as if the air had been sucked from his lungs rather suddenly.

His mind was still blank and the thought attempting to breach his focus refused to leave him as he tried to relax. His body was becoming wound tightly, burning him violently, and each muscle screamed painfully. His mind felt as if it were bleeding now, aching and burning as he struggled to lose the festering thought. He pushed at it, prodding desperately for information and ignorance all at once.

He knows, he realized abruptly, sitting up so swiftly that his head seemed to explode. His eyes shot open in horror, mouth dry and pasty, and his stomach churned as bile burned a path up his throat. His grandpa knew. He knew about the infection and the wolves, their entire existence. He had assumed that he had been telling him such things growing up had been because of Domino having such a rich history of it all. He had never thought much of it before because of where they lived but he recognized it now as he stared at the door and wondered if he had shut it when he'd come back into his room.

He scrambled, disoriented, and wondered in horror if he had somehow missed the signs of his knowledge. Did he know he was infected and that was why such a conversation had come up? But, then, he had always tested him. He was six the first time and he had just been told about the festivals and the wolves. He'd insisted on telling him and testing him further each time, saying multiple times that he just wanted to see if he could do whatever it was he asked. Usually it was focused on his sense of smell and Yugi felt his head spin as he considered this new thought.

Was the sense of smell not the most powerful on a canine? Was that not why they always used them to track down missing people and hunt in the woods? To detect bombs and drugs?

He shook his head slowly once. Why would he test him so early? He had no reason to. Unless, somehow… Yugi swallowed harshly. There was no way. His grandpa would never do that.

But he was unable to shake the sudden, irrational fear in his system.

Was it possible that the tests had been a way of signaling to the werewolves to bite him? Maybe Ushio had gone to bite him and so had Tomoya and so they had fought. It could explain Ushio staring at him so angrily and Tomoya appearing there to fight him off. Maybe it even explained Kokurano who could have been warning him away but had been unable to. But his words didn't match such a role and he felt that, if anything, he would have attacked him had he had the chance. If not for that sudden seizure he was sure that Kokurano would have tried to kill him. He had no delusions about that, despite his initial idea.

Yugi shook his head sharply and narrowed his eyes slightly as he swallowed thickly against the burn in his throat. He could not hear anyone in the house with him now. There was something of a painful, seemingly knowledgeable silence that seemed to sweep through the house like wind. The small teen clenched his jaw momentarily as he tugged on the comforter distractedly as tension made his muscles ache.

There was a weight to the air again, suffocating and draining as he struggled not to cry out. How was it possible that his grandpa had known for so long and kept it hidden from him so completely? How could he do such a thing to him like this? Why had he not told him? How could he just keep quiet when Yugi was sure that he knew? He must have seen the symptoms and known what was happening and yet, somehow, he had kept his mouth shut.

How could he do such a thing?

He growled low in his throat, the noise growing louder as the seconds passed.

How could he? What kind of sick fuck would do that?

He spat violently as he got to his feet and headed first for the door and then back to the bed once more, pacing swiftly. He swore under his breath almost inaudibly and spun on his heel again. How could anyone do something like that to someone—their own family? He could not understand how it was possible something like this could have happened. He was supposed to be his grandpa. He was supposed to love him. He was supposed to guide and protect him in life. He wasn't supposed to go behind his back with knowledge like that and pretend that nothing was wrong with it all. He was supposed to care.

The thought made him tremble. Had he cared? Had he ever cared?

He trembled harder. He'd lied to him like that so easily that it was driving him insane. He had barely even seemed to blink at anything that would have shocked someone else. And he'd seemed to know that it would happen eventually. Maybe he had even convinced his mom that nothing had changed and pulled the wool over her eyes by turning her attention away so that she had not questioned it when he was still limping about.

Did his mom know too? Was it possible that she did and just wasn't saying anything either?

Yugi paused momentarily, blinking at the thought before scoffing loudly. His mom was not one to believe something like this. She was and always had been someone who relied strictly on science and medicine. She had never believed in fairytales, even from childhood. From what he knew, she had always been interested in logic and never magic or miracles. She had been logical to the core and he had always thought that she must have gotten it from his grandmother because his grandfather was far from shunning towards tall tales and fables. He loved having and using his imagination and even sharing it with Yugi. He wanted him to think and explore, a contrast that was undeniable when compared to his mom's idea of the set path of graduating and becoming a vet.

She would never have hidden something like that from him had she ever known. It would have taken a lot for her to believe it in the first place. She would have had to see it and even then he thought she might deny it. If she could not explain it with copious amounts of evidence then she would never let it become anything else. And he knew for a fact that if she believed it and knew it all, Yugi would as well. She would never have left him in the dark about it.

So his grandfather was the one who had lied to him and hidden everything away.

He had been testing him for years—his whole life—to find out if he was one. Yugi chewed his cheek and shook his head after a long moment. Why would he do that? Disregarding his apparent knowledge of the whole situation, why would he have thought to do that? Was it genetic? But, then, that made no sense either. Neither his mom nor grandfather were growing fur and sprouting fangs. So why would he want to test him? Unless it was on his dad's side, in which case he doubted he would have told his father-in-law and completely bypassed his wife.

He shook his head again and drew in a deep breath, hissing when he finally exhaled.

---

His stomach growled viciously as he picked at the lamination on his book for a moment. He had skipped out on breakfast, pretending to sleep in, so that he could avoid running into his grandfather and being forced into conversation. The moment his mom had slipped from the house he had not hesitated to take off for the library to drop off the books after having spent the whole night reading each cover to cover. He'd learned enough to be satisfied for the moment, thankfully, and he supposed it would be easy to order some books and read them later if needed.

He tore off a small sliver of the plastic encasement and then slid it beneath the scanner moments later. His stomach let out a low, harsh gurgling almost as deep and angry as a dog growling. Yugi heard someone pause behind him, watching curiously. He didn't bother glancing up, instead scanning the next book and ignoring his stomach. It ached violently and twisted once more with a new loud, demanding snarl of hunger. And then a flash of ice and tension made his spine tighten and his muscles flare. He froze, listening first and then turning his head with wide eyes. His skin burned and pulsed, every hair standing at a bristle as he quickly scanned the area.

"You okay there, Yugi?"

He spun, furious with his mounting terror, and a tremor ran through his nerve endings like electricity. The books on the counter slid from the surface with a loud echo like rocks falling as they hit the linoleum. His heart was pounding and his ears were roaring with the pulse. His breathing came in short, shallow hisses. The other was only a few inches away from him, having snuck to his side silently moments before.

Standing with that mediocre amount of space between them was a brunet with spiky hair and glowing golden eyes. He stood a handful of inches taller than him. His shoulders were broader, but his build was somehow leaner where his own was compact.

His immediate thought was that he, like Ushio, was about to attack him. He was sizing him up without thinking it completely through but he was sure if the other wanted to, he could maim him without having to truly break a sweat. He was clearly a werewolf too with how his body was sent on such high alert by his mere presence. And Yugi lacked experience with fighting, much less with a werewolf.

There was something glimmering around his pupils, making the rest of those vibrant irises appear almost lifeless.

"You look a little ill."

"I'm fine," he snapped sharply before he could even think it through. His voice came out rough and angry, startling him, but the other boy failed to so much as blink. Impulsively Yugi felt an apology clawing at the back of his throat but his mouth refused to open. His muscles were bunching up harshly beneath his skin as if in preparation for the oncoming attack.

"Hmm," the other snorted, the left side of his mouth quirking up. Yugi took a step back when the other moved, startled. There was a soft, almost inaudible chuckle that left his mouth as his hand reached out. The smaller teen backed up again, hissing sharply. The other failed to look up even as he pulled the fallen books into a pile and scanned them over momentarily. He straightened without pause, putting them down again and smirking more fully at him. "Wolves, huh, Yugi?"

He was frozen in place, staring blankly as he struggled to grasp at a name.

"It's smarter to look at them instead," he commented, eyes dancing more completely. They glittered like gems and glowed a liquid topaz. "You never know what misleading things you'll find in mythology."

He opened and closed his mouth once before narrowing his eyes into slits. His eyes were so familiar, as was his appearance in general. Yet he couldn't recall a name.

The other teen flashed him a crooked grin as he leaned against the counter and watched him with vibrant amusement. His posture was anything but imposing or unfriendly, so relaxed that it almost seemed as if they had known each other their whole lives. It was almost enough to disarm him as he stared back and scrambled to place him, but his body was far too wired and he could not make it loosen in any way.

"Valon."

It was spoken so softly that he could barely hear it himself, but the brunet's eyes lit brighter and his smirk grew a bit wider. Valon raised a brow, narrowing his amused gaze so that it appeared very clearly to be playful to Yugi himself and anyone else looking over at them. It was only as his eyes shone more vividly beneath the shadows of his lashes that he recognized what it was that had thrown him off upon their gazes locking.

Yugi had gone through middle school with Valon in each of his classes. All three years Yugi had seen Valon somewhere amongst his classmates. He had only spoken to him a handful of times and so neither of them had become even remote friends. They got along well—Valon could hold up his end of a conversation without thinking about it and he was good at games. So he liked him, but their friends tended to butt heads and so no true friendship had come about between them.

However, back then, his eyes had been an incandescent blue the color of the sky rather than this startling shade of gold like baked sand. Rather, this new color reminded him uncannily of the hybrid and the thought made his head spin. So it was true then, that the canine had been a werewolf as well. The only thing that startled him now was that it was Valon that it had become at the end of the night.

There was a rush of something like spice and pomegranate and heat like charcoal which filled his nostrils after a moment when he finally drew in a breath. He stopped short, startled, but a hint of iron, sharp and salty and metallic in smell, made his head feel light and dazed. He blinked at him, eyes widening drastically, and then shook his head slightly. Another sharp smell hit him, almost like bleach or vinegar but with the thickness of olive oil or honey.

"What…?" He stared at him as Valon curled his lip slightly, the smirk long gone.

"Hormonal imbalance," he snapped, his voice rough and gravelly and bordering a snarl. "It happens sometimes with werewolves."

Yugi felt his entire neck begin to burn, flaring bright red like a flag. He opened and closed his mouth once and then shook his head slightly. "H-how did you…?" he choked out, horrified by the idea that it was noticeable. If another wolf could tell, how long would it take before regular people could too?

"It's in your eyes. They're different, deeper, more vibrant," he replied, glancing dismissively towards the books beside his hand. A nail clicked as it tapped the polished wood as he leaned more heavily on his right arm and narrowed his eyes. "And there's a new gleam to them, an intelligence that wasn't there before. If you look into your reflection you will see it too. It's unfamiliar and completely animalistic. Humans will disregard it as nothing more than a reflection of light, but it's there."

"My eyes?" Yugi commented dryly, taking a book and scanning it before doing the same with another. "Something tells me there is a lot more to it than just that."

Valon chuckled and reached past him to pluck out a rubber band. The smaller teen looked at him curiously as he stretched it with his index and thumb. "Well, Yugi, we are technically the same species now, so it should not be surprising." He paused and turned on his heel abruptly, heading off for the nonfiction section. The small teen watched him with wide eyes before quickly scanning in the last book and rushing for the return cart. He scrambled after the other werewolf, feeling flushed as he caught that imbalanced scent once more. Valon did not even glance up as he joined him. "You will need to get used to recognition. There's a unique scent pattern that comes off you now, and it's nothing if not strong. A wolf could probably smell you from one end of Japan to the next."

Great, so I'm like one gigantic fart, he thought with a scowl, shaking his head. The other boy reached up to tap a finger against the spine of a book, reading over the title again before pulling it down. "You were the king shepherd in the alley," he finally said, watching him closely. The other boy's eyes flickered towards him and his lips pulled into a slight smirk before he rummaged through the index of the book in his hand.

"I'm surprised you waited so long to mention that." Yugi watched him slide his fingernail along the print for a moment before flipping through to one of the articles he wanted to see. "Most people would have blurted that out the moment they realized."

"I feel like a loon," he admitted, chewing his bottom lip and swallowing hard. Valon turned his head to look at him for a long moment, seeming almost to see through him, before turning back to his book. He offered no sympathetic words, instead fully concentrating on the text. Yugi didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed by that. "But…you're not just a dog. You're half wolf. Which…kind of makes you something other than a werewolf. So…what are you exactly?"

"I am a werewolf," Valon stated easily, turning to him again and giving him a wide smirk full of perfect white teeth. A secret glinted in his eyes, surrounded by open laughter and amusement. "I'm just another kind."

"…What does that mean?" He furrowed his brows, perplexed, and followed him quickly when he began to head for another second of the shelves. "That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense, Yugi. You are simply too new to this world to understand what I am telling you." He snatched another book and then quickly plucked a third. "You learn more as you mature in it. You will never get answers handed to you on a silver platter, but you can get help. In fact, I am sure someone will come to see you soon enough."

"Who?" he demanded desperately. He needed answers. He needed guidance more than anything.

"The one who bit you, for starters," Valon mumbled before frowning at him. He drew in a deep breath and narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the assault to his senses in an effort to sort them all out. Yugi had an intense and highly concentrated scent like that of warm sunlight and leaves turned bright red by the autumn season with only the faintest hint of cinnamon and mint. The second smell was entirely different and distinct, but it also somehow lacked. He could only detect it faintly, as Yugi's was becoming much harsher now as his heart pounded with excitement. It was drifting away again quickly but Valon could not recognize the smell. He had made sure upon his first Change to memorize each and every other werewolf in Domino in order to recognize any boundaries to avoid encroaching on another's territory. Packs were weakening and falling apart, however. They were dropping drastically in numbers. Weaker wolves were breaking off into parts or acting as loners, and none of them seemed to stay around for too long. But that smell was fading from Yugi's spoke of strength, similar to that of the smaller wolf's. So why should it flee from Domino if that were the case?

"He's dead," Yugi said with a small shake of his head.

"What?"

Such disbelief colored his tone that Yugi almost questioned himself. But Tomoya was dead. Everyone in Domino—and possibly Japan in general—knew that. And Yugi thought that he had to have been the one that had bitten him. The only other wolf there that night when he had thought he was dying was Ushio and even if it had been him, he was dead too. He didn't think this third wolf would have done it. Tomoya was the most likely, considering Yugi was almost certain he had been protecting him and had lost his life trying.

Valon was silent but staring at him. His golden eyes were partially glazed, and the smaller boy could see ice around the pupils. His expression had grown somewhat twisted, thoughtfully concentrated but slightly annoyed as well. He was breathing deep and slow and Yugi could see his nostrils flaring faintly as he exhaled each time.

Valon could no longer smell even the faintest hint of that other scent that had covered Yugi before. But he could tell where they were rapidly mixing together, blending almost seamlessly. His heart was a war drum in his ears, hammering away at all thoughts he tried to form and throwing them away immediately.

His scent, mixed like this, made his earlier statement a complete impossibility. There was no way that his blood could smell so equally of the other wolf if it were deceased. There was an intense power, a form of blind strength, an unquestionable authority, that spoke of life and death and survival even in this miniscule trace. That alone was proof that the one who had bitten him existed still. And, if the chemical mixture in Yugi's blood was anything to go by, they were extremely healthy and strong, though there was a light and almost nonexistent sourness that touched it as well which spoke of recent healing.

"Tomoya, he's the one who bit me," Yugi said quietly, frowning. Valon stared at him blankly with a highly skeptical expression. "He and Ushio got into a fight in the alleyway. I was…collateral damage. He's dead. That means that I don't have a source for answers."

The brunet shook his head again and narrowed his eyes into slits. "Get something to read, Yugi, and then meet me in the back corner over there," he stated, jerking his head to indicate where before turning and starting off for another aisle of books. He watched him, hesitating for a brief second before glancing around quickly. He would have had a list of books with the reference numbers and everything else if he had any other books he needed. There was nothing there he had thought of as having more information as most were still more or less only about the fables and legends. He instead pretended to browse several small historical fictions in passing and grabbed one without looking as he scrambled to join up with Valon again.

He met the other boy quickly, carrying only that historical fiction book, and pushed it only the smooth wooden surface without a second thought. Valon did not bother to so much as glance at him sideways. Instead his golden eyes remained entirely focused on the book in front of him.

"I do not know how you came up with the idea that Tomoya of all people bit you, but it's false. The scent your pulse is emitting says otherwise. Your alpha is alive and strong, and not the least bit dead," the other boy stated, voice bordering a growl with the gravelly undertone it seemed to suddenly adopt. Yugi watched him shake his head slowly, still scenting the air, and felt his stomach twist.

"My…alpha?" he echoed in obvious confusion.

He almost felt, in that moment, as if maybe he had stumbled into something almost akin sexual roleplay. He almost burst into snickers at the idea. Instead of a dom and a sub, there was alpha and omega. A smile threatened to lift the corners of his lips but the reality of the situation was also immensely draining, to the point that it smothered the impulse instantly. Something inside of him seemed to curl in on itself and swell with a swift and merciless ache like fire in his belly.

"The one who bit you," the brunet explained calmly, looking at the print in front of him once more with such focus that it almost seemed as if he were merely reading a few words off to him. "They are known as alphas because they are the ones that infected the other. They are considered the top of the hierarchy in a pair because they are the original source. Because of the infection stemming from them there is a chemical that reacts within the brain and allows them to enforce a type of…law in the other wolf. They can then command them just enough so that if they are a risk towards exposure or becoming too much of a problem they will be able to stop them. There is said to be something of a connection between the two that causes both blood streams to react. I've heard it's like blood pressure rising or a fever occurring beneath the skin. I'm not sure. I've never bitten anyone and I don't care to."

Yugi nodded distractedly but it occurred to him slowly that he had once read an article several years back about something like that. He had been doing a project on veterans and had run across the article by accident. It had said that a study had been done in which several veterans around the world who had known and fought together had reacted similarly in brain waves with the same stimuli. It had, more or less, turned out that the authoress of the essay had been attempting to prove magic was real. Regardless, the ideas were extremely similar. While the veterans responded to each other's stimuli through brain waves even while halfway across the world in completely different situations and atmospheres, the werewolves' alphas managed to trigger the same effects through exposure.

"You should be able to feel them when they are nearby." Valon paused, staying silent momentarily, and then drew in another small breath that he knew was an attempt at smelling the air around him. He seemed frustrated and puzzled; the brunet's voice took on a lower, calmer edge once more. "That would be the feverish sensation or possibly an adrenaline rush or the rising blood pressure. However, you're likely to get a similar reaction to any werewolves nearby, so I'm not sure that's something you can truly rely on if you ever decide to try your hand at finding them. Then again, if your first Change is coming up then they are likely to find you."

Yugi stiffened. "Why?"

"It's more for your mental stability than anything else. They'll want to keep you calm throughout the Change so that you won't hurt yourself."

"Throughout? Hurt myself?"

Valon slowly turned his head, eyes cold and glittering like ice. His lips curled back to show his left canine and Yugi stiffened once more. Unbidden, the idea crossed his mind that the other wolf might kill him then and there.

"W-what?" he croaked, flinching away from the harsh disgust in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You shouldn't exist," he snarled low in his throat, shoulders rising slowly as his book was pressed flat against the table. The tendons in his fingers were drawn tight and his knuckles were bleached white.

"What?"

"Your species. It shouldn't be here," he spat, baring his teeth and narrowing his eyes into slits. "It should not be here anymore. It was only needed once and never again. And yet…here you are."

He was shaking, he realized, eyes wide in horror. "W-what are you talking about? What…?"

The wolf beside him remained perfectly still for what felt like an eternity but must have lasted all of a split second. Then, slowly, his fingers curled and latched onto the book in front of him. "You shouldn't exist. At all, Yugi." He ignored the smaller boy's sputter of the same question and instead got to his feet. His nails tapped the table in a hurried, faltering rhythm. "If you're here all that means is death for the rest of us. Bloodshed…War."

Yugi blinked stupidly at the intense hatred in his voice, stomach twisting and clenching. There was not much—if anything—that he could say in response. He was frozen in place, horrified, but did not try to change it. The taller teen was watching him with that same hateful glacial expression in his eyes and the smaller could not manage to so much as lower his gaze despite the knowledge of such a thing being a direct challenge.

Valon hesitated just long enough to hiss, "Yugi…you weren't bitten."

---

Yugi's hands were still trembling hours later when he had settled in his room again. The sun was setting and a small burn had taken residence in his bones. It was itchy rather than painful, and almost tickled. He had come to realize its new existence ten minutes before, when the sunset was approaching. His body had been reacting to the approach of the nighttime and thus the moon. He thought this had to be a new development, if only because he couldn't recall ever having happened before. It was probably the full moon fast approaching as it was. And that had done nothing but make his hands shake harder.

Valon must have been wrong. He had to have been bitten. Why else would the infection only show itself now? How was it that it had remained dormant for so long? Was it possible for a disease to remain in that kind of state?

He blinked. Yes, there were diseases that could hide in the immune system for years on end. There was leprosy, prion disease, chagas disease, and, of course, the most famous dormant disease to ever exist—HIV. From what he remembered, even tuberculosis did that when it was seemingly cured.

So, did the werewolf stream do that too then?

He paused and ran a hand through his hair. What was that disease's name again? It might be nice to actually refer to it by its name instead of constantly calling it an "infection" or "disease". He thought that might actually even be more comforting when he focused on it again. He liked science and he knew for a fact that there was a name for such a disease. There were clinical trials on this kind of thing, right?

But didn't its symptoms vary? Didn't some people think their minds turned into that of a wolf's? And didn't that come complete with snarling and seeing a wolf in the mirror instead of their own reflection? But wasn't another just facial hair practically everywhere? Were those the same thing, or was he jumbling two different diseases together by mistake?

Yugi shook his head slightly and pulled his phone from its charger, looking it over. His eyes flickered curiously as he tried to think of some way to narrow his search. He knew the condition started with the word "clinical" in it, but he highly doubted adding "werewolf" would work too well with it. Then again, others had to forget the condition as well. He could hardly be the only to one to do something like that. So maybe that search would not be a bad one to check.

The words appeared in the engine only seconds after he got the first half of the second in.

It was called clinical lycanthropy, and when the first half of the condition was taken out, all the folklore and fables came to light.

He smiled wryly. And how much of that was actually true enough for him to consider reading? So much of it often contradicted each other. How much of it was simply copied and pasted from another site? If books could simply paraphrase to have almost all the same information, websites were more than likely to just have it all without even an attempt at citation. He supposed it did not matter, however, as he knew he would have to learn more from trial and error over books and fables and things of that nature. As scary as that reality truly was, he did not have to consider it something of a long shot. Blurring reality with fantasy in such a way was not something he was willing to have happen. And it was not something he was too afraid to believe; like his general acceptance of the infection, it was not something so far-fetched that it made him turn his nose up.

He put his phone back on the nightstand, plugging it back in as he took a seat on the bed again. He was tired now, his mind beginning to slow to something of a sloppy, sluggish tread. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a moment, reaching up to run a hand through his hair again. A low, dull mindless throbbing echoed in his temples as he shook his head slowly. His own personal trial and error was not something he truly wanted to have to fumble through.

Valon had, after all, offered him an extra outside source to help him. It may not have been him personally, but he had to have some form of hope. He had to at least try to believe that his alpha was still alive as he had said. Whether or not he had been bitten by Tomoya was nothing more than a question that provided only an inconvenience if he was wrong. He would have to find out who had bitten him, however, especially if it were true that they would wish to help him learn. Valon had made it sound as if it his alpha would have to help him, as if it were some kind of law among the werewolves.

If that was the case, that meant he needed to prepare for that as well, didn't he? He couldn't just have a werewolf show up randomly to help him, could he? He could hope that they might find him when the Change was actually happening. Valon had hinted at that as well, and it was by far his best option when it came down to it. He thought briefly that maybe it would come to kill him at his most vulnerable. Maybe it had meant to eat him and he'd survived somehow. Maybe it had planned to drag him off somewhere in the woods and had somehow wound up getting chased off and so had ditched him.

Yugi rolled his eyes at himself. The wolf would hardly have ditched him at his very own front door, not if he was meant to be food.

The wolf had clearly meant to save him, yet another mystery in and of itself. Maybe it was better for him not to know what had compelled it and Tomoya to do what they had. There were some things in the world that no one really needed to know. Too much knowledge was hardly a good thing.

And, once more, he had to face the fact that he had yet to gather any answers. He was merely piling questions on top of more questions and that was hardly constructive. He would not gain any answers until the full moon—if even then. And, if the answers did not come then, he would still learn some of the various things that plagued his thoughts so relentlessly. He would even have a small taste of what had changed in his life and what hadn't.

He probably wouldn't like the results but he would still have some more of an idea about it all. And that, if nothing else, was at least something—even the smallest thing—he could be grateful for when everything seemed so terrible.

The small teen got to his feet again, stomach gurgling with an empty hunger. He was not sure he truly cared to eat at the moment but there was already a lightness growing in his head and his balance seemed somewhat shaken. He wasn't stumbling by any means but his right leg seemed almost heavier than his left. Yugi cast a glance down the hall and into the kitchen but found nothing out of place. His mom and grandfather, the technicians, were all gone and out of the house. There was no one in the house but him.

He picked at the leftovers he'd heated and hummed quietly in time with the ticking of the second hand of the clock on the bathroom wall. Yugi had not recognized the short and steady intervals until he had scolded his tongue with food. The initial sting made his shoulders rise but the usual swollenness that was always so immediate failed to follow as it should have. Instead a soft almost unnoticeable tingling swept across the pink muscle. He almost bristled at such a sensation, somehow disgusted by the reality of it, and the flavor that should have been there was as thick and grimy as wet beach sand.

He pushed another forkful into his mouth. How long until that seventh day? How long until he had to run and hide beneath the full moon? And would it somehow be the full week or only the three or just the one?

By the gods, he hoped there was only one cursed day to have his life circulate around. Maybe, when he was older and more used to it as a whole, he might think of it as some kind of unwanted anniversary. Maybe he'd think of it like a family member's death—his own death? He wanted momentarily to laugh. What kind of thought was that? This disease was not something crippling, but rather mediocre in comparison. He was not dying. His limbs and organs worked. It was not as if he had been hit by a car and paralyzed somewhere. In retrospect, turning into a wolf was nothing short of an inconvenience when compared to that. Some people never recovered from physical disabilities like that. They became depressed and only spiraled further.

He, on the other hand, may have been more of a realist and despaired many of the drawbacks, but he was not one to wallow. The magnitude of the newest complication in his life was something that would have been unfathomable only a year ago, but it was all the same. He would learn to adapt and endure. He would find a solution as he always had and implement it.

And he already had several plans, working to layer it all and catch any small hint of a break in the numerous webs his mind spun.

"Yugi?"

He blinked, at first unable to identify the noise that had caught his ear. He furrowed his brows faintly, unsure of what the meaning might be. It was mindless and blank, curling like mist in his head, and then it cleared. He turned, face smooth again, and his stomach dropped at the sight of his grandfather.

He had not heard him open the door, let alone come up the stairs. The small teen stiffened slightly, drawing in a tight breath and feeling sick as he looked at him. He had been trying so hard to avoid him. He had not wanted to say anything bad to him if they spoke. And all that popped into his head was accusations and the urge to snap and snarl was burning violently in the back of his throat. He'd avoided him as much as possible around conversation at mealtimes. He had not even made an attempt to be alone with him at any point and he was afraid it would come spilling out when there was no mediator to ensure that he would hold his tongue.

A lack of conversation seemed like the most logical of choices he had even considered within the last week or so. Staying quiet hardly seemed like a true obstacle as it was. He did not want to talk about anything. There was no desire anywhere inside of him to so much as form words in his mouth. His tongue seemed to swell for a moment, as if with the need to imitate the sensation of the burn the food should have delivered.

But still no words formed and he wanted to laugh at such an idea. His grandpa had come in with a very specific intention and yet, even if he spoke, Yugi thought whatever responses he might come up with would stick in his throat. They would fail to claw their way upwards and he was not at all disappointed with that.

What was there—truly—to discuss?

His grandpa had lied to him. He had hidden the truth from him. He had been testing him all those years—

"You weren't bitten, Yugi."

The ironic laughter in his mind stopped in a soundless halt. His mouth grew dry. Valon was wrong, right? He had to be wrong. He had to have been mistaken.

But then…why would he lie? Why would he say it with such certainty if he did not mean it? And his grandpa's behavior was explainable now, in ways that it hardly seemed to be only days before. Days ago he had simply thought he wanted to test his somewhat heightened sense of smell—and sometimes sight—but that obviously had not been the case. It had never been the case.

Yugi pressed his lips together in a thin line. This wasn't as funny as he had first hoped.

He sat up a little taller, feeling sick as he looked at the elderly Motou. There was a small, almost unnoticeable buzz of energy beneath his skin. A numbness was creeping pitifully through his marrow. Indignation lapped at the inside of his belly. His throat tickled as if the words he wished he might say were trying to come up. It was strange how normal they seemed. He had expected they would burn and taste like bile.

His grandpa's mustache twitched, the skin beneath the gray hairs pulling in a nervous tic. Yugi could almost smell the sweat his grandpa might break into. He did smell something, however, harsher and heavier, and the rapid thumping which roared in his ear drums made him blink. His grandpa's heart had skyrocketed and his blood pressure had followed immediately with it. That heavier scent that burned his nose was his body temperature rising. A coppery edge filled it and the small teen thought he might hurl.

Was that his blood that he smelled? Was that the heated metal scent?

He swallowed harshly and put his plate aside. Was that a true possibility? Or was he simply scaring himself?

"Yugi…"

It was a bit firmer, far from questioning as it had been before, and he wanted to snap at him angrily. What gave him the right to so much as stand in front of him—let alone speak to him? The thought made him want to flinch, surprised by his own anger, but he had to admit was it not an illogical one. He had been lying to him and playing tricks, testing him, and now he wanted to talk to him as if nothing had ever happened?

He was both disgusted and horrified by the thought. Was he worth so little to him that he would ignore his own betrayal like that? If he cared so little for him, then why was it that he had even bothered to take care of him all those years? Had he merely meant to test him, gauge his senses? Was he worth nothing to him but entertainment as he sated his undying curiosity?

A tremor ran through his fingers but not along his spine. His head swam dizzily for a moment. He swallowed hard. He had to have been twisting it, right? No one could be so cruel.

"I don't understand," he finally managed to breathe out, looking up at him with another hard swallow. The words were bitter against his tongue but calm in the air between them. It was strange to him how terribly disconnected his voice was from his emotions. It seemed almost nonsensical. "I don't understand why or how you could do this. You knew what was going on and you didn't even consider telling me!"

He shook his head slowly, appearing almost stunned by the clarity Yugi had granted the situation. His eyes were rueful but there was something else that the teenager was not sure he recognized. He swallowed hard again, trying to read it, but the more he studied the harder it seemed to even look up at it.

"I was never sure you had been bitten until just recently."

But that made no sense. How could he have not been sure when he had not even been looking for that in the first place?

"You weren't bitten, Yugi."

But he had been. He knew that. There was not a single doubt about it. Valon was not wrong, however. Maybe it had been in his blood all along but had not become active until then. Had it taken the saliva being pushed into his bloodstream to make it come out dormancy?
Yugi shook his head silently and felt his jaw beginning to press upwards in a clenched position. "Try again," he wanted to spit, though the words stuck in his throat. "Try another lie. Try to comfort me again."

"I would have said something if I had known earlier. I wasn't sure before recently and I thought that maybe…" His grandpa's cheeks were beginning to flush as he shook his head again slowly. There was nothing more he could do and an ache was forming in his face. His teeth were pressing too firmly together. "There was always a chance that I was wrong. I was not going to tell you if you weren't going…"

His jaw burned and ached. A cracking noise seemed to echo in his ears. He was aware it was nothing more than a mental trick but it seemed real enough. The pain accompanying it made his blood rush intensely. His nerves burned and ached with that new buzz accompanying it.

"Please believe me when I say I planned to tell you—"

"I don't." He blinked at him, surprised by his own voice and the simplicity of the statement. "I don't."

And why should he? There was no reason to. Everything seemed double-handed and geared towards personal satisfaction now as he thought their relationship over. When had that barrier become so large and impenetrable?

"I understand."

Do you? Because I still don't. I don't understand anything, Yugi thought, staring at him blankly. And was he not owed an explanation? Was there no one willing to give him the answers he needed? Why was he still lying, even then? Was there anything left to hide? Unless he turned around and said that he had been the one to bite him, then the hole he had dug himself could not get any deeper.

He shook his head again. "You wouldn't have told me," he muttered, getting up.

"I would—"

He should have just ignored him, he realized in frustration. This was even worse than if he had never learned about it in the first place.

---

It was still early when he found the other werewolf. Yugi spotted him halfway across the street with another person. A warning signal went off in a snarl in his head but he did not pause or slow down. The other was a werewolf as well, he realized, though he hardly cared. Maybe having another there might help the situation. Then he might not dodge questions or Yugi himself would fail to make a scene. Having another wolf there to help him might keep him in check if things started to get out of hand.

He quickened his pace but did not call out. His heart was pounding now and his stomach twisting. His shoes slapped against the concrete harshly and he knew they heard him. Neither of them looked up but he knew they were well aware of him. He wondered briefly what it sounded like to them but did not dwell. It was not worth the effort to try to imagine it. He realized, rather abruptly, that he recognized Yugi's footsteps, just as he himself had Ushio's.

The thought was both surprising and somehow terrifying. Was Valon hunting him as well? Had he simply been oblivious to it before? But then why would Valon have spoken to him such a carefree manner if that was the case? Why hadn't he led him outside and killed him? Why just tell him that his species should not exist and then let him off the hook? And, considering the time they had been alone on walks before, why had he not attacked then?

He knew without a doubt that the hybrid and the teenager he was rapidly approaching were one in the same. He'd had the chance—several of them, in fact. Between his time alone with Yugi and the fact that his muscle mass was so immense, had he turned his mind to it, he would have been able to kill him without much thought. There was not much he could do against a massive dog.

Valon's eyes narrowed and a glint of iridescent gold flickered beneath his lashes. The boy next to him blinked as if he had been touched somewhere and turned his head abruptly. His eyes were a paler, glimmering yellow that reminded Yugi of leaves changing in autumn. He blinked again, curious, and his head tilted the smallest fraction to the side. Valon narrowed his gaze into slivers of topaz, outlined by heavy black like kohl. His friend beside him seemed to sense either his tension or perhaps something in Yugi because his entire body grew rigid. His eyes flashed once more and he seemed to be scenting the air with heavy breaths now.

He picked up his pace again, almost running towards the two werewolves. Neither turned tail and fled and Yugi was rather surprised. But he would not say anything or even slightly question this. He would be extremely happy to not have to chase them. Running around in order to gain answers had not been something he had wanted to be forced to do. Within a foot of them he slowed and his mouth began to taste like a cotton ball had been stuffed into it.

This new wolf was staring at him, but not with any malice. There was a small spark of fear in his gaze, but it did nothing to liven the flat color. Why were his eyes so dull? He didn't remember ever having run across such strange eyes before. The boy's nose was still working as Yugi got closer and he could see Valon's jaw clenching tightly.

Could he smell it just as easily as Valon had? What was it that they smelled? Was it like the chemical imbalance he had caught the scent of at the library? Was it so simple as that?

"Do you smell it?"

He had not thought properly of what he might say but these had hardly been his first idea of conversation. They were said so low he almost expected them to be lost even within the still air around them. When had his drive for answers dissolved into a shaky, unnerving breathless whisper?

He blinked again, cast a small glance at the other werewolf, and then turned back. The simplicity of the action would not have struck him as odd had he not seen Valon's small, almost unnoticeable odd. Was he answering his question or giving this other boy permission?

"What are you?"

Yugi blinked, startled, and then narrowed his eyes faintly. He sounded like a smoker, but with a huskiness that soothed the somewhat gravelly undertone. He realized, staring at him, that the split in his voice was recognizable despite everything going through his head at the moment. It sounded like his voice had just cracked, as if it were only beginning to slowly deepen. He thought immediately of puberty but this boy was too old for that. He almost felt insulted on the other's behalf.

"He's a werewolf too," Valon's smoother voice interrupted, making both turn towards him. Yugi's eyes were wide, and the blue around his pupils seemed to glow almost feverishly, a stunning cerulean with depths of sapphire. His pupils had constricted some, boring into his, and the ring of color made them look like mere pinpricks of black. His own companion's pupils had dilated with intense curiosity and wonder, a small bit of excitement. The yellow of his irises had become a mere band of color, so dull that it seemed almost to bleed into the white of his eyes. "He simply doesn't smell the same."

He watched them for a moment and something occurred to him slowly as he looked at them both. Valon had said that an alpha would seek out its beta to help them through their initial Change. Was that why the two of them were there at the moment? Was that why he had looked to Valon before answering him? Had he bitten the other boy and so now was helping him? And, if that was the case, how could he be sure that other alphas did the same? Had Valon gone through this same process himself and knew from experience?

"He's a born werewolf."

Yugi blinked and furrowed his brows. The other was looking at him so clearly but he almost thought he was staring through him. Valon's eyes had such a distance to them that he knew he would never see it. It reminded him of that secret that had burned in his eyes while he was recovering. But, despite his efforts, he could not tell who Valon had spoken of. He still remembered him saying he had not been bitten but he could have just as well been giving him an answer he had not asked for.

"Why does he smell like that?"

If it was possible, Yugi thought the distance had grown in the brunet's eyes. He blinked and his head turned, his senses all focused on his companion now. His expression had cleared and he looked faintly amused but somewhat unnerved as well. "He's not the same species," he said mildly, the faintest of smiles curling his lips.

What did he mean they weren't the same species? He was a werewolf, wasn't he? He had been bitten and infected, hadn't he? He thought that made him a werewolf, considering. He was about to point that out when something else entirely noted itself in his mind. Valon had simply said they weren't the same species. He had not said that Yugi was entirely unnatural and should not exist. But, if he had been speaking of him when he said he was born a werewolf, wasn't he still just as wrong? It still made no sense to him as to why he might say something like that. He had been bitten. He hadn't been born with it.

"Oh," the other teen commented, surprised but not the least bit confused. He nodded a little, giving something of a respectful nod towards Yugi. "Okay then."

The amusement dissipated as his eyes locked with Yugi's. "I don't recall if you've ever met Amelda or not," he said smoothly, golden eyes glinting for a brief movement before settling once more. He tilted his head slightly to the side as the smallest teen blinked and glanced at him in confusion.

He thought he might have heard his name before, as he was in one of his classes even if he never really talked. But more so, Valon thought he might know the name as one of his closest friends. Then again, what did Yugi know about him anyways? He doubted it was much.

"I don't think I have," Yugi admitted after a moment. "I'm Yugi."

Amelda's dull eyes seemed to spark for a split second as he gave him a lopsided smirk. "All three of us are in Chono's class together," he commented almost dismissively.

"Oh." Yugi turned back to Valon almost immediately and ignored the small bit of guilt that nipped his insides uncomfortably in rebuttal of his impoliteness. "I wanted to ask you a couple of things."

"I'm not your alpha," Valon dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I don't have any answers for you."

He flinched and swallowed hard. Amelda watched them with immense interest, narrowing his eyes curiously. Both wolves' body temperatures had spiked, however only Yugi's heart was racing so quickly within his chest. The distinct twisting of the organ was fast, almost like water falling over the face of a rock wall. He could hear the gentle rush of his blood through his veins and it was almost comforting to listen to. Had it not been for the sudden rush of iron that hit his nose he might not have thought anything of it. It was overpowering and burned his nose as if it might sear his skin or engrave itself in his nasal cavity. There was some strange undercurrent of scent that seemed to grow more and more immense as his heart continued to pound.

It was obvious, looking towards Valon, that he knew and recognized this new scent. He was unfazed by it though it was clear he sensed it as well. Amelda's interest peaked further and he watched his friend closely just as he made a clear point to ignore him as much as he could. He knew from the way his shoulders rose almost unnoticeably that he was excruciatingly aware of what he was doing.

"I'm not your alpha," he repeated, voice dismissive but with the slightest hint of sympathy. "And I don't have any answers for you, Yugi. Just wait until your Change. You'll be fine, Yugi."

He opened his mouth to object but stopped when Amelda cleared his throat to silence him. Both he and Valon glanced to the side to see someone coming down the street. He recognized the small elderly woman that was approaching and felt his stomach twist as he stepped back and swallowed hard. The small woman was the owner of the small café they were standing in front of and his mouth tasted dry once more. He had always loved the little café and he was not willing to jeopardize his permission to be there by continuing the conversation. Valon did not make it clear how uncomfortable he was but he knew better than to overstep.

"I'll see you later," he offered after a moment, putting on a small smile that he hoped seemed easy. His eyes shot to the small owner as he nodded in greeting. He had a brilliant, sweet smile that reminded him momentarily of Anzu. He turned on his heel, heading off down the sidewalk again, and ignored the sound of a car passing by. His mind drifted miserably towards the idea of his alpha failing to find him. If they had been so adamant to save him then why had they not found him already? Why would they wait until he changed to find him?

It seemed like one large waste of time to him. What was the real reason to wait like that? How was he even sure they would come to guide him through it? Because Valon had said so? How much faith was he really meant to put in Valon? He did not truly know him in any way. They were classmates and apparently inflicted by the same disease but beyond that there was not much he could say he knew about him.

He seemed trustworthy but he was not about to simply ignore his own instincts because someone said otherwise. He might not have had a true sense of what everything entailed and n attempt at preparation was nothing to dismiss. Telling him to simply relax and wait was nothing he would be able to heed to. It was disgusting advice as far as he was concerned. He could not think of anything else as frustrating to be told at a time like that. It somehow bordered on insulting.

Yugi shook his head as he continued down the street. He didn't think it mattered at the moment. He needed to get home and go from there. How many days until the first night of the Wiccan full moon cycle? One? Two? Was it that night?

He needed to check again. Then he would find somewhere to hide while it happened. Then he would change, maybe find out who had really bitten him, and wander home again when it was all over. That was, of course, the best case scenario. The worst was that he would wind up a body in the woods, killed by the Change or another wolf or from attacking the wrong person. The middle ground was simply surviving the Change altogether. He was still skeptical that he could do that. His mind was already fractured somehow and that was how the hallucinations came about. The medication still failed to fix the damage and did not lessen his terrors.

If there was already a mental defect in question with that, then he had no doubt it would be easy for the lycanthropy to trigger something fatal. He might have a seizure or an aneurysm or something of that nature but he did not assume it impossible by any means. In fact he considered it the most likely, and with that, came a rather uncomfortable acceptance/ Yugi did not want to die but it was still something that he was unable to avoid.

He imagined it was similar with cancer patients that knew they might die, from the disease itself or the treatment. They had to learn to accept—maybe even expect—that, because the reality of it was nothing anyone wanted to consider. It wasn't pretty or satisfactory. It was nothing more than a disgusting reality that no one truly wanted to think about or face themselves.

The Change could kill him. Or it might alter his life forever.

Yugi pushed the thought away easily as he pulled the door open and walked inside. The crates were still shut and vacant but his eyes were drawn to the bottom right. He swore he could see that dark gray residue, almost an exact silhouette, in the shape of the hybrid still. How had Valon even managed it? How had he turned human and gotten himself out before turning back and running off? Had he run home or somewhere else?

And why had no one noticed he was gone? He might not have been gone for too long, but shouldn't his parents have put out the word that he was missing? Shouldn't their teachers have said something in class? Valon was rarely ever absent; he thought that might have been his first since middle school.

Yugi may not have had many classes with him before high school but he did remember that he'd had perfect attendance from sixth to seventh grade. That had been something that he had found relief in after enduring bullying over his own low rate of absences. Ushio had been particularly harsh about his attendance for whatever reason, and Jonouchi and Honda had always made snide remarks about his need to grow up and do fun things like skipping.

They still teased him about it sometimes.

He sighed unhappily as he continued looking at the kennel with a frown. If no one had noticed he was missing, did that mean they knew what might have happened? Did they realize that he was a werewolf? Or had Miho's death overshadowed it all? Had they somehow realized what he was and maybe even thought that he might have been the one to do it? Maybe everyone else had known and suspected that the werewolves were still among them. Perhaps he was the only one who had not known and suspected it all.

Because, how many werewolves did exist? How many lived in Domino City as it was? Were there packs of them or mass amounts of loners spread all about Japan? Outside of Japan, how many might exist? Were the states—like Wisconsin or Minnesota or Alaska—overrun with them? Or what about Russia? They were all rather untamed and uncharted and so much of the area might have been completely open for massive packs of werewolves to move about.

Humans might not have been able to live in all those places enough to fully habituate each place they went, but wolves did. The canines had once been the single most widespread animal in the world. They still lived in the north where humans could never survive. They lived in harsh desert climates. They lived in rainforests even. If a werewolf ran away from civilization and decided to live solely in the wilderness, he did not doubt for even a moment that they would be able to survive and prosper. Both humans and wolves were extremely intelligent animals and adaptive enough that they would make it almost effortlessly.

He wanted to touch the cage door again but brushed it aside to move towards the staircase to get to his room again. He would need to check on the date of the full moon. Then maybe he would go about researching some more. Preparing himself would be much better than going into it blindly. At the moment he did not think he was even mildly close to being ready for it all.

He was waiting for the Change or wolves to kill him. Or for him to survive and continue with his drastically altered life.

Yugi turned and took a seat on his mattress and narrowed his eyes as he kicked his sneakers off. It was strange to sit there, swinging his legs as he was, and he felt childish and curiously wondering. He had not done anything like this in almost ten years. He remembered it had been something he had done unconsciously in which he had grown to hate it with a passion. It had been the day his grandmother had died and he had just gone to the funeral and had still failed to understand what it all meant that he had witnessed. He had not swung his legs like that since, as the guilt had eaten his insides when he had grown to realize what it was that he had lost that day. Swinging his legs happily from his seat on the bed while one of his favorite people was six feet under the ground and probably not yet cold had always infuriated him afterwards.

Now he looked at his socked feet and even wiggled his toes at himself. He did not feel that same loathing at the moment, though he suspected he might later on. For the moment, however, he needed something to do to relieve the tension in his muscles. He did not want to walk around or pace as he thought he might end up doing. Instead he simply looked down and kicked his limbs lazily. His eyes were caught on the seams of his socks and he was almost tired as he considered it all.

It all seemed to press inwards on him, weighted like misty wind draping over his skin. He was aware of what he was doing, watching blankly as he studied his own movements, but it was working as he watched. The tension was leaving, his legs aching briefly but not with pain. They were stiff, rigid, as his mind continued racing with all the new ideas that had sprung forth so abruptly.

There was some small part of him that had burst forth and now held his attention in a vice grip.

If he survived the Change and found a way to live his life around it, what was he meant to do with his own aspirations? Was his original idea of possibly getting married to Anzu and not particularly having a large family with a small dog or possibly a single kid still a possibility? Were veterinary studies still a true thing to be pursued any longer? Was it worth it to even graduate at this rate? Was it worth paying attention and doing things as he had always planned? How was he meant to completely change his path upon surviving this?

Yugi shook his head and continued watching his legs. He wiggled his toes again and blinked lazily as he continued to consider it.

He had only imagined his life in the future a handful of times. It had—whether by only lack of imagination or some unconscious hope—always involved Anzu somewhere within its center. The rest varied from a single kid to twins to pets instead. Children had never truly interested him and he still wondered whether Anzu wanted them. He was not so unrealistic as to what it was that might have brought on this train of thought. Anzu was the only girl he'd ever had a crush on and, for the most part, the only one he spent time with. He knew it was probably extremely unrealistic to place her in such scenarios. Time would pass, maybe he would no longer think of her as more than the average friend, and he still had no idea if she liked him that same way.

He ignored the hint of irritation which heated his blood. Instead he turned away from his thoughts and once again focused on the seam of his left sock. It was oddly bluish in color on the edge where it rested on his big toe. He remembered vaguely that his school sneakers had a dark blue inside that must have rubbed off on the white cotton somewhat. Yugi hummed softly, distractedly, and turned away again after a moment.

The sky blue color of his walls was usually comforting at a time like this. However, now, it seemed to be mocking him. There was no relaxation or comfort to be given now. It frustrated him, made him bristle in annoyance, and all of it made his insides burn furiously. The comforter beneath his palms was itchy and cold against his skin and the color was intensely strange and off-setting in its bright yellow golden color. He scraped a nail over it and the hiss made him smile at its familiarity.

Everything within his room seemed displaced and strange now as he finally glanced at the lunar calendar resting on the wall.

Who managed to guess the hybrid was Valon?