Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Bloodshed, Stabbing, Threats of Tortures (Skinning), Murderous Intent, Mentions of Murders, Someone Catching on Fire, Thoughts of Death, Mentions of Arson, Mention of Dubious Healing Methods (Bloodletting, Triggering Change, Biting)

So, as said in an earlier chapter, the Bonnokazi restaurant was opened in Domino as it had been in Sapporo, near Oniro. Yoshimori attempted to convince Yugi and his grandfather to go with him there formerly. And Fuwa actually did take them.

Okay, so wolfsbane oil (tincture) is used internally in the medical field. It diminished the rate and force of early stage fevers, slight local inflammations, feverish colds, laryngitis, first stages of pneumona and erysipelas. It helps relieve pain of neuralgia, pleurisy and aneurysms. But wolfsbane itself is so deadly just touching the plant will kill. As for the werewolves, the oil itself can stunt the senses when touched, dulling healing as well. It's harder for them to smell in any way and being within proximity of it for a while will cause the wolves to develop rashes because the residual sense of it causes physical distress throughout the body. They CAN, however, smell the herb when it's put in food as the heat makes it more potent, though if the wolf has never been exposed to wolfsbane before, they might not fully determine why they're so alarmed by it.

Similarly, silver does the same. Yugi's body attempting to heal around the knife causes far more damage than it would have had it not done so. Anyways, so, his hand wound got far worse due to this. The flesh starts melting and blistering around it. Because of this, it also tends to produce enough heat to oxidize the metal enough to leave residue in the skin (which is something akin the way that sterling silver can make your skin turn green, black or gray). So the particles remained in his flesh and wound up burning Yami when he tried to clean it.

Chapter XXXVII: Flames

Work Log Entry XXXVII: August 2002

August 2

A.T.E.M. is to be monitored for the week of the full moon.

The boss is adamant that he will change this month.

August 22

Blood tests are being run to analyze his state of wellbeing during the hours of the day. Later I will run more and acquire a small sample of stem cells to ensure his health throughout the Change. Should a complication occur we will have healthy cells to implant in him.

August 23

It is currently 06:39.

A.T.E.M. did not change this month.

August 26

There is no detectable defect to explain his inabilities.

He was frozen there, cheeks growing pale and cold. His stomach dropped and he felt sick as they looked at each other. The small lycanthrope could not turn away. And it occurred to him, horrified, that his friends were frozen and staring at him. In his anger and need to lash out, he had all but forgotten that they would be stunned. He felt stupid and childish now, almost ashamed of himself.

Yet, it came second to the terrible pain in his hand.

Yugi had not seen him move.

But his hand was grasping the blade.

And the knife was embedded in his hand.

It was right between the bones of his middle and ring finger.

And the burn was excruciating.

How he failed to scream was beyond him.

Was he in shock?

He blinked. What was that noise in his ears? That really high-pitched cry, almost like a whimper? Was that…him? But that still wasn't a scream like he'd expected…

Why wasn't he screaming?

"Wow, you're much tougher than you look," Fuwa commented, the smirk on his face hideous and cold with laughter. His eyes were dark, glittering, and they seemed to sear through him. Yugi's breath became tight and laborious. "But I think that'll change."

His eyes saw the blood as it began to seep from beneath his fingers. It spread upon the beautiful paper design of the tabletop, drenching the fibers. Yet, somehow, it did not have a hold on him. It was the fiery, burning edges of his skin which grasped him. And it was hideous how great it was. The smell of it was rotting, curdling flesh. And he could feel it. He could feel his skin trying to heal around it. And the burning was becoming worse, far more intense. And, oh, it felt as if he were dying of poison in one hand. It felt deadly and terrible and horrifying…

But it was so isolated as well.

It was contained in his hand.

It did not spread.

It simply worsened.

"When I peel your skin off to see your pelt, I'm sure that will change, won't it, Yugi?" he sneered, leaning forward. "It appears that's going to be the only way for me to see it, isn't it? You just won't change for me!"

The smaller teen finally reached for the object in his peripheral, desperate. His fingers were inches away. If he could grasp it…

"Nuh-uh, little Yugi," Fuwa sneered. He waved a fork, polished and sharpened along the teeth, before his face. "This one will go into your eye if you try it."

He was almost willing to take that risk. He just wanted the burning to stop. He would die if it didn't cease. By the gods, he hoped it would fade and dissipate altogether soon. He was losing his mind. It would burn its way through his blood and completely destroy him.

"I must say. You have amazing control, Yugi," the redhead teased, his lips drawn back into a bright grin. Yugi bore his teeth in frustration, watching him with hateful eyes. "Normally a wolf would have changed by now."

He stayed quiet for a moment. He was feverish. He could feel sweat trickling down the back of his neck. He nearly spat in mounting panic. He needed that burning smell to leave his nose. He needed to get the reality of what it meant out of his head.

"Why are you all hunting us?" he spat, voice slightly delirious with tension. He narrowed his eyes and curled his lips back further, baring his teeth. "It's not like I asked for this—"

"Us?" the redhead whispered, in a tone that made Yugi's heart quicken and shatter in his chest. A cunning brutality had awoken in Fuwa's gaze and something beautiful and hideous shone there in its shadows. He peeled his lips back and his teeth looked like small white daggers. Yugi bristled and snarled low in his throat. "So the rumors are true then."

He yelped. The knife cut backwards. His skin split. The burning smell intensified. His eyes flashed, dilated. Something flickered across them. Fuwa smirked wider.

"Yes, call the other here."

Yugi snapped his jaws, but his voice refused him. He glared at him, expression cold. But his heart was pounding faster. And his mind was racing. In the split second he had cried out, he'd felt it. It was almost as if a puzzle piece had fallen into place as necessary. From it an image scraped together.

And, in the rawness of its formation, had come bright red eyes. The jaws were huge, the body immense, the fur the color of darkness itself. He cursed himself. He'd pictured Yami. And in doing so, he'd sent the image of the redhead before him, had projected his fear for the other wolf to sample. And though he couldn't feel him, he knew it as he did that his friends were staring in horror around the table.

Yugi breathed in deeply, then flinched. The blade cut back again. His skin sizzled. Or perhaps it was his blood. He couldn't tell. He drew in a harsh, clogged breath, choking. Then he exhaled between his teeth. He could lash out, hope for the best. But Fuwa was waiting on that. He was also waiting for him to change.

"Aw, look, your gums are bright white."

He bore his teeth, his breath rattling in his chest. "They'll be red when I rip your throat out," he spat. The redhead smirked, then swatted him. Yugi shook it off, snarling low in his throat. He needed to think quickly. Either Yami was going to show up or Fuwa was going to get impatient.

Neither idea was one he wanted to face the consequences of.

"I think you're confused, little boy. But, I've always been curious. Do you lycanthropes really pray to Lupa when you're in times of need? I've always found it funny that only one subspecies prays to one god."

"I'm not very religious," Yugi spat, snapping his jaws again. He twisted and angled his body away from the fork and closer to the edge of his seat. He could move no further, but it would do him well to remain there. If the hunter in front of him got any ideas with the second utensil he could duck away from it at least. He'd keep both his eyes that way. But that was only assuming that he moved faster than Fuwa. And that he didn't already see past his plan.

"How sad. Do you think the other is?"

"You won't find out."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because, Fuwa, if he comes, I am the last thing you're going to have to worry about." His lips pulled back further and his teeth were shimmering where the candlelight touched them. "He'll lay waste to you and the staff. You fucking coward."

"That's supposing he can get into this restaurant in the first place. Didn't you notice it, Yugi? The doors are laced with wolfsbane as well, the handles have the oils on them. It was used to slow you down."

Yugi nearly flinched. He was so stupid. How had he failed to notice? How could he have risked that? And now his friends and Yami…

"What about them?" he demanded angrily. "You'd kill them too? Just for being acquainted with me?"

Fuwa grinned like a shark with a fresh kill. "They must know. They've been your aid to pass for an average human."

He burst out laughing, his guffaws hideous and mocking. "You absolute moron! My beta would have killed them! How would I be safe if there were witnesses?" he sneered. Maybe if he ran his tongue along his palm… Was the wolfsbane alone capable of triggering the Change or would it require more? He remembered thrashing about, puking bile and blood.

Could he truly risk that?

His friends would see their deaths before he had changed completely. And, without Yami, he was not sure he could truly direct himself through one on his own. It was always an outside influence to trigger his body into such a response—the full moon, the wolfsbane and silver injection, Yami instructing him how to, helping and guiding him through it…

"Beta?" Fuwa searched his face. "You bit someone and they…survived?"

He grinned at him, eyes flashing. His thoughts were racing even as he snarled, "You're not the brightest crayon in the box, are you, Ryuichi? If I bite someone and they survive, the infection spreads. And that makes them more dangerous than I am."

He wondered if he could signal Jonouchi or Honda somehow. But taking his eyes off of him could have dire consequences. And who was to say he wouldn't realize ahead of time?

"Your hierarchy creates wolves with less and less strength as the line continues. You might be strong, but your beta will be weak."

He wanted to laugh but the pain was becoming a flare signal through his veins. Instinct said to lash out, to try to get the knife out of his hand and run. He wondered what Yami might do, if he would kill before he would flee. It was clear that he was not one to be daunted when it came to death, nor the act of attacking. He was and always would be powerful enough to do what Yugi deemed rather unacceptable.

If he didn't want the entire restaurant to be destroyed and the walls to run red, he would need to get out of there on his own. Otherwise Yami was going to lay absolute waste to them. It was instinctive to him, knowing that the black wolf would do such damage. He had seen him before, in the woods, and he'd thought it unnecessary but now he realized Yami would do it here as well. He'd kill every single person in the building and Yugi might be lucky if he listened when he asked for his friends to be spared.

He could fight his way out. He'd have to.

But how was he supposed to do that and protect the others?

The rest of the staff was in on it. He had smelled the wolfsbane when he'd entered the room. He just hadn't recognized it. Fuwa had kept his focus. He'd been blind to the fact that they had all been there, laughing and smirking and watching them.

One of the women had her hair up in a bun. Her skin was tan, her eyes dark brown. Her face was sharper than he was used to seeing, her expression cold and vicious. But her lips were thin in their small smile.

And the woman beside her was more worrisome to him; she had dark red hair that looked like fire. It was wild, framing a pale face with wide eyes that flickered bright brown like glistening amber. The lashes were long, drawn with kohl to flare outwards like a stripe on either side of the face. When she smiled it was wide, victorious, and her canines looked pronounced and hideous.

She looked, as he blinked and struggled to think straight, like a tiger.

"See something you like?" Fuwa sneered.

Yugi blinked and turned back to him, curling his lip. In the corner of his eye he could see Jonouchi moving. He had grasped one of the other knives, sliding it towards himself slowly as not to attract attention. He was watching Fuwa as closely as the lycanthrope was.

Thank the gods for him and Honda. Both of them knew how to fight, at least. And he doubted any of the staff in question were wolves. They would have most likely died from the exposure to the wolfsbane.

"I was just thinking about how easy it would be to kill you if there weren't so many here."

Yugi was amazed that his bluff came out evenly. Or that his face did not break into a blush. Half of him barked the order that there was no chance of escape without bloodshed. But the other begged for his own innocence to be spared. He hadn't killed someone as a human—

Ryota, a voice hissed in his ear. You killed Ryota.

The wolf had pinned him with his teeth at his face, trying for his throat. And Yugi had cut through his jugular with that rock he'd had in his hands. He remembered. And Yami had done the rest. He'd killed Ryuzaki and Haga, even when Yugi screamed for him not to. He'd killed Ryota when he was human and the other was a wolf. He'd…

But Fuwa was just human. He was human and he was killing other people and…

Wouldn't the world be better without him?

But Yugi wasn't a god. He had no right to think that.

And he wasn't allowed to pass judgment like that.

He almost trembled but his body refused him. In its fight or flight, his muscles had all locked. And weakness was an impossibility for him. He couldn't do much more than stare and answer, almost as if instinct ruled him more than logic.

Had Yami ever experienced that?

Yugi supposed he'd have to ask when the black wolf came and attacked because he was taking so long even thinking of a plan. At this rate Yami would kill everyone before he came up with anything.

He felt flushed and pathetic for a moment.

The heat billowed through his veins, then fell into a more suitable temperature once more.

But, by the gods did his hand burn. And his fingers were soaked, boiling from the heat of his pooled blood. He was dizzy and his head light. He was almost willing to bite his own hand off to get away from it.

I killed Ryota because he nearly killed Yami. I killed Bakura because he almost killed Yami. I can kill to save Jonouchi and Honda and Anzu, right? Yugi was struggling to breathe, or so it felt. But the intake was easy to Fuwa, who was watching him so closely. To the hunter, the lycanthrope's breaths were steady and his body was all but completely still. I killed both of them for one person… Yet I can't find it in myself to try to kill a hunter who wants to gut me and save three of my friends…

He swallowed hard. How was it that was even possible? How could he see one life of a person who was still virtually a stranger as more important than those of his friends?

"I don't know about Jonouchi or Anzu," Honda began in a slightly nervous, but mostly pissed tone, "but I want to know what the fuck is going on right now."

"I don't see the harm in telling them, do you, Yugi? I mean, your beta is going to end up dead when he comes here. And I'm going to kill you—"

"Bite me," he spat. "I'll kill you first."

"I'm very interested in what your coat looks like." Fuwa smirked around the sneer, eyes boring into his haughtily. Yugi nearly shivered with disgust at the way they seemed to flatten like shallow pools. "Why don't you just change? It would be so much easier than making me carve you open in front of them."

And how pathetic would it be to admit that he couldn't change? That he literally had no idea how to do it by himself without coaching? Yugi would rather bite through his own tongue than admit such a thing.

He bore his teeth and snarled low in his throat. "Do you often try to hunt wolves when they're human?"

"They're only human for so long," he snorted disdainfully. His lip curled back further and his eyes darkened drastically. "And when they're not, they're a menace."

"The only menace in this situation—"

"Spare me your attempts to preach your innocence to me, you stupid brat. I know what you've done. You turn on schoolmates and wolves alike."

Yugi blinked. "What?" he said weakly, startled.

"The first death was Miho. Then there was—"

His eyes stretched wide. "I had nothing to do with Miho!" he sputtered, stunned. He moved his hand and barely suppressed a yelp when Fuwa dragged the knife through his flesh closer to his bones.

"I wouldn't suggest moving any more, Yugi. If you do, this knife might go through your bone. And if it hits the marrow, your disease will basically eradicate you trying to get the poison out. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Disease?" Anzu whispered, eyes wide and flickering between them. Yugi mentally squirmed, shame drenching his insides. "What disease?"

"Oh, I nearly forgot. You're a clever boy, Yugi. You actually managed to distract me for a moment there." His smirk was wolfish. His eyes glinted like steel. The silver blade burned his skin even further. "You see, Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, your dear friend Yugi has been keeping a secret from you his entire life."

Yugi almost spat that it was false. But reality crept on him as well. It burst in his blood and his mind exploded with the concept. If he said he hadn't been infected until recently, he'd give Yami away.

And if he gave Yami away, then what good was he?

The other three were watching him. He could feel it. And he sensed the unease from Jonouchi, the tension and anger which made him clench his hand around the knife in his lap. He familiarized himself with the growing panic and helplessness which came through Honda as he realized that this was the moment he was quite possibly going to lose his childhood best friend if he wasn't careful. He knew Anzu's horror and panic, the stunning reality that perhaps she didn't know Yugi nearly as well as she had always thought she did. Oh gods, and if she only knew the half of it…

"He's a lycanthrope."

Honda blinked, then barked out a laugh. Jonouchi and Anzu both shook their heads, confused. Only the brunet seemed to truly know what it was that the word meant and Yugi supposed that shouldn't have been a surprise. Honda had always enjoyed legends more than the rest of them, especially American and European ones.

"A werewolf? Fuwa, are you drunk?"

Now Yugi snorted loudly and grinned despite himself. Of course Honda would be the first one to ask a question like that.

"Are we in the middle of some kind of role-playing game?" Jonouchi took up the jeer, smirking faintly and shaking his head. "You can't be serious right now."

Anzu studied them for a moment. Werewolves were things of fairytale and legend. But Yugi had begun to look increasingly sick the longer the knife was in his skin. And his face was so much paler than usual. His eyes had grown strange, dark and lost. Even though he appeared outwardly calm, it was there, and she had never heard of someone's skin burning as his had the moment the knife touched him. The smell was still harsh and laden in the air and the undertone of it was riddled with a soft hissing and crackling noise as if someone had put oil in a hot skillet.

Fuwa scowled at them, eyes flashing. "You don't believe me?" he accused angrily, baring his teeth in a sneer. "Well, I suppose it would be hard to believe that someone as weak and spineless as him would be a wolf. And his lack of changing is irritating by all means. But he's only toying with me—Oh, Jonouchi, don't move anymore. You wouldn't want that knife to be the reason Yugi loses his hand, would you?"

The blond stopped short. His eyes widened slightly and his teeth ground together. "Damn it."

"I hunt wolves for a living, you stupid boy. I am used to their savagery. And I know what it takes to push a human towards killing. I wouldn't have killed two years ago. And now…" He smirked and leaned towards Yugi, so close that they were almost sharing the same breath. "Now I'm willing to kill any and every wolf I cross paths with. Human form or not."

The smaller teen snarled softly. The only plan he had in his head would take a lot of maneuvering. He was not even sure he would be capable of it. If Fuwa was right and his reflexes were dulled by the wolfsbane from the door handle, what was to say his strength wasn't as well?

Then again, he had never tested his strength. He did not know what it measured out to be. He swallowed hard, then narrowed his eyes further. He'd have to try. And damn himself if his hand was wrecked from it.

He drew in a deep breath, counting to ten.

"Yugi has never done anything wrong before," Jonouchi protested sharply, a sense of desperation making his voice a little higher than usual. "He wouldn't hurt a fly—"

"Werewolves are all about patience. They will wait until they have the perfect idea of ambush to kill their query. Hunters, on the other hand, must adopt impatience to do so." He smirked as Yugi got to three. "We have to counter them at every chance—"

He slammed his elbow into the table. The wood splintered and shot upwards. The piece of furniture lurched viciously towards him. Jonouchi and Honda both flinched backwards. Anzu yelped. The food slid and spilled forward. Yugi shook his head as he was met with rice to the face.

The small teen jumped to his feet. The knife slid through his fingers like butter. He backed up a step. His breathing was rough now. Fuwa was covered in the Everclear he'd ordered himself when they'd firs t arrived. The food slid from his lap when he stood up. But he was close to the edge. And the candle that trailed the plates caught his hip. His clothes caught fire.

Yugi panted. His hand was bleeding heavily. He could barely move his middle and ring fingers. When he clenched his fist they hardly seemed to exist. They were numb now, tingling faintly.

But it was not a healing tingle. It was one of discomfort. His body could not combat it.

His adrenaline had spiked, however. He could hear everything in a dull monotonous roar, yet pick them all out in detail. Yugi blinked and panted. The smoke was almost more daunting than Fuwa's screams.

His head was spinning. The smoke wasn't the same as the forest fire. It was more gray than black, but the destruction was all the same. He opened and closed his mouth. The flames weren't as mesmerizing. But the way Fuwa scrambled and tried to roll to put it out was.

His entire crotch was on fire. His legs were halfway caught. His face was twisted in pain. His screaming was getting louder. His writhing was horrifying to watch.

Had he truly done that?

Had he truly just caught someone on fire?

He had just meant to distract him.

He hadn't wanted to—

Yugi yelped. Claws dug into his shoulder. He was thrown backwards. The momentum tossed him to the floor. His head pounded. His heart lurched in his throat. He coughed. Then the smell of fire made his body ache. Yugi opened and closed his mouth again. His eyes flashed open.

His shoulder stung violently. He was panting and choking. His head ached. He gasped out in pain. Then he struggled to roll onto his side for a moment. Only when he felt the disturbance in the air did he experience it again.

The adrenaline swept through like a fever.

Yugi scrambled to his feet.

He backed up a step. His teeth were bared. The snarl was almost as loud as the screaming. The fire had spread. It was too hot in there for it to have just been Fuwa's clothing any longer.

The tan-skinned woman was in front of him.

She was wearing some kind of glove on her right hand. And the nails were sharpened spikes of silver. He bristled. No wonder his shoulder hurt. No wonder his adrenaline had crashed for a moment. He panted.

When she stepped forward he found himself shaking. He couldn't tell if it was tension or pain or pure terror. But he jumped back as she slashed at him. She was faster than he had expected, almost cat-like. When she came at him again, he nearly fell. He wasn't used to fighting as it was.

But she was so terribly capable.

The woman leaped at him. Yugi pivoted. They hit the ground hard. His shoulder slammed into the ground. The tile stank of alcohol and something harsher, heavier, with a sharper touch. He couldn't focus. She landed on him. He kicked outwards. She was tossed back a few feet.

He couldn't think straight. The smell burned his nose. The smoke made his head spin. Something was crackling and threatening to burst. The heat was swelling in the restaurant. It felt as if he had stepped into a water heater.

She took only a second to recover. She was on her feet when he was. Yugi braced himself. If she came again, he could toss her back over himself. He could use the momentum to toss her away.

The problem was that getting up and turning around could take time. Especially if she used those claws on him again somehow in the meantime. He wasn't even sure he could manage it with his right hand as it was…

He risked a glance at it. The flesh looked as if were barely connected. He thought of an alien's long fingers…

He'd need stitches. He'd need...

To pay attention! the more panicked part of his mind screamed. He snapped to awareness again. But the woman with the strange brown eyes was at her side. She placed a single hand on her shoulder. When the other looked at her, there was a simple shake of her head. They stared at each other for several long seconds. Then they turned almost as one and began to leave him there. When they got several feet away he realized he could not see straight anymore.

The smoke was too thick. He could not see anything within ten feet of himself. And the smell was acrid. His heart pounded in his throat. His pulse was flaring. He shook.

Something came at him from the side. He could barely breathe. They crashed into the ground. He almost screamed. His shoulder was burning. His hand was breaking and splintering. His body nearly writhed. But he held still. For, in front of his eye, was a single silver point. He couldn't breathe.

"You stupid bastard."

Yugi couldn't answer him. The knife was still colored by his blood. It threatened to drip down. If it dropped into his eye…

He breathed in shakily. Was it over then?

Yugi bore his teeth. His hands could barely restrain Fuwa's attempt to stab. Their arms were shaking. His adrenaline was fading. There was too much blood loss. There was too much pain. There was too much smoke. There was too much wolfsbane and silver. How had he never noticed? He felt sick.

He had sensed it in the food. How had he not known it was on the handle? How had he not known the utensils were silver? How had he not realized that the restaurant had to be a hunter's paradise if two of them had wanted to lure him there?

Yami would have known. And wasn't that just worse?

Yami would have known the moment he even got within feet of the building.

He wasn't as trusting as Yugi. And he thought more about the darkness of the world than anything else. He was just as he had told him, a pessimistic creature by habit, and a vicious killer when occasion called for it. When it was kill or be killed, he was the one who turned situations on their heads.

And now, he was going to be alone again.

Because Yugi did not think he could hold Fuwa off any longer…

Something cracked. Yugi froze in place. His struggles seized. Pain jarred him. But it was not another stab wound. The small teen was frozen. His heart was the only thing he could feel.

It took him a long moment. Everything that had faded away came to him in a roar. The sound burst against his drums. The air crackled noisily. The pain enveloped him hideously. The smoke choked through him.

The pain was emphasized again. His body jerked. Something weighed him down. Yugi couldn't think straight. He blinked, tried to pull himself back. Then he nearly wailed. Nothing seemed to be working…

"Come on, bud."

His head snapped around, eyes wide.

Jonouchi?

The blond was crouched next to him, breathing hard. He had soot smeared along his left cheek and he looked sick. He had puked, Yugi realized. His mouth was flecked with it. The smaller teen reached pathetically for him, struggling to get his arms out from under whatever it was.

Jonouchi grunted with his exhaustion, gripping his arms and pulling. He slid and the weight was kicked away when the blond flexed his long leg. Yugi glanced down and immediately wished he hadn't.

Fuwa was laying facedown on the floor. A pool of blood came from the side of his head. A shattered plate lay scattered around him.

The shattering noise…

The dead weight…

Was he dead?

Yugi didn't ask. Jonouchi had pulled him to his feet. He was tugging him along by his arm. The small teen choked on a breath. Then he nearly groaned. What had happened to catch the entire building on fire? He hadn't planned for that…

He hadn't even hoped such a thing could…

"Thank you…" He coughed loudly, then closed his eyes tightly. His knees gave out for a second and he stumbled so hard he brought Jonouchi down next to him. He groaned, insides writhing, and then leaned forward further. His back arched and he puked. The smoke was so heavy and dense he couldn't see even those few inches from his face through the darkness of it.

The blond cursed lightly, then reached over to grab him.

Yugi cursed at him, but it was so low that he thought he was mumbling. He was coughing when they finally got outside. He could hear sirens somewhere in the background, a couple of streets away at the most.

"Are you okay?" Anzu demanded, moving to their side. Jonouchi had to kneel to put him down without jostling him. Yugi groaned, rolled onto his side, and puked again. It was flecked black.

He blinked. How long had he been in there?

Had he inhaled so much soot? Or was his body working in overtime to get rid of one issue before it grew into a million more?

He halted and blinked, a noise registering in his ears. What was that…?

Yugi sat up and looked immediately around himself. He recognized the rhythm of it. But he didn't see the owner yet. Where was he? He had sensed him before. He had only encountered a split second where he had sensed him, felt him as if he were a blanket or a breeze of air. The small teen hesitated and looked around again.

Was he…?

Yugi blinked, then angled his head upwards.

There he was.

He was a few yards away, among some of the higher branches. He was crouched among the large trunks of them, hands splayed expertly along their surfaces. His eyes were glowing, almost cat-like in the way they glittered against the darkness. His thin frame was bunched along the branch and he almost seemed to be nonexistent there. If Yugi had not been looking for him, he would never have noticed him. He was in all black clothes and looked almost as if he were nothing but a shadow, thin and draped over the wood.

He shivered, then looked away. When he lowered his head again, his mouth opened wide to vomit once more. He was shaking and groaning when he finally noticed his friends watching him.

He moved his hand, then whimpered low in his throat. A glance at it showed that the skin was swollen, blistered hideously, and the edges of it were bright red and pink. He shivered and his body began to shudder painfully.

"I'm sorry," he moaned, his voice pathetic and small. "I didn't know he would…"

Yami remained crouched, tense. His stomach was burning. His muscles were taut and stretched. His nails were sunk in the bark. His eyes were painful from the flames. He could feel his blood in his body as if it were touching him. His head was spinning yet focused on only his charge. The red-eyed lycanthrope leaned forward, then slightly away again. His gaze narrowed, his lashes doing well to shield his eyes from much of the glare. But the sirens made his heart beat faster. He bore his teeth, gritting them behind his lips.

His adrenaline kept his entire body frozen. And his heart was in his ears. His stomach churned and ached. He nearly snarled in distress. But he kept his eyes on Yugi, who looked miserable and pathetic in the way he crouched there. He seemed almost as if he might puke again at any moment.

The fear was evident in his expression, however. He could see it. He was confused, unsure of what he was doing. He wasn't sure about if his body was trying to force the Change or why his vomit was flecked with soot.

He would have to explain that later.

Yami pressed his forehead against the branch in front of him. His eyes sharpened and flickered away. He bore his teeth.

"I'm so sorry."

Jonouchi shook his head. All three of them were watching, staring at Yugi blankly. There wasn't much that they could say or do at this rate. He looked like he was too miserable to talk and answer questions. And he himself just wanted to lie down. It was insane. Fuwa had thought Yugi was a werewolf. And the sad thing was that Yugi had not denied the allegations by any means. In fact, he'd even encouraged them.

If Fuwa hadn't stabbed him, the blond really might have believed they were performing some kind of weird role-playing skit. Yugi could have been enrolled in some multi-player game. He did love any game he could get his hands on. He was in love with games—board, video, computer.

He was almost fanatical about them.

And his dad worked overseas for a gaming company. Oftentimes Yugi got his hands on new releases long before they were announced to the public. He was used as one of the audience testers, telling how much he liked or disliked the game mechanics, the play. He always gave Jonouchi and Honda the chance to play them, then sent them back with an essay about the pros and cons of game play and various elements.

So perhaps role-play would not have been too farfetched for the small teen.

But then Fuwa had stabbed him…

The redhead had literally fucking stabbed Yugi in the hand.

He shot a helpless glance towards both Honda and Anzu but the two of them seemed just as confused and lost as he was. Only the brunet would meet his eyes and that was too fleeting for him to get a read on his face.

"Yugi…"

The small blue-violet-eyed teen didn't answer at first. He just continued staring upwards at the trees, but when Jonouchi looked he couldn't see anything. There was a red glare from the flames but he knew that couldn't be what he was so focused on. He seemed to be looking at something that he couldn't see.

When he turned back his eyes were on him. His gaze was shaky, pupils vibrating in his irises. He was shaking hideously now, more so than even before. The tilt of his head was fearful, terrified, and his breathing labored.

Jonouchi swallowed hard.

"Are…are you…o-okay?"

Yugi shook his head in a slow, uneven, jerky movement. His stomach tightened and knotted painfully, seizing. He couldn't breathe for a moment. He turned away, swallowing thickly, and his eyes flickered back again. Yami was still watching him. His eyes glittered with the fire's reflection. The smooth planes of his face were all but invisible. Yugi realized without much thought that his friends were unable to see him.

It was the wolf that recognized him even in the dark. Because his human half was too shocked to care for his presence there. And Yugi could sense a huge, great, terrible divide between the two halves of his own mind.

And that was almost more terrifying than the very fact that he'd just been attacked…

Yugi forced himself to stumble to his feet, the animalistic half of his instincts whispering for his retreat. His lungs wheezed painfully. "I…I have to get out of here," he croaked. His eyes widened further and flickered towards Yami once more, stomach dropping again. His heart pounded. "I…I can't stay here…"

"Huh?" Honda objected in surprise, startling Yugi. The small teen spun on him, shaking violently. His hand was bleeding profusely again and the sleeve of his jacket was completely drenched. "You can't just leave! The paramedics and the police are here!"

"I can't stay—" He opened and closed his mouth, then choked on another breath. "They'll see that I'm not… And then they'll… Oh gods…"

"Yug, buddy, you're not making any sense…" Jonouchi tried.

The smaller teen reached up and grasped tightly at his hair. When he yanked, the streak of blood across his bangs was black and sticky. His fingers were twitching where he'd been stabbed and the blood was a fresh and somehow crusted mass of oil upon his skin.

"I can't… I can't go to the hospital." He was panting and Anzu thought she saw a strand of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. When he spoke again, the inside of his mouth looked pale, whitened like fresh snow. Her heart landed in her throat. Fuwa had said that his gums had turned white… "They'll lock me up. They'll…"

"Lock you up?"

Yugi shook his head rapidly. The sirens were too loud. They were so close now. He turned towards Yami, blinking. He almost wanted to beg his help but there was nothing the other could do for him. And he could see the way his body was so tense what little restraint he possessed might shatter if he moved the wrong way. The red-eyed lycanthrope looked as if he might be moved to kill before he would to listen.

He glanced over his shoulder. The entire building was in flames. The light was blinding. The noise was a deafening roar. His body trembled again. He turned on his heel. When he took a step forward, he nearly fell.

"Yugi, you can't just—"

He spun on her, teeth bared, one eye glittering against the darkness and the other reflecting the flames at her. His shoulders had risen, his fingers were twitching, and his legs had lost their shakiness for that single second. He looked as if he might lunge at her, snap his teeth.

She was frozen, too stunned to breathe, and both Honda and Jonouchi gaped.

"I'll…explain tomorrow," he finally spat out, glancing at the sound of a car door opening.

The small teen stiffened, then turned and fled.

It took him a solid ten minutes to slow down again.

The adrenaline had faded and now the rush of pain sent him staggering. When he fell, he could still hear them. Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu had begun telling the same story. They had been walking nearby, heading to one of the parks. They had seen the first few flames and called the cops. They had no idea what had happened beyond that. When their appearances were brought up, they said similarly that they had gone in to check on anyone but had not seen or heard anything.

He crouched and took a seat next to a large tree trunk. He struggled for his breath and raised his knees to put his head against them. He was dizzy and his stomach hurt. His heart felt constricted and his shoulder and hand were on fire again. He couldn't think straight. Which way was home?

The branch above his head dipped.

Yugi froze. His head snapped up.

Yami was crouched above him still. His long fingers were sinewy with tension. His sharp eyes were vibrant with power. His body was keen with strength.

At first Yugi almost did not recognize him. Yami looked more wolf than human, even in his golden-bronze skin. His sneakers hugged the bark to keep his balance. His face was sharp and dangerous. His teeth were like jagged glaciers when he opened his mouth for a moment.

"Yami."

The taller wolf blinked, watching him. His long lashes made his eyes look darker, hollow and angry. His head tilted, lips pulled back furiously. Very slowly he moved the length of the branch, getting to his feet fully. When he moved to the edge and the twigs began to seemingly splinter beneath his weight, the red-eyed wolf leaped.

He landed easily in front of him. Yugi expected him to say something. Maybe he would point out how foolish he was. But the other boy moved only closer to his side. The seconds passed as he hovered there. Then he slowly took a seat beside him, eyes glowing against the gloom of the woodsy shadows.

"I… I…"

Yami shook his head slowly. His hand reached out to touch his. He trembled, threatening to snatch it away from him. But his grip was light, gentle, and his heart skipped at the gossamer sensation of it. He trembled again. The other wolf moved closer until their hips touched. Then he drew his hand lightly, gently into his.

His palms were soft and his fingers were incredibly warm. Yugi almost wanted to press against him until he was completely encompassed by him. He trembled, eyes widening. Yami ignored it, looking his hand over for a moment. Then he raised it to his mouth.

The smaller teen was shaking. He almost wanted to snatch it away from him again. Was he going to say it was irreparable? What if he told him it would never heal? Shame swept through him. What if he was the first wolf without a limb? What if he had to bite it off to keep some kind of infection from coming through? What if the wolfsbane and the silver were destroying him from the outside and inside?

Yami didn't glance at him. Instead he pulled his palm closer and tipped his head towards it. When his mouth opened, Yugi feared it would be teeth to touch his flesh. Instead it was his tongue, soft and gentle, as it brushed against his skin. But the smell of burnt flesh came to him again. The small teen cringed, trying to pull his hand away.

His fingers clenched around his wrist immediately. His tongue was soft and soothing. But the burning smell was coming tenfold. Yugi squirmed but he was exhausted. He couldn't truly find the strength to pull away. He trembled again. Yami continued licking. His skin tingled faintly.

But he was not sure it was soothing so much as slightly painful. It seemed a parody to him that Yami was trying so hard and he was unsure of the benefits of it.

"I-it hurts…"

Yami glanced at him sideways. "I know." His voice sounded slightly muffled. Yugi almost thought of cotton balls stuffed in someone's mouth. He blinked, confused, and furrowed his brows at the taller teen. But he was already back to licking the wound again. He glanced at it.

Was it still bleeding as badly? He couldn't tell from the position. Yami was cupping it too closely for him to see it properly.

He whimpered. And his mind flashed with a thought. He struggled, attempting to snatch his hand away again. "Wolfsbane," he managed to whine, trying again to pull away. His heart was in his throat once more. He squirmed.

Yami held his wrist a little more tightly. Then he cupped his hand more comfortably, grip firm and restraining. "I know."

Yugi faltered. He almost couldn't understand what he was saying. It sounded almost as if he were speaking around a huge mouthful of food. Or with his face pressed against a pillow. He blinked and furrowed his brows again. What was wrong with him?

Finally Yami lowered his hand away. The skin was tingling, but there was an undercurrent of burn. Yugi swallowed hard. When he looked at it, the edges of the wound had closed. The inside of his palm was still covered in dark red but the exit wound was more or less lost upon fresh muscle growth. The other side was still bleeding, however, towards the bottom and the middle.

"I can't do much more."

Yugi blinked, then looked at him in confusion. His stomach seized painfully when he noticed his face. His nose was wrinkled in pain, his eyes darker than usual with an unidentifiable ache. His brows were furrowed faintly. He looked almost…sick in all actuality.

"W-what's wrong?" he demanded, eyes widening drastically. He could feel the shame coming on in waves. What if he'd done something and Yami was going to end up dying from it? What if he was growing sick as the seconds passed?

What if he was sick and dying right in front of him?

What if he was suffering the same thing Yugi was?

Yami paused for a moment, then opened his mouth wide. His gums were pale. But his tongue was larger than usual, swollen. He could see along the surface of it that it was coated in blisters. In the dark they were almost black, enlarged to the point that he flinched upon seeing them.

"Oh my gods!"

Yami rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad!" he huffed, shaking his head. He moved to drop his hands into his lap and stretched his legs out in front of him. Casually he leaned his head back against the trunk behind them.

"How did that even…?" He hadn't spoken when he had gotten there. And he hadn't bothered to say anything when he was resting beside him moments before. But Yugi knew it wasn't something he had come to the restaurant afflicted with. Stomach knotted, the small teen looked at his hand and then at the other boy. The silver and wolfsbane… It had burned his tongue…

"Did you know that would happen?"

"Any part of a wolf's flesh that touches silver tends to burn, so yes." He looked at him from the corner of his eye and studied him for a long moment. "I was well aware."

Yugi trembled again. The police were escorting his friends back to their homes. Or perhaps they were going to end up at the station. He didn't know. He had only heard something about the car. He ran a hand through his hair. Eventually one of them was going to start out into the woods looking for clues or something like that.

He didn't want to be there when they did.

"Are you okay to walk?"

Yugi blinked and his heart ached at the shallow, stuffy quality of his voice. He swallowed hard and then moved to stretch his legs towards himself. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "I…I think so, but I'm so tired… Maybe I should try to get into one of the trees…"

He angled his head back. If he was high enough up, they wouldn't know he was there, winter or not. He shifted his weight and studied the branches for a long minute.

"No, I'll assist you," Yami stated calmly. "You would fall from the tree with all of your trembling. Your balance is shot as well. Anyone who might have escaped that fire would easily find you."

Yugi looked at him, frozen. "D-do you think someone…?"

"If you mean to ask me about Fuwa, I do not think he was left in there, no. I did not see anyone go back to grab him, but I was not completely focused on them." He got to his feet, tilting his head, and then stretched his hand out. "It's going to be a long walk. You'll have to pace yourself."

Yugi swallowed hard. "You aren't going to…leave me… Right?"

He could have covered his face in shame. He hadn't even meant to say the words. But they had come out regardless. And the tone was weak and pitiful. The small teen wasn't surprised that it stopped Yami in his tracks. His very movements ceased and his eyes grew as wide as saucers for a split second. He looked at him and his gaze was soft and gentle, possibly a mirror of the way he was usually considered with.

"No, Yugi, I won't leave you."

But the way he said it seemed almost as if it were a promise meant to last a lifetime.

The screen seemed almost to flash more aggressively than ever each time Yami found it in himself to close his eyes again. Yugi was curled into a ball beside him, fast asleep, tucked tightly beneath the blankets with his back pressed against Yami's as if he were seeking comfort even in his dreamless state. And Yami knew it was a dreamless slumber only because of the way Yugi would twitch and breathe harder and then sweat and pant, choking. He would whisper in his ear, telling him to relax, and it would achieve this goal but not before Yugi would begin to tremble and shake harder than ever.

And then he would fall into a deeper state of unconsciousness, the scent of his fever heavy in the air. Yami could not breathe even once within the small room without that smell threatening to suffocate him.

He hated it.

But perhaps he hated more than that the way the screen flashed so much in front of him now. It was late, perhaps three in the morning if Yami could trust his own tightly-wound internal clock. And the way the lights flashed made his head spin with frustration. He'd muted it when Yugi had expressed distress in his sleep, breathing harder, whenever a voice came through the speakers. But he had put it on in order to help himself cope with the task of falling asleep as well.

He should have been paying more attention.

He should have tried to help him beforehand.

He should have listened to him when he'd expressed his concerns.

He shouldn't have wallowed in his own misery as he had.

Yami drew in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs. That suffocating smell, thick and drenching, seemed to swell and knot within his body. He exhaled slowly, eyes darkening as the television flashed once more. His brows drew forward, knitting together, as a news reporter began to speak, a broadcast that he had not realized could cut through the failing comedy that had played formerly.

Beneath the image was a rolling bar of information, the words New Bonnokazi restaurant caught on fire by arsonists. The last word translated slowly in his brain and his stomach dropped as he considered them. The police already suspected it was more than just simply an accident of some kind to cause the restaurant to catch on fire?

If that were true, did that mean that Yugi's friends had potentially said something they should not have? Was it possible that they had pointed the finger towards the smaller boy without even truly realizing it?

He glanced over his shoulder as Yugi quaked in his sleep. When he reached over in the dark, fumbling to rub his flank, the smaller teen shook harder. For a moment he thought to retract his hand. But then, slowly, as if he had somehow summoned such a reaction, Yugi clenched his hands around Yami's.

His hand was held there, beneath the blankets, in front of Yugi's belly. He could feel the shuddering flesh when the small teen trembled, but the movements had lessened the longer he held his hand there. And Yami shivered at the thought, but his eyes had fallen back on the screen.

The scrolling text had been blocked over.

Subtitles. The word was a foreign one, but the concept was simple as the reporter's mouth continued to move and the words began to change in response to such a thing. He tilted his head, considering, and the pillow felt oddly damp beneath his skin. Was he sweating as well?

Or was Yugi so terribly off that he had soaked the pillow?

Yami shivered and cast an uneasy glance over his shoulder.

If Yugi did not feel better in the morning…

He was not sure what he was meant to do to help him beyond this. The most he could think to do was bleed him. He could potentially push the silver and wolfsbane out by draining his blood into the tub or the sink. But he'd risk killing him if he could not truly heal from it.

And when Yugi came back to life, he'd be feral and angry. He'd kill him in turn…

The only other option he knew of was to force Yugi into the Change and then bite him again, perhaps try to push the silver and wolfsbane out using the lycanthropy itself in a fresh strain. But the gods only knew if such a method truly worked…

The police are unsure of who might have caused this establishment to burn. But it is certain that they have connected this incident to the fire which claimed the forest days prior.

Yami stiffened as he read these words, eyes widening drastically. They thought the two events were connected? They had assumed the restaurant to be caught on fire by the same people who had burned the trees to smoke them out? His stomach dropped and his mouth grew dry. There was absolutely no way.

Espa and Panik were members of the organization running the experiments. He had crossed paths with them numerous times. He had been poked at and prodded more times than he could count at their whims. He had lashed out and gotten shocked in turn more than once, though Ryou had been merciful in his conditioning.

He'd told them to knock it off, to stop pestering him. He'd chased them off.

And, in turn, Yami had left him in the woods to be killed and then abandoned his body to rot in the snow.

No doubt Espa and Panik had not removed it for a proper burial. The most they would have done was likely drag his corpse out of the trees so as to avoid implications of a murder happening once more. But then…

To set the incident up as a murder scene that was potentially being desecrated and the murderers panicking to cover their tracks could help them immensely. They were smart. He knew that. They were the number one hunters to capture the wolves in that damn lab…

Both the forest fire and the restaurant's arson happened within days of each other, so it is only logical that they would be linked in such a way. But the proof is in the methods and their purposes.

Yami squeezed his eyes shut, a sense of understanding dawning on him now.

They had left his body there.

When he opened his eyes again, there was a vague picture of the building behind her. She was gesturing and the words beneath were coming faster. His lycanthropy kept with them, however, allowing him a speedy read that did nothing to strain his concentration in the slightest.

The arsonists left vital clues as to their involvement in both crimes. At the scene of the forest fire, a brand of American gasoline was used to light the trees on fire. And similar traces have been found here in the rubble of the restaurant. The entire floor and walls were drenched in it prior and subsequent to the fire being started.

And a number of bodies have been found in both areas.

The forest fire harbored several human corpses as well as animal.

This one claimed only human victims. But the damage has been far more extensive. No one has more details on this subject beyond the police, who are now officially considering both cases as a homicidal attack of some kind.

In the wake of the many murders within Domino on top of such suspicious actions, the curfew is being advanced to an hour earlier than formerly. All residents are urged to be home by or before six o'clock each night.

They had not listed names. Yami furrowed his brows. Were the bodies too immensely charred to be identified? Or was it for public appeal that they did not name them? Had the police requested such discretion?

He supposed it did not matter.

Had Fuwa been hired to capture Yugi, it would be clear to them soon enough that Atem had put an end to him. In the meantime, however, Yami simply had to make sure that Yugi was not seen in his weakened state. The gods forbid such a thing should happen…

But it was a curious situation. Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda had all been there. He had seen them. He had heard them relaying their fabricated story to the police. Jonouchi had led them to say that they had been going to get some food from the Bonnokazi restaurant but the building had been on fire. Because of this Anzu had been told to call the police while Jonouchi and Honda went in to check on anyone who was in there.

Anzu had not called the police because she'd followed them in instead. But they hadn't found anyone and had run back out almost immediately after. Because of this none of them knew the circumstances of how it happened or what caused it.

But clearly they had been taken to the station for their interviews, yes? Even Yami understood such a concept after having watched a few crime movies on television. He had seen the process, even if it was most likely exaggerated for entertainment purposes. And he was sure the fact that Anzu was the daughter of the detective on the case made a very big difference.

Regardless, however, he had to question whether anything they had said might have implicated Yugi in any fashion. If that was the case, he'd have to find some way to figure out an escape route should things blow up further. But the fact that they had not mentioned names, nor even thought to include the fact that the three teens had been there in the first place made him nervous.

Was it meant to be hidden from public eye?

Or was it going to be flaunted later?

Yami shivered and looked at Yugi again. The small teen was clutching his hand tightly, his blunter nails digging into the side of his palm. When he considered his face, the entirety of it was soaked with sweat. He could smell the perspiration now that he was facing him, beneath all of that hideous smothering feverish scent.

He should have been paying more attention.

Okay, so the gasoline thing goes like this. When you clean gasoline up, most of the time the particles still left can still catch on fire if not cleaned up properly. But, the restaurant was going to be caught on fire regardless, in order to get rid of the bodies as otherwise it might be a hassle. So when Yugi catches Fuwa on fire, it all kind of goes from there. So Yugi can just BARELY smell the gasoline on the tiles because it's been "cleaned" or at least soaked up. Because of this, Yugi has a hard time detecting it in the first place, though his state of mind didn't help at all.

Anyways, point being, the place was highly flammable (although it took longer because of the "clean up" of gasoline) and Yugi isn't the only one who caught a couple of things on fire (the workers and his friends started to further the damage, which is mentioned more in the next chapter).

The broadcast mentions there being bodies. In the next chapter, Honda says otherwise. There's a reason for this, I promise. You'll see in a later chapter, but it DOES come up. I'm debating how it will happen, but most likely Anzu will explain it to Yugi when he gets some alone time with her later.