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.

38. Speed

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Puzzleshipping, COPIOUS Amounts of Blood/Bloodshed, Slight State of Delirium, Somewhat Improper Wound Care, Naked Yugi, Innuendo, Suggestive Situation, Yami Washing Yugi's Hair, Bathing, Innuendos, Awkward One-Sided Sexual Tension, Mentions of Slightly Altered Mythology, Kidnapping, Implied Character Death, Yami Being Somewhat Badass, Character Deaths

Okay, so when Yami says "I allow others to masquerade in my place", you can apply it to several instances. He lets Yugi play at being the alpha between them while they're in the pack. He let Yugi endanger himself in the woods when Espa and Panik were chasing them. He's letting Yugi come up with stories to tell his mom with fabrications about who he is and how much of a friend he is to Yugi. You can apply it to any of those instances. But he has a few more secrets that come out as the story goes along and Yugi is technically not the only one doing similar things in this aspect.

Um, okay, so the Ragnarok myth. I get the gist of it—the world begins to end, Fenrir is released, he kills Odin, Thor (?) kills him, and Hati and Skoll devour the moon and the sun. As for WHY Fenrir was trapped like he was, from what I could gather of the reading I did back while writing the chapter, it was because they were afraid he would turn into a monster. He would turn into the monster that he did in Ragnarok when he killed Odin.

The shape-shifter thing will come up later in another chapter, along with the name for the character in question. A certain character knows it and it comes up later when another certain character confronts them about it rather happily.

Okay, so, gray wolves get to at least three feet tall at the most. Dire wolves only got to two feet and perhaps a little taller by a couple of inches. If my notes are still current, Yami stands at three feet tall, with longer legs, stronger muscles, and thicker fur. Anyways, so he stands at three feet and the shape-shifter is only a couple of inches taller than him. On their hind legs, Yami is about 6.6 feet on his back legs; the shape-shifter is about seven.

Hi: First off, hello~ (Loved the choice of guest name) Thank you so much for that! I'm so glad to hear that the style for that scene worked out so well!

Chapter XXXVIII: Speed

Work Log Entry XXXVIII: November, 2002

November 20

The Pure-Blood's ability to kill so effortlessly is something highly coveted by the boss.

I fear for both their sanity.

November 22

I cannot decide whether this beast A.T.E.M. is the monster or if it is our boss. Either way, they both reek of death.

He groaned. The sunlight coming through the window was unusually bright. His head throbbed. His mouth felt cottony, his tongue glued to the roof of it. His shoulder throbbed again. Yugi ducked his chin to touch his chest. He drew his legs closer to his stomach. The movement made him brush against something warm and soft. He blinked and opened his eyes. Then he flinched and shivered.

Yami was awake and staring at him, expression somewhat frustrated.

He'd been shaking and groaning all throughout the night, Yugi remembered. His face burned as he looked at the other boy. He'd woken the taller teen on more than one more occasion. And it wasn't that which had eventually made Yami snarl at him in anger. It was the sharp kick to his gut he'd given him by accident when he'd rolled over. He'd been sweating on and off and feverish since before they'd even gotten home.

That hadn't changed. His face was drenched. Yugi reached up to rub at his cheeks and forehead. Then he moved to sit up. Yami was faster than him, however. In an instant he was upright beside him. His hand cupped his lower shoulders and the other helped to guide him gently by his upper arm. Yugi trembled and the sheets stuck to his skin.

He panted and his eyes stung.

The other wolf grimaced. He reached out and wiped at his eyes with the hand that had been holding his shoulder. Then he moved to wipe at the sweat on his forehead and along his temple.

Yami looked pained and exhausted, older than Yugi had ever seen him. It hurt him to witness such a change in the other boy. He was so full of life and passion that the sight of his face now made the smaller teen want to puke.

Instead he leaned forward. His forehead fell to nestle against Yami's shoulder. The hand on his arm shifted to his ribcage. The other traced a path along his spine gently. His touch was gossamer where he let his fingers wander. But he held him firmly, muscle bound beneath soft skin.

Yugi trembled again. "What the hell is going on with me?" he croaked, voice hoarse and scratchy. The noise of it made his ears ring. He flinched and whined low in his throat. The movement shifted his head a little further into the taller lycanthrope.

His temple was against the column of his throat. His skin was nice and cool against his sweaty body. But it was the soft rhythm of his heart which helped to calm him further.

Yami cringed faintly and moved to lay his chin on his head. Yugi's scalp was soaked, his hair slick with grease.

He had expected as much. What he had not expected was the billowing heat that scorched him more potently than it had throughout the night. He was so feverish. What was he meant to do to lower his body temperature? Should he open the window? If the cold air came in…?

But Yugi would begin to tremble again…

Yami was out of his element. When he himself had been hit with silver and it'd entered his bloodstream, he'd been delirious. It had been a full day of disoriented and listless wandering. It had been that which had led him to the pack. The smell of blood after days of being wracked with fever and chill had rendered him stupid. He'd foolishly gone for the first opportunity of food. And he'd regretted it ever since.

But he hadn't been human. And he'd mostly tried to sleep it off. Yugi, in contrast, had moaned and struggled to get comfortable when he slept. But then, could it be the blankets? Yami himself had been using small dens that had been abandoned beforehand. He had not had proper cover like the blanket offered.

He nearly whined in distress. He had no proper foot to stand on. Being more attune to his wolf body than his human one would not help him now. This entire situation puzzled him.

"Your body is trying to destroy the damaged cells in your blood. Since you were touched by wolfsbane and then stabbed with silver, your body is struggling." Yami opened and closed his mouth, considering further explanation, but his tongue was still raw and sore. It did nothing to make him feel good about all that had happened. He touched it to the roof of his mouth, fought away a flinch, and nearly snarled when a blister popped. He hated when he burned his tongue. It didn't happen often but having experienced it once was quite enough for him. "You should perhaps stay home today…"

"I can't," Yugi croaked. "I have to… I need to at least let my friends know I'm alive. I can explain a little to them, and…"

"Your friends knowing the truth would be justification for exhausting yourself further?" Yami scoffed, voice bleeding with absolute scorn. "You cannot tell me you value yourself so little and them so much."

Yugi moved to rub his forehead against the collar of his shirt. The tank top was surprisingly soft to the touch. He could have melted into it. And Yami was so cool compared to the fire in his blood…

"I need to at least try, Yami," he pled in a weak voice. He felt if he tried to move, however, he'd drop on his face. He tried to grip at his companion. His right hand burned and his fingers ached. Immediately his hand flared and raced with fire. Layer upon layer of heat swept over his skin.

Yami turned his head to look at it, lifting it a bit so that his chin no longer rested on his oily hair. He stroked at his back self-consciously, unsure of what more he was meant to do. As long as he was comfortable in that position, Yami would stay in it for him.

But Yugi's hand was bleeding hideously. He could smell the fever in it, the infection like ionized atmosphere. He wrinkled his nose. It smelled of bitter pus and dead flesh. The blood was slowly but surely spreading upwards and outwards through the layers of gauze he'd used to wrap it last night.

Yami's heart trembled in his chest.

"You need rest." He stared as the cotton began to turn red, at first a droplet of discoloration and then a rapid churning river of bright crimson. His head swam for a moment. He shook it off viciously. "Your hand is going to need attention. You'll need to wash it…"

Yugi wanted to plead with him that it was fine.

But in the corner of his eye he saw it too.

The bandage was soaked.

And his fingers were numbed from the heat.

Or perhaps he had simply lost sensation in them. He couldn't tell anymore. Exhausted, he mumbled, "Yeah, I know…"

Neither of them mentioned that it would be easier for Yami to do for him.

Neither of them mentioned that Yami didn't know how to do it.

Neither of them mentioned that Yugi was too delirious and feverish to instruct him properly.

"Don't you ever get tired of getting hurt?" the smaller teen whispered in a low voice. Yami couldn't tell if he was talking to his hand—and expected an answer—or if he meant to ask him. It was only when he raised his head, looked at him, and continued with, "I do" that he realized he had directed it towards him.

He bit his lip. "I get hurt a lot," he answered quietly, shifting to help him regain some of his balance. Even on the bed he seemed so flimsy. "It does get rather tiresome."

Yugi nodded, brows furrowed and eyes glazed with pain. "It does." He trembled, his entire body seemingly becoming boneless for a split second. He gasped for breath, then groaned again. His wounded hand was held out as if to keep him from colliding into the wall like someone searching blindly in the dark. "Maybe I should…have them come meet me here…b-before school. Then I can just…come back inside…"

Yami almost reached out to stroke his hair. Instead he moved his blond forelock aside, wiped away some sweat with his palm, and struggled not to whine in mounting distress. Yugi looked so small and broken, like a discarded toy of some kind or a splintered bone. He wanted to pull him closer, hold him in his arms, and just keep him there. Maybe then he could protect him. And things like this run-in with Fuwa would never happen…

The small teen slid away from him. His movements were slow but calculated. His pace was sluggish and his hands were held out to catch himself. He used only his knees in their kneeling position to draw himself forward. Yami immediately moved to get to his feet, stepping back only once, and hurried to the other side of the bed.

Yugi was just getting there when he reached out again. The small teen stuck his tongue out and curled it along the corner of his lip. His eyes were glazed but determined, staring at the carpet. His arms were steady but his hands were shaking. He drew in a deep breath through his mouth.

His exhale was sour. Yami could smell the infection in every part of him. And the fever was vicious where it lashed at his skin. He was about to suffer through a set of chills, however. He could sense it. As he had all throughout the night, the red-eyed lycanthrope recognized the abrupt spike in his temperature, burning until it could no longer, right before it would shatter and fall. Yugi would lose his balance…

He caught him by his hips when he nearly tumbled. The balance was awkward. Yami was bent at the waist, hissing with displeasure. Yugi's arm shot across the bridge of his nose. His shoulder was crushing his throat. His breathing was heavy and foul. His trembling nearly knocked him off his feet. His heart was hammering inches from his face. Yugi snickered and then gasped for breath.

"We're quite the pair," he commented. Yami moved to grip him more firmly. He slipped beneath his arm and draped the limb over his shoulders. The other hand gripped lightly at his waist. His long fingers awkwardly touched the hem of his pajama pants.

"Why do you say that?" the red-eyed boy asked curiously. He shuffled forward, a small half-step to set the pace. Yugi was so concentrated on doing that, mimicking him as best he could, that Yami had nearly forgotten the question when he finally answered a few minutes later.

"Because we're always hurt and lame."

He was panting and shaking harder than ever. His eyes were scrunched shut. Yami wanted to wipe some of the sweat from his skin again but it seemed almost childish and stupid to him. It was not doing Yugi any good by any means. He fought an irritable sigh from the edge of his lips. He truly was so worthless at the moment.

"We are," Yami agreed instead, because he could feel the lameness now in all its burden as he always had when he was wounded. "That seems to be our modus operandi."

Yugi snickered. His eyes cracked open and he shot him a wide grin. "Latin; I'm impressed," he teased. "I thought you really only specialized in charades."

"I'm a wolf of many talents," he murmured without modesty, though his eyes looked slightly troubled the more Yugi studied them. "You should ask me what I'm actually bad at."

He snorted. "I'll list them for you," he scoffed. "Nothing."

Yami blinked and nearly stopped altogether. "Huh?"

"I said you're not bad at anything," the smaller teen stated again, raising a brow. "I'm not saying you're perfect or anything, but I mean… When you apply yourself, I don't see you failing at anything."

Yami grimaced. "I'm bad at a great many things," he said instead, voice scornful. "You just have not witnessed them yet."

"You just don't apply yourself as much as you should." He sounded so certain that it almost made the taller teen question himself. But Yugi's words were too gentle and easy to be applied to him. Yami shook his head slightly. "Yes. Don't shake your head at me. I'm serious!"

"As am I," he replied gruffly. "And I'm telling you that you are wrong."

"I don't think you see yourself very clearly," Yugi snapped in a flustered voice. His eyes were oddly lucid but his tone was laced with grogginess and the heaviness of acute pain. "You're an awesome person. But I can already see that you're about to argue with me. I can't tell if you just don't like compliments or if you're just extremely hard on yourself."

Yami flushed, entire face draining of color and then turning bright red when Yugi poked him in the chest with a finger.

"I've decided it's both."

He blushed harder. He said it so much like a fact that the taller teen almost immediately agreed with him. He blinked at him, stupefied, and then looked away when Yugi turned back towards the bathroom. "I don't know myself anymore," he finally exhaled.

Yugi blinked. Then he turned his head and stared at him. "What?" he asked in a tone that was both concerned and increasingly bemused.

Yami hesitated. He still looked so lucid. But if they had this conversation… Why wouldn't he be lost to it later, forget it by the next day?

But he couldn't stop himself now. He had already said it…

He exhaled again. "I said, I don't know myself anymore." He opened and closed his mouth and Yugi searched his eyes rapidly, as if he might find answers to questions he had asked himself privately and never brought to Yami's attention formerly for fear of alienating him.

"Why do you say that?"

The red-eyed boy hesitated. "Because, sometimes, I remember things I don't want to. And I realize the significance of it and it horrifies me. Because I…I allow others to masquerade in my place."

Yugi's eyes flashed. Something abrupt and cold entered them. "But that's their choice to do that! If they want to pretend to be someone they're not and they do it knowingly, then why shouldn't you let them?" he demanded hotly. "You shouldn't feel guilty for something like that. And that shouldn't make you feel like you don't know yourself!"

He was silent for a long time. "Yugi…" His voice had grown strained and small. A blister popped against the roof of his mouth again. The blood tasted rancid against his tongue. "I…"

"Let's put it this way. You're Yami."

He blinked, then furrowed his brows. "Yes, that's the name I respond to," he muttered, unsure of himself as he shook his head. "But what…?"

"No, that's who you are. You're Yami. You're not without a name anymore, remember? So you can…basically pretend that whoever you were before now never existed." He was cheerful now and Yami smiled faintly at his logic. It really wasn't that simple but Yugi didn't seem to realize that as the sickness tugged at his insides more rigorously. It was becoming clear that he would remember the conversation but he doubted he'd think about it much, if ever again. He grinned a little wider when the smaller boy nodded in determination. "No dwelling for you. Now that you're Yami you don't have to remember anything you did when you weren't him!"

He chuckled. "I suppose not," he agreed easily. But the weight on his heart didn't lessen in the slightest. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled it, and helped him to the sink. "Are you capable of a shower? You look as if you're too shaky to stand up for that long…"

"I don't think so." He looked at his reflection briefly, but lowered his eyes to his hand more pointedly. His heart was in his throat again. He trembled harder, a furious burst of shivers, then managed to shake them off. He turned on the faucet. "I'll look at this first. Maybe I can make the bleeding stop…"

"Would you care for me to remain here?" He hesitated. "I mean, perhaps I should… I can leave you to take a bath or…"

Yugi snickered. "You don't want to see me naked? I'm insulted!" he joked playfully. But his gaze was brimmed with pain as he watched his reflection and caught his eye there. He was struggling with the bandage he'd thrown on his hand.

It made his entire frame shake as he tried to peel the tape away with his fingernails.

Yami blushed and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure your body is amazing," he deadpanned despite the steady rise of heat beneath his skin, "but I'm not particularly sure I want to see it when you're sick. Thanks, but I'm not into that kind of kink."

Yugi laughed softly, but the noise fell away after a few seconds. A frustrated grunt left him, then a hiss of pain. The other wolf came to his side, steadying his shaking hands and peeling away the bloody bandage. There was pus and black tissue which came immediately from the wound. The smell made him nearly flinch back. The smaller teen groaned.

"Fuck, that's rancid!"

Yami chuckled. "Anyone hoping to get lucky with you would never look twice if they ever saw this," he teased. Yugi snickered and tapped his shoulder with his other fist. He looked down at it as the other boy put it beneath the water.

"They would come back though. No one can resist Jack."

"Jack?"

"Mmhmm, Jack Mehoff."

Yami burst out laughing. "Lovely name for your lonely friend there," he guffawed. He shook his head and ran his fingers over his wound gently, pushing at the severed dead tissue to dislodge it away. Yugi stared at the other boy and his face flushed for reasons beyond his fever and chills. There was something incredibly intimate about the action and it made his heart pound. "You're going to have to be careful with this. It's going to be a few days before it heals completely, Yugi."

"O-okay."

The choked tone of his voice made the other boy look up. But Yugi ducked his head so that he could not see his expression. He reached his free hand up to scratch at his cheek.

"I don't think I could manage a shower," he said to divert the subject of conversation. His face burned even more now, and his body shook with a burst of pain in retaliation. His knees shook, threatening to buckle. But somehow he managed to hold himself. "I'd have to take a bath…"

"I'll wait outside—"

"You could just sit on the toilet, maybe face the door." His face was going to explode from the heat. His heart was racing. He could barely breathe anymore. "I…I mean… O-only if you'd be okay with… But you don't h-have to—I totally understand if you don't—"

"You would want me to sit there?" He gave him a confused glance, twisting around to look at him completely now.

"Well… I… You've already seen me…" He opened and closed his mouth. "Fuck, you undressed me during my first change! I mean, you've seen me naked. You even played charades with me in the woods and—"

"I was simply messing with you when I decided to play charades. And you would have killed yourself during the Change if I hadn't gone ahead and undressed you." Yami blinked, then frowned and turned back to the water, rubbing at the wound. Giving it physical stimulus was another way of getting it to heal faster, as he'd learned while he was on his own. It promoted rejuvenation among the cells, caused them to oxygenate and replenish. "But, if it will make you more comfortable, then yes, I'll sit nearby while you take your bath."

Yugi sighed softly.

At least Yami was not cruel enough to tease him about it. But he realized how potentially dangerous it was to leave him alone in such a state as well. He knew it would be easy for him to shiver and shake and faint and drown under the water.

His cheeks heated further. Should he make it a bubble bath? He could hide under that. But then, it was true when he said Yami had seen it all before. He had. Besides that, the other wolf seemed hardly to care. He was more wolf than human. It probably made it easier for him to just kind of say something like "And that's a penis. Yep. That's cause he's a guy. Like me. We have those. Yep."

He flushed harder. What the hell was going on in his head?

Yami took a seat on the toilet lid twenty minutes later. Yugi was settled within the warm water without much more of a care. The liquid was crystalline and sparkled where the light hit it. And he was so relieved to be able to just sit and feel something just so all encompassing to encircle him and soothe his worn muscles that he hardly cared. The other wolf could have ogled him and he'd still not give a damn. He was so comfortable and happy for the moment that nothing could truly put a damper on it.

He slid back in against the edge, tipping his head back and breathing out happily. The only thing he knew would be upsetting would be the blood he knew his hand would shed. When the water turned red he was absolutely sure he would regret this decision altogether.

Yami braced his elbows against his knees as he leaned forward. "Do you plan to explain to your friends that you're a werewolf?" He asked quietly, addressing the elephant in the room at last.

Yugi but his lip and reached for his shampoo. If he did this fast enough, he could avoid the tub looking like he had failed at a suicide attempt. "Well, I don't…really have much of a choice," he said quietly, swallowing hard. "I mean, after all the things that happened…"

Yami nodded. "You're right. It would be impossible to explain it all away…" He paused. "Please be mindful of what you tell them, Yugi. Do not tell them that someone like Valon is a hellhound or anything. You don't want to put them in danger…"

He looked up and studied the other boy's slouched form. "What do you mean?" he asked, abruptly exhausted.

"Just…be careful and discreet. Remember that names are unnecessary in explanation. Other wolves might find it threatening that they know. If that happened they might try to kill them."

His stomach dropped. "No…"

Yami was silent.

"Gods, I'm just one big ticking time bomb, aren't I? I'm going to get them killed or hurt no matter what I do!"

The taller teen hesitated for a long minute. His fingers caught at the collar of his shirt when he looked for something to tug at. His stomach churned. Yugi sounded so despaired that it hurt just to hear. He swallowed hard.

"There's nothing I can do to keep them from getting hurt or anything!"

There was the most obvious but least likely solution, which would mean cutting them out completely. But he knew Yugi would never do that and from what he had seen through the window of that restaurant, they hardly seemed as if they might accept that. The way he'd watched them all start to catch the decorations on fire and witnessed the blond go back for him, he was extremely doubtful such a plan would work.

"You'll have to make sure you are careful and clear in your plan of what to tell them. If you are not, you risk angering someone." He paused. He had the impulse to turn and look at Yugi over his shoulder as he felt his stare against his back. "Do not let them know whoever else you might think is a wolf. And do not alert them to any hunters. It makes them a target. It will pay for them to be cautious but not obviously or overly so."

Yugi swallowed thickly and looked at his shampoo. But his hands were shaking too hard and his blood was beginning to slick the side. He had not realized he had clenched his hand to such a point. He shivered. The water rippled as blood dripped into it. He swallowed hard again.

Yami was not sure if he was meant to turn around and offer help. Would it damage Yugi's sense of pride to do so? He himself would have been horrified in his situation. But then, he himself had been disgusted with himself upon asking for help for his wrists.

He shook his head. The dripping noise was becoming steadier. And he could hear Yugi's breathing coming out a little shaky. He hesitated. Then slowly, the red-eyed wolf turned his head. From the edge of his peripheral, he saw Yugi's hand drenched bright red. His fingers were shaking too hard to open the cap of the bottle in his hands.

He didn't ask if he wanted help. If he were in the situation, he would hardly desire someone draw attention to it. Yugi looked up only when he took the bottle from him and popped the lid. When he dumped some into his right palm and put the bottle aside, Yugi smiled at him gratefully and tipped his head back.

"When I was younger, my mom used to do this. She'd make a bubble bath for me and then we'd tell stories while I sat here. We'd take turns telling parts of the story and add on where the other left off." He hummed softly when Yami shifted to lean over him. His fingers were soft, warm, gossamer and gentle, when he began to thread them through his hair. "There was one time we went over a bunch of myths about how the world was created. We told Navajo, Norse, Japanese, Egyptian… You know, in all actuality, most creation myths are the same."

"Are they?" Yami asked softly. He worked his hair into a lather, from root to tip, and pulled his bangs gently backwards so that there was no risk of them falling into his eyes. He massaged at his scalp with his nails, light little strokes, well aware that too much pressure would split the skin.

"Yeah, there's usually nothingness. And in the middle of the nothingness there's a void. And the void is where things begin to appear. I don't remember it all exactly, but I think the void would be called chaos or a word similar to it. And it would create the world itself, the elements, then the occupants of it." He was quiet for a moment. "Then they would have more and more myths about everything. In Native American mythology, the coyote stole fire for humans. In Greek mythology, a titan named Prometheus did it. In Native American mythology, most of them descended from the animals, wolves or bears. In Greek it was the gods making people from silver and bronze, things like that…"

"What was your favorite?"

He was quiet for a moment. Yami was reaching over to turn on the faucet. But the seconds were dragging out. In hindsight he realized his hesitance, blushing at his own lack of foresight. "You can use the cup that has the toothbrushes in it," Yugi mumbled, blushing faintly. He was such an idiot sometimes. "Just go ahead and put them on the counter and use that."

Yami got up after a moment of consideration. It felt wrong to leave him like that but there was really nothing else he could do for him. Calmly, he removed the utensils and unscrewed the top where it had been given holes to hold them, then lay them along the counter.

"I don't really have a favorite creation myth. My favorite story was actually Ragnarok from Norse mythology," he admitted quietly. Yami paused in his stride back to him, eyes widening. The end of the world was what Yugi liked to hear about? He saw the look on his face and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. It surprises everyone."

Yami shook his head. "Why is that your favorite?"

Yugi licked his lips and considered his next words. "Fenrir was set free," he said finally, when he could not come up with anything else. He looked away. "He was set free. And his sons were finally released from their slavery too."

Yami blinked, eyes growing thrice their regular size. "Fenrir?" he muttered, frowning before realization came over him. "Oh yes, I remember now. Fenrir was chained to a rock for all eternity until the day of Ragnarok. Then he would be free and eat Odin. And his sons Hati and Skoll would be able to eat the sun and the moon."

He nodded a little. "I always thought it was cruel of them to chain him up and enslave his sons to chase the moon and sun in the sky. It just wasn't very fair to me. They shouldn't have been afraid of him."

Yami chuckled softly. He reached over for the knobs and twisted hot and cold before filling the container. The water beneath was murky, ribbed with bright red and grayish with soot and the edges white and sudsy where they touched the sides of the tub. He frowned and shook off the sense of dread and shame that came through him, then tapped gently on Yugi's chin to tip his head further back.

"Did you think it was fair of them?"

"Well, no, but I also did not have much time for stories growing up," he said in a slightly distant tone. He moved his hand to touch his forehead, shielding it from potential back spill, and poured in slow cascades of water. "Tell me if this becomes uncomfortable for you, Yugi."

He snickered. "You're okay."

Yami smirked a little, shaking his head, and moved his hand down to trace his roots. He shifted his fingers through, combing the long strands, and hoped to the gods that this was at least somewhat productive. He hadn't had anyone wash him before. He had always groomed or jumped into a body of water as a wolf or used a single stall bathroom as a human. Hopefully Yugi's hair would be as clean and pristine as usual…

He turned on the faucet and got some more water into the cup. "Well, it still stands if I ever pull on your hair or something."

"With as gentle as you're being?" Yugi scoffed. The water falling against his scalp made his entire body tingle with pleasure. "My mom used to pull more than you!"

He snorted. "Well I'm glad I'm doing better than she did," he stated dryly, flashing him a small grin when Yugi peeked an eye open to look at him. His fingers worked and combed through the strands again. He was humming softly, low and melodious.

Yugi almost wanted to sink under the water, he was so comfortable with the sensation of his touch and the whisper of noise from his gentle humming.

"Do you want me to tip my head further back?"

Yami blinked, startled from his humming and the ease of helping to bathe the other boy. He hesitated as he considered the question, then shook his head. "No, it's okay." He ran his fingers through, searching for more soap. The suds had left but he was not sure it was as clean as it should have been. "Keep your head like this. I'm going to rinse it a couple more times."

Yugi swallowed a moan when he continued to trace small patterns across his scalp with his fingers as he picked at the soap again. "Okay."

"You're not sweating anymore," he commented softly, rinsing a second time. He threaded his fingers, sifting through the wet strands, then ran his hand along the bottom of his neck. There was just the tiniest hint of shampoo left there. He got more water, cupping his head and pouring slowly. When the liquid touched his fingers, moving downwards, Yami snickered as Yugi shivered.

"I think it's from washing my hand," the small teen admitted quietly, turning to glance at him. But Yami looked so at ease that the smaller teen felt his heart pound with satisfaction. "My fever is broken…but my hand still hurts."

Not to mention that the water is almost completely red now, he thought shakily. He glanced at it and his stomach curled painfully, his ease dying away now as he considered.

"I suppose so," he said with a somewhat distracted tone. He reached across the tub for the conditioner. His red eyes flickered along the instructions for a few seconds. "Do I truly need to leave this in for five minutes?"

Yugi shook his head. "Not really. It just makes your hair shinier when you do," he replied dismissively. He made a gesture with his unwounded hand lazily and then tipped his head towards him. "I think I spoke too soon. I'm kind of getting dizzy again."

"You moved too fast."

"I'm moving slower than a snail."

"And that's apparently still too fast."

He growled softly, casting him a somewhat irate look before narrowing his eyes. His next breath came out in a huff. "This sucks," the smaller teen commented, cheeks heating faintly. "I can't even really relax. My body hurts too much."

"It's supposed to," Yami muttered, working his fingers through his hair again. He ran the conditioner from root to tip and slicked his bangs back somewhat. His hair already seemed so much better now that it was not lathered away by sweat. "It's trying to heal and can't do so on its own like this. Your wound got infected and you're trying to fight it off. It's going to be a struggle."

"Well it sucks."

"There is no debate regarding that."

Yugi sighed roughly but there was a small pressure in his nose, pushing forward beneath his skin. He swallowed hard and his head spun painfully. "If I stay home, I need to…" He covered his face with his hands. "I need to change the sheets and get some food…"

Yami paused briefly as his fingers worked at the nape of his neck. He slicked his hair with conditioner and chewed his bottom lip, somewhat uncomfortable. He would have offered to do it for him, but where were clean sheets? He knew where the kitchen was but what would Yugi want to eat?

He filled the container with water again, then let it sit on the toilet lid for a few moments. Yugi gave him a puzzled glance before looking at the cup sideways. Was he letting it sit until a few minutes had passed? He swallowed but his throat had grown dry.

"You can rest on top of the comforter, use the fleece blanket," he murmured, eyes flickering towards the water rather than locking on Yugi's. The liquid had all but become one big burst of bright red. Gods, his hand was bleeding so much… "Should we drain the tub and get new water?"

Yugi glanced at the water and swallowed again. The pressure in his head had grown worse. Had he just been so initially relieved by everything that his body had neglected to tell him how much pain he was actually in? He breathed out softly. He wasn't hot and he didn't shake again. But his head was beginning to throb once more.

"Yeah…"

Yami was silent and still for a few seconds. Then he slowly reached into the water. His hand groped along the bottom of the tub until he found the plug beneath the drain. "Do you want me to look away while you set up a new bath?"

Somehow it surprised him how polite the other wolf was being. There were no quips about how he couldn't do anything for himself at the moment. And he didn't tease him about how immobile he was. He didn't point out how childish it was that he was being bathed by someone for the first time in almost eight years. He didn't even poke at how disgusting all of this had to have been for him.

Yugi looked at the water as it swirled down the drain. "I'll do it."

Yami hesitated. He wanted to remind him he was perfectly fine doing it for him. But it occurred to him that it was possibly a shameful idea to the smaller teen. The entire situation was unfair to him. His red eyes flickered away and he took a seat with his back to the wall, eyes closed.

Yugi looked at him, relieved to see how comfortable he appeared. He had, despite himself, the urge to apologize. It was a sharp and almost eager pulse of energy beneath his skin, a begging sensation to promote his words. He swallowed hard, shaking his head slightly.

The taller teen opened his eyes into slits. "I should have paid more attention to Fuwa," he commented quietly. "I should have tried to find out more about him. I'm sorry for not doing that…"

The knobs jerked beneath his fingers. His eyes grew extremely wide, his body seizing with shock. He heard the pop of his bones as he looked over his shoulder. His mouth opened and closed stupidly, expression that of a fish out of water.

"Huh?"

"I should not have left you alone to deal with him."

"You had no idea he was going to try to lure all of us to that restaurant, Yami. It's not like the two of you planned it together," he scoffed, blinking and shaking his head. A dull steady pain started at the base of his neck. His hand was throbbing again. He twisted the knob with shaky fingers and the water gushed out quickly. "And I didn't even consider contacting you for help…"

"I still should have paid more attention. That wasn't fair to you." He paused when Yugi put the stopper back in place, the water a comfortable temperature. The smaller teen turned around slowly to study him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry."

Yugi fiddled with the knobs, his fingers clenching around them. "The more important thing is that you actually came to help us. You didn't have to." He swallowed hard again. "It means a lot that you did."

Yami considered him for a moment. Then he turned away again slowly, eyes on the floor. "That's my responsibility as your friend," he murmured. His tone was exhausted and Yugi swore he could see him aging in front of him for a split second. He cursed when he realized the water was almost too high, quickly twisting the knobs to turn it off. The red-eyed teen simply stared at where his hands were settled on the knobs. "We need to look at your shoulder too. I don't think it's infected though…"

Yugi blinked, then glanced at it. He had almost forgotten about that woman. She'd had those silver caps on her nails, filed into spikes…

"No, I don't think it's infected either."

It looked like a small scrape wound, as if he'd bumped his shoulder against something. It hardly looked like his hand had. But it was not healed by any means and the blood on it had clearly just clotted completely hours before. He was amazed his writhing in the middle of the night hadn't done anything to reopen it.

Yami shifted to grab the container from the toilet and go to the side of the tub. The smaller teen sighed softly, turning away from the faucet to face the other wall. He blinked, nearly exhausted, and then slowly lowered his hands beneath the water. "That's a lucky occurrence. It would be rather traumatic if it was," he commented in a somewhat grim tone. He took a seat again and reached over for his hair. "Tilt your head back."

"I really thought for a second there you were going to say it was your responsibility as my alpha," he admitted, voice rather small.

Yami hesitated, placing the smaller teen's palm against his forehead to begin pouring water. He almost had. He had only slightly missed saying it. His first impulse had been to say alpha. His second had been to say that they shouldn't talk anymore. The word had changed when it had come out of his mouth, however. He had not been expecting himself to answer, in all reality.

Making friends with Yugi more than he already had would be a disaster for the small teen. There was just no way that he would do well with the backlash he would wind up getting. His philosophy of forgetting who he was before he had a name was easy in thought but much harder in effort. He let out a small breath that was swallowed away by the sound of the water dripping.

Yugi groaned softly, stomach knotting. He couldn't tell if he was hungry or anxious anymore. "I won't make it through the school day," he grumbled, speaking more to himself than to Yami. "I need to text them to meet me here…"

Yami considered him for a moment. "Are you okay to go outside?" he asked after a long moment. "Are you going to be okay to explain it to them? I can go with you…"

The smaller teen stopped breathing for a second. Then he squirmed. Yami released him immediately. Yugi turned to face him, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing twice. The way he looked at him was almost as if he were some kind of strange, mythical creature.

"I'm sorry if I over—"

"You would—"

They both fell silent when they realized the other was talking. Yami blinked. Yugi frowned. They considered each other again. Then the smaller teen slowly shook his head and muttered, "They don't need to meet you."

The other wolf studied the exhausted, heavy look in his paled blue-violet eyes, the way he seemed ready to drop at any second. He looked as if he would slip beneath the water without warning…

"Are you sure? I don't want you to say that and then have overtaxed yourself when you come back in…"

Yugi shook his head and flashed him the smallest ghost of a grin. His eyes were glazed with pain now. His hand was burning. When he flexed it beneath the water, he swore it poisoned him further. "I won't, Yami. It'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." He paused. "Thank you…for the offer. But…they really don't need to know everything. I don't want them to put you under the microscope. You don't like people as it is. I don't think they'd make you like them any more than you already don't."

Yami raised a brow. "They are your friends. I trust your taste in character."

The smaller teen shook his head. "But you wouldn't trust them," he stated softly, watching him. "And I don't want them making you uncomfortable like I know they would. That's not fair to you. And it wouldn't be fair to them when you possibly snapped at them. It's okay."

He was silent for a minute. "You wish to put my comfort before your health," he said slowly, as if trying to see where the logic was in a stupefying situation. Yugi grinned slightly. He supposed it could be seen that way by the taller teen. Yami had made it pretty obvious at times that he was not used to being shown any type of kindness or sympathy. From his point of view, he could see how frustrating that would be to him. "That's idiotic."

"Then call me an idiot." He turned to the side and tipped his head back again. For a moment the other boy simply stared at him. Then he moved to shield his face with his hand again, pouring the water into his hair once more. "But I promise it will be fine."

"Don't make promises you can't keep. You survive longer that way."

Yugi faltered at the harsh note in his voice. "Are you mad at me?"

"You put people before yourself. Of course I'm pissed."

The smaller teen huffed and then smirked. "So, you're going to tell me that wolves don't put each other before themselves? Out in the wild and among werewolves, that doesn't happen?"

Yami opened his mouth, then slowly shut it again. His expression was annoyed and cold. "When they've been born and raised among those wolves, sure. But not—"

"Alphas and betas don't do that?"

He growled low in his throat. "This isn't some kind of wolf bond that makes you do this," he snapped harshly. "You've been doing this since before you were even bitten!"

"So? You bit me again when I wasn't acting as Code Name Atem. But what's your point? I was still wolf then too."

Yami hissed as he turned the faucet back on. "Stop being an ass. You know exactly what is wrong with this. Besides that, your friends have been there longer than I have. You should be far more worried about their discomfort than mine." He twisted the knob, turned back to him, and resumed rinsing his hair.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "You're just being difficult now. Let it go, Yami. I already chose. I'm not going to have them meet you. Whether or not that's because I don't want you uncomfortable or them to feel that way is kind of irrelevant."

"Your forgiving, selfless nature is going to get you killed one day, Yugi," he spat furiously, shaking his head. Yugi almost expected him to pull on his hair in his anger but his fingers were gentle and his grip soft. "Learn to consider yourself before you do others."

He sighed loudly. "Can we not argue anymore? I'm not going to have any energy left to talk to them if we keep going like this."

The red-eyed lycanthrope glanced at him, studying, and then bore his teeth before shaking his head and putting the container aside. He ran his hands through Yugi's hair in that same gentle manner he'd shown him throughout the conversation. The strands were soft and silky, but not slimy like he had equated the conditioner to making it feel.

"Go ahead and pull the plug. Your hair is clean. You can get dressed against and…text your friends." He didn't glance back when he left the room.

---

"Hey." He shut the door behind him, then grimaced when his fingers throbbed in response. The bandage remained pristine and white, however, when he looked it over. His stomach knotted faintly. When he looked up again the three of them were still watching him. Their expressions were confused, concerned, and varying degrees of alarmed.

"How's your hand?" Jonouchi asked, eyes on the appendage.

Yugi blinked, looking down at it, and flushed brightly when he saw how it was shaking so hideously. He moved to duck it behind his back but his shoulder hurt with the movement so he flexed his fingers and drew his injured hand to his other one. The shaking didn't stop. He furrowed his brows, annoyed.

"It still hurts. Really bad," he admitted unhappily, swallowing thickly. "But it's not as bad as last night. A friend helped me with it some…"

Honda grimaced. "I can't believe he almost took your hand off like that…" He studied him a moment longer. Yugi had looked up and was watching him with a somewhat confused expression. "What was he talking about, though? He called you a lycanthrope…"

Yugi cringed and his hand tightened around the injury before he yelped. He released it immediately, then glanced at it again. It wasn't bleeding yet, thankfully.

"He, um, hunts—hunted—werewolves," he muttered, picking at the edge of his bandage with growing anxiety. He wondered now if maybe he should have let Yami meet them. It would have been a distraction by any means. And he was sorely missing that opportunity now. "I'm not exactly sure how he knew that I got infected…"

"Infected?" Jonouchi muttered, voice confused and incredulous. His honey-brown eyes had grown thrice their usual size. "What do you mean 'infected'?"

He bit his lip. "I got—"

"Your hand is bleeding!" Anzu cried out, eyes wide with horror. It was clear that she had not been expecting that to happen. She had begun to breathe in shakily and Yugi stared at it for a moment. Then, slowly, he raised it somewhat to look it over more thoroughly.

"It's from the silver. It's like an allergic reaction to it," the small teen murmured, flexing his fingers. The pain split through his nerve endings. He almost yelped but fought it off. "It's been bleeding on and off all night. And for the last couple of hours."

"So what—?"

Yugi felt the alarm in his spine before he heard it from Yami. The snarl was low and vicious and his eyes snapped up in confusion. His gaze did not turn towards the window but rather the street.

Something was going on if Yami was reacting…

And then he heard it.

His eyes darted quickly across the street, from one end to the next.

His spine tightened.

The pain in his hand had grown numb from his rush of adrenaline.

He didn't recognize it at first.

Every part of him so was so keen on the idea of a wolf approaching that it almost completely slipped his mind.

"Anzu, watch out!" he cried loudly, mouth snapping open as Yami cursed in his room. The sound was muffled but loud enough that it jerked him to attention.

The car slammed into the curb. Yugi flinched from the onslaught of noise. The radio was blaring. The windows were rolled down. The driver was hissing in a language he did not understand. He blinked, eyes wide and startled.

Anzu was frozen in place.

Her shock and confusion held her firmly at the edge of the grass.

Yugi tried to get to her. But his head was spinning. His stomach was tossing. He couldn't think straight.

Yami's snarl was a hideous bass beat in the back of his thoughts.

He couldn't breathe properly. And his heart was in his throat.

The car door opened before he got within an inch of her. His outstretched arm touched only air. Anzu screamed. The door shut again. Jonouchi and Honda were frozen, eyes wide. Yugi blinked.

The driver only glanced at him. Her lips pulled into a smirk. When she winked, Yugi felt his stomach churn.

Oh gods, he recognized that face.

He recognized those dark eyes and the sharp planes of her face…

He bore his teeth. Damn it.

He took off after the car. Jonouchi and Honda broke into a sprint a couple of steps behind him. The car moved just fast enough to stay a few feet ahead of them. No doubt they did so to keep him in sight.

They didn't want him to lose the trail.

And they knew how wounded he actually was.

They'd been at the restaurant.

They were finishing what Fuwa had attempted.

Yugi was panting when they turned the corner. He slowed drastically, doubling over a moment later. His stomach was in knots again. He couldn't think straight again. He gasped and groaned. Jonouchi and Honda passed him easily. The blond glanced back but Honda remained focused.

"Yug…?"

He shook his head and waved him off in an almost casual motion. His hand was clenched and blood dripped from the wound. And, as he panted, a cold burst of air seemed to slam into him. He gasped and glanced up. The sky was bleached white. And the clouds were heavy, dense. When they opened, the first flake was weighted and wide.

He had forgotten the snowstorm meant to come through. Yami had predicted it to happen in a day's time. And now here it was. He trembled. It was as if everything were conspiring against him.

He was wounded.

He was exhausted.

The car was ahead of him.

His friends were still running.

And then he felt him there too.

He could have cursed.

Instead he started running again. Jonouchi and Honda were several yards ahead. Yami would be closing in soon as well.

The reality was that he needed to beat them there.

He especially needed to get there before Yami.

Who knew what would happen if Yami got there first?

The wind was crisp and harsh. It funneled through his hoodie and down into his skin. He hissed, but his feet kept moving. The snowflakes came in bundles, drifting steadily down. He was shivering even as he overcame the taller boys.

The car turned a corner.

Yugi only noticed he was mere feet behind it when he realized it had sped up. When it weaved around another corner, he slowed down. His sides were aching. His hand was shaking.

He sensed Yami nearby now, closer than before.

Was he faster than him?

He knew he was more dangerous.

Maybe he should let him…

He nearly scoffed at himself. No. Absolutely not. He couldn't let Yami get hurt. He groaned under his breath. But hadn't he gotten everyone else hurt already? And when they got wherever the car was—

He looked at the road, then towards the trees further along.

If he took the shortcut through the park…

If they were headed towards the piers and one of the abandoned factories, then he could use that as a way to play catch up.

Jonouchi and Honda ran past him after the car. They glanced at him but he hardly paid attention.

Yami was long gone. Probably he already knew where they were headed as well.

He turned on his heel, taking the woods.

The trees were narrower and more spread out due to the hogs that ran through this area. Yugi could sprint and the ground was almost flat. The path was also almost a straight shot. There were no turns and the possibility of people seeing was almost nonexistent unless one should be out in the woods.

He jumped a fallen log, landed heavily, and lurched over. He was gasping and panting, body heaving. This way cut the path by half. He could be at the factory before they would…

If he kept going.

He was so tired. It might be easier if he was a canine. He could burst forth with speed. He could use all four legs and never falter. His legs were longer in that form…

If only he actually knew how to do that on his own…

Yugi shook it off, drew in a deep breath, and ran again. It took him all of ten minutes to make it there to the lot. But he had no idea which would be the ones they'd use. During the second World War, Domino had been a resource for gun metals and artillery to be made. The factories had been the primary base for much of the metal being molded into form. But Japan had since abandoned its view of weaponry.

Hoops were jumped through in order to gain guns, hunting or otherwise. And only the police ever seemed to truly have them any longer.

He paced along the entrance of the pier. The factories stretched for mere miles, not the largest amount of space by any means.

Yugi drew in a deep breath and slowed his steps.

Where were they?

Where was the car?

He strained his ears. Then he finally caught it. The car rumbled so softly it was almost inaudible. The tires on the asphalt seemed to glide. The volume of music had been all but muted. He was panting but his lungs felt unusually full. A glance was cast around the pier.

Yami was nearby.

He couldn't tell how close, however.

Yugi moved away when the car began to speed towards him. The woman's smirk had widened upon seeing him now. He waited just long for them to head into the factory they desired. Then he glanced at the exhausted Jonouchi and Honda who were both doubled over, panting heavily.

He swallowed hard, then moved again. His heart was in his ears. His stomach was in knots. He could barely hear his own thoughts. He was cautious as he moved along. He almost startled at the sound of his own sneakers on the concrete. He faltered and glanced back.

The two taller teens scrambled to catch up. But Yugi sensed it. His head turned back. His body clenched in pain. A dull, steady throbbing came to him. He could smell the wolfsbane, sense the silver lingering in the cold air. A snowflake spiraled in front of him. He choked on a breath.

Then he stepped forward again.

And, as he did, Jonouchi and Honda cried out.

He didn't flinch when the metal gate fell behind him. The thick links were rusted but steady when his friends touched them. Yugi resisted the urge to try to find the exit. Instead he looked up. The woman from the restaurant, the one with the sharp face…

"I'm amazed that you truly came for her."

Yugi didn't look at Anzu. She was kept on the other side of the walk, though he did not know that it was by force. There only seemed to be two of them. He trembled, body jerking, and leaned over to wretch violently. The sound of it was wet and slimy. And it dulled the roar in his veins.

However, his eyes wandered.

Two glowing amber eyes met his.

He hadn't been wrong in assuming she was feline in expression. An unusually small orange and black tigress was in the shadows in front of him. She laid there, crouched low to the ground.

And he realized she was frozen by his gaze as much as he was hers. Instinct for big cats was to back away when potential prey turned to face it. For a wolf, it was just more exciting. For a human, it was terrifying.

He backed up a step.

Anzu cried out. His head snapped up. Metal hitting metal burst through the factory. The noise numbed him.

And she sprang.

At first he could not understand it.

He blinked and his head turned.

But he didn't recognize it at first.

It was only as her weight collided with his that realization came to him. He folded beneath her painfully. A yelp of agony left him. The impact with the ground winded him. Her paw in his chest kept him breathless. Yugi couldn't fully comprehend the sight of the tigress above him.

What the hell was…?

Then she withdrew her paw, stepping away. He blinked and gasped for air. And then he made a mistake. He tried to roll over to get up. And her paw crashed into his spine. He screamed. The tigress lashed her tail. The woman chuckled.

"Did you know that a tiger's swipe could break a bear's jaw?" the woman sneered.

He could hear heels against the ground when he didn't have any more breath. His eyes opened when she was close to him. When she crouched in front him, he tried not to vomit again. All it would take would be one of them turning him onto his back.

He'd choke on it…

The woman was a soft but rich blend of caramel and olive in tone. Her eyes were sharp and narrow. Her nose was small and dainty. Her hair was in several long braids which were then held together with golden beads of three. Her clothing was flowing, low cut to show off her sharp collarbones. Around her neck was a thin band of shiny green metal. A jade beaded necklace hung in two rows around her narrow neck. When she truly got to his side and leaned close, her lips were perfectly rose shaped.

Her build was extremely athletic, soft in design and thin in shape. And her shirt came only to the bottom of her ribcage. She looked like some kind of model rather than a hunter.

"Do you know who I am?"

Yugi blinked up at her stupidly. In her hand was a familiar black case, much like sunglasses. He breathed in shakily. "A hunter," he ground out from between his teeth.

"No, not by trade." She chuckled. "I'm actually a dancer whose husband's blood is on your hands."

He blinked at her again.

Husband?

His mind raced and his stomach dropped.

No wonder she had attacked him in the restaurant.

Fuwa…

"My name is actually Aileen Fuwa." When she stood up, he got the smell of sweet designer perfume. It was underlined with something sharp and deadly, however, woodsy. He struggled to think straight. She was wearing a perfume made with wolfsbane… He blinked up at her again and the distance while on his side made it impossible to meet her eyes. All he could see was the underside of a short skirt of pale purple, a cloth belt of the same color along her hips. "And I suppose that's really all you need to know, isn't it?"

He almost wanted to argue.

But she had moved again.

She was as silent as a snake and as vicious as the tiger circling them. She held a syringe in her hand, flicking the needle. "We can't have air getting into your veins. That would be far too easy. I plan to watch you change. And then I'm going to allow my dear daughter to eat you alive."

Yugi blinked, stupefied, unable to think straight. She was going to inject him to force the Change? And then what? He would fight to the death with the tiger? He couldn't breathe as she tipped his chin to the side. She felt along the column of his neck, then pricked his skin.

"When you inject it along the jugular, it goes to the brain faster. It makes the Change a lot worse, but it makes you start sooner." Aileen flashed him a smile that reminded him of rattlesnake venom. "Enjoy it, Yugi Motou. I would hate to see you be too easy a kill. Not after you took my husband from me."

Yugi panted, then screamed. The tigress, given a single nod, lunged for him. She went for his throat. His body thrashed and she missed. Yet she caught his arm in the attack. And he could feel the bones breaking rather than hear them.

Then she cried out, recoiling. Aileen startled, eyes widening. A gash had formed along the tigress's muzzle, behind her nose. The woman blinked, then raised her head.

"You should get your nose checked," a familiar voice spat in dismissal, coming forward.

Anzu was the first to see him. And, at first, she assumed it was Yugi somehow. The impossibility of it struck her only after initial thought. But they were nearly the same height, with similar wild hair and a thin build. Her heart was hammering. When he tipped his head upwards, she caught sight of the strangest eyes she had ever seen.

They were…

Blood red?

"You smell like a cheap lay."

Yugi wanted to scream for him to run. But his body was thrashing too hard. And his heart was hammering. He couldn't breathe. And the tosses of his body made him dizzy. He coughed, sputtering, and bile spilled from his lips.

"Excuse me? Who the fuck are you?" Aileen sneered. She had straightened to her full height and her eyebrow had risen in dismissal. The tigress looked angered more than anything.

"The one who's going to put you in the ground next to that pathetic little Fuwa brat."

Jonouchi and Honda both stared in confusion. From their position, neither could see beyond the cat and human pair. But the voice was not unlike Yugi's, though deeper and maybe a little richer. They both glanced at each other and then turned back with frustrated expressions.

"You dare speak ill of my husband?"

He snorted loudly, voice coming out in mocking laughter. "You're a widow."

The tigress snarled, tail lashing. Yami glanced at her dismissively. "Oh, calm yourself, kitten. I'm going to kill you too. Don't worry." He bore his teeth into a smirk, leaning towards the large cat. Aileen was reaching into the line of her fabric belt, which he considered must have been lined to hold so well against her hips. "When I kill her, I'll make sure you follow quickly."

The cat lashed out with unsheathed claws. Yami narrowed his eyes in boredom. "You call that an attack?" he sneered. Aileen flicked her wrist and he moved his arm. He arched it, bending at the elbow. Then he jerked his wrist in response. The whip caught around his skin, constricting and strong.

He smirked again. "Silver-tipped. I applaud the effort."

The tigress started to pounce. He pulled his arm, then threw his weight to the side. As expected, Aileen was hurtled sideways. The whip dropped to the ground with the impact. The two females cried out in unison. Then the tigress snarled and snapped at the human. Aileen scrambled to push away from her.

Yami tossed his head back and forth. His muscles corded and tightened, pulling taut. He pressed his weight into the balls of his feet, eyes narrowing faintly. From behind the chain-link door, Jonouchi and Honda gaped. The two teens were frozen in place, watching him. The red-eyed lycanthrope could sense it. And when he lowered his head slightly to glance at Yugi, he could see it from the corner of his eye.

The tigress lunged. His weight propelled him forward to his toes and he leaped. The movement threw him a full twelve feet in the air. A rapid snapping noise broke through the factory. It was almost like gunfire and Yugi whimpered painfully. A low, pleading note escaped him. Anzu flinched, but could not look away.

The newcomer twisted in the air, spinning almost like a cat. The clothes along his body began to split at the seams. They bunched and tossed and tore where the knobs of his spine distorted and rose sharply. His arms were braced for impact with the ground. His hindquarters followed a moment later. All four were pointed towards the ground as his spine arched high into the air.

His lips curled back. His nose wrinkled forcefully. His teeth glinted in the light, highlighted by the saliva that coated them. A tiny drivel of blood began to leak downwards as the muscles contorted around his eyes. His jaws lengthened, the bottom stretching forward at first. The top rushed forward with a crunch of bone and cartilage. His fingers curled and stretched. His nails thickened and curved up and inwards. Tendon and muscle rippled along the back of his hands. His shoulder blades arched upwards beneath his skin. They rose and shifted, pushing outwards to take on a broader shape.

The clothes fell away to reveal a body covered in hair that seemed to writhe as if fully alive. The muscles bunched more violently around his face. His jaw grew to its full length. Red eyes grew bright and became burning embers, glowing vibrantly. His spine arched and shifted again. The popping noise accelerated as the bones lengthened violently once more.

But then time began to catch up with the Change.

His back lost the harshness of its arch, growing smoother. His nose grew black and his fingers shortened. The skin on his palms became calloused and began to shift and lump to form pads. The hair along his body grew shiny and glistened as it became longer, coating every inch of him. His shoulders set themselves. His chest expanded with a tightened breath. And his tail quivered as if it were that which had been disconnected from a lizard.

And then he landed.

The impact was enough to make him nearly collapse, the height and power thrown into the leap making his legs nearly fall beneath him. But they held him impossibly, folding for a split second before straightening again. And then he was facing the tigress.

Honda realized, startled, that the tigress had been staring at him the entire time. She was frozen several steps away. Her amber eyes were wide in shock. And her pelt was twitching and quivering. She was unnerved and terrified.

The black wolf took a moment to lower his head and shake his neck slowly. Every muscle shook and the fur quivered, rich as dark shadows at night. Each strand glistened beneath the light overhead. Then he stretched a back leg and the shake traveled through the entirety of his immense body. The tension along his form was shed like water. Then he stood there, eyeing the tigress with an expression that was less than friendly.

Throughout the Change, she had been watching with wild eyes. Her mouth had opened slightly. She was panting then. And the finest of trembles had come through her. Now her tail lashed in annoyance. And the shock seemed to fade from her system. She growled and flexed her claws on the concrete.

Yami raised his tail. His lips pulled back completely. His ears tipped forward. His eyes blazed. His fur bristled along his spine. His maw opened just enough to show the scissoring design of his sharp teeth. His paws moved just enough to brace for a swift leap. Each limb was tense with pain, but he could not show that.

The tigress lashed out at the air between them. The display was nothing more than a promise of threat. The wolf didn't blink. Instead he launched himself for her.

Honda watched them collide with a sense of horror bubbling within his stomach. Jonouchi watched with the eyes of someone who couldn't believe what they were seeing. Anzu gasped, eyes wide, wanting nothing more than to find the strength to look away.

The canine slammed into the big cat. His teeth went for her eye but missed at the last second. The large fangs cut through her muzzle instead. The bone cracked and splintered. The feline snarled and twisted to dislodge him. Then her paw slammed into his shoulder. Yami held tight, bending his spine to raise himself to his hind legs.

His balance reversed and shifted to hold him. Both of them tumbled forward, then sideways. The tigress flailed at dead air as she was tossed onto her flank.

Yugi whined loudly, trying to pull himself to his hands and knees. But his body weighed too much. Every muscle beneath his skin screamed in torture. His vision grew blurry at the bottom, almost as if he were about to cry. His lashes cast his eyesight in near blackness. And he stared blankly, his mind scrambling to give him answers and explain the scene in front of him, as his entire body twitched painfully.

They were becoming smears of paint. One looked like an ink blot. The other seemed like the brilliant shade of an autumn leaf. He thrashed. His vision swam and danced. His eyes were burning. His fingers flexed and twitched.

Yami backed up several steps. Fur had been snagged and pulled away. The skin was pale white, though near his neck it was speckled with black. Honda strained his eyes, wondering if it was hair he had not seen. But it seemed to be a discoloration of his flesh, almost like blackened freckles.

The shape-shifter threw herself onto her stomach. Her tail lashed and she got to her feet, snarling. Yami did not bother to approach her again. The two apex predators studied each other for a few moments longer.

Their stillness allowed Yugi the smallest sense of focus. Yami had blood along his cheeks, smeared across the black strands. His whiskers were dripping with it. And his teeth were speckled with grizzle.

The she-cat's entire muzzle was bleeding profusely. Some white bone glistened above and behind her nose. Puncture wounds were large and bleeding. And the splinters of bone poked upwards from the bleeding muscle. And her paws, when he was no longer able to look up, were littered with long black strands between each toe.

When he chomped his teeth, Jonouchi flinched. His head turned when he caught the noise of a gurgle. His eyes fell on Yugi and his stomach dropped. Yugi was laying there, twitching and frothing at the mouth. He groaned and the noise was watery. For a split second the blond thought to speak, though he did not know what to say, but fell silent as the two animals collided again.

The roar was great and hideous. The snarl to match made Anzu tremble. The wolf went for the cat's broader face. Yet the tigress took upon his strategy and rose onto her hindquarters. The position was aggressive and defensive all at once. But it did nothing for her.

Their height difference was mere inches when Yami mirrored her. They were locked there, braced on their hind legs. The tigress appeared more muscular as she tried to sink her teeth into his throat. But the physical prowess was hidden by long fur in the black wolf. And when he snapped his teeth, it showed in the ripple of fur along his throat.

The longer muzzle was his savior. The teeth opened wider. The bite force was more concentrated in a single attack. So the way the tigress screamed as his jaws closed on her skull did not surprise him. The cat snarled and lashed out, claws cutting through his fur. Yami tugged her hard. His force was thrown into his neck. His mouth closed tighter. His shoulders tossed forward. She stumbled and lost her balance for only a second. Her tail came straight up, locking her spine to keep her footing. The potential of his attack was utterly lost.

The thought was infuriating to him.

He snarled low in his throat. Then he lurched forwards, upward. His body straightened to a taller height. His neck bunched painfully as he tossed his head.

The crunch of bone made Yugi's head spin. Was it his own? He could not tell. His body was vibrating with the fit that had overcome it. His entirety was on fire. And should his bones be cracking, he would not be surprised. He could not see any longer. And noise was found focused in his skull rather than his ears. There was no measurement of movement or distance. Time was nothing more than a brief, vague idea far in the back confines of his mind.

The tigress let out a cry. Then she wheeled her front legs. The momentum caught Yami's shoulders. Then her paws slipped. When he snarled and huffed against her face, they slid down his chest. Had he possessed more height, longer limbs, and a similar flexibility to his opponent, Yami would have easily snapped her throat.

But her inches to loom over him, her more flexible spine, and her lengthier legs, all left him at a disadvantage. His more robust power was a burden rather than a strength in that moment. And so they were held in a stalemate.

Both animals were locked in place, frozen.

Anzu thought they looked oddly alike. Their tails were straight up. Their bodies were held in a statuesque manner. Their breathing was almost in unison, heavy and fast.

Yami reversed his grip. His incisors, formerly tearing into her face, tugged downwards. She reared upward in pain, falling forward. The maneuver was taxing, however.

Honda noticed it immediately. The power of the attack sent the wolf falling backwards and to the side. And the tigress fell with it. And only one thing kept her from completely gutting him before their eyes. Her back legs had collapsed beneath her. And when she flailed and kicked, the claws caught in his long fur.

His mouth was sore for a moment. Yami raised his hindquarters into the air and twisted his body. The movement righted him again. Her back paws were pressed into his throat. His forelegs were bent and folded almost beneath his chest. The struggle was to straighten them now. They strained, weak and weary, before popping. His paws flipped and he pressed his claws into the concrete for further purchase. Their position beneath her thicker, shorter throat was immense help to him. It was further gratified when he raised his head and pulled her with him.

Jonouchi thought he had seen something like that in a video. It had been a puma attacking an elk, but the purpose had been similar. Both predators placed immense pressure on the windpipe in order to close it. Then it would completely cut off air and blood flow…

But Yami did not care for that. He was merely biding time. He had to stun her, so as to get distance between them. And, if there were more room, she could have slipped away. If she thrashed and rolled and struggled, he would be forced to release. It would not be without pain on her behalf, but it would happen all the same.

But Yami had not given her room to move. His body was too tightly pressed against hers. And if she should squirm, it would most likely snap both their necks. Yami panted, cheeks puffing with his desperate exhales.

He took a moment to catch his breath. Then he pulled away. He released her, tucked his paws, and rolled a couple of feet away. Then he scrambled to his feet again. His sides were swelling and falling rapidly with each breath. He stared at her, shaking his body out. She had not drawn blood yet.

By some miracle his pelt had shielded him from her claws…

Yami struggled to brace himself properly. His lungs were burning. But he was not anywhere close to exhaustion yet. And, soon, he would find his adrenaline crashing through him. He pulled his lips back angrily. His incisors glistened.

The cat launched herself. He stiffened his muscles. The force of it would have knocked a grizzly off its feet. Yet his body held itself. He was pushed barely a centimeter back, claws clicking. Then he aimed his teeth and snapped. Claws tore at his shoulders and flanks, cutting wildly. But in no way did it subdue him.

He had missed the vein.

And that was the most fatal mistake he could make.

A harsh blow to the ribs made him yelp, releasing her and scrambling back a few steps. They weren't broken, as he would have known if they were, but the impact had not been artificial either. A sprain, perhaps? Or possibly a bruise?

He did not think it mattered. He was aware of the sting as he turned to face her again. That was all that mattered, he supposed, that he did not lose sight of that. He was far from an adrenaline rush, he knew.

He was still thinking coherently.

And his instincts were still flaring.

Part of him boasted of the need to shield his side from her. The other said to respect the larger predator and back away while he had the chance. But the largest part of him was analyzing. He had to aim for her throat. If he could put all of his strength into the attack, he would end this fight.

He could win.

But this was not the question he needed answered. Yami was well aware of his capability to win. He had not come into this fight with the idea that he couldn't. It required more concentration than he had mustered so far, however. And he had to remember her strengths against his. He had overlooked them so far. That was why they were at a stalemate for the moment.

But he knew fully well of his capabilities. He could bleed her like he would a boar. Or he could cut her jugular as he would a serow. Shape-shifters were not as powerful as one might have suspected. They traded strength for speed in battle and in their own changes, allowing them the ability to shift nearly instantly. All of their strength was focused in their speed, which gave them the ability to flay an enemy alive if they were weak enough. However, the bulk of the animal they became did weigh them down and put at odds their natural talent with their body.

Werewolves, on the other hand, had a—depending on if they were bitten or not—wolf body that was influenced by their human form. Because of this, the ability to change had to be learned over time and forced rather than almost immediately acquired. They dictated whether it was strength or speed that was their greatest attribute by their own free will. They chose to be faster and stronger. It was the gift for something that some considered a curse. It was the free will of the wolf and the human shell that they all grew to take form in.

A balance was easily found when one was used to the stress of it all. When they were used to the Change and utilized it often enough, began to know it well, they could begin to balance strength with speed as necessary.

Yami himself was built for raw power, however. His teeth were longer, his jaw a bit larger, his shoulders broader. He was built for battle, with a more compact shape than Yugi himself. The white wolf was the one built for speed between them, with longer legs and slimmer shoulders. He had the power of a Pure-Blood, of course, raw strength and stealth and a terrible bite. But if he were to go up against Yami, he would not have much chance of overpowering and dominating him.

The shifter was fast as a human. But the bulk of her animal shape cut into that swiftness when she shifted. She was too small and thin as a human to deal with the power of the form she had. She did not have power as a human and so she lacked it as an animal. And so her speed was sacrificed as well. She was not used to this shape by any means.

Yami flicked an ear slightly, lazy in motion. In a fight with a more experienced tiger shifted he would still win. His body possessed too much raw power and strength and endurance—as was the werewolf's gift—to be scared off or overturned by speed. And no shifter would ever be able to boast of endurance like the wolves. They tired easily and waiting it out would mean a few minutes of endurance rather than hours when they fought each other. Even the shifters whose forms were wolves were easily picked off if there was need to. They were fast but not durable. They could shift faster than the werewolf could change, but that seemed to be their only gift for the most part.

This shifter was too new to her form. She had no idea how to utilize it well. But a tiger was never something to consider an easy kill. Inexperienced or not, she was an opponent to be taken seriously in battle.

They had more animalistic instincts. Theirs were strong enough that if they were on the verge of death, they might save them at some point. Whereas the blindness of the adrenaline rush gave them more strength, triggered the healing and their instinct to kill, the shifters were able to maneuver to save themselves. They were not put into a blind rage or a burst of strength and speed. It did not matter how many times he pinned her, or how often he got close to her throat. If the animal itself knew of a way to escape, it would do so. And he would be left scrambling.

Yami bristled faintly. He'd been told it was like they possessed two brains in their mind. One of them was animal, one of them human. Their instincts were widely different. And their thoughts never quite matched.

He needed to get her away from Yugi and his friends. Yugi was his pack mate. Yami snarled and wagged his tail slowly, eyes glittering. Lycanthropes did not abandon pack mates in need. And, if these were truly Yugi's friends then that made them his responsibility as well.

If not for that thought, Yami would have paid no heed to the collateral damage in the meantime. His first concern was and would always remain the need to help Yugi. Beyond that, bystanders were not of his concern.

He backed up and snapped his teeth. The tigress stopped pawing at her bleeding muzzle. He bristled and snarled, bunching his shoulders.

If she had been more experienced he would have tried his chances.

But her inexperience now was just as dangerous to him for the moment. The animalistic half of their shapes was always stronger when they were less controlled. Yami had to play it safe before he could even truly think to attack.

He could wait for her to trigger his adrenaline. But he was often so accurate and vicious in fights that he did not need it. But now wasn't the time to attack without a strategy. His life was not the only one on the line. If he fell, Yugi would come after him. And he did not think they would spare the humans…

Yami snapped his jaws and began to back up.

He had speed. That was what he had against her. He had speed, experience, and the knowledge of what he knew he could and couldn't accomplish.

He charged her. There was only a foot of space between them. But his muscles propelled him. He slammed into her like a speeding car. His teeth jarred her skull. She spun with the bite, crashing to the floor. Yami spun back to face her, a couple of yards away, and snapped his teeth again.

Honda would never have seen it if he had blinked. The attack happened in the length of a heartbeat. The wolf was there in front of them one second. Then he was halfway across the warehouse the next. If he had not seen the tigress he would have thought the wolf had fled. But then she'd staggered and fallen.

And there was blood in an immense arc across the concrete.

Her face was mutilated. The entire right side of it was bleeding and torn in ribbons. He'd clipped her across the cheek. But the main damage was to her head. Her skull was bleeding drastically. The bone was exposed from the top of her eye to her ear. The slab of skin and muscle was hanging from a strand in front of her ear.

Jonouchi was gaping. That wasn't possible. He had seen the same thing as the brunet but it wasn't possible. The blood shed on the floor was too much. And the wolf wasn't…

He didn't even see him at first. It was not until he chomped his teeth again that the blond raised his eyes. Yards away, the canine was watching her. The tigress was on the ground, lying on her side. The impact had thrown her, after all. But how had he managed…?

"He barely moved," the blond whispered.

"I know…"

But he'd launched himself like a speeding car. Jonouchi couldn't stop thinking of bullets. How had he managed that speed? Wolves and dogs… They weren't meant to be that fast! Humans definitely weren't that fast…

He hadn't even seemed to move as a blur. It was more like he'd…vanished and reappeared…

She was slow in getting up.

The sound of bone and cartilage grinding together made Yami bristle. She was healing. Her body had not risen because the instinct to heal had come on. He listened to her body repairing itself. His eyes flickered to Aileen, then to Yugi.

Neither was paying him attention. Her focus was on the small teen.

And Yugi was too lost in his pain to notice anything.

Well, he supposed he should thank Lupa for that. He would not see the worst of the fight. Because he could see it in her eyes as she got up. Something powerful, almost ancient lingered there. It was unnatural and consuming. The animal brain had woken.

And it was not happy.

Yami bore his teeth, wagging his tail slowly. Let her come for him. He could lead her away better. The collateral damage would be minimized.

Yami chomped his teeth, then backed up. She was stalking closer, a slow and steady walk. It was clear that the tiger brain controlled her now. The human had been fearful. The tiger saw a potential meal.

It did nothing for camouflage. It did nothing for ambush. Had he not been as confident in his own abilities, he might have become unnerved.

Yugi panted and his eyes stretched wide. The pain caused his entire body to thrash again. But it hadn't triggered the Change as she had boasted. There was not a single urging of it. His instincts were stunted. He couldn't think straight to do it. And his senses were too shattered.

Most noise came in a monotonous roar. And his vision was all but scorched by darkness. He could see very limited range, from expanse to distance. It was like tunnel vision, except so close that it had to be inches. The only thing he could feel was the burning in his body. And it was simply growing, expanding. The taste in his mouth was blood. His thrashing had caused him to bite his tongue. And all he smelled was wolfsbane. She was so close to him…

Aileen was actually still crouched beside him, face thoughtful. The black wolf was holding his own against her pet and Yugi was not changing. How he was able to suppress his body's natural reaction was beyond her.

Any other wolves would have turned by now. They'd have puked and writhed and whined until their bodies began to grind with tension and stretch into their true shape. She narrowed her eyes, glancing at the other wolf.

She'd never seen a werewolf able to take a tiger shifter on with such ease. Her newest was unfamiliar with the task of killing but her instincts did her well. Usually she could break a wolf's neck with a swipe of her large paws. This one, however, was vicious and well-built, with a strength that even his body did not entirely boast.

Was there something in their genetic coding?

Were they one of the ones that had been experimented on?

It might account for it. The black wolf was far too powerful to be an average Half-Blood. But Yugi had seemed like a regular human. Fuwa had picked his life apart from school records, down to the very first. He had, according to them, never been experimented on.

But medical records he'd had to bribe and sneak around for had painted a rather strange picture. His nights were haunted by terrors, his healing was faster than average, and oftentimes his medication was so high that the doctors worried.

Notes on his charts said improvement was slow, if there was any at all.

She scowled. It would not be hard for his human parents to forge papers. It did not take many connections to do so. And people often just believed whatever was put on paper. It could be possible the reason Yugi did not change now was because of the experiments that had been run on him. It would explain how badly the wolfsbane and silver had affected him at the restaurant.

She looked up again. The tigress had begun to sprint. The wolf waited a moment, then turned tail. They tore across the factory. The wolf leaped the production table in the middle. He landed with grace and did not pause in the lead. The tiger did the same, then sprinted faster.

Her claws hooked on his back leg. The wolf spun and snapped teeth at her but missed. The tigress used her other paw to smack him in the head. The wolf snarled but the blow didn't completely faze him. The second hit sent him rolling, however.

The blow was to his shoulder.

The blood came in a harsh rivulet of red.

The wolf snarled and snapped as it hit the ground.

The tiger sprang on it.

Aileen smirked. It would be over in a few minutes then. She turned back to Yugi. "Your friend is about to be ripped to pieces," she snickered in his ear. Yugi gave no acknowledgment of her. "I would try to change if I were you."

Yugi couldn't fully understand her words.

Who was…?

His friend…?

Torn to…?

He blinked but could not see. The tunnel vision was gone altogether. It was almost as if his eyes had been sewn shut. He twitched but he couldn't feel much of anything anymore. How her words even filtered through his ears was beyond him. He couldn't hear past the roaring boom in them…

"I suppose you don't care much for him then."

Him?

Who was him?

Who was it that he didn't care much for?

He drew in a breath that caused his entire body to shudder.

Who…?

Her perfume made his head spin.

Yugi choked and expelled more bile. The twitching began to fade again. Was he even still alive at this point? He wasn't sure he could hear his heart. Or feel his blood anymore. His veins felt as if they had been burned away. He choked again.

He had to still be…

If he was…

But what…?

And then something snapped in his head. It was if a door were opening. It ricocheted through his thoughts. It burst forth painfully. It caused him to writhe again. Something crunched and snapped. And the door in his mind opened further. A million things rushed forth.

There was the sound of trickling water. There was an owl hooting. A rabbit moved in the snow. The branches stirred with a breeze. Teeth snapped. A snarl sounded. The earth twisted and tilted. A star burst. A rock glittered with light. Eyes like liquid sunlight burned. A shadow swept across an expanse of snow.

And then blood dribbled. The rabbit was torn to pieces. Blood flecked a wide mouth. The air was metallic. When he breathed the mist was bright white. The face smeared with blood was long and large. The lips were shiny black. And when his focus shifted, bright red eyes peered at him.

And his heart began to beat harder than ever. The blood in his body felt like acid. His throat burned. His ears roared. His mind scrambled. He struggled to keep his eyes on theirs.

And, oh gods, if it wasn't worth it.

The gaze was pure warmth, a fire he did not know how to approach.

Yet it was soothing and gorgeous and he loved the way it bore upon him so beautifully.

Yugi felt his spine elongate, arching and writhing. He bore his teeth. The red eyes glittered. He felt blood in his mouth again. It was burning. He felt his tongue blistering. His body jerked again. His stomach ached and burned. He gagged and spat bile forth. His head snapped up and his jaws opened wide. His neck strained with tension.

"There you are." Aileen got to her feet and looked up. The tigress and wolf seemed to have grown rather still. She had failed to notice the silence from the two apex predators until that moment. Now it made her stiffen. She had heard the death scream…

Were they too exhausted to move?

But wolves possessed amazing stamina. Unless she had mortally wounded him and he had not had time to scream, there was no true explanation. Then her pet would be catching her breath…

There was no sound from the two of them. She glanced at Yugi. The boy had changed into a pure white wolf. But blood leaked from his shoulder and paw and it looked black and sickly. His mouth was stained red and yellow, a combination of blood and bile. His eyes were glazed, staring off into the distance.

"Shit…is he dead?" Jonouchi whispered, but his eyes were on Yugi now. The wolf and tiger had gone beyond his line of vision a while back. Honda had remained watching them. But he had looked away when he thought he heard Yugi rasping. He was so still now, or perhaps his breathing was so slow it was impossible to see.

"Yugi…"

He certainly didn't respond to the call. His body didn't jerk. His eyes didn't clear.

If he was breathing it was not noticeable. Honda strained his eyes. Was he…?

But how was that even possible? What had she done to him?

"I suppose I'll have to kill you myself—"

Aileen froze when a scratching noise surfaced. Her eyes flickered towards the two animals and her face lit with laughter. So her pet was alive. The realization was beautiful to her. Yugi would get his long drawn out death and she would not have her own hands bloodied…

If there was nothing she hated more in the world, it was the idea of having her own hands bloodied.

The tigress was breathing heavily when she moved. The rumbling noise was almost like a panting snarl. Her back was arching faintly, her shoulders rising. And then she heard a crunching noise. Aileen faltered. Why would her pet make that kind of noise? That was not a usual sound…

The crunching became a hideous splintering. And then came a sound like shredding paper. And, before her eyes, horrified, the shoulders split. At first it seemed only to be a wound. Then something small and black breached it. And then something larger, dark as the night sky.

It withdrew for only a moment. When it came again, the sound of paper shredding returned.

And the wolf sprang from her shoulders. His fur was slicked with blood. And grizzle hung in ribbons along his muzzle and cheeks. He came forward slowly. Then he shook himself out. And the flesh on his fur flew away. Droplets of blood, still completely wet, sprayed the floor.

Yugi trembled and looked at him. Yami held his jaws in a manner that did nothing to truly shield what was in them. When he came closer, the white wolf knew what it was by smell.

But he displayed it to Aileen by sight.

The organ hit the ground in a wet, splattering noise. The bone dropped and sounded almost like a plastic chip from a checkers game board. The blood from the muscle came from the severed tubes.

And when it was lost, the entire form of it deflated.

"You… You destroyed…"

Yami snapped his teeth. His tail rose slowly. He stalked forward, easily stepping over the stolen prizes. His red eyes were full of hate that Yugi had never witnessed before. The white wolf let out a small whine.

But Yami didn't pause.

His ear flicked towards him instead.

His teeth chomped together again.

Aileen snarled under her breath. Then she reached into her back pocket. Yugi only heard the electricity. Yami saw a small red pinpoint of light in front of him. It was aimed at his forehead. The red-eyed wolf snapped at her, eyeing the machine.

It was not a gun.

He'd take his chances with it.

Yami launched himself. The device went off with a crackling. His rage improved even the force of his leap. The prongs landed in his chest. But his teeth were in her throat. She screamed as they hit the ground. Her hand flailed and it hit Yami in the neck. But the shock was numbed away by the hatred. There was not a single part of him which felt it.

Yugi moved to pick himself up. But the most he could do was crane his neck. And that was the only way he could properly hear it.

Her head had gone rolling.