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.

39. The Alpha

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Mild Blood, Mentions of Deaths/Murders, Mentions of Killings, Awkward One-Sided Sexual Tension, Pack Mentality, Sacrifice, Werewolf Night Vision, Hints of Cult Mentality

So, one of the things that needs to be clarified is this. Yugi doesn't actually KNOW where Yami bit him. It's not ever truly mentioned between the two of them. Yugi just kind of accepts that Yami bit him (even if he does wonder why beyond the whole "potential" comment). So he never really asks.

But in this chapter he says it was his wrist. And, just to clarify, it wasn't. It's a possibility that I'll bring it up in a later chapter, but it's not likely as it's not the most important detail to either of them. But that's why there was no mention of it hurting longer than it took his arm to heal or any residual phantom pains from it or any kind of thing like that.

Yami's explanation for his line of thinking when leaving Ushio at Yugi's door is an extremely real thing for werewolves. Despite the fact that he was starving at the time, he had bitten Yugi and so assumed the role of providing him with food before he did himself as he knew he was healthy enough to hunt on his own and Yugi had been half-dead. Which, this would have been a little before he would have started hunting that small dog, gotten hit by the car and had his skull all but crushed in from the impact, gotten up while Yugi was gaping at him, and wandered off again.

So the alpha's name comes up in a later chapter. I had originally planned for her to be three different people at one point (Kris first, Vivian second, then Rebecca) and then I realized I had plans for all three of them and I couldn't... So then I picked someone else from a later series and I'm not one hundred percent sure that it works with her character in canon but eh.

Okay, so aside from that, I might be stepping back on updates after this chapter (or the next). It might be a few days (I'll try to make sure it's no more than a week) before I get the next handful of chapters out. I need to get some more things set up in the writing, as well as get ahead with some more projects and a couple of things that I need to focus on in real life again.

Chapter XXXIX: The Alpha

Work Log Entry XXXIX: December, 2002

December 25

He still will not change but his human form has proven itself to be quite capable.

Yugi got up after a few long minutes of kicking his legs awkwardly and struggling to get back up. His legs ached and burned and his shoulders were pulled too tight beneath his skin. He was barely able to keep his focus on breathing as he slowly got to his feet. His legs trembled beneath him. His mouth tasted terrible. His eyes burned. He limped a step, nearly fell, and then choked on bile in his throat again. The white wolf staggered, looking towards the red-eyed lycanthrope before turning away again. His eyes fell on Anzu, who was trying to flip the switch on what looked to be a large metal cage.

He blinked.

When had it…?

He could have sworn…?

He glanced at Aileen and her head, where it lay feet away. Then he turned back. Had she not had Anzu captive on the walk overhead? He stiffened and felt sick. Had the cage fallen? Anzu looked somewhat shaky. She was even perspiring now…

Yugi crept forward. The sound of his claws against the concrete made his head ring. The wolf breathed in unsteadily. His mouth ached and drool slipped from his jaws. He shook finely, trembling. His movements slipped, staggering, but he didn't fall. The brunette faltered in her movements. She couldn't reach her fingers high enough to get the pin holding the door in place.

"Yugi…?"

Did he recognize her?

Did he know who she was?

Or was he planning to attack her?

She trembled. Then she backed up from the cage door and moved towards the center. Because of this she missed it when he tilted his head at the fear in her voice. The white wolf flattened his ears for a brief moment and moved closer. He was tired when he angled his head back to look at the lock.

It was too high to reach with his nose…

Yugi stepped closer. His movements were sluggish as he leaned back and put his paws against the metal. It took him a moment to angle himself comfortably. Then he slid a paw up and to the bolt switch. His claws touched the bottom, the black keratin jiggling it faintly. Then he inched closer. He felt like he was sliding backwards for a moment. His stomach was cold…

He jerked.

The bolt flew into the air and dropped a few inches away. Yugi fell back, panting and exhausted. His ears flickered. There were three heartbeats…

He panicked. Yami! he immediately cried, scrambling to get to him. He slipped, sliding across the floor. Then he hit the ground in a tumble. He groaned and whined. His stomach pulsed with pain. His heart hurt. His lungs were strained. His legs trembled and buckled beneath him. Then he snarled as he dragged himself back up again.

Yami…

He slipped and nearly collapsed again. Then he spun unevenly to face where the black wolf was. When he got to his side Yami was blinking lazily. He hadn't moved beyond that, it appeared. Yugi slipped and fell against him, his relief making it too hard to stand. Yami blinked, looking at him sideways, and then turned his head to press his nose into his cheek. He huffed loudly so that the fur blew aside in uneven strokes and then closed his eyes again.

Are you okay? he demanded shakily. Is it still shocking you? Fuck, if only I had my thumbs!Yami blinked, then turned his head. I'm fine. Just tired. Give me a minute and I'll get up and move around again. He opened his jaws into a loud yawn and closed his eyes again.

Yugi whined a little, tail wagging. Okay, good! I don't… He faltered, but he felt that Yami understood the sentiment all the same. He whined again. The other wolf slowly pulled himself to his feet after a long minute. When he was steady again, he shook himself out.

The white wolf covered his nose with his paws. Yami smelled like rotten meat. He supposed it had to have been the way he had killed the tigress. He shivered and flicked his ears as the other moved away from him.

Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes.

Yugi wished he could have leaped to his feet to follow. Instead he whined and raised his head as Yami began to leave him there. The white wolf sat up but his spine hurt and his mouth still ached. He still tasted bile, intense and acidic. Maybe when he got home he would drown himself in soda and get rid of the taste.

He couldn't bring himself to look towards his friends. He was exhausted and the other three seemed too stunned to do much more than stare. Their hearts were beating too quickly and they all seemed almost ill from scent alone.

Yugi moved his paws closer to each other and tried not to bristle in discomfort. The seconds were ticking by and Yami was still gone. What if he was going off into the woods like a family dog might? He would die under the trees or something…

He let out a high-pitched whine, begging the other to return. It burned how much he needed him there, how easily Yami seemed to refuse him for the moment. He drew in a deep breath, whining again, and his body quivered.

It took a few minutes for the other to come back. He was dressed again, skinny black jeans and a tank top beneath his usual teal jacket. He dropped a bag next to Yugi, muttering, "Go change back" and headed for the metal door that separated them from Jonouchi and Honda.

Yugi shivered and whined again before grabbing the bag in his jaws. Yami was watching him now, he realized. He glanced back, slightly unnerved but definitely grateful, and turned to hurry out the back door Yami had left open for him.

It took him twice as long to change and get dressed. And when he came in he was limping and looked exhausted again. He dropped the empty backpack aside and took a seat a few feet from the other wolf. "Everything hurts," he whined.

Yami scoffed. "Try having a tigress almost rip your stomach open. Then we'll talk," he grumbled before turning around to grab the chain which held the door in place. The first tug lifted it only halfway. The second sent it reeling up and into the slot with such speed that the building groaned.

Yugi frowned at him. "I'm sorry…"

The taller teen shot him a look that he could not entirely read. But he didn't speak again. Instead he slowly lowered himself to the floor. Yugi blinked and opened his mouth, then faltered.

There was heat radiating from the other wolf. It swept through the air like summer sunlight. And when he looked at him, Yami was shaking. The tremors were so fine that he almost could not see them. At first, in fact, he had completely missed them. Now, however, they stood out as if someone had shone a spotlight on his thin frame. Yugi could have sobbed for how ill he looked at the moment.

Yet, somehow, Yami still seemed to hold himself with grace. His head did not sag and his face was not shiny with sweat. He was breathing hard, but not panting in such an obvious way. His breaths were short, shallow, and it hardly seemed noticeable in all actuality. He looked like what Yugi had always thought a leader should even in the heat of a lost battle….

The thought made his heart pound but it did little to make him pause and reconsider his thoughts. Instead he drew in a deep breath, struggling to think of the words. He furrowed his brows, focusing on a spot of blood on the concrete and narrowing his eyes.

"The day that I stayed late after school to make up my exam," he began slowly, feeling the life drain from him at the very thought of the entire event. His eyes flickered towards Yami, wondering for a moment, if he truly thought he still possessed that same potential which had caused him to bite him.

Did he truly believe in that any longer?

Or had he finally come to realize just how little his beta truly was worth?

"Chono left me in the library. I went to see about if there were some textbooks I could look over the material in. When I did, I ran into Kokurano…" He blinked and shook his head. "He was having some kind of seizure. But he was…talking to me. I freaked out and ran. I didn't realize that Ushio was nearby—or that he was following me…"

Yami closed his eyes, tipping his head back. The metal was soothing against his burning scalp. But Yugi's words made his skin crawl. He supposed it was only right that they might hear the full truth. They were his best friends, after all.

Why should he truly hide anything from them?

His movement had caught Honda's attention. The brunet was staring at him, unable to look away, eyes wide and startled. The boy looked so sickly sitting there. He was breathing so evenly, but it was clearly strained. Honda frowned as he considered him. Was he going to be okay?

It took him a moment to realize. He was so consumed by the idea that the wolf might die right there that he did not immediately notice. He had been tempted to reach over or perhaps ask if he was okay. Taking down that tigress could not have been easy, after all.

But then he saw bright red.

And he had originally considered it to be a fleck of blood. Then his face flushed and his eyes grew wide. The wolf had opened his eyes into slits. And both were focused on him, boring into his.

He immediately looked away. Yami snorted.

The noise made Yugi pause. He looked over but the wolf simply shook his head with his eyes closed once more. The smaller teen hesitated a moment longer. Then he continued quietly.

"I managed to lose him in the woods at first." Now Yami opened his eyes and stared, expression a mixture of bewilderment and wonder. Yugi carefully ignored him. "Then he managed to corner me. He was choking me and I pretended to lose consciousness. But when he dropped me I ran. And he began to change…"

Jonouchi looked horrified. "Ushio was a werewolf too? Holy shit…" He glanced at Honda. "Imagine if he'd ever gotten creative and tried to bite us. We'd be dogs."

Yugi couldn't help but laugh. "Shut up. I'm giving you answers and you're making jokes," he grumbled, making the blond flash him a sheepish grin. "Anyways, when he changed, I was so shocked I couldn't move. I was terrified. And then I heard snarling. And I really freaked out because that meant there was probably a pack of them…"

Yami snorted loudly and then closed his eyes again. "A pack? For an ape with proper teeth," he sneered. "As if that would ever happen."

He smiled faintly. "I didn't realize until after they found the body that it was Tomoya. He tried to save me from Ushio but since he was so much bigger than Tomoya it didn't work out so well. I tried to run and Ushio attacked me again. I got knocked out from a head wound and blood loss. When I came to, both of them were gone but I had a bite mark on my wrist."

Yami blinked and now he was paying him far more attention again. He sat up slightly, watching Yugi closely even as the other boy glanced at him sideways. The taller teen furrowed his brows and the smaller boy flashed him a small smile.

His kindness seemed to burn his blood.

"I found out later that Tomoya had bitten me. I had a concussion for a little while and couldn't remember what had happened. But I remembered when Tomoya's picture was in the paper. Ushio must have torn his throat out because he'd protected me."

He bristled faintly but only Yugi noticed and the small teen did not bring attention to it. Jonouchi and Honda both glanced at him and the blond gestured to him with a thumb. Yami nearly snarled at his lack of discretion, but to do so would have meant far too much energy spent. He didn't have that.

"I ran into Yami the night I changed the first time." He fidgeted. "At the festival."

Anzu blinked wide eyes and glanced at Yami sideways. The lycanthrope was trembling again but when his eyes snapped to hers it was not pain she saw there. He looked tired and impatient. But mostly he looked distressed and unnerved. She turned away, cheeks dusted pink. His eyes were so sharp and piercing…

"Wait, so what about what happened to Ushio? Who did that?" Honda demanded, making sure not to look towards Yami. He didn't think the wolf would be thrilled with the way that action might have insinuated he had done something. Yugi looked at him with wide eyes. "I mean…? It wasn't Tomoya."

He drew in a deep breath. "I think it was probably his dad. You know how much he cared about him. I think he realized it was Ushio and attacked him."

"His dad?" Jonouchi asked incredulously, eyes growing twice their normal size. "But his dad was always so calm and nice. There's no way it was him."

Yugi shook his head. "Grief makes you do crazy things, I guess." He looked at Yami for a moment, the two of them staring at each other for that brief second. "I don't think Aileen would have had the motivation to do this if I hadn't…killed Fuwa."

Honda shook his head. "Yugi, there's no actual evidence that you did. They didn't find a body, let alone Fuwa's. They would have done testing to identify him. He got out. I don't know how, but…"

Yami looked over at him with sharp eyes. "There were a lot of people in that restaurant. It's very easy to point the finger at one person and have it be someone else entirely. I would not know who would have saved him, nor their reasoning, but I am not sure that he was alive or dead when they took him. It would be a scandal should someone see him dead or alive within an obvious arson."

This peaked the brunet's interest slightly, his hazel eyes widening and gleaming with something curious and bemused. "So you think it's possible that they simply took his dead body?"

"I think it is more likely than his survival. The amount of smoke I saw coming through the window—"

"You were there?" Jonouchi suddenly spat, turning on him. "And you didn't think to help?"

Yugi immediately moved to shield Yami from him, snapping, "I didn't want him there. He wasn't supposed to go there and he wasn't supposed to even come here. He came both times because he realized I was in trouble. He's not obligated to help anyways! After all, he isn't the one who bit me. He…actually kind of took pity on me because Tomoya was dead."

Yami blinked, then scrunched his nose up. Where the hell was Yugi going with that?

"He helped me through my first change. If he hadn't been there I'd be dead. Ushio nearly tore my throat out when he attacked me. The wound opened again and I was bleeding out." Yugi gestured slightly towards the other lycanthrope but his eyes had grown distressed and somewhat desperate. "And Yami was nearby. I don't really remember it all that well, but when I woke up again he was there so…"

Why was he lying to his best friends of all people?

With how distraught he had seemed before, why should he not be telling them everything from the very moment he had come to realize werewolves existed? He was so loyal to him; Yami didn't even think he was given half the loyalty that they were and Yugi had proven himself to be such on multiple occasions.

So why lie to them now?

Yugi had the opportunity to tell them everything and he was lying now?

That made no sense to him. Yami furrowed his brows as he watched him. And the way he had positioned himself was as if he thought they might turn on Yami at some point. But what would be the point of doing such and why should he do so now? He was given a chance to unload every single ounce of the lie he had begun to carry on his shoulders and not once did he consider it?

Yami continued watching him. Then he closed his eyes and shuffled to draw his legs towards himself. From there he tipped his weight and crouched forward. His fingers balanced on their very tips, his sneakers folded at the toes. Yugi glanced at him, startled, as he got to his feet and straightened his weight.

Neither of them acknowledged the question in his red eyes.

"So, in other words, you both are big slobbering dogs."

Yami wrinkled his nose. The blond was grinning at them both with bright eyes. He blinked and shifted his weight lazily. Yugi frowned even without taking his eyes off of his alpha. The tension was still clear in the factory and the air seemed entirely too weighted. But the attempt to joke around and forget some of the frustration was appreciated.

"I would not say I slobber," the red-eyed lycanthrope argued, rolling his shoulders and flexing his fingers. "I would be more inclined to drool and rub it on someone else."

Yugi snorted and rolled his eyes. "How nice."

"Well, I could poop on the carpet if you would rather."

Jonouchi sputtered out a startled laugh. Honda had his face covered, shaking his head with a snicker. Anzu was the only one watching Yami with a clearly unnerved expression any longer.

"Um, no thank you?"

"Then don't argue with my methods." He tugged on his jacket sleeve, checking his shoulder. The wound had healed but the pain was still there. Yami turned back to him when Yugi leaned a little closer to see as well. When he shifted his weight, the pressure on his left leg was only slight, the pinpricks easy and manageable.

It took him a moment to realize the other boy had spoken. He'd leaned closer again and was frowning thoughtfully, puzzled. Now Yami looked at him and blinked.

"Did you speak?"

Yugi frowned, then tilted his head. "I asked if you could walk."

"Oh. Well yes, I believe so." He shrugged. "I suppose we will find out when I either collapse or make it back."

Yugi gnawed on his bottom lip. "That's not funny," he grumbled, watching him with a somewhat flustered expression. Yami merely blinked at his discontent tone and looked away after a long moment. "But I'm serious. Do you think you can walk back with me or not?"

Yami huffed at him, baring his teeth for a single second. "Yes, I think I can walk back with you." Then he turned away again to pick at his nails.

Honda cringed when he saw how dark red they were. "Are your fingers bleeding? Under the nail beds…?" he asked with wide eyes.

Yami faltered, then inspected each of them closely for a moment. Bewildered and slightly alarmed, he even went about pressing on each of them to test for pain but nothing so much as stung. When he looked up, he seemed extremely confused. "No… Why do you ask?"

"The color," Yugi supplied quietly. He glanced at his own fingers but they had since grown a bit deeper in shade and seemed almost caught between the two colors. He wondered how much longer he would be able to say such a thing. "Our nails are a lot darker than theirs."

Yami blinked and looked them over again. "Oh." He didn't bother to look at their nails as well. But he did glance at Yugi's with a thoughtful expression. He nodded slightly, turning away. "Thank you for your concern."

Jonouchi scratched at his wrist, growing more and more uncomfortable as the seconds passed. He looked between the two teens and his stomach flipped. At first glance they had looked so much alike. Up close, there were such distinct differences that he was almost ashamed to have considered it before. Yami had a more feral quality about him that almost bordered ancient. And Yugi seemed softer, kinder, with that younger look to his face and his usual gentle demeanor.

But they shared between them an unnatural, seemingly eternal knowledge, a great secret, and that scared him more than if Yugi had become unidentifiable as a person.

He drew in a deep breath. "Thanks for looking out for him…" He said it in a somewhat tight voice, so uncomfortable that Yugi blinked in confusion at the strain in his words. Yami glanced at him with a somewhat uncomfortable expression. The two of them locked eyes, red against light brown, and the human looked quickly away again.

"I would do it again if I had need to." He looked away as well. Yugi glanced at him sideways and bit his lip. It was not as easygoing as saying a simple "of course". And, in fact, it almost sounded threatening at its core.

It was almost as if he were giving Jonouchi and the others a very clear line, a warning that should they step over such a barrier he would rip them to shreds. But the thought made no sense to Yugi.

Why would his friends be a threat?

"So, um… This has been a thing since the festival?" Honda murmured and Anzu felt her cheeks pink faintly. It almost sounded as if he were hinting at them being a couple rather than Yugi being infected with lycanthropy and someone helping him deal with the complications of it.

Yugi frowned faintly. "Yeah, the night of the festival was the full moon," he mumbled, looking awkwardly towards the floor. "I started to change so I ran off to the woods. And I ended up reopening each of the wounds and started bleeding out. I… Yami found me there and helped me nurse my wounds so I guess it all worked out…"

Yami shot him a sidelong glance. His eyes were darker, with an edge that made it clear he was not the least bit happy. The smaller teen glanced towards him in response and then turned away again.

"Wait, so, this is going to happen every full moon for you guys?" Jonouchi asked skeptically, looking his best friend over and resisting the urge to scratch harder at his wrist. "Isn't that…kind of bad?"

Yami turned to him. "In the case of hunters, yes. If we can see clearer because of the full moon, so can they. But it's also better for us because it makes it easier for our bodies to grow more accustomed to the Change and how physically taxing it is." He narrowed his gaze into mere slits. "The most obvious obstacle would most definitely be the hunters."

The blond frowned at him. "Can't you change like…in a basement or something? Somewhere hunters wouldn't find you?"

"I don't know that that would work," Yugi answered with a puzzled frown, tilting his head as he considered the question more fully. That might have been a little safer, but a part of him seemed to recoil hideously at this very thought. "I think that would make us more inclined to lash out than anything else. It'd be hard for us to keep a level head…"

"Would it?" Honda muttered, glancing at Yami for an answer now. "I mean, I can see an enclosed space not doing well for a wild animal. But you guys obviously have your human brain so wouldn't you understand what's going on?"

Yami bristled faintly and tried is hardest to shrug it off. They're just curious, he hurried to reconcile mentally, a vain attempt to calm his growing temper. They do not mean to try to do me or Yugi any harm…

"I cannot be sure. And I do not care to test it out. We might turn out to be perfectly okay or we may turn around and try harder than ever to make an escape. It is not something I am inclined to test out by any means."

"But for safety…"

He bristled again, this time unable to suppress the urge to snarl. "The woods are safe. For a wolf, the forest is the safest place to exist," he breathed out, struggling not to snap his teeth. His distress made Yugi turn his head with wide eyes. Was he shaking? Everything seemed to be shivering around him. "And, should we need to go into confinement, I am sure a natural outcropping or cavern along a mountain face would be much better than a human home."

"Yami."

His head snapped towards him. His lips curled faintly in challenge, eyes bright with ferocity. Yugi frowned at him, gnawing on his bottom lip. The two of them studied each other. The red-eyed wolf bore his teeth and exhaled in a gust, as if he were seconds from snarling. The sight rattled Yugi's resolve only slightly.

"You need to calm down." He tried to make his voice soothing but the anger radiating from the other male seemed to cow his gentler side. Naturally anger rose to match his, their eyes remaining locked for far too long. He shook his head and expelled some of his frustration with the movement. "They're just curious about it."

Yami snarled low in his throat, then snapped his head away to glare at the door over Anzu's shoulder. The brunette shivered and the movement made his eyes slide over to hers. Her breathing quickened and her heart began to race. Yugi heard it, interest peaking, and he looked between them slowly. Yami was so stiff that it almost seemed a movement might break his limbs.

If he leaped at her, the smaller teen didn't know what he was meant to do.

Then the moment passed. Yami turned away first, huffing loudly through his nose. He reached up, running a hand over his face as if to scrub away his frustration. He scratched gently along his pulse point for only a moment, then folded his arms. The gesture at first appeared aggressive, and then Yugi noticed the positioning. It was slight and he would have missed it at any other time. But his attention was so ensnared on the taller teen that it caught and held his focus with intense definition.

His fingers were spread to encompass some of the bones of his ribcage and his knuckles were clenched so tightly that they had turned white under the strain. He pulled at the outside of his jacket, tugging it more firmly against his lean frame. And then Yugi noticed his head was both turned and cocked slightly to the side. The way his chin was tucked into his collarbone was forceful but it also served to further highlight the difference between his anger and mounting distress.

Yugi swallowed hard and bit his lip. Maybe if he got between them further…

He doubted it would do much but stress Yami out more. He drew in a deep breath, then looked at his friends again. He moved his hands to his back for a moment, then pressed his fingers into his skin. "I think being locked up in a room would drive a werewolf mad," he announced, making them turn to him again. In the corner of his eye Yami remained perfectly still. A dripping sound began behind him, soft and easy at first.

Now that made the red-eyed wolf raise his head. He tilted it again, listening, and then loosened his grip on his ribs as he turned towards the source of it. Yugi shot him a glance that the other faltered upon seeing. They looked at each other, long and slow. His fingers pushed harder and the dripping escalated.

As did Yami's shock.

Then came the impatience and mounting anger.

His eyes glinted like gemstones and his lip curled. "Stop it," he growled, shaking his head furiously.

Yugi pressed just a bit harder and swallowed a cry of pain. Now the dripping was almost steady. He was dizzy from the noise but he didn't bother to stop for a moment longer. Then he pulled his other hand away and Yami bristled at him in outrage.

"Why would you do that?" he spat, baring his teeth. His voice was a low, hideous snarl. The edges were so guttural that Honda could barely tell he was talking in the first place. "That was stupid. I did not take you for such an impulsive idiot."

"What? I didn't do anything!" Yugi argued, though he almost laughed out loud when Yami huffed and snarled a little lower. Instead he moved his hand as if he had forgotten the wound, gesturing lazily. "I have no idea what you're even talking about!"

"Probably that your hand looks like it had a run in with a chainsaw," Honda sputtered, gaping at it. The expanse of it seemed to have opened further and every contour of his skin was soaked bright red. He gaped, eyes wide, and grew pale when Yugi seemed almost dismissive of it. "You should, uh…get that looked at…"

"I'll stitch it when I get home." The dizziness was more abundant now. But Yami's distress was gone and replaced by immense worry now. They studied each other for a moment. Yugi wanted to smile at him but his body felt too heavy. He needed to lie down. The adrenaline of his friends meeting Yami and the idea that he might die from the fever that had come over him had begun to fade. Wounding himself had not done him good, however. "It probably looks worse than it is."

Yami twitched and shifted his weight. His right leg burned when he applied too much pressure. He considered the smaller wolf, frowning. His actions made no sense to him, unless he had truly been so concerned for his mounting anxiety that he had acted on it.

But then, why should he go to such drastic measures?

Surely his friends would have listened to him if he said he wanted to leave, right?

"I don't think so."

Yugi looked at him. "No?"

"Definitely not…"

The small blue-violet-eyed teen frowned and looked his hand over for a long moment. Then he shook his head slightly and considered the other wolf. "No, I don't think so either. You're probably right. I need to…" He flexed his fingers and the nerves danced with numbing fire. "Yeah I really think I need to get this stitched before I do anything with it again…"

Honda glanced at both of them and cursed under his breath. His school uniform was going to be wrecked. Maybe it was the perfect excuse to order a new one…

He began to pull at the bottom of the jacket, the threads splitting fiercely where they were already frayed about an inch up from his hips. Yami startled, eyes growing wide with shock and Yugi opened and closed his mouth in surprise.

The brunet took the smaller teen's wrist and wrapped the cloth around the gaping wound to begin stifling the blood flow. "You need to keep your hand held higher than your heart. It'll slow the bleeding down," he reminded him quietly, securely knotting it and folding Yugi's fingers experimentally. When he saw they were still fully functional, he let go.

Yami studied the two of them in surprise for a moment. His teeth dug into his cheek. Why hadn't he known that before?

"Why?"

Honda blinked and looked over, as did Jonouchi and Anzu. Yugi, however, smiled faintly, turning to him, and murmured, "It reduces blood flow. When it's a closed wound it helps reduce swelling. When it's an open wound like this it helps stop blood flow so that blood loss is significantly less."

The other wolf frowned, studying him, and then nodded and turned away. He supposed that was a good thing to know. It would help him to make sure he didn't lose a hand, he was sure. That would be bad for a werewolf. His life wasn't rainbows and butterflies.

He'd need all four feet and his balance to get about.

"I think we should get home."

Yami turned back with a somewhat startled but mostly self-conscious expression. He eyed him for a moment, studying the way he kept his hand up, fingers splayed slightly. Then he glanced at the others who were now watching him as discreetly as they could from their peripherals. He bristled faintly but swallowed away his growing alarm. They were paying rapt attention now, as was Yugi as he studied him intently.

"Yes… That would be good…"

The smaller teen smiled at him and he swore the curve of his lips made his stomach toss faintly. He swallowed thickly, though his instincts were telling him to pull the fabric away and clean the wound again with his tongue.

But to do so in front of Yugi's human friends seemed entirely too stupid and foolish for him to overlook.

---

When Yami made it up the drain pipe Yugi was beyond ecstatic. He had not had to help him from the ground up as he had before. Not that he wouldn't have done it in a heartbeat—he would have—but it was so nice to see that he was able to move about and climb without such dire need of assistance. The fact that he did not limp as profusely or require additional help to get back into the house was amazing after the last time he had seen the effects of electricity in him.

Yami did, however, pant and shake himself out as he moved to step over the ledge. His sneakers were coated in ice and his hair was white with snowflakes. When he got to the edge of the window, he backed up into the wall beside it, then slid down the surface of the smooth plaster.

Yugi wondered if he had looked nearly as nice with snow in his hair as the other wolf managed to. He didn't seem cold or uncomfortable. Or the slightest bit flustered by it. He simply lowered his chin to his collarbone and closed his eyes. There he sat, breathing in heavily, while the white began to fade first to gray and then to the sleek shine of raven hair. His shoulders didn't hunch together. His fingers didn't look red. His face was not tight with a look of discomfort. He hardly seemed upset by any stretch of the imagination.

"You lied to them."

He would have flushed if the tone had been accusatory. As it was, he simply sounded as if he were telling him the sky was blue. Yugi shifted his weight, then moved closer to him. When Yami did not raise his head nor bother to speak again, the small teen hesitated. Then he moved to crouch in front of him. Yami's legs were splayed outwards, his right bent so that his knee looked knotted. Yugi moved his one knee to press into the carpet in front of him, in between the other's legs.

"They don't need to know all of the details."

This time his eyes flickered open partially. He raised them, peering through his long spidery lashes. If he was surprised or concerned about the proximity, he did not show it in any measure.

"Why not?"

Yugi smiled faintly, moving to rest his uninjured hand on the carpet. "Because, I don't want them to know it. And you aren't comfortable with it." He studied him for a moment, but the other wolf did not argue as he had assumed he might. He merely watched him, red eyes slit by black and darkened by long shadows. "They don't have to know everything."

Yami tipped his head up now and it was clear the movement took a lot of effort on his behalf. It was abruptly apparent to Yugi that he had not fully recovered from whatever fever he'd had after the Change when he'd become human again.

"They're your best friends."

Yugi shook his head. "I don't tell them everything. They don't tell me everything. There is not a single person in the world who tells someone else everything in their lives." He paused, watching him, and then smiled a little more. "Why should they have to know at your expense?"

He blinked. "I would not have minded."

The smaller teen curled his fingers against the carpet fibers. "No? So you didn't get extremely nervous back there and snarl at Jonouchi? Or glare at me? Or wrap your arms around yourself and tuck your chin like you were trying to fold in on yourself?" he asked gently, shaking his head again and offering him a kind look. "Yami, I noticed."

Yami stared at him, then narrowed his eyes. "Yes, and then you opened your wound."

Yugi shrugged. "Yes. I took their focus off of you." And paid for it with dizziness and head rushes, he added silently. "But the point is, why should I give them anything that comes at your expense, Yami?"

"Because they're your friends."

"You're my friend."

"You've known them longer."

"I've known you long enough."

"They fear for you."

"Are you going to tell me that you don't?"

Yami fell silent for a long moment. Then he shook his head slowly. "They didn't risk your life or infect you with some kind of disease."

Yugi didn't blink. "They also haven't saved my life almost six times already and they couldn't have saved me if they had come across the attack from Ushio. They would be long dead now like Tomoya is."

He curled his lips. "They don't kill people."

"They haven't been forced to."

The taller boy fell completely silent now. His breathing came with a soft whistle of a rasp a few moments later. His eyes burned into his, then closed tightly, and he tipped his head back. Yugi felt a small, somehow lingering and intense moment of longing for a split second. He gripped at the carpet fibers harder. His mouth was growing hot and drool threatened to leave his lips for a moment. He wanted—and he was amazed that he was not embarrassed and horrified—to lean forward and kiss along his neck. He wanted Yami to moan and writhe and his pulse to jump beneath his lips and tongue as he dragged it along the column and dipped it between his clavicles.

His breathing grew slightly erratic. His heart was racing. His pulse pounded in his ears. It would be so easy to just—

Yami seemed to respond to his new focus. His eyes opened and his head jerked forward. The movement was defensive. His eyes were troubled. The smaller teen blinked and looked away quickly. Maybe if he remained focused on the wall, the other wolf would not notice the lust that darkened his eyes.

But he could smell it. If Yugi could smell it—a coppery, pulsating wave of heat and pheromones—then surely Yami could too. The thought made his throat heat with a blush and he tucked his own chin against his neck, horrified. But he couldn't move and Yami made no effort to force him.

The moment passed. The seconds came long and slow, rushing by with a ticking sound. Then the tension left him. And Yami blinked in a lazy fashion. They considered each other, one from the peripheral, the other with a steady blankness, their stare steady and headlong.

"You do not plan to tell them I killed Tomoya."

Yugi blinked and turned his head. He considered him, the way his eyes seemed uniform in shade. Then he frowned and gnawed the inside of his cheek as he studied him.

"No," he admitted, swallowing hard. "I have no intentions whatsoever of telling them anything about that."

"Will they respond badly?"

Yugi frowned. "He was a friend," he supplied in a slightly clipped tone. "But it's not how they might respond to it. It's more about how much I don't think I want them to know."

Now Yami furrowed his brows and studied him with a strange, thoughtful expression. "Why wouldn't you want them to know?" he finally inquired. His eyes flickered about, dancing where they probed at his. "I would think you would be doing them a service in telling them that I'm more dangerous than they seemed to think."

"They know you're dangerous," Yugi replied evenly, shaking his head. "They saw you kill the tigress. And they saw you slaughter Aileen. Her head rolled, after all. The point is, though, that I don't want them to know that you bit me."

"Is that something to be ashamed of?"

Yugi immediately shook his head. "Of course not. But what happens if they get caught as a way to find me? Then they end up saying that someone bit me and you're their next prime kill."

"I don't need you to protect me."

"I would have said the same thing a month ago. Now I'm here. And at this point, I'm so glad you're here right now to do just that. You have no idea how grateful I am." He paused, chewing his cheek, and his face heated at the astonished expression marring Yami's face. "You've saved my life and you're still here when you could have left a long time ago. It means a lot to me that you haven't. I mean… There have been ample opportunities for you to sneak off and never come back and you haven't taken them."

Yami blinked at him. Then his own eyes grew thrice their regular size and a small blush dusted beneath them. The smell of the blood rushing to the surface made Yugi stiffen slightly, head spinning for a brief moment. Then he swallowed away the tension in his throat and forced his spine to relax again. But his lungs were aching and his mouth was salivating again.

He swallowed it away forcefully, drawing in a deep breath. Maybe he should move. But it was hard to. He didn't actually want to. And Yami was not making any true objections to his close proximity…

"Not to mention that you helped me through the Change multiple times now. And you've gotten me past the first two months as a new werewolf. Isn't that the minimum of the alpha's job when they bite someone?"

He shifted his weight. The spell from his blush was lost. And the desire Yugi had felt before dissipated as simply as if it had never existed to begin with. They eyed each other. Then the smaller teen inched back and Yami moved to fold his other leg and cross them in front of him. In the teal jacket, the position made him seem oddly childish, as if he were a young boy playing with clothing a size too big and listening to someone teaching him a new hobby.

He had that same passionate intensity in his eyes now. It made Yugi's heart skip beats and prance about within his chest. He swallowed hard. Then he moved to sit back on his legs and sigh softly.

"But I do have to ask you something. Because it never made sense to me and I've been wondering for a while…"

Yami blinked at him but didn't speak.

"Why did you leave Ushio's body on my doorstep that night?" He watched him blink again but there was no tension or stiffness to be found in his limbs. Nor did he appear to be mildly upset by the conversation in any manner. "I never understood that…"

The taller wolf closed his eyes, exhausted as he muttered, "I was nearby when I killed him. And it occurred to me that you probably did not know how to heal yourself properly. I was not thinking at the time because I myself was starving but I was also very healthy. I left him at your doorstep in case you were hungry."

Yugi would have recoiled a week ago. Now he simply cringed. "Gross," he muttered, shaking his head slowly. "That's disgusting, Yami."

"Ushio would have been a good meal. He was meaty and muscular and had a layer of fat to him. It would have healed you." Yami had a faraway note to his voice. "Some werewolves will eat each other when they're starving enough or prey is too scarce. Or when they need to heal. It's especially beneficial when the forms are the same when they do it."

"Are you being serious right now?"

Yami quirked his lips and opened his eyes, smirking at him playfully. "Why should I not be serious?" he asked.

Yugi relaxed visibly. "Your eyes give you away."

"Damn." He chuckled. "No, I have never heard of werewolves truly killing each other for meal unless a long famine had driven them to it. But they would most likely die before they got the chance regardless. Starving wolves are far from the most stable."

He smiled, nodding. "So…you left him there for me to eat?" His smile fell away just as quickly as it had come. His voice was painfully disgusted. "I wasn't expecting to hear that…"

Yami looked away towards the carpet now with a simple shrug. "I told you I was starving. I was not in the best state of mind."

Yet he'd still managed to subdue his own hunger and drag the corpse to Yugi's door. He frowned and bit his lip. "You scratched at the door until you heard me moving around," he said slowly.

Yami nodded. "I wanted to make sure you were still alive. I just did not stay after I heard you approaching the door."

Yugi nodded and bit harder until blood began to come across his tongue in tiny waves. "How did you manage to do that to him? They said that his skull was…and the angle…"

"I came at him from the side. I was still mad about what he'd done, that I'd killed the wrong person. I was tired and hungry. And I spotted him, remembered his scent, and followed him until he was paranoid. Then I charged him. It does not take much effort for a wolf to leap high enough. It did help that he had his head angled down before I attacked. He didn't realize what was happening. He had just heard me snarl and I moved too fast for him. Then I had his head in my mouth."

"And you crushed it…"

"My jaws are a lot stronger than the average dog's."

Yugi nodded. "Do you know how strong?" he asked slowly, biting his lip and studying him. "I mean, do you know if it's stronger in us than…?"

"At the lab, the wolf in my cage with me said that Atem had measured so high that it almost broke the scale. They said something about the pterygoideus muscles putting immense force behind the bite. Atem was in a more feral state and they said it was unlikely he could truly utilize that force unless in a similar situation. But they also said the standard bite produced weeks before was three thousand or more."

Yugi stiffened. That made his jaw pressure around the same as a saltwater crocodile. Which meant that maybe it was not so farfetched to assume that the other wolves had similar bites…

"Is that from being a Pure-Blood?"

Yami shrugged and picked at his nails. "I would not assume it to come from anything else." He ran a nail over his canine, cleaning the blood from beneath it. "Although, I am sure that they might have been capable of similar things using the average werewolf with some of their more…dangerous experiments."

"Your cell mate… Did he have similar jaws?"

"He was a regular Half-Blood, so I would think not."

Yugi nodded slightly. "Okay." He paused, getting to his feet, and bit at his nails uncomfortably for a long moment. "My friends don't need to know that you bit me. They can believe that it was Tomoya during the fight against Ushio. It's as simple as that."

Yami looked at him, his eyes seemingly seeing through him, and then nodded. The relief was clear in his gaze, as was his distress at such a statement. But it was obvious that he did not truly agree, nor understand why he should want to hide that from them. He scratched the inside of his right wrist and studied the smaller teen for a few minutes longer.

---

Yami wondered if anyone ever actually noticed that he and Yugi would disappear into the woods and come back hours later and sneak in through the drain pipe. It was not like he was out of their sight completely. There were still people nearby who might see them. The idea was not one that pleased him. Had anyone noticed them climbing in through the window or the way that they disappeared for hours? He thought it a little too convenient if they hadn't. That would be entirely too unnatural for human neighbors not to be nosy enough to see and notice and wonder. It was bewildering to him that they would not consider.

He shook his head slowly. Maybe he was over thinking it. After all, he had not once seen his neighbors anywhere nearby. He never saw a car or anything of that nature at that house. He had certainly never witnessed anyone peeking out the blinds or anything. And he was sure Yugi would have noticed their presence had they been nearby.

He would have told him if they had seen them…

He blinked and exhaled softly, turning his head to look back over his shoulder. "What are you doing here, Mai?" he asked softly, raising a brow slowly and studying the well-muscled but slim violet-eyed she-wolf. He could see her easily being one of the most athletic women alive by human standards. "Shouldn't you be having a romp with Otogi as per usual?"

The she-wolf wagged her tail, taking his dry inquiry for humor. He smirked faintly. She was so easy to get along with.

It was almost a shame that he had not met her before now.

The alpha has requested that both you and Atem are present for a meeting later in the day, she announced with another slow wag of her tail. She tilted her head, watching him. She means to make an important announcement not to be missed by any of the pack.

The casual use of the word made him bristle. But the reality of it was that as long as he was Yugi's beta among them, he was a part of Yugi's pack and that meant the smaller wolf's union in theirs made him a part of it as well. He wrinkled his nose and sniffed disdainfully.

"I will alert Yugi to that," he dismissed, turning away again. Then he looked back at her and studied for a moment. How odd it was that she did not shy away from eye contact with him. "Was there something else?"

Mai considered him, flicking an ear. This time her voice broke and splintered away and so she projected a picture to him. It was of him and Yugi, the two of them in the woods. Yami was at his side like a shadow and Yugi was in stride with him. Their long legs moved in unison and they both looked incredibly relaxed.

He blinked. "What about it?"

This time the image projected was not of peaceful content. Blood splattered across snow and concrete for the background changed rapidly, and large teeth against a black muzzle had bitten through pale creamy skin.

He bristled now. "I didn't bite him."

She tilted her head. Then she wagged her tail slowly from side to side. A light burned in her eyes, one of soft laughter and reassurance. But through his mind came a light and soft wintry scent which tugged and pulled at his insides. The power burned beneath his veins and the image that appeared in the forefront of his mind was that of a red flame surrounding both himself and Yugi as humans. And there was a thick thread which corded them together, one which wavered only faintly on Yugi's side. But it was the undercurrent of scent which came from her memory that made him stiffen. He had hoped that the edge would have been taken off, that it was unidentifiable whom had bitten the other.

He bore his teeth. "I didn't bite him," he repeated. But he didn't sound as firm as he had before and now he almost desired nothing more than to curse.

Her tail wagged slowly again. That little glint in her eyes shone the slightest bit more. His stomach tossed, but not with nerves. He could feel the anger rising, the coming urge to snap his teeth and spring upon her. He thought to throw her to the ground, to bite through her jugular…

She flicked an ear and now her eyes lowered. But the image still came to him. It was that of Otogi at her side, from that day they'd met and he'd led Yugi home, and her voice was in his ears as it said, "We can't tell the pack. I think we need to watch them, maybe make sure nothing happens to them. But we can't tell the others. Mother will lose her mind if she hears of a potential wolf, let alone two. And you know the uproar that will be caused from it."

Then Otogi's voice came into his ears. "As far as the pack is concerned, neither Yami nor Yugi exist. And we'll keep it that way until something changes."

Yami stiffened again. "How did you even…? How long have you…?" he asked slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Why wouldn't you…?"

She looked up at him through long blonde lashes. The resulting image was that of what he could only assume was the night he turned and attacked the alpha in a bid to escape. The pack was hovering, the alpha was bleeding from a wound to the neck and along her shoulder and chest. Her right leg was slick and shiny. The pack seemed incredibly small in stature, their eyes darkened and their faces drawn. They looked like ghosts in comparison to the powerful spirits they had possessed when he had thought to plan an escape.

He nodded minutely.

She'd wanted to protect her family from more pain. Yami picked at his nails and ran his tongue over the top of his teeth. That was understandable. He would surely do the same should he have had any…

"Make sure that not a word of this is ever spoken within that pack," he said softly, his voice somewhat stiff with the idea of such an admission. She stared at him now, a sense of wonder and curiosity within her eyes. And he knew she had sensed it, the desire to hide such a secret at any cost. "Why did you come here? That message was not all."

The wolf flicked an ear. Then she offered him a simple tail wag that barely made it both ways. The image was that of Yugi looking up. His blue-violet eyes sparkled and his lips tugged into the faintest of smiles. His face lit up despite the light movement of his mouth and his head tilted slightly. The object of his attention was not in this picture and he stared at her, bewildered.

Did she see it too?

He swallowed hard.

Did she see the same thing in him that had caused him to turn back and bite him?

He searched her eyes. "You're protecting Yugi?"

Her ears flattened faintly and she curled her lip. It was not the slightest bit aggressive by any manners. It was simply distasteful and—if he were truthful with himself—it seemed almost oddly displeased and disappointed. Mai's eyes burned into his again, fierce and annoyed. She looked as if she wanted to bite him for his idiocy. But what exactly he had done wrong was another question altogether.

Yami tilted his head. Then he considered her a moment longer. "I appreciate it," he said slowly, as if it might appease her somewhat. Her eyes widened, ears pricking again, but her expression was still somewhat frustrated. The surprise did not wipe all of it away.

She seemed as if she might show him something else. And he thought it vital, terribly so, but then a noise stopped them. Yami moved to shield her from the view of the street, an instinctive maneuver to protect the weaker of the two. She flattened herself to the ground, statuesque in her stillness.

Then Yami picked up on the noise. It was soft, steady, and there was a low whistling to accompany it. But it was the solid, firm, loud and somewhat quick rhythm that made him relax. He didn't glance back at her, instead heading for the edge of the trees.

Mai watched him, interest peaked. Yami cast a single cautious glance towards the house a little further down the street. The tension made his shoulders rise slightly. But it failed to remain long. There were no movements and no sound from within it. She saw him pick his way casually and with slight trepidation towards the figure coming from further down the street. At first the angle made it impossible to see the newcomer. Then she blinked and her tail wagged happily at the sight.

Yugi, however, had an entirely different reaction. He was so busy staring at the ground that he nearly did not hear him.

The noise of footsteps startled him. He jumped visibly. His head snapped up. His shoulders rose. His eyes grew thrice their usual size. His breathing quickened. For a moment all he could think of was Fuwa.

If he was alive, how had he found him so soon?

Was he there to finish the job?

Then the figure stopped. Their head tilted and their eyes flickered across his. Yugi blinked in confusion. Then he raised his head a little more. The tension left his body.

And his face lit up.

The smile was brilliant and warm. His eyes were luminescent with affection and surprise. "Hey, Yami," he mumbled, shaking his head in slight bewilderment. But his smile didn't falter and his eyes remained warm and beautiful. "What's up?"

Now that he was only a few feet away from him, it occurred to Yami that he was not sure what he had wanted to say. His thought process had only gone as far as desiring to see him. That alone had made his legs move. Now, however, he faltered and wondered. He chewed his cheek and scratched at the inside of his wrist, unsure of what to say.

Yugi blinked at him and his smile began to fall somewhat. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" he asked before he could stop himself. "Did you go hunting? Are you hurt—?"

Yami chuckled. "I'm fine, Yugi."

He smiled again, eyes brightened with relief. "Good." Then he blinked again and furrowed his brows. "So then… What are you doing out here?"

The taller teen opened and closed his mouth and struggled for an answer for a few moments. Then he smiled faintly, the edges of it tight with his admission. "I wanted to see you," he muttered. His skin tingled slightly.

The smaller teen blinked, surprised, and the reddening of his cheeks was soft and startled. He smiled a little more—or maybe it softened further somehow. The two wolves looked at each other a few moments longer, until Yami glanced over his shoulder and along the street.

"Are your neighbors not home often?"

The question startled him so much that Yugi almost assumed he was hearing things. Then he saw where his eyes were focused and sighed quietly. "No, they're home. They work at home. They're a couple of famous freelance writers. They rarely pop out of the house though, unless they're about to go somewhere for their next articles…"

"Why do you sound so upset about it?"

He shook his head. "I'm not. I just… It's… They were home last weekend. I didn't realize it. My mom has the idea that I've been going into the woods a lot more often than usual." He bit his lip. "She's worried about what might happen because of all of the things going on and the murders."

Yami frowned. "I'll hold off from—"

Yugi immediately shook his head, eyes sharpening. "No. No, I'm not going to let you do that. That's not fair to you. I told her I wouldn't go out into the woods anymore. But that doesn't mean anything for you. You can come and go as you'd like." He paused, studying his face. "I'm not going to try to make you stay around like that. All we're going to have to do is be a little more vigilant I guess. We don't want them to tell my mom I lied and I'm still running around in the forest when I said I wouldn't."

He tilted his head. "The easiest way to ensure that they don't tell her is to simply not do it," he argued.

"Okay, well that's nice in theory, but Yami, do you honestly think that you can keep from going into the woods?" he asked skeptically, brow raised. "I appreciate the offer. I really do. But it doesn't really…work like that. You get restless and I like my room being in one piece."

Yami blinked, then rolled his eyes. "Yes, my restlessness would not do well for that. Would it?" He considered himself for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder. Mai was nowhere to be seen. The image of Yugi's face lighting up was burned into his mind. His lips twitched faintly. Then he turned back slowly. "Are you opposed to going to the woods now? The alpha has sent summons for us."

Yugi blinked and frowned, his entire body seeming to shrink within itself for a moment. His fingers fidgeted with the straps of his backpack. His eyes flickered across Yami's uncomfortably. Then he sighed softly and looked downwards. "A summons? For what?"

"Mai said that it had to do with an important announcement. She may have insinuated that it was more vital for the two of us to attend than many of the others," Yami supplied quietly, studying him for a moment. "You realize that it is possible for me to attend alone—"

"No!" Yugi spat immediately, eyes fierce as they burned into his again. "You are not going on your own."

Yami frowned and tilted his head. The smaller teen looked almost ready to lunge at him should he argue with such a decree. But his own mind hurried to feel relieved for such a statement. Not having to go there alone was amazing to him. The security of having Yugi there beside him to play as Atem was beautiful.

There was no fight to break out if he was there.

He wouldn't have to snap his jaws and draw blood and snarl when they drifted too close or challenged him because of Yugi's absence.

When he simply nodded, Yugi deflated. The tension left him completely. He drew in a deep breath, then looked down again. The reality of it was that he should have known Yami would not fight him. Or at least he would not when he was so clearly distressed.

Yugi bit his lip and shook his head slightly. "Sorry, I just… You can't go there on your own. After you told me about what happened with the alpha…" He glanced away, eyes darkening with something the other wolf was unsure of how to read. "Let me go ahead and grab some clothes and we'll head off."

Yami shook his head. "I am not sure of when the meeting is meant to take place. Nor do I know of what is to be spoken of there. Do you truly wish to change and go there?"

"Well, I'm not really willing to have to buy another uniform because it got drenched in the waterfall. Or because I decided to go as a human and they attacked. Thanks but I'm going to have to say those aren't the most fun ideas." Yugi flashed him a small smile, then shook his head. "Besides, I doubt it would be a good idea for either of us to show up as humans."

Yami nodded slightly, eyes growing somewhat cold. Yugi had no doubt he was thinking of the possible consequences of such an action. "No. I am not sure why I even assumed to ask such a thing," he admitted quietly. "Very well, let's get a change of clothes and…hmm?"

Yugi smiled and rolled his eyes. "You don't need a change of clothes. I do. I'll just grab a different outfit and we'll change in the woods and head out."

The red-eyed lycanthrope considered him for a moment. Then he nodded slowly and turned his eyes on the house over his shoulder again. "All right, well… Be quick, I suppose."

The smaller teen laughed, rolling his eyes.

---

He shook his fur out slightly. By the gods, that water was cold. Yugi stumbled a step, then another. He shook himself again, flustered. The water dripped from his waterproof pelt and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. Yami did the same next to him, shaking himself out and padding alongside him. The two of them swapped mirroring looks of frustration, both seconds away from complaining about the waterfall crashing behind them so loudly.

They couldn't have picked a drier location? he complained, raising his paws and shaking them out between each step. He thought briefly of how cats would kick away little socks or boots on their paws.

Yami flicked his ear. It would hardly be so secure. He glanced about the large stone cavern, the roar of the water behind him faintly dulling his hearing. He shook himself again, listening for the sound of paws up above the ground. They were almost undetectable at first. Someone realizes that we are here.

Yugi shot him a confused look, then bristled in alarm. I'll head out before you do, he announced immediately. His lips threatened to curl, his shoulders squared with tension. The white wolf looked at him for a moment. Then he turned towards the ledges which lined the wall, his stomach tossing. He could hear soft paw falls now as well.

He braced his legs, then moved to pull himself up. The stone clicked under his nails and the bramble patch covering the entrance looked like browned teeth. He glanced at Yami who watched him with a somewhat flustered look.

He didn't bother to look at him again. He had not noticed it before, but beneath the brambles the crevice was jagged and harsh. The rocks more or less encompassed much of the bottom of the knot of tangles, and the exit bristled of dark stone where the tips seemed to press forward to stroke upon one's fur. He wondered at the defensive structure of it for a moment, seeing as the hole was only wide enough for a single wolf to make its way through at one time. The ledge itself was just large enough to support himself and Yami, who pressed nearest his side and looked at him curiously.

He listened to the movements beyond the small pocket of an exit, the sound of paws and a soft growl making him stiffen faintly. Yami remained beside him, eyes on the entrance now, and the smaller wolf glanced at him sideways. It was somehow incredibly comforting to see him there, standing at his side, comfortable and not at all undone by it all. The black canine tilted his head and looked to him again, both of them watching each other for a moment. He ducked his head, pressing his muzzle into his shoulder in beckoning, and Yugi turned back to balance himself on his hind legs.

He had been so scared the first time—that any misstep might get himself and Yami killed—that he had almost forgotten it. He reached his front legs up, claws hooking on the stone surface, the thorns tangled against his paws. He flexed his toes, then pressed his claws further down, pulling his muscles tight, and sprang. The momentum allowed him to pass through the brambles almost effortlessly, paws braced on the stone and sand in front of him. He almost stumbled, then caught himself immediately after.

The world seemed to open before him in harsh cold air and the first drifting flakes of snow. He took a step forward and Yami pulled himself to his feet behind him. A flake fell into the smaller wolf's eye as he glanced at the other wolves coming towards them.

The wolves all fell silent and began to respectfully lower their heads, ears flattened against their skulls. Yami came along his side, watching them with slight disdain in his eyes. Then he turned towards Yugi, ears pricked forward.

You dare to not bow before Atem? Traitor! a cold voice spat out.

Yugi reacted first, head snapping around. His fur was in a bristle, his tail threatening to rise. Yami, however, merely turned his head. The tan and gray wolf was watching him. The lean, muscular body was shaking faintly, rage on clear display. The outburst had caused several wolves to look up now as well, though many of them had their bodies pressed to the ground, their eyes raised only to see the disturbance.

Yami blinked at Marik, then snorted loudly. You are not bowed either, he sneered in response, hardly paying him attention enough to even say those words. He turned back to Yugi immediately. But the white wolf did not pay him attention either.

Some of the other wolves were growling. Yugi could not tell if it was at Yami or Marik. His eyes flickered across them and his lips curled faintly. If any of them expected to get to Yami—

Marik let out a high-pitched whine when one of the other wolves moved. The bite to his flank was harsh enough to stun but not to draw blood. He bit at them in turn but missed. The next bite came from the left. This tore at his ear and caused Marik to snarl.

Yugi watched them, startled, and then eyed Yami sideways.

Your direct orders were that none of them treat me as a traitor, Yami reminded him quietly, eyes on Marik. In doing so, it was considered a decree from Atem himself. If he does not bow, they may very well escalate into drawing blood. If he then still refuses, they will kill him.

Yugi stiffened, horrified. But some small part of him whispered, As long as it's not you, and that thought hurt him. He'd never truly considered one person's life worth more than another's. He'd choose family and friends over direct strangers, of course, but to actively think such in a situation that truly meant life or death made his skin crawl.

Yami stepped forward. The wolves all froze for a moment. Several eyes, too bright and deep and glittering to be human or canine, peered back at him. He raised his tail when one of them moved, then dropped it again when they settled.

Let him up. No blood needs to be spilled this day, he commanded in a deep, rumbling snarl. Yugi thought of distant thunder and snow from a storm. He blinked, eyeing the black wolf.

Yami was focused on them as they all begrudgingly growled at Marik and separated. They drifted to different spots only feet away from each of them. Marik was lying on his stomach, crouched and snarling with disdain. Yami watched him for a moment, then shook himself out lazily.

The movement seemed to lessen the tension of each bystander. But it seemed to enrage Marik. His lips curled back and his ears flattened against his head. A small bristle traced the line of his spine. His eyes were glowing with anger.

Yet Yami did not pay him any mind.

It was Yugi who stepped towards him. His ears were angled forward, his shoulders braced. He pulled his lips back and snarled low in his throat. You do not challenge my beta, he snarled, snapping his teeth when Marik growled in disdain. He raised his tail when the other glared at him angrily. Then Marik seemed to realize himself, and the fact that his family would not come to his rescue, because his eyes flickered away and he lowered his head to his paws. You are never to challenge him again, understood?

Marik moved to lie on his side, then on his back. His paws were folded against his chest and eyes were on the snow. His tail was tucked, his throat exposed.

Yugi turned away again immediately, tail dropping. It was only then that realization came over him. It shook him to the core when he looked around. Yami was nowhere to be found.

He took a moment, sniffing rapidly, trying to draw in his scent against the cold air. A snowflake landed on his nose. He blinked. Then he took off running. Yami had gone further into the camp, had to be nearby.

He was bounding so quickly he almost thought his paws were not even touching the ground any longer. Yugi raced past a set of curious faces. Then he slowed. The black wolf was a few feet ahead of him, pace only a fourth of what Yugi's own panicked one had been. He shivered, stomach knotting. Then he came forward again.

Where are you headed off to?

He didn't mean for it to sound half as accusatory as it did. Shame drenched his insides at the cold tone. Yugi ducked his head as he came to Yami's side. But the other wolf was not the slightest bit upset.

I thought I smelled blood. He paused and flicked an ear. You did not have to do that.

What?

Warn Marik away. I would have dealt with it.

Yugi bristled faintly. At what price? One of you dying or you getting hurt all over again? he spat, flustered. His tone made Yami turn his head a fraction. Is it really so hard to believe that I don't want you getting hurt or anyone being killed?

Not at all. Yugi wouldn't want it to happen.

He faltered. What? What does that…?

Yami gave him a cynical look. You are Atem right now. He's a werewolf meant to win a war. Death and carnage should be the least of things he might attempt to prevent. In fact, death stalks his paws. Why should he care that his beta is challenged for rank? You allow me to stop the bloodshed and Atem to lead. Had he managed to challenge me, you could have used it as a way of measuring strength within the pack.

That's bullshit!

Yami eyed him again. Remember yourself, Yugi. This isn't a game. If you mess up, it could mean a war within the pack itself. Those are casualties that none of us should have to suffer.

So it's a game when he challenges you then?

No, but you don't have your memories as Atem. That makes you vulnerable to them. You mess up and it could mean the end of both of us.

He snarled, glaring at him angrily. Thanks. I'm so glad to see you have so much faith in me, Yami.

The black wolf turned away. Don't be foolish.

The reprimand was so softly spoken that it hurt more than it he had turned and bit him. Yugi slowed a couple of steps, hanging his head for a brief heartbeat. It stung that he had accused him of such a thing when he had known from the very first that Yami did not think lowly of him. He wouldn't have helped him for so long if he had.

What kind of blood…?

It was a weak attempt to change the subject but Yami accepted it all the same.

I thought it was wolf but I cannot be sure.

The smaller wolf stiffened. What if it was another sacrifice of some kind? What if it was the smell of those dead bodies that had been used in the rituals to try to summon him? What if Slifer simply had not gotten to them yet and they were still in the camp? Yugi felt sick.

Yami stopped, sniffing the air and looking around. He turned to the right, trotting now. Yugi sped to his side, stomach aching as he considered what it might mean for blood to be there again. Had she meant to have a sacrifice? Was that the announcement?

His heart was pounding at the thought.

Yami stepped aside and then further into the camp, coming towards what looked to be a large stone upraised and centered within the northern corner of the area. The trees cut the sky like dark shadowed towers as Yugi looked at them. They were the thickness of his chest and shoulder width, looming high overhead. He thought of sheer cliffs with a web in the center of a small crevice. The branches, spiny and long, were immense and interlocked powerfully to block the white of the snow falling down towards him. He looked around for a moment, seeing the long towering figures of them, outlined in dark gray and black, and considered the three-sided barrier they helped to create. He could see bramble thickets and a couple of small knots of thorns and dead ferns tangled together along most of the bottom. The undergrowth would slow any potential threat. The waterfall being the more direct entrance helped to shield them even further…

It was only as he studied a couple of the trees further, the way they almost seemed like large spears, that he realized Yami was no longer there. He blinked, then turned his head to look for him. The black wolf had disappeared but there was no other true area within the camp that he could have gone. Yugi glanced back and forth within the trees and towards the path they had come. But none of the other wolves seemed to be following and the thought was dumfounding to him for a moment.

He trotted towards the den, the smell of iron and the thickness of butter meeting his nose. Yugi halted several feet away, flattening his ears against his head. Yami? he whispered softly, almost afraid he would not gain a response.

Perhaps his fear resonated with the black wolf. His response was immediate. I am okay. There was a moment in which Yugi struggled to make his feet move again. Then the other's head poked out of the dark shadows of a dip of earth beneath the stone, where the rock was jagged and looked to be shredded by the wind. When Yugi got closer, the fractures were long, solid, stretching up and outwards, and the darkness made the black wolf's eyes glitter like glowing embers. He tilted his head up and looked at Yugi pointedly when he stepped closer, then turned back.

He seemed to disappear from view again. The stench of blood and bone marrow—that was the smell, he realized; his wolf senses recognized what his human mind hadn't—bombarded him immediately. Yugi shivered and shook himself out. He glanced over his shoulder, then moved closer. He dipped his head, looking about the darkness, and bristled faintly in a shudder. Then he moved forward and the drop in the earth seemed oddly incredible. It was a slick tunnel, almost like the stone passageway of which Slifer had tricked them into falling down through the brambles.

But the earth was still soft sand and hard-packed the lower he went. The dip itself encompassed his body on all sides, large enough for him to squeeze through, low enough that it brushed and tugged on his shoulders and back. The ground was riddled with soft pebbles from the shattering of stone overhead. His paws were almost silent due to the winter air biting at the surface of the earth. And he felt cold and almost sick as he continued forward to see where his paws might lead.

Had the air not been bathed in such a buttery, metallic scent he was sure it would have smelled of mere dirt. The navigation would have been harder, more suffocating, especially should someone plan to attack. But it was already a matter of only being room for one to come in. Ambush was an impossibility. And when he finally felt the rock strain from his back, arching perhaps higher or the earth dug possibly lower, he realized how cramped it all was.

There were only mere feet between himself and Yami. And the source of the smell was only inches in front of the black wolf. He didn't have to strain his eyes as he had originally assumed. Rather, his vision seemed to encompass it all, giving him a well-defined measurement of the den, the arching walls and slanted floor. He got the shape of his alpha next to him and the dead form of the she-wolf lying before him. And the coloration should have been darkened, shaded, all but splotches of dark gray and black. Human eyes made the world in the dark nothing more than a shadowy mess like ink splotches across a page. Wolf eyes detected the faintest light and projected it back into the retina to allow them to see. He was not entirely sure what werewolf eyes did, except that the red was the most vibrant, both in Yami's irises and in the pool which lay at the she-wolf's paws. And the walls were defined and sharp, as if he had run his hands upon them; he could count the crevices. How he saw in this pitch blackness was something he did not know. And it was both exciting and somehow horrifying.

When Yami turned his head, he could see the faintest glint of something like embers within his pupils. His irises were glowing, glittering, and the way his eyes bore into Yugi's made them seem to look like fire, the edges spread outwards against the black skin surrounding them. The fur along his cheeks, muzzle, and brows seemed to be highlighted with bright red.

Do you think it was murder?

Yami blinked. The movement looked like a light flashing out of existence for a moment. Then the wolf turned his head. His profile was large and keen, and the longer Yugi faced him, the more he could see each strand of his fur and the layering of his undercoat beneath the long guard hairs. He could see the way his muscles twitched along his chest with each breath and the moisture on his nose. The wolf was a large, immense, shadow with layers of darkness against his pelt, beautiful and hypnotizing in the way he was so defined in the shadows.

I do not. It seems too…peaceful. She's lying there and I don't detect another scent except for possibly a few other wolves who have come in here before. I cannot be sure, but I do not think I see signs of a struggle. There are no claw marks or traces of fur scattered around. I do not even see blood on her muzzle.

Yugi forgot himself for a moment. Do you see the world like I do right now? he demanded, somewhat excited. It's almost like some kind of magnifying glass over the top of the lenses and then there are splashes of color all around. It's not like broad daylight but it's…really close!

Yami snorted and the wave of white frost made Yugi shiver. He thought he saw the very beginnings of crystallization on the tip of the larger wolf's nose. Yes, werewolves are able to see in the dark very accurately. He turned his head again to look towards him with his ears flicking slightly. We see the colors at all times even if it is pitch black for a human. It helps for hunting on nights when we do not have the moon overhead.

Really? Does it happen the same in human form?

Yami tilted his head. No, the colors are slightly duller. But we do see the same besides that, he answered somewhat dismissively. You're no longer blind in the dark.

Yugi nodded slightly, then wagged his tail slowly. This is really kind of amazing! I never expected this would be what would happen! I can see everything in here!

His excitement was contagious. Yami wagged his tail and his fur made a soft scratching noise against the wall of dirt and stone. Yugi blinked, wagging his tail harder in response, and both of them looked at each other for a moment. Yugi thought that, had they had more room, Yami might have even tried to play with him again in a wrestling match.

That thought brought back the definition of the space they were in, then the realization of his own momentary forgetfulness. His tail dropped and his ears flattened against his head. So… What do you think happened then? Someone had to have killed her. There's no way she could have cut her own throat like that…

Yami considered her for a moment. No, but there are too many scents all layered on top of each other to give us a clear definition of who did it. And she must have done it on purpose. He tilted his head. I guess this would be her sacrifice of "blood and power" as she so elegantly described it before.

The white wolf bristled with an abrupt flare of annoyance. Why would she even assume that it was necessary? That makes no sense!

Yami studied him. Perhaps she did not believe the pack would follow you if she was still here.

He curled his lips back. So she killed herself because she assumed I was weaker than the other wolves. That's great.

The red-eyed lycanthrope watched him for a moment, then bore his teeth in anger. I think she offered herself as a sacrifice to ensure that the pack would not feel divided in showing loyalty to you. It does not always have to be about weakness and strength. It can be that someone else is looking out for you instead. He paused, tilting his head. This is a world of politics and power and games where one could easily die for a misstep. You must take help where it is offered.

Yugi felt his fur rise and fall in a jerk, his skin shuddering on his back.

Yami was silent for a moment. Not everyone here in this world will allow you room for mistakes. Just as others will try as hard as they can to either help you or stop you. But do not assume that all of us are like your bullies. It will more than likely get you killed.

The shame that came over him at the statement made his skin crawl further. He lowered his eyes again, looking at the she-wolf. Her blood was one huge pool of bright red against the dirt. He wondered if she had known for sure that there might be issues or if it was simply the idea of such a thing happening which made her take such steps. How long had she been planning it? How could she have known that Mai would truly find them? Had she planned to do this just today?

So…what now then?

I suppose now we attempt to make an announcement to the pack. That is all I know to do. But it will have to come from you, Yugi. And do not be surprised should they react as I suspect they will.

How do you think they'll react?

Yami looked at him for a long moment. As if you are a god and they always knew you would find your way to lead them. As they always seem to when you are here. He tilted his head and Yugi found himself frozen, staring at the burning pools of lava that were his eyes. The werewolf's eyes were amazing. The usual.

Yugi glanced at the she-wolf once more. Did they all treat you like this before too?

All but Marik, yes. He has never been all too impressed with me or my existence. But they all treated me as if I was a god. When I refused to speak the alpha claimed it was because I did not think them worthy of hearing my voice. He looked away from Yugi when the white wolf raised his head to stare at him in surprise. Then Marik began to make an uproar about it and I wouldn't fight him when he attacked me. She saw it as weakness. I refused to speak or fight back. When she challenged me I surprised all of them when I nearly tore her throat out.

Why didn't you try to tell them before that? Wouldn't it have saved you a lot of trouble?

Yami stared at the carcass in front of them, considering the question. I was not willing to disrupt the way of life they had adopted. Should the she-wolf claim I saw them as unworthy who was I to argue? It is like your religion being questioned and tested. No one would take kindly to that by any means.

Yugi studied him for a long minute, eyes sharp and glittering. That's not it. That's not the reason. Why did you really stay quiet?

Yami turned his head now, lips curling faintly. That's all the reason you need to know, he said simply, shrugging him off. It does not matter beyond that.

He almost argued. But the anger made the other wolf's fur quiver and so Yugi swallowed his annoyance. The smaller lycanthrope turned his head away, looking at the body now as well. Her eyes were peacefully closed. Her ears were perked lazily forward. Her entire body was immaculate. Had it not been for the stillness and pool of blood, he would have assumed her to still be alive. Her legs were outstretched, her head lowered to them. Not a single hair seemed to truly lie out of place.

Yami watched her a moment longer. I suppose now we shall be forced to make formal introductions to each wolf within the pack. Then we shall have to explain her sacrifice to place leadership upon your shoulders.

Yugi hated the fact that he made the statement sound so easy and simple. He thought that he made it sound diplomatic and genuinely effortless. His skin crawled. How was he meant to follow such a lead? Yami had seemed to have so much more of a concept of identity and understanding than he did when it came to this. How was it he was supposed to mimic it? He was not truthfully sure he had half the ability that Yami seemed to flaunt before him so easily…

He drew in a deep breath. And what if they actually don't accept it, Yami? What do we do then? he asked slowly, studying him.

The black wolf looked at him. There is no margin for error. If they do not accept it, we may find ourselves in the predicament of forcing them to think you their leader.

Yugi felt sick. Force them to submit? But Yami…

They should not truly have issue. They are meant to be Atem's pack, the most faithful of his followers. That truth will have to come through in the end.

What if they decide that they don't believe I'm Atem somehow?

Yami didn't blink. Then we either force them to listen to us as we declare otherwise or we flee. But to do the latter means they will most likely hunt us both like common dogs and slaughter anyone within our lives whom we may hold dear.

His fur bristled. He meant Jonouchi and Honda, Anzu and his mom, his grandpa… They'd go that far? he whispered shakily.

They were once tricked by me. If they should suspect you of a game, they would turn on your friends and family as well. It does not help that you have proclaimed me your beta. It does nothing to further gain their loyalty, especially should one of them challenge you and you refuse.

He shivered. That was understandable. Yami had played them for a fool before. They had to be anxious at the sight of him. And perhaps they were even suspicious of him already…

So what do you think we should do then? he asked hesitantly. He flicked an ear and listened for the wolves further towards the entrance of the camp. They appeared not to have moved for the moment. He drew in a deep breath and glanced sideways at Yami for a split second. How are we supposed to…?

How are we supposed to…? Yami echoed him, voice slightly bewildered. His red eyes flickered about the den for a moment. Yugi considered it as well now, studying and wondering. It occurred to him that if he was truly meant to take her place, then this den might very well become his own. His stomach knotted. How was he meant to do that when his place was at home? Could the pack even truly survive that? They had all—most likely—grown up with the she-wolf readily there at all times.

He couldn't do that for them.

And he wouldn't ask Yami to make such a sacrifice either.

Not only were they openly aggressive towards him, he also rather clearly all but despised them in turn.

And who knew if they would truly listen to him?

They had done so minutes before, but he had also been there.

Had he not been, there was no guarantee they would have listened.

But then, would Yami have even cared to stop them killing Marik?

I suppose now we will have to summon them here in order to introduce ourselves. Then we can learn their names and scents, Yami interrupted his line of thought effortlessly. The black wolf turned his head and considered him with an expression that was slightly bewildered and amused. Yugi stared back at him almost mindlessly. I think the act of scenting them will do you better…

The white wolf stiffened considerably. When you say learning their scent….you don't mean like…sniffing their butts and then letting them smell mine…right?

Yami snorted loudly, tail wagging happily at his mounting embarrassment. No. There are several scent glands that can be used instead.

Yugi thought of the way his cheeks had smelled so strongly of him moments before he had seemed to gain full consciousness that day the hunter had cornered them at the repurposed greenhouse. The thought made his fur bristle faintly. But it did give him an idea of alternatives. There were scent glands in the cheeks, on the tail, and the bottom of the paws…

So, then, what do you think? Is it best to find out how they smell before their names are introduced or what?

Yami considered him for only a moment. You act as if we are bloodhounds being trained to trail someone, he scoffed scornfully before pausing and looking at the body again. But it would be wise to do such regardless. Scents will stick with your mind long before names will as a wolf.

He nodded slightly. She never told us her name…

The black wolf tilted his head. I am not entirely sure that she had one. Truth be told, she never seemed to introduce herself. And she never gave me a name to call her by either.

Yugi considered it for a moment, then looked away. Do you think she didn't have one or she just kind of…shunned it?

Yami wrinkled his nose back. I can assure you that I have no idea, he drawled in a somewhat bored yet acutely disturbed tone. But he, too, realized the parallel Yugi was hinting at. He did not agree with it in the slightest but he did take note. He shrugged it off. I am not sure how you wish to announce this to them…

I'm honestly kind of more worried about what we need to do with the body, Yugi admitted reluctantly a moment later. I mean, it's… What are we supposed to do?

The black wolf blinked. He stepped forward once, tilted his head, and sniffed lightly at the she-wolf's neck wound. I should think they would have their own ceremonies for such a thing, right? Surely they have some kind of idea after all of the sacrifices they've done…

Yugi shook his head. I think they just left them. And then Slifer came and got them at some point, he said uncomfortably. I don't see what else it is that might have been done with them… It's not like they have funeral pyres like humans do. They aren't going to burn the bodies to send their souls off… Or however those things went.

Yami snorted softly and he swore he saw a glimmer of laughter in his eyes. But it was gone again when he turned his head to glance at him more pointedly. I should assume we would hold the meeting before we do much else, truthfully. The more pressing thing is whether or not the other wolves are going to allow us room to become the alpha and beta.

You just said that they wouldn't argue…

With you. We've seen several times that Marik at the very least does not care to adhere to pack hierarchy where I am concerned. Now why should he keep from challenging me a second time? He has done it multiple before and especially now that you are here.

Yugi considered him for a moment. Do you think he's going to be so reckless that he'd do it again? After what the pack just did? And…?

He shook his coat out. I think your warning might have done him better than the wolves themselves. But, in the off chance it did not, I will deal with it, he commented casually, tone flippant as he began to move aside from him and brush against him to get through the entrance.

Yugi swallowed thickly, watching him, and then flicked his ears to flatten them against his skull.

How are we…?

Yami turned to look at him over his shoulder. You will have to howl, he stated simply. When Yugi froze in place and stared at him with wide, fearful blue-violet eyes shaded indigo in the dark, he tilted his head. You cannot truly expect to hold a meeting with them if you can't…?

How about we just pretend this never happened and—? Yugi caught himself when he realized how pathetic he sounded. He shivered, shaking himself out. I don't… I mean, how am I supposed to…?

The darker wolf trotted out of the den, turning to face him as he came behind him. He was slinking as if he had been scorned and Yami sighed softly as he moved to brush his nose against his cheek gently. I will do it this time. But you will have to learn. I know you do not want to, but you cannot rule this pack as Atem if you are not willing to do something as small as howl to summon them.

Yugi could name a hundred reasons why he should never have to howl. He didn't have a voice for that, didn't know how to, and to howl was almost terrifying in theory. If he learned to do that, he was going to be considerably less human. There was a clear line between what humans and wolves could do and he did not think howling went both ways.

Yami turned away from him, then threw his head back. The howl which left his black muzzle was long and beautiful, with a low undertone which seemed almost mournful. When he lowered his head, he glanced back at Yugi, wagging his tail slightly. The pure joy of the action made his heart pound and he wagged his tail in response before he could think better of it. The black wolf spun around to face him fully now, his eyes glittering, and the simplicity of his happiness made Yugi want to smile.

The very act of howling had seemed to almost liberate the other wolf. But it lasted all of seconds. His tail dropped and his head tilted towards the ground. His ears flicked back and forth rapidly. Yugi looked about himself, the sounds of paws making him bristle faintly. He shuddered, then looked to Yami who lowered his nose to sniff at the ground near his paw. He picked up a small stone in his mouth, dropping it again lazily.

Was he becoming anxious? Yugi could not tell completely. It seemed odd to him that Yami should summon them and then grow unnerved by their presence there. The wolves came from what seemed to be every direction. Each of them were glossy coats and smells of ice and frost and forest and wet dewdrops and blooming flowers and—

He drew in a deep breath. The pack seemed to bunch up in groups before him. Otogi and Mai were prominent in the edges of his sight. He blinked and looked at them for a moment. Both seemed perfectly at ease, although a slight flicker colored the she-wolf's eyes for the smallest of moments. He looked about them for a moment, then glanced towards Yami who dropped his pebble again and quickly grabbed it once more.

He shifted his balance awkwardly on his feet and his tail twitched, anxiety growing in his gut. The alpha has died, he said without preamble, unsure of what more to do or say. The wolves blinked at one another, swapping looks and flicking their ears. An image sprang from their minds, rapid and overwhelming. There was him, in her shadow, standing as she began to fall. He bristled faintly, then shook it off. But it gave him the information he had been wondering about. He was correct in assuming that they had all known it would happen.

Otogi and Mai glanced at each other. Another wolf threw their head back. The howl that left them made his skin shudder. Immediately the rest of the pack began to echo the cry. Their chorus was like screaming at a concert during a favorite song. It was melodious but never as loud as Yami's own had been. Yugi stared at them blankly, unsure of what more he could do.

And then they all began to clear in his head, words he had failed to notice before.

Code Name Atem! Our leader! Our savior!

Yugi shot Yami a glance. The black wolf looked back at him, calm and steady and altogether unconcerned. It was as if he had expected this the entire time and so did not care to point it out to him as well.

Yes, I… I plan to take her place as your alpha, he murmured softly, cutting into their racket ineffectively. He flattened his ears against his skull as they continued howling his name, changing in such a ritualistic fashion. He bristled faintly. He couldn't help but think of cults again.

This was not the natural, beautiful family unit that wolves existed in. The human minds had corrupted such a concept. A pack had become a group of individuals with a mindset that was both horrifying and disturbing. He felt his skin shudder beneath his fur for a moment.

Yugi tilted his head, considering them. The sound reached a crescendo, then slowly dropped away. The wolves considered him for only a moment. Then, as one, they dropped forward on their forelimbs, bowing before him. He bristled, horrified, and his head turned immediately towards Yami.

But the wolf was gone.

The white-furred canine froze in place. His stomach dropped. Like a human, bile began to inch its way along the back of his throat. He swore under his breath and looked about the clearing. The snow was too new. There were no prints to see. Yugi was frozen only long enough for the wolves to begin howling again. Their praise made his skin crawl.

He took off when he noticed they all seemed encompassed with the task.

But he did not know which way he had gone. Had he, Yugi would have found him at the edge of the woods. The trail was a few miles long, something Yami traveled in mere minutes when he began to trot. Should Yugi have known to follow him there, he would have seen him slip under the iced ferns and into the narrow dip of a small tunnel.

The tunnel was only large enough for him to crawl on his belly and shift forward in slow movements. It took him a full minute to get to the dip of which he knew would lead to the tunnels that Slifer frequented. The black wolf stretched his paws out, wiggling his hindquarters until he dropped. It was only a couple of inches but his eyes had not adjusted as of that moment.

He lowered his head, sniffing faintly at the stone floor, and began to slowly pad forward. The tunnel smelled of rock and molded earth, with the faintest traces of water and ice. The earth would never grow cold enough, the touch of winter never ran far enough, to even frost the river which ran down there. He exhaled deeply and the dirt came in a small cloud, drifting through his senses with small messages.

But none of them possessed the clue of where the goddess might have been.

It did not take him long to find her, however. He sensed her a few minutes into the trek, the scent of decay and rotting leaves, wilting flowers and budding leaves and ice. She, like him, smelled of snow and winter. He shook his fur out. She did not possess the same trace of pine needles or moonlight. It was somehow comforting to remind himself of that.

He stepped into the stone clearing, where the earth seemed to drop into a sheer cliff and the river raced as loudly as the waterfall. The sound echoed in the stale air, taunting him, but he forced it away. The she-wolf rested feet away, her tail wrapped oddly around her paws, her eyes closed, ears pricked in his direction. He wondered, looking upon her beautiful solid russet pelt, if she was guiding the alpha to Paradise.

Hello, Yami.

Her voice was oddly reverberating in his head. Yami stood taller, in front of her, eyes sharp and narrow. He tilted his head, studying her, his mind racing with possibilities. Then he took a single step forward.

I am well aware that you know what has happened. You are, after all, the goddess of the dead, he stated in a respectful tone, watching her as her eyes opened into lazy slits. But I came to you to ask you a question, Slifer.

She considered him. Ask.

Yami bristled slightly. Do you desire we bring your daughter's body to you?

Pterygoideus muscles- the muscles that close and open and move the jaw forward. So, in other words, the pterygoideus muscles constrict harder when the wolf is in a fearful or feral state. The bite force becomes twice to three times stronger depending on the state of the wolf's mentality.