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.

47. The Present

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day (No updates through September)

Chapter Warnings: Mild Hints of Self-Hatred, Mentions of Death, Character Death(s), COPIOUS Amounts of Blood, GRAPHIC Wound Description, Nightmares

Okay, so it's time for you guys to meet the wolves. And yes…it is a huge thing because holy shit, it's a clusterfuck of them, just saying. There's over twenty and that's why this chapter took longer coming out than it would have otherwise. Cause I completely lost some of my files as far as the characters and their descriptions go.

Explanation goes like this. In case you're not familiar with the characters or names, Zuzu, Ruri and Ray are apparently the same people in Arc-V (the one with the multiple dimensions and all that). That's why they all have similar features, and why Ray is older (because apparently she's the original incarnation). Anyways, as far as the litters go, Patty, Mikiyu, Mieru, Zuzu and Ruri are from the same litter. Ray, Aki, Asuka and Barbara are from their own litter.

Sherry herself is from a different pack altogether. Her backstory comes out later, when she and Yugi actually really interact. But I promise, I didn't just throw her in there for no reason. Also, you're going to see that three "psychic" characters are in this pack—Divina, Ishizu, and Mieru. There's a reason for this. And you'll see later why it is that they do certain things that don't quite always add up.

Also, Ishizu and Marik look nothing alike. There's a reason for it. It's explained later why.

Okay, so, I know that it gets ridiculously confusing reading so much description at one time, especially when their names are only said once or twice at the most. So, again, if you guys want me to, I CAN work on getting up some pictures of the wolves so that you can picture them better. I have no idea when they'll all be posted and everything, but I'll definitely look into getting them up if that's what you guys want. *shrugs* Or not. Just shoot me a comment or a PM or email or something and I'll go ahead and get on it. Also, as a future note, as a quite a few characters tend to have oddly-colored hair (purple, pink, etc), most often I'm going to go with a darker color like brown or black or burgundy in shade while the lighter shades will be gray or silver or tan or something along those lines. That's why Ruri and Zuzu and Ray aren't a complete match in hair color. But their eyes will match up so that should make it somewhat easier to picture them? Or not haha I don't know, seeing as I'm the author and it helps me picture them better haha

Chapter XLVII: The Present

Work Log Entry XLIV: March, 2004 (Part IV)

March 27

Due to the dates in which the wolves are born and the constant altercations to their genetics, the she-wolves are all hitting their menstrual cycles at different times.

Many of the wolves have begun to breed. We have been completely unable to stop them.

But I have begun to think that the boss does not want us to.

March 28

Nothing about "Atem" has changed in the slightest. The boss has begun to lose patience once more.

When Yugi found his way back to the house he was bruised from the beating he'd taken from Obelisk. He was sore and tired and every muscle in his body seemed to be screaming at the moment. He was somewhat dizzy from hitting the ground so much but he was more perplexed by Echo's declaration. Not once during those numerous attempts to practice fighting had he forgotten. And each time he'd hit the ground the words had repeated themselves in the hollow chamber of his thoughts. He'd felt suffocated and confused and had been so distracted that when he got to his feet Obelisk threw him back down. At one point, when chastising him for being distracted had proven insufficient, the god had looked at him, knocked him over for the thousandth time, and simply sat on him.

It had taken him a solid thirty minutes to squeeze his way out from under him. And he knew for a fact he'd only managed it because Obelisk had decided he was tired of that seatting position. From there Yugi had been so exasperated as to declare he was going home again. It helped that he'd been more than slightly cautious of what time curfew was and things of that matter.

But he could not understand it. How was it that someone could place so much faith in a creature bred by myths? A person who probably looked just as lost as he felt? A boy who was unwilling to be as bloodthirsty as the very pack he held domain over? Echo would have died had he not been. And he knew she noticed. But how many times could such a thing be said as far as Code Name Atem was concerned?

Exhausted, the small teen threw the front door open and only barely glanced at his mom who was bringing a dog from its kennel for some food. The canine immediately cowered and backed further into the space it was given, trembling and staring with wide eyes. Yugi glanced at the dog for a moment, thinking of the more aggressive reactions he'd been given before, and did not bother to comment. With a shake of his head, warning his mom from conversation as well as shrugging away the thought of reactions to Valon's presence before his infection, the small teen headed for his room.

It took only a few minutes for her to inevitably follow him. Yugi was seated on the bed, picking at his backpack to pull out some paperwork for school. He glanced up as was expected of him and tilted his head only when she shut the door behind her with a small sigh.

"What took you so long?"

Yugi blinked. She wasn't crying but she sounded incredibly close. He shifted his weight, his irritation forgotten. In a quiet voice, he muttered, "I'm sorry. I wanted to walk back with the others but it took longer to get back than I thought it would."

Kasumi shook her head at him, her eyes staring at him with something bridging disbelief and bewilderment. Yugi watched her with his head tilted, guilt gnawing at his insides as he considered. "Yugi, I don't know what you're doing anymore. I don't even know what it is that you were doing before. And I'm almost afraid to ask. But I guess it doesn't matter. I should be grateful that you even made it home with everything that's been happening—"

"Mom…"

"—but everything about you has changed right in front of me. I almost didn't recognize you when you walked in. I've never seen you so angry before. Not even when your grandfather pesters you about your hyperosmia. And I just…"

He sat up slightly straighter, a lost feeling coming through him. His fingers flexed and then tightened along the surface of his comforter for a long minute. Then he licked and chewed his bottom lip, head spinning slightly.

"I know I haven't exactly…" He fell silent again, struggling for the words. "I shut you out recently. And I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't mean to… I never wanted to hurt… Things have just become really stressful for me, so I…"

And what kind of apology was that? But he wasn't sure he had any other words for her and it hurt to realize that he was at such a loss. Even if they did not always get along, at least before he had known what to say to her and how to soothe her fears. He had known back then how to comfort her and now he felt sick to see and realize such distance had grown between them.

He opened his mouth, but she spoke before he could.

"Yugi, I know what heartbreak is like"—The small teen felt his eyes nearly pop out of his head with shock; what?—"and I know how hard it is to get past it but it will sort itself out."

He blinked. Oh no. "Mom, it's not—"

"I don't know what happened between the two of you, and I won't pretend to. You're able to make your own decisions in life. But it gets easier. And I don't want to see you so depressed anymore. Ever since Yami left—"

He flinched, unable to stop himself, and cursed mentally. "Please, Mom—"

"You can't even hear his name without flinching."

Yugi bit the inside of his cheek. It wasn't a lover's quarrel or a breakup that did that to him. It was the fact that the gods had promised he'd come back and yet there was a lack of the black wolf in his life still. And that hurt more than any little broken heart he'd read about or seen acted out on TV. It was miserable and disgusting and it hurt to even consider him in a sense as lost. Because then he thought of hunters or a dead body within the snow, half-buried and awaiting his discovery. And it scared him more than even the thought of being alone.

It scared him more than the war or the hellhounds or being Atem.

Everything was so much worse when he thought that he was going to come across a dead body he recognized. Because a part of him just knew that should he come across Yami in the woods he would know him. He would know him as he did his own skin. And he would mourn and despair and rot away inside the empty cavity of his own body.

His heartbeat would become foreign to his own ears and his blood would burn him. His marrow would dissolve in his bones. His organs would become mush.

Yugi felt it somewhere deep inside of him, the despair creeping through him.

He wouldn't know himself anymore.

Because somehow, somewhere along the way, he had come to define himself by what Yami said he possessed.

His kindness, his heart, his cunning, his liveliness, all those things Yami had mentioned, he felt had deserted him now. It hurt him more than he could find it in himself to acknowledge. And he both hated himself and cherished his memories for it.

Because, if he could remember it through memories of Yami, then that meant he could become that person again, right? He could find those traits again and bring them to the surface and drag them into his predominant personality, couldn't he?

But that seemed like so much work to be done and it was simply easier to just roll over and stay angry. It was so much easier to simply take his frustration out in the form of ignoring others.

Yugi blinked. But since when had he ever truly wished to do that before? His mom had taught him better than that. She'd taught him to stand and fight and make changes when things were tough. She'd taught him to adapt and manipulate things until they began to work in his favor again.

His heart was in his throat for a moment.

When had he forgotten that?

When had he lost himself so much?

Yugi swallowed hard, then leaned forward. For a moment—only a split second—he wanted to get up and run into her arms. He wanted her to hold him, reassure him, maybe to even coax him into medicine and tell him that things would be sorted out when he woke up. But that single moment died away again. And he watched her for a heartbeat, a brilliant and powerful sensation of loss and acceptance coming through him.

He had to change this.

He had to forgive his ignorance and arrogance, the two things that had grown so much since the moment he had announced himself as Atem. Because who was Atem as opposed to Yugi? And who was Yugi if he could not recognize him within himself?

But how was he meant to change it?

There was so much he hated and despised about himself at the moment. His relationship with his mother was just one of many. But it had to be one of the most important. And he couldn't forget that.

Because, who knew how long he would truly survive? Who knew how long Yugi would exist? Eventually he would have to become Atem and there would only be room for him there inside of him. As much as he hated the idea, the truth of the matter was that the wolves needed him. And he could not survive much longer with a foot in both the human and lycanthrope world.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," he whispered, shaking his head. "And I never meant to hurt you by ignoring you. I love you, Mom."

It was not what he truly needed to say, nor was it the apology she deserved, but it was all he could come up with.

---

Yugi trotted into the clearing without a glance at Marik who was playing guard at the front. He growled softly but noticed immediately that Yugi would not give him the time of day and so fell silent again. In the center of the camp, the white wolf held his tail up and snapped his teeth. It was an aggressive approach but the wolves all turned to him as if he had threatened to flay them and wear their skins as his newest jacket. Yugi looked at them for a moment, dropping his tail, and wagged the long appendage.

The sight made many of them tilt their heads in clear bewilderment but Yugi ignored it for the moment. Obelisk was seated, eating something that looked suspiciously like a rabbit, and Yugi shook off the mournful pang which came through him at the sight of it.

I think that it has gone on long enough that I haven't known your names, he announced loudly, heart pounding in his chest as the wolves looked at him with shocked, bewildered expressions. He licked his lips and flicked his ears. By the gods, he hated having so much attention on himself. But he'd suck it up. He'd called it upon himself as it was. Out of all of you, I know only Mai and Otogi, Obelisk and Marik. The rest of you are a mystery to me. That has to change.

Obelisk stared at him with dark amber-specked eyes, head tilted slightly. Then he turned away as Yugi glanced at him. The god flicked his ear, then looked towards his meal once more. Yugi could hear the bones crunching loudly as he faced the other wolves again. His ears flicked towards it once, then twice. Then he shook it off.

The wolves had begun to sort themselves into an awkward semi-circle formation. But it was only for a moment. Then one of the she-wolves snapped her teeth, held her tail up, tilted her head and flicked an ear. Yugi did not hear what statement it was that she spoke to them.

But whatever it was she said, all of the wolves began to form into a solid line. And then the she-wolf turned to him with an expression so icy it put the snow to shame. Yugi almost bristled with disdain at the look, but shrugged it off as she approached.

It all seemed to become a blur, the myriad of scents and names and voices all so much as to make his head spin. There was Aki, the she-wolf who had commanded them prior, with dark fur almost deep enough to be considered black. Her brown eyes had unnerved him entirely, boring into his with such emotion that it had nearly knocked him backwards.

She smelled of freshly grown thistle and trunks bitten away by winter, of fallen leaves and blooming honeysuckle. And she stayed for only long enough to deliver her name, sniff his cheek in turn, and trot off without a second glance. This seemed to set the mood for the series of introductions as, almost immediately, they would do the same.

Behind her came a she-wolf named Dextra. Similar to Aki, she had a darker coat of reddish-brown that looked almost like burgundy. Beneath this color was a deep tawny and light brown like chocolate, with long legs of gold. Ringlets of gray deep enough to be almost blue in shade encircled her neck in doubles and disappeared at her dorsal cape. She was thinner, limber, but her muzzle was slightly larger and the light brown splash of fur along the top of it was gorgeous.

She smelled of river water and flowers, and she left after they both sniffed each other's cheeks. Her amber eyes flickered across his for only a moment before she raised her chin and stalked away.

Yugi would have blinked and looked at her again had there not been another to take her place almost immediately. This wolf was named Kari, a female with similar red fur to the other two. But it was not quite as dark and looked more cinnamon than burgundy. And her muzzle was not as long or as thick, her features sharper than he'd seen of the others'. She smelled of bark and morning dew. And she lingered for a few moments longer, her long legs splashed white and russet as she moved to sniff his cheek.

She wagged her tail once, dipped her head, and turned to trot away.

Maria was only an inch or so shorter than himself, somewhat more petite in size. Her cheeks were fuller, fluffed with her winter coat. But her muzzle was slightly shorter and her coat was a russet so light it seemed to be golden in places. It shocked him to see, as her entire body was almost the same shade. He would have assumed her to be a Pure-Blood due to this alone had it not been for the white scattered about her coat.

The bottom of her muzzle was colored it, and by her eyes and brows was a scattered peppering of silver and dark gray. The white disappeared along the bottom of her throat, the russet encircling her chest. From beneath the crest of her ribs was the white again, where it spread along the underbelly and colored the inside of her long legs.

She smelled of moss and sunlight and when she left, her tail was tipped with black as well.

Patty was an incredibly small she-wolf, one which was only about the proper size of a yearling. Her long legs were lanky and her features were far too wide and fluffy to be of an adult. And her features, as she looked up at him, a good head smaller in size, were an odd pattern of coloration.

Her muzzle was a deep chocolate brown along the edges, but faded into a soft peppering of gray and silver. Her brows and stops were rings of light tawny in shade, almost circular in design to mirror glasses. Dark gray outlined them from there, acting almost like kohl as it stretched towards the ends of her cheeks. Above her muzzle was mottled light silver and gray with stray hairs of brilliant cinnamon brown. Her ears were a bright, almost startling red, tipped with dark brown and given tawny guard hairs on the insides.

Her main undercoat was a soft golden shade and he could not see even a touch of white there. Her tail, when she turned away to trot after Aki and Kari, was a brilliant red with stray black guard hairs, the tip of it a deep startling obsidian like the night sky.

Mikiyo, the next she-wolf he met, was of brighter coloring. Her fur was golden more than red, though there were slight russet undertones. Her ears were the darkest part of her, with more red and slight touches of brown as well. Her face was an even coloration of silver and white, with ginger and golden evenly dispensed from her muzzle to her stops and brows and to her cheeks. Beyond her brows were silver and white through to her ears where the guard hairs resembled similar shades.

Her legs were tawny, with white as the layer beyond there, her dorsal cape covered in silver and specked with brown and gray. Her tail was a bright russet, the tip of it gray rather than black. And her lean form was far more muscular than slim. She smelled of sunlight and dappled leaves and light shadows when they briefly scented each other's cheeks and then she escaped his sight just as quickly.

Mieru was a yearling as well, with longer legs and fluffy cheeks not unlike those of Patty. But she had the slimmer build of Mikiyo as well, with a slightly sharper muzzle that showed her younger stature, black like tar until it faded at her eyes. From there her fur became a chocolate brown that quickly transitioned to red as well, russet all along her form. Her ears were deep red and brown. Her eyes, bright green, looked phantom-like against her brilliant coloration.

Her body was slender and small, her legs almost scrawny in width. The dark brown ran the base of her shoulders to outline them and then cover her dorsal cape. Her paws were black and dark brown at the bases. And her long tail was a bright striking red much like her ears. She, unlike them, had a slightly sloping ribcage and her undercoat was brilliant red as well.

But, it was as she looked at Yugi that he felt his stomach churn and knot. His fur lifted into a slight bristle and his tail flicked uncomfortably. There was something haunting and dispassionate within them, boring into him. And, as they sniffed each other's cheeks, he caught only the smell of sun-baked sand and water touched by leaf rot. It was bewildering, almost horrifying, and he stared at her for a long moment.

Then she curled her lip slightly, the dispassion clear in her gaze, and turned to follow Aki who glanced at her sideways when she approached. And, oddly, Yugi felt somewhat stricken as he considered how much alike they almost seemed at that moment.

Sherry LeBlanc introduced herself as such, with a clear French accent that surprised him. She was larger than he'd initially assumed. Her stance made her seem more powerful than even he was. And she stood with her head raised and her fur in a slight bristle. Her body was wiry in strength, her tail longer than usual with a black tip and her body blonde and golden. Only the smallest touch of gray and black touched her back and dorsal cape.

But her underbelly and the bottoms of her paws were white. Her ears were pricked forward the entire time. Her emerald eyes were darker than he'd ever seen someone to possess. And her muzzle was larger than many of the others', as if to pronounce her core strength. And she smelled, oddly, of nothing more than fallen pine as she turned and trotted away with her tail up.

He felt almost as if she wanted to challenge him but the white wolf could not find it in himself to bother with anger.

Zuzu smelled of something like lilac and rose, or perhaps fresh leaf growth. She was a smaller, more petite yearling. Her muzzle was longer. Her eyes were a little wider. Her ears were softer in their triangular shape but larger as well. And her long legs were spindly. Her frame was entirely thin and small, almost as if she were a hybrid rather than a full-blooded she-wolf.

Her muzzle was white on the underside and about an inch beyond her nose. Then the core of the bridge of it was cinnamon brown, soft where it stretched upward and followed to the center of her forehead. Along her stops and brows were light touches of white that became ginger as well, then fell into light gray and silver. Her ears were bright red and tipped dark brown.

Her undercoat was clearly ginger and beyond her head and dorsal cape, her fur became far more black and gray and silver. Her underbelly and legs were bright white to match her muzzle and her tail was a bright ginger with the same black tip many of her sisters possessed as well.

But she was the only one of the yearlings with bright blue eyes, as if she were younger than he'd initially expected as wolves did not have such a shade naturally. And, when they locked eyes for a brief moment, she wagged her tail and lowered her gaze and head in a small dip. Then she turned and trotted away before he could do much more than stare in bewilderment.

Barbara smelled of stone and earthen tunnels, like the underground network which Slifer lurked. Yugi nearly shivered when they scented each other, for all he could think of was that underground tunnel system. And it made his stomach ache.

But she was larger than many of her sisters, though leaner than Aki appeared. And her fur was black only along the face, stretching from muzzle to cheeks to her ears. Beyond there her fur turned brown and russet, equally intertwined, encircling her face and neck to become a long strip downwards to her chest. It spread along the front of her shoulders and ended at the beginning of her legs. From there, the thin limbs became a solid black much like her underbelly and back. But her dorsal cape was bright ginger and the undercoat along her back was red, ending with a russet and cinnamon tail tipped black.

Her undercoat along her sides and hind legs was a gray and silver shade, however, almost startling him.

She blinked dark brown eyes at him, then turned and trotted away without a single glance. Yugi flicked an ear, annoyed, but did nothing more, as the next she-wolf had already come to greet him.

Ruri looked much like Zuzu in build, he noted, and she even smelled similar. But she did not possess any similar coloration beyond white and black fur. Her muzzle was streaked with black, stretching from her nose to her eyes where it became white along her forehead. Only atop her eyes and outward to her ears did they possess more color, where it became silver and light gray.

Beyond her full white cheeks, her neck and ears seemed a stunning shade of white as well. And, only behind her ears did there seem to be dark gray, smoky and gorgeous like ash. Along the shoulders she had a faint streak of dark red almost like burgundy, much like the shade of which Aki's main coat possessed. Her lower body was silver and white, though the front of her long limber legs were far more silver than white.

Her back was lightly peppered with black guard hairs that just barely added more color, though it seemed to fade entirely towards the base of her tail. From there it became dark gray that was almost blue in shade, glistening where the sun could only faintly touch it. Along her hind legs the silver colored only the front, making up the entirety of her undercoat as well. And then, inches above the middle of her tail, was another long splash of burgundy—a scent gland, Yugi was sure—before the gray faded to silver and then to a tip of bright startling white.

She stood before him with her head tilted, her eyes a pinkish shade much like wine. And her white ears flicked back and forth as she considered him for a long moment. Her eyes bore into his for a long moment as she wagged her tail brilliantly and turned away with a dip of her head.

Himika was a larger she-wolf, with a deep ginger coat. Her face was a splattering of ginger and gray and white. Her muzzle was mostly red, with a small splash of burgundy a few inches beneath her bright striking blue eyes. Her forehead was a deep gray with a heavy splattering of russet which came to her ears. They were deep red and the backs of them lightly speckled with gray and silver and black.

Gray and silver peppered the fur beyond her eyes, where her bright red brows faded into white and gray along her lids. Her white cheeks faded to ginger again in a soft v-formation beneath her muzzle. From there her fur was light russet, became black in the shape of a ringlet, and then disappeared into dark red. Along her shoulders and back there were long black strips, from her dorsal cape to her tail.

White outlined the back of her shoulders, then tucked away to nothing. But along her back legs it stretched from beneath the russet to her very toes. Her tail was the darkest shade of red he had ever seen, the tip of it deep obsidian. Her frame was larger than some of the other wolves', her chest tucking slightly towards her hindquarters.

Ray came after her. And, stunningly, Yugi found himself almost startled and stepping back in surprise. She was tall and lanky in her slender build. But her face was extremely similar to those of Ruri and Zuzu's. Her muzzle was sharper, her eyes softer, her ears a little smaller than average. Her cheeks were fuller, her legs longer than the other adults.

Like the other two, her muzzle had a small inch of color between the nose and the rest of the bridge. The red was soft where it started behind the white, pushing upwards toward the eyes where it became speckled with gray and silver. Her brows were bright ginger. Around her forehead was silver and gray, turning darker near the cheeks where they became white beneath.

The back of her neck was touched with tips of black and gray. Along her dorsal cape was black and tan and slight brushes of tawny. Her legs were dark red, fading to a lighter shade along her paws. Brown and cinnamon speckled along her sides, covered with black guard hairs that made a deep saddle. Her undercoat was a similar ginger to her legs, her hindquarters shaded with cinnamon and gray. And her long tail was touched with a light splattering of burgundy, the tip colored deep black.

And Yugi wondered, bewildered and confused, if perhaps she was somehow more closely related to Zuzu and Ruri. Was that possible? Or had the dad been one that their mother had taken to more than her other various suitors? But then…had she mated with other wolves? Or had she had a single mate? Yugi did not care to consider it for much longer. And asking seemed impolite and bordered disgusting.

Asuka was a fairly lean she-wolf with gorgeous markings, something that Yugi had never noticed of her prior. He had seen her several times before, he realized, but he'd never gotten so close to her as to smell her or face her entirely. Her scent was of weathered stone and fresh rainfall.

Her ears were golden in color, blond around the edges with slightly russet bases. Her forehead between them was slightly brown and tawny, falling into silver around the top of her eyes. Her brows were silver, her stops russet, and her muzzle was a shade between. Around her whiskers were slight streaks of black and gray. Her cheeks were white, rimmed with silver, however, and faded at the bottom of her muzzle.

A ringlet of golden russet encircled her neck, then faded into silver once more. Her shoulders were golden, her dorsal cape blackened before fading into white and silver. Beyond this streak her back was given scattered black and gray, with the tiniest touch of red along the tips. Her front legs were a pale blonde shade, her back a similar shade, though they became white at the front and her paws were perfectly pristine like snow. Her long tail was silver and gray and gold, tipped with russet and a final splash of black at the very bottom.

Azul was a silver and gray wolf, with russet and black-tipped ears. Her brows were faintly white towards their core, but silver at the edges. And the only brown that graced her coat was along the bottom of her eyes, beneath her ears, and towards the guard hairs within them. Her neck was threaded with dark gray and black ringlets, though they seemed paled against the soft silver of her base color. Her dorsal cape was faintly black at the tips, but the base of it was bright silver like soft shadows across the ice. Her long legs were splashed with gray along the front, a stark white much like the snow.

Her underbelly was pale silver, fading into white only along her legs. Her tail was a singular gray and silver blend, the tip and scent gland black. And, it was only as he sniffed her cheek and recognized the smell of fallen pine and bitter roots. And it made his stomach churn.

Abruptly he remembered Yami attacking her. He remembered the way she'd writhed in the snow, showing surrender that his alpha had not taken kindly towards. And he felt sick as he remembered the reason why he had thought to turn his teeth on her to begin with.

She'd propositioned him in the snow…

He backed up abruptly, curling his lips. Her ears flattened, her tail wagging slightly, before she turned and wandered off. Unlike the other she-wolves, she did not appear to be drawn towards them in the manner of standing about and speaking. Yugi watched as she wandered further into the camp, almost away from his eyes entirely.

Divina had dark green eyes, the most memorable thing about her. Like Azul, she had pale silver and gray fur. She lacked the ringlets but for one that faded into white at the base of her neck. And her face was much paler, her eyes encircled with white and her cheeks bright and snowy. Her limbs were perfectly white. The silver made a streak along her back, fading towards her back legs, her tail streaked with black and gray there. Her tail was the darkest thing about her, blackened at the tip and scent gland.

But the way she stared at him made him bristle. He found his shoulders squaring, his eyes sharpening, his lips curling faintly. But she did not so much as blink, merely staring. And then, abruptly, her head tilted and her eyes seemed to become glassy. She sniffed, blinked, and then turned and trotted away.

After her came Ayukawa. She was a larger she-wolf, with lean muscle laden with power. She was ginger in color, with the shade almost singular across her pelt but for the white along her cheeks beneath her eyes and around her brows and scouring her underbelly. Her back, past her dorsal cape, was peppered with black and gray. But it faded only inches from her hindquarters. And her tail was that same russet shade, with a single speck of black along her scent gland and her tail tip.

She had dark golden eyes that looked incredibly exhausted and hollow. And Yugi had the striking idea that perhaps she knew what the touch of death was. And it scared him as he stared at her with a somewhat horrified expression. The smell of ash and fresh flames seemed to streak her fur, he felt, and he wondered briefly at what an incinerator might smell like.

Abruptly, looking at her, he knew.

She'd been part of the experiments…

He shivered as she walked away, flattening his ears against his head as he watched her go. But she did not get far, instead moving to take a seat a few feet from where he and the newest wolf would meet. She lay there, head on her paws, ears flicking as she kept her tail wrapped around her back leg.

And then he turned back.

Yugi bristled, startled and confused. She stood with her head tilted to the side, icy blue eyes peering at him curiously. Her fur was a beautiful glossy black along her head. But beneath her eyes were singular streaks of gold. And beneath this was black as well, white coloring her cheeks beneath this. Her muzzle was split in half with the color, her top along the bridge to her eyes dark like obsidian.

Her neck was mostly silver and gray, ashy in color like fresh smoke. And her chest and underbelly to her back legs were white. Her front lets were streaked with silver, but gray towards the base, then black at the paws. And all four limbs followed this pattern, however the insides of her back legs were deep black like her face. Her tail was dark black, the tip brilliant silver and white.

He flicked an ear, feeling sick for a brief moment.

I am Ishizu Ishtar.

He bristled further and backed up a step, startled. Ishizu Ishtar? He repeated the words because he couldn't believe them. Then he flicked an ear, feeling sick again. There's no way. You don't look anything like…

Ishizu shook her head. No, my brother and I do not have much in way of similarities, she agreed. Her tail wagged slightly. When Yugi leaned forward faintly, he smelled ice and cold shadows, like ivy draped in winter. And he shivered again as she moved a little closer. Her blue eyes sparkled with something almost like laughter. Do not worry, however. It changes nothing.

---

Yugi blinked and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. He flicked an ear and tilted his head, not the least bit amused by her appearance there. Lazily the white canine glanced back towards the other wolves and then the red-furred goddess in front of him. But Slifer did not seem to take his unease for anything more than a slight inconvenience as she stopped in front of him. Her golden eyes bore into his and his stomach sloshed with confusion for the smallest of moments.

You should do more with them. Simply coming to know their names does not fix your disconnect with them. Her head tilted and her ears were angled towards him. Her golden eyes flickered back and forth for a moment. Exercise should do you well to bond with them.

Yugi's head tilted as he considered the pack of wolves in front of him. Each of them had turned towards him with somewhat confused eyes and he wondered at their bemusement. What was there to be puzzled about? He stared at them a moment longer, then felt his stomach drop.

Because I'm still here, he realized with a guilty sensation. He was still there and he usually wasn't. He was almost always gone without minutes of being there, hours at the latest. He'd spent the whole day with them now, and sunset and, consequently curfew, would eventually end up coming soon as well. It made his fur rise and fall in an uneasy wave of a bristle, stomach churning for a moment.

He glanced at Slifer again. He'd come here to do more with them, to find his place as the alpha, as Atem. When he got home, he'd try to do the same with his family. It was unfair of him to so callously spend more time with one and not the other. His ears flicked and his stomach tossed again. All of the smells and various names that had been thrown at him earlier still burned at his senses and his stomach was in knots as he considered it.

What if he got the names wrong?

It wasn't as simple as when he'd spent all that time with Yami and learned his scent through exposure. It was not as easy as recognizing Slifer against the earthen and rotten smell of the tunnels, the wet slick stones and fresh water. It was not as methodical as his exposure to Obelisk had been, when the god had so effortlessly thrown him around so many times that he'd managed to pin him. It had been an intense myriad of smells and names and various attempts at facial recognition that he was not sure had taken.

He was exhausted just thinking of it all over again and the various names burned in his mind for a moment. Yugi flattened his ears for a moment, considering them and then her more pointedly. He was dizzy at the very aspect before he finally licked his lips and closed his eyes.

Maybe that perfect recall Yami had boasted of before would help him to keep their identities somewhat untangled from each other.

What did you have in mind? he asked rather reluctantly. He opened his eyes again, watching some of the other wolves moving about in front him. Marik and Otogi really were the only males in the pack, and both of them seemed to have favorites. But whereas Marik seemed to have a great many favorites, Otogi seemed more or less exclusive to Mai. They were almost joined at the hip and their banter was more innuendo than mere snark. Yugi had wanted nothing more than to hide with them and the two gods, to escape his own declaration of committing himself to the pack.

Perhaps a run through the woods. Although, if you truly wish for unity, a display of strength during a hunt might do you better. She was watching him with something cunning and sly in her golden eyes and it surprised him to see such a thing. It was not that he had never seen it before. It was that now that they were talking about the pack that she held such a gleam in her gaze. It was unnerving as he watched her. Wolves bond through exercise, whether it is a simple patrol of the territory or a hunt. I would go for the latter, however. It will instill more belief in you than a simple show of speed.

Yugi blinked and stared at her a moment longer. But why do I need to do that? he asked skeptically, unnerved by her blatant staring and that hideous gleam in her eyes which seemed to continue to grow as the seconds passed. You said it yourself. All wolves will respond to my call when I make it.

Slifer's breath came in a wreath around her face and her eyes glowed brilliantly, setting it alight in a beautiful show of golden embers. Yes, but how do you come to expect such loyalty when you yourself are doubtful of such things? If you cannot even believe in it yourself, then why should they?

Yugi snorted loudly. I am Atem.

The arrogance in his words made his stomach roll. Bitterly, the white wolf considered himself, his statement making his heart feel almost heavy. He wondered if ever there could be such a heavy burden as false pride and it stung to consider. He flicked an ear, feeling chastised even as the goddess merely glanced at the pack again.

She does not believe in you.

Yugi blinked and followed her line of vision. It was a slimmer she-wolf, with a leaner build but a strong body. Her legs were a little longer than the other wolves' and her muzzle the smallest fraction of an inch larger. Her ears weren't as softly rounded, almost sharp like a coyote's.

Her? He racked his brain restlessly. What the hell had been her name? He could not remember for the life of him. He considered her for a long minute, stomach rolling, and sniffed loudly for a moment. Aki.

The she-wolf beside him seemed to beam at his remembrance. Yes, that's her name. She was not impressed with your speech and efforts to get to know them all.

I wasn't impressed by it, Yugi thought scornfully, ignoring the goddess for a moment. His eyes fell back on the she-wolf in question, ears pricking forward. He didn't even remember her voice, but he did remember how odd her fur color had seemed to him when the introductions had ended. He'd looked over and spotted her again, bristling faintly with growing unease at the sight of her coat, and had forced himself to relax a heartbeat later when the initial shock had dissipated.

At first she appeared predominantly black, her fur long and thick in its winter pelt. Then she'd gotten closer and where the sun touched her fur, her undercoat had been a brilliant dark chocolate brown that looked almost burgundy in shade. When she walked she seemed more to glide, moving fast and efficiently, with fur that rippled over her pelt beautifully like waves. Her paws were tipped with white, each toe colored the shade of snow. Her muzzle was solid black from the nose upwards for an inch, where it branched downwards almost like wings, and spread outwards along her large cheeks. From there it mixed into a brilliant shade of silver and gray and red cinnamon in certain spots and traveled down the length of her chest to her underbelly and the tip of her tail.

He'd thought, when he'd initially spotted her again, that perhaps she was actually part dog somewhere. But then he'd remembered how she'd appeared when she'd been closer, how she'd commanded the wolves into a line, and that glimmer in her eyes had told him otherwise. There was something ancient, brilliant, and incredibly heartbreaking within them, which had shut his thoughts away completely. Her dark brown eyes had been a shade from her fur, almost as if they were meant to blend in, and upon locking with his they'd flared with a great and terrible hate.

Yugi watched her now, eyes sharp and curious as he studied her, and then blinked and looked away. His eyes fell upon Slifer again. But she's still here.

The goddess tilted her head, expression one of distaste. You would allow them to leave you? she scoffed. The intense cunning had turned to vibrant dissatisfaction and growing disgust. You would allow your wolves—bred for the purpose of fighting within a war you meant to win—to turn upon their own calling?

Yugi blinked and then bore his teeth in disgust. You cannot truly mean to tell me that you all created these wolves for no other purpose than to have their carcasses lying around for the sake of a war no one should have to fight.

We have and we will tell you so again, Obelisk's voice commented casually, the wolf trotting towards them with an easy stride. His eyes were glowing in the coming shadows, and his lips were curled slightly but it did not look aggressive by any means. Yugi blinked at him and his easy tone, slightly angered but somehow comforted by it as well. At least the gods were consistent. They were born and raised with one purpose. This pack is meant to be used within the war. The other wolves will come because of who and what you are.

But Yugi had to wonder; what did they think he was? Who did they think he was? And how many of these wolves would assume him to be something he wasn't? Echo had seemed to think he would harm her, though even in her fearful state she had been too smart to turn her teeth on him.

How many of them were going to be disappointed when they saw who he was? How many of them would be disturbed by his mercy and his desire to stop the bloodshed?

How many of them were just as trigger happy as the wolves in front of him? How many of them were as war happy as the gods before him? How many of them thought he was meant to be the same way?

And how many of them might turn on him for not being that way? Were any of them brave enough? Aki had seemed to be just bold enough to display her disdain towards him, but not any open hatred of any kind. He shivered and looked towards her and back.

A hunt? As in chasing prey and then killing it?

If he were human Yugi knew Obelisk would have rolled his eyes up into the back of his head with his exasperation. The image was hilarious to the small wolf but he did nothing more than consider it for a moment before shrugging it aside.

His lips had curled back with annoyance and his voice was a simple sneer as he spoke again. Is the act of spilling blood too much for you? Because I think I recall you tearing the head from Pegasus's body without hesitation. And what of Arkana, whose face you ripped to pieces and a throat you tore out?

Yugi was silent for a long time, ears flicking about for a moment before he narrowed his eyes and considered him more closely. He glanced sideways at Slifer but the amusement in her eyes angered him to the point of a near snarl of disgust.

He turned back to Obelisk. I don't recall being in the right frame of mind either, do you? he spat.

Slifer let out a breath that sounded oddly like laughter and his fur rose furiously as he spun on her. Obelisk blinked a few times and then tilted his head, voice simplistic as he murmured, You truly do not believe that you can kill another creature without being too angry to think your actions through? Are you so foolish a boy? You cannot believe yourself so pure, surely?

Yugi drew his lips back. He bore his teeth furiously and angled his ears forward. You disgust me.

The gray wolf snorted and flicked his ears as he took a seat. His frame seemed to loom over Yugi in this position, and his raised chin did more than enough to make his heart skip a beat with discomfort. Yugi stared at him, unnerved and almost physically winded from it all.

Because I'm a wolf and you're a sheep with the pelt of one? he scoffed. His eyes were bright with disdain and growing amusement. His ears flicked towards one of the other wolves nearby. They were circling and trotting about in the snow, sensing the tension surrounding the three of them and wondering at their own ability towards intervention. You should look upon yourself in the mirror, Yugi Motou. Or do you not know yourself well enough to do such a simple thing as that?

He bristled and snapped his teeth an inch from his nose. His breath came in heavy puffs of white before his face, glittering and large, dense in the cold air. He wished he could have been powerful enough to forget his own weakness in exchange for the leap he'd have to take to attack the god of war. But his mind backtracked rapidly, hideous in its desire for self-preservation. He could not win. Obelisk would make a fool of him. He'd rip Yugi to tiny, unrecognizable pieces.

The pack would be alerted to just how frail his ability was to even exist as a wolf to begin with. And that was something he truly could not allow. So he backed up a step, still snarling, and glared at him somewhat uncertainly. No, he didn't see himself in the mirror anymore. No, he didn't think he could face himself there for more than a few moments.

But at least he had not lost his humanity.

He glanced between them now. Had either of them ever known a sense of humanity to begin with? Or had they simply known the cruelty of war so horrifically that they had never come across the slightest sense of it? Had they never changed?

He bristled and curled his lips back, then backed up a step as he looked at them. They were so alien to consider; such ideas didn't belong in his head. He didn't want to lose himself. He didn't want to forget what made him human…

But what was so great about being human?

It hadn't saved him from the loss of Yami on the river.

It had not kept him from being injected with wolfsbane or silver on multiple occasions.

It had not saved Shizuka in the hospital.

It had not made it easier to pretend upon being with his friends.

It had not rescued him from his own depression.

What the fuck was so great about being human?

What was so great about being Atem?

Was it even worth it to be Yugi Motou?

Yugi felt something cold forming in his gut. You're the past, Obelisk, he spat before he could stop himself, but I am the future.

And what a fine future it is to behold, the gray wolf drawled sardonically with a flick of his ear. You may present the future but you do not own it yet. And until you do, I am the present.

And he hated him all the more for it.

Yugi turned away before his anger could take hold. He was not stupid enough to pick a fight with the god. Obelisk would lay waste to him. And that was nothing he could manage to fend against. The small wolf flattened his ears and glanced at the wolves again, unnerved at the ease of which they seemed to draw towards each other. They broke off into small groups at times, wandering without a second glance. And it made his heart ache to realize that perhaps he would never be able to do that same thing.

He raised his head the slightest fraction as Mai and Otogi glanced towards him. Both of them lowered theirs slightly and wagged their tails but he didn't know if it was jovial or congratulations or mere submission. The thought made his skin crawl under his pelt.

You expect us all to hunt? The pack is over twenty wolves. There's just no way that—

They all hunt together when you are not around.

But how? How could such a large pack hunt when it would be so easy to detect them? There were so many of them there. There were so many and even if they could all hunt, how did they manage to catch food traveling in such a huge group? He could not understand how it was that it was possible.

Obelisk gave him a look that he knew would have translated into a smirk had he been human. I'll show you how it's possible if you will simply call to attention such a task.

Yugi considered him for a moment. Was it even worth it? The wolves were so much like a cult. They did as they desired with disregard to anything that did not affect them in any manner. It was as if personal gain were all which mattered to any of them. And, if they were truly willing to kill simply for the sake of secrecy and having Atem among them, then what was to prevent them attempting to do so with him now?

Hadn't Yami said something similar to hint towards how they might go against his family and friends for the sake of controlling him? They were closed off from the world; they performed sacrifices of other wolves. If that did not define the makings of a cult, he did not know what did.

The thought made him want to puke. How was it that he could even stand to be among them in the first place? His stomach knotted and he looked between the two gods cautiously for a moment. The pack was of followers and the gods were their superiors but Atem was their absolution. He was their reason for existence. He was the rise and fall of the sun and the moon. He brought life to their forms when they were wary and exhausted.

He was like a god which received more worship than the rest.

He was the future.

But Obelisk was right.

The two gods were the present.

Yugi flicked an ear and tilted his head slightly as he peered at the two of them. If he were to summon them for a hunt, did they expect him to lead it? How was he supposed to do that? He could not bear the thought of having to hunt and kill for nothing more than the sake of showing these wolves he was powerful enough to lead them. And what proof did he truly have to provide them? It made as little sense as the very idea of the thought of the wolves pledging themselves to him in the first place.

But perhaps it was not a bad thing to give them another reason to believe in his worth. Why should he disregard the idea of giving them more reason to follow him than what the gods deemed their "purpose"? Yugi felt lightheaded to look at them now, but shook it off moments later.

Then let's get a move on with this, he said with a somewhat dismissive sneer of a tone. He turned away as the two gods swapped looks and quickly trotted forward without a backwards glance. The other wolves responded to his unspoken presence with immediate glances in his direction. Each of them watched with curious eyes, almost stunned by the alpha's appearance before them once more. Yugi raised his chin, lifted his tail slightly, and then moved forward a step further. I am calling for a hunt.

Aki was the first to respond, brown eyes growing wide before she bristled faintly. Her gaze flickered about the other wolves for a moment, as if she were nervous but incredibly angry as well. A few feet away from her, Marik lifted his head and peered at him in slight bewilderment. Mai and Otogi both blinked and turned with wide eyes before subsequently tilting their heads in surprise. The brown and white she-wolf came towards him with a somewhat dismissive expression to her eyes.

Hunt? You wish to call us to hunt? She was sneering and sounded unusually comfortable and able in her spoken words. Yugi peered at her with his ears pricked forward, lips threatening to curl back in growing disdain. She had been blatant in her disregard towards him, even before he had come to officially know her name. Oftentimes he would see her for only a second and then she would be long gone. She had openly ignored him when he had spoken formerly and now did not make even the slightest of differences. He curled his lips back, showing his teeth now. She peered at him coolly. You barely spend time with us and then you call us to allow you to know us. And now you demand that we hunt for you?

For me? Yugi echoed her in disgust. No, you can hunt with me.

Aki snorted loudly enough that several of the others startled. Nervous glances were swapped around. And then somewhat excited looks were cast at them. Yugi could feel the fur lifting along his back and the disdain in his blood was rapidly growing into a ravenous hatred. He could spill her blood and maybe it would alleviate some of his fury. Maybe it would bring his personality back to what it had been before. Maybe, if he tore into her, he could get rid of some of the pain and the anger and all of it would go away for a few minutes.

And wouldn't that be worth it?

He almost lunged at her. His mouth had opened the smallest of millimeters. And then it snapped shut in a snarl as Obelisk and Slifer moved to his sides. The she-wolf came to his left and the god of war to his right. It was somehow stunning to him how swiftly even Aki took notice of this. Within mere seconds the brown and white she-wolf had backed up several steps and subsequently lowered her chin a fraction. Her eyes fell onto the snow beyond one of their paws and not once did she show them the same arrogance.

And he hated her for it.

But he hated the gods more for showing their capability to draw it from her.

Yugi felt the fur fall flat on his back again. He looked sideways at Obelisk. You're to join us, he announced, though he'd known the other wolf had planned to do so long before. He wrinkled his nose when the gray canine glanced at him, then turned towards Mai and Otogi. How did the hunts normally go? He couldn't recall. Alphas were to lead them in hopes of finding prey, but they all separated and tried to hunt the weakest within a herd, right? But did werewolves hunt like that?

He wracked his brain but he couldn't know. Yami had hunted on his own. He'd never needed help. And he'd only ever seen him before or after he'd gone about it. He'd eat and then return or he'd devour his catch and then trot along again. There was no amount of him trying to force Yugi to help him, nor ever an attempt to teach the smaller wolf how to do so on his own. Yami had been careful not to make him feel he had to do it. And the one time he'd truly bothered to watch him hunt, the wolf had caught and released a single rabbit multiple times.

Yugi swallowed and looked towards Slifer for a moment. How had her daughter done this? How had she led so many wolves so effortlessly to hunt or do anything in general?

The thought was crazy to him. How did anyone keep track of so many lives? And what of the hierarchy? Ever since he had set foot in the camp, things had seemed to become more and more chaotic. It did not help how often he neglected them, however. He was aware of that, even if he did not want to linger on such an obvious flaw he displayed so blatantly.

It was bewildering and confusing to him in every sense of the thought. He did not know how anyone could so easily find a place among twenty others and be accepted as their leader. It was insane to him. How was it even slightly possible? Yugi felt dizzy and small in the shadow she had left over the pack. He did not know how to fill the darkness her absence so keenly left for him to embrace.

And his lack of understanding could have been hidden before, cushioned almost effortlessly due simply to the presence of Yami's being there. If he were still there at his side, he could have explained. He could have helped him to find his answers or to seem more official an alpha. He lacked in every department, for his disregard and his stunted knowledge of it all.

Are you going to join us?

The red she-wolf did not blink at him, shaking her head slowly and studying him with her intense golden yes. No, she answered dismissively. I will not be a part of this. But Obelisk will do you well.

Yugi huffed softly. Yes, he'll do fine, he snapped with slight embitterment. He glanced at the gray wolf with growing disdain and turned away again. Mai, Otogi, come with me. You'll be my flanks.

The two wolves blinked in surprise for a moment and then began to race forward. The announcement seemed to further ruffle Aki, however, because the she-wolf bristled as they passed and almost seemed to want to chomp her teeth in resentment. Yugi took the smallest hint of pride at angering her further but a bite of guilt came with it as well. Why should she be so upset about it? Had she expected him to call on her?

The thought made him falter. Was she the original beta? He had seen her that night when he'd stumbled upon the sacrifices. But he'd never seen her do much beyond sit and watch. And he'd assumed she was just as the others were—spectators who wished to see Code Name Atem come from all the carnage.

So it made little sense to him. She had not even sat with the alpha prior. And he had not seen her directly associated with any of it. His stomach ached as he fought back the urge to glance over his shoulder. She would get angrier and he didn't need that.

He doubted she would actually attack him outright but a verbal spat would require too much energy for him to maintain and hold his own in. So he shrugged it off.

Mai was a few inches away from him and Otogi was on her other side. The two of them glanced at him with something like elated puzzlement. He looked at them for a moment, then snorted softly and almost wagged his tail at them. It was odd how nervous they seemed.

But he didn't bother to comment on it as they continued forward and now he could hear the other wolves beginning to follow. They moved in what seemed to be pairs and small groups of three as he was doing. He couldn't fully tell due to the sound of their paws on the ground, the way the snow crunched loudly and their breaths seemed to come in unison behind him. They sounded like an army, moving in the same heartbeat and never pausing. It was almost enough to make his fur rise in a bristle.

A moment passed and Yugi waited for the inevitable. As he'd expected, only a few more minutes slipped by. Then Obelisk came to his side, pushing between him and Mai with little effort. The she-wolf and her companion naturally fell back a step and then moved to take the places directly behind them. Yugi thought of traffic and cars merging in lanes for the smallest of moments. Then he shrugged it off and turned his attention towards the god with a sideways glance.

So what now?

The gray wolf snorted softly and Yugi noticed how languid his stride was, wondering if he himself looked so lazy and casual in his movements. I suppose we'll go for the boars. They are closest, yes? he commented with a voice that said he clearly did not give a damn. It made Yugi's stomach drop and his mind race for a moment.

Pain lanced its way through his heart and spread through his veins with each pump. His lungs tightened for a moment and he begged his thoughts to turn away. But, by the gods, was it nice to hear Yami's voice in his head again, soft and simplistic.

"I've only hunted boar once. I preferred the serows. But I do remember that they were somewhat heavier and harder to kill. The serows have that thick fur during winter. But the boars possess strong hides all year round."

Yugi felt his heart pounding and he wondered if the god beside him could sense it. Did he know where his mind had gone? Did he know how broken he felt at the mere memory? How long ago had it been? Weeks? A month?

"Serows tend to look back over their shoulders constantly. I did not ever truly bother to attempt stalking them. Boars were more likely to attack you in response. It was harder to take one down because they constantly charged and tried to keep in time with you. And their tusks were much sharper than I assumed they would be."

Yugi felt sick as the words faded from his thought.

Yami had gotten hurt. Yami, the wolf who seemed to be able to pick fights and win no matter the odds stacked against him. The same one who had so recklessly gone to save him that first day he changed. The boar had managed to scratch his leg, had put a sense of wariness in Yami. And he had the sudden thought that perhaps the boar had done more than just that mere cut.

And his heart hurt more than ever.

He lowered his head slightly. Aren't the boars more dangerous? he finally asked, eyes cold as he looked at him sideways.

Any prey animal can be dangerous. Tusks and hide make them strong but they can be killed all the same.

That's not the—

Ask these wolves what they eat most.

His ears flicked about for a moment. They ate boars more than serows? He supposed that made sense. The boars were going to be in larger groups, weren't they? Then again, he couldn't remember all that much about serows to begin with. He had limited knowledge of prey animals. Predators had always been his forte when it came to learning about them. And now he almost wished he'd learned more ahead of time.

But he did not suppose it actually mattered. The wolves ate what they wanted. And they probably had a lot of experience with the boars as it was.

It took only twenty minutes for them to catch a sign of them. Obelisk lowered his nose to the snow and then shot him a sideways look before trotting ahead with his tail raised only slightly. The white wolf did not bother to try to overtake him or go to his side. He simply quickened his pace. In turn, as one, the wolves did the same behind him. They were like a river in the richness of their coats as they moved. Their eyes were trained forward, their ears pricked, tails coming up in slight wags.

Obelisk stopped a little away and now Yugi could hear them. The snow was being dug into. The boars were panting, breathing out so loudly he imagined they were dragons instead. The white wolf crept closer and he was oddly shocked by the sight of them. They were huge, so much larger than he'd originally assumed they'd be.

And the tusks were so immense that they made his stomach drop. The boars each boasted a height near the same as the wolves themselves. The realization and seeing them in such hulking size was horrifying. His eyes were caught on them, holding tight in the effort of giving his brain recognition and description.

They were bulky masses of two coats, with feet buried beneath the snow. The front of the body was incredibly powerful, full of such strength and muscle that it made him falter to a stop. The back legs were thinner, so much so that he thought of wasted muscle from a senior animal. The shoulders seemed to rise like the peaks of a mountain, dark and hideous against the white of the snow. And the thick neck made his fur shudder as he imagined just the effort it would take to puncture such muscle. And, by the gods, their heads were huge. He did not know what more to do than gape at the immensity of its skull.

His fur shuddered along his back. Obelisk looked not the least bit undone by the sight of them. And some of the other wolves even began to spread about to attempt an ambush technique. But Yugi was frozen there, shocked into sheer stupidity by it all. How were they so big? He hadn't realized they would be so large.

His stomach rolled painfully and he pricked his ears forward. The other wolves began to move towards the shadows along the bare trees further beyond his vantage point. They faded into the darkness as if swallowed whole. He saw them in his peripheral but never turned his attention away.

Obelisk moved past him, trotting a few feet along. And then, before his eyes, Yugi watched the wolves rush forward. More than twenty canines now sprang towards a crowd of over ten full grown boars. And the mere ferocity of their gesture and the defensive flanking of the pigs made his heart pound hideously.

There were thick manes of fur along the tops of several of the huge bodies. How was it that the wolves were brave enough to go up against male boars? They were vicious, hideous, and they would likely rip them to pieces.

Aki was one of the first to get hit. A tusk caught her shoulder. She wheeled around. Her teeth snapped on the very bridge of its large nose. The tusk glinted red at the very tip but the she-wolf did not respond beyond moving back a few steps. She and Mai stood inches apart, tails wagging in the air slowly as they bore their teeth.

Otogi was nearest Obelisk. The two of them were attempting to drive the pigs apart from each other. Marik was charging recklessly at a male, then wheeling back and rushing again. He, too, was trying to find a weakness and a way to separate them, Yugi realized. His teeth were constantly shown. His fur was in a bristle. His tail was wagging. When he was chased, nothing of his posture changed. He was angry; he was ready to spill blood. He did not care to do much else in all actuality.

Yugi crouched in the snow. The wolves all circled and danced amongst the huge shapes. They wove their ways like shadows. He could feel the surprising urge to join them. But caution held him still. As Marik was finally caught and tossed forward, Yugi flinched. The wolf landed on his back, rolled over, and got up again. The attack seemed to have hardly fazed him.

It almost told the excitement in him to charge forward. It nearly made him think that perhaps he would not feel any pain either. But the harsh reality of it struck him as well. The wolves were all used to these things. They knew what they were doing. They had so often gone about hunting like this. And there was not one of them who did not know their form better than him, he was sure.

And he remembered, for a moment, how the adrenaline had crashed upon fighting Obelisk. He'd felt the pain then. And the gray wolf had not even meant to hurt him in any manner. He'd simply meant to distract him. He'd meant to drag him out of the labs. He'd meant to make sure he got out of it okay. Just the mere thought of his encounter then did wonders to cease any sense of casual enticement.

His stomach knotted and he bristled again. The wolves continued to dance around the pigs. Then they turned and weaved between them. The family unit separated only for a moment. Then they began to close in on the wolves, forcing them back out of their circle. The snarling that came about was mixed with loud squeals. When Yugi blinked, Marik had caught one of the pigs by the leg. He was holding it in place, trapping it. When it twisted and tried to charge him, he moved with it. It ran in a circle, panting and squealing.

Then Obelisk came forward. The solid gray wolf slammed into its side. It screamed and fell from the impact. Some of the wolves leaped on it. Others dwelled at the edges. Aki was forcing a boar away from where it was attempting to get at the two males. Otogi and Mai chased another. A pig squealed. Marik snarled and snapped. Obelisk kept his entire body still, using his weight to pin it down.

But it was thrashing and Yugi was amazed that neither of them went flying. Another wolf sprang at the query. And then another followed suit. Yugi could hardly tell them apart in his shock. The way they leaped into the action of trying to kill the pig was so animalistic it was stunning. His human side was appalled, but a part of him was mesmerized. They were snapping and digging teeth in. One of them was trying to tear open the gut.

And then Yugi felt it. Something inside of him grew enlarged, panicked and yet ecstatic. Waves of heat swept through his blood. His mouth opened and closed. His ears flattened against his skull.

Snow was flying in the air. The wolves were snarling. The boars were squealing. Several of the canines dashed from their prey and back to. At first Yugi didn't understand. But there was a roaring squeal of a noise. It seemed to make the very air quiver. In its core, the wolves responded in unison. Each of them released the boar and tried to run. But the pigs charged without a second thought.

The wolves snarled and snapped. They turned tail and fled a few feet. The pigs chased. The bleeding victim they'd chosen struggled to its feet. Yugi crouched lower in the snow. Fear lanced through him. His breathing came out in small gasps.

There was a hideous whimper. Yugi blinked and raised his head. In the snow, the boars could not see him. But the she-wolf in front of him screamed. And he struggled to recognize her. But the smaller form did not seem to notice him. He blinked. Blood splattered the snow. The wolf screamed again. The boars lowered their heads and—

He moved. Obelisk's head snapped up. Aki, panting and quivering, froze. Marik bore his teeth with wide eyes. Mai flattened her ears against her skull. Otogi blinked, horrified. The others panted and collectively looked up with shocked, bewildered expressions.

The wolf was as white as the snow. His fur was bright, glistening. Where the moonlight touched him he seemed to glow. But it wasn't this that surprised them. The canine charged straight at the boars. His teeth were bared, fur up in a bristle. His tail was raised, ears pricked. He snapped his teeth inches from the boar's face. And the beast squealed as if in horror.

Teeth glistening with blood, the pig backed up. The wolf snapped his jaws again. Then he launched forward once more. His teeth were opened wide enough to almost swallow the animal. In a flash he'd caught its eye. The other pigs squealed and charged.

Obelisk snarled and rushed forward. But Yugi simply released. In a matter of moments the boar's tusks were tossed at him. The smaller wolf lowered his body and snapped his teeth. Something broke and splintered. The pig screamed. The white canine dodged away and charged another.

In mere seconds the pigs were running. The wolf was shaking, covered in blood. Obelisk could not tell if it was his own. He was trembling too hard. His blue-violet eyes were plum in the dark. He was panting but looked far from exhausted.

A few seconds passed. In the darkness, Yugi looked like a specter, so white it was amazing he existed. Obelisk trotted forward cautiously. He pricked his ears and looked the smaller wolf over. But Yugi paid him no attention. Rather he lowered his head, moved forward a few steps, and whined with his ears flattened against his skull.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he saw red eyes and black fur. And the blood pooled around his mouth. His sides were slicked. His entire body was frozen and still. But in the snow in front of him, a much smaller, lithe body of smooth muscle and glistening fur lay. It was mostly red but the undercoat was shaded an odd brown mixed with tawny. And the way the legs were splayed spoke of a broken ribcage. The body was trampled almost in half. Fur, muscle, and grizzle were splattered upon the ice surrounding it.

Yugi could not breathe for a moment. His entire body shook. His ribs seemed to crack beneath the strain of breathing. His face was wreathed with shaky exhales. He shuddered harder. Then his eyes flickered as if he'd blinked. Obelisk could not tell if he had. But the other wolf was so hauntingly still, frozen in place, that it made him stiffen. Finally, as if in a daze, the white canine looked over.

I…I was too late. I don't… H-how…? He trailed off for a moment, then bore his teeth. His entire body was shaking again. His eyes were wild. Why didn't any of you help her?!

Obelisk did not speak for a moment. His amber-specked eyes flickered away to the body and then back. He stretched his neck out, sniffing for a few moments before wrinkling his nose. The purpose of this event was to hunt. None of us were able to watch each other while we were doing so. She should have had the sense to pay enough attention and not get herself hurt.

He bristled and snapped his teeth. She's dead, Obelisk! Because none of us were paying attention when she was being trampled to death. How do you justify that with hunting? That's bullshit!

Perhaps for you, seeing as you were not doing anything to help feed the rest of your wolves, it is nonsensical. But for us, we were busy ensuring that we ourselves did not end up being gouged with tusks. The gray wolf flicked an ear and sniffed loudly for a moment before looking at her body curiously. How odd that her spine had snapped beneath the pressure. She was completely sheered opened on the side facing them. And her entrails were bright pink against the red. Her fur was slicked back completely, torn away on the outer edges. It is a tragedy but it does not end things for the living.

Yugi's immediate response was to ask if he would feel the same way had he been the one broken so pathetically and lying before them in his own blood. And then he remembered himself. He was Atem here. And he was the most important wolf within their ranks, regardless of even the gods that so often surrounded him.

And he wondered how it was that anyone could think that. How could any of them think his life more important than that of the wolf beside them? How could any of them assume that the person they'd grown up and survived with was worth less than a stranger? Did belief systems really dictate such things?

He looked at them. Marik was covered in blood from the mouth to his chest. He was licking at his mouth, clearly impatient and hungry. Aki was breathing slightly hard and the tiniest trickle of blood slicked her shoulder. Her mouth, too, had the smallest touch of red. And her eyes were glittering darkly with hunger. Mai was favoring her left leg but the wound looked extremely artificial, the bottom of her limb bright red. Beside her Otogi had come about the events unscathed, teal eyes bright with excitement and hunger. His white-tipped ears flicked for a brief moment and then he lowered his eyes and sniffed at the snow with a leisurely breath.

Yugi stared at each of them and wondered for a moment. And, when he turned his head to look at Obelisk again, there was the faintest touch of disbelief to trickle upon his insides. He blinked, bewildered, and his fur bristled slightly once more.

Would he have cared if it had been Ra or Slifer lying there? But why should he?

They could come back.

They would heal and come back the same as they had the moment before their death.

His stomach dropped. Obelisk didn't feel remorse. Yet they had all claimed that they loved the living wolves. They had all said… Even Morrigan had… He wanted to vomit. But what came out instead was a soft comment of, I have something to do. Take her back to the camp and bury her somewhere.

Yugi all but fled when he turned away and picked his way past Mai. The she-wolf gave him a confused, concerned look, but he did not pay her any attention.

---

He dropped in front of her with what felt like stones filling his gut. His paws clicked on the slabs of slate and his fur bristled briefly as he listened to his own steps amplified violently throughout the darkness around them. The she-wolf glanced up immediately but did it with such leisure that he knew he had not surprised her. Nor did she truly care that he had come to see her.

You knew that she was going to die.

Her ears flicked and her golden eyes were glacial. Of course I did, she drawled in a somewhat lazy tone. I know each death to transpire. I could tell you in all its entirety which of the pack will fall and when. But to do so is dangerous. I can see your anger, your selflessness. You wish to save them all. You are a fool to assume such responsibility. You do not possess the strength to save yourself, let alone them.

He drew his lips back. Isn't that what I am meant to do? he spat. But how can I when none of you will help me?!

Slifer tilted her head. The three of us have done more for you than you know. That's not even including the numerous things the Harbingers have done for you as well. Her golden eyes flickered away for the smallest fraction of a moment. Her lips pulled back into something almost akin a human sneer. Then she turned away entirely and lowered her head onto her paws.

She looked so incredibly weary, as if immortality had done nothing to slow her true aging. He wondered at how many scars might have littered her skin beneath her fur. And he had to wonder how much she had seen and experienced, how jaded it must have made her. And then he wondered if perhaps she was so dismissive and beyond grief of death because she herself had experienced it before. Did it change someone that much? He knew people went through stages and sometimes they were stuck so far in one that they never recovered. But had Slifer ever experienced that? Or had she always been so bitter and cold? Resilient towards pain?

Had she ever felt as if the world were moving against her? That every part of her life was hollow and someone important was missing beyond her understanding? Had she been too young to truly know and understand her mother and family's deaths?

The thought bewildered him. How could she have suffered loss like that and not aspired to want to protect the ones who were still alive now? But then, she saw their entire lives in her own eyes, didn't she? She knew them. She possessed the knowledge of every birth to the end of their lives, didn't she? How was it fair of him to judge her knowing that?

Because she doesn't seem to ever truly care, his mind spat forth furiously. And the cycle began again, anger creeping into him. His sense of confusion was swept away within moments.

He bore his teeth at her, but her exhausted expression seemed to undo some of his aggression and he wondered at himself for a moment. It was so much easier to be angry and tired than to try to find sympathy and compassion. It was overwhelming how simplistic it was in comparison.

You let me lead them off into the woods knowing that little girl was going to die.

You do not truly believe that you are capable of fighting death, Atem? she drawled dismissively, turning her head and eyeing him sharply. I assume you are confused or perhaps you have simply forgotten the warning of which your Harbinger friend spoke of. Death stalks your paws, Code Name Atem. You have no reprieve from the sight of it. As is the same for all other wolves.

He snarled low in his throat. I could have saved her.

Could have, would have, should have, she spat back, but her voice was free of venom and laden with wary exhaustion. Does it truly matter? Death happens. It will always happen. You are a fool to think otherwise, Atem. You cannot prevent it more than you could your own collision with that boy, Ushio. You do not define your life. Your life happens. That is the way that Atem lives. He is a god of a smaller decree. And he will be treated as such.

That's not the way the world works! That's not how life works. People can change their circumstances all of the time—

But the wolves cannot. She sat up and her eyes were glowing in the darkness, boring into his body hideously. Her lips peeled back and her teeth flashed brilliantly in the shadows. We are bound by a very strict nature. Our DNA makes things hard for us. Our natural instinct makes survival something almost impossible rather than obtainable. You do not understand your own path and that is forgivable but it is not your right to judge me. Nor my sisters or brothers. You have limited understanding. You do not grasp the concept of eternal life and the gift of immortality without spite. You are not the Atem that is needed.

And the other one? he spat. I have yet to see anything that hint at a second Pure-Blood to begin with. Either there isn't a second or you all have withheld him.

She tilted her head. And give you the opportunity to hide behind them? she asked in a snide tone that made him bristle with something almost akin fearful apprehension. Why should we do that? You've embraced the name but neglect the significance behind it.

Yugi stared at her, disturbed by the implications but well aware of them at the same time. It caused his fur to bristle more noticeably and he hated her for it. More than ever he despised her for her ability to press upon his weaknesses like this. It was overwhelming to see and it made his heart ache where it pumped rapidly in his chest. He drew in a deep, slightly overwhelmed breath.

Why me? Why is it me?

Slifer watched him for a long moment, then slowly moved to sit up. If she had looked any wearier at that moment he would have thought her bones would pop from the action. It was exhausting to him to merely watch her and his skin shuddered beneath his pelt as he tilted his head.

Why you? she repeated in a low, almost wistful tone. Her golden eyes flickered away for a moment and then fell upon him again slowly. You are the blood of Ra, are you not? And the first in generations to come out of the dormant stance of your lycanthropy. Do you not understand the significance of that alone? But you named yourself Atem. You proclaimed it to that pack of yours. And you ask me now why it is you are to be Atem? Why it is you who are so important?

Important? I'm a pawn in a war—

She snapped her teeth, bristling as she spun on him. You are the king, the battle cry, the last breath. You are the primordial force to kill and cause bloodshed. Do you not understand? You are the most significant part of this war. She blinked and her eyes flickered away. Do you truly believe that I would have saved you otherwise? Or Obelisk? Or my sister Morrigan? Her very son is the melee of it all as well. He has to fend for himself against those humans who wish to harvest his power and use him for breeding. And her daughter is so young she could lose her innocence and thus her soul from the pressure. And gods forbid her other daughter reigns loose.

She has three? he managed to breathe out. But there are only two Pure-Bloods!

And one of her children is not pure. But where her power is limited is not something I know.

Valon… Is he going to survive?

She blinked and raised her head to look at him again, a glint in her eyes that said she wished to rip his head from his body. You worry about the Harbinger more than your own kind?

We're all wolves, aren't we? Yugi snapped bitterly. We're all the same species. Just because he's a hellhound and I'm a lycanthrope doesn't mean more than blood type. And he's a friend. Of course I'm going to worry about him.

Slifer wrinkled his lips back and bore her teeth. The future is not set in stone. Beyond your involvement in this war, there is nothing I know of for certain but the next death to happen. As for Valon, his future is a mystery to me. I am not the god he prays to. His mother and father are.

Yugi was frozen in place, horror swamping his senses. His mother and father are gods? he whispered, eyes so wide they seemed to eclipse his face. How am I supposed to compete with that?!

You are a Pure-Blood. We won the war before. We shall again now, she drawled in a simplistic tone, as if there were nothing more to say about it all. Their blood is watered down from breeding with humans. Yours, however, is not. It was simply dormant before now. That is the difference.

That's crap, Slifer. Valon's parents are both gods—

She snorted loudly. Yes but what is your point? she asked dismissively. Have you forgotten that there are two of you? You and the second Pure-Blood exist to shoulder a burden of equal proportions.

But I don't know who it is! You said it's not Yami. Then who is it?!

Slifer shook her head and got to her feet. But she did not attempt to loom over him as Obelisk might have. Rather she simply stood there and shook herself out once before turning away again. Why should knowing their name make a difference for you? You fail to understand that while they exist, they cannot finish what you have already begun. Do you not wish to save the others? I was under the impression that you desired to help them.

And yet death stalks my paws. You have told me so, Obelisk has said the same, as has Ra. Between the three of you, I am amazed that I'm not surrounded by carnage—

But you are, are you not? The child who died tonight, your best human's younger sister, Yami, the wolves he's killed, the heads you yourself have taken off. Tell me, Yugi, when did any of that cease to exist because of your mounting stress? When did any of that change simply for the sake of your distress? She curled her lip. Yugi Motou is a human boy who values life, is he not? So why does Atem the wolf fail to think to fight for them?

He was frozen for a moment. I do care. I…I do value… But what's the point, Slifer? I can't change anything, can I? They're still going to die.

She looked at him spitefully. Yes they shall, but all things young must pass when they grow old. But generations are built on what happened before them. You can either allow them to survive or bring an end to the future of wolves who might otherwise make changes that we ourselves cannot.

Atem is meant to secure the survival of the wolves, is that not true? And how is he meant to do that?

By being the leader the wolves need.

The wolves can't follow an alpha that's already dead. He halted, eyes growing wide, and Slifer studied him with brilliant golden eyes. She almost seemed to see through him and his heart began to race with panic. The smaller white wolf paused for a long minute, gaping as his jaws fell open, and turned and ran the way he'd come.

---

The edges of the forest were blurred, the fine definition of them almost invisible within the dark corners. The clouds were dark, thunderous, and the pine needles looked like skeletal fingers. Yet the shadows seemed filtered through with soft touches of light, gentle and beautiful beyond what he'd ever known. Yugi stared forward against the darkness, considering it all, and watched the branches as they moved ever so slightly.

In the dark there was limited definition to the space around him but the sky seemed miles above and the shadows seemed to drench the earth like oil. And the branches were so tightly knit as to be that of a huge spider web. His skin crawled but the blackness was a blanket too thick to truly see beyond.

When he lowered his eyes again, his heart was racing. When had the wolf gotten so close to him? The massive frame was fuzzy around the edges, the hairs blending in with the dark shadows beyond them. Yugi would have been alarmed if he had not known those brilliant eyes. With a sense of panic and growing definition, the white wolf hurried forward in a bound, the snow lagging him slightly but the muscles in his body doing well to plow through it.

The red gaze looked unusually cold and suffocating, like the very manifestation of the winter around them. But Yugi did not slow, stopping only when he was feet away, panting from the exertion and feeling amazing despite it.

Aibou!

The red eyes flickered, curious, but the black wolf did not respond beyond this. The dark nose was wrinkling softly as it drew in breaths and Yugi wondered if he was imagining it that the other canine seemed to be scenting him. His heart was stuttering in his chest, eyes growing wide and confused.

Yami… He faltered. The wolf showed him no true signs of recognition. Instead it sniffed softly at him again and angled its nose to the snow as if looking for prey beneath the ice. Yugi shivered and moved forward another step but Yami did not regard him for a moment. It was only when Yugi lowered his own head and snarled low in his throat that the other slowly responded.

First the ears pricked. Then, silently, the wolf blinked. The red eyes flickered towards him. The gaze was colder now. The twitch of its nose stilled. Lips began to curl and pull back. Incisors glinted in front of him. Along its neck, the fur began to rise. And then, with a snap of its teeth, the wolf straightened. Its shoulders squared. Its tail rose slowly.

Did he not recognize him?

Yugi fell silent, then raised his tail into a wag, keeping it parallel to his spine. The black wolf stared for a moment. Then he turned away again, aggression dropped in an instant. The smaller wolf felt as if something inside of him were shattering away into nothingness.

Please, Yami…

The other canine stepped away from him, moving as if to slip around his side. The action made Yugi bristle. Immediately he stepped in front of him again, growling now. The forceful action was almost enough to make them bump shoulders with the speed. But Yami dodged back and snapped his teeth again. The two of them stared at one another. The red eyes were glittering now, with a brightness of rage and wild confusion.

There was a feral quality to his expression, something that shook Yugi to the core. He did not seem to be merely looking at him. He seemed to be peering through him. Or perhaps he was imagining killing him. The sight brought a stutter to his lungs. His heart skipped beats. His stomach dropped. Yami stared at him, furious, wild, and altogether confused.

Did he even hear him? Did he understand him?

Yugi flattened his ears against his head. He didn't want to fight him. He especially didn't want to hurt him. Where were they anyways? It didn't look like the forest of frost—Paradise, he reminded himself abruptly—that the gods had drawn him into for counsel.

This wasn't the same place.

But was it the forest beyond that river of blood?

Yugi considered for a moment. Then he licked his lips and moved his head to a tilt, bristling faintly. Maybe in his state of fear from the dreams, Yami had suppressed memories and did not wish to acknowledge him. The smaller wolf was frozen for a moment. Then he craned his neck to lick at his forehead. Oddly enough, the black wolf did not so much as flinch from the soft touch. Instead his nose wrinkled and confusion lit his red eyes for a moment.

I'm sorry, Yami, he said quietly, a strained note creeping into his tone. I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to save you. And I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm so sorry for not being able to protect you. And I shouldn't have said you weren't… I didn't mean to say that you might be…

The wolf tilted his head, pricking his ears forward. Red eyes regarded him for a long minute, both unclear and somehow startlingly powerful in their clarity. He bristled and then peeled his lips back to show his teeth again. The low rumbling snarl did nothing to deter Yugi however.

Do you even remember me, Yami? Do you remember yourself anymore? Yugi snapped his teeth when the other seemed to attempt to move around him. The action caught him only a dismissive snarl before the wolf turned away again with his ears flat. He was eyeing him sideways and the white wolf felt small and sickly at the sight of such dark red eyes given human expression.

For a moment he remembered that bloodied, tired face that had stared back at him from the surface of the pond of water and it made his heart quake in his chest. His breathing had grown tight again and his fur was lifted in a fearful bristle. How much of that had been true? Had he merely been projecting what he feared had come to happen to the other lycanthrope? Or had Yami truly been hit and struck and wounded to such a state?

A restless sense of disgust came through him.

Yami had been human in his dream.

Had he been beaten in his human form?

Or had the wolf half of him simply carried the pain to his human form as well?

He snarled low in his throat, outraged by the very concept. Who was so foolish and disgusting as to do this to him? Who was so angry as to harm him? How had they found him? Had he been half dead as Yugi had felt upon waking?

The black wolf eyed him coldly. The ferocity was feverish in his dark red gaze and Yugi felt sickened at the sight of it. He had witnessed his anger before, but never so clearly focused upon him. And the sight of it was both riveting and horrifying.

Do you understand me? Do you remember me at all, Yami? he pleaded, blinking at him and trying his hardest to keep from crying out at the cold uncaring look in his gleaming eyes.

Slowly, with a voice guttural, so deep it seemed almost to scrape the very bottom of his lungs in the effort to crawl forth, the wolf snarled, No. And then he lunged.

Yugi barely managed to jerk his head to the side. Yami had aimed for his throat. But the movement had saved the white wolf. He backed up a step, trembling. The black canine loomed over him. His red eyes were glowing brighter than ever. Hateful and feral, the canine moved closer. The snarl was deafening now. The noise seemed to shake his very marrow. Yugi backed up again, flattening his ears against his skull.

Yami, please, he cried out haltingly, eyes wide and terrified. I don't want to fight with you—

The teeth clicked to a shut in front of his nose, mere millimeters away. The snarl that bubbled up was hideous, almost human in its guttural edge. Move. His teeth were glacial in their glimmering edge. His ears pricked forward and his gums looked oddly blistered, Yugi realized. When he focused he noted the heavy stench of blood. The coppery edge made him flinch back. He could not see any red upon his lips nor his gums or within the space of his sharp teeth.

And he did not seem to be in pain.

But the smell was overpowering, so immense that it threatened to swallow him whole. Yugi backed up again and now Yami seemed to stare through him for a brief moment before turning away entirely. He was sniffing again, as if something were buried beneath the snow and the rotting earth under it. Yugi bristled but kept his head lowered in a more submissive stance. Yami would demolish him in a fight, just as Obelisk would if they ever truly had a spat that was more than mild inconvenience.

If the god were ever to lose his temper with him then Yugi knew his life would become mere seconds. But, looking at Yami now, the black wolf did not truly appear to care for his presence there in any way, shape or form. If, in this dream place, he didn't know who he was, then it made sense.

But Yugi was desperate to be proven otherwise. He wanted Yami to turn towards him, with hate or fury or disgust, with that beautiful gleam to his eyes that said he knew him, that he recognized him. Yugi didn't think he deserved forgiveness, considering what had come about from his mishap at the river, but he swore to anyone listening that, if Yami just remembered, he'd be happy.

Yami, he said quietly, slowly, with cautious eyes. The canine did not truly react to his own name. It was the mere disturbance within his mind that made his eyes slowly flicker to his face. Yugi was stiff, legs threatening to snap beneath the pressure of moving. Even his heavier breathing seemed to make them ache. You smell like blood.

The black wolf slowly raised his head. Teeth were bared in an instant. The snarl was a gurgling of power and weakness all in one. And Yugi felt his heart stuttering in his chest now. The pain which swept through him was almost enough to make him sob. In front of him, blood had begun to drip and stain the snow. Yami blinked and his eyes looked glazed over now. Something fearful and full of disdain began to cloud his gaze.

Yami? It was foolish, but he still moved closer. The action made Yami snap his jaws at him but a violent shudder wracked his frame and he missed. He was heaving for air now, as Yugi had been minutes before. But the gurgling noise was a million times louder. And Yugi could smell the blood in waves and buckets. It was as if he were in the river again. The metallic stench was suffocating.

Yami jerked. His spine began to arch. Then it straightened again. He snarled. His mouth fell open. His teeth glinted. His eyes were almost blind with panic. He heaved and shook. His sides collapsed inward, then slowly expanded. He gasped and choked. His eyes glazed further. He tried to blink. He coughed. His ears flattened. His legs buckled. A whine left him first. Then the gurgling came louder than before. Yami lay there, shaking so hard his entire body seemed almost to vibrate.

And now Yugi could see the wounds. They covered him. His sides were torn beneath his fur. His legs were broken, the bone splitting the front right. His shoulder was stripped. His muzzle was bleeding profusely. An eye was scraped and bloodied. The back limbs were covered in blood. The tail was torn to bone at the base. But the most terrible one was something he had never seen before.

Yami's entire stomach had been ripped open. And the organs—

Yugi flinched and gaped, horrified. They were throbbing, moving in time with his pulse. The ribs that should have encased his lungs were broken in shards. And it almost looked as if something had somehow managed to bite through it. The bone nearest was scraped in the fine definition of teeth. He looked trampled in certain spots.

Yugi was shaking when he came closer. Yami was heaving and panting, shaking harder than ever before. The smaller wolf came to his side now, unsure of what more to do. Was he dying? This was a dream right? Was it a figment of his fears? Or was it like when he met with Slifer and Ra and Obelisk? What was he…?

You're okay, he whispered in the shakiest voice he had ever heard. It cracked and broke at the edges. But Yami didn't respond and so Yugi ignored it as well. Instead he quickly lowered his head and licked at one of the wounds on his face. The blood was stale and almost crusted. The taste was hideous, layered and caked with dirt and pus. He cringed but instinctively kept going. It was no different than when Yami had done the same for him during his first Change. He owed him that much.

The black wolf was still shaking and his tongue almost missed the scab along his eye. It was probably the most miniscule of wounds when he considered the enormity of the others that littered his body. But he didn't have hands and thumbs and fingers. He couldn't place his intestines back or arrange his organs properly. And he couldn't manage to pop his shoulder back into place. And to try to touch his organs with his nose and shift them back into his hollowed form would be dangerous to consider. He didn't know if the sweat from his nose might be harmful or if it might leave fur or he might puncture something. And so he focused on his face. If he could save his eye, at least that one organ, it was one sense that Yami would not lose.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant for anything like this to happen, he whispered. His tongue worked furiously to clear away some of the pus that was seeping from beneath another large scab. He was covered in them. Yugi had never seen something like that. There was a scab atop another. And beneath them, the wound festered and grew that much worse. The white wolf was covered in yellow and red all along his chin. I'd do anything to help you—but I don't know what else to do. I don't know what else I can possibly do. I…I just want you to be okay. I want you to survive—

The black wolf gargled again, choking and sputtering. Yugi was abruptly reminded of his first Change again. He'd gone to Paradise and Yami's cell mate—he'd been the one to help him, he knew now—had told him not to worry, to let it happen, that he would heal. But hadn't Yugi begun thrashing and trying to shake the incredible pain that had come over him?

And then he'd woken.

Desperately, Yugi sped up, licking so hard that the bottom scab finally gave way. The wound was so irritated that the pus came in a clump as it had his wrists before. And the blood was tainted with the hideous taste. It was so sour and bitter that he almost recoiled. But his tongue was still working and panic made him more desperate than ever.

Please, Yami, don't leave me yet. I—I need you. I need you so much—

The black wolf shuddered, snarling low in his throat. The gurgling came tenfold somehow. Yugi left the wound on his eye, hurrying for the split that marred his nose. The wound was gushing blood, so much so that he thought he might bleed out in front of him.

I'll fix this, Yugi pleaded, immediately licking at the wound there. I'll save you this time, okay? I'll—I'll get you all healed up again. A-and then you'll be okay and I'll see you again the next time, when you are—oh gods, I'm so sorry!

Had he been human, Yugi thought he might have burst into tears and wound up too shaken to further help him. In this form, instinct existed in one form—he had to heal him. He was his alpha, his friend, someone he cared about too much to discount. He would not leave him to die like this.

Yami was shaking and panting. The coughing had gotten worse. And Yugi could almost taste the sickness upon his own tongue. The white wolf ignored it, a vital part of him shutting off in favor of focus. The human half of him was laden with remorse but the wolf part, where instinct and loyalty lay, kept upon the task. The action was more necessary than ever, he knew. And that was why his tongue kept working, why his mind was so rapid in its sheer need.

But already he could feel him fading from his touch. His desperation did nothing to hold him there. As he tried to further speed himself up, licking at the wound with such panic it made his own body quiver, the wolf seemed to be dissipating. Yami was rapidly fading, as if he were but a strand of dark smoke.

Please, don't—

Yami looked up at him for the first time. And his red eyes were glazed with panic. But there was a hint of acceptance there too. And he looked both bitter and exhausted. He looked far too worn to bother with even the smallest intake of details. But he seemed, finally, to recall him in the slightest degree. His red eyes widened and the bruising surrounding his right, where the lid was still swollen, seemed to split again with his shock.

He looked as if he might try for his feet. Yugi hurriedly licked his forehead, voice cracking as he muttered, It's okay, Yami. It'll be okay…

Yami gave him a look that seemed far more stricken than fearful now. He tried again as if he might get to his feet. But he could feel it too, that tug of consciousness that Yugi was merely seeing. The smaller wolf felt sick as he looked at him. The other didn't form words, looking too exhausted to try. He blinked wide eyes and strained his neck but the wound made him flinch. Yugi was sure he would have been sobbing by now if he were human. Instead he licked his forehead again.

I'm sorry, Yami…

His awakening was just as comfortable as his initial loss of consciousness. Yugi blinked his eyes open to the gentle sky blue of his ceiling. His stomach was in knots and his heart was in his throat. The taste of pus and blood still covered his tongue, gluing it to the roof of his mouth. When he raised a hand, his fingers were trembling harder than he'd ever seen them before.

The small teen swallowed, bitterness welling in his stomach. He could not think straight for a moment, furious and undone by it all. And then it faded. His stomach tossed and he rolled over. Bile, hot and burning and almost ochre in shade, splattered to the floor in a hideous trail. He blinked at it, then reached up to run his hands through his hair.

The image of the black wolf lying there, bleeding, his insides strewn across the snow, burned in the forefront of his mind. Hatred and disbelief came first. And then was the overwhelming defeat that was despair. His heart still in his throat, feeling sick to his stomach more than ever now, Yugi closed his eyes tightly. But it seemed to make the image in his head tremble harder. And he hated himself for it, even as he reminded himself he did not know what was going on, nor if it was truly—

But the way he'd felt, the taste of his blood, the pus on his tongue, was all real. And he'd known the smell of infection, the heat that his eye had given off due to it.

But how had he come to the dream unharmed until then? Had his apologies made him remember? If that was it, Yugi hated himself for it. Yami had been okay at first. He'd been angry, hateful, almost feral, but he had been okay. He'd been okay, sniffing the snow for whatever reason, even with all of that anger he'd been carrying and displaying.

He had not shown such terrible signs of wounds and near-death. He had not looked as if he might drop at any moment. He had not lay there, bleeding out even as his limbs sprawled broken beneath him. And, gods, if he hadn't looked as if he had not eaten in years. He was so thin, bony and knobby. He'd looked as if he'd been starved and something else had tried to eat him.

Yugi got to his feet, ignoring the pool of vomit on the floor. It stunk like decaying flesh, as if his own insides were rotting. It shocked him, but at the same time spite made him almost grateful for such a thing, as if his death might do well to prevent Yami's.

He shook his head to scatter the thoughts coming. He didn't want to have to think of Slifer and Morrigan, their cryptic words and Obelisk's all but silent agreement. He did not want to think of the loneliness that being Atem brought, nor the declaration that there was a second Pure-Blood that was not Yami. A second Atem, meant to take over should Yugi be unable to perform his role as necessary.

He was out the door before he could think about it. He was not sure he wanted to see the pack, but the camp seemed to be the destination his restless body had in mind. He was not the least bit uncomfortable with this knowledge, however. Being there meant well—it gave him just enough of a feeling of familiarity to take his mind off those terrible thoughts. It might even possibly help to ease some of the ache of loneliness plaguing him now.

Yugi was cold, his feet almost numb from the ice. But as he looked down, they did not seem to be more or less harmed by the cold itself. He did not see the slightest hint of frostbite in any way. And it was only then that he truly noticed he had never bothered to change his clothes. He was still in his pajamas, the soft blue material making his stomach knot unhappily.

He had not even considered that he'd need to change. The stupidity of the decision was shocking to him for that small moment. He shook his head, then glanced around unhappily. Very slowly, swallowing hard, Yugi looked into the tress. None of them were around at any rate, but he did not think for even a second that none of them would come about soon enough.

A debate went through his head for a long minute. He did not know whether it was worth it to take the pajamas off and change or if he might just need to turn back and go home again. But now he wondered which was smarter. If he went to see the pack, it might distract him some. If he want back home, he wouldn't have to deal with the mess that was the Change.

Yugi wondered at this for a few moments. Then, finally, the smaller teen began to slowly strip himself of the soft cotton material. He'd bury them and retrieve them after he changed back. But he wondered if he thought for even the smallest of seconds that he could do this without breaking down. The realization of his own doubt was powerful and nearly overwhelming.

The action of changing now was almost as monotonous as the more constant action of forcing food down his throat. He hardly felt it in the numbness that had come over him now. His legs carried him but his thoughts were fragmented and small. Yugi kept his head level by mere muscle memory, trekking easily and without thought. His legs moved faster than he could think to stop and turn back.

But what was there to go back to? His house? His mom and grandpa were oblivious, fast asleep and ignorant. And he was trotting around in a second skin that only his friends knew of.

Maybe it would have been smarter to go to them. Surely Jonouchi or Honda or Anzu would do well to console him…

But he could only imagine trying to explain to Jonouchi that he was in love with Yami. The blond would be surprised, then insist he was gay, that no one was straight and could love the same gender even in a singular sense. He'd probably frustrate him more than Yugi wanted to admit and things might explode from there.

And Honda, he was sure, would be somewhat flustered and more than likely unsure how to stay around him after the initial revelation. There was sure to be a small—miniscule, really—adjustment period for him to settle into this news. And then he'd still most likely be the smallest degree uncomfortable upon seeing him and Yami together in any sense.

And why would he want to burden Anzu with this information? She still had feelings for him. He knew that much for sure. She wasn't very good at hiding it from him. And his whining over Yami would do nothing to help her move on in any sense. It would also likely be more damaging than anything. And he did not even know that Yami shared such feelings to begin with.

Yugi shook the very thought away. Whether or not Yami felt the same didn't truly matter. What did matter was when he came back. When Yugi got him back—that was what mattered. The rest could be pushed beneath the rug for a little while.

The white wolf shook himself out after a moment, encouraging himself to banish the thoughts altogether. Then he lowered his nose to the snow. If he could simply pretend he could almost smell pine and darkness, the soft drizzling of cold moonlight. His ears flicked and his head snapped up again as he looked towards the shadows further along the short incline. Something sparkled in the dark and his lips curled back. It looked like the gleam of eyeshine.

His ears pricked forward further and he strained his hearing. There was a heartbeat, slow and steady, in the dark. He sniffed lightly and then forced the fur to lie flat along his spine again. He knew the smell.

Marik, he called quietly, sniffing deeply once more. He shook himself out again, trying to shove aside the ferocity that was beginning to form in his blood. Why did Marik seem to be everywhere he wasn't needed? The reality of it made his lip curl slightly in which he turned away again.

The gray and tawny wolf slowly made his way towards him from the trees further along the incline. His lavender eyes flickered in the dark where the shadows and moonlight touched them. His ears pricked and angled away again as he tilted his head and considered Yugi for a moment.

Are you all right? The words were frayed at the edges but Yugi could understand them all the same as he stared at the gray wolf. They blinked at each other. The white wolf tilted his head. Marik was watching him, focused on him entirely even as his ears flicked about. You seemed…angered.

Yugi huffed softly. What did Marik know of what he might feel? I'm fine, he commented dismissively. I'm just thinking about a few things.

Marik tilted his head, watching him curiously for a moment. An image flashed through his mind, of boars and a broken body covered in blood. Yugi bristled at the onslaught of pictures, but they were not as vivid as his own sight of the girl's body—Patty; her name was Patty—had been. Marik had not seen the broken corpse, the blood that had stained her body so horrifically.

He wondered if they had buried her as he'd instructed or simply left her to rot. Either idea was terrible all the same. She shouldn't have died. No one should have died.

Yugi flicked an ear, attempting to regain his composure. That was not truly in my thoughts until now, but thank you for the reminder, he sneered softly before flattening his ears against his skull uncomfortably. Why are you bringing her up?

Marik tilted his head. The image of a small animal, goat-like in appearance, with a wooly coat and thin legs and a small head of horns, passed through his thoughts to Yugi's. The white wolf blinked blue-violet eyes and huffed softly.

Serows? he said quietly. He imagined those bright brown eyes peering at him, big and round like muddy disks with black centers. He remembered the leaps they took, how they climbed mountain walls and cliffs and did nothing to truly fight. They simply fled, glancing over their shoulders constantly, and pranced as if they had never been in danger to begin with. Yugi wondered at their rate of survival and thought of how odd they truly were. The deer had antlers to combat predators. The boar had their tusks and hides. The serows could climb and disappear before a predator could truly catch them. What about them?

For a moment there was silence. A glint of something entered Marik's eyes and the white wolf blinked curiously at the sight of it. But he could not read it in the slightest. We could try again. The words were soft, almost reassuring, and Yugi blinked in shock at the tone. It was bad luck. The boars are more violent. Serows are easy to hunt.

Yugi blinked at him, staring, and then slowly shook his head. I don't think that's a good idea, he objected, flicking an ear. I don't think that was just a random bout of unluckiness hunting, Marik. And I don't want to put the pack in danger of—

The other wolf snorted softly, the frost making his exhale a wreath of white. Against his eyes, the shadow of his breath looked almost ghostly and haunting. We hunt all of the time, he interrupted easily, taking a step forward and stopping only feet away from him now. The glint in his eyes was something that was oddly mesmerizing upon facing completely. This pack has always hunted boars and serows.

Yugi curled his lip. Yes, and you always spilled blood in attempt to summon me, is that not also true? he spat dismissively. You chose to end each other's lives for no other reason than to chase a myth.

Marik snapped his jaws now, broad shoulders becoming squared and raised as he bristled. A myth? he sneered. Is that what you consider your own destiny?

Destiny? To be stalked by death is a destiny to you, Marik? Yugi almost quivered with the hatred that burned through his veins. He was bleeding beneath his skin, infuriated by his very words, and it made his tail rise aggressively. Why should anyone consider that a destiny of any kind? Are you stupid?

It's a privilege to be Code Name Atem.

A privilege? How? In what world could this possibly be a privilege in any sense?

You matter! Marik spat hatefully. Atem matters more than anything in the world. You should feel privileged for being the one werewolf in the world that all the rest bow down to.

Yugi blinked, stunned. Every life matters. You have the same mentality that the gods do. And suffering does not equate to purpose, Marik.

Do you know what suffering is?! You have an entire pack dedicated to you. You have the ability to make the world bow beneath your paws. You are immortal—

And what does immortality do for loneliness? Yugi asked quietly. Does my immortality ensure the survival of anyone else? Tell me, Marik, what use is it to be able to come back from the dead when you cannot give such a gift to another?

Words like that will get you killed. The life we lead isn't one meant to be sentimental. Marik huffed and raised his head, curling his lip back slightly in disgust. Atem isn't meant to be weak.

Weak?

Yugi stared at him. How could anyone see life in such a depressing haze as these wolves so foolishly chose to? And how had their former alpha convinced so many wolves of this bleak lifestyle and idea being that of what was necessary? How had she managed to spin it in such a manner as to make it seem beautiful?

Yugi fell silent for a long time. Were you born into this pack? he asked quietly.

Marik snorted loudly and bore his teeth. No, he snarled, but the disgust in his voice was heavy and evident. I was born within the labs.

He blinked and stared at him. So you were experimented on.

As was my sister Ishizu. He huffed again and shook himself out, the muscles rippling rapidly along his body. He seemed almost to shimmer beneath the shadows and cold moonlight. What is your point?

Yugi shook his head, watching him with darkened eyes. Nothing of any matter, he said finally, sniffing and raising his chin only slightly. Are you a Full-Blood?

Marik let out another disgusted noise. Why should it matter what blood content I possess? I am a lycanthrope, with the same power as you for the most part.

Something glinted in his eyes but Yugi was unable to understand it and it was gone in an instant. He wondered if he was seeing things in the dark, if perhaps his mind were too wound up with his own sleep deprivation that he could not think or see straight.

You speak well mentally, he said quietly. I'm used to the images the others send me. Even Mai is unable to hold a conversation with me like this.

Mai is not the strongest in the pack.

Yugi stared at him for a moment, then tilted his head. Yes, but she's the one that speaks to me the most often. And I know she's a Full-Blood.

Marik snorted and turned away. It takes much of my concentration. I cannot do it if I am running or even trotting, he revealed in a soft voice. But there was an edge to his words which bordered something Yugi did not know how to properly read. And I cannot keep it up for longer than a few minutes at a time.

Yugi watched him for a moment. You seem to be doing well for the moment, he retorted, studying him closely. And it's been more than a few minutes.

Has it? Marik looked up at him, that gleam in his eyes again. Was it moonlight? Was it emotion? Yugi strained his eyes and wracked his brain for the meaning there. What was it? What was he seeing there? It must be our idleness.

So if he remained idle here…

Yugi looked away, dismissing the statement. His thoughts were jagged rocks and gaping maws, sharpened teeth and glistening blood… Serows are easier to catch, hmm?

We eat them more often than the boars. He remained quiet for a moment. But the deer are what we mainly strive on.

He considered the words but his mind was on something else entirely. With a turn of his head, the blue-violet-eyed wolf asked, Did you know Atem before you came here?

Marik blinked. I knew of him. But we all knew of him there. He fell silent again and then leaned forward. He was sniffing lightly but something along his spine rippled as if with agitation. The image to appear in his head now was that of concrete walls and a door which looked almost like that of a sewer drain. At first there was not much to be seen. Then, very slowly, there was the sight of a small pup. The wolf was of the smallest size, a runt in all sense. He was malnourished and starved, exhausted, but still managed to move upon trembling legs. The eyes were black, like ink wells and blood beneath the moonlight, the fur a soft gray shade that looked so downy that Yugi almost wished he could have touched it…

But as he thought this, the image shattered away. Marik watched him, lavender eyes glittering in the darkness. The shade of them was darker, more mauve in depiction, as they looked upon each other. But now he looked simply aggravated, as if memories were nothing he wished to hide behind.

Yugi watched him for a moment. Had he been gray when he was born? Had his pelt lightened until it had become white? He huffed softly. The experiments could have done something to the genes and altered the very pigmentation, he was sure…

We never crossed paths beyond that?

Marik watched him, but his voice did not come to Yugi's mind now. He simply shook his head and breathed in deeply, scenting the breeze. The air was crystalline with the exhale and he bristled as he shook himself out again. Another image came to Yugi now, a fluffy wool coat of deep gray with brown undertones and thin legs, a face of fluffy fur deeply set against wide dark brown eyes.

He blinked. Marik must not have been able to speak to him any longer. Yugi turned away and began to walk again, wrinkling his lips back and baring his teeth. Serows, huh? he asked, disinterested in the continuation of the conversation. They're that much easier?

He glanced over his shoulder at him, watching Marik nod silently and stare back at him something almost cold. Yugi turned away again, trotting forward now, and headed towards where the entrance of the camp might be. But, rather than towards the roar of the waterfall, he turned and sidestepped the rushing water to head beyond it to the trees. It was probably a good idea for him to learn the path it would take to get back to the camp without using the waterfall as an entrance. Unless the wolves were hiding within the cavern behind it, there was no reason for him to use it so often.

Marik was silent behind him for a moment. Then a cliff of sheer stone, rising feet higher than Yugi could ever hope to scale, the surface slick with water and the roar of the river dulling his ears, began to form in his mind. The sunlight hit it at such an angle as to make the cliff appear as shiny as fish scales as they leaped into the air, shedding the water as if they were born for the sky. Yugi blinked, studying this image in his head, then glanced upwards towards the embankment of stone before him, where it rose for feet beyond their heads. It was thunderous and beautiful in the way it sent a tremor down his spine, the sight of several frothy formations of water dropping in immense pressure.

He blinked and tilted his head, then glanced sideways towards Marik. He had never noticed the cliff face properly before that moment. The cavern behind the waterfall crashing so heavily in front of him was hidden beautifully, perfectly. And he realized that it had to cut through the earth in a way to avoid the river that should have run through the center of the camp. But now he realized the wolves had chosen a much more secure area than he had initially assumed. The cavern opened into that thicket of brambles which cut upwards into the side of the gorge, where the ground was just fertile enough for growth. And, should he attempt to circle back in this manner from this side, he'd have to scale several feet for miles on end. And then he would have to challenge the river in order to get there.

From the direction he came back from the camp, without leaping through the waterfall, he'd been unconsciously tracking the river. He'd followed it in a sense, though not as purposefully as he would have had he made a point of doing so. He'd trailed it in a manner of trekking a familiar path, without even the slightest hint of navigation on his own behalf. So he would be able to cut around the river, following the banks, then come down the incline of the mountains with near senseless ease and almost no stops. Where he would have had to cross the river formerly, it was trailing the direction he was meant to travel and he could simply walk along its side.

His ears flattened for a moment, then flicked about once more. He glanced at Marik sideways. Is there an alternative route into the camp? he asked softly.

The gray and tawny wolf considered him for a long minute, then tipped his head back and looked about them. The image that appeared in his head was the original which he had shown to persuade him otherwise. And, abruptly, Yugi was certain of one thing.

The wolves may have been built for war. They may have been raised to fight for him. But all of them were content and secure in their habits. None of them knew of a second entrance into the camp beyond the same path he took on his way back to the house. The thought was both infuriating and daunting to imagine.

Why had he not considered that before? It was horrifying to think about it. They had a blind spot that could be miles wide and none of them—not himself, not the gods, not the pack, not Yami even—had considered to check for such a possibility.

He flicked an ear and then turned to trot a few feet. Then he faced forward, throwing himself through the waterfall without effort. The momentum alone sent him well past the water. But his repetition of such actions had done well to prepare and secure his muscles in the necessary manner to accommodate such leaps and landings.

He had almost gotten so used to it that he could simply land and keep trotting immediately after. But the water did weigh down on him and his coat was drenched. He shook himself out, then looked toward the ledge in the wall and the opening of the bramble thicket overhead. Climbing through it was still a pain in the ass altogether, but it was not unbearably so. Yugi huffed and the click of nails alerted him to Marik coming to his side from beyond the water. He flicked an ear in acknowledgment and then threw himself onto the small ledge, balancing somewhat precariously before stretching himself onto his back legs and placing his forelimbs on the stone outside the cavern. He drew himself up and out of the entrance without difficulty, then shook himself out again before quickly trotting forward.

Yugi ignored the way some of the wolves immediately looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. Aki glanced at him, eyes bleary with sleep, sniffed dismissively, and put her head back to tuck her nose beneath her tail. The huff that left her was full of disdain as she tightened her muscles and closed her eyes.

The white wolf spared her only a minute glance. Then he trotted past her without pause, sniffing the air lightly and raising his nose. Obelisk, he called softly, blinking and looking about them for a moment before stopping a few feet into the camp. His name made the god rise to his feet almost instantly, dark gray fur laden with flakes of snow. The smaller wolf would have smirked and raised a brow had he been human. Now, however, he merely snorted and cast a brief glance around as if he had not truly called him forth.

The god shook himself out and yawned but did not stretch, almost as if he were fearful that to do so might give the illusion of bowing before him. What is it? he asked quietly, flicking an ear and opening his mouth wide in another yawn. Yugi looked at his teeth, perfect white spikes of enamel among bright pink gums. He blinked and wondered again at his own appearance. He wondered if his nails were darker or his teeth whiter, if perhaps he was changing so much it was impossible to miss.

He shook the thought off and tilted his head. Are the serows easier to catch? he asked quietly, not entirely failing to feel slightly undone by the idea of it. He huffed softly and flicked an ear. The pack has to be hungry considering our loss before…

Obelisk blinked at him and sniffed softly before tossing his head and scratching at his ear with his back leg. He shook himself a moment later and considered the white wolf for a long minute. They catch rodents and smaller prey when they grow hungry. But yes, I imagine it did not do well to fill them all today. Smaller prey animals are scarce, after all.

Yugi huffed. He would have asked why it was that Obelisk did not take them or they did not go to hunt on their own. But then he remembered himself. He was their alpha, not the gray wolf in front of him. Obelisk may have been a god but Atem was their savior.

Do you hunt them yourself?

Obelisk sniffed quietly and flicked an ear. His eyes flickered towards where Marik was studying them, mauve eyes dark and glittering beneath the moonlight. He did not blink at the way they caught eyes and the other wolf immediately lowered his gaze and turned away. The god faced Yugi fully, watching him with an expression that was almost lazy. I do. They are much easier prey than the boars. And the deer have antlers to combat us. But the serows simply climb the sheer drops of cliff instead.

Yugi watched him for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder for the briefest of seconds. Is anyone likely to get killed from it? he asked in a more direct, scornful tone. Or will everyone most likely come back in one piece?

If their footing is firm and their paws steady, they shall be fine, he said with a dismissive expression. His ears flicked again and he shook his head as he turned away. Patty died because she was young and foolish and her inexperience led her to attack a boar almost thrice her own size. It was an accident, as tragic as it was. But death is going to happen regardless of precautions and attention put into prevention.

Any one of us could have saved her—

Or gotten ourselves killed in the meantime, he snapped icily. You are a fool to consider that her life is greater than another within this pack. She was too young to be of much value. You mourn her because she was an innocent in your eyes. But death will always happen, regardless of your whims and desires.

Yugi bristled. And have you noticed even one of these wolves hold time to mourn her? I haven't. Does that mean she was worthless then?

Obelisk wrinkled his nose, drawing his lips back slightly. No, but compared to another more experienced wolf the loss is slight.

He could have lunged for all the anger that swelled within his bones. But his frustration seemed to dissipate, exhaustion biting at his senses. A flash of black fur and falling blood, of a belly split and spilled entrails, came through his mind. Yugi felt dizzy as he tried to force it away.

Whatever, he finally snapped, shaking himself out again before flicking an ear uncomfortably. Do you think it's a good idea to try again with serows this time or not?

I would think it would be fine, Obelisk drawled but Yugi had the faintest suspicion that the deity did not truly care in the first place. Death was nothing that inconvenienced him. And it would not even cause Slifer to blink. As far as they both were concerned, death was a rite of passage of some kind. He shook it off, watching him for a moment. I do not believe that anyone will be hurt by a serow of all prey.

Yugi watched him a moment longer, then turned away again. I am calling for a hunt. Mai, Otogi, stay back and watch the camp, he announced loudly, trotting forward and ignoring the way that some of the wolves startled as if he had shocked them. Some of them sprang to their paws, stunned by his booming voice within their ears. And others blinked groggily and stretched as they began to rise to their feet.

His eyes flickered towards where Aki had come to raise her head as well. The she-wolf blinked, eyes cold and puzzled, and then finally rose to her feet. She sat, craning her neck as if she might howl, and then got up. When she stretched, it was not in a bow but a forward lean which made her bones pop. Yugi stared at her as she straightened and slowly glanced towards him sideways before moving to his side, lazy in her actions. Her head was lowered only slightly, eyes chilled if only mildly. She blinked and yawned just as the other wolves gathering before them.

Yugi barely paid them attention, instead trotting ahead without a second glance. Obelisk followed a second later and the rest fell in line behind them. The white wolf did not care for more than a second that they were trailing him. He could hear each of them, some still yawning and others hurrying to keep pace until they all fell into a comfortable line.

Where are they most likely to be?

Obelisk snorted behind him, voice full of amusement. Can you not use your nose, Atem? he teased, but Yugi ignored the playful note in his voice and instead looked about them.

The cliffs were tall, looming walls of stone and he could faintly hear the roar of the river and the waterfalls as they crashed against the rocks. The outcroppings overhead lay in a way in which Yugi could not truly tell where the height of the mountain leveled out to carry the river. He could not tell where they ended against the sky due to the darker hours and the shadows which the clouds cast. He could feel the chill and lightness of snow to come and it made his head tip upwards once more as he listened again to their steps in the ice. A few large, tall trees rose against the cliffs, the tops laden with white, and Yugi watched their shadows in the dark, inky pools of black against the snow.

There should be one or two of them further into the forest, the deity finally commented, eyes laden with shadow as he looked about them. If we split up, we can ambush them and push them towards the center. From there we can use numbers to ensure they don't escape. I'm sure any of us will be able to deal the death blow.

The white wolf snorted softly and nodded mindlessly towards the statement, trotting ahead of them by those few feet. Obelisk came to flank him and Yugi glanced at him sideways as they continued side by side. As they moved, he could see the other wolf lowering his nose to mere inches above the ground, scenting the snow and air calmly. A single flick of his ear was all the warning Yugi was given as the other wolf began to trot faster.

There are two ahead. And if we split into groups, we can take them both down using a simple chase technique. The other wolves seemed to collectively affirm this, images of blood smeared upon their jaws coming into each of their minds. Yugi flicked an ear in acknowledgment and sniffed lazily at the air. He did not truly catch what it was that Obelisk had. But he did smell something soft, almost balanced oddly between sweet and sour. And he wondered at this for a moment as he tilted his head. Was this what Obelisk had used to determine their presence there? Go in groups of two. We'll cut them off before they can break the circle.

Yugi wondered if any of the other wolves were curious as to why he was not the one making the orders. Perhaps they had not even noticed in their excitement. He blinked and his lip curled in dismissal of the thought. No, they had noticed. When did they fail to notice a single thing which befell their omen of death? 8It was as if they worshipped and desired nothing more than to be driven to death in such a way.

The wolves broke off into small pairs and some of them, he saw, ran alongside them, pacing as they began to veer away and towards the trees surrounding them. When they melted into the shadows, he counted all but himself and Obelisk to be moving into position. He glanced at the other wolf but the god did not seem disturbed in the slightest.

The trees seemed to close in around them as they began to get closer to a small incline of clearing. He could faintly see the impression of cloven hooves, blackened shadows rather than soft gray and gentle silver. The trees were a blur as he kept pace with the beta, eyes keen as they kept track of Obelisk's larger paws. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the way the shadows seemed to lengthen faintly where the two of them stepped into the darkness. The sight of it was somehow mesmerizing and strange to him and where his fur was dappled he was sure it looked like water rippling beneath sunlight.

He drew in a deep breath. That sweet and sour smell was back within his nose in an instant. Yugi felt it on his tongue, soft and yet somehow heavy all at once. He flicked an ear and the collective sound of their breathing made him almost tremble. There was something almost primitive about the situation, a delight of which Yugi had no words to describe. And, yet, even with this knowledge, there was a harsh and brutal slap of frustration that came upon him like a clap of thunder.

How often had he stood aside as Yami had hunted and then judged him for his ability to simply do as he needed? How often had he been disgusted that Yami could find it in himself to do this very thing?

And why had he never thought to simply join him instead? Maybe if he had, he would not be so hopeless now. Maybe he would understand his role more now as the alpha or have the stomach to do such things as necessary.

There were the faintest of indentations within the snow now, just slightly more noticeable. A cracked twig and the smallest showering of snow dusted from the collision within the undergrowth to cause the branches to fall bare. There was a long bramble thicket which had been shrugged of snow, the branches nearest the trees shed of white.

The serows were about the size of him at the shoulders. The fur was dark gray, almost black like the shadows beyond them. The coat was extremely bushy, the tails especially so. Both of them stood a little taller upon his appearance there, Obelisk at his side the first to draw their attention.

Yugi slowed his movements, but Obelisk seemed to gain speed. A command of wordless intent came forward, harsh and loud, and Yugi slowed further. The wolves within the trees raced forward, snarling and baring bright white teeth that glinted like blades. He came to a stop as one of them whistled through its nose and began to try to run.

The white wolf tilted his head. The ears on these animals were small, short, the coat extremely long and wooly. The fur was whitish around the base of the neck and much of the body was black along the bottom of the legs. He could not tell the male from the female in any manner as it was. And both possessed small, backwards horns which looked too short to pose a threat.

Yugi barely blinked.

Obelisk had cornered the darker serow. Aki had gotten the other. The female caught first the shoulder. Then Marik lunged for the throat. His teeth snapped shut on the windpipe, crushing it effectively. The serow cried out, whistling and struggling. Aki released the animal's shoulder and moved for the front leg. There was a loud, hideous snapping noise. The sound of it punctuated a cry of panic. The serow struggled harder and whistled louder.

Yugi tilted his head curiously after a moment. His eyes flickered away. In a flash blood sprayed across the snow. He blinked again and raised his chin slightly. And then he saw the serow collapse completely, eyes glazed over as Marik twisted his jaw. The snapping noise came again, the neck breaking. The white wolf blinked.

Obelisk had driven the other serow a few feet away. And, as Yugi turned his head to follow this new path, his eyes grew extremely wide. The god did not slow his steps. In fact, he moved so quickly that Yugi barely had time to blink. In a flash of gray, Obelisk had overtaken the other animal. And he had spun around to face the creature with dark, glittering eyes. He lunged forward and snapped his teeth open.

His immense jaws closed on the neck there. Blood gushed outwards. And the serow screamed. But the kicking legs began to lose their frail flailing. They began to grow still and Obelisk shook his head. The body was slid on its side. Yugi blinked. The blood was everywhere within the snow. And, as Obelisk pulled away, his entire face was smeared with red.

Yugi shook his head, disgusted. But he was curious as he smelled the air. The metallic scent was somehow mouthwatering. It made his heart race for a moment. And then he shook it off. Shame had curled its way through his belly. His mouth was watering and yet he'd turned his nose up on several occasions.

And he did not want to so much as look at the blood there. Yami was not there to encourage him to eat the animal. And he was somewhat horrified by the very same idea. He was glad that the other was not there to point out that perhaps Yugi should try to cater to his wolf diet rather than his human one.

But Yami was gone.

And Obelisk was the one playing as the beta in his absence. The thought made the world seem darker, duller, his body feeling hollow and disgusting. The pain was focused within his heart, something which made his ears flatten and his tail droop. Yami was gone. Yami was missing.

But…

Yami would come back.

He blinked and curled his lip. But that was only applicable if the gods were to be trusted. Were they not, then clearly Yugi would most likely never come to see Yami again.

He tried his hardest not to cry out hatefully. Then he shrugged it away and his eyes flickered towards where the wolves were gathering about. Each of them was wagging their tails, slavering at the jaws. Their teeth clicked when they growled at one another defensively to pick at their meal.

And then Yugi noticed something. As his eyes flickered upwards once more, he found his mouth drying out. He opened and closed his jaws and his eyes narrowed in frustration. His ears pricked forward. Each of them had turned to face him, eyes expectant and large. The pupils were dilated, swallowing away their irises. The excitement and pure triumph cowed him.

He blinked and flicked an ear. Why were they watching him like that? Yugi considered for a moment, bewildered, and then nearly bristled. He remembered Yami refusing to eat before him and his stomach dropped.

Because he had been the one to provide the food, Yami had considered him the alpha. Now, as he was Atem, the wolves were waiting for him to take the first bite as a leader was meant to.

He flicked an ear once more, then raised his head. I have already eaten, he said quietly, sniffing softly against the dark, cold air. Dawn had to be coming in only a matter of half an hour at the most. The realization struck him slightly before he shook it away again. I am full.

The others blinked and then looked wordlessly towards Obelisk. The god was watching him, glittering eyes and sharp teeth when he curled his lip. And then they studied each other for a moment. The other wolves blinked and flattened their ears. And, finally, with a sense of something admonishing within his very stance, Obelisk lowered his mouth to begin stripping the fur from the serow beneath him. Yugi turned away, sniffing again at the snow.

The mouthwatering quality did not return despite the heaviness of the metallic scent held so tightly within the air. Yugi flicked an ear and sniffed again, the snow shivering from his breath as he began to turn away and start towards the trees once more. The other wolves were hungrily gulping food. He could hear their jaws clicking, softly growling at one another. Muscles and tendons snapped and pulled beneath their teeth. Their breaths were heavy, shuddering, and Yugi shivered.

The crunching of the snow beneath his feet was soft and comfortable within his ears. He pricked his ears and tilted his head. There was a much faster noise of snow being crushed beneath paws. The weight was slighter than his own, a realization which threw him off as he blinked wide eyes and stared in confusion. In the darkness Yugi could barely make out the shape coming towards him.

It was the dark violet eyes which compelled himself not to snarl and snap his jaws. He bristled only mildly, then forced it away with a shake of his pelt. Calmly, tipping his head up, Yugi called, Mai, what's going on?

The she-wolf stopped a few feet from him, tail wagging. Her eyes were glowing, glittering brilliantly, and she tilted her heard slightly. Her ears flicked up and then away again. Her bright purple eyes were soft with excitement and Yugi blinked in surprise at the sight of it.

An image began to appear in his head. A thinner, leaner black she-wolf formed there within his mind. Soft and beautiful fur was underlined with an undercoat of soft brown and tawny. And dark gray eyes glittered in the shadows. Yugi blinked wide eyes, startled by the sight, and flicked his ears to press back against his head for a split second.

Echo is back? he asked, whispering, and his heart seemed to ache at the realization for a split second. Then he shook it off in order to lick his lips and study her more intently. Why has she…?

And then he remembered, abruptly, with his heart pounding and stomach aching, that her words formerly had been truthful. She had brought her pack back in the necessity of aiding him in this war. He blinked at her and then flattened his ears again, disgusted by the very idea.

She brought them with her?

Mai wagged her tail again. Her eyes were bright, beautiful and shining, as she nodded and dipped her head slightly in a more respectful notion. The she-wolf flicked a golden ear and wagged her tail faster. Yes, her entire pack.

Yugi nodded slightly, disgusted by the very idea. Then the she-wolf kneaded at the snow for a moment. The white wolf considered her for a single second before tilting his head. Go ahead and get some food. I'll send Otogi to join you when I reach the camp.

She blinked, then ran her tongue over his nose before dashing past him. He could hear her panting even as the seconds passed and he quickly shrugged away his initial shock to pick his way back down the path of which they had once traveled.

Upon reaching the camp, Yugi had shaken himself twice in an effort to dry himself. And then he yawned and shook his head as he trotted forward. Being awake for so long and ignoring the night terror of which he had been so easily horrified had tired him out. He could feel the exhaustion creeping through him, slight and terrible, and he yawned as he licked his lips.

Otogi greeted him with a small, booming bark of a noise. Yugi pricked his ears and trotted forward a little faster. In a dismissive tone, he murmured, We caught a pair of serows. Go ahead and find the others. Get a bite. I am fine to remain here on my own.

The wolf licked his lips, flattening his white-tipped ears against his skull, and happily raced forward and past him. Yugi did not watch him go. Instead he came further into the camp and his stomach dropped at the sight to greet him there. His heart was in his throat and his eyes wide with horror.

Ahead of him the wolves were gathered about in a circular position. Echo was a few feet away from them, seated with her chin tipped slightly upwards and ears pricked forward. Her eyes were caught on the others, where they sat feet away with their ears flicking plainly back and forth.

Yugi stepped closer. Echo turned her head. Her gray eyes widened slightly. The other wolves collectively raised their heads. Yugi stared at them, unable to look away.

He felt sick.

All of their eyes on him were widened, bewildered or shocked or extremely excited all at once. But their image before him made him feel sick and weak. Within many of those gazes, there was such innocence as to suggest disbelief and shock. And Yugi could feel a tremble going through him.

They were, collectively, all of them one and the same in a sense, so terribly young.