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.

53. Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Every other day

Chapter Warnings: Innuendos, Mentions of Death/Dead Body, Yugi Kind of Loses his Shit with Someone, Character Deaths, COPIOUS Amounts of Bloodshed

The mirror thing will be explained later when Yugi gets the chance to ask about it. But the way that the werewolf brain works is that it constantly jumps between two spectrums—the human and the wolf. But in a state of anxiety they tend to drift further into the wolf mentality (that's why, when Yugi is in distress, he tends to notice more and more about his surroundings or even forget them altogether).

Now, due to this, in such an emotional state, they often forget human concepts.

So it looks to Yugi more as if he's being stared at by a thousand other wolves watching him and waiting for the opportunity to lash out and attack.

Chapter LIII: Changes

Work Log Entry XLIX: May, 2005

May 20

He does not always respond to his "code name". On occasion he will react slowly and with a glazed look to his eyes. He seems confused. Because once in a blue moon he does not realize that we mean to call him by such a name.

May 26

Atem has spiraled suddenly into dementia. His mind seems to constantly reject things and his memory has become unstable as has his temperament.

He has mauled several guards to death and others have been shot in order to prevent the spread of the Pure-Blood's genes.

The boss says that it is too unstable and new to consider allowing someone the gift of becoming a Pure-Blood.

May 27

I have learned that Pure-Bloods, while in existence long ago, were considered the Hounds of Heaven.

But A.T.E.M. has turned into a hellhound.

Jonouchi looked up with wide eyes at the sound of paws outside of the water. Since he'd been bitten, despite the roar of the fall cascading a couple of yards away, he'd found himself able to hear beyond it. He'd found himself capable of listening to the sound of paws from the outside of which the wolves seemed to come from constantly. Overhead the tangle of thorns seemed to be consistently padded around. And beyond the water he'd only ever heard much of a scuffle of noise between two wolves bickering. The fighting had lasted only a moment and then he'd seen two females come stepping in without a second glance. They merely looked at him sideways, then quickly away again as they noticed Slifer and Obelisk there as well.

Have you slept well? The blond jerked, startled out of his reverie, and his head snapped immediately towards the entrance. Feet away, soaked and looking much like a drowned rat, was Yugi. The white wolf watched him with deep blue-violet eyes that burned into his. The full moon is tonight, so I decided to go ahead and skip school to come talk to you instead. You need to be better prepared for it when it comes.

He will have a more strenuous time than you have had as of recently, Slifer commented. But she did not raise her head from her paws. Nor did she bother to open her eyes and glance at him. She barely seemed to even breathe any longer. But I do not think that he will bleed out as you were in danger of doing when Yami crossed paths with you.

Yugi blinked, watching her for only a moment before turning back to his friend. Right. But isn't this early for him? Of course, on the off chance that it wasn't, the white wolf had come to help regardless. He had not been sure of which day Jonouchi would be forced to change so he had come now rather than waiting and potentially leaving him to sink or swim with the other wolves. I mean, I would have thought he'd have had a month before…

You are a Pure-Blood and you infected him. He is a Full-Blood wolf now, Yugi. His draw to the moon is almost as powerful as yours. For the first two or so months he shall be forced to change during the full moon. But his DNA and RNA are fully mutated in preparation of such metamorphosis.

Yugi flicked an ear, then wrinkled his nose faintly with distaste. His eyes remained entirely on Jonouchi as he commented, We'll go with Mai and Otogi and see how we can make it easier for you since this is your first time…

Slifer snorted softly but still did not move beyond soft breathing. Jonouchi snickered quietly in amusement when he saw the white wolf's startled expression. His friend spun on him again with wide eyes, undone by the sudden noise. Then he curled his lip slightly to show his right canine, his mouth pulling back into a mild grimace.

Uh, anyways, so the four of us will find a spot to do this. Yugi hesitated, glancing at Slifer with an unsure expression. But he was aware that she would not speak out against him nor object when he spoke and so he moved to take a seat. The dripping water that fell from his fur seemed to pool beneath him furiously and he fought the urge to shake himself dry. He would soak both of them should he do so, he was sure. And that was not something he cared to consider beforehand. We need to talk before I even think of inviting them though.

Jonouchi blinked and glanced at Slifer. Then he raised his head and looked at the barrier of thorns overhead blocking the exit of the cavern. "Do you really want to do that now? I mean… You can talk into my head but I'm talking out loud over here."

Yugi blinked. Right, he admitted reluctantly. The white wolf pricked his ears forward for a moment. His blue-violet eyes narrowed and considered his face for a long moment or two before he shifted his weight slightly. In which case… Fuck, yeah, I guess it'll have to wait until you're moved back into my house.

"How soon do you think that's going to be?"

Yugi didn't blink, instead turning to him abruptly with dark eyes. I am bringing you to the house tonight, after you've changed back. It'll heal you all but completely so… He hesitated and then shivered as he glanced at Slifer slightly. I need to grab you more food before we go into the woods. Where is Yusei?

Had Jonouchi never seen the way Yugi had looked at Yami those few times he'd witnessed them together, he almost thought he would have assumed Yugi to have fallen for Yusei. The dark-blue-eyed gray-black wolf had become one of the most-spoken names Yugi uttered, he'd found. In the two days he'd been with the pack and Yugi had brought food for him to snack on, Yusei had been the most sought after. Yugi requested his attention almost more than he did the two supposed gods he'd set up to guard him.

The two of them would go off together with the very simple plan of Yugi running to the market, getting the food, coming back to the fall, and Yusei going to retrieve it. For whatever reason Yusei had taken precedence over Mai and Otogi at times. He would be the one to play retriever in going to get the food and leap through with the bags in his mouth.

Yugi would come through a few minutes after, in wolf fur and looking exhausted. The blond would find all of his favorite foods spread out before him, snacks and meals and all of the things that he did not honestly know how he ate all at once. All of his favorite meals at once had seemed like food fit for an army and yet Jonouchi would find himself finishing them off within the hour. The small teen would watch him eat and dismiss the others as they all swapped looks and then hurried off.

He is lying with Echo and Serena. They are all asleep together for the moment. You are free to go and get the food and I might bring them back for the boy.

Yugi flicked an ear. If you'd like, Slifer, he finally answered, tilting his head at her curiously. I would appreciate it a lot.

The she-wolf still did not raise her head. Then I shall do so. She moved just enough to yawn and stretch her long legs. But she did not care to respond further. Simply tell me when.

The white canine watched her for a moment, then turned quickly to his beta with wide eyes. So, then we'll have to talk about the serious things tonight. But I do want to ask how you're doing. Feeling okay? Nauseous? Anything?

"More energized and kind of restless. But my legs are still kind of numb so I'm not even going to try to move right about now." He watched his friend as his ears flicked quickly back and forth and those blue-violet eyes burned into his. "Besides that, it's fine."

Hungry yet?

"Starving."

As always. The wolf wagged his tail and the movement made the water fall rapidly from his long fur. He shifted closer only a few millimeters, as if he were an excited puppy. But he looked so incredibly relieved that Jonouchi had to wonder at the sight. Was the Change truly so bad? Or had his near-death experience scared Yugi beyond measure? I'll get some food in a few minutes. Uh, I also need to get a couple of other things before you come back with me. Your dad has been calling me, by the way.

He was silent for a long minute. "What did he say?"

The wolf flicked an ear. Just that he hadn't seen you for a day or two and was wondering if I had known where you were… He shifted his weight, tilted his head, and then shook his head slowly. I told him that you were staying with me for a few days. He wanted to speak to you and I told him no. He was pretty pissed, especially since I haven't done anything with your phone. So I…told him you would contact him again sometime later.

"What did he say after that?"

That he'd call the police if he didn't hear from you by the end of the week. Yugi didn't seem even mildly concerned. He thinks I'm afraid of that and I told him that you would contact him when you felt like it. We argued and he threatened to call them again so I told him I knew about the illegal drugs he takes sometimes. He hung up on me after that.

"Shit, Yugi…" The blond ran his hand through his hair and sighed loudly. "You really shouldn't have mentioned that part."

Whatever would get him off my back is what I threatened him with, Katsuya. And it is not as if he'll do anything to me anyways. And if he lays a hand on you, you're free to fight him off or run back to my house. He hesitated. In a way, that really hasn't changed.

"The one thing that really should have been changed, and it's not."

Yugi flicked an ear, thinking to say something like "Lycanthropy doesn't really ensure miracles" but then he considered his multiple brushes with death and it made his skin crawl. If anything, he was perhaps the proof that lycanthropy could procure a miracle in some way. And, when he glanced towards Jonouchi, he wondered for a moment if the blond realized exactly how much of one the disease was for him as well.

He could have been dead. He could have been floating beneath the ice, frozen and decaying. Yugi shivered and turned away.

Well, if you'd like, you can always knock him around now. You are a wolf, after all. He flicked an ear. I haven't really ever tested the idea of how strong we are or anything but I'm sure it's not human.

Slifer snorted and blinked a lazy golden eye open, watching him now. Sound advice.

Yugi shot her an irate glance. I'm trying.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "You two squabble like little kids. I'm pretty sure I'm the most mature around here right now."

The two lycanthropes glanced at him in unison. Yugi looked slightly flustered even in his wolf form, ears flicked to the sides, eyes narrowed in annoyance. He had drawn his blackened lips back and was giving him a look of clear frustration and disbelief. Slifer had simply raised her head and tilted it now as well, brows slightly furrowed and lip curled to show a canine.

You're the one having dreams about boning Mai, Yugi scoffed. He ignored the dirty look Jonouchi shot him.

And whining about food in your sleep.

"What can I say? I'm a growing boy and I'm hungry."

I'm pretty sure you hit your maximum height a year ago, but nice try.

"Then I guess if I did, you did too, huh? You're just going to be a midget for the rest of your life, right?"

Yugi shot him an annoyed look, ears against his skull. I am not a midget! I'm taller than a midget! And I'm probably going to be bigger than you as a wolf, so take that and shove it!

Slifer was shaking with laughter now, though she stretched and yawned as she got to her feet. I had nearly forgotten how interesting mortals could be, the goddess commented in amusement. She shook herself out and ignored the way Jonouchi considered her with a perplexed expression.

See? Coming into the pack did you well!

The she-wolf settled back on her haunches again. Perhaps, she answered mildly, but she hardly seemed to care. Instead her eyes flickered to Jonouchi again. You will have to teach him the lore.

Yugi curled his lips in annoyance, all but snarling when he snapped, I don't even know most of it. How am I supposed to teach him?

Perhaps Yami can then.

"Yami?" the blond said immediately. His brown eyes shot to Yugi for an explanation. "Yami is here?"

The white wolf bristled faintly, then tossed his head violently back and forth. No, he is not. He's not here. He's not here at all. But he's…going to come back. And when he does, I guess he can explain the lore to both of us.

"Lore? What lore?" Jonouchi shook his head and stared at his friend as if he had just grown three heads. "I'm going to turn into a big fluffy wolf, right? What lore do I need to know past that? Full moons and silver are what I need to watch out for, right?"

Yugi flicked an ear and then tried his hardest not to snicker as he turned away. There's, um, a lot more to it than that.

Slifer did not glance at him when the blond turned to her inquisitively. It will not be too much longer before Yami returns, as I understand it. So perhaps it will not be too terrible to allow him to wait to learn. It is not as if I or Obelisk will take up such a task. That is meant to go from alpha to beta.

"Alpha to beta?"

It's the ranking system for wolves that have been bitten and the one that bit them. The one that bites is the alpha. The one that was bitten is the beta. Yugi turned to Slifer immediately again, eyes sharpening with annoyance. I'm going to go get his food and I'll be back in a little while.

Jonouchi opened his mouth to answer but the white wolf had trotted and leaped out through the waterfall before he'd even drawn in a complete breath. So the blond swallowed his question and then glanced at the she-wolf beside him again. She was small, leaner than Yugi seemed physically, with striking red fur that was odd to place the shade of. He shivered when she glanced at him, her golden eyes sharp and dagger-like upon his skin.

Did you require something of me?

"Uh…" The teen felt his cheeks heating as she continued staring. He thought for sure he saw laughter in her deep eyes. He looked away again quickly, ignoring the way she remained staring at him. "I don't think so?"

Her laughter was soft, almost rasping, and he shivered at the way it rolled about in his head. Jonouchi made a point not to look at her again even as the she-wolf commented, Surely you have questions?

"I'd rather ask Yugi when we're at his place."

The she-wolf was unrelenting in her stare. Truly? she asked curiously. Very well. Then I shall not tell you of the things he does not have answers for.

He glanced at her sideways, curious. Did Yami know them or was she simply teasing him? Was there something wrong? Or was there something else entirely? He didn't think Yugi knew much of being a werewolf; it wasn't hard to imagine that he had been trying his hardest to ignore it for the most part. It amazed him to consider, but it was not hard to believe. Yugi was often dismissive and unrelenting in that way when it came to such a thing.

He could see him and Yami fighting over such things, as he knew full well that the red-eyed wolf was exactly that. He was and always would be lupine rather than human. Every mannerism he'd displayed when he'd seen the lycanthrope had been entirely canine. He'd witnessed the way he'd fallen so instinctively into the rear of their little line when they'd walked to the park. He'd seen the way his eyes had regarded everything around them. He'd noticed his head tilt and the way his fingers drummed on the side of his cup. He'd barely blinked. Jonouchi had counted it happening all of about five times in the minutes they'd been around each other.

But Slifer looked entirely too wolf-like. She had something unnaturally keen and disgustingly canine about her. There was a glaring lack of humanity in her eyes. And Jonouchi was abruptly aware of this as he considered her. Even Yami, whose red eyes had been so unnatural and utterly unnerving, had seemed to hold more strength and wilderness than Jonouchi had seen before, seemed more natural. He'd been more wolf, but there had been something in his eyes to show him the clear definition of reality.

There had been an animalistic quality, but it had been tempered by patience. It was something of a human trait, a patience which had made his eyes less like gleaming shards of garnet and pools of blood and more like deep wells of red ink. His eyes had a shine that was falsely human in characteristic and beguiling to anyone to notice it.

Yugi had the opposite quality within his own eyes. The animalistic intelligence was there and instinct shown in the sapphire specks of his purple eyes. But the base color showed more human qualities, simple and easy to understand where the lupine aspect made things seem muddled and confusing. The sight of them was unnerving when one had time to consider them fully.

But Jonouchi had to wonder now.

Was it possible that one day soon his own eyes might look more akin Yami's?

Was that a true possibility?

Or would Yami's eyes one day look like Slifer's, entirely estranged and too animalistic to ever be considered otherwise?

He couldn't imagine his friend with eyes like that. The small teen was so sweet and easygoing and simple. Was it possible that his friend might become so estranged to him? Jonouchi felt sick at the very thought.

"Yeah, I think I'll wait until we get back to his place." He felt like his lungs had tightened too much to breathe properly and Slifer was staring at him almost senselessly. "And whatever he doesn't know, I'm sure someone else can tell me."

The she-wolf did not blink. I am sure, she answered in something of a curt manner. But she did not think to respond further, shaking herself out again as she got to her feet. Her eyes were on the water of the fall, her ears pricked forward and her golden gaze watching the flecks of liquid which sprayed towards them. The wolf turned to him after a moment, considering him curiously. Yugi had not spoken of you very much before you came here. But I do know his history in regards to you and the two humans.

Jonouchi nearly shivered at the statement. "Okay," he commented, unsure of what more to say. The blond teen watched her with a confused expression.

I simply find it interesting that he has such attachment to humans of all species. I could understand such behavior towards a dog or even a feline. But a human?

"You're a werewolf too, aren't you?" the blond grumbled, slightly frustrated and annoyed as he shook his head. "So you can turn human, can't you?"

The she-wolf bared her teeth, turning on him with a bristle. I despise your idea of such simplicity, Jonouchi Katsuya. You disgust me with this mediocre concept. You are a fool, if nothing else. How dare you waste my time with such a thought. Humans are disgusting. I have not once ever donned a human skin instead of my wolf coat.

The blond shook his head in annoyance. "Okay, so you're attached to all of the wolves. So then why couldn't you understand if—?"

The wolves are not despicable creatures that— She fell silent immediately now, turning her head towards the water again. You are a mere mortal before the goddess of death and you assume to speak to me in such a way…

Jonouchi fell silent, eyes wide and horrified. A goddess? She was a fucking goddess? There was no way, right? There was absolutely no way that she was truly a goddess, was there? He'd heard rumors that there were two "gods" in the camp but none of them had truly explained or even thought to mention who they were by name. And he'd seen the way some of the lower-ranking wolves greeted Yugi; all of them tended to dip their heads. The fact that they had done so around Slifer was nothing that he'd thought out of the ordinary as more than the idea that perhaps they were lower in rank.

Slifer tilted her head and turned to the blond now. Yugi has returned. I am to retrieve your food now, she commented dismissively. She flicked an ear and looked to him with glittering eyes full of malice and laughter. Remain here.

"Oh har har."

The wolf wagged her tail, her animosity forgotten instantly. Then she turned and ran forward, springing through the water without a second glance. Jonouchi shivered and looked at the thistle overhead, eyes wide and curious for a moment. He could hear the wolves moving around but he did not think any were headed towards the cavern. The idea made him shiver, stomach knotting painfully for a moment.

Slifer came with Yugi moments behind her. But the teen was human now, soaking wet and dripping everywhere. When Jonouchi glanced at him, he looked as if he had gotten thrown into a pool of water without warning and his clothes clung to his frame as if he were nothing but a skeleton.

"Okay, so, there's…" He frowned as Slifer placed the plastic bags down on the rocky floor. She shook herself out, the droplets all but soaking Jonouchi and Yugi should the small teen have been dry enough to absorb anymore. The small teen instead reached up to run his hands through his hair, flicking some of the water away. The action made it all but jump back into place, shiny with water but not weighed down to destroy its defiance of gravity.

Jonouchi was happy enough to simply snatch one of the bags off the ground. In an instant he opened the first two handles to find the other bags inside knotted and layered in plastic. Yugi had taken the time to reinforce them so that the water would not leak inside.

"I can't even see what's in there," he complained in frustration. "You layered the bags too much."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Would you like water-logged food instead?" he scoffed. But he moved to his side regardless, taking a seat next to him and reaching for the bag in front of Jonouchi. Where the blond had struggled to untie the bags, nails too broken and chipped to properly grip, the small teen simply hooked his fingers and cut through it like butter. The blue-violet-eyed boy shifted the items aside to him once more.

Water is good for you.

Yugi snickered and looked at Slifer with a raised before. "Yes, water is definitely good for you. But it makes food soggy and that's gross."

So humans do not like things with more texture than dry?

Jonouchi laughed out loud, digging into his bag of goodies. Yugi had, as before, gotten him the junkiest food items he could manage. He'd gotten greasy, sugary, fatty chips. He'd grabbed granola bars with chocolate chips and high sugar contents. He'd gotten American snacks full of grease. There were a few restaurant takeout meals, some chicken and others beef. He'd gotten wantons and sushi and fried rice.

"You guys really do sound like a bickering old couple." He snatched a bag of chips and tried to pull it open but his hands were shaking too hard. He hadn't truly recovered the dexterity in his hands and fingers. And he couldn't quite grasp everything as he'd needed to. So he put part of the bag in his mouth and pulled with his other hand. "If I didn't know any better—"

"You're disgusting," Yugi grumbled with a roll of his eyes. He grinned lazily at the she-wolf. "Maybe you should bite him."

You have teeth. You are perfectly capable.

"That's disgusting to do when you're human."

Then change and then bite him.

"You can't just do it for me instead?" he asked with a laugh. "You're already a wolf! You could totally do it! It wouldn't even make you pause!"

I do not like the taste of human blood in my mouth.

Yugi snorted. "Oh, I'm calling bullshit on that one."

The she-wolf flicked an ear. You must have me confused with my sister, dear child. She stretched herself out onto her belly and closed her eyes as her chin lay on her paws. Surely we do not look so much alike, however?

The small teen rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, I can tell the difference, thanks." He looked at Jonouchi. "The chicken tenders are mine."

"You know, when you go for a food run for someone else normally you don't end up getting yourself food too."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you actually wanted to starve."

Jonouchi snorted with amusement and dug into the bag of chips in front of him again. He licked his lips and shoveled another fistful of chips into his mouth without a second thought. "Shut up.'

Yugi watched him for a moment, then settled back more comfortably against the stone behind him. His head was tipped back and he yawned softly as his friend continued his ravenous antics. He could hear Slifer's breathing, soft and steady, and he wondered for a moment if she slept in any manner. He was not sure he'd truly seen her do so.

Was it possible that the gods did not rest?

Yugi puzzled over this for a few minutes longer, but the thoughts became slow and sluggish. Then they stalled entirely and the small teen found himself slipping away into the darkness altogether. He stirred again only when he was prodded by something cold and wet, pressing persistently into his cheek.

He thought at first to swat at the source. Then he realized, eyes opening, that it was one of the wolves. Yugi reached up to rub at his eyes, mumbling, "What? What did I miss?"

An image appeared in his head, of Jonouchi and himself on their hands and knees, of Mai and Otogi nearby, all of them changing rapidly into wolves. Yugi blinked, shaking his head, and reached up to run his fingers through his hair. He yawned and stretched his arms out, nodding slightly, before moving to draw his legs up. Yusei nodded and wagged his tail slightly, if only mildly, and then turned away to look towards where Otogi, Mai and Jonouchi were standing at the other end of the cavern.

"Thanks," he muttered, shaking his head again and yawning once more. He leaned forward to ruffle the fur between his ears, pausing only for a moment to look into brilliant royal blue eyes. He looked so much like Ra in the color of his gaze that it made his stomach coil faintly. Then he straightened and dusted himself off, not surprised in the least to find much of his clothing still damp. He turned to the three humans on the other end of the cavern, eyes sparkling for a moment in the mild darkness. "Are we ready then? Did we pick a spot out in the woods or what?"

Jonouchi blinked and glanced at Mai. The blonde was stretching her arms in front of her, violet eyes sparkling with amusement. Otogi was all but statuesque beside her, arms crossed and eyes on them both. His brow was raised, his head tipped slightly to the side, and he smirked in amusement at Jonouchi after a moment.

"All taken care of," he answered simply. His teal eyes were burning into Yugi's now. "There's a little cavern kind of spot towards the bottom of the mountain, near the heart of the woods. It seems the safest."

Yugi thought abruptly of that little spot he'd hidden, expecting himself to change and never quite doing so. The reality of it struck him as odd that the pack might know of it. And then he shook it off, nodding slightly. Perhaps that was why Yami was in the woods that day…

"Okay," he answered simply. Then he looked towards Jonouchi with a raised brow. "You think you're ready for this?"

The blond snorted. "I doubt it. Are you kidding? I'm going to turn into a furry canine."

"It's a lot more fun than you'd think," Mai answered with a smirk. She raised a brow when he glanced at her with wide, startled eyes. "You'll love it once you get used to it."

"I kind of doubt that." But the statement sounded more forced than disdainful and Yugi could already feel the laughter bubbling inside of him. Jonouchi was definitely going to try his hardest to get in her pants. The reality of it made him snicker and he looked away when they both glanced at him. Amused, the small teen turned to Yusei, smirking a little wider at the way the younger male was staring so blankly at the others. "But, hey, I'm willing to try anything once."

Yugi snorted so loudly the Yusei jumped and turned to him with a startled expression, blue eyes huge and ears flattened against his head. He blinked up at the alpha and Yugi shook his head with a grin. "Don't worry, Yusei. I'm just detecting some bullshit."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Really, Yugi?"

The smaller teen flashed him a vibrant grin and the blond was abruptly aware of how much whiter they seemed at the moment. He thought, even with the lengthened and darkened shadows, that somehow his friend's teeth seemed almost…straighter. That was not to say Yugi had ever had bad, horribly crooked teeth, but they had not quite been perfect before.

"I'm sorry. Was I supposed to pretend otherwise?"

The blond scoffed and shook his head. "Whatever, Yugi." He glanced sideways at Mai, nearly blushing when he realized she was watching him with a raised brow and a small smirk of amusement. He turned away again quickly, looking towards the smaller teen more urgently.

But his best friend was having the time of his life watching him struggle. His eyes were bright with amusement and sparkling. The small teen turned away after a long moment, looking to Otogi now.

"Okay, so Mai and I will help Jonouchi hobble along. You'll lead us to the place, okay?" he asked with a more direct tone to his voice. But his insides felt somewhat twisted, knotted, and he almost wondered if he should offer for a moment to simply let Mai teach him…

No doubt she was strong enough to support him there on her own. And there was no way she would not be able to deal with it all by herself. She would most likely make a better mentor than him as well. Yugi was not unsure of that in the slightest.

"As you wish."

Yugi was the rear of their line of four. He came only after Mai had helped Jonouchi out, Otogi watching them. The small teen watched them with darkened eyes. But the rest of the pack merely cast small glances, nodded respectfully, and then turned and moved about to pace away. The alpha did not so much as glance at them.

---

"Comfortable?" Yugi asked curiously, but a part of him was dismissive as well. It didn't matter if he was comfortable or not. The moon would spur the Change regardless. Whether Jonouchi felt okay with it was a rather moot point in all actuality. Yugi shook his head and turned away again slightly, eyes narrowing mildly as he glanced sideways towards the two blondes. Mai was next to him, standing a couple of feet away. And Otogi was pacing somewhat restlessly. He considered them for only a moment longer, then turned away again. "Okay, so are we ready then?"

"I would think so," Otogi said mildly. But his teal eyes flickered towards Jonouchi and back restlessly and Yugi had the sudden realization that he was more than slightly alarmed. Jonouchi was, after all, another Full-Blood like Mai. If things were to blow out of proportion, it was Yugi who would be forced to deal with it. Otogi would not be strong enough against him to manage a fight. "There shouldn't be an issue from here on."

Yugi nodded slightly. "All right." He turned to Jonouchi and felt almost weak with the memories that clawed at his thoughts. His stomach twisted as he considered it, the way Yami had sat nearby and instructed him. It had seemed so simple for him then. The black wolf had coaxed him through it all with little difficulty. And now Yugi wondered at the idea. He did not think he could emulate the ease with which Yami had confronted the task so simply. And the idea almost made him sick to consider.

"Okay, so, I guess the first thing would be to undress…" He tried his hardest not to think of the insinuations of that statement but his cheeks were already turning bright red and he nearly groaned with despair. Mai burst out laughing and shook her head, grinning at him happily. "Oh, shut up, Mai."

"It's not my fault that you're so adorably innocent."

"It's because of cougars like you that I'm going to remain a virgin for a while," he stated with a shrug and scowl. Jonouchi snorted loudly, muttering under his breath about how if he'd stayed interested in Anzu he probably wouldn't be anymore. The statement made his head snap around, mouth open and eyes wide in shock. "What?"

"Wow," the blonde commented awkwardly, scratching the back of her head and glancing at Otogi. "That was, uh, kind of a fucked up statement."

"Well, I mean, she would have had sex with him by now!" Jonouchi responded with a slightly horrified look, eyes wide as he refused to look at Yugi now. It was clear that he had not realized that they would hear him and so was mortified by the idea. "I mean…"

"Nothing wrong with being a little promiscuous," Mai finally said, winking playfully at Yugi as the small teen tried not to snap in frustration. "I mean, if she wants to play hanky panky with you, why stop her?"

The question made Yugi snicker before shaking his head in annoyance. "And I'm sure we could all take lessons from you, right, Mai?" he teased. "After all, you did offer me and Yami some."

"And that offer us still very much on the table if the two of you ever want to take me up on it." She shrugged, unashamed, and winked again. "And I'm sure Otogi would still love to help out with that too."

The smaller teen snorted and rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah, I think I'll just wing it and do it on my own when the time comes. I really don't want to be in competition with two other people, thanks."

Jonouchi gaped at him for a moment, then flushed furiously. "Whoa, whoa, what? You guys were discussing a foursome before?" he demanded with wide eyes. Yugi wrinkled his nose at his horrified expression and both Mai and Otogi raised a brow. "When did that happen?"

"A couple of months ago, I guess?" Yugi answered dismissively, trying to take the heat off the blond for a moment. "When I first met them."

"What? Seriously?"

"As much fun as this trip down memory lane actually is," Otogi cut in, voice effectively silencing them as they all glanced at him in surprise, "we really should try to get him to change before the moon rises. Otherwise he's going to be forced through it and it's not going to be pretty."

Yugi snorted loudly. "None of the Changes are pretty," he scoffed, but he ignored the way his mind reeled for a moment. "Anyways, you're right though. We should go ahead and get this done."

Mai nodded. "Okay, Jonouchi, so what you're going to do, is completely strip out of your clothes."

"Why though?"

"Because, either you're going to end up completely shredding through them or you're going to end up cutting circulation off somewhere in the body. And I don't think you really want that to happen either, do you?"

Yugi considered the statement for a moment, wondering at the idea. He'd never really thought about the odds of cutting off circulation. He'd assumed the body would simply tear through the clothing completely. But then he glanced at the belts around his waist and the jacket on his shoulders and he thought about layers and how one might break but the next might hold.

With the body going through such a stressful, strenuous event as it was, he did not think that there was much way to prevent potentially choking oneself or completely ruining an arm or anything of that kind… He shivered.

"So there's an actual reason? It's not just because you want to see me naked?" Jonouchi sounded almost as if he were whining.

"I don't think your package is going to be that impressive," Otogi snorted. But he was smirking in amusement and Yugi couldn't help the smallest snicker, though he looked away quickly when Jonouchi shot him a dirty look. "Especially not with how cold it is. You're going to shrivel up like a dried worm."

Yugi couldn't help but laugh out loud. He covered his mouth with his hands and shook, guffawing behind his fingers. "Oh, shit."

"You've barely got a hook for the worm to get on," Jonouchi snapped, spinning on Yugi with reddened cheeks. "You're definitely not one to laugh right about now."

"As much as I like the idea of you two whipping them out for a contest, you both need to calm down," Mai announced, cutting off the snarl that Yugi had begun to form. The smaller teen glanced at her sideways and Otogi rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. Jonouchi looked quickly down again. "The point is we're all stripping. We're all changing. Who knows? Maybe doggy style will be more fun anyways."

Yugi grunted. Jonouchi gaped at her. Otogi burst out laughing. Mai winked at them both and began to pull the sleeves of her jacket to slip over her hands and off her arm. She quickly followed with the second arm and dropped it aside. With her lead, Otogi began to do the same and Yugi hesitated for only a moment. Jonouchi awkwardly scratched at his wrists, then finally pulled the green jacket off as well.

"I guess everyone gets to meet Jack Mehoff now," Yugi commented, shrugging as he began to kick off his sneakers.

Mai looked over. "Did you really just call him that?"

"Sure, why not? He likes heavy petting and a firm hand."

Otogi burst out laughing. Yugi shrugged again, grinning, and undid the belts on his waist. Mai had dropped her jacket and shirt and the small teen was trying hard not to stare now as he considered. This was the first time he'd ever seen a woman naked up close. The thought was horrifying, especially as, immediately on the tail of this, he realized this was probably going to be the only manner in which he ever truly saw such a thing either. It would be when the females were stripping to change. Because, as had been proven when he'd puked after almost kissing Anzu, the concept of disloyalty towards Yami made him sick.

"So we have Jack Mehoff and the Big Dog," Mai commented, laughing as she dropped her skirt. Yugi flushed bright red and turned immediately away again. Oh gods, he didn't think he'd ever forget the sight… "Then we've got the garden where the dogs bury their bones and yours would be…?"

Yugi sputtered out a laugh, turning to her. "The garden? Really?"

"That's the Garden to you, thank you very much." Mai winked at him playfully and the small teen tried his hardest not to look down. Even if he didn't act on it, this entire thing was still kind of exciting. "And yours would be what, Jonouchi?"

"He doesn't have a name."

"Bullshit," Otogi barked, smirking. "There's no way that he doesn't."

"Probably God," Yugi answered, trying to lighten some of the attention Jonouchi had gotten from them. "It's probably something like that."

"Is that why he's a lonely fella?"

The small teen couldn't help the laugh that left him. Fucking Mai; of course she would say something like that.

"He's not lonely! He's had tons of experience! Plenty of chicks have been with the great Katsuya Jonouchi!" the blond bit out, scowling at her in annoyance. "Yugi is the one without any experience."

"That's because he was waiting for his special someone," Mai said with a wave of her hand. "That doesn't count at all. He was just holding out."

The defense startled the smaller teen. He blinked, surprised, as Jonouchi flushed bright red again and Mai merely grinned at him. He cast a quick glance towards Otogi who was watching the blond with a scrutinizing expression.

"You know, it's actually kind of rude that you keep trying to undermine him when all he's doing is trying to keep the pressure off you," Mai said abruptly. She'd lost that little smile in her eyes and looked almost annoyed herself now. "But whatever. Let's focus on getting through your first change and then Yugi can take you home and you two can kiss and make up."

"Wow, someone sounds a little bitter," the raven-haired teen commented, laughing when she slugged him on the shoulder. "Ow, stop being so abusive."

"Oh please, you love it and you know it."

"I think this is a conversation for when we children go off to bed," Yugi announced.

"It's not my fault he loves it when I make him call me ma'am."

The smallest teen choked. "You two are ridiculous."

"I also love the salutes and yes sirs," Otogi answered immediately. He saluted her and she visibly relaxed, rolling her eyes. "And eating out."

Yugi flushed bright red. "Okay, okay, stop now—please!" he cried out, waving his hands in front of his face as if to ward them off. "We can just call it quits now."

"What do you know, I think you might be a little bigger than Jonouchi over there."

Otogi snorted and rolled his eyes. "Neither of them have taken off their boxers yet."

"A girl can tell when there's a large penis around." She raised a brow, shooting him a sideways glance. "Why do you think I took you over Marik?"

"Wait, huh?" Jonouchi sputtered, shocked. "Marik has a mini-dick?"

"No, but Otogi's is bigger." Mai shrugged. "What can I say? I like a bigger piece."

"Oh for the love of the gods," Yugi cursed under his breath. He shook his head and dropped his boxers, rushing to take position on his hands and knees. He made sure to carefully position his arms and legs to cover himself, if only slightly. "Let's just get this over with, okay? Before the moon rises."

Otogi snickered and dropped his own boxers, following his lead. Yugi growled playfully when he saw him squinting at him. Mai snickered and rolled her eyes and knelt as well. But Jonouchi hesitated a few moments longer, cursing under his breath, and finally did the same.

But Yugi had the sudden, startling clarity that he did not know how to instruct Jonouchi now. Yami had asked him to recall the pain and the feeling of the Change in order to do so for himself in the woods. And he'd been able to do that on numerous occasions, even speeding up the sensation to force it to go faster as he had to save Yami from Espa and Panik that night. But now he had no idea how to do it…

"Here's what you're going to do, Jonouchi," Otogi commented, cutting into Yugi's initial sense of fear. He glanced up to find the raven-haired teen watching his friend. But Jonouchi was studying him with a somewhat unsure expression. He offered him a blank, encouraging smile, as Otogi continued. "This is going to be the only time you're going to do it like this, by the way. The rest of the time it's going to be by remembering and conjuring up the feelings of the Change now."

Jonouchi looked over. "Okay…"

"What you're going to do now is basically imagine what you think you'll look like as a wolf, then think of all the movies you've seen the characters phase in. You're going to have to focus on them completely, because if you don't, you're either going to reverse the Change altogether or get stuck. And it's going to fucking hurt if you don't pay attention."

The blond gave him an annoyed yet somewhat anxious look. "You can get stuck? Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

Yugi shivered. That was just another thing he'd never considered before. But he'd never thought about it because Yami had coaxed him through it. And he'd had the reason of running with him to keep him from backing out of such a thing. His focuses had always been on them, pivotal and drawn there, and that had caused him to follow through each time.

"You can, but it's not going to last for more than a few hours. Depending on if you're more human or wolf, the lycanthropy will force the Change to save you." Otogi considered him a moment. "An immobile wolf is a dead one, Jonouchi. Remember that."

Yugi shivered again. Then he shook his head. "What if he imagines his wolf self wrong? Does it do anything?"

"No, it's still going to trigger it."

He nodded. "Okay, good." He didn't look up when all three of them gave him inquisitive glances. Instead he stared at the snow beneath him, wondering at the sight of it and just how pristine it seemed.

He didn't need to explain to them that he'd been half-dead and bleeding out when his own body had triggered the Change. After Para or Dox had ripped through his throat like that, his body had started to do so. And Yami and that wolf from Paradise—Echo's beta—had been the only reasons he had not died.

"He'll just change into one that didn't exactly match his idea." Otogi shrugged and turned to Jonouchi once more. "Okay, so you're going to start us off. It's more important that you change before us."

It took over forty long minutes before the first telltale sign of the Change occurred. There was a crunching noise, long and sharp and popping. Then came Jonouchi sputtering for breath. Seconds later he choked and puked. Then he contorted rapidly, body twisting and shaking as his head bowed and his back arched. His skin bulged and shivered. He shook. He vomited again.

Yugi watched him mindlessly. A part of him was horrified to watch a friend go through this. But another was almost slightly amused. The small teen watched him, unable to look away. His friend thrashed, puking violently again. The pores in his skin opened. Small tendrils of hair began to push outwards. They receded, tucked into his skin once more, then pushed further.

His breathing was ragged. His teeth were bared. Steam came from his skin where sweat clung to his face. He puked again. His back arched higher. The knobs became defined. His legs snapped end broke. His hands began to fold and his fingers break. The hair began to spread along his face. He flashed his teeth as he sputtered.

Yugi tried to ignore the red coloring to his skin. And he tried his hardest not to notice the way his mouth opened into a silent scream. His teeth were elongating, however. And his tongue seemed to flatten grotesquely. Jonouchi trembled and shook and then fell over.

And then, writhing on the ground, his fingers folded and his nails blackened. The palms of his hands had turned black and the skin was calloused and forced into a paw pad. The fur began to come in larger strands, almost like shuddering waves. And then Jonouchi puked again, writhed harder, and finally grew still.

Yugi initially thought to hurry over. But then a harsh heat gripped his skin. He hissed at its touch and snarled in dismay. At first his body seemed to oppose him. His legs shook, his stomach clenched. Wave after wave of nausea came over him. Bile burned a clear path up the back of his throat. He hissed and snarled. And then he realized, abruptly, the warning Otogi had given.

The moon was forcing the Change.

Yugi spat and tossed his head, stunned by the realization. And then he blinked and clenched his eyes shut tightly. If the moon could force the Change like this, then surely he could influence it to completion, right?

He swallowed thickly, breathing in a long and deep inhale. Then, focusing, he brought forth the memory of the pain that usually came with his own voluntary Changes. He closed his eyes, drew in a deeper breath, and felt that hideous flash of heat encompassing him more fully. His skin shuddered. His jaw locked into place. He snarled and spat. And then his back arched and he tossed his head once more. Instantly a wave of pain came over him, but the nausea lessened. And the ache began to split against his skin.

He felt it more than ever as his jaw lengthened and his hands became paws. The crackling popping noise of bones breaking was almost like a roar. He staggered, then collapsed. His chin hit the snow, his teeth aching from the force of his bite. And then he folded his forelimbs beneath him and got to his feet again.

He shook himself out, flicking his ears, and turned to Jonouchi. You okay? he demanded. But he was not sure the other wolf could focus on him to begin with. And so he wondered if his question fell on deaf ears.

Mai had wandered over and was sniffing at the prone wolf's face. The sight made him want to laugh but then he considered the damage his first Change had done him and immediately lost such humor. He hurried over as well, limping slightly from a stiffness in his joints that had come from his stumble.

Yugi stepped closer, then towards Mai. Is he okay? he asked rather sharply. The white wolf narrowed his eyes and searched her face.

He's fine. He just hasn't gotten up yet. Mai wagged her tail at him. Her white, silver and gold face was amused more than anything.

Yugi relaxed visibly upon seeing her face. The calm reassurance in her eyes made his fear fall away entirely. The white wolf turned away to look at his friend. Jonouchi had become a leaner dirty blond wolf with hair a similar shade to that of Ra's. But along his dorsal cape was gray and black, dispersed rather evenly throughout the long stands. He was a mostly solid color but for a softer beige along his undercoat and white to color his belly and much of his tail. And his muzzle was black, up to the stops of his eyes.

He looks like a golden retriever with pricked ears and a different colored muzzle, the she-wolf commented cheerfully. Her ears flicked towards him and Yugi licked his lips. Don't you think so?

The white wolf wagged his tail. He really does! he laughed. He really does look like a dog instead!

Screw you, Jonouchi grumbled, exhausted as he rolled over onto his belly. He flicked an ear and tried to get to his feet, but stumbled and fell back. He shot Yugi an annoyed look. I don't look like a dog!

The white wolf wagged his tail a little more. You have the golden retriever fur in the front and then a chow chow face!

Shut up, Jonouchi snapped, frustrated. I look like a wolf. And a damn good looking one at that! I'm a stud. Leave me alone.

Yugi snorted. Okay, stud, but you're still pretty dog-like instead.

Jonouchi glared at him and shook his head. But when he went to respond, Mai chimed in instead. You look so much like a dog. I almost didn't recognize that you were a wolf.

Otogi burst out laughing. Yugi wagged his tail happily. Mai licked Jonouchi's cheek then nipped his ear and began to trot away. Immediately Otogi took off after her and the two sprinted off into trees. Yugi turned to his friend, wagged his tail, and waited for Jonouchi to get to his feet and follow him.

---

The lights were off.

The air was stiff.

It was cold.

He was hungry.

He licked his lips.

Blood soaked his tongue.

He yawned.

Pain bloomed in his gums.

In front of him the air wavered.

Shuddering noises came forward.
He climbed to his feet.

His head tilted.

A snarl rumbled.

The air shivered again.

He bore his teeth.

There was a flash of white.

There was red.

He blinked.

He snarled.

Air quivered.

Sound rippled.

There was movement.

There was pain.

There was blood.

The shuddering came again.

Scraping sounded.

He snarled louder.

Then his mouth opened.

The world was dark.

The pain was terrible.

His eyes burned.

His blood splattered on the concrete.

The quivering grew more intense.

There was—

—Blood.

So.

Much.

Blood.

He snarled.

There was—

—Movement.

His teeth snapped.

Blood gushed.

So.

Much.

Blood.

And then there was a scream.

It echoed.

It ricocheted.

It escalated.

It died.

He licked his lips.

Blood.

Blood.

Blood.

Something hit the ground.

Something rolled.

He spun upon it.

His jaws snapped.

He tasted blood again.

Something shivered again.

He snapped at it.

His jaws hit something smooth.

His teeth clicked.

He backed up.

Then he lunged.

There was sound again.

Blood dripped.

He licked his mouth.

His tongue was cut.

He blinked.

Pain erupted in his side.

He spun on it.

He snarled.

Something else dug into his side.

He snapped his teeth.

He lunged.

Blood flew into the air.

Something rolled again.

The wolf blinked.

Pain spread through him.

He blinked.

There was blood—

—everywhere.

---

Yugi landed rather hard. He rolled and the rabbit cried out beneath him. But it was thrown into the snow. And the impact all but buried it. The white wolf turned on it immediately. He snapped his teeth and blood filled his mouth. He felt it grow limp, then dropped it between his paws and took a large bite. He wagged his tail and licked his lips.

Jonouchi wrinkled his nose. That's disgusting.

And a lot healthier, Yugi dismissed. He took another huge bite and swallowed it almost whole but for some mild chewing with his back teeth.

I'm watching you do it and I still can't believe it.

The white wolf ignored him now. He chomped on the last of the rabbit and bones crunched loudly beneath his teeth. He got to his feet again a few moments later, licking his lips once more and flicking an ear.

He wasn't sure he wanted to explain to Jonouchi how similarly he viewed the act of eating them. But the fact was that he did not know how to even put such a thing into words. What it came down to, similarly, was that Yugi was still new to the entire concept. But he could not help himself that half of him rejoiced in being fed something of that magnitude when the other was repulsed. He could not find it in himself, either, to attempt to explain such a situation to the blond.

Did it count for nothing that he was at least trying? He was trying for the wolves and pretending to be what they had come to expect of their faux god Atem. And he was trying not to become someone his friends could not recognize. The reality of it was that he was still fearful. It was still possible that he might lose himself. But it was also possible that he might not as well.

But Yugi had no words to explain.

And he was scared and tired of being so at war with such a concept as it was.

And he wondered, not for the first time, if Yami had ever suffered such a feeling. But now, with that thought, came a more primal fear. He wondered if, wherever Yami was, he were dying or hungry in any way. And it made him quiver to wonder at such a thing. He'd never considered it before. And now he felt shaken and stupid as it occurred to him to question such a thing.

Was Yami hungry where he was?

Was he miserable or unhappy?

Was he starving?

What if he was actually happy?

What if, when he came back, he wished more than ever to return?

Because, in all reality, while Yugi wanted to think otherwise, he had no idea what it was that Yami might be feeling. Those dreams were not guaranteed to be a connection to him of all wolves. It could have been a random werewolf for all he knew. There had never been a guarantee that he was tied so completely to Yami as it was.

They might have dreamed the same at times, but it was more likely that it had come about due to Yami's close proximity and the gods drawing them both in for the sake of mild familiarity.

And, try as he might, Yugi could not truly convince himself of otherwise.

Are you almost ready to go back to the house? he asked quietly. The thought occurred to him that he should perhaps wait a little longer for Jonouchi to gather his strength more so. But he was tired as he considered and it did not truly impact much, he supposed. Jonouchi had not done much more than await his lead for the most part. They'd hunted and Yugi had eaten but he'd also dismissed Mai and Otogi as well an hour prior…

I guess so, if you are. Jonouchi tilted his head as he looked at him. I'm kind of tired so that's probably a good idea actually.

Yugi nodded. Then we'll head home and you can watch some movies or whatever. I'll get out the sleep mat when we're back there.

What about your mom and grandpa?

He flicked an ear. My mom had an emergency to take care of before I even got up for school. She left a note on the table for me. And Grandpa actually knows I'm infected so he's more interested in seeing what I'm up to than ratting me out to my mom.

Jonouchi nodded slightly, listening at first only to the statement was gone before he got up for school. And then he faltered, head snapping around and mouth falling open in a clearly human gesture. Your grandpa knows? You actually told him?

Yugi hesitated. He didn't want to lie but he also didn't want to have to explain. Not only that but he'd make his grandpa sound either like he was insane or as if he were part of the conspiracy that was allowing the wolves to be created and experimented on in the first place.

Yeah. I was kind of forced to. He noticed I was struggling with something beforehand and then I wasn't and I looked like I'd never been hurt.

Jonouchi shivered. So we always heal like this?

Only as long as you're healthy. Yugi shook himself out and shivered as he looked at him. For a moment he thought of that blood which had coated his yard, of the way his window had been thrown open. He thought of the prints on the roof and blood scattered about it. He thought of that bear with the menu and the silver in its mouth. And then he remembered seeing Jonouchi's blood on the ice where it was broken and he'd struggled. That's what hunting and eating what you catch is a good thing. Even if it's only once in a while, it helps.

The blond wolf looked sick for a split second. That's still really gross.

When you're hungry, it's actually not.

I can't picture doing it.

Yugi snorted. You'd be surprised, Jonouchi.

Well, I never would have thought that you would do it. So I guess I really shouldn't think I won't…

The white canine flicked an ear and turned to trot aside. His mind flashed with the thought of the way Yami had eaten and he'd scrunched his nose or spoken of it in disgust. The similar situation was almost enough to make him laugh but also want to vomit.

He'd given him such shit about it.

And then he'd judged him for it—if only for a moment.

Yugi shivered and shook his head. You'd be surprised. It feels like instinct when you do it, he answered mildly. You won't even really think twice after the first time.

He supposed that could be said for a lot of the things lycanthropy brought with it. One could adapt to the Change just as easily if they were willing, though he himself had not been. One could learn to monitor their healing to the very second if they so decided. One could utilize the heightened instincts to their very desires.

He turned away from Jonouchi entirely now. Let's go ahead and get back to my house. Grandpa will be asleep and I'll set up the mat for you. Then you can watch TV or play games or whatever until you get tired. Then tomorrow we can skip out on school and talk about some of the things you might want to know.

Okay.

---

Atem.

He spun around, eyes wide and startled. He blinked, then furrowed his brows. At first the shadows remained too thick to see. Then they seemed to be breached, if only slightly, by the softest touch of silver moonlight. Yugi strained his eyes for a moment, then pricked his ears forward and stepped closer.

The shadows separated further. At first he expected Ra, though the voice was not hers. Then he expected Slifer, but still that didn't fit. Yugi flicked an ear. Then he glanced about himself more fully than he originally had.

Morrigan, he realized, projecting the name outwardly. He turned his head and searched the shadows. But the river of blood seemed lost from his consciousness and so he thanked the gods for such a small mercy.

The shadows seemed to wreath for a moment, swirling before gently parting more so. And, before his eyes, the she-wolf stepped forward with a simple flick of her ear. She shook herself out as if the moonlight or the shadows clung to her pelt.

It's been a while, hasn't it, Atem?

Yugi wagged his tail as he stepped forward. He almost wanted to initiate a play bow and try to engage her. But then he reconsidered, watching her as reality came in a crushing blow once more. She was a goddess, the goddess of death for the hellhounds. For her to visit him in a dream was probably not the best omen he could have asked for.

It has been a while, he acknowledged, however. The admission was exhausting but he wondered why it was that the hybrid might have come to him now. What, uh, brings you here?

Morrigan blinked, then shook her head. You're an adorable little furball, aren't you? she commented wryly. Thinking that you should talk to me formally.

Yugi flicked an ear. Well, we don't really…interact very often. I didn't mean to offend you or anything but…

Morrigan snorted. You're so sweet to think I care about how you address me, she replied with a simple shake of her head. Then she took a seat and turned to him curiously, eyes mildly warm. Now, that aside, I meant to tell you something which I am rather sure you do not yet know.

He flicked an ear. I don't know a lot of things, he answered somewhat dismissively. I wouldn't even be slightly surprised at this point.

Nor should you be, she stated simply. Her red eyes flickered, a shade darker than Yami's ever had been, with a flatter sheen to them as if he were looking at a shallow pool. My message is a very simple one, however.

Yugi tilted his head. A god can be simple?

I know. It is a contradiction in and of itself, is it not? the hellhound teased. Then she paced closer to him. Her eyes glinted and she seemed to consider her words for a few moments longer. I wished to tell you, quite simply, that you did well in saving your friend. I was rather surprised you got there in time.

The white wolf was quiet for a long minute. Oh.

She considered him with eyes that abruptly reminded him of sharpened knives. Allow me to ask you a question, Atem.

He blinked. Sure.

You have a question you've been wishing to ask me for a while now, have you not? she inquired, ears pricked towards him and head tilted. What is it that you wished to inquire of me?

Yugi flicked an ear, then watched her for a long moment. A million questions came to mind but they focused more fully on one now. What is a wish hound? Yami mentioned them at one time but he never explained…

Morrigan turned away, lowering her nose to the ground and sniffing loudly. A wish hound is a hellhound which makes deals with humans. They are more the wolves you have in your lore, the ones that hunt down the human for their soul. They are able to grant one's wish if it does not pertain to life, death, health or a person other than the one speaking to them. And their price is that their souls are forfeit when they die.

Why their souls? Why would you do that?

It gives them longevity. They cannot fade from existence and return to Paradise if they have a human's soul to devour. Morrigan flashed him a great and terrible smile. You are lucky, however, because they cannot see other wolves. They could not tell Fuwa where you were or how to find you. Had they been able to, he would have crossed paths with you far sooner.

Yugi bristled. And none of you would have helped me?

At the time you had your alpha. Yami could have helped you out of the situation. He has much cunning and strength. Even if he does not use it often enough. The hybrid watched him with darkened eyes, turning away again with a simply shake of her fur. Now, however, you have my brother and sister. Is that not enough?

The white wolf blinked and his eyes grew wide with alarm. Do you know where Yami is, Morrigan? he asked with his ears flattened against his skull. Can you tell me?

The she-wolf stared at him for a long moment. Then she turned away with a flick of her ear. Yami is…where he needs to be for the moment. It is…a place you've begun to frequent within your dreams, she answered, turning to him now. You will cross paths with him soon enough. Do not fret so much.

But he's in pain, Morrigan—

And his pain will soon be relieved. She paused, raising her nose, and sniffed at the frigid air for a few moments. You should wake. Your friend is getting restless.

Who? Jonouchi? he muttered, though a part of him simply could not find it in himself to care. That's…okay.

Morrigan blinked. Okay? It's okay?

Yugi shook his head. I meant that I'll try to wake up. I didn't mean that it was okay that he was getting upset.

You certainly are such a caring little heart.

He wanted to respond, but a rushing sensation came through him. He startled, at first stunned as Morrigan disappeared so instantly from his vision, and then blinked slowly. His room was still shadowed rather than bright, the dawn weak where it touched the blue walls.

"Jonouchi."

The blond spun around from where he'd been setting up a game on the television. His eyes were wide and startled and he looked visibly exhausted, as if he had not slept at all and so seemed more distressed than ever. He looked paler than Yugi had ever seen him, and his face looked oddly clammy and ashen. His forehead was glistening and some of his bangs were plastered to his skin from the sweat there. He smelled almost feverish, the heat all but billowing through the room.

"You okay?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly, but ignored the urge to yawn and lay back down. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head. "You look kind of feverish."

"I feel like my body is on fire."

Yugi grunted and moved to get out the bed. "Give me a minute and I'll get some water and a couple of pills to break the fever." He ran his hands through his hair and ignored the way his stomach growled. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Anything. I'm starving."

Yugi nodded dismissively and shuffled out the door. Jonouchi watched him go, then scratched at his neck and shivered as pain came through his muscles. He was exhausted as he turned back to the screen. The game started up easily and he ignored the way his head throbbed as he hit the start button.

A few minutes passed. His head was pulsing with pain and his vision was somewhat blurred around the edges. He was sweating more proficiently now and his mouth was dry as his eyes squeezed shut. He could hear Yugi moving about and the rattle of the controller in his hands where they had begun to shake. He shivered again, then trembled as a wave of nausea came over him.

The doorknob clicked when he pulled it and opened the door. Jonouchi nearly groaned, opening his eyes into slits to look over at him. "Here, some cold water, some medicine, and a couple of granola bars. I need to go shopping." He watched his face. "This is probably a stupid question, but did you want to go to school today or should I just contact Honda and Anzu and have them come over here?"

"Tell them to come here. I'm not going to make it to school." The blond exhaled loudly and closed his eyes tightly again. Yugi looked at him curiously for a moment, then put the bottle of water and the medicine beside him, placing the granola bars on the opposite side.

"Give me a minute. I'll go call them."

Jonouchi was shaking, though he managed to nod around his exhaustion. "Okay," he muttered, sounding almost strangled with how exhausted he truly was.

"You sure you don't want to wait to tell them?"

"Yeah. I should do it sooner rather than later."

Yugi watched him a moment longer. Then he nodded and turned away. "All right. Give me a minute. Call me if you need anything." He shut the door behind him, glanced down the hall to where he saw his grandpa coming out of the bathroom, and shivered. His grandpa turned to him, surprised, and mouthed "Is he okay?"

The small teen glanced at his bedroom again before shaking his head slightly. He gestured his grandpa over to his side and led the way into the kitchen. "He's feverish and looks really sick," he mumbled. "I can't tell if it's some kind of backlash from the hypothermia or if he maybe changed prematurely or what."

Sugoroku blinked wide eyes. Yugi had filled him in on the issue only the day before, explaining that he'd probably be gone for most of the night and he needed him to cover for him. He'd told him all about the way he'd found Jonouchi in that lake in the woods…

"Is that a possibility?" Yugi demanded a little sharply. "Is that a thing?"

"I would think it's a possibility but I can't be sure. I never changed, remember?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning away. "Well, either way. I need to call up Anzu and Honda to have them meet up with us over here," he said with a small shrug. But he was visibly upset with Sugoroku's lack of answers and the realization made him frown as he looked at his grandson. The small teen turned away, heading over to where he had tossed his uniform jacket onto the back of the chair nearest him. He dug into the pocket and pulled out his phone.

"I'll go and check on Jonouchi."

Yugi nodded slightly, then scrolled through his contacts until he came across Honda's number. The brunet was more likely to be awake than Anzu, if either of them were up yet. He dialed, putting the phone to his ear and listening for a few minutes to the ringing.

When the voicemail came on, the small teen tilted his head and listened to Jonouchi and his grandpa. They were talking about video games and the best consoles. Yugi turned his attention back to the phone as Honda's voice chimed, "Leave me a message and I'll call you back."

"Hey, Honda, I know it's super early but Jonouchi and I want you to come to my house. There's something that we all need to talk about." He paused. "Call me back when you get this."

He left a similar message for Anzu when he went to voicemail. The small teen checked his battery, the time, and then moved to his room again, putting it on the charger.

"They're still asleep?"

"Yeah, that or they're not near their phones."

"Those slackers," Jonouchi huffed. "Don't they know better than to sleep when there are important things going on?!"

Yugi snorted and flashed him a small grin. "You can't say that! You sleep through class and tutoring sessions and—"

"Yugi, dude, I think you might need your ears cleaned. I said important things, not stupid ones."

The smaller teen laughed out loud. "You're such a dick," he snickered, turning away after a moment. "School is important too."

"School is boring and stupid."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "This is why you can't pass your classes."

Sugoroku snorted and quickly looked away when the blond shot him a dirty glance. The smaller teen smirked a little, then shook his head. Jonouchi turned back to him with a pout, eyes full of annoyance and feverish light.

"You're the one who tutors me!"

"And I spend about half of my bank deposit on candy bars for you," he quipped, the other boy glaring at him now. He flashed him a grin full of almost perfectly white teeth. "What? It's true. It's the only way to motivate you. That's probably why you look like a dog when you change too."

Sugoroku nearly choked on laughter. His brow rose and he looked at Jonouchi. "You look like a dog?" he asked with a wry grin.

"He always looks like a shaggy golden retriever. But this time he's got a canine body that makes him look it even more!"

Jonouchi rolled his honey-brown eyes and huffed loudly. "You guys are just a pain in my ass." He turned back to his video game now, determined to ignore them.

"It's not my fault you're like the definition of a dog on two legs. You stink. You slobber. You eat too much. You have shaggy hair. You have the big brown eyes and—"

Jonouchi turned around to punch at his leg. Yugi laughed as he jumped out of range of the blow. He grinned, eyes bright and full of laughter. The smaller teen raised a brow and smirked at him playfully.

"Yugi, shut up."

Yugi smirked and took a seat on the bed, leaning forward with his elbows against his knees. He watched as Jonouchi went back to his video game and ignored it even as his grandpa considered him curiously before leaving. It was an hour before Honda called him, somewhat breathless when Yugi answered.

"Shit, I just got your message," he muttered, sounding almost overwhelmed. Yugi furrowed his brow and glanced at the clock, then grinned slightly in amusement. Honda had woken up half an hour later than usual. No wonder he was in a panic. "Okay, what's going on? Why is Jonouchi at your house? Has he been there this entire time? Did something happen with his dad? Fuck, dude, I need details."

The small teen glanced at the blond who had paused his game and was facing him now with a somewhat surprised expression. Yugi bit his lip and tilted his head as he considered the best way to answer.

"Yugi?"

He blinked. "Yeah, give me a second. I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this…"

"Dude, is he okay?"

Yugi grimaced. "Define… 'okay'. We might have different definitions at this point in time." He kicked his legs like a small child might and briefly he wondered at Morrigan's words, about how he had done well to save Jonouchi. The thought still clawed at his gut for a long moment.

"Shit."

The smaller teen did not answer for a moment. It occurred to him that his phrasing had done well to all but tell him ahead of time what he'd meant to say. "Just, um…meet us over here. Jonouchi and I are going to explain everything that happened. But I need you and Anzu to meet up with us here. I don't want to take Jonouchi to school. He's still pretty sick and I was going to skip anyways and keep an eye on him."

Jonouchi gave him a surprised look. Yugi waved it away with a flick of his wrist. His eyes darkened faintly and he shook his head. Why would the blond have assumed otherwise? Of course he would stay home with him to make sure he was okay!

"Is he hurt?"

"I wouldn't say that. He's more…feverish, I think. It's kind of hard to explain over the phone. You'll have to come and see him—" He blinked as his phone vibrated again, a small noise emitting from it. He looked at the screen for a moment. "Hey, Honda, Anzu just called me. I need to tell her to meet us over here and then I'll explain everything that I know about the situation."

"Situation?" the brunet repeated but he grumbled a quick farewell immediately after and hung up. Yugi sighed softly and accepted the new call.

"Hey, so you got my message?"

"Well, yeah, and I was going to text you instead but I figured I should call… Is Jonouchi there? Is he okay?"

Yugi glanced at the blond. "Properly fed but not up on his grooming." He laughed when Jonouchi smacked his leg, the closest thing in reach. He grinned at his best friend and turned away. "He's okay. He's been hanging out over here for the last couple of days. But you need Honda need to come over here. We have something we need to talk about."

Anzu was quiet for the longest time. "Okay," she finally muttered. "I'll be there in a little while."

"Thanks."

She hung up with a quiet "Goodbye" and Yugi put his phone aside to face Jonouchi. The blond was watching him with his own darkened, slightly widened eyes. The two of them considered each other for a moment, then Yugi looked away again.

"Do you think you can take a shower?" he asked. Immediately he thought of his hand aching and burning from the silver knife which had once been embedded in it. He remembered the way Yami had sat on the toilet seat, chatting before helping him to clean his hair. Yugi looked up, wondering only mildly if he could do the same for Jonouchi now. Or if the other would even allow such a thing to happen if he could.

"I think it'll be fine," the blond answered. He got up after a moment, stretching himself out and relaxing visibly. "I'll call if I need anything."

Yugi nodded, humming slightly before turning away.

---

Yugi closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "I think it's Fuwa fucking with me. I think that's how Jonouchi wound up in that situation. And I think he's got a friend that's doing the harder parts of his job. I think there's a wolf with him." He opened his eyes into slits after a deep breath, turning to Honda now. "He left me a present in the woods when I went to help Jonouchi. He'd hollowed out a bear carcass and replaced some of the teeth with silver."

"Holy shit," the brunet muttered.

"He must have seen Yami kill that tigress in the warehouse. Because the wolf did it in a very similar way, even crawled through the shoulders. I don't know how long it had been there before I found it, though. I have no idea whatsoever." He drummed his fingers on the table for a moment, eyes darkening as he considered. "I think it had to be at least an hour or so before I got there. So I… Look, guys, I bit Jonouchi and he's a wolf now, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do it a second time like that. I don't think Fuwa or that wolf are going to be so keen on me doing it again. I got to Jonouchi in time but I don't think I'll be able to do it for you guys too. And it's clear that they've figured out a pretty big amount of information on me. I… You know that I would do anything for you guys. But I don't know if this wolf and Fuwa will target you guys as well or not. It might have been because they saw Jonouchi and smelled me on him or something. I don't know. But it's obviously not safe anymore and I don't know how else I'm supposed to try to hide my identity like that."

Anzu shivered. "You think that they know where you go to school, where we hang out, and where you live? Or just one or two of those things?" she asked softly, looking at the small teen with wide blue eyes.

Yugi shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "No, they definitely know where I live."

"Why do you say that?" Honda inquired. He furrowed his brows and glanced sideways towards Jonouchi who was watching Yugi with wide eyes now. "You think they followed you or they tracked your scent or what?"

"No, I think I overlooked it one day. I think they followed me when I wasn't paying enough attention to my surroundings. And I think the wolf figured out my age, found out where I went to school, and followed me from the school to here." He drummed his fingers again, shaking his head and ignoring the urge to snarl in dismay. "I think that Fuwa and this wolf only just crossed paths."

It could be Yami for all I know.

The thought was enough to make him want to puke with mounting distress. But he forced it away in order to breathe in deeply and calm himself slightly. Yugi fought away a shiver and closed his eyes again.

"There's no way that they were working together before now. Fuwa isn't brave enough to try his hand at facing me for the moment. But I don't doubt that this wolf has every intention of doing so soon. The problem is that I don't know when or where. And I have no idea what wolf or who it is that is coming to try to kill me. At this rate I have no idea what I'm supposed to do beyond warn you guys."

"But we'll get it figured out," Jonouchi objected, oddly enthusiastic and firm in tone as Yugi blinked and looked at him in surprise. "We can kick Fuwa and whoever else's ass!"

"Exactly," Honda agreed, but he sounded uncertain now and his eyes flickered to Jonouchi for a moment, unsure and somewhat uncomfortable. And Yugi abruptly wondered if it was because he felt helpless to offer assistance in light of the news of Jonouchi being bitten as well. Did he perhaps feel as if he were not good enough to even be around them? "I'll help out in any way I can too."

Anzu was quiet for a long time. Then she looked at the tabletop and wondered for a moment about that war Yugi had mentioned. She'd said his time was limited, that his count would soon be up. The thought made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth for a long minute.

"I'll help out too."

Yugi thought she sounded miserable but he did not bother to ask. In an instant he turned to Honda, voice quiet but authoritative. "Then I need you all to do one thing for me."

All three of them looked up now, considering him curiously.

"I need all of you to be cautious. I need you to watch your surroundings. And I need you to tell me anything that you notice or think is suspicious. Beyond that I think our best option to potentially save ourselves from a bloodbath is to maintain our distance from each other and text or call to keep communication. Beyond that I think I would be setting you up to be picked off like cattle."

"You want us to…?" Jonouchi scrunched his face up. "You really want us to basically ignore you unless it's not something we can text or call about?"

Yugi nodded a little, feeling exhausted as he sensed the fight that the blond was about to put up. "It's the safest way to ensure that you don't wind up dead or with Fuwa gutting you like a fish." He hesitated, thinking briefly of the way Yami had ripped through that tigress. He'd not truly seen it, but he'd heard it. And he'd understood despite it all. He shivered and stopped his fingers, narrowing his eyes. "He's already proven he doesn't care whether someone is innocent or not."

"Okay but I don't think he's going to come after one of us when there's the chance we might escape and run," Honda answered with a shake of his head. "I mean, think about it. If we were to escape and run to you, you'd be told everything. And then what would he be able to do afterward?"

Yugi blinked. "I don't think for a moment that he'd let you get away to begin with. I don't think for even a second that any of us have the strategy or the mental prowess to combat him at all."

"What do you mean?" Anzu asked in bewilderment. "We survived the first time."

"And there won't be a second time," the smaller teen huffed, turning to her with dark eyes. "The problem is this, Anzu. He's smarter than me. He's smarter than you. He's smarter than Honda. He's smarter than Jonouchi. He's also extremely blessed. He's lucky to the point of it being supernatural. And he, like a hunter Yami recently dispatched, seems to basically be able to do anything and everything to avoid death—"

"Yami dispatched a hunter?" Honda interrupted, holding a hand up to make all of them glance at him but fail to interrupt. "How long ago was this and where is he if he's got enough experience to face off with Fuwa and win?"

The small teen bristled slightly, then shook it off. "Honda, there's no way of knowing that he would win against Fuwa to begin with. Second, he's… Fuck, I don't know where he is. The point, however, is he killed the hunter who came after me but I have no idea how he did it. The guy was supposed to be psychic and…"

His stomach knotted.

Morrigan…

Morrigan had said that the wish hounds could not see nor interfere with the living wolves. That was what had saved him. That was what had allowed Yami to sneak up on Espa. That was why they had not been caught in the woods that night either, when they could have easily found them.

That was why Fuwa was enlisting help.
Because he had made the deal for luck, the pinnacle of survival if one were to consider it. And the deal did not allow him to see Yugi. So he had gotten the help of another living wolf within that gods-forsaken pack to help him.

Why the wolf was doing so, however, was questionable in every sense.

Weren't they meant to be allies to him?

Weren't they meant to care for him and aid him in this war?

"And?" Honda echoed, prompting him to continue.

Yugi blinked and shook his head. "Uh, nothing." He paused and reconsidered his words before groaning under his breath. "Anyways, Yami killed him the other night—"

Anzu blinked and then frowned at him. "What's the other night exactly? Was it before or after he ran off?"

Yugi flinched. "Two or three days before." And he watched her now, eyes sharpened into daggers, as she began to sort the dates in her mind as well. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth opened and shut twice.

"Oh my god," she cursed. "W-where did he…? H-how…? I saw him next to you but I never saw…"

Jonouchi and Honda were both staring now, confused and bewildered. They swapped looks and watched Yugi more closely. The small teen was careful to ignore them as well as he answered her slowly.

"He did it before he came over to see me. He was across the street and killed Espa in the woods right there." He narrowed his eyes as she gaped at him more profusely. "We left the body. Your dad never found it?"

"Oh my fucking god, Yugi!" she spat. "You guys left a dead body only a few feet from my house?!"

Yugi curled his lip slightly, entire body growing tense as his shoulders rose and he growled softly. "Yes, yes we did. I forgot about it when he and I were talking. And I don't think he remembered it either by then." He narrowed his eyes now. "But your dad never saw the body anywhere?"

"No, he didn't," she snapped. "He didn't ever find a body there. He didn't know to look for them there either! Why the hell would you not move it—?"

He bore his teeth. "That's not the point."

"Whoa, hey, hey," Honda tried, eyes wide. Yugi looked ready to lunge across the table. And Anzu looked livid. Jonouchi was twitching and looked more feverish than ever, somewhere between fear and excitement. And Honda wondered if the blond would leap over the table with Yugi rather than attempt to prevent it happening. "Look, Anzu, don't antagonize him. He said he forgot. Leave it alone. We need to figure out what happened to the—"

"Leave it alone? They left a fucking dead body only a few feet from my house, Honda!" she spat, pinning him with a glare. "They left a body there! A fucking corpse, Hiroto! And you want me to leave it alone?"

"I think you'd be very smart to," Yugi bit out, cutting them off entirely. His eyes were burning now, wild and furious. "I think you'd be more likely to get out of the house in one piece if you did."

"Did you just threaten me?"

"I don't think you could call it anything else," the lycanthrope sneered. He leaned forward slightly, shoulders rising, teeth bared and glittering. If he did not begin slathering at the mouth, Honda would be amazed. "Leave. It. Alone."

"Okay, holy shit, can we not fight right now?" Jonouchi pleaded. His eyes were wider than usual and he looked sicker than he had even before. "We really need to just…"

Yugi glanced at him from his peripheral. "I want to know what happened to the body. If it was not discovered by Mazaki, then there is something else that happened to it. Something or someone else found it. If that's the case…"

"You think it has to do with Fuwa?" Honda asked, eyes wide as the thought occurred to him. He shivered and shook his head immediately. "That's… Seriously? You think that's a possibility?"

"Yes. I don't know what else would have caused it or anyone who might have tried. It seems stupid to think otherwise as it is." Yugi closed his eyes for a moment. "Anyone actually mentally sane would have called the cops. And now the body is gone and missing…"

"What would he do with it though?"

The small teen was silent, shaking his head.

"Think he's a cannibal?" Jonouchi tried to joke, but all three of them gave him annoyed looks. The blond scratched the back of his head. "Okay, so, what if he's feeding something? Maybe that tiger wasn't the only shifter he has?"

"You think he's training something?" Yugi rasped, eyes wide and confused. "You think he's training something to fight me?"

"Not to fight you."

"Right… To kill me. He's training something to kill me."

---

Yugi tried to ignore the way his stomach knotted at the very thought of walking this direction. Anzu and Jonouchi were the ones with him now, as they'd walked Honda home first at Anzu's insistence. Yugi had wondered briefly if he were seeing something there where there was nothing due to the conversation between himself and Jonouchi about the possibility of the two of them dating. But then he'd also considered that perhaps she had been hoping to talk to him alone, not realizing that Jonouchi was going to be with them as well.

And so he ignored the way she glanced at him occasionally or how Jonouchi would speed up a few steps then drop back to Yugi's side again. He was aware of just how much he had truly alienated himself from the others when he'd snarled at her as he had. But there was nothing to be done about it yet. And he had sensed the pettiness she sometimes portrayed, rising beneath the surface of her skin. She had been about to speak about Yami in a derogatory manner. And he would not have it.

Just as he would have stopped someone else saying something derogatory about her, he'd put an end to anything being said about Yami.

But he could sense the line he'd crossed.

And he may not have completely cared, but he knew it was there.

Maybe when he was dead and within Paradise he might find the time to care.

But for now he would simply ignore it.

"Call me if there's anything that happens, okay?" he announced as they got to her driveway. He ignored the sight of her father's police car there and sniffed as if he were searching the air for any trace of a scent. In reality, however, Yugi was simply buying himself some small seconds of time. "And just…watch for anything that might be conspicuous or something like that. I can't do anything if I don't know what's going on."

Anzu looked at him, somewhere between despair and anxiety, and then scowled after a moment. "I'm sure between my dad and myself, I can keep myself safe. Thanks, Yugi."

The lycanthrope ignored the biting tone. "If you see Fuwa somehow, I want you to contact me immediately. He's dangerous. He'll probably kill you the second he sees you."

"Oh, I can see how much you care."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "You're being petty," he snapped now. "You're being like you were when you realized the Hecate sisters had a crush on me. You flipped out and turned on me because of it."

Jonouchi felt mildly sick at the mention of the triplets. All of them had been identical and somewhat devious, though they'd seemed mostly attracted to him because of his grades. Anzu had grown furious and, despite telling off the sisters in a rage, further turned on Yugi by ignoring him for weeks. When she'd finally spoken to him again, the small teen had been pissed and ignored her in turn. They'd gone back and forth with this for days. Anzu would say something and Yugi would respond the day after. Then Yugi would say something and Anzu would answer him the next day.

This cycle had gone on for months.

And then Anzu had fallen head over heels for Valon. She'd all but drooled like a dog in heat and had excitedly talked about how cute the brunet was. The effect it had had on Yugi had been devastating. The small teen had grown depressed after hearing nonstop about the blue-eyed boy.

And then Valon had seemed to change overnight. He'd wandered off in the middle of class and not come back to school for three more days. When he'd come back, his eyes were golden. His demeanor was sharper. His expression was wary. His gaze held secrets. He was more confident. He was more likely to tell someone off. And he was almost as silent as the grave for much of his time.

"And you're acting like Yami is—"

"Do not bring him into this!" the small teen exploded, spinning on her with flashing eyes and bared teeth. "It has nothing to do with him! You're acting like a spoiled brat again! You need to grow up. It's ridiculous. You act more like I'm your dog than your friend when you get jealous."

Jonouchi cringed. "Guys, can we just…not?"

Yugi looked at him sideways, annoyed. "It's not my fault that we're incompatible, okay? And it's not Yami's either, Anzu." He paused, turning back to her and breathing out roughly. "I'm still your friend. I'm still your best friend. But you're not acting like it. You haven't in a while now because you found out about my feelings for Yami. And you need to get over it."

"Yug, man, you need to calm down too," the blond muttered, unnerved as he looked towards the trees. Had that been snow crunching? Was an animal moving there? Was it a person? He drew in a tight, strained breath. "Did you hear that?"

Yugi turned immediately towards the trees, his argument with the brunette forgotten altogether. "Hear what?" he demanded a little sharply. "What was it?"

"I thought something was moving—"

The small teen was scenting the air rapidly now, head tilted slightly towards the ground. He strained his hearing and listened for a long few moments. Then he growled softly and bore his teeth as he caught only the winter silence.

"I don't hear anything."

But that did not really mean much. In truth, that simply meant whatever had come forward had since fallen silent and still due to his being there. That was all the silence meant.

Yugi sniffed deeply, holding it, but all he could catch was pine and frost and coming moonlight. "Anzu, go inside." He sniffed a little more, narrowing his eyes and glancing at Jonouchi now. "Any idea if it was a wolf or a human?"

"No. I just… I thought I heard something in the woods but I don't know for sure."

The small teen nodded somewhat. "Right," he muttered quietly, ignoring the urge to turn away again. He heard Anzu hesitating, her hand on the doorknob, no doubt looking back to see as well. "Okay, so, do you think it's human or wolf then?"

Jonouchi was quiet for a long moment. Then he considered and some small part of him seemed to insist…

"Wolf. I think it was a wolf."

Yugi blinked. Then did that mean they were spying? And if so, for who? Was it Fuwa? Or was it someone else that caused them to do so? Perhaps, hopefully, it was someone like Echo hoping to see if Yugi was truly Atem in some way…

If that were the case it would be easy to assure them.

If it were anything else the potential for problems was much greater. Yugi bit his lip and glanced around, eyes darting about the tree trunks. He tilted his head a little further. He could not hear any movement still. Perhaps they had simply been crossing and missed them altogether? Perhaps they had not even meant to arouse their notice?

He shook his head. Nothing ever seemed to be so simple any longer.

Yugi wondered briefly, feeling almost sick, if even Yami would have been able to detect them. If he could track those dogs and list how many there were by way of footsteps, why would it have been impossible for him to find them now? And yet the small teen could not find it in himself to think about this any longer, instead stepping forward and listening a little harder. There was no noise to he found, however, and it made his skin crawl with distress.

What were they doing?

Where were they headed?

Were they hunting him?

Were they simply stalking him?

Yugi turned to Jonouchi, though he kept his head turned enough to have his peripheral filled with the woods. "Okay, Jonouchi, I want you to head back to my house."

"No way!" the blond snapped. "You just got through telling us about—"

"And now I'm telling you that I want you to go back."

"You can't just—"

"I can and I will."

"But Yugi—"

The small teen spun on him more pointedly now. His eyes flashed brightly and he bore his teeth. When he spoke again, it was harsh and guttural and seemed to vibrate within Jonouchi's bones.

"I said go back to the house."

And, as the vibrating intensified, Jonouchi found himself quickly lowering his eyes, angling his head slightly to show his neck, and then his legs moved to carry himself the opposite direction. Yugi watched him go after a moment or two, then turned away again and looked to the trees. The air was far too stale and crisp and just frozen in general for his nose to catch a scent properly. He had barely been able to smell Jonouchi as it was…

The small teen took slower, cautious steps forward. For the longest time his nose still worked, his eyes scanning the shadows rapidly. Then he narrowed his gaze and tilted his head as he struggled once more to hear any sense of movement at all. There was no rustle of fur. There was no snow crunching beneath paws. There was no frozen dead plant being crushed or snagging in fur. There were no soft breaths. He didn't hear a heartbeat…

Yugi was already halfway across the street before he realized he should have been more prepared. If he would have changed, it would have done him well, yes? But the small teen hardly cared now.

He was already in the trees by the time he considered this a second time. And, as he looked about himself, he almost wished he hadn't sent Jonouchi off like that.

There was blood, fresh and glistening and dark against the snow. He shivered, narrowing his eyes. He didn't see a source of it just yet. It didn't look as if a body might have been dragged. It seemed more as if the wounded figure had been walking, the blood dripping from their open cuts.

"Shit…"

Atem? The voice was breathless and soft, but incredibly relieved. Yugi spun, trying to think of the direction, but could not visibly find them. And so, tilting his head and listening, he finally caught the noise of a step, heavy and sloppy as if they were limping.

"Marik?" he muttered after a moment. He glanced around again but the wolf was still not close enough. "What's going on right now? Why…? Are you hurt?"

Not as badly as the others.

"Others?"

It was terrible, Atem. The dogs came out of nowhere! Yugi turned his head now, recognizing finally which direction he was approaching from. His eyes stretched wide and his jaw clenched. The gray and tan wolf was soaked in blood, his flanks heaving and his sides stripped down to bright red, raw flesh. They just… We couldn't even hear them before they—Oh gods, they killed some of the American wolves! They completely mutilated them, Atem!

"They…?" Yugi felt dizzy for a moment, heart in his throat. Was Yusei among them too? Had Yusei been killed as well? He was so young… "Who? Who's dead?"

I don't…I don't know.

Then what use are you? Yugi thought furiously. But he supposed it did not matter. If Yusei was dead, then it was over and done with. He had no way to save him. "Where are they?"

I don't know if the dogs are gone…

Yugi snorted. "I can deal with dogs, Marik." He thought briefly of how he'd shoved his hand down those dogs' throats, making them puke and choke to death. If he could do it then, he could do it now. "Show me where they are."

The clearing Marik led him to was covered in blood. The wolves lay in broken heaps, throats torn open. Others had been gutted. One had been ripped apart along the flanks as Marik himself had. Another had been visibly mauled to death, muzzle torn and split behind the nose. The ears dangled from one tiny strip of cartilage each. The eyes were heavily chewed at, the skin surrounding them swollen and forced close. The forelimb nearest him was shattered. And the back legs were hamstrung…

Yet…

None of them were dark gray.

And he was relieved to see, now as he looked forward, that there was only one wolf which he truly recognized. It did nothing to stop him from feeling sick at the realization that these bodies had been wolves which he'd had the potential to know before and had shunned formerly.

The wolf's muzzle was had a small inch of color between the nose and the rest of the bridge beyond it. She was a soft red shade, her face speckled with gray and silver strands amidst it. Her brows were a bright ginger and her forehead was silver and gray and turned much darker along her cheeks above the white. But her throat was ripped viciously, colored sticky blood red and half of it seemed almost to be missing, though he saw the muscle laying upon the snow feet away. Yugi felt sick as he stared down at her, recognizing only Ray at that moment before he turned away again.

The small teen blinked and swallowed hard, stomach aching. Then he licked his lips and glanced at Marik. But the wolf was shaking, eyes wide and whites showing. Clear distress made up his features and the wolf breathed out roughly through his nose before opening his mouth wide into a yawn.

"Marik?"

The wolf managed to look at him sideways, but the trembling only increased. And then the wolf vomited, sticky yellow and orange bile, before turning tail. Yugi went to follow him but faltered. There was so much blood. And the wolves looked as if they'd been mutilated heavily…

He blinked. His eyes widened. He shook his head slowly. Yugi felt dizzy, realization coming over him now. In a flash the small teen stumbled upon a fact he had not considered before.

Marik had fled.

And the wolves' carcasses lay scattered about his feet.

When he looked further into the trees, he could not see the threat. But he sensed it. Now he could feel his spine tightening and his body aching with tension, cautions blaring within his dazed mind. Yugi narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly. So they were nearby…

And that was why Malik had run.

That was why he had not remained…

Yugi was stripping away his clothes before he'd truly considered it. The lycanthrope did not even consider the placement of the clothing or how much blood might come to cover them. Dismissive, focused more on the idea of ending whatever threat might lurk there, the small teen changed as quickly as he could. His body felt on fire and his limbs quaked for only a moment.

He waited for the tremors to stop, then moved forward. The white wolf paced forward a few steps, then flattened his ears against his skull. He crept along the foot of the hill, down towards the crest. The trees were becoming denser, but they seemed to abruptly clear away, the land flattening. He bristled, recognizing now why the placement was familiar to him, why it seemed odd that the wolves had been so close…

It was only a few miles into the woods. And, as he paced forward, he knew again something else he had not considered. The wolves had been herded there. But he did not know by what dogs. And he had no idea from what direction or for how long they'd been chased.

He snarled low in his throat.

This was where the hunter had lured him and Yami into the greenhouse to be electrocuted. And, as he continued, he spotted the building as well. He saw it with darkened eyes and slavering jaws. He was snarling more than ever now, vicious and furious. The wolf trotted forward, expecting at first to hear dogs. But then he glanced down in his search for clues and he froze in shock.

The snow was hardened from a refreeze as much of the woods were. And now, startled, Yugi stared down at the print in the snow before him. It was far deeper than any print he'd made. And the toes were long and dense, circular and squat around the sides but sharp towards the tops. Small dew claws ran along the bottom of it as well, spread out almost to make the shape of a flame with embers on the bottom. The shape was almost cloven from what Yugi could understand of it. And the sight of it made his stomach crawl.

He'd seen them in books before…

His fur rose into a bristle and he bore his teeth as he continued forward. The entrance of the greenhouse was open, the doors split wide and the heat from inside making the air steam viciously. He wondered at the sight, but it was not enough to warn him away.

The smell to greet him as he got closer was that of blood. It was harsh and fresh and so metallic that it burned him. The wolf that had shed blood here was incredibly unhealthy. He could smell the sickness as if it were a gaping wound to stare at. The heat and blisters of pain were clear. And the feverish state was underlined by fresh vomit.

The white wolf snarled, then stepped into the greenhouse. The lights turned on instantly, the doors slamming shut. He glanced back at them but did not bother with much more. It was only as he turned back that his heart hammered in his throat.

Before him, cast about in a thousand sickly shades of white and silver and black and blue and yellow were his own features. The mirrors were somewhat warped in areas. And the sight of his own anxiety upon seeing them made his reflection that much worse. His ears flattened and his eyes grew wide, confused and startled. A million copies of himself mimicked him in restless unison.

He bristled. His mouth flashed open. His tongue darted out to wet his nose. Anxiety made his limbs shake. He breathed in raggedly. Heat blistered across his fur and cut into his skin. He snarled and the noise echoed as if to mock him.

"Motou Yugi."

He curled his lips back at the sound of his voice. Then he thought to snap his jaws as the various reflections followed suit. His mind struggled with the concept. There were so many of them. And he could hear multitudes of noise now. It was not just him. It was not just the generator which caused the air to distort with heat. It was…

There was so much of it.

There were various deep and high-pitched squeals.

There were loud snarls.

There were a thousand feet moving.

There were claws clicking.

There was glass cracking.

There was heavy breathing.

There were heartbeats, hundreds of thousands where the air amplified them and the mirrors bounced them about.

Yugi turned his head, eyes wide and white where they showed in the reflections. There was so much. There was chaos everywhere.

They're mirrors… That's me. I'm the white wolf. I'm the… But there was so much noise and where Yugi tried to think there seemed to be a pitch black void to swallow them entirely.

He could not tell if it was panic or exhilaration which caused this. Because part of him was desperate to run. But another seemed to be scratching at the surface, desperate to fight. And he could not tell which ruled him at the moment, but he did know that Fuwa had done this with purpose.

He'd known the mirrors would cause such distraction. He'd known it would confuse him. He'd known it would make him anxious.

But, in truth, Yugi did not know why he was so upset.

Was it a wolf thing? Yugi bristled and his body tightened with fear. But he did not know whether he should snap his jaws or simply quiver.

"What a stunning coat you have."

The white wolf tried to angle his head up. But the mirrors distracted him further. He wondered if perhaps the mirrors ran the height of the walls, if they would block away that walkway he had once witnessed the hunter standing on before. Mai had been the one to cut through his throat that day, Yami lying all but dead on the grate that vibrated beneath his paws. And he'd fought those dogs…

"Too bad it'll be burned away and incinerated with the rest of you."

Yugi blinked. He planned to burn him to death? There had to be far more generators there than he had initially assumed. The wolf blinked and looked around himself. The air was still distorted. The mirrors were getting slightly fogged now. He flicked his ears and snarled once more.

"I would say you have the chance to save yourself. But you honestly won't. If the heat doesn't kill you first, the carbon will. And if that doesn't do the trick, there are three other surprises in this little greenhouse for you to find."

Three other surprises?

Yugi blinked and snarled a little louder. Claws clicked faster. Glass was splintering in high pitches. He could see waves of mist now, clinging to the glass now. He bristled a little more, then paced forward a step. He would have to be careful, because the glass that might explode would mostly break in a domino effect. He did not know the direction it might shatter, but he did know that it would come to happen…

"I've missed you, Yugi. It's been a while of biding my time to get you here."

Now he heard a heavy step directly overhead. Yugi's head snapped up. His eyes glittered and his teeth were bright with saliva within his jaws. The wolf snarled louder and bore his teeth more pointedly. The canine found himself almost trembling once more.

Fuwa's left eye was displaced. The skin around it was so leathery that it caused the lips to droop. The flesh was still bright red and sore in expression. Swollen arches of black scar tissue rose along the neck, dispersed about the red. The skin was sunken around his jaw along the right side. And his mouth was a swollen cave of bright red flesh along the sides, the muscles broken and sunken and smeared with black as if the soot were molded into his flesh. There was a glossy sheen there, a disgusting leathery appearance which made his visible eye wild to look towards. The missing brows and sneer on his face made Yugi think of horror movie villains but his hair was burned away and frizzy along the tops, receded almost to expose his entire scalp.

However, as Yugi looked at him, he felt only hatred swell through him. He'd threatened his friends. He'd tried to poison them. He'd tried to murder them…

He chomped his teeth and raised his tail, wagging it slowly. If he could leap as high as he had to catch one of those birds, he could possibly get close to the walkway Fuwa stood upon. He could try to pull himself up and kill him from there if he were courageous enough. But if he missed his mark or Fuwa reacted quickly enough, it would most likely kill him. If he were to be kicked off and land the wrong way…

"Don't worry. I'm going to escape. But you won't."

Yugi snapped his jaws. His reflections mimicked him in the corner of his eyes. He wagged his tail furiously for a moment. He'd kill him before he managed anything further. He would—

The glass shattered.

The white wolf spun around, eyes wide and stunned. A gray and white wolf had broken through the mirror. The glass made tinkling noises as they fell and skirted across the concrete. The canine was wild-eyed, with an expression he'd never seen before. It was not panic. It was not hunger. It was not hatred.

Yugi could not move.

The wolf, snarling and stalking forward, stared back at him with an expression of absolute madness. Yugi blinked. Then he backed up a step. He bristled and wagged his tail again.

Leave, he snapped at the canine. The words made it pause. The wolf's ears pricked and flicked. Then its jaws opened wider. Saliva, foaming and white, dripped to the floor like drool. Yugi backed up again, then bore his teeth. You bastard, I'm telling you to move back.

The wolf hurled itself. He backed up. His shoulder clipped a mirror. The glass shattered. Then it began to break faster. In a shower, it fell forward within its frame, then pressed outwards as the next began to follow suit. Yugi bristled and stepped back. The glass cut his paws and folded upon the calloused skin.

The two wolves snarled at one another. The gray canine had missed him by what seemed like miles. It staggered, rose to its paws. Then it snarled furiously. Then it shook itself. Bloodied from the fall, paws oozing, it came again.

Yugi snapped his teeth. He recognized this wolf. The realization startled him for a moment. This was the wolf from Burger World. He remembered the markings there. He remembered the fury in its eyes, even beyond the madness. He shivered. The wolf sprang.

Yugi backed up only a step. Then he leaped forward. He aimed precisely, as Obelisk had taught him. With a single lunge, his teeth clamped down. Blood spilled into his throat. It fell upon the ground.

The wolf screamed.

It thrashed.

Claws dug into Yugi's fur. Teeth cut through the thick strands. The wolf writhed. Blood continued to flow and drip away. And then Yugi tossed his head, releasing. The animal slammed into the broken glass. The frame of the mirror shattered. And the animal landed on a thick shard. It rose from its spot through his chest, gleaming bright red.

Yugi flicked his ears. Then he pricked them forward. The air was becoming suffocating. His lungs strained faintly. He could feel the pain racing through his mind. It was smothering. It was hideous. He shook his head and turned away, glancing upwards.

Fuwa was gone…

Yugi turned away and looked upon the shards of glass broken upon the mixture of concrete and metal beneath his paws. Blood oozed from his wounds as he continued forward. The stinging was faint but furious as he began to trot.

The glass was everywhere. He felt it digging into his paws. His toes felt as if they might shatter beneath his weight altogether. The white wolf bristled. He could hear the glass continuing to break. And the air was growing worse.

He hurled himself forward.

A screaming noise erupted. He could hear a thousand feet moving. He bristled and spun around. The noise was still echoing as if to mock him. The wolf whined low in his throat and pressed his ears flat against his head. The screaming came again. The noise was underlined by clicking and snarls. Teeth chomped. Blood dripped.

He identified these noises but he did not understand them. Yugi raced forward again. The blood was sticky and clumped upon his paws. And he could see it now as he ran. He had not realized the glass was coming up with each movement. When he landed more heavily than he had the first time, the glass would spray upwards. And it would come upwards and into his skin. His legs were lacerated with it. Thankfully his head was too high up for the shards to get into his face or his eyes.

The wolf listened to the screaming again.

It was reaching a crescendo. There was more than one now. There was squealing. There was heavy breathing. Blood dripped in rivers. The noise fell away into a gust of hot air.

Yugi skidded at the near silence. The air was too thick. The smoke was coming in puffs. He panted and the glass rattled and roared as it slammed into the wall. He stumbled. He yelped. The noise attracted the attention of something else. The clicking was soft for a moment.

Then it came faster.

Yugi scrambled for his paws. Then he tore off once more. The back exit—he could see it now. The glass was broken and shattered. He tore off through it. The shards cut upon his legs and underbelly as he leaped over a larger blade of glass. He landed in the snow on shaky limbs. And then he lay there.

The snow was soaked red in a pool around him in mere moments.

He could hear that clicking noise again. It was rapid and hurried. His head snapped around. It was a wolf, he knew. He could tell. The noise was furious. The canine was infuriated as well. They were headed near him but not quite towards—

And then a very human scream sounded.

Yugi faltered. His eyes widened, horrified. He spun around. His fur was bristling. His ears were pricked forward. He trembled, legs aching. He shivered and shook himself out. Blood and glass hit the snow in a shower.

The wolf flattened his ears against his head after a moment. They'd killed Fuwa. They had gotten through the maze of shattered glass. And they had killed him…

But Yugi did not know where they were now.

And he did not think that they might be in a better state than that hideous gray wolf had been formerly. The canine had tried to kill him, despite being Code Name Atem. And he'd been sloppy in his attack as well. Yugi had been able to dispatch him in mere moments.

But he hoped to the gods that the wolf did not end up being killed himself. He did not know whether the boars were still alive—as those squeals had surely been wild pig—and he did not know if the carbon might kill him altogether.

Yugi stumbled forward, facing the trees. And then he limped. He would need to move before the canine were even there to find him. If it were lose and ready to kill him, Yugi was not sure he could win. His legs felt unsteady and weak…

The white wolf got through the first of the trees. Then he turned his head. His fur rose into a bristle. The air was distorted and blackened with soot. He could smell and feel the heat even from there. And he sensed the blood and flesh being burned away within the birth of flames coming forward.

Yugi shivered and turned away again. There would be yet another fire to be reported now. Perhaps if he were the one to do it he would look more innocent to Anzu's father. But with the way the brunette had acted beforehand, he doubted that it might do him very well to try. Besides, there was nothing to tie him to the event.

And he was sure that Jonouchi would cover for him if he should truly need it. The blind would not throw him under the bus.

The white wolf limped a little faster.

Hopefully the canine in the building escaped as well…

Yugi shook himself out and wondered, shivering, if perhaps Marik was nearby. If he was, where would he have gone? If he wasn't, was he still alive?

They hadn't been dogs to attack them, however, had they? They'd been boars. Hadn't they? But as Yugi turned back and began to limp his way towards the scene of the dead bodies, he realized something in surprise. Amongst the tracks were no round and squat prints, however.

In fact, all of them were canine just as Marik had stated.

But Fuwa had boars, not dogs.

Most likely he'd used the pigs to attack that wolf, to infuriate the former Burger World employee and make him aim to kill Yugi. But beyond that he might have also very well used the pigs to clean up the messes he might have needed.

The wolf shivered and his fur rippled with an uncertain, uneasy bristle. His ears flicked and his eyes flickered about uncomfortably. In the shadows the blood looked once more like oil. But he wondered at the realization that the hunter had formerly used fire to cover his tracks.

And he had done the same again now.

So perhaps it had been someone else to own the pigs. Perhaps Aileen had them. Or maybe it was even the hunter with the dogs from beforehand. Maybe it was simply that he'd rounded them up and used them within that greenhouse. But he'd filled the grid with concrete for the most part, though clearly it had been only to keep the pigs from being trapped. And from having the floor truly electrocute him. He'd wanted to burn him to death as Yugi had originally left him to…

He shivered and stumbled forward again. Marik? he called loudly, moving past a body that he knew had to be frozen from the dropping temperatures. The sky was going to open up with a new fresh storm of snow once more soon enough…

He could sense it.

Yugi closed his eyes for a moment, ignoring the pain in his paws and legs. The cracks in his pads began to feel frozen and numb, though he could also get the faintest touch of tingling which meant his body was trying once more to heal itself.

Marik? he called one last time. He flicked an ear and shivered. Then he looked about and considered the clothes he'd left there in the snow. If he changed back and went home, he could check on Jonouchi and—

Atem.

The white wolf turned around with wide eyes, confused and bewildered. And then he flattened his ears against his head and tried his hardest not to allow his tail to simply droop with despair.