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.

61. Traitor

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Hopefully biweekly

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of Torture, MILD Bloodshed, Hunting

So, venison is a "warm" meat. Basically, it's one of the meats that metabolizes quickly and IF your pet is allergic to it, it can cause a VERY fast reaction after eating. It causes the body to heat up very quickly which is how the allergic reactions come faster. So, for Yami, venison is the best food he can get his paws on in order to help slow down his own decline in health.

Now, as for updates! Here's what I'm HOPING to be able to get accomplished. Things have ONCE AGAIN changed in my workplace. In a more direct note, it means more hours there and less for writing. That means I truthfully have NO idea how it is that I'm going to make this all work. So, I'm thinking the updates for this story will be cut to biweekly. And, if I get to the point where my days off are actually set in stone, I'll be using that as my way of getting more than one update up a week. Until then, though, thinking biweekly is my best bet.

As for other stories, I DO have plans to get Sky Dance's sequel up soon enough. I need to get some of the rewrite of a segment of it figured out but after that, I'll be trying for that. I REALLY wanted to say that I'd be able to get it posted sometime this month. But I doubt it, so realistically I'm going to aim for February instead. And since it's a shorter project it shouldn't take much time away from this.

Guest: The romance/slow burn between them is not the most important part of the story. It's a subplot, not the main focus. So it's going to remain slower than molasses and rather one-sided. It's why I didn't list the story as romance.

Chapter LXI: Traitor

Work Log Entry LIV: October, 2005

October 10

The boss has told me to take Atem outside for a couple of hours. He is concerned that perhaps the Pure-Blood is suffering from the lack of sunlight and things of that nature. But I do not think that it will help him much.

I am to do this within the week.

October 16

I have taken Atem out into the woods for the day. But Atem does not seem happy in the slightest. He seems more overwhelmed than anything else.

It is not hard to realize why.

He has only been outside a handful of times at any point in his life.

I do not know if he is going to gain any good from this venture now.

October 31

I have gotten the opportunity to speak to my look alike. The wolf is very vicious and sharp-tongued. He is not happy at all.

I asked him about the theory of camouflage that the boss has regarding the wolves. He scoffed at me and smirked the entire time, then called me too stupid to function.

It was always a surprise to Yugi how easily he could find solace in the act of changing forms and taking off into woods as he did now. The argument with his mother had ended with a rather horrified expression on her face, something caught between shock and heartbreak. And Yugi had been so stricken by it he had been unable to continue to look at her any longer. So he had eventually listened to her walk away into her room, closing and locking the door behind her as if she were concerned he might follow when she clearly needed some kind of distance.

So Yugi had waited around finishing one of his study guides, the hour slowly dragging by until she fell asleep as his grandfather had thirty minutes earlier. And then he had taken off into the woods as he had felt the trees and the fresh air might be the only thing to do him well in order to help settle his frayed nerves and relax him if only slightly. He supposed that had to be a lot more of the wolf than he cared to admit, though it did not trouble him as much as it might have formerly.

Yugi was exhausted as he trotted forward in the snow, paws spread out to absorb the impact of the movements and keep him from sinking too terribly beneath the ice crystals. He was happy he did not fall further than necessary, much unlike what he would have suffered had he been human. The wolf blinked and looked around, white fur tugged lightly by a stray breeze within the trees.

He tilted his head as he continued moving forward. The air was cold, his exhales highlighted in bright white puffs against the weak shadows stretched across the snow. But he could not sense any reason to be alarmed in any manner and so he simply sniffed about himself as he looked through the trees. There was no sense of urgency to be found, he knew, and he wondered at the tranquility the darkness offered him at the moment. He was not truthfully used to a sensation as simple and easy as this.

But he knew that this could change in a second.

Yugi wanted nothing more than to simply avoid the wolves that might be in the trees. He did not want to have to interact with even one of them. If he were to keep to himself, he would not have to explain himself or his presence there altogether. And if he could just keep that from having to happen, Yugi truly thought life might somehow be easier for a moment.

Any sense of socialization he might have felt formerly was gone in an instant then.

So now he simply trotted forward as he would have regardless of his troubled thoughts, the shadows stretching across his pale muzzle like blue and gray and silver fingers where they spread about the terrain before him. The trees were thin and gangly, skeletal segments within the snow that rose to heights far beyond his head and seemed to fade into the darkness of the night sky, as gray as it was overhead.

Yugi flicked his ears and shook himself out, feeling somehow self-conscious now as he continued. There was something odd in the air now, like a low thrum of energy more than anything else. It was not powerful, though something warned him that it could damn well become much more so should there be reason to. His eyes darted about, darkening as he took in his surroundings with a more cautious feeling in his bones. He was stiff when he began to slow down, ears pricked forward and the fur along his neck slowly starting to rise into the air.

There was a brief noise, like the snow being pushed down upon. He thought of paws pressing into its surface, the crystals crunching away beneath their weight. And then he stiffened as his eyes shot across the shadows again. For the smallest of moments Yugi almost wished that one of the patrols was there in the trees, if only to explain the unease which made itself so abruptly apparent now. He stiffened and shook himself out again. Then he reconsidered and thought to head back for the house. It might be the easiest and simplest solution to the whole problem as it was.

But then he heard another crunching noise. It sounded heavier now, like something had dropped. Yugi's head snapped around. Then he jumped, snarling and snapping his teeth in a state of panic as every fur along his back began to bristle almost fearfully.

The wolf in front of him had enormous jaws, with large cheeks stretched full of prey and cushioned by thick black fur the shade of shiny obsidian. The ears were longer than Yugi's own, sharper at the top, wider at the bases. The tufts of fur surrounding them were slightly stretched, almost as if they had been tugged partially away from its skin in a manner that almost made him think of scar tissue. His fur was longer, glossier, with darker patches that appeared as smooth and gorgeous as velvet much akin a shade similar to Yami's, and the way the canine peered back at him made him think of a shepherd more than a wolf. But then bright golden eyes locked with his and Yugi relaxed again, flustered as he released an immense breath through his nose and stared back at him with his muzzle pointed slightly towards the snow.

My gods, you're a fucking asshole, Yugi commented wryly, shaking his head. His heart was still racing in his chest as he scowled back at the darker-furred canine. The other werewolf wagged his tail in a lazy fashion, the appendage long and flowing with a kink in the bone which caused the end to turn to the right. The wolfdog did nothing more than open his mouth and lean forward. From his jaws dropped two rather plump red squirrels as the wolfdog shook himself out and looked at him with an expression that was unreadable. Yugi stared down at them, shivering at the sight of their fur slicked down so hideously that their large bodies were shown off in a manner that did not match the time of year nor Yugi's expectations of them. What…?

I was hungry, the other dismissed him, taking a seat and moving the rodents between his paws without much care. He shook his head back and forth for a moment, ears flicking about, and then lowered his mouth to his paws again. He opened his jaws, gnawing on the head of the small prey animal and biting through the skull in a single motion that crushed bone. Yugi nearly flinched at the noise, though part of him was aching with hunger upon hearing it. But the wolfdog paid him no attention, eagerly chewing away at his meal and keeping his head tilted sideways for easier access to his back molars.

Yugi relaxed when he realized that the other hardly seemed to care in the slightest for his presence there. It was comforting, even if the hellhound hardly knew that he had done him such a great favor in ignoring him. He tilted his head. I thought they would have gone into hibernation by now.

They did. But if you know where to find them, they are not hard to dig out.

Yugi shuddered at the thought, something inside of him feeling cold for a moment. Do you ever just…drag them out as a human and torture them to death? he asked quietly, wishing immediately that he had not spoken so stupidly and without a filter like that. He nearly huffed, then shook his head slightly at his own words. The sheer stupidity of it was enough to make him feel small. The white wolf flattened his ears against his head, trying to force himself not to think so keenly on this. I didn't mean to…

Valon flicked an ear, biting through another part of the squirrel's neck. Its head snapped entirely away and twisted as if it had been broken during a violent death struggle. The wolfdog gnawed away again once more without a second glance, his sharp teeth making quick work of it all. That is a nice thought in theory, but no, I do not tend to do that very often at all. I tend to like my victims alive and awake before I catch them. He licked his lips and Yugi shivered as he considered the other canine with widened, curious eyes. Pinning them to the ground by their intestines using a pencil would not be as much fun if the animal is all but asleep during the time that I do it, Yugi.

Yugi flicked his ears back and forth a brief second, stomach aching violently now. He truly wished he had never opened his mouth. That's…incredibly disturbing, he said after a long moment, struggling to find any words that he might be able to say. A part of him wanted almost to run while another simply recalled his simplistic claim of being a sociopath. He pricked his ears forward and looked away towards the snow, the trunks of trees that rested a few feet from them. What's the difference though? They're both alive, one of them just isn't awake.

What is the fun if they do not fight back immediately?

Had he been human, Yugi was sure his brows would have risen far beyond his hairline and he would be staring at the wolf in front of him in pure shock, gaping stupidly at him. Now, as a wolf, the most he could was tilt his head and widen his eyes as he drew his lips back into a visible grimace. He was sure there was enough horror in his eyes to make it clear that Valon had managed to make him all but ill. So that's what makes you so happy to do that then, huh? he asked quietly, nearly shuddering with open disgust now. The fact that they squirm and try to fight back?

Valon wagged his tail lazily in response, tilting his head slowly. It would be far more boring if it were ever to happen otherwise, he drawled, swallowing another large chunk of his squirrel. He licked his jaws, lowering his mouth to the headless stump in between his paws. Yugi could not stop staring at the furry decapitated body, a part of his brain rebelling against the sight, and another part of him wondering if perhaps Valon might leave it there to simply mock him. But then the black wolf tilted his head again to bite into the rest of his meal without moving more than necessary. And Yugi paused as he saw the bright glint of his long claws where the dewclaw sank through the fur and into pale flesh beneath.

So…you must be pretty hungry, huh?

I did not want to have to chase a few stray dogs through the city while dodging around people while they're screaming at me to stop and trying to catch me when they see what I am up to, Valon stated coldly, dismissively. He licked his lips and flashed his tongue over his nose with a single blink at him. He continued to chomp through bone and lean muscle immediately after, ignoring Yugi's startled expression. His eyes, however, remained locked entirely upon the lycanthrope. It is burdensome having to outsmart humans that would chase me and then chasing the dog itself and keeping it from getting away from me as well? It would be stupid to do such a thing when I have other means of catching prey.

I guess that's true, Yugi relented with a small shake of his head. His ears flicked about again after a long moment. He drew in a deep breath, struggling not to look away. Had Valon's eyes always seemed so sharp and condescending like that? And you look pretty happy just eating that right now.

Valon snorted loudly enough that Yugi nearly jumped. I am hungry enough that I probably look that way, he agreed even as he chomped through the central vertebrae of the squirrel's spine. He did not blink, however, and it gave the other wolf the chills to watch him as his intense eyes bore into his. It does not truly matter, though, does it, Yugi? I don't think that I need to remind you of the fact that I am still unable to feel any stretch of emotion beyond anger, yes?

Yugi would have rolled his eyes if he had been human. But as a wolf he could only snort loudly and tip his head away with a curl of his lip. How could I possibly forget when you make it so hard to? he quipped. And I'm not all that worried all about it, honestly.

No? Sociopaths do not scare you?

The wolf tilted his head, considering him in his peripheral for a long series of minutes. Then he finally looked over. Not the only one that I know, he answered before pausing. But the truth of it was that he should have been more fearful of him due to his heritage. He was son of two deities. He was a Harbinger. He was a creature that could kill him if he were to try, could probably decimate his entire pack if he put his mind to it. And this thought alone was enough to make his stomach curl for a moment as he looked at Valon again. They had grown up together for the most part, always sharing a class a year even if they'd never quite spent time together and Valon was still technically a year above him. Not to ask a really stupid question or look the part either, but, um...how is it that you can hear me and I can hear you?

The wolfdog blinked and considered him almost curiously for a moment. We are wolves, Yugi. Language barriers do not exist between us, he stated simply, though Yugi knew this was the mocking answer that he had aroused in saying that he didn't want to ask a stupid question. The white wolf drew his lips back to show off a tooth and tilted his head, unimpressed. Valon wagged his tail again. It was not a terrible question. It is quite unusual that a hellhound and lycanthrope should be able to converse so easily. Normally it requires us to form a bond in order to allow such a thing.

Yugi flicked an ear. A bond? But he shook away this question, instead looking at Valon more pointedly and pricking his ears forward. Some part of him felt sick as they looked at each other. Is it because of the fact that you are a Harbinger and I am Atem?

I cannot think of any other reason.

Yugi bristled slightly, shifting his weight and licking at his shoulder uncomfortably. For once he hated the fact that Valon was staring at him like he was, unblinking and with such keen golden eyes. Do you think that I'd be able to understand other hellhounds then?

Maybe, but I doubt that they would understand you in turn. Or perhaps they would be unable to understand any other lycanthropes you would have with you. Valon did not elaborate, instead stretching his neck out and snatching at the squirrel in front of him. He pulled it into a similar position, but did not settle to eat it. Instead he sat up a little straighter, pricking and flicking his ears a few times. After a moment he rose to his paws and looked over his shoulder, the squirrel hanging from his jaws by its long, fluffy tail. Yugi could not stop staring at the blank eyes that peered back at him from its small skull. And I hear some wolves coming my way. So I think it might be best that I go ahead and make a run for it now. I will see you later then, Yugi.

Yugi nodded, though he was incredibly puzzled as he got to his feet. I wouldn't let them attack you—if that's what you're worried about, he commented, hoping to sound reassuring for the moment as he tilted his head. He flattened his ears against his head when Valon turned back to him with something of a mocking expression upon his face. I mean, you really shouldn't worry about—

You should be far more concerned about what I might do to them, the hellhound snorted icily. He shook his dark head and flicked an ear, then turned and trotted past Yugi without a second glance. When the white wolf managed to look over his shoulder again, the black canine had long since disappeared at a full sprint. He was nothing but a track of paw prints in the snow.

Yugi blinked, considering the idea. He knew that Valon by his very nature and existence was incredibly powerful and entirely capable of killing. It was not something that he had ever questioned. But he still wondered. Valon had not shown him even the smallest instance of violence. He had said he drank human or animal blood in order to keep his temper under control at times. But he had not acted out in front of him, nor had he ever turned his teeth on him in any manner but to snap. And so now he wondered at what it was the hellhound might have done to the approaching patrol.

He remembered only for a moment that Yami had mentioned the two subspecies' saliva could cause various infections and painful reactions when exposed to the bloodstream or muscle. He felt sick for a moment as he considered this, the way Yami had so pointedly warned him about such a thing. The reasoning behind it had been far from anything Yugi himself would have ever considered, but the concern had been genuine. Yami had been worried about him exposing himself to that kind of danger.

But he doubted that the saliva was truly what he would have been up against had Valon fought the patrol. He had a feeling that the hellhound was entirely too aware of himself to make a fatal mistake of some kind. And he knew abruptly that, had Valon found himself the center of their scrutiny and come to feel that he was cornered, he would not have simply stopped at nips and easy warning bites. He would have attacked them violently and all but killed had he felt the need.

His leaving now was not just a courtesy. It was a warning.

Because now Yugi realized that had he not greeted Valon in that calm and easy friendly manner that he had, the hellhound could have damn well turned his ferocity on him as well. He could have easily killed him had he felt threatened in any manner at that time. He was not safe from Valon's temper had he have irked him at that moment. It was impossible for him to think otherwise. The threat of it was something that Yugi had never quite considered before. But Valon was dangerous. He was volatile. He may have had control, but it was not always permanent. And he was not Yugi's friend.

He was a bystander in the war, a neutral force by all means.

And he might have offered guidance for him at times or even given him help at times. But he was not someone that lay his life down for the sake of ensuring Yugi survived. He was not a lycanthrope that owed him loyalty. Valon's loyalty stretched as far as himself and his sister. And beyond that, he knew, the hellhound would gladly watch the world burn.

It was more than likely that Morrigan had coaxed him to help Yugi to begin with.

He flicked an ear and turned back, searching the trees for a long moment. It took only a heartbeat for the wolves in the patrol to appear within the shadows. From the gray trunks came Mai, Otogi, Eurea, Yuya and Yusei. The five of them came in a single wave of pelts rather than a line formation as they might have had it been a hunt they were engaging in. He realized abruptly that they must have caught Valon's scent and recognized only that he was a hellhound that they might have to fight.

But, as they caught sight of him, each of them paused. And Mai and Otogi began to sniff about the area curiously, noses pointed downward towards the disturbed snow in front of them. Yugi flicked his ear and Yusei looked over at him with a hesitant wag of his tail as he tilted his head slightly. Yugi blinked, looking at him in turn, and wagged his tail as well. He wanted, for a brief second, to ask how the blue-eyed wolf was. But the idea of collectively ignoring the others made him feel sick so he turned to Mai and Otogi first.

He had wished to avoid them to begin with…

And that feeling had not changed—even if he had enjoyed the discussion with Valon.

Are you guys a hunting patrol or something? Yugi asked curiously, considering the she-wolf as she blinked and turned away from him. She shook herself out after a moment, sniffling and pacing forward. She was clearly looking at the tracks that Valon had left, her fur rising into a mild bristle. But Yugi swore there was some glint within her eyes, something that he did not quite know nor recognize and so ignored. He instead glanced at Yusei and then Otogi when she did not respond. Or are you guys just wandering the territory?

Hunting, the dark-furred male provided, his white-tipped ears flicking back and forth for a moment. But his voice was strained with weariness, as if he were too tired to think straight. The other lycanthrope tilted his head and lowered his nose towards the tracks as well. An image had appeared in his head, of a dark black wolf that looked much more like a husky than a wolf, but the eyes were far more wolf-like than any common dog could hope to own. They were a glinting gold that turned red and then slowly to aquamarine. And Yugi was startled by the fact that Otogi had caught even that much about Valon to begin with, the body shape much akin the hellhound's with raw muscle and a glossy black coat and large paws and enlarged cheeks.

But now Yugi noticed that Otogi was staring at him, teal eyes pointedly boring into his.

The white wolf bristled faintly. I chased him out. Don't worry about it, he said awkwardly, flicking an ear. He could not think of a better way to phrase the words, nor could he find a firmer voice to say the words with. He did not want to know what they might try to do should they chase him. And he could not even imagine what it was that Valon might turn around and truly do to them should something happen. So he refused to look over his shoulder and instead turned to Mai. He lowered his head slightly to make her eyes fall on him now instead of the trail and pricked his ears in a slightly aggressive, cautionary manner. So what were you guys looking to catch today?

The she-wolf looked up at him with something of a deep-rooted curiosity and perhaps even the faintest hint of desire and bewilderment. But it was gone when she blinked, though now she turned away from him without answering and simply glanced at Otogi as if to share something with him that she did not chance speaking aloud.

Yusei stepped forward hesitantly after a moment.

Yugi turned immediately towards him, startled. Yuya and Eurea both looked at the gray yearling, curious as they considered him. The gray wolf pressed his ears against his head and tipped his muzzle down, peering up at the white wolf with royal blue eyes. Yugi was again reminded of Ra, the way her own eyes always seemed to bore through him like knives and burn him with fire.

But, instantly, a new image began to form in his head, fractured around the edges where the focus seemed to have blurred. A black wolf stood, head lowered and muzzle turned back towards something Yugi could not quite see at the moment. Their lips were drawn back to show deep pink gums, red eyes flashing brightly with aggression. The wolf opened his jaws, then snapped them shut again loudly enough that the collision seemed to make the air quiver like gunshot. The second wolf was a deep gray much like Yusei, but his fur was in a small bristle and his head was lowered slightly towards the snow. It was submissive in nature, he knew, but the canine looked startled as well. And, when the dark wolf would turn away, the gray would sneak forward again. The black wolf snarled and lowered his muzzle to the snow, then snapped at them again.

Who are they and why are they harassing my beta? Yugi demanded sharply, turning to Yusei with his lips peeled back to show his teeth. The gray yearling immediately ducked his head, spine arched slightly, his tail tucked firmly against his underbelly. Yugi blinked, surprised by the submissive gesture. And it took Yugi a moment to realize that he had even raised his tail so high and had begun to bristle so fiercely. He had not even recognized that he had stepped so close that he was looming over the younger male. The reality of it was enough to make his blood run cold for a split second.

Then he shook himself out and forced himself to back up several steps. He turned immediately back to Mai for an explanation, but the she-wolf was still staring at that trail of tracks with a curious expression. He bore his teeth, growling low in his throat, Well?

New pack, Eurea supplied in a soft tone that surprised him enough to make him turn his head and blink in open bewilderment. He turned back to her with pricked ears after a moment, sure that it would have been Chazz to harass the dark-furred male once more. But it was not even the same pack and that was enough to rattle him as he blinked and stared at her. She peered at him, blinking slowly, and raised her head slightly as she continued. They have just arrived from the states.

Yugi tilted his head.

Another one? He nearly snarled with dismay at the very thought, bristling faintly. He had not expected any of them to come so quickly. A shiver threatened to wrack his frame after a long moment and he suppressed the urge to simply vomit and lay in the snow with a defeated feeling.

When had they all begun to come in waves like this?

He could not help but wonder what it was that had possessed them to come all at once like this. It was such a small stretch of time, much unlike the last few times. He shook his head and looked past her towards the direction of the camp. Then he turned back to them with pricked ears, the bristle by far more pronounced than ever.

How long have they been there?

How long they had been harassing Yami was the actual question. And some part of him told him that Yusei understood that, because the gray wolf seemed to cringe for a brief second. Then he flicked his ears and shuffled his weight.

Yesterday, he supplied after a long moment.

Another image appeared then, of Yami blindsided as the wolf from before came closer to him. The red-eyed male blinked widened eyes, then spun on them, snarling and snapping his jaws. The wolf would then flinch, submitting, and the moment Yami turned away they would come to his side again. There was sniffing as if they were trying to memorize his scent, but their noses were pointed more towards his hips. And Yami would turn on them more violently than before.

And the image simply played in a loop, Yami stalking forward and then pausing when a nose came too close to his fur. He would then turn with those wide, gaping jaws. His teeth would snap shut with thundering force. He would bristle and snarl. And then he would turn away again. The wolf harassing him would flinch from the potential bite, back away, and then hurry forward.

They've been there since yesterday, he said slowly, nodding. And then the white wolf bristled again and shook himself out. The gray wolf searched his face, muzzle lowered towards the snow and head tilted away to show his neck.

Why are they annoying him?

They insist that he must be Atem. Mai had finally turned to him, her voice distant with distraction. Her ears were pricked forward. Her violet eyes were boring into his. The silver and gold she-wolf peered back at him almost curiously for a moment, but there was also slight amusement and for a split second Yugi wished he could beat it out of her. They think that he is our alpha.

Yugi blinked. This was the same thing as Chazz insisting that Yugi was not the moment that they'd met. But this pack had come to simply assume that Yami was the alpha regardless of the fact that he had most likely told them more than once otherwise. But had they come to assume him to be Atem because of the fact that he was there where Yugi himself was not?

Or was it something else?

Well then, I guess I might as well go ahead and see to our new guests for myself, huh?

Yugi did not give them the chance to respond to his inquiry, taking off without a second glance. In an instant he was moving again, rushing through trees that seemed too tall and shadowed within his periphery. He was almost snarling as his paws moved quickly and efficiently through the snow. When he reached the edge of the cliff which faced the waterfall, he hardly noticed it all. In only a few minutes the white wolf had hurled himself through the water and was crawling out of the thistle patch.

He hurried forward and out into the clearing.

He was bristling again, furious, his tail raised and a snarl crossing upon his face.

The wolves within the camp began to look up in clear alarm. Others sprang to their paws at the sight of the possible threat. Echo, he noticed, bristled and climbed to her feet. Chazz was peeking up from where he was laying down a few feet away. A few of the other younger wolves were sitting up with huge eyes. And each of them had pricked their ears and watched with terrified expressions. There was a small, pale-furred wolf with startling gray eyes which pressed itself lower into the snow.

Yugi noticed all of these things but did not stop in his movements.

Some of the other wolves got up and hurried forward. They were wagging their tails in a predatory manner. Others were pacing away but watching with anxious glances.

Yugi ignored them as he continued forward at a breakneck speed.

The only wolf he paid attention to was staring at him with a startled expression. His ears were pricked. His red eyes were huge. His head was tilted. His nose was wriggling rapidly. He looked incredibly puzzled and more than slightly unnerved. He began bristling when Yugi got closer, backing up several steps and blinking his widened eyes. His head hesitantly lowered and his muzzle was tipped towards the snow. His ears flattened against his skull again. His left leg threatened to buckle beneath his weight as he began to lower himself towards the snow. He wagged his tail slowly after a moment. The hesitant actions were enough to jar Yugi briefly.

Yugi slowed a few inches from him. At first he looked Yami over, peering down at him with a slightly concerned expression. And, as the black wolf tried to lower himself further, his leg threatened to fold. He shivered, the snow having made the limb too stiff to fold. He ducked his head and angled his chin towards him, moving to lick at his jowls submissively. But the white wolf merely sniffed at him, then turned abruptly with flashing teeth.

Yami startled at the sight. It was enough to shake the submissive from him altogether. He straightened abruptly, ears pricking forward. He blinked wide eyes, startled, and tilted his head. Others had come forward, curious and bewildered. Some were delighted by the thought of a fight. Aki was noticeably wagging her tail and trembling, lips peeled back into something of a sneer. Chazz was staring with flattened ears and wide eyes as if he expected them to turn on him at any moment…

Yugi's eyes were wild, dilated and furious. His lips were pulled back so far it wrinkled his eyes. His nose was hideously pulled up. His gums were showing brilliantly. His shoulders were squared. His legs were braced. His tail was held high. His fur had risen in a jagged bristle. His teeth glinted violently.

The other alpha was frozen in place, eyes wide and startled. He was bristling faintly as well, blinking at him in shock. And Yugi merely stared back, trembling finely. His entire body was so stiff that he was shaking with his rage. Yami blinked and looked between them briefly. Then he slowly stepped forward and flattened his ears against his head slowly.

Atem? he said cautiously.

But the name hardly seemed to connect with Yugi. The white wolf did not so much as blink. He did not seem to even recognize that Yami had spoken. The black wolf flicked his ears. He blinked, raising his eyes after a moment longer. Jonouchi and Slifer were closest now, the goddess curious and amused and Jonouchi excited though puzzled. Echo was pacing, bristling faintly. Aki was pawing at the ground, clearly anxious to leap in. Obelisk was seated a few feet back, head tilted and expression unreadable. Ishizu was staring with darkened icy blue eyes, peering at them as if she saw something that Yami himself did not.

Atem.

Yugi did nothing more than glare at the newcomer. The other alpha bristled faintly. Yugi stalked forward a step. Every hair along his spine was raised. Every part of his body was braced for battle. His ears were pricked forward again. His eyes had grown more furious than ever. And, as he stalked a step forward, the other wolf let out a low snarl.

Enough, Yami tried again, spitting the word. The American wolf ignored him, snarling louder. But his tone was just sharp enough to rattle Yugi. The white wolf's blue-violet eyes flickered slowly to his face. The black wolf hesitated, startled by the troubled expression in his usually clear eyes. Then he stepped forward slowly, eyes cautious. They bore into Yugi's, studying even as his stomach clenched. It was a direct challenge. All it took was for Yugi to lose his temper and things would grow out of proportion… What is wrong? Why are you so upset?

Yugi quivered almost as if he were too furious to respond. He turned on the other alpha immediately. His eyes glinted viciously. His lips pulled further back. You have been harassing my beta, he snarled. He bit at the air hard enough to make many of their onlookers flinch. And you do not expect me to be angry? Are you truly so incompetent?

Yami blinked and tilted his head after a long moment. You are upset with him…over that? he asked in bewilderment. His eyes stretched wide as he turned to his beta with a confused expression. Then he flicked his ears. Yugi was not listening to him. And the newcomer was too focused on the white wolf to care. He stared at his beta blankly for a long moment. Then he pricked his ears forward and glanced over his shoulder. So many wolves had come to gather about to witness this spat. It was almost disgusting. He turned back to Yugi with a disdainful huff. Do you truly mean to tell me that you two mean to fight over me?

Yugi blinked. For a split second his eyes seemed to clear. He seemed puzzled and bewildered. And Yami was abruptly aware of how badly he had phrased his inquiry. Yugi tilted his head at him, then flicked an ear. After another heartbeat he slowly turned his head towards him. His head tilted, a shocked expression crossing his features. He looked as if he could not believe that Yami had said that.

Yami felt abruptly sheepish and foolish in front of him. He had just implied that they were fighting over him. He had just implied that they were coming to blows over him of all things. It was something that two squabbling wolves might do should they be attracted to the same mate. It was far from what was happening now, however. Yugi had come there to end the harassment, he knew. But he had not come to blows with the wolf for the moment. And it was no more or less a spat with this as the regards. The thought was enough to make him lower his eyes.

And he instantly regretted it.

The loss of eye contact seemed to infuriate Yugi further.

For the canine spun on the new alpha with a snarl. You do not harass my beta like this, he snarled. His ears were pricked forward. His shoulders were squared. His lips were pulled back. He was bristling. His tail was raised. His eyes were fiery. He glared at the other male with hatred in his stance. His teeth were bared, enamel bright white and his gums incredibly pink. His blue-violet gaze was darker than ever.

Yami blinked and flicked an ear as he looked up again. This is not necessary, he mumbled, but his voice was too small and tired. And he knew instinctively that it had not reached Yugi to begin with. He felt too small at the moment to try again, however. But he regretted more than ever that he had thought to look away from his beta. Had he not, Yugi might have been too stunned to turn back to this…

Harassing Atem? the alpha snorted scornfully. His voice was a sneer, his head raised and ears pricked forward. He pulled his lips back in response. The initial shock had clearly worn away. And he looked vicious, hateful even, as he stepped forward. You think that is what I was doing?

I don't have to think it, Yugi replied in a snarl. I know damn well that you were. I watched you do so just moments before.

How I choose to approach Atem is none of your concern, pup. The scornful remark was enough to jar Yami slightly. He bristled, lips peeling back in surprise. But the alpha was paying him no mind. Instead he'd raised his tail, wagging it, and many of his pack had risen to their paws as if to fight alongside him. Their eyes were sharpened, darker than ever, and they seemed excited and angry as well. You are not of a higher status than me nor in the same rank as I. And I should teach you your place for interfering in the politics of an alpha.

And just who is it that you think you're talking to right now? Yugi spat, stalking forward a step. Aki was snarling nearby, eyes dancing with delight. Jonouchi was quivering but had taken a similar stance as many of the other pack. Echo was bristling and had taken to Aki's side. Slifer and Obelisk were both studying with darkened eyes. Ishizu had moved away. Chazz was stumbling for his feet. Another wolf was pressing him down again. And yet another, darker gray with a black streak of fur along his forehead, had trotted forward with dark eyes. Do you have any idea who I actually am?

Atem, Yami tried again, more urgently now. Something feverish had awoken in him, but his blood felt icy in his veins. He shivered when the wind seemed to cut through him and he stepped forward once. He steeled himself for the teeth he was sure would strike at him. But the newcomer made no movement but to stare. And Yugi was still focused entirely on the other wolf. Yami felt sick, a sense of discontent crossing through him as his senses seemed to heighten and Yugi's heartbeat became a hideous roar in his ears. Atem, enough. It is not a big deal.

"Not a big deal"? Now Yugi spun on him, the words slow as they dragged themselves from his lungs. His eyes were not wild any longer. But he looked dissatisfied and slightly concerned as well. Had he sensed weakness in him? Yami could not imagine it was hard to. He felt dizzy and small and much like a pup rather than the beta of such an immense pack. He wondered if it was the many eyes on him. Or if something in him was simply snapping… You don't think that it's a "big deal", Yami? You don't think that his constant pressuring you means something? You don't think that I should punish him for pestering my beta?

I think that it would be foolhardy, Yami stated in a dying voice. He hated himself for it more than ever, but his lungs were tighter than he'd experienced in his life. Something inside of him seemed to be seething. He struggled to push it away, his senses focused on that one solid noise in his ears. Yugi's heart was so loud, so thunderous, that it made him nearly tremble in time with its beats.

He flattened his ears against his skull and wrinkled his lips back to show his teeth. He imagined his gums were white. They had to be. They must have been bleached the color by now. He wondered if there was a way to divert attention from this growing fight. He wondered if there was some way to calm himself. But mostly he wondered when the bloodshed would start. The thought was more prominent than he cared to admit in the slightest.

I do not believe that you should feel so inclined to fight another alpha like this.

And why not exactly? He seems to want to fight.

But what purpose is there to this? Yami argued in a quieter tone. He flicked his ears and flattened them against his head again immediately. If he kept them folded, the noise was duller than before. He growled softly, hoping to drown it away entirely. But he could tell that the noise had rattled his beta, for Yugi blinked and turned to him with something horrified in his eyes. You do not need to fight him like this. He's clearly not as strong as you and you could easily put him in the ground if you so tried—

The alpha in question had begun to bristle now. Yami noticed this in the corner of his eye. And he turned his head slightly with a snarl, bracing himself. The wolf was furious, eyes darkened with resentment. He turned on Yami with a sneer on his face. But their eyes locked. And Yami squared his shoulders, stiffening in place. Then he narrowed his gaze, opening his jaws wide in threat.

But it was neither himself nor the alpha to move.

Yugi sprang.

The white wolf slammed into the alpha. The alpha spun and snarled. Their jaws were wide open. Their teeth glinted white. Yugi backed up a step and lowered his muzzle, snarling fiercely. It was defensive stance more than anything. But it was one that gave him more room to allow him to maneuver should he lunge at Yami instead. Yami recognized this stance. He had witnessed his cage mate use it. He had seen him do it when he had saved him from—

He forced the thought away. Now was not the time to think about it.

Yugi opened his jaws wider. The other alpha slammed into his side. But he was too stiff-bodied to be forced down. He could not budge him in the slightest. The alpha went for his throat. Yugi had begun to drool now. His anger was so concentrated, he was shaking faintly. He was staring, his eyes glazed with hatred.

The wolf lunged forward.

And collided with another wolf entirely.

Yugi startled, head snapping up.

The gray wolf was screaming. He had been knocked onto his back. He had his jaws wide open. His eyes were horrified. His mouth snapped shut and then opened again. His ears flattened against his head. His paws were braced against black fur. And they seemed almost to disappear into the lackluster fibers there. They were glaring in each other furiously. A small whimper escaped the gray canine.

And Yugi found himself too shocked to move.

Yami lowered and snapped his jaws shut. Blood sprayed the snow. The black wolf drew his lips back further. The white teeth were slicked a red similar to his eyes. His ears were pricked forward. His body was quivering with his deep snarl. His teeth glittered as the blood began to drip downward. They stared at one another for a long moment. And then he stepped back again.

There was something displaced and wild in his eyes. But there was also tempered rage and a strange calmness as well. Yugi could not tell if the other alpha or anyone else saw it. He wondered if it was perhaps something that only he noticed.

But the thought passed immediately again.

Do not touch him, Yami snarled, looming over the wolf. His eyes were wild again, that calmness lost. You do not touch him or I will kill each and every one of you.

Yugi blinked, stunned by the very idea. His head snapped up, eyes wide and horrified. His mouth opened and closed once. Then he flattened his ears against his head. The alpha beneath Yami was clearly stunned and horrified as well. He was staring up at Yami as if he could not comprehend the words that had left him. But Yami was glaring down at him, hateful as his fur rose higher. The white wolf tilted his head, still shaken by the abrupt change of demeanor, and looked at his beta for a long moment.

You would harm your followers, Atem?

He sounded breathless. Yami hated that quality in his voice. He hated it more than he could ever put into words. It made him snarl low in his throat. The blood on his tongue was hot and harsh, saltier than he cared for. But it was enough to make some of the ache in his head stop. He shivered and moved to back up again, though not enough to allow him to get to his paws.

And then Yugi blinked and looked down at the alpha, peeling his lips back to show each tooth. I have no qualms with doing so, he said slowly. Yami glanced at him in his peripheral. The white wolf looked angry beyond anything he had ever witnessed from him before. His blue-violet eyes were dark, vicious and shadowed, and Yami thought they looked as if they were engulfed with flames and smoke. I have absolutely no qualms harming anyone and everyone to interfere with me or my beta in any manner.

Yami blinked slowly, trying to draw his senses back to a manageable level. But his ears were throbbing with multiple heartbeats now. And his mouth tasted only blood and his tongue was pressed hard against the back of his teeth so that they felt like immense pillars against its surface. His sight was caught on every little hair on Yugi's face. And he could smell the cold drench of anxiety that much of the pack felt at the moment. All of them were worried about numbers. All of them were concerned about the possible bloodshed that could potentially worsen at any moment.

But he could not find it within himself to move. Yugi's body heat was pleasant against his skin, pulsating on his right side. It was almost comforting. But it was also jarring. Yami hated it. He loved it. When his eyes flickered up, much of the wolves behind their alpha were frozen. All but one had taken to staring with horrified and shocked expressions. The one that had not was simply staring at him curiously. Yami turned his head, opening his jaws wide and then chomping them shut. The pack flinched collectively.

As long as the threat was received, he supposed it did not matter he spoke again. He finally turned away once more, cold with tension. He felt as if the ice had claimed his blood and bones now. Should they try to get to Yugi, he'd kill the next to oppose him. He did not care. He would rip their head from their body should he have to…

You? the alpha beneath him asked in shock. He was startled. But he also appeared livid. Yami did not look at him again. He could feel a fresh rush of heat from the body. He knew it was his growing anger. It did not take him much more to know that he might have to beat him into submission. The thought of bloodshed was exhilarating and loathsome as well. He abhorred it, but part of him rejoiced in it.

Yami could see the wolf look between himself and Yugi. His eyes were huge but his muzzle wrinkled with aggression. He moved to wriggle away from Yami entirely. And his right limb almost touched Yugi's chest. The white wolf snarled and snapped at it, but missed. He could not tell if he had planned to miss or if he simply had bad coordination in this state of mind. Yami backed up again and Yugi immediately looked at him. Their eyes locked for only a moment before Yami turned to the snow. His ears flicked about, his body stiff and cold again.

You are pretending to be Atem?

Pretending? Yugi scoffed, turning on him with pricked ears. I do not pretend to be Atem. I am Atem.

Yami flicked an ear. Some part of him wondered at this statement. Did this alpha really think that Yugi was attempting to pull the wool over the others' eyes? Did he honestly believe that he was Atem instead? Yami refused to raise his eyes, pricking his ears forward as if to dispel the thought. But they continued, something that made him want to tremble. Marik had been the only one to believe that before.

And Marik had been dealt with.

He had been killed, was probably frozen where he had been buried in the earth.

Yugi had killed him when he had attempted to murder him.

He had been the only one stupid enough to assume him to be a fake and he had paid for it…

But Marik had been mad as well. Any wolf with common sense would have been able to tell this. They would have known and understood it all. They would have known that it was madness which made him say such a thing. This wolf was lucid, however. There was not a trace of anything within his eyes that was not natural. And so Yami found it almost impossible to believe that he might say such a thing so easily.

How did he not flinch or feel guilty?

How could he honestly believe such a thing to begin with?

Yami slowly turned his head and lowered his gaze towards this other wolf for a moment. Then he turned away again. The pack beyond him was pacing about with eyes locked on his face. Some of them seemed to be studying him, searching for a weakness within his broad shoulders and bright teeth. They watched with glowing eyes and ears flattened against their heads. They wove about like shadows, nervous but protective as well. They were readying themselves to come forward should it escalate further.

Yugi and the alpha were staring at each other, however. Their glares were hideous, furious.

You believe yourself to be Atem?

I do not believe anything. I know that I am Atem. I am Code Name Atem, the Pure-Blood meant to win this war. And I will kill anyone who might think otherwise. Yami blinked and looked at him now. The statement was said so harshly that Yami almost flinched. The white wolf did not respond to him for a long moment, however. And then his eyes flickered to his as well.

Immediately Yami looked away again.

You would kill your followers?

As easily as I would an enemy.

But the words sounded flat to Yami's ears. He could sense the dismissal now in this statement. But he also understood that he knew these things only because he knew the wolf in question. To someone else the wolf might have sounded furious instead. But he knew Yugi as well as he might have his own self had he ever been so comfortable to try to befriend the stranger he often found in his reflection.

He shrugged this thought away and narrowed his eyes, flicking his tongue over his nose. The salty taste of sweat was enough to calm him down. Yugi was tired and stressed. But Yami did not think for even a moment that the other wolves recognized this.

But the black-furred one—

His name is Yami. And if you think for even a moment that you will harass him a second longer—

You do not need to fight them like this, Atem, Yami said quietly, voice calm and pleading. He was desperate for the tension to stop. He was becoming tired now. And there was a dull ache beginning in his right forelimb. There is no reason to be so angry with them. He is young and foolish. I doubt he means any harm—

He might not mean any at the moment, but he is dancing on my last nerve and I am tired of it all. I will kill him should he say anything further. His stupidity could be his undoing at this moment. Yugi pricked his ears forward. His lips were drawn back again. He narrowed his eyes, tilted his head a degree, and finally looked over again. Yami stared at him blankly, frustrated but unable to speak for a moment. I don't want to have to hear about him harassing you again or deal with anything to do with it.

Yami flicked an ear and stared at him with a tilted head. He was bewildered by the protective stance Yugi had acquired now. When had he become so terribly aggressive towards any other wolf that might have turned their sights on him? It was not a problem that the wolf had assumed him to be Atem but for the way the rest of the pack had remained quiet. Had they suspected the same? Or had they simply not cared to correct them out of anger towards Yugi?

He forced the thought away. You do not need to make such threats, Yugi, he finally commented quietly. He tried his hardest not to make full eye contact with him now. There was too much anger in his own veins to risk such a thing happening for him. But there was a part of him, which argued with his instincts, that he should look him in the eye. He did not know if it was meant to reassure Yugi to the fact that he truly was unscathed and would remain so for the moment or if a part of him was truly so riled up that the potential fight might be worth it. It is okay. I am fine. You don't need to threaten them like this.

The white wolf trembled harshly. The movement made Yami blink and look up. And, abruptly, Yugi turned back to him. Their eyes locked immediately. The white wolf stiffened visibly. They stared at one another for a moment. Then Yami blinked, uncertain of himself. Should he lower his eyes or try for a more active role of submission? Should he lick at his chin? Should he whine and wag his tail? Should he perhaps lie down? He hardly wanted to fight Yugi.

The very idea made his stomach curl now.

And the other wolf stared at him with eyes that had quickly begun to soften. Yami searched his face, studying his warming gaze. Then he turned away as he backed up a few paces. The alpha beneath him immediately got to his feet. He shook himself out and glanced between Yugi and Yami. The black wolf blinked, turning back to Yugi again with brightened eyes. He hoped the relief showed in his gaze, but he doubted it as well. They considered each other. Then Yugi flicked his ears away. And finally he turned his attention back to the other alpha.

Right, the white wolf finally commented. His eyes had flickered away again. His ears were pointed towards many of the others gathered about them. Yami forced the tension away from his limbs and looked about them as well. Obelisk and Slifer were still nearby. Yusei and Mai had forced their ways closer. Chazz was at the yearling's side, eyes wide with surprise. Yami shrugged it away and looked towards Yugi briefly. The white wolf turned back to him after a moment.

There was a flicker of surprise and then calm which graced his senses. Yami could almost see the thoughts coming through his mind now. He could see the reality of it crossing his mind now. He was searching Yami's face, studying everything about him. And he understood now. Yugi was trying to reassure himself that he truly was okay.

You're all right.

I am, Yami reassured him, though part of him wondered at this. I'm perfectly fine.

No, it was not perfectly fine that he should have described himself as. He was still far too skinny and the stress of changing again would likely all but ruin what little muscle and fat he had managed to regain in that small timeframe. He would need to try to find a deer or something more within that nature of species. He would need something with lean meat that he could metabolize as quickly as possible.

If he could do that, it would do him well to gorge as much as he possibly could. Doing so would help him be capable of filling himself out, if only slightly, before the next time he changed.

It would be easy enough to do this if he had the proper planning. If he remained consistent with it, his needs would be met if only for a portion of the weight gain, some muscle growth and rebuilding of his wounded and rotting organs. His body heat would spike and his temperature would be unnatural. And he would feel sick for what would be anywhere from hours to days.

The heat would likely cause any sense of pain to flare up within him tenfold. It would cause more damage in his organs where they were already wounded. But it would also allow his blood to circulate faster than ever. It would allow it to cleanse itself. It would let his organs regenerate what they could due to the new oxygen levels in his cells.

The black wolf nearly shuddered at the very thought. It was something that was distressful to consider for more than a handful of seconds. Once he started, if he were to slip up in his routine, it could become catastrophic. But it would be even more of a battle when it came to Yugi. He knew that the small teen would become horrified if he should come to realize how strenuous a task it would be in order to regain his health in even the slightest.

He could simply imagine the various ways that Yugi might respond. He would find it horrifying and frustrating. He knew Yugi would. His beta would not find it easy or comforting, though he would try everything in his power to help him. But Yami did not want him to know or suffer through this with him.

It would be all too devastating to the smaller teen to realize that there was truly nothing he could do to help him.

It was not as if Yugi surplus killing the deer would do him any good.

Yami could only eat as much as his gut could hold. It would need to digest before he could even consider the idea of eating more than that one initial time. It would cause more pain than anything else. It made him want to feel sick to even consider the height of this realization.

Yugi would surely struggle with this idea the entire time that Yami might suffer and muddle through this. It was exhausting to even consider such a possibility. He did not want to hurt his beta in that manner as well.

Perfectly fine, Yugi repeated as if he were in a daze. The words made Yami startle out of his thoughts, blinking at him curiously. There was something weary and sad within his eyes which made Yami wonder if he had perhaps projected the thought. He did not truly consider this for more than a second, however, as he realized abruptly that the small teen would not have been so calm now had he heard him.

Yugi would have reacted badly, without a thought, as he knew he was prone to. It was almost bewildering how quickly the other wolf might respond to him in that manner. But now Yugi simply blinked at him, clearly too tired to care for more than the task of watching him for that moment. Yami tilted his head, curious at the sight.

Right…

Yami would have responded, had it not been for the alpha speaking before him. He pricked his ears, startled by the new voice as it muttered, Are you really Atem?

Yugi blinked and slowly turned his head, his expression still muddled. Yami looked at him and back a couple of times, ears pricked forward with his own bewilderment. Yugi had been so angry as to charge the alpha when he had seen him so close to him. And then he had been ready to launch himself at any other wolf close to the black canine.

He had been ready.

He'd been prepared for it.

But now he was standing beside Yami. And his expression was still confused and bewildered. And he seemed unsure of himself as he stared at the other alpha. And the wolf that stood those few feet in front of him was studying him with a somewhat bewildered, unsure expression on his face in turn.

Do I look as if I am not?

Yami blinked at the words as the white wolf snapped the words. Yugi did not so much as blink as they looked at one another. The two alphas stared blankly, as if they were simply considering things rather than recovering from what had potentially been a fight moments before.

But the other one—Yami blinked in surprise when the gray wolf glanced at him curiously and pricked his ears but Yugi looked annoyed, almost as if he were offended that the other did not remember Yami's name—seemed to know so much and he is clearly still very strong regardless of his weak frame.

Yami flicked his ears unhappily. But Yugi looked as if he might lunge at the other alpha for saying such a thing. The black wolf looked away from him, unnerved. The white wolf seemed to be focused on him, however. He could see the way his exhales were timed perfectly with his own heartbeat. He felt so sick that he could feel his heartbeat so powerfully that it was almost enough to make him tremble. And, in the corner of his eye, each time it pumped, Yugi exhaled.

He's a lot stronger than most give him credit for, Yugi acknowledged finally. He exhaled loudly. Yami flicked an ear again, uncomfortable. He did not want Yugi to look over at him. And he thanked the gods each time the white wolf failed to. But it was for the wrong reason that Yugi did not look at him. The white wolf was staring at the other alpha. He did not look as if he might lunge or anything. But he was still somewhat stiff. Yami tends to surprise you when you underestimate him. It's one of the biggest mistakes you can make about him.

The black wolf stiffened. He stared at the snow more pointedly. Yugi blinked but did not look as if he might turn to stare at Yami in turn. The alpha opposing Yugi glanced at Yami curiously. But then he turned back to Yugi almost immediately.

But he is not Atem, Yugi continued after a moment. He drew in a deeper breath, the icy air cutting through his mouth like a set of razor blades. He pricked his ears forward, then flattened them against his skull a moment later. The white wolf hesitated for a long handful of seconds. I am and always have been Code Name Atem. Yami has nothing to do with it.

Then why is he so powerful? His eyes were locked on Yami now. Yugi bristled, nearly snarling furiously. He pressed a step forward to get his attention and the alpha blinked as he turned back. The white wolf resisted the urge to snarl and pull his lips back entirely. He wanted nothing more than to raise his tail and step between them. Yami was clearly unhappy, noticeably frustrated. He is very strong and it is not normal.

I bit him. The statement made many of the wolves within this foreign pack turn to him with shocked, almost horrified expressions. Some of them stared at Yugi with eyes so wide they might fall from their sockets. Others stared at Yami as if he might be an entirely new species of some kind. Yami blinked at them, surprised, and Yugi cast an uneasy glance at his alpha. A small part of him was nervous enough that it made him bristle. They were all staring at Yami as if he were something they couldn't understand… I bit him. And now he is the most powerful Full-Blood wolf I know of. You would almost think he's a Pure-Blood with how strong he is.

Yami blinked and looked at him sideways. His eyes were curious, darkened with the emotion, but he turned away again almost immediately. The white wolf refused to look at him now, turning instead to Slifer and Obelisk behind him. Both deities stood only a few feet back, eyes on him and Yami. And Yugi was abruptly reminded of the slim odds of survival. He did not think for a moment they would live after the war ended. He could not find it within himself to believe that they would allow him to live. He could not find it within himself to fall for such a facade as life after.

But that's why. Yugi fell silent as he turned back. The other wolves behind their alpha were now looking at him again. He bristled with unease, then shook it off forcefully and looked at Yami from the corner of his eye. And? Do you have anymore questions about him? I'm sure Yami would be fine to answer you if he felt like it. Otherwise I'm sure he'll ignore you while you babble to him.

Yami glanced at him again. His expression was somewhere between surprised and flustered. But then he shook himself out as if there were newly fallen snow upon his coat. After a moment or two he turned away again. His nose was lowered to the snow and his eyes glued to Yugi. The white wolf thought immediately of the fact that he had taken a similar stance in order to gain Yami's attention while in Paradise. He thought of how much attention Yami had been paying him that night within that dream. Yami had seemed so at ease with himself at that moment. He looked so eerily calm, never as though he might lunge forward and snap his teeth through his skin. He had seemed more observant than angry or vicious.

And the smaller wolf had the feeling Yami did this on purpose. He felt that Yami had taken this stance in order to allow the wolves to lower their guards. Should something happen when they assumed he was no longer paying attention, Yami would have the upper hand. It was not hard for him to imagine that the black wolf might kill should something happen. Should any of them step out of line he was sure that Yami would get in the middle. He would not even be surprised in the slightest should Yami bare his teeth at him at some point as well.

But Yugi was also aware that Yami was more likely to wander off as well. If a skirmish did not break out, odds were he would look over and find the snow instead of his alpha. Yami was not one to flee a fight, however. He knew that. But he also was not a fool and Yugi was sure that the black wolf knew what battles were worth fighting and which were not. He had been surprised when Yami had stepped in when the alpha had tried to attack him as it was. It had truthfully had little to nothing to do with him in the slightest as it was.

But now he had the feeling that the darker-furred canine would not so much as blink should the conversation escalate into an argument. He would likely sniff at the ground disdainfully, cast a glance towards Yugi that said he was not surprised, and then wander off on his own.

It would change nothing to know more about him, the other alpha said slowly. His eyes were locked on Yami. The darker wolf did not seem to notice nor care for his attention in the slightest. The canine flicked his ears and tilted his head. Then he sniffed loudly, turning away. He is not Atem, so he does not matter as much as you.

Yugi bristled furiously at the comment, hatred coursing through him. His head snapped around, a glare forming on his face. He wrinkled his lips back to show his teeth but did not open nor snap them at him. He tilted his head, eyes sharp and cold. And he did nothing more than stare at the gray canine. Then his head turned back towards Yami and the wolf blinked at him curiously. They considered each other for a long moment before Yami looked at the snow again. Yugi reluctantly forced himself to face the other male in front of them.

That's utterly disgusting, the smaller wolf stated disdainfully. He almost raised his tail but instead curled his lip again. Every wolf matters. I do not care who says otherwise.

Yami blinked at him, then turned away again almost dismissively. It is not a big deal, Yugi, he assured him quietly. The black wolf flicked his ears. I am not offended.

But I am. Yugi glanced at him sideways. He hated the dismissive stance that the other wore like this. It was infuriating. He wanted nothing more than to nip him for his disregard. How could he not care? And I am not having someone underestimate your value like that. And not only that, but the other wolves are treated as mere pawns as well. And I do not believe in any of it for even a second.

The black wolf flicked his ear and stared at him for a long moment. Their eyes were locked, his red gaze curious. You are taking it far too offensively. It is hardly worth such a thing, Yugi. You should relax and allow them to say as they wish. It harms nothing. None of these wolves have ever shown much care towards anything said regarding them formerly. And I do not believe that they will ever care later either.

It's not right!

Perhaps not, but it is as it is meant to be. Yami turned away now. He sniffed at the snow again, finally moving as if he might remove himself from those few inches between them. Yugi almost panicked at the thought. Had he scared him? Had he possibly triggered something? Was Yami having trouble standing there with him? Was he hurt? Had he missed it when he'd gotten hurt? Yugi would kill the alpha if he'd so much as nicked his skin. Yami was staring at him silently for a moment before shaking himself out. You forget yourself as you are not a god meant to change things in their minds. You are meant to change the course of the war and help the lycanthropes to survive.

Is that what you believe? That I'm only supposed to win this war? Yugi asked, a sliver of hurt creeping into his voice. Yami blinked, startled, and stared at him in surprise. Yugi fought away a bristle at the expression. Had he expected him not to be hurt by that comment? Do you really think that's all I'm good for?

Yami tilted his head. Why would you ever ask me such a thing? he spat, curling his lips back to show off bright white teeth. He stared at him with furious red eyes. His ears pricked forward. The fur along his dorsal cape began to rise into a bristle. You do not truly believe that is what I think of you. Surely you are not so foolish as to think that, Motou Yugi.

Yugi bristled upon hearing the entirety of his name. It was almost offensive to hear it, especially with the tone which Yami spoke it. He had never heard him use his full name in this manner. He curled his lips back in a state of frustration, licking at his jowls in an effort to lose the anger in his frame. The action was enough to loose the tension in his frame. In an instant his fur fell flat once more and he allowed his lips to cover his teeth again. He drew a deep breath into tightened lungs. I would like to think otherwise, he stated after a long moment, feeling cold at the way his own voice seemed to have grown exhausted beyond his frustration. But I have to wonder sometimes, Yami.

You have to wonder sometimes? Yami narrowed his eyes faintly, much alike he would have had he been human. He would have most likely snarled low in his throat and glared at him furiously. Now he was only able to look at him with sharpened eyes and his ears pricked forward. His fur rose along his shoulders and his throat was twice its size in the reflection he saw within Yugi's eyes. But to snarl and lash out as he desired at the moment would have been a deadly decision. He was before two packs and the action was punishable with death should he have done so. He did not care to tempt such fate in the slightest. Yami shook his head, locking eyes with Yugi pointedly, and growled, So is it my loyalty that you are questioning right now?

No, just more your faith in me, Yugi said quietly, but now he lowered his eyes as he turned away to face the alpha. The gray wolf was looking between them with increasing interest, clearly sensing the anger rising in Yami himself. But Yugi was staring blankly at Yami from the corner of his gaze now. And both of them could see that the gray wolf had no idea what it was he should say or do at the moment. Yami refused to lessen his stare, bristling somewhat further, but Yugi matched this by turning his attention fully to the new alpha in their camp. Well, I suppose introductions are in order, yes?

Yami glanced up at the sky as well when the white wolf finally moved to do the same. For a moment he expected that Yugi might begin talking to him again. But the seconds passed and Yami found himself staring at a grayish-black sky laden with heavy clouds and shadows that looked like oil. He did not wait to hear the introductions, instead frustrated enough to move along without a second look. In an instant Yami turned away entirely and began to trot towards the back of the camp.

He did not think that Yugi noticed his departure in any manner. And so he slipped away from without a second look. But he noticed, in surprise, that Obelisk and Slifer had turned their heads to watch him with dark ethereal eyes. Even Yusei had turned his head, following his departure with curious dark blue eyes and a tilted head. But it was Ishizu who truly stared at him, her ice blue eyes burning into his face and then his gaze seconds later as he turned to her. They considered each other for only a moment before he turned away again to trot faster.

He did not think for even a moment to pause again. The very idea was something that only managed to irritate him further. His red eyes flickered about in the dark. And the shadows were long and dark and gray rather than silver or gold anywhere as they had formerly. They looked like darkened craters and fractures about the snow rather than the light bruises that he had known them to be before. And the limbs looked incredibly, bewildering fragile, almost like his own ribcage in its overdone formation.

He thought of a mouse, if only for a brief moment, as he looked upon the very tips of each branch. The twigs were barely the length of a rat's claw, he felt. It was something that made his stomach growl to consider. He lowered his head towards the snow again, impulsive in his need to sate his growing hunger. It took him only a few minutes to catch a true prey scent, but the idea of boar made his belly ache with a more manageable desire.

But Yami was not foolhardy, nor was he so young that he overlooked his inabilities now. To do such a thing at the moment was something that could damn well get him killed. He stared down at the tracks in the snow, picking his way slowly, but did not for even a second move further than a yard. Then he pricked his ears forward, tilted his head, and lowered his eyes to the ground once more. He considered the prints beside his own tracks, something he had not paid attention to much before then.

They were all incredibly clear and sharp, contrasted brilliantly against the snow before him.

A second passed and Yami yawned, the exhale coming in a large gusting white cloud before his face. He felt as if his tongue were frozen as he looked about himself for a few moments longer. His ears flicked back and forth and he lowered his nose to the snow once more. It was exhausting to consider for even a second that he might pursue his prey for longer than a few seconds at the most.

It was overwhelming to even consider in the slightest.

But then Yami found his ears flicking back and forth again. He angled them downwards, the sound catching his attention more pointedly now. It was something he could not stop himself from considering. And it was strange and bewildering to him to notice for more than a second. It was a soft crunching, shifting noise that made him wonder if the ice were shifting beneath the surface. The black wolf tilted his head, angling his head towards the source of the sound. His ears pricked forward further. His eyes fell on the snow pointedly. A small bristle came over him. Then he leaned forward and tipped his nose downward. His exhale was soft and warm, gusting.

Yami pounced when he pinpointed the noise. His paws were tucked against his chest for a moment, his body tipped forward. He landed heavily on his front limbs, buried partially within the snow from the force of it. And his jaws crunched heavily on the animal he found beneath his nose. He raised his head and shook himself out, the mouse in his jaws. He tossed it up into the air by the tail, opening his jaws wide.

In an instant he caught it on his tongue. The small paws scrabbled for purchase. He could taste ice and body heat. And then he could feel its heartbeat against the pink muscle. It lasted only a second, however, tilting his head to the side and snapping his jaws shut again. The action caused the bones to pop and the animal stilled from where it had momentarily attempted to flee.

Yami tilted his head and licked his lips as he swallowed the rodent. There was the faintest smudge on blood on his lips but nothing more. The disappearance of this taste was upsetting to him. His belly ached more fiercely, stirring with hunger. It made him shiver for a brief moment, considering what little weight the animal had. Then he shook himself out again and took a few small steps forward.

It was exhausting when he began to pick his way through the snow again. The gurgling within his belly grew louder, far more insistent. He wondered what happened when a werewolf was truly on its last legs. If it starved to the point of being unable to recover, did one waste away like a normal animal might? Or did the lycanthropy take on a disease more similar to that of its closest cousin, rabies?

Would it make them deteriorate more pointedly?

Did it make them drop dead and waste away in that kind of manner?

He wondered if they had ever done this experiment within the labs.

He almost wished he knew.

Yami shrugged the thought away. Disgust crossed through him for a heartbeat, and he despised himself for that single moment it took for this idea to be shed. The snow crunched softly beneath his weight and he felt sick for a long handful of minutes, tilting his head and looking them over. The dark wolf did not pause as he breached a new small clearing. The trees were much thinner here, scraggly instead of thick and heavy in formation. He looked up at the broken branches overhead where the winds had snapped them from their bases much like twigs. His stomach knotted at the thought, of how skeletal they truly appeared, and thought briefly of his own bones once more.

His ribs were no thicker than them, he was sure. They had to be as thin as his fingers, curved much like his long claws were.

He flicked an ear and shivered. Did he hear the sound behind him or was it nearer to his shoulder? Yami did not want to consider this longer than necessary, however. And he doubted that any wolf that might have followed him would have been foolish enough to let him catch them trailing him. He pricked his ears forward, eyes sharp and darkened drastically.

Where would be the best place to find deer?

The herd would have scattered long ago, would it not?

They would have to be closer to the reserve, he knew. The marshlands were frozen but they would also have some kind of plant life that survived year round. Not only that, but the closer to the center of the park, the more likely they were to find plants that were unmarred by human touch and could easily be picked apart. They would have to be much closer there. The vegetation would be more abundant there…

He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. But there would also likely have moved somewhere nearer to the old vegetable farms, right? There were some farms scattered about and there were those stupid quail farmers as well. The deer were not so incredibly displaced that they would not notice, right? He shook his head.

It was a possibility, wasn't it?

Yami wondered at this. If they were closer to the humans, it was a threat that he did not think he could come up against at the moment. If they were smart, they would be watching for the boars as well. If that were the case, there was no doubt that he would be facing a human with a gun at some point. There was no way that they would have allowed the boars to trample their vegetation and run about as they did in Honshu when they had such terrible and violent temperaments.

He pricked his ears forward, then flicked them about. And finally he tilted his head slightly to the side again. He slowed his steps, then moved forward uncertainly. His belly twisted and writhed, churning so heavily that it seemed that it would burn and cut through him entirely. He felt as if he were made entirely of stone. His stomach sloshed again. His legs seemed to tremble beneath his weight. He sighed softly. Then he lowered his head once more. He shook himself out again, unconcerned.

He was alone, he realized.

And it made him nervous to consider this. If he was truly so alone at the moment, then who was to say that he was safe to begin with? It was dangerous to be about like this on his own. It was awkward and disturbing. And it was enough to frustrate him. Without some of the other wolves about to help, should he somehow come to cross paths with boars…

He shrugged it off.

No.

Most likely he was alone entirely.

Other predators would have gone into hiding upon sensing him.

Prey would have fled the moment they came to realize he was in the area.

But he could sense the boars, truthfully. And it made his fur rise into a furious, cautious bristle. He could sense them nearby. They were perhaps yards into the trees. They had not run away, but they were certainly huddling together and preparing themselves for the possibility of an attack. He angled his ears and focused entirely on them. Their breathing was heavy, harsh in the winter air, and their hearts were thudding frantically. Each had different rhythms, more varied beats, and it made him want to snarl for only a split second.

There was a small piglet. And there were three females surrounding it.

Yami snorted at the thought of taking them on. He could win, yes, but it was unlikely to be easy. It would be far too great a struggle for him to find the strength to face them a second time when they attacked as he knew they would. So he simply padded further into the trees, turning south of them. If he was not close enough to go after them, he was less likely to give into his more primal urge to simply forego his common sense and rush them regardless.

Yami!

He stopped short, turning and raising his head slowly in confusion. It sounded almost like a whisper within his own thoughts, as if perhaps he were trying his name out for himself as he had so long ago upon choosing it for himself so long ago. He wondered if he had misheard the word, if perhaps it was something else entirely. Had his mind distorted it to form his name? But he could not figure out why he might have done such a thing. So he paused, reconsidering himself and this very thought. Then he blinked and slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder.

For a long moment he caught nothing. Then he searched the area more pointedly. But he could not find much of anything about himself. And he was bewildered as he nearly turned back. Then he blinked, stiffened, as he spotted the white wolf running through the trees and straight towards him. He was racing as if he were frantic to get to his side, his body a machine of well-polished muscle that looked almost liquid beneath his pelt.

Yugi only slowed a few feet away from him, breaths coming out in heavy pants and eyes sharp.

Yami.

The black wolf flicked an ear and tilted his head. His red eyes flickered about once more, then darted back to his face though he did not lock gazes with him as he had before. Yes? he inquired softly.

Yugi wagged his tail as he came closer to him, pausing only a step or so away from him. His nose was wriggling and cold, but the sweat from its calloused formation was streaming before his eyes. Yami blinked at him. He was curious as to his being there, clearly, and so Yugi pressed a step or so closer. He was amazed that Yami did not jerk away at the close proximity. And he was more amazed that he let him do as he wanted at the moment.

Their noses bumped softly, wriggling against each other for a split second. Yami raised his eyes now to peer into his for a moment. Then they dropped again and he blinked as his ears flicked about. His breathing had grown a small degree sharper, faster, and he seemed flummoxed and out of his comfort zone. Yugi relaxed when he saw that Yami did not seem inclined to pull away as he had assumed he would, comforted by this realization.

Where were you off to? he asked after a moment. He pulled away from him only when he saw the discomfort crossing those red eyes, a glazed formation within the depths that made them look muddled and faraway. But Yami hardly seemed aggravated or aggrieved or even remotely angered. This realization was enough to make him relax as he stared back at him.

Yugi exhaled softly. Yami smelled as he always had, of pine and moonlight and fresh snow. It was beautiful in his senses. And there was the smallest hint of sweat upon his olfactory glands as well. He loved the combination, though the latter made him somewhat nervous.

I am hungry and I had assumed to think that perhaps it would be a good idea to hunt, Yami answered almost dismissively. But he sounded notably tired, weary as if he might lay down more than try to keep moving in pursuit of prey. Yugi noticed the way he blinked lazily and looked about for only a moment. Then the black wolf turned his head to look at him again, and he realized only then that Yami had begun to move and so he had started to follow him rapidly. I was looking for deer.

You want deer in particular? Yugi muttered, considering him for a moment. Amongst the shadows, he looked incredibly like the core of the night sky. He was a shadow too deep to wade within. He was much alike an ink well and a bottomless abyss which swallowed it whole. And it surprised him for a moment to see such a thing. He had never truly noticed this before, though now his lackluster coat made it infinitely worse. The moonlight normally made his fur sparkle and shiny, as silky as the surface of water when he moved, and Yugi was almost dizzy with this reminder. He drew in a deep, sharp breath and Yami's ear seemed to twitch as if to catalogue the soft noise. Why would you want a deer? I think the serow would be easier, wouldn't they?

Yami let out a scornful noise, almost akin a sneer. I enjoy a challenge.

Yugi shook his head and flicked his ears. When he stepped forward again, Yami bristled slightly as if with anxiety towards being caught. No, really, why do you want a deer, Yami? he asked quizzically, tilting his head. He moved to wag his tail and relaxed when Yami blinked at him. I think it'd be easier to find a serow or even a boar instead.

There were boar tracks back there, Yami said. He began to move about now, trotting forward. His ears pricked forward and then fell back again before he quickened his pace only a moment later. The white wolf slowed his own steps again, sniffing softly at the dark air. He remembered those little tracks in the snow, the way they reminded him once more of little flame-like shapes against the ice. And there were even some serows back there as well.

I noticed, he answered, slightly flustered by the darker wolf's dismissive response. He hurried forward a step, getting to his side and slowing his pace to match him step for step. Yami blinked and turned his head only slightly to look at him curiously, as if he could not believe that Yugi was still following him. Then he flicked his ears, flattening them against his head for a brief second, and turned away again. Are you just craving deer or something?

Yami's ears began to flick about, and Yugi wondered at this idea as well. He had never known Yami to simply crave something like that. I do not know yet, he lied simply. He pricked his ears forward and lowered his nose to the snow to pick at any scent he might catch. He did not look at Yugi as the white wolf stopped beside him. I suppose I do have a craving.

Do you mind if I tag along?

Certainly not. The black wolf drew in a deep breath, turning away from him, and Yugi watched the white puff of air that left his calloused nose. He tilted his head and looked about for a single moment longer. But I do not plan to share if that is what you wanted out of this trip.

Yugi bristled faintly, offended. I can hunt on my own just fine, thanks, he drawled, flustered.

Yami flicked his ears and looked at him with curious red eyes. You did not used to eat as a wolf.

I didn't exactly hunt as one either, Yugi reminded him dryly, shaking his head.

So what has changed then?

I found that it was much more productive for me to do that than anything else. He found himself looking away from Yami swiftly. He felt small and shaky under his gaze, bewildered. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled loudly from behind his parted teeth. His ears flicked about uncomfortably again, wrinkling his nose briefly with a shake of his head. Obelisk and Slifer taught me after a while. And then I decided that I could do that better than just simply sit around and sulk and it seemed to help with some of the stress, I guess.

Yami was staring at him now. Yugi could feel it, just as he could see Yami blinking and tilting his head in the corner of his eye. Ah, so that is how you wound up hunting for me while I was still within that den, huh? he asked slowly. He did not bother to say more, however, as Yugi continued to peer into the trees. Thank you for that…by the way. It means a lot.

Yugi blinked. Of course! He thought he sounded far too eager and foolish. He felt almost flushed and pathetic for a moment. He slowed a step, wondering if the other had taken any notice of the desperation in his tone. He had never known himself to want to please another person so much before and it was almost despairing to consider that. How had Yami managed to revert him so much into the shyer boy he'd been growing up, the one that had often hidden behind Anzu as if she might protect him from those curious about him? I would do it again if I had to.

The black wolf was staring at him in the corner of his eye now. Yes. Because you have a very kind soul, he said after a moment, simply, voice calm and quiet. Yugi looked over at him, sensing the tired weight which seemed to come through his tone. Yami stared back at him, ears against his head and eyes unblinking with something miserable and perhaps lost about them.

As they looked at one another, Yami could not help but feel overwhelmed. If there were ever one who could not hope to hold a flame to Yugi, it was he himself. He knew that. Kindness was not something that came to him in abundance. It was nothing which he possessed in spades. And it was something that was shown to him but he could not mimic in the slightest. Most things boiled down to survival and fighting and bloodshed and the scarcest shred of mercy. It was bewildering to him that he might find himself biting a human with such kindness, a soul so altruistic as to combat his so solely.

By some miracle Yami had truly bitten what was perhaps the kindest soul that the world might have to offer. Regardless of his being Atem or not, Yugi was too gentle and soft and should never have been the one that Yami had bitten like that.

It was incredibly heartbreaking to him that he had done such a thing for him in the first place. It was bewildering to even think for the smallest of moments that the wolf beside him was the blue-violet-eyed, soft-spoken boy he had saved before. He seemed so different. He was not unrecognizable, but he was undeniably different.

It was amazing to him how easily the other boy had taken to a more survivalist expectation within his life.

And it was almost horrifying, as well, to consider that Yugi himself had changed so much in order to make it to this point in life. He hated that his innocence had been marred so hideously this way. The very idea of the wolf beside him changing any further than he had in order to protect himself or Yami was not something he was willing to consider for more than a mere moment.

Yami lowered his nose to the snow again. It was only for the sake of keeping up the appearance of looking for a scent now, however. His head was reeling too terribly and he was so tired. His heart was aching in his chest and his lungs felt incredibly tight. Yami closed his eyes for a moment, then shook the thought off. The snow seemed to shift beneath his heavy sigh, seeming almost to mock him. He stepped forward on lazy paws, entire body a sharp contrast to the ice around them.

Yugi was watching him. His ears flicked about several times. Then he tilted his head and stared at him more pointedly.

Yami glanced at him from the corner of his eye and turned his muzzle towards him. The black wolf wondered briefly what it was that Yugi might desire from him. Did he want him to speak? Yami did not think he had anything he truly could say that would turn out well…

So…is it because deer is nicer to eat or something?

It digests faster, the black wolf answered listlessly. He was unconcerned by the way those blue-violet eyes stretched wide in surprise at his words. He flicked his ears again, listening for the briefest moment to another rodent beneath the snow. He thought for a moment to leap at it again, hungry, but then shook it away. Hunting them was not worth the energy that it would take to do so. They were hardly filling and the amount of energy it would take simply to leap into the snow as it was could be considered far too burdensome for such small gain.

The nutritional value in them was lacking, something that he hated to consider but knew more than ever at the moment. They could not fill him. Had he been healthy, however, he might have considered them otherwise. But for now they were simply useless to him.

Deer will help me gain weight faster than serow or boar.

Yugi tilted his head and looked at him curiously for a long moment. A small sigh escaped him but he did not speak for the moment and instead wrinkled his nose back briefly. Deer can help you gain weight faster? he echoed softly, almost demanding the statement from him. He nodded slightly, narrowing his eyes as he turned to face Yami again and the black wolf had to wonder at the determination in his keen blue-violet eyes. Then I guess we need to find some deer, huh?

Yami watched him for a long moment, peering at him sideways. Once again he found himself too weary to truly care for the fact that Yugi was peering at him so pointedly like this. There was such exhaustion in his body that he was not sure he could possibly think more about something as seemingly small as Yugi's reaction. It was not that he did not care to have his help in doing so. It was simply that he had to wonder if perhaps there was a part of Yugi which judged him even now. Just because he had changed enough to hunt and eat as a wolf before now, it did not mean at all that Yugi would not give him slightly horrified looks or appear disgusted whenever he saw him eating.

But his belly was aching and rolling inside of him and the pain was intense enough that it made him want to stop and lay in the snow motionlessly. He would remain that way for as long as he possibly could, never once caring enough to raise himself to his feet or attempt to find food.

Perhaps a lack of movement might even help him to keep from growing so hungry again. But he also realized immediately that the choice not to eat the day before or even before then was far from a good idea. He should have made a snack of something. He should have done more than eat that small field mouse he'd just caught. It had thrown his hunger off kilter altogether. It was growing harder than ever now to so much as stay on his paws.

Yugi flicked his ears and shook his head after a moment. He was watching him with something that Yami hated to see on his face. Why was he always so concerned about him? Did he look so terrible at the moment? But then the white wolf flattened his ears against his head and flicked his tongue over his nose, considering him as he tilted his head. Are you okay? You look kind of upset… Maybe a little sick?

The black wolf flicked an ear in response, the words circling about in his head for a moment. Then he turned to look at him, knowing that perhaps the truth were brutal but he could not expect Yugi to help him if he was hiding such a thing from him. I feel sick from being so hungry, he finally said rather slowly. It was exhausting to him to think for more than a second that the wolf beside him might sense such a weakness in him as it was. Then he blinked and lowered his eyes to the ground once more, as if he might find something there that he had not before. I should have eaten yesterday and earlier, before this new pack arrived.

The statement made Yugi bristle, voice alarmed. You haven't eaten since you left my house?

Not anything of true substance. I ate a mouse when I was in the camp but I haven't tried to eat anything else. Yami paused and raised his head towards the trees again, pricking his ears forward. He wondered briefly if perhaps Yugi might have taken the statement for something more. The consideration made his guts churn again, guilt and dismay coursing through him. He flattened his ears against his head and forced himself to continue forward. It was a bad idea for me to do something so foolish. But I am not comfortable with these wolves here. They tend to watch every little move I make. They always have and I assume this will continue as long as I am here within the camp with them. It is not something that I wish to suffer through more than necessary.

The white wolf peeled his lips back into something of a mixture of a snarl and a grimace. His eyes flickered to the sky as Yami watched him in his peripheral. And then he turned to the black wolf again, ears pricked forward. Are you okay here beyond that? I mean, besides being so uncomfortable with them, are you okay out here…like this? he asked softly, slowly, in a tone that made Yami bristle with unease as he realized Yugi was fighting desperation from his voice. Are you okay to stay here? Or do you think that it's worse here than it might have been had you just stayed home?

Yami looked over at him now, uncomfortable with the thought. Yugi had called it home. But home was something that Yami was not sure he had ever truly known in life. The labs were hardly fit to be named such a thing. And, was one not meant to feel safe when they were at home? The trees might have offered some shelter, but it was not safe enough that he did not check behind him or look over his shoulder constantly. It was not enough to make him think that he would survive to see the next day should something happen.

Yami flicked an ear. I am not uncomfortable being here, he finally mumbled, unable to think of a better way to phrase the statement he wished to make, but it is not where I wish to be.

It was a far simpler way to state his feelings rather than truly telling him his exact thoughts on the arrangement. The pack was exhausting to be around, as keeping rank was not something that troubled him but clearly appeared to upset them regardless. He did not care to expand on the thought any further, however, and so he turned to Yugi with a tilt of his head. Why do you ask?

Yugi had stopped walking and Yami had gone right past him, something that startled the black wolf. He came to a stop a few steps away, turning around with wide eyes and pricked ears. Had something happened? Had he overstepped in telling him that? Was Yugi upset with him now? He felt sick with the idea.

But the white wolf did not seem to be distressed or upset in any manner. His head was lowered and his eyes were on the snow. But he also would not look up at him and Yami felt sick as he considered him again. Was there something wrong? Had he overlooked something in saying this to him?

I…miss you.

The words were almost lost amidst the tumultuous thoughts that Yami was sorted through. But then he recognized them, ears pricking up and eyes growing wider than ever. He blinked, tilting his head, and peered at him almost blankly for a long moment. He was not sure how he was meant to feel, nor what he should truly say. And then he repeated the words thoughtfully, considering them and the depth of them for a moment longer.

Yami did not know how he was meant to respond to him, however. It was strange, simplistic and odd, how easily crushed he felt at the moment. He did not understand the sickness and bewilderment that crashed through him now. And so it made him mildly nervous.

He tilted his head again, watching Yugi for a long moment. Then he looked away, blinking and facing the snow. What was he meant to say to him in turn? Did "I miss you too" amount to much in a time like this? Or was it seen as a mockery of the other boy's feelings? But he had missed him, even if he had not truly planned to tell him at any time soon. He felt sick for a moment, shivering.

How much would the words mean to Yugi, however? He could not know if Yugi would even care to hear such sentiment from him as it was. Surely Yugi grew just as weary of him as he did himself. If Yami could hardly stand himself, what was to say that Yugi truly could either? Maybe he was just so used to being around others and having them in his life that he did not know any better but to somehow miss him.

Yami pricked his ears forward. He shouldn't have been discounting his friend like that. But he could not fathom how Yugi could possibly feel that way towards him. How could someone miss him? Regardless, he did not doubt Yugi in the slightest. He had said he missed him. And if he said it, then Yami was sure that it was true, if only because he knew that Yugi was not a liar. He wasn't someone to say such a thing so falsely…

I see. Yami blinked. He sounded terrible, as if he had lost his voice and had no idea how to regain it. He shivered, then looked at Yugi again. The other boy was staring at the ground more pointedly. He did not look happy in the slightest. He seemed—shockingly—as if he had deflated beneath the weight of Yami's silence. He had seemingly lowered his nose closer to the snow, as if he were checking a scent of some kind rather than staring at the ground with such a despondent expression. He would not raise his eyes either, something that crushed Yami more than he cared to admit. I…I do not know what to say…

You don't…have to say anything, honestly. I just…

Yami flicked an ear, sensing that the words had caused more devastation that he had ever considered them capable of. He frowned and tilted his head, studying him more pointedly for a moment. Then he flattened his ears and grimaced, unsure of what more to do. Yugi would not look at him still. And, when he could not find anything to say, Yami finally moved forward to press his nose gently into Yugi's forehead.

The white wolf quivered beneath his touch, eyes shooting up to look at him in surprised bewilderment. Yami had the impulse to lick from his nose to his forehead for a moment. Then he suppressed it and straightened, considering him. I miss you as well, he finally said. It was the best he could say, the strongest phrasing he could offer. But it was strange on his tongue, though not as terribly so as he had feared formerly.

He wanted to say something more, perhaps to tell him that he had not known how to respond. And it would have been truthful. He didn't know how it was he was meant to answer him. But he could not help but feel further words would lessen the strength his message had hopefully conveyed.

He felt his stomach tossing again. And he wondered briefly if he had ever told Yugi something so truthful before in his time around him. He had never considered it before, how horribly he lied and just how often he did so. He shivered, his body aching with tension that he did not know how to dispel. And he realized that Yugi noticed it as well. The white wolf was keenly aware of it, staring at him with something of confusion and alarm.

But then the white wolf moved forward. Yami initially thought to back away. It was something that he had not considered doing before. But now it was the most prominent thought in his mind. And, to his shock, Yugi simply ducked his head and pressed his forehead against his chest, as if trying to hear his heartbeat closer than ever before. When he breathed, it was a loud and rough exhale that let go of the tension in his paler body.

Do you want to come back to the house?

Yami did not want to admit to him just how much those words threatened to destroy him. It was overwhelming that Yugi offered him such a thing, or even that he had ever considered doing so. It was shocking, with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs entirely and leave him shaking. And he could not stop staring at the other wolf, looking at bright white fur that was no different from the snow around them. The two shades were all but the same, though the ice glinted palely beneath the moonlight and his fur seemed to darken as if touched by silver.

I…would like that a lot. The admission was enough to make his stomach twist and churn and perhaps even fold in on itself. The black wolf jerked away, the sensation enough to make his legs quiver. He had felt more powerful being unable to see Yugi's face moments before, but now it was overwhelming not studying his eyes. He felt dizzy as his limbs quivered. And Yugi was at attention instantly in front of him.

His nose was working for any sign of weakness. His eyes were sharp and cutting, measuring him and taking note of any wounds. He was studying him feverishly, eyes burning into his for a brief moment. And then he blinked. The single second it took for him to do this, Yami turned away from him to stare at the snow again. The sigh which escaped him was an exhausted one, not borne of relief or comfort. And he wondered if Yugi ever felt the same when it came to interactions with him…

He paced forward a step, uncomfortable and unsure of himself. His hunger made him lightheaded as he pricked his ears forward again. There was no sound in the snow yet. There was no ice crunching beneath his weight or anything of that kind…

Then, how about after you eat, we go back to my house, okay?

Yami could not find words. His mind was too scrambled and he was too tired. The hunger was like teeth gnawing at him from the inside. He could not think straight. And so he made a noise which he knew could only be described as noncommittal.

He heard Yugi falter behind him a step, as if startled. But then he hurried to his side again. He was at his flank, their fur brushing, and his ears were pricked forward as well. But he had lowered his head a fraction and seemed to be watching him with sidelong glances. And so Yami glanced at him, surprised when those blue-violet eyes bore into his curiously, and continued walking. Their pace only quickened into a trot, though Yugi kept his attention focused entirely on Yami now.

As long as it's a deer, Yami muttered, deciding to take the lead in conversation if only to make Yugi relax somewhat, then I'm sure we can make it back to your house sooner rather than later. I don't think it will take long to find one. I can hunt and eat and then we can get back to your home before your alarm goes off for school.

Yugi blinked, pausing, and then huffed out a deep breath as if he were offended by the very thought. He shook his head, blue-violet eyes intense with something that Yugi could not quite read. I can just turn it off. And then I guess I'll just tell my mom and grandpa that you're back and they can deal with… He hesitated, pausing and looking Yami over as if he were unsure of when it had truthfully happened. He tilted his head, studying him for a moment, and then shook his head. His voice came out soft and bewildered for a brief heartbeat. But I don't think that they need to see you. I mean, not with how thin you are right now. I don't think that would be a good thing for them to see. I mean…I don't want you to feel uncomfortable when you see them again or anything like that. I mean, I don't know if you would or not, but it's better safe than sorry, right? I—I mean, I'm honestly willing to do anything you want to. If you want to wait instead of seeing them again now…

Yami startled. Yugi was rambling, something he had not noticed him do much of before that moment. It was enough to make him tilt his head in surprise and consider him with wide eyes. I am not entirely sure I would wish to see them at the moment, he finally admitted, voice soft and thoughtful. But then he paused, tilting his head cautiously as he considered the possibilities further. But to hide in your room is hardly an option worth considering for long. Keeping them in the dark can only work for so long, Yugi, and it hardly seemed to be possible the last time…

I know, and I'm sorry. I just… I don't want you to feel pressured into the idea of…meeting them again unless you're actually comfortable doing it, Yami. If you don't want to do that, then please just tell me. And I'll just… I'll try to make sure that nothing happens so that any of you cross paths prematurely.

You cannot dictate such things.

No, but I can at least try to do something like that. I can try to make sure that you guys don't end up crossing paths too soon. It shouldn't be too terribly hard… Yugi drew in a deep breath and flattened his ears against his head, looking over at him with a tilted head and nearly averted eyes. Yami watched him as he exhaled in a big gusting white blanket of mist before his nose. I mean, I've kept you guys from running into each other before.

I was also healthier then, Yami argued softly, keeping his voice gentle so as not to upset the other boy. Something about the way Yugi stared at the snow with such frustration was enough to make him feel wary… My senses were more powerful and I could tell when they were closer before they might find one of us in your room like that.

But I can tell when they're nearby too!

You did not pay as much attention back then as I did. And you are more used to their footsteps and things of that nature. Familiarity tends to cause us to overlook the various things that we might have otherwise noticed. It happens often, Yugi. I might have done the same with you at some point as well. He did not think that was a possibility anymore, however. Nothing about the situation felt familiar and he was not sure that he could even say his skin felt like his own any longer... If we were around each other often enough, I would have grown used to your footsteps so that I would come to simply recognize you and not think twice about it. You would have become background noise to me and it would make me suspicious should I hear something out of the normality of everyday life within the house. That is what wolves do. We familiarize ourselves with the sounds of normal life and then respond only to the things that do not match up in that average day in our lives.

Yugi blinked and looked at him now as well, peering at him with a stare that underlined just how upset he was with this statement. But he did not seem to be angry with him. He appeared more startled and perhaps exhausted. But I could… He hesitated, seemingly uncertain and unsure of himself. He seemed to be considering what Yami had said and trying to weigh the possibilities as well. You're right about…

Yami nodded at him with something dismissive in his eyes. He did not look at him again. And his ears began to flick rapidly to take in the various small noises that came from the woods around them. And now Yugi found himself wondering what it was that deer sounded like in the snow. Did they make a lot of noise? Or was it smaller? Yami seemed intent on listening to whatever it was that had caught his attention at the moment. Did that mean he had caught the sound of one of them?

As he watched, his alpha began to looked flustered, perhaps even mildly frustrated as well. He had his head tilted towards the ground as if the angle might amplify the noise within the snow. Then he paced forward a step, bristling, and licked his lips as if he were struggling not to simply race off on his own. When he turned around to face Yugi again, his red eyes were hungry more than anything.

So what do you think I should do then? Do you want to stay hidden in my room again? We can always do that. I…

Yugi felt as if they were going backwards. Had it always been so difficult? He felt as if there was something missing, as if he had somehow forgotten everything he was meant to do in order to help ease his friend into his company again. And it made him wonder again how often he had perhaps somehow overlooked the ferocity that he might have provoked from Yami to begin with.

But then, he noticed, Yami was not even fully paying him any attention now. His red eyes were studying something beyond his shoulder. The thought was comforting but also exhausting for him. Did Yami even truly care about the conversation or was he pretending?

I can just keep you there and make pancakes and stuff like that until you're well again. We can order some food again like we did last time so you can pack on calories. We can do that until you're fully healed up and everything else. Then maybe we can see about basically…meeting them again, is the best way to put it. I guess it won't really be a meeting, but it's probably the closest description that matches up, right? Anyways, I…I don't think my mom will be all too happy to see you're back. I… He shook his head. Yami was staring at him now, though he had not seemed too alarmed by the idea of his mother being upset with his reappearance in his life. He had simply turned to him, somewhere between curiosity and confusion. I don't think that Grandpa will have too much to say about it, though. I mean…

Perhaps…

---

Yugi was incredibly nervous. His hands were shaking and his fingers felt numb as he looked to the other wolf in front of him. He was tired as he looked at the table in front of him for a moment. It was oddly cold beneath his touch and his tongue felt dry and glued to the roof of his mouth. He shivered, glancing over his shoulder and into the living room for a single second. In his peripheral Yami was leaning against the counter, soda in one hand the other braced against one of the drawers next to his hip.

His head was down, lowered so that he could stare at the rim of the cup he was drinking from. His bangs shadowed his face drastically and his shoulders looked incredibly thin and sharp beneath his clothing. His hoodie looked bunched and loose over his shoulders. And the end of it seemed to drape too far down the top of his jeans. He looked as if he were wearing the clothes of someone several sizes larger than himself, as if he were a kid dressing in his father's outfits for the fun of it.

"Are you okay?"

Yugi was surprised by how slow and uncertain and utterly concerned his voice was. He sat up a little straighter, stomach knotting furiously as he swallowed hard. He wished he could clear his voice but he was exhausted by the effort of doing so to begin with.

Yami did not look up for what felt like a lifetime. And, when he did, the red-eyed teen slowly raised his chin and turned his head towards him, blinking. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes that set alarms off in Yugi's head. He shivered, straightening a little further, and Yami watched him for a moment longer. Then he tilted his head, shaking it after a moment, and his gaze cleared.

"I'm tired," he stated after a moment. He offered him something of a small, tired smile that was meant to reassure and did nothing of the kind. Yugi stared at him, unsure of what more he should do or say but unable to look away as the surprise bit at his insides. Yami was staring at him, but he looked unsure of himself now as well, and the blue-violet-eyed teen had to wonder at his expression. "But I will be fine."

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked uncomfortably. He tilted his head, licking his lips, and his hands shook when he dropped them into his lap again. He did not like the way that Yami began to shuffle his weight in a somewhat nervous manner and ran his fingers through his hair. He felt sick for a moment, unsure and colder than ever. "I mean, I swear you'll be okay after we get through this. I…"

Yami snorted and looked away. He smiled faintly, shaking his head slightly and taking a sip of the cherry soda Yugi had gotten for him. He'd asked for something sugary and Yugi had grabbed it immediately for him when the red-eyed teen had said that he thought his blood sugar was far too low, tired and dizzy. And he had looked as if he might sway on his feet at any second. But upon drinking some of the soda he'd seemed to perk up, if only slightly…

Yugi wondered if he regretted the fact that he had insisted that they forego the effort of hiding him away as they had discussed during their hunt earlier. He had eaten his fill as Yugi stood aside and licked the sweet blood off of his white muzzle. And then he'd sat aside as Yami had stripped the carcass clean and eaten so quickly Yugi had been amazed he did not choke on the large chunks. Then he had broken bone and gobbled down the marrow inside, settling aside in the snow to lick himself clean and relax.

And, to his amazement, when they had changed back, Yugi had found that the other teen did not look nearly as exhausted as he might have before then. He did not vomit the meal up even as the smaller teen had heard the hideous sliding and twisting of his organs beneath his skin. Yami had looked queasy but not so much that he'd vomited up his meal. Instead he'd taken a seat in the snow and waited for Yugi to bring him back some clothes to change into.

Yami was still as skinny as he had been before. But his eyes did not seem as dull and appeared brighter than they had before. And somehow the way he held himself seemed a thousand times stronger, a million times more confident. He looked tired still, but not the least bit as terribly unhealthy as he clearly was. He was still skeletal in frame, his shoulders too sharp and jutting harshly beneath his clothing. His fingers were too long, the skin pulled taut upon his bones. But his long nails were dark and thin and the tips of them were brilliant white, firm in their shape as if he were prepared to cut through various mediums of flesh and bone.

"You don't need to be so worried about me, Yugi," the red-eyed teen commented with a small smirk of amusement. Yugi blinked and tilted his head, confused. "I swear to you that it isn't a problem that you should be so concerned about."

Yugi huffed. "You haven't seen my mom when she's upset, Yami."

"Think she'll bring out the ladle on me?"

"I think it could definitely be brought out," Yugi teased, though his voice was slightly strained with the mildest sense of tension. He drew in a deep breath and laughed softly, unable to help himself. He was nervous as he pressed his nails into his thighs and watched him pointedly for a moment. The fact was that his mother and grandfather were not awake yet, but he was still nervous and unsure of himself as the seconds passed. It was unnerving to be in the kitchen like this, Yami behind him sipping a soda—something that he had never seen him do before and found himself suspicious of his reasoning behind explaining its necessity—and watching him. Yugi drew in a deep breath as he turned back to him with narrowed eyes. "I don't plan to let her use it on you, but I think there's a good possibility that she might."

The red-eyed wolf looked considerably unconcerned, shaking his head and sipping at his soda again. The bright red liquid reminded Yugi more and more of blood and pools of it in the snow. And he thought of the taste of it on his tongue made the muscle seem almost glued to the roof of his mouth for a moment. And then he realized that Yami was staring at him so closely, studying and wondering and clearly taking notes on each of his smallest twitches and uncomfortable glances which were cast away.

Yugi steeled himself after a moment, drawing in a deep breath. He was so uncomfortable that he could not be sure in the slightest that he could hold his breath as he was trying to. So he exhaled loudly as he ran a hand through his hair again, uncomfortable and unsure of himself. He watched Yami who continued studying him, clearly searching for something Yugi was not sure he could provide him.

"I don't think she would ever actually use it on you," he commented in a mild tone, hoping to lighten the mood if only slightly. But the words felt forced and his tongue was incredibly thick in his mouth. He drew in a deep breath and pressed his nails further into his jeans. Then he exhaled loudly and looked at the tiled flooring uncomfortably, licking his lips. He shifted his foot to scuffle his shoe on the linoleum and his belly ached even more than it had before. "But I'm kind of worried about it anyways."

"I'm well aware that you are so incredibly concerned with various things that do not matter in the grand scheme of things, Yugi." The red-eyed boy sipped at his soda again, then looked towards the hallway for a long handful of moments. He looked through the shadows that lay there, draped across the darkness of the doors that rested feet away. And it made him fight away a grimace as he considered that perhaps they might step out of their room at any moment. He did not trust his senses to warn him ahead of time should he not be looking that direction.

Unless they made a good amount of noise upon waking, he did not think that it was safe to assume that he might be able to do so. He drew in a deep breath to mirror Yugi before releasing a sharp exhale through his nose. It sounded almost like a wheeze around the edges, definitively harsh in the soft near-silence of the house surrounding them. Had it not been for Yugi's heartbeat in his ears, he thought the house would have sounded like nothing more than a hideous graveyard. The stillness but for the hum of the heater coming on was enough to make him all but snarl as he reached up to run his fingers through his hair again. He tangled them in his bangs, shifting the soft strands beneath his touch. He had not considered how clean they had remained in the time he'd been with the pack. Wolf hair often held a steady amount of grease and oils that did not make them look unhealthy and soak them as a human's did.

"You really don't think that I should be concerned about it? Cause I think it's a lot scarier than you're giving this credit for," Yugi said quietly, softly. He leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees and reached up to cup his chin in his palms. Yami could see his fingers still shaking finely and he could scent the smallest hint of bitter dismay coming from the other teen. "My mom is a lot meaner than you might think, Yami."

"I am sure that it will be fine." Yami tilted and shook his head after a moment, licking his lips as he turned away to look into the hallway again. But then he hesitated, considering the other boy in the corner of his eye, and finally felt the way his stomach knotted and twisted and coiled in on itself. Yami did not think about it for more than a mere moment, though the feeling swept through him and made it hard to think for longer than a heartbeat at the most. His red eyes narrowed as he considered. "I do not think that your mother would manage to hit me regardless. I am still fast, if not as powerful as I once was. I could always dodge away before she could even swing the ladle."

The smaller teen grimaced faintly and shook his head. "You think that you would be fast enough to do that?" he asked slowly, wondering. Yami frowned as he considered him for a moment, knowing that Yugi was backtracking and searching his memories for examples. He realized that he had not displayed much speed in the time that he had been recovering before or now either.

He had displayed anger and vicious retaliation more than he had anything else. He had moved fast in order to attack Chazz before, he knew. And he also realized that he had not done so for very long either. So he could see why Yugi might doubt his words as it was. He had only done so whenever it was that the gray wolf might lunge at him. But he'd also turned them immediately into attacks as well.

Yami remembered this well.

He had put distance between them.

And then he had attacked him in turn.

"I am not worried about it." Yami took a sip of his soda again, studying him once more. Yugi was looking at him in clear puzzlement more than anything else. "I am sure that I could manage it."

The small teen nodded slowly, though now his eyes seemed troubled. When he looked away again, his lips were pulled into a faint grimace. "I would really rather it did not come to that at all."

"I do not believe that she sleeps with the ladle in her room."

The words startled him enough that Yugi's head snapped around with furrowed brows and a shake of his head. "What?" he asked, confused and bewildered as he considered the other boy.

"Well, if it is not within her room with her, then she will have to walk near and past me to get her weapon, yes?" Yami prompted. He gestured to the drawer nearest his hip with a single shift of his weight, the sharp bone of his pelvis tapping the bottom of the wood there. He raised a brow in a teasing manner at Yugi but the small teen was still stunned by the strange direction of their conversation now. "I am sure I could grab it first and run in the time that it might be used."

Yugi raised a brow and smiled faintly, shaking his head. "You think so?"

"I am faster than I might look. You would be surprised, Yugi."

"Very much so," the smaller boy agreed. He hesitated for a moment. Then he pressed his fingers harshly into his cheeks. The slight pain was comforting, almost as if reassuring him that he was truly awake and Yami was standing before him again. He narrowed his eyes and licked his lips, then let out a deep breath as he shook his head slowly. "And you are sure you actually want to do this, Yami? It's not too late to back out of it. We can just hide in my room again and…"

And then what?

It would not last too long, he was sure. He was not sure that he could truly protect Yami for too terribly long should something of that nature happen as he had assumed. He barely suppressed a shiver, searching his face several times. He wondered if Yami understood his hesitation at the moment as well.

"Why are you so concerned? I am the one they might be upset with but you act as if they might be so cruel as to disown you," Yami said slowly. He was studying him, as if he were bewildered by the worry that Yugi was displaying. The small teen wanted to find the words to explain but he couldn't do so, and so he simply watched him. "And, should they be too upset, I will simply return to the camp."

Yugi went to answer him. But then he cringed. There was a low, harsh grating noise. He flinched and shivered. Yami was no longer paying him any mind. His eyes were glazed over. And his nails were scraping hideously over the glass cup. The screech was enough to make Yugi dizzy for a split second. But that distant look did not remove itself from Yami's expression, his eyes locked on the hallway. Yugi quickly looked there as well, straining his ears to catch any other sound that he might have missed beforehand. But he did not see anything and he failed to catch any sound which made him nearly squirm with dismay.

But, abruptly, those red eyes fell upon his face again, locking with his.

"You don't have to, though. And I don't want you to stay there when you're uncomfortable. I don't want you to feel like you have to go back there when you're clearly unhappy with the arrangements, Yami." Yugi hesitated, drawing in a deep breath as the red-eyed teen tilted his head curiously. He pressed his nails a little further into the soft skin of his cheeks. It was frustrating, something which made him feel flustered and exhausted. "And it doesn't make any sense for me to ask you to do that. It wouldn't be right to do that to you to begin with. I am sorry that I even bothered to ask you in the first place."

"It was not a bad idea to have me try to stay there. The idea of food in a more consistent flow and more natural to my diet was something that I was willing to look into as well. It was not a bad thing to ask that of me. I just… I had forgotten how much I despise those wolves at the time. I had forgotten how much I hated some of their stupidity as to whether or not I am truly a traitor meant to turn the pack against you."

"That was Marik, wasn't it?"

Yami blinked darkened red eyes, clearly startled and curious more than anything else. It took him a long handful of seconds to understand his question and then twice as much to recall the reason behind this inquiry. Marik had been scheming to kill Yami while he was within the pack, when the alpha had assumed him to be Code Name Atem. He had not been brave enough to act on this then, but he had been foolish enough to attempt to kill Yugi that day.

It had never occurred to him until that moment to consider that maybe the pack in question truly had predicted such a thing. He remembered one time that Atem had been mentioned in a Verse, that he was the product of a prophecy, of portents that the gods themselves had spoken and passed to the wolves within their realm of influence. And he thought briefly of the way the wolves had embraced this reality, despite its smothered meaning and reality which the gods themselves seemed to have distorted in their telling.

And then he stared at Yugi for a moment. This blue-violet-eyed boy, with silky spiky hair and teeth which had been forced to slowly but surely straighten beneath the pressure of the various Changes, was Code Name Atem. This small teen, of such a shorter stature than most male wolves, was the god meant to live among the mortals and lead them beyond themselves to some immense victory that no one was capable of agreeing on.

Yugi was the one who was supposed to either eradicate the humans or the hellhounds or perhaps creatures beyond even this. And it scared him to consider it as they looked at each other for a long moment.

Because, should Atem truly be as powerful as the lore said, then should Yugi not be more malicious? Should he not be more vicious? Should he not be merciless?

Yami hated himself for this thought. He truly did. It was despicable. He hated the idea that Yugi could ever be a creature like the lore mentioned. He was not that person and Yami absolutely loathed the very idea of the fact that this boy he'd saved could change into this faceless figure which the wolves worshipped.

Marik, however, had fit much of that description. He had been a merciless bastard, sneering and spiteful and full of hate that Yami did not fully understand. And he knew from various conversations with Mai over the past few days that he had even set his eyes upon Yusei on several occasions. She had pointed out that she was not sure why it was that he had felt threatened by the yearling of all wolves, but Yami had understood it.

Yugi had taken a liking to the blue-eyed male. And so, out of spite, Marik had turned on him. He had been ready to find him on his own, had been prepared to rip him to pieces before Yugi's eyes should he have truly considered it necessary. And he would have been ready to kill anyone who questioned the purpose that Atem was meant to fulfill.

In all reality, the truth of it was that perhaps Marik had been the most alike the creature that they all had been preparing for. And Yugi was the antithesis of that mythical wolf, was he not? He was gentle. He did not like unnecessary bloodshed. He was kind and giving. He wanted to protect the pack rather than use them as a means to an end as Atem was meant to. He was not willing to allow everything to hang on the thread of status and rank as many of the other wolves did.

Yami lowered his eyes and glanced towards the hallway again. The thoughts were getting jumbled in his head, locking in place and tumbling about violently. He shook his head. "It depends on whether you might think prophecy is inevitable and unavoidable. If you believe it to be as cut and dry as many others do, then perhaps you are right. If not, then there is room for interpretation. And, should there be room for such a thing, then it comes to the fact that you will believe what you wish."

He tilted his head as he looked at Yugi again, a sideways glance which he cast his way. He studied him as the blue-violet eyes bore into his face in turn. He wondered at it all. The small teen was not the creature that the prophecy had spoken of. Or at least…he was not then. He could potentially turn into him, he supposed. But he hoped to the gods that no such thing ever came to light.

"It could be Marik. It could be me. It could be Yusei. Hell, it could even be Jonouchi for all we know. It could be anyone, truthfully, Yugi. It might not even be a person, should you truly consider it. It is possible that the gods meant it metaphorically rather than anything else."

"You think that's possible?" Yugi asked, raising a brow and frowning in puzzlement. He opened his mouth to continue, then faltered as Yami snorted loudly and was smirking at him widely, shaking his head as he muttered, "No, Yugi, I do not think for even a second that it is a metaphorical statement."

They stared at each other for a long moment. Yami was still smirking but Yugi found himself moving his fingers along his jaw and to his throat. His nails shakily clicked against the metal buckle there upon his choker. His nervous fingers were shaking harder and he tugged lightly on the leather there, his eyes narrowing for a brief second. He shook his head slowly and looked Yami over anxiously for a single heartbeat.

He was dizzy for a moment, as if the world were spinning about him and his stomach was tossing violently. He glanced sideways towards the tabletop, drawing in a long and deep breath. And then he shook his head and exhaled softly, running his fingers through his hair.

"You don't believe that it could be a metaphor at all? You think it's a physical person then?"

Yami considered him for a moment. His eyes were locked on his choker, where his fingers were curled and his nails balanced precariously on the edges of the softened leather there. Then he shook his head slowly and closed his eyes. He looked as if he might lean back into the counter, but then he seemed to remember the cup in his hand. And so he simply straightened the smallest bit and kept the glass in his hand rather than putting it down. Yugi frowned at the thought and shook his head after a moment.

"I do not think that it is that easily figured out," Yami finally commented, eyes still closed. "And I think that you are best off interpreting it for yourself, Yugi."

Yugi tugged lightly on his choker again. He could feel his mouth twisting, forming a firm grimace upon his face. He hesitated, pulling lightly on the leather once more. He swallowed hard and stared at him, uncomfortable and almost exhausted as they looked at each other.

"You really think that? You really think that it's something that I'll have to decide for myself?"

"If you don't want to go crazy with misinterpretations and second-guessing yourself, I would think so." Yami opened his eyes into slits now, staring at him from beneath his long lashes. His lips seemed to twitch, somewhere between genuine laughter and sardonic amusement. "Many people who try to interpret such things are often driven into madness. There are a million different ways one might interpret what a god has said. It is impossible to know for sure. And the gods themselves will surely never tell."

The smaller teen felt that grimace grow on his face. "I just… I feel like it would be easier if I actually knew what I'm supposed to be doing in the first place, you know?"

"I don't know the Verse, or else I would tell it to you," Yami said quietly, dismissing Yugi's startled expression with a shake of his head. He closed his eyes again and let out a deep breath. "But I have never heard it and I do not believe that anyone living might tell it to me without bias and their own interpretation of the things. People become far too cloudy mentally when it comes to such things as this. The wolves are not unlikely to change the words in any manner in order to make it seem far more influential on their behalf. They are not unbiased and the gods are likely to twist their own words for their amusement."

"You honestly think that they'd tell me something just to mislead me?"

Yami tilted his head and looked over at him slowly, considering him with a stare that said he knew far more than he should have. And the expression made Yugi feel cold, his marrow frozen and the blood in his veins icy with tension. "You know that they have done so before. You know that very well. Just as well as you know that I stretch the truth and twist it at times when I find the need to do so."

He looked away after a moment, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. He glanced at the hallway and tightened his grip on the cup in his hand. It was not to the point of breaking the glass, nor did he even remotely fracture it. But it did steady his thoughts for a brief moment. If he could grasp the cup so tightly between his fingers, then it was enough to keep him somewhat grounded.

It meant something still remained tangible.

"Your mother and grandfather are awake."

Yugi blinked and stiffened, jumping to his feet after a moment. He tugged harshly on his choker, twisting the leather around his fingers and his heart racing in his chest. He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly as he tried to calm his stampeding thoughts.

"I think they might have heard me."

He stiffened further. "You think that they heard…?" Yugi fell silent again, then swallowed hard as his mouth dried out. His heart was thumping rapidly in his throat now. He swore he tasted blood. Then he looked towards the hallway again. Had they heard Yami's voice? It was so broken and raspy, fractured in so many places. Was it possible that they had heard it in one of those rare moments that it was deeper and whole?

"Yes." Yami looked over at him with a sense of certainty in his eyes now. "They have definitely heard me."

Yugi blinked and pulled on his choker again, unnerved by the very idea. "Do they…?"

He shrugged. "I don't think they recognize me, no."

The small teen felt as if his blood were roaring within his ears. He swore he could hear nothing more than the hideous pounding there, enough to make his head hurt and his skull threaten to split in half. He shuddered and licked his lips.

"Are they…?"

Yami blinked and turned his head to consider him more pointedly now. He had looked back at the doors a moment before but now he was focused entirely upon the smaller teen. His red eyes were sharper than ever. "I do not believe that they are coming out for the time being."

A new fear struck him.

"What did they hear?" he asked, lowering his voice drastically. When had they begun talking so loudly to begin with? Yugi felt dizzy for a long moment, then swallowed hard and licked his lips. "Do you think they heard anything about the whole prophecy thing?"

"It is more likely that they heard me say that I tend to lie and stretch the truth."

Yugi was frozen in place now, stiff and shaken by the very idea. He swallowed hard, shivering, and then looked over at the other teen for a moment. "Oh gods," he muttered, imagining the various arguments his mother might soon come up with in order to combat his relationship with him in any manner she could.

"Goddamn it. I never even thought about that."

Yami licked his lips and lowered his eyes to the floor as the door opened to Kasumi's room a moment or two later. Yugi got quickly to his feet, then moved to his side. The small teen hesitated when he locked eyes with his startled mother but the brunette did not so much as look at him for more than a second. Her gaze shot immediately to the other male's dark red eyes. And then she narrowed her eyes and her lips twisted into something of a grimace caught between anger and perhaps sorrow.

The wolf beside him did nothing more than tilt his head as they looked at each other. Kasumi stared back at Yugi with annoyance, enough so that the small teen looked away again. Yami looked away after a moment, eyes lowered to the cup of soda in his hand. The red liquid was softer than his eyes, he was sure, the color far less threatening to look upon than his own gaze. The soft bubbles which rose and popped atop the surface of soda made his belly churn for a moment. He wondered what he looked like at the moment. His reflection looked somewhere between bashful and maybe mocking, but he did not know for sure. He often misread his own expressions…

"Mom," Yugi muttered softly. Yami saw him lick his lips and glance sideways at Yami. Kasumi looked at her son for the longest time, her breath sharp and cut and hardened. Her eyes bore into Yugi's rather emotionlessly, almost to the point of being incredibly blank and hollowed out. Then she tipped her chin up as Yami shifted his weight, her eyes flickering immediately to his face and then away again as she shook her head.

"I'm going back to bed."

The five words were enough to startle Yami from his thoughts. The many ideas that had formed in his mind—would it have been better to flee? Should he have held off?—came to an abrupt stop. His eyes stretched wide, his stare blank as he peered at her. He knew his bewilderment had to show on his face. He knew that without thought. And then, to his surprise, Yugi looked at him as if he had grown a second head and he was unsure how to deal with that. But, as the seconds passed, he abruptly relaxed after looking from Yami to his mother and back. Something about the way they peered at each other had calmed him for whatever reason.

Yami had expected Yugi to speak. Or perhaps he had assumed instead that Kasumi might.

But then she had turned on her heel and was going back into the hallway and to her room without a second glance.

"I don't think that this was too great a decision," the red-eyed teen said quietly, slowly, tilting his head towards Yugi and drawing in a deep breath before exhaling loudly. Then his gaze flicked to Yugi's and his mouth set for a moment as he glanced towards the door which had begun to open at the other end of the hall. Yugi looked as well, both of them still for the most part as Sugoroku came forward into the shadows and looked between them. They stared at him and the red-eyed teen was frozen for a long second. His heart was in his throat and his mouth was dry.

Yugi's grandfather stared at the two of them for what felt like a lifetime. Then he offered Yami an awkward smile and tilted his head. With sleepy eyes, the elderly Motou murmured, "How about you and I play that game of chess you promised me, hmm, Yami?"

And, despite himself, reluctant and tired as he was quickly becoming, the taller werewolf blinked and nodded, offering him a bashful smile that seemed strained at the edges. "Sure," he said slowly. His eyes shot briefly to Yugi and he drew in a deep breath before turning back. "I'd like that."