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.

79. Morals

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Hopefully biweekly

Chapter Warnings: Mild Cursing, Mentioned Murders/Deaths, Paranoia, One-Sided Puzzleshipping, Mentions of Forced Breeding, Fear of Sex, Referenced Distress, Training, Mentions of Experiments/Torture, EXTREMELY Mild Blood, Breakdown/Anxiety

The fungus Yugi mentions in this chapter is called ergot. It's a grain fungus that causes paranoia, hallucinations and convulsions. It was considered a cause for belief in lycanthropes and to play a role in the Salem Witch Trials as well.

Yugi speculates in this chapter whether Yami was forced to breed in the labs. He wasn't. His parents were. The few wolves he was exposed to were. His cage mate was GOING to be before the escape happened. Yami just remembers mostly the noises. He has a few other dormant anxieties regarding the forced breeding, but they haven't been brought up yet. Part VI is when things will start to hit the fan and most/almost all of Yami's secrets and memories will get exposed.

Yami's got bigger thighs and lower hocks because his build has elements of the dire wolf, gray wolf, Belgian Malinois, German shepherd, American Alsatian, greyhound and border collie. Each of the breeds have "well bent" hocks which imply endurance and steady speed; the American Alsatian (bred to look like the dire wolf) build implies a "powerful propelling ability".

Japan is not known for evacuations due to weather. From my research (limited due to time constraints), it was actually pretty limited to mostly typhoons. There was a snowstorm or two that caused evacuations, but not many. For the story, Domino has a history of blackouts during winter storms, many of the homes have secondary entrances/exits at the tops in order to allow people to evacuate safely, and the roads are easily covered in snow and residents forced to travel by foot more than anything. Domino is not as well prepared for snow as the other tourist attractions are, due to the position and the mountainous terrain and forests surrounding it on three sides.

Chapter LXXIX: Morals

Work Log Entry LXX: December, 2008

December 6

Atem is not truly recovering. But his heart rate has not grown any worse. It has stabilized to just beneath 300 and has begun resting at the rate of 280. No one can figure out what is happening.

The hellhound has begun to grow aggressive. We cannot tell if she has peaked somehow into a premature state of personality.

We are studying to understand if the two incidents are connected in any manner.

December 16

The sow has passed away. We cannot determine what caused the sudden death.

It is possible that the introduction of Atem's DNA might have triggered it.

The boss claims that the disease is an extremely violent one. None of us can be sure if the steady introduction of genetics did not eventually rot the pig from the inside out.

December 31

Necropsy results determined that the pig was in fact destroyed from the inside out. The lycanthropy rotted its organs completely. No one had noticed the formation of tumors on the sow's feet and underbelly until the procedure was performed.

We will be working to determine if eventually the lycanthropy caused a form of cancer to stem from its usual carrier disease, rabies.

"Yami, we, uh, need to talk about something."

Yami did not care enough to look up from the screen in front of him. Mazaki was being featured on screen, talking about the fires and what leads they had. He'd admitted that the sources were slim, that the list of suspects was small. He was saying now that the main suspect had been put aside for the moment due to a lack of evidence, but that they would still look into their possible involvement later. The red-eyed teen remained staring at the man, taking in the sharper features and the dark brown hair that reminded him of a pine marten's glossy coat.

He looked so much like Anzu, but his eyes were brown rather than blue. He was well-shaven and his eyes were sharper than hers. He wondered if her mother had the softer features that he lacked. But she definitely looked a lot like her father; she even held herself the same way. She had the same confidence that he was exerting at the moment.

He glanced slowly over his shoulder when Yugi did not continue.

The smaller teen blinked, startled, and then visibly relaxed when he saw his face. Yami tilted his head, rolling his neck with the movement due to the angle. When Yugi still did not speak, he turned back to the screen. Mazaki was basically saying everything that Anzu had told them, that there were other suspects being looked into that, that they would be conducting various interviews. Anyone who had any information of any kind was encouraged to call in and give them tips.

"I want to ask you something. And I really need a straight answer to it, aibou. It's really important for me to know about it." Yugi was quiet for a single second. Then his voice came out in a rush. "It's helpful for me to protect you—"

"I have never once asked you to protect me," Yami interrupted, voice cold as his tone dipped to something akin a snarl. His own anger surprised him and he curled his lip back as he considered the police officer again. What would Anzu think of her former crush if she knew half of what Yugi had done in order to protect him? He doubted they would still be friends. He nearly sneered. "As such, I do not understand why it is that you continue to do such a thing. Does it ease your conscience when we fight, Yugi? Is that why you insist upon doing it?"

Yugi made a snorting noise. Yami could see him shaking his head in the corner of his peripheral. He narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing at him a little more pointedly. "No, and you know that, damn it. But—whatever. Just listen to me, okay. It's not like you don't need help. The pack is suspicious of you, no matter what I say or do to try to prevent it." He sighed when Yami merely stared. And he almost snarled at him to demand to know what it was that he wanted from him. "Yami, I… Listen, here's the point of this. I want you to answer a question for me. Because Jonouchi brought it up…and I'm afraid of what he might do if he decides to go against what I told him yesterday."

Yami turned to him now, tilting his head. He narrowed his gaze, curling his lip, and studied him as he leaned back onto his hands. The report was over now. They'd started in on the weather. He could hear them discussing the odds of things getting worse, how the forecast pronounced yet more snow and the extreme likelihood of a blizzard to hit in a few days.

Domino City was expected to be cut off from the outside world soon enough. They were making evacuation plans for the inhabitants of Domino to move to neighboring cities such as Sapporo. She was saying it was expected that the power would go out again as it had years before. Many of the houses closest to the mountains had suffered extensive damage. The roofs had caved in beneath all of the snow, the train stations were closed off but for the single one that traveled between Domino and Sapporo which would soon shut down as well. The airports in Sapporo were experiencing an influx of people from the states that wished to enjoy the snow. Domino was blocked off from tourist attractions due to the heavy snowfall and the dangers involved with traveling to and from.

The roads within the city were almost nonexistent due to the snowfall. Brine had been washed away in only a matter of hours every time they'd made progress. The asphalt was buried almost twenty feet beneath the snow now. The snowfall was only getting worse according to the weather. The mountainous terrain had a much higher probability of avalanches due to various calculations. If another blizzard were to sweep through as they had predicted, the reporter claimed that Domino City would be cut off entirely from the rest of the world. She again encouraged everyone remaining there to take a train to Sapporo before things got any worse.

Yami listened to the report with little care.

"So, then, he finally got the nerve to speak to you about it?" he drawled. The woman was saying that they were planning to hold off on a mandatory evacuation for as long as possible, but odds were increasing that this would happen. She was saying that the schools would be shut down within the next two weeks in order to prevent anyone being potentially trapped during the day. Everyone was stranded as far as cars went; several people had tried to get in or out of Domino and had been forced to take the train instead. The station's heated parking deck was likely one of the only places left without extreme snowfall… "He finally approached you about the topic as well then?"

"He's accused you of it before?" Yugi snarled. He looked horrified, flushing, when Yami merely raised a brow and snorted dismissively. "He…he asked you about it already?"

Yami shook his head. He glanced at the woman. Her hair was blonde, dyed halfway from her roots which were a deep black color. Her eyes were glittering with fear and exhaustion and her cheeks were incredibly flushed. She looked as if she might drop from frostbite at any moment. He wondered if that were possible, if it could infect every part of the body and slowly kill from there.

"No, he has not accused me of anything. He has not made any type of accusation in regards to me. He has been asking Otogi about the possibility of it instead."

Yugi was bristling. "That's not good to hear." Yami could hear him scratching at his throat. "That means he's already been talking about it."

"I know for a fact that it has not traveled any further than Otogi. Jonouchi has bonded with him because of how easygoing he is. He is not frustrating to talk to as some of the other wolves are. It also helps that he and Mai are so close. It probably made him feel safe to talk to him. But you are asking me another question. What is it?"

"I'm asking this because he mentioned it to me."

Now Yami turned his head to look at him again. The phrasing made it sound as if he were about to accuse him of something. The thought nearly made him bristle. But part of him wanted to laugh and sneer as well. He settled for staring, impatient and cold and growing further distanced from him.

"Personally, I don't think it was ever really an issue to begin with. I just…" Yugi shrugged at him, uncomfortable and floundering for words. Yami stared at him, unblinking, and waited. "I wanted to make sure that I know so that I can make an excuse about this. Listen, aibou, here's what I need to ask you. What were you doing the night before last, when Jonouchi and I were talking?"

Yami blinked. "…The other night?"

"When you were in the alleyway and came across us? When we invited you to come out with us and Anzu and Honda…" Yugi opened and closed his mouth twice. Yami could tell he was struggling now, unable to figure out the proper way to coax him into speaking. He was flushed again, the smell of blood rushing to his cheeks enough to make Yami's head spin briefly. But he shrugged it off a moment later, licking his lips and watching him intently. Yami wondered what he hoped to find by making such bold eye contact with him. "I just need to know what you were doing in the alleyway that night."

"Does it matter? You can lie and say whatever you would like in order to placate them. They cannot argue with you because none of them would know the truth. Why should you bother to know the truth and tell someone that rather than simply fabricate something for them?"

Yugi stared at him. "If I didn't know you so well, I would be suspicious," he answered a few seconds later. He narrowed his eyes and Yami snorted. Did he even know him? "But since I do know you, I know you're not doing what Jonouchi was trying to accuse you of. I know you weren't trying to find and lead the hellhounds to us. I know that for a fact. There's no way you would ever do that. But I'd like to—"

"No? So, you are not suspicious?" Yami sneered. He smirked at him lopsidedly. "You are not suspicious of the idea that perhaps you missed something I've turned and done? You do not suspect that you have missed some kind of signal that you wish to reconsider? You do not think that I have turned and killed without reason? You do not think that I might have lashed out and murdered when you were not there to stop me?"

"What?" Yugi spat. "Are you fucking stupid, Yami? Of course I don't think that!"

Yami eyed him cruelly for a moment, then smirked wider. "Do you think I'm foolish, Yugi? Do you take me to be an idiot? I have seen the multiple suspicious looks you've given me since I told you about Shizuka. You think that I have spiraled out of control. You think that you missed some kind of sign that you can find now. You want to know what triggered me so that you can make sure it doesn't happen again. You suspect that you've missed something because of what happened to Shizuka in the damn hospital that night. You're trying to figure out if you missed it—"

"I—"

"Even now, sitting there on that fucking bed, you're wondering. Deny it."

Yugi stared at him. Then he burst out laughing, a sharp and cutting noise. His voice was full of anger, hateful and cold. "No, you're right. I am wondering. Because Shizuka was never a fucking threat to you, Yami. She was never a threat to anyone. So, how you wound up killing just because she said something to you is beyond me! The fact that somehow, despite everything, she managed to hurt you enough to make you kill her is amazing to me. I don't know how it is that you decided that you needed to do that. And when I mentioned her name to you afterwards, you pretended not to know who she was. You pretended you didn't know that name. You pretended you had no idea whatsoever." He shook his head, spitting. "You lied to me. You lied to my face and you acted like everything was okay."

Yami snorted. "You would not have allowed me to stay here had I not feigned ignorance."

Yugi startled, eyes widening in surprise at the statement. "Huh?'

"You were not so close to me then as you are now. You did not know me well. You did not care to at the time. You knew the bare minimum. You barely cared to help me. You were lonely and you wanted someone to help you combat that. That is the only reason you let me stay. Now, had I told you about what I had done, you would have kicked me out." When Yugi blinked in shock, Yami laughed and bore his teeth. "Go on. Deny it then, Yugi."

"Fuck you. I will deny that," Yugi snarled. His eyes were glowing with anger. "You know I would have at least tried to understand. I wouldn't have just thrown you out! You know that!"

Yami scoffed. "You barely wished to listen when I killed Yoshimori. You did not want to hear it. You didn't care for an explanation. You lashed out and turned on me for it. You decided only afterwards, when you realized you would be alone again, that perhaps you could forgive me that," he snapped. His voice had dropped an octave and he could feel the familiar pressure of a snarl building in his chest. "You said that you wanted to understand, but you never cared to listen when I tried to tell you. You're being foolish. You claim otherwise but we both know."

Yugi stared at him, searching his face for a moment. "Is that how you see it? That I was going to just kick you out and leave you to survive on your own in the woods? You trusted me so little back then?"

He was breathing quickly, as if he might hyperventilate. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his blue-violet eyes wild. He curled his lips back slightly.

Yami sniffed, unimpressed. "Why should I have trusted you more? I had come to you for help with my wrists and for that I considered you a good person. And I was a coward. I stayed because I was afraid of going out on my own again. And you needed someone there. So I filled in the void and could offer you comfort your friends couldn't. We used each other," he sneered. He fell quiet for a moment, then looked away, narrowing his eyes sharply. "Then I came to respect and care for you despite myself. But you never would have let me stay here had I told you outright that I was responsible for the death of your best friend's little sister. You would have seen me as too dangerous. You would have tried to wipe me from existence in your life. You may say otherwise now, but we both know better."

Yugi couldn't stop staring at him. The words leaving his mouth amazed him. He was dumbfounded. Yami viewed him as so damn fickle? Had he always seen him that way? Or had it simply been when they'd first come to know each other? And he wondered now. Did Yami truly see him as nothing but a nuisance like this with such little loyalty to him? How could he—?

Yugi shook it off.

Yami could believe what he wanted. He could believe that all he liked. All it did was further prove that the two of them were not as close as he'd thought. Yugi opened his mouth to snarl at him, to spit at him for those words. And then he stopped short. Yami wouldn't make eye contact with him. And his eyes were glittering, cold, but he could see the hurt in them as well.

He likely felt just as betrayed by this conversation as Yugi himself did at the mere thought that Yami saw him as nothing more than a foolish and lonely child who needed his hand held.

Yugi drew in a deep breath, offering something he hoped might somehow resemble a smile. But he thought it was probably more a grimace than anything else and his heart hurt as he exhaled. "Aibou," he murmured, and he was relieved when Yami looked up from the carpet and shot him a sideways glance after a long minute, "regardless of whether you killed Shizuka, you're a lycanthrope. I don't care if your fur is black and your eyes are red. You are a lycanthrope. And I'll gladly beat someone into the ground over it."

Yami eyed him for a long moment. Then he chuckled and looked away, shaking his head. "That's nonsensical," he muttered. "The pack will always think what it wants."

"And they're allowed to," Yugi agreed, huffing. "I'm just not going to risk having someone turn on you because they're convinced you're not who you claim you are. If I can minimize the bloodshed, or maybe slow down the conflict in the pack, then that would be great."

"You should choose your battles more wisely. I do not think you will need to fight as you are anticipating. Or at least I don't think it worth it."

"Yeah, but you don't have much care for yourself beyond surviving. Isn't that right?" Yugi returned sharply. He hadn't meant to snarl at him, but it came out nastily regardless. He flushed. And then he reached out. He expected Yami to turn towards him; it was his most common reaction when he saw movement in the corner of his eye. But the other boy flinched and stiffened instead, shoulders rising to shield his neck as if he expected Yugi to hit him violently. He dropped his hand immediately. Yami thought he was going to hit him. He was stunned by the thought. "You don't see yourself very clearly."

"Or perhaps you simply want to see more where there is nothing left to salvage," Yami sneered. He turned on him, eyes cold and glittering. The fear was apparent in the way his pupils had dilated, however, and Yugi could see the smallest gleam of it near his upper outer iris. "I think you have more faith in me than I do. And I don't understand why."

"I'll…tell you another day," Yugi mumbled. He shook his head and smiled at him. "I'll explain it to you then."

Yami peered at him as if he were a snake he expected to strike out at any moment. Then he smiled in turn, but his eyes had grown bleak and distant and something about his expression reminded Yugi of plastic. It was as if he were looking at a robot, as if Yami had shut down some essential part of himself and was now peering at him from behind a wall, his actions mechanic and cold and dissociated from everything else. "And then maybe I'll tell you something you don't know as well."

Yugi searched his face for a moment. He looked like he was struggling to simply breathe. He was drowning, he realized. "There's a lot I still don't know about when it comes to you," he said softly, wondering at the sight. What had set him off? He struggled to pick apart what might have done it, forcing his thoughts through the conversation again. But he found nothing. "But I'm willing to listen if you're willing to tell me."

Yami seemed to lose some of that mechanical stance. He softened somehow, around the very edges, and his smile became a little more relaxed rather than plastic. But his guard was clearly up and his eyes flickered away. "Maybe one day," he said in a plaintive tone. "Maybe one day."

And Yugi realized that Yami hoped that one day never came.

---

"Hey, Yami?"

He asked it hesitantly. Yami had been lukewarm towards him for the last couple of hours since their conversation. Yugi did not know if it was because Yami still had not forgiven him, or if it was more because he was simply tired. He couldn't tell one from the other with the red-eyed wolf. Yami truly just appeared quiet and calm for the most part. The silence he exerted now was simple, the usual quietness Yugi had come to recognize in him. It was companionable, easy, and it did not force itself on them like a heavy blanket. He usually loved it, but right now…

"Yes?"

Yugi swallowed hard, hesitating again. It wasn't that he thought Yami might lash out or fail to answer him, but because he couldn't quite find the words to put the question together. He frowned, biting the inside of his cheek. "Do you, uh, ever get the feeling you're being watched? Like…I mean…followed or watched or…something?"

Yami looked away from the manga he'd been pretending—and Yugi knew he was pretending because he had it upside down first of all, but also because he'd been staring at the same page for the last ten minutes—to read. His head turned slightly, his eyes widened and locked on him. He grimaced, dropped the manga aside, exhaled loudly, and glanced out the window and back.

"I had assumed it was simply paranoia of some kind," he said slowly, as if testing the words. "It began happening around the time that the first fight with the hellhounds happened. A few of the other wolves were already watching me because of the usual suspicions. I had not known if it was simply that sensation amplified."

Yugi blinked, then shivered. "No, I've been thinking about it for a while. I think it started a little while after, but ever since the two of us fought with Sartorius…" He shook his head slowly and grimaced. "I was wondering about it before but now I'm asking. How, uh, how bad do you think it's gotten?"

"What am I meant to compare it to? I am uncertain I have much to put against it," Yami answered in a slightly irate tone. "I do not…usually let others…find me. For obvious reasons…"

The silence between them now was dense with unspoken words and lost opportunity. Yugi felt sick to his stomach for a moment. He licked his lips and turned away, fighting to ignore the urge to simply retreat. He could sit down and ignore it all if he was truly willing to. He could simply do that and ignore everything negative that might have come with it later.

"I'm sure it's far more noticeable now than it has been prior," Yami said awkwardly after a moment. He had moved to stand up, dusting himself off. His knees popped and when he stretched his arms, they ached briefly. For a long minute he simply stood there. Then, finally, to Yugi's surprise, Yami made his way towards the bed. He didn't hesitate, instead throwing himself backwards to sprawl across the end of the mattress next to him. His hair brushed Yugi's hip, tickling him faintly as the red-eyed teen looked up at him as if in askance of permission. Yugi had the stunning urge to reach out and run his fingers through the long strands, to lose himself in the softness he knew it to possess. Instead he smiled at him, turning away again after a moment. "I'm not sure when I noticed it, just that I did. Has it gotten so noticeable for you?"

"It's almost as bad as when I ran into Catherine or Fuwa. But…at least with them I had some kind of idea about who might be following me, you know? I don't have any idea right now…" Yugi hesitated for a long moment. His eyes fell on Yami again, his stare far more pointed than he truly meant it to be. The other boy seemed calm enough, but his eyes were oddly soft, in a way that Yugi was unfamiliar with. His mouth wasn't as firmly set in the tense line Yugi had gotten used to seeing in the last week or two, and his face was oddly relaxed. When their eyes locked, Yami's reminded him of lava, warm and vibrant and so full of life that it nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs. He was peering at him from beneath his long spidery lashes and Yugi swore the shadows they created made his irises a thousand times more beautiful. Yugi felt as if his heart might beat out of his chest as he studied him. "So, it's kind of, uh…alarming…to…me…"

"Understandable." Yami's voice said he wasn't oblivious to the fact that Yugi was becoming distracted. And he abruptly turned away, eyes peering out of the window once more. Yugi could not stop staring at his lips as he continued. "It is rather alarming to consider the fact that neither of us have any knowledge about the person following us."

Yugi blinked, forcing himself to focus. "So, you do think that someone is following us then? You don't think it's just…paranoia or something?"

Did he sound breathless? He thought maybe he did. And he really hoped that Yami wasn't paying too much attention to that. Things were already too awkward as it was. Between the Shizuka matter and the fact that Yami had been there when the discussion at the arcade had turned towards the more awkward and frustrating subject of crushes, he knew things were getting more strained. And he didn't know how to bridge that gap. Things just seemed to be getting worse. And he was lost, floundering, and despite his resolve to fix it, he had no idea how.

"Paranoia? What are the odds of the two of us both showing paranoia about the same thing without ever once discussing it?" Yami was quiet for a long moment. He turned back to him and their eyes met for a single second. But his head tilted and Yugi found his eyes dropping to the column of his neck. "We do not normally both feel the same when it comes to being followed should it not be real."

Yugi could not stop staring. His neck looked so warm and smooth and soft. And he was almost salivating at the thought of running his tongue along it. He wondered what his skin tasted like, if he tasted as good as he smelled. He nearly groaned in pleasure, then forced the fantasy away. But his hands were sweating now. And he had to fight the urge to wipe them off on his jeans in order to keep Yami from becoming alarmed.

But he knew Yami was aware. The red-eyed boy was staring at him intently. He could feel his eyes nearly burning through his skin. He was sitting there, inches from him, neck still exposed, eyes locked on his face. He was…waiting.

Yugi felt distress coil through him.

He was waiting for him to act. He was challenging him. He was waiting to see if Yugi would try to press the issue upon him or not. He was waiting to see how Yugi would respond to the close proximity.

"I guess that's true," Yugi said quietly, watching him carefully in turn. He wanted so badly to lean forward, to bury his face in his neck and lick and kiss until Yami was moaning and writhing against him. His body temperature was driving him insane, warm and inviting and his skin that soft golden-bronze shade like sun-baked sand and— "I don't think two people would feel that way if it wasn't actually there. I mean…what are the odds?"

Yami simply watched him. For a long minute and a half he sat there, head still tilted as if in invitation. And then he abruptly turned away, peering up at the ceiling. Yugi watched him focus on one small spot there, then looked up as well to see if there really was anything to be noticed. But he could find nothing and he was abruptly certain that Yami was simply trying to look anywhere but at him and the motion was comforting to him. Yami got a much clearer shot to watch him in his peripheral than if he was watching the TV or looking at one of the walls.

"It's not impossible, but there would have to be something underlying that which would make it happen. Something like those fungi or something from the medieval times, you know?"

Yami blinked, then slowly turned to him. His eyes were skeptical and his mouth was quirked into the smallest grimace. Yugi really wanted nothing more than to lean forward and press their mouths together. "Fungi?"

He forced himself to focus again. "It was used to explain away lycanthropy," he answered softly, slowly, testing the words for a moment. He kept his eyes glued to his now, in an effort to fight off the growing tension in his body. "It was basically probably a cover that some werewolf came up to save themselves."

"Or your species decided that they refused to believe in what they could not understand." Yami didn't look at him again, turning away to the television. "It happens often enough."

"Yeah." Yugi didn't comment on the fact that Yami had just blatantly called him out on his behavior and struggles as a werewolf. He didn't want to fight with him. He could call him human all he wanted to, put up that wall between them, if it made him feel better later. Yugi honestly didn't care if he called him that or not. What he did care about was not scaring him off because he was aroused.

He pressed his hands into his lap, trying not to think about it. But all he could focus on was the idea of Yami breathless, gasping or moaning, beneath him. His cheeks were flushed, his hair tangled.

Yugi nearly snarled with frustration.

He was never going to have that, was he? If he died, there was no guarantee he would ever come back and if that happened…

"Humans do that a lot. They want to see smarter than others, so they turn around and try to explain everything in ways that make sense to them. They try to explain mass paranoia and hysteria and lycanthropy with symptoms of poisoning from rye."

"In the times you are speaking of, werewolves were everywhere. We were likely a third of the population at that time. Mass hysteria and paranoia brought on by fungi was not the cause." Yami yawned. And Yugi could tell it was stress rather than weariness. His shoulders had risen the smallest degree. His nose was working steadily. He could smell him. He could tell he wasn't one hundred percent just being friendly and holding conversation with him that way. Yami sensed his arousal; he just did not plan to address it in any manner. He had made a point of testing him moments before but he was not going to take it further than that. "Regardless, it does not truly matter. Human explanation or not, it is not important."

Yugi dug his nails into his jeans, pressing them firmly into his jeans. He was just lucky the fabric was so tight that it kept his erection mostly hidden. He really didn't want Yami to look over and see it and freak. And he knew that would be exactly what would happen. Yami would become uncomfortable and flinch away from him entirely, putting a wall between them so high that he would likely hide away from even conversation. Yugi would be amazed if he did not hide beneath the bed or move to the corner of the room again.

It was odd to him. Yami could accept and even encourage others to have sex, but the moment such attention was turned towards him he could not handle it. He couldn't tell if it was because of the labs and the forced breeding he'd witnessed or if it was because of his cage mate or if it was the idea of sex in general. Some people were like that. Some people that were asexual were grossed out by anything to do with sex according to what little he knew about it.

But Yugi was more or less sure that this wasn't Yami's problem. Yami, he realized, was simply afraid. And he was almost certain that Yami feared sexual contact due to the things that had happened in the labs.

He had asked him about forced breeding that day in the café when they'd gotten hot chocolate together. If that were the truth of any and all sexual encounters Yami had ever been exposed to, it was no wonder he would hate anything to do with it. And it was not as if Yugi actually knew what had happened while he was there. For all he knew, Yami could have damn well been part of half of them. For all he knew, Yami could have fathered a few pups and not even known about it. Or he might have knowledge of it and just never wish to consider it or—

"I'm still wondering what I should do about training with the other wolves," he said, trying to force himself to focus on something else. The thought of Yami having bred little pups running around in that damn lab made his chest ache. His smile was strained, broken, and his breathing was somewhat shaky. "They won't help me to teach anyone since they think of it as a sin to bite me, so it's…"

Yami was quiet when he trailed off. But he turned to him, voice soft. "I am capable of standing in for you instead if you would like. It occurred to me that they might not be willing to fight you, but they might with me. I am not Atem, after all. They see me as nothing more than a possible traitor. They have no reason to hesitate in fighting me."

Yugi bristled slightly. Yami spoke of it almost like he would something as simple as hunting. If he thought it was going to be a game of bloodshed… "But I don't want them to think that it's okay to fight you like that."

"I doubt anyone will be seriously hurt."

"And if they try to gang up on you or something?"

"It is not hard for me to knock around a few wolves when I am mad. I could do it easily enough." Yami raised a brow, tilting his head and considering him curiously. "You know that you are free to tell them that drawing blood is prohibited and the session is over the moment one of us is pinned, yes?"

"And you think they'll actually listen to me?"

"I do not think any of them truly wants to hurt each other. I would assume they would listen to you about it if you said that before the matches started. And it is not as if they will turn their teeth on me simply for the sake of relieving their anger. I am not the omega and none of them are foolish enough to treat me as one. None of them want to truly harm me or try to kill me due to Obelisk's confirmation that I am a Pure-Blood."

"Yeah, about that," Yugi said slowly, drawing the words out and narrowing his eyes, "why did you tell me you were a Full-Blood before?"

Yami stiffened to the point that he stopped breathing. He blinked once, then twice, and sat up so abruptly that the bed actually squeaked from the force of his withdrawal. He wouldn't look at him. "I didn't care for anyone else to know."

Yugi could see his long fingers shaking finely. His heart ached again and he swallowed hard. He wished he could crawl into a hole somewhere. "Yami…" He sighed, looking away when Yami refused to relax in the slightest. "Can I ask you something?"

"Does it have anything to do with what we're already talking about?" His voice was shaking and he'd moved to draw his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. Yugi watched him bury his face in his legs, his voice weak and tired. "If it does, I don't 'want to do this."

Yugi stared at him, stunned for a single second. He bit the inside of his cheek and drew in a deep breath. "Then we won't talk about it," he promised. "But you think they'll actually listen when it comes to not spilling blood or causing any real wounds?"

"Yes."

Yami was silent for a long handful of minutes. His voice was strained, his breathing a wheezing noise. Yugi wished he knew how to comfort him, but he could not find the words. And he didn't think that he'd react well if he tried to touch him and reassure him he was okay.

"I'm sure."

---

The wolves had all gathered about in the center of the camp. The white wolf paced a few steps, watching them with bright eyes. Yami stood a few feet away, ears pricked forward and eyes locked on the other wolf nearest him. Obelisk was a yard or so away, fur tugged slightly to the side with a small breeze which trailed through the trees. The other wolves were restless, pacing about in tight circles or growling softly as they trotted back and forth. They moved about the clearing, circling the two as if they were cage fighters.

Yugi truly hoped that no blood would be spilled. He had said beforehand that it was a rule. Anyone who drew blood would be punished accordingly by himself or Yami. He'd promised that the moment he'd suggested they all train. But he still had the feeling that some of the wolves desired it more than anything.

Shay, for one, was eagerly anticipating it, he knew. The wolf had not cared in the slightest when Yugi had said such a thing to begin with. He had simply sneered and snarled and snapped his teeth at Yami. To his credit, the black wolf had only ever flicked an ear in his direction in response. Not once had he turned his head or snarled in response. He'd sniffed the air, ignored him, and looked briefly to Yugi once or twice.

Yami shook himself out after a moment. He moved away a few feet, then circled back. He paced as if he were unsure of the situation at hand, but Yugi felt dizzy for a moment. He'd chosen Obelisk for the simple fact that he knew the war god could hold his own and had some small bit of knowledge of Yami's various fighting techniques. He had been hopeful he would be able to mirror his attacks should it come down to it. He'd wanted to make sure that the wolves saw something more than Yami simply winning a fight.

But now he wondered if he should have chosen differently. Maybe he should have asked Slifer instead. She would have been a bit faster, and her bite was bad enough considering she'd decapitated those hellhounds in the woods that day. She'd saved Yami's life that day. And it was clear she'd done it for him over Yugi.

He shook his head slightly, dispelling the thought. It was over and done with. Obelisk was more Yami's size anyways. It made the fight fairer.

Yami paced about. Obelisk stretched lazily. The gray wolf looked over after a moment. The other wolves straightened and moved in closer, keeping a steady four to five yards between themselves and the two canines in question. Yugi felt something brush against him. He spun around, startled, and nearly snapped his teeth before he caught himself.

Yusei was trembling beside him. His tail was wagging. He was kneading and pawing at the snow with excitement. Yugi blinked, then snorted and leaned forward to bump him gently on the shoulder with his nose. Yusei jumped, then turned to him with wide blue eyes. He quivered even harder, wagging his tail furiously now.

You're actually excited to see them train? Yugi asked curiously. He pricked his ears and nearly burst out laughing when Yusei turned away to look at Yami and Obelisk immediately again. I never would have thought you'd be so excited about that.

He looked at him from the corner of his eye. They're the second and third strongest in the pack! Of course I want to see this! It's almost like watching two gods fighting! He spoke quietly, but his tail was wagging so hard that he was shaking. The only thing that could make this better would be you against Obelisk or Yami, but neither of them would do that.

Yugi nearly snorted. Amusement swept through him, along with a small pang of disappointment. Was he right about that? Yami was always so cautious about what he did around the pack. If he thought they might turn on him for fighting with Yugi during a training session, he would surely back down before they got anywhere. The thought made him want to sigh.

No, he said softly instead, they wouldn't. So, I guess it'll just have to be good enough to see the two of them fight like this instead. Hopefully it's a good enough replacement for that, huh?

Yusei looked over at him, tail wagging more wildly than Yugi had ever seen. He nodded vigorously, quivering, and turned away again. Yugi was relieved that he did not see or detect the disappointment in him. He was simply glad that he didn't have to explain it to him.

Yami was shaking himself out again. Obelisk was stretching lazily, neck popping with the movement. The two of them straightened and sized each other up. Standing before each other like this, Yugi was almost amazed. They looked nothing alike despite being the same species.

The difference in health was the most obvious between them. Yami was still too thin to be taken seriously but for reputation. His fur was still mildly clumped along his sides as if he were trying to shed it all away, his ribs barely hidden away. Yami had longer legs, with a slightly narrower chest than Obelisk's own. His jaw was slightly bigger, stretched the smallest degree further. His skull was a bit sharper in its shape due to the more visible slope of it, and his neck was thinner with wasted muscle where the god's was far thicker and the fur longer, smoother and well-groomed. Their shoulders rose to different points, Yami's perhaps an inch lower, and their back legs were almost entirely opposite in build. Yami's hocks were lower to the ground, his tail passing them perhaps by an inch or so, and the muscles along his thighs were well-developed and looked powerful even in his emaciated state. Obelisk's own were longer, the muscle developed and sturdy but his hocks higher from the ground and his tail slightly shorter.

Yugi watched them for a moment as they remained standing in front of each other. Yami's legs, he realized, were made to propel him forward at high speeds, to allow him to leap high and far. It was how he had taken off when the pack had turned on him. But Obelisk's were made for balance, for head-on collisions with another wolf that might otherwise force him back. He was able to hold himself in one place longer than Yami in an upright position.

Yami's tail was longer to keep him balanced in air. If he sprang high enough, he could use it like a cat's, determining his shift in balance and helping him to land on his feet. Obelisk did not have that ability. If he were to launch himself in the air, he could not reach the heights Yami could, nor could he possibly land as easily. Yami could leap, land, and run forward in an instant. He'd done it when he'd fought Aileen's pet in the warehouse. Obelisk would need a few moments to recover from impact before he could run forward and his speed would not match Yami's initial launch.

All right! You remember the rules, he called. He found himself anxious when both Obelisk and Yami turned their heads to peer at him, ears pricked and eyes locked on his face. No blood. When you're pinned, you're done. Someone else gets to challenge the winner and that's that, okay?

Both nodded. Then they were facing each other again. Yugi shivered. Yami and Obelisk both raised their tails, wagging them. The movements were slow and deliberate, but friendly as well, and Yugi almost shifted his weight nervously. But he forced himself to remember once more that neither of them would hurt the other. Yami would be okay. Obelisk would not hurt him.

No blood would be spilled.

He drew in a deep breath.

Begin.

Yami blinked and lowered his head. His tail wagged faster. Obelisk snorted. He moved to circle him. Yami mirrored him instantly. They circled each other, keeping pacing. They were studying, staring. Yami pricked his ears forward, tilting his head. Obelisk wrinkled his lips back to show his teeth.

They came within a few feet of each other. Yugi waited for them to lunge at each other. But they both studied again. And then they were circling as they had before. Their eyes were locked and cold. Yami growled softly. Obelisk raised his tail, trotting. They stared at each other.

And, finally, after the fourth circle, Obelisk lunged.

The impact was harsher than Yugi expected.

Yami was hit hard enough to skid. But he held his ground. His tail had come up. His shoulders were braced. He growled and shot Obelisk an amused look. Then he lowered his head. Obelisk sprang again. When he hit his side, Yami lurched. His eyes were startled. He looked unsteady for a second. The gray wolf's momentum sent him rolling. He hit the snow and Yami snapped at his face.

The god was undeterred. He rolled quickly to his feet. Yami launched himself. He loomed for a second. His teeth snapped shut. But Obelisk merely slipped away. He turned on him. His teeth were bared, tongue flicking. Yami jumped forward. His teeth snapped on cold air. Obelisk spun to face him. Yami chomped his teeth again. They circled once.

Yami leaped again.

They hit each other. Yami clamped down on a patch of fur. It was mere inches from the base of his tail. And Yugi could see the grip was loose. But it was also somehow firm enough to keep Obelisk in place. The god turned on him. His jaws parted wide. He lunged to grab him. Yami leaned into him. The movement threw his accuracy off. Obelisk snapped his teeth into his cheek. But Yami's distribution of weight threw him down. Obelisk landed hard on his stomach. A bark left him, harsh and terrible and booming. Yami staggered, surprised by the noise. Then he backed up and shook himself out.

Obelisk rolled onto his stomach again. He was glaring, but he didn't look as if he might retaliate. The black wolf swayed slightly before curling his lips back. Yami turned on him again, growling. His tail wagged. Obelisk reached a paw out towards him. His claws caught slightly on his fur, tugging a tuft away. Yami grunted, pulled forward from it.

The god lunged for him again. His teeth caught Yami's throat, to the side of his scruff. Yami turned away slightly and jerked. He thrust his weight forward. He pivoted, bracing himself on his forelimbs. His back legs moved wider, to twice the width of his body. And then he jerked backwards, backpedaling rapidly. He twisted his body partially, jerking and tossing his head. And then he reared back.

Obelisk was pitched off balance. He was thrown forcefully into Yami's side. The black wolf growled, mouth opened wide. But he could not shake him. Yugi could see his eyes darkening. He panted once, slightly winded. And then finally Yami backed up. He lunged sideways and forward into the snow.

Obelisk snarled, irritated. He shook him violently. But Yami did not budge. He waited until the shaking stopped. And then he backpedaled faster than before. He dragged Obelisk off balance in a heartbeat. He hit the ground, still holding onto him. And Yami slammed into his side. He threw him onto his back, dislodging him. His teeth were bared, salivating heavily as he bore down on him. He snarled viciously, looming over him. Obelisk snapped at him. Yami dodged away at the last second. Obelisk moved to roll over. And Yami sprang for him again.

Momentum alone sent Obelisk onto his back again. His eyes were wide, startled. He snarled, but Yami simply snapped his teeth. He bore down on him again. His teeth caught his throat and he growled. Obelisk pressed his legs into his chest. But he did nothing else. He did not push. He did not growl. But he was saying something. Yugi could tell by the way Yami blinked in surprise and released him. He wagged his tail happily and trotted a few feet away. Obelisk got up again immediately. He shook himself out and wagged his tail.

Yami was quick to follow his lead. He'd shaken himself out and was wagging his tail. But when he tried to take a seat, he was interrupted. Yami spun around, snarling and bristling. His ears pricked forward and he went immediately quiet again. He blinked, lowered his head, and dropped his tail. But his bristling didn't stop and his lips pulled back further to show his teeth.

Yugi blinked in surprise. Jack, what the fuck do you think you're doing? he spat. He hurried forward. Yami turned his head to look at him in bewilderment. Jack ignored him and crept forward. Yami tilted his head.

His eyes shot briefly to Yugi, puzzled and bewildered. He considered him for a moment. And Yugi wondered at the way he stared back at him. Was he nervous? Something about his stance made Yugi wonder and he bristled faintly at the idea. What would he be nervous about? Had Jack surprised him? Or was it something else entirely? Was he afraid Yugi would lash out at him should he punish him?

The pale blond wolf stopped a step away from Yami. He was bristling and staring. His tail rose high into the air. He drew his lips back, snarling. His shoulders became squared. Yami flicked his ears and stared back blankly. When he straightened to his full height, Yugi felt almost dizzy. The black wolf's tail rose, wagging.

It wasn't friendly, however. It was borderline aggressive, but uncertain and hesitant as well. He did not hold his tail parallel to his spine. He held it high in the air, the wag stiff and unwelcoming. His ears pricked forward and his fur rose along his scruff. He wasn't snarling yet, however, and Yugi was thankful for that.

I can beat you, Jack announced. He raised his head. His lips peeled back further. He sneered at him. Yami didn't blink. The black wolf glanced away. His eyes fell on Yugi again. Yugi found himself flustered, caught between watching Yami and glaring at Jack instead. The other wolves were curious, nervous, and he could hear a few of them whispering in bewilderment.

Yami looked at him. The blond wolf lunged for him. Yami opened his mouth wide. When his teeth shut again, he clipped the younger male on the ear. Yami backed up, bristling and snarling. Rapidly his fur rose and fell in a shuddering bristle. His movements were stiffer now. His tongue flicked over his nose. His ears pricked forward. He raised his head higher, snarling. He was clearly startled more than anything.

Yugi knew well enough just from his stance. And, had Yami desired to hurt him, he would have lunged forth and knocked him about a few times. Yugi shook himself out, studying them both. He wondered about coming forward. He wondered about stepping between them. And his first instinct was simply to check on Yami. But the black wolf was not distressed yet so his reaction was unwarranted.

When Jack came forward, Yami snapped his teeth. He didn't aim for him. But his teeth were centimeters from his nose. Yami shook his head. But Jack came forward regardless. It was only a surprise that he did not attack. He did not even lunge. He was not growling. He was simply staring. His ears pricked forward and he stared at Yami.

And, at first, Yugi thought it would be fine. He was almost hopeful that Jack might not lunge for him. But then the pale blond wolf moved. He slammed into Yami's side. Yami stumbled slightly. His red eyes widened in surprise. But he did not fall. And he did not look away from the yearling now. He shook himself out when Jack did not repeat the movement. The second hit came as he straightened. Yami blinked. He lowered his head slightly. His ears pricked forward. His lips drew back. The next hit came to his hip.

Yami's eyes flashed. His lips drew further back. He snarled low in his throat.

Jack came for his shoulder again. But his aim seemed odd. It must have been a miscalculation of some kind. The blond wolf shot past him. His mouth opened wide to show each tooth. He barreled forward.

Yami sidestepped into the blow. He took it full force. Then he jerked. He turned into Jack's body. His teeth caught violently upon his scruff. Yugi stiffened. Yami threw Jack straight into the snow a few feet away. He landed hard enough that the snow sounded like a bomb from the impact. Yami watched him. Jack twisted and rolled onto his feet, snarling.

Enough, Yugi snapped as Jack went to charge him again.

Yami flicked an ear in his direction. Jack spun on him with a snarl. For a moment the blond wolf paid Yugi mind. Then he turned and started forward. Yami turned on him, opening his mouth wide. He was salivating heavily.

I'll gut you, the black wolf spat. Back up.

Enough, Yugi said again. Jack, back off. You weren't even called to fight him yet.

Yet? Yusei sneered. Yugi blinked, turning his head in surprise. He doesn't deserve to fight him to begin with. He didn't even know what the hell he was doing.

I did. I know exactly what I was doing, he spat. Yami was eyeing Jack with a cold, annoyed look. But the blond wolf was staring at Yusei haughtily now. I know exactly how to pin him.

Is that so? And how is it that you're so amazing that you know how? Are you claiming you know how to fight better than Obelisk?

Yami flicked an ear. He blinked at Yugi with a somewhat surprised look, as if he had been expecting him to say something else. The white wolf tilted his head, going to speak, but Yusei interrupted them, spitting, You have no regards for anyone but yourself! You could have scared him enough that he turned around and attacked before he even realized. And if he had, I wouldn't blame him. I doubt Yugi would either. You could have seriously gotten yourself or him hurt just because you want to show your ass.

And when did my health become of concern to you? Jack snarled, turning on him. Who the fuck asked you to stick your nose in to begin with?

You can't just turn on people like that! Yusei continued coldly. You realize if you had done that and he wasn't aware it was you, he could have taken your head off, don't you? He could have easily broken every bone in your body and killed you right after. You challenged him.

Shut up!

Enough, Yugi snarled, cutting them both off. He shook his head and bore his teeth. The words were some of the truest that had been spoken in a long time, he felt. Yami could have easily forgotten that he was training. He could have simply turned on him and lashed out and permanently hurt him or even killed him if he had not been careful. The fact that Yami even had such control at the moment, despite his physical weakness, was a miracle to him. You're okay?

Yami was no longer looking at him, however. His red eyes were on Obelisk and it was clear the gray wolf had been speaking to him for a moment. His head tilted, ears flicking about once and then twice. I am fine, he answered monotonously. But he didn't ever look away from the deity.

Good. Yugi would ask about it later. He would try to make sure that Obelisk wasn't saying or doing anything to upset him later—if he needed to. He wasn't entirely sure, in truth. Yami seemed relaxed despite it all. He turned away, then faltered. Jack's muzzle was bleeding. Yami had drawn blood at some point in their brief scuffle, though he hadn't noticed past his ear being clipped. The little cut was too superficial to be worthy of punishment, however, and that was a relief to him. Do you want to continue or should we stop?

Hmm? No, stopping would be unnecessary, Yami dismissed. He turned to Yugi. I do not mind continuing in the slightest.

Okay, Yugi mumbled, studying him. But he turned to Jonouchi, about to ask him if he was ready, but the look in his brown eyes was more of frustration than anything and so he looked past him. Mai was next to Otogi and the black male was watching Yami with brightened teal eyes. Mai, you're up. Same rules as before—no blood; whoever pins the other is victor.

Mai sprang forward without a second glance. She came to Yami, wagging her tail, and flattened her ears against her head. Yami wagged his tail in turn, facing her and dropping into a play bow. He stretched lazily, crawling forward a few steps, and then straightened and shook himself out.

The two of them faced each other easily. Yugi felt a surge of relief tear through him. Mai had no sense of suspicion or anger or hate towards Yami. The match-up would be easy enough, if the absence of even the slightest hint of tension was any indication.

Much of the pack seemed more or less satisfied with the new combatant. Shay sneered, Zane snorted, and Aki growled softly, but no verbal disagreement was made. Yugi relaxed further and both Mai and Yami dropped their playful stances. Their tails fell, their eyes narrowed, and the she-wolf circled him.

She lunged forward. Yami sidestepped. But Mai was faster. She'd feinted to one side. And, as Yami stepped to the left, she got him there. She tapped him on the muzzle with her own. Then she backed up, wagging her tail and bouncing a few steps away. Yami stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. His head tilted and he blinked a few times, then glanced uncertainly towards Yugi. The white wolf snickered; he couldn't tell if Yami was surprised by her speed or the way she was trying to initiate play with him instead.

He wondered how she had managed it. Yami was acutely aware most times. He watched and trained his eyes on muscle movement. He could pick the direction someone was moving almost before they could. When he fought, he was usually a step ahead. It was likely the only reason he'd come out of that fight with Obelisk in one piece that day. His feral state had likely further embraced that instinct in order to survive.

Now he blinked. He bristled. His lips curled back slightly.

Yugi blinked in surprise. Yami hadn't been prepared.

He hadn't been watching. He hadn't been focused. Whatever had knocked him off balance had held him like that. Yugi was confused, almost concerned by the display. Yami never overlooked muscle movement. He'd always known to watch and dodge.

Yugi was struck by a new thought.

Was Yami not so much surprised as he was shocked? He had not moved instinctively out of the way. And that was how Yami usually moved. Yugi knew that; Yami didn't tend to think when he fought. He was not a strategic mind when it came to fights. He leaped and launched himself into the frays and he bore down on his opponent with wicked teeth and heavy bodyweight. He was powerful and fast in his decisions. And he seemed almost always to be guided by instinct alone.

So was it possible now that Yami was so unhealthy that he could not do so? Were his reflexes and instincts shot? Was there something wrong with him that he was hiding? Animals didn't show their pain as humans did. They didn't whine and complain about it. And Yami would rather suffer than be what he considered a burden, he knew.

But the moment passed.

Yami lunged for her. The she-wolf dodged aside. She spun and dashed aside. Her ears pricked. Her tail bristled faintly. She wagged it and peered at him, eyes bright. Yami studied her in turn. And, when he lunged, she barely managed to keep her fur from his jaws. Yami swung his head. His muzzle smacked into her neck. She stumbled. He opened his jaws, caught her scruff, and tugged. She yelped, startled, and hit the ground on her side. Yami wagged his tail, releasing her.

They backed away from each other. Mai wagged her tail, darting towards him. She sprung over his head at the last second. Yami blinked, eyes growing thrice their usual size. His head snapped around, ears pricked. Her muzzle smacked into his shoulder. Yami blinked, snorting, and backed away a step.

Yugi was amazed by the speed Mai displayed. The she-wolf seemed to move twice as fast as Yami. And, while Yami was not the fastest wolf, his instincts had usually guided him to make up for such a thing. Now, however, he looked stunned and bewildered. Her agility was far beyond anything Yami had been prepared for, he knew. The black wolf kept blinking wide eyes, staring at her in pure shock.

She sprang at him again. Yami dodged to the side. She nipped at him. Yami ducked. The she-wolf blinked in surprise. She lunged. Yami ducked and braced himself. Then he shifted his weight. Her leap was unbalanced instantly. He shouldered her to the ground. Then he plopped down on top of her.

Mai squirmed, laughing. She tried desperately to push him away. Yami stretched himself out, rolled atop her, and then sprang to his feet. His paws were on either side of her head. He growled softly, playfully, his tail wagging rapidly. She snorted, rolling back to her paws, wagged her tail, and trotted over to Yugi. She greeted him with a small dip of her head, then plopped down in the snow, tongue lolling.

Yugi pricked his ears forward. He'd originally planned for Jonouchi to be the next challenger. But, as he looked at him, it became clear that the golden wolf was too irritable to be a good companion. There was jealousy in his eyes and his stance was full of annoyance. No doubt Yami and Mai acting so friendly towards one another had damaged his self-esteem regarding her and her affections towards him. Likely he saw Yami as a competitor despite the other wolf's lack of implications toward such a desire.

He shook himself out and trotted forward.

Yami stopped sniffing the snow instantly. His head rose, eyes wide as he pricked his ears forward. Yugi came a few steps closer, wagging his tail, and dropped into a play bow. Yami considered him a long handful of seconds. His eyes shot back and forth between Yugi and the pack surrounding them. And then, finally, he hesitantly wagged his tail.

Are you and I…? he clarified in an uncertain voice. He shook his head after a moment, considering him, and glanced briefly around once more. When he turned back, his red eyes were considerably confused and unsure. I had thought I would be fighting Jonouchi…

He's upset. I don't know if he would be able to stop himself before he overstepped and hurt you or got himself hurt, Yugi admitted. He searched his face for a long moment. And I've wanted to train with you for a long time now, so… I mean, are you…okay with that or should I—?

We could have trained at any time, Yami chided him. But he did not sound mad in any manner, more confused and perhaps disbelieving. He shook himself out and looked down at the snow. All you ever had to do was ask and I would have done so.

I know that.

What else was there really to say? He couldn't think of anything else.

Yugi pounced at him. Yami sidestepped immediately. His red eyes were still puzzled. His mouth was partially open. Yugi could see his tongue and his incisors. But Yami was not smiling. He looked more confused and bewildered than anything. The white wolf wagged his tail rapidly. You ready?

Yami nodded slightly.

Yugi watched him. Yami was not upset, thankfully. He, like the others around them, was merely surprised. Yugi almost melted into this realization. Then he shivered and sprang. Yami met him head on. Their teeth snapped at each other's cheeks. Yami drew back with the smallest tuft of white fur. His red eyes were only mildly surprised. Yugi laughed and wagged his tail again.

You just pulled my hair! It's like a girl fight!

Yami snorted. I could easily see you being a hair-puller. Your bullies would fear you forever if you pulled some of their hair out.

Yugi laughed. I wish I would have thought of that. I could have pulled until they squealed and then run away.

Yami grinned at him rather sloppily. Yes, that is exactly what you should have done. He wagged his tail. Then he leaped forward. He tapped Yugi lightly on the shoulder. Yugi stumbled. Yami's teeth clipped his side, nipping. The white wolf turned to him. He raised a paw, then knocked him gently on the shoulder. Yami snapped at his face again. His teeth caught his cheek and he tugged.

He pulled another tuft away.

Yugi snapped at his nose. Yami went for his scruff. He tugged gently. Then he nipped his ear and cheek. Yugi pressed hard against him. Yami hit him with his hip to his. His mouth went for his face again. Yugi tilted his head away. He braced himself. Then he tried to catch his jaw with his. Yami shoved him off. He backed up a few steps. Yugi tensed himself. Then he sprang hard and fast.

Yami stumbled. Yugi snapped at his face. Yami ducked away. The black wolf was not so amused anymore. His eyes were flashing. His lips were curled back. He looked livid, as if the movement had done more than simply make him stumble. Yugi considered him. Yami should not have been having such a hard time. He was by far worse off than he'd led him to believe.

The black wolf threw himself backwards abruptly. He was on his back, paws tucked into his belly. He stretched his neck out and turned his face away entirely. Yugi stared down at him, confused and horrified.

Was he throwing this little practice fight because of the other wolves?

Or was he simply so exhausted?

I don't want to keep going.

Yugi found himself staring into a pair of deep expressionless red eyes. They were half-closed. His mouth was opened partially. Yugi shivered as he looked down at him, stunned. He was in the most submissive stance he'd ever seen him in. He was just relieved that his tail was not tucked.

Yugi blinked stupidly, then backed away. Yami watched him. Then he slowly rolled over onto his belly. When he got up, he staggered. Yugi flattened his ears against his head. He'd hurt his shoulder. Somehow he'd managed to damage it without meaning to.

I didn't mean to hurt you.

Yami shook his head and looked away. It was not hard to see that he was ashamed of the fact. His black fur rose and fell in a brief bristle. He looked melancholic now. I am merely tired. I do not wish to train any longer—or play, I guess. You and Mai did not truly battle with me as it was, I suppose. He turned back to look at Yugi after a moment. I am hungry. I think I will eat and rest.

Yugi barely resisted the urge to flinch. He licked his lips unhappily. Okay, aibou. He hesitated. Do you want any help grabbing anything? Food? Anything?

Yami blinked. I am not invalid, he mumbled. But he halted as soon as the words left him. Yugi could see his eyes flash, shame and guilt crossing his features for a brief second before he blinked it away. He looked down, then began to trot past him. I do not need any help, but thank you, Yugi. We did not discuss before we left the house; do you have a time you would like to return home?

Yugi watched him as he began to head towards the camp. He was limping, but it was almost impossible to detect. Had he not been staring so acutely, he was sure he would have missed it altogether. No, not really. I mean, when you wake up and everything we can go and head back if that's what you'd like.

Yami nodded at him after he stopped and turned around to face him. The other wolves were staring at them both with surprised looks. Yami wove his way past Aki, getting to the pile of kills the wolves usually kept for the hungrier pack members. When the black wolf picked up a small rabbit, his stomach squirmed with discomfort.

---

Yugi brushed against him by accident. The action was done without meaning. But Yami blinked where he had raised his arm and busied himself chewing a frayed thread on his jacket sleeve. His eyes rose, flicking to his, full of curiosity and confusion. Yugi shook his head, pretending to dust himself off in order to keep from facing him as he tried not to blush furiously. The snow was picking up again, however, just as Yami had predicted when he'd eaten his squirrel and curled up for his nap.

"Sorry, I just stepped too close." Yugi shook his head, looking away again. He hadn't truly thought of the direction they'd begun walking until just then. They'd simply gone from the camp and started their way to the house. But now he noticed, surprised, that they had not gotten nearly as far as he'd thought they had. They were at the fair grounds. They were taking the longer path to the house, it seemed.

He looked around briefly. The arcade was full of people, the café further down the street had quite a few customers, and the various small bakeries scattered about were no doubt closed due to the weather. He kicked some snow away from the surface of his sneaker and smiled at Yami after a moment. "Anyways, though, aibou, what do you think about dinner tonight? I don't think Mom is going to be home. There's a dog in the clinic that she's doing surgery on so I don't know if she'll be back or not. I figured it would be a good thing to go ahead and plan for food if she's not home, right?"

"Hmm?" Yami was visibly distracted now. Yugi glanced over at him, surprised, and stiffened. The red-eyed teen was staring ahead of them, gaze darkened, peering into the snow almost as if he did not recognize it. He was looking further down the street where the snow had been scraped away, where the falling flakes were already piling up again. He frowned, tiling his head, and finally mumbled, "Yes, dinner is necessary to think about…"

Yugi furrowed his brows. "Yami?" he muttered. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"I…" Yami shook his head, frowning. He reached up, scratching at his throat for a moment, and his fingers seemed to tic. Abruptly he dropped his hand and Yugi could see him picking at the inside of his sleeve now. There was a soft scratching noise with each movement and Yugi swore it was almost aligned with his own heartbeat. "Do you not sense something wrong? Do you not feel it too? Am I simply paranoid?"

"Paranoid?" Yugi repeated slowly. He echoed the word twice more, considering the question more pointedly. Did he feel something wrong? Did Yami sense something that he himself couldn't? Yami was by far more wolf than he had ever been. Maybe it made him more privy to such things than Yugi himself was. But then, they'd both agreed just earlier that day that they'd felt as if they were being watched.

Yugi turned to him again, mouth drying out as he took in Yami's rigid stance. The red-eyed teen was stiff, back ramrod straight, staring off down the street with his shoulders slightly raised to shield his neck. "I don't know," he finally said. "What do you think it is?"

Yami shook his head roughly and resumed walking. "It doesn't matter. I might just be paranoid. Who knows? Maybe I'm just confused or something."

"Bullshit," Yugi snapped, hurrying to get to his side again. "You've never been so flighty that you get confused like that, Yami. So what the hell is actually going on? What do you think it is?"

His alpha stared at him, relentlessly peering into his eyes. He frowned, looking away slowly again. His lips curled the smallest degree as he huffed out a breath. The crystalline cloud in front of his nose seemed to leave a small layer of frost on his skin for the briefest of moments. And then he narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth.

"I don't know what I think it is," he finally snapped. He sounded helpless and tired. "I'm not sure. I am tired and I do not know what it is that I think I sense right now."

"But you're not usually so—"

"Why do I have to know?" Yami hissed. His hands rose to cover his face, his fingers digging and tugging at his bangs for a moment. He sounded desperate and furious. "Yugi, I'm tired. I don't know anymore past that. I'm exhausted. My skin feels like it's crawling. Why is it that you wish to keep me speaking about something I cannot even think to explain?"

Yugi flinched. "I'm sorry. That's not what I…" He swallowed hard. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? I…I can get you some medicine when we get back if you need it?"

"Medicine?" Yami abruptly dropped his hands, turning to stare at him in surprise for a moment. He pressed his lips into a thin line, red eyes somewhat clouded as if he had fallen back in the grips of some memory he had suppressed formerly. "Yes, that might be best."

The smaller teen opened his mouth to answer. But Yami's eyes widened and his head turned slightly. His lips were curled back into a hideous snarl and his stance became stiff once more. Yugi blinked; he was looking over his shoulder, towards something down the alley between the arcade and the closed bakery shop. Yugi spun around, blinking and furrowing his brows.

"What…?"

The person in front of them was short and thin, innocent in the way she peered back at them. She stood several yards away, hands behind her back and eyes wide. But they were mismatched, one of glowing aquamarine and another of bright gold. Yugi stiffened, struck with a sense of familiarity that he could not put his finger on. His stomach knotted and he almost stumbled back a step. He was bristling, forcing himself to stay in place.

She wore a dress, one of frilly design with a lacy sheer ribbon to line the bottom. There were several layers of material to it, form-fitting on her delicate frame but beautifully puffed outward on the bottom. She wore knee-high socks with black and white stripes to offset the dark maroon color of the dress. The stitching at the top was much like a camisole and the lace was black with ribbons of gold like glowing sunlight. Her shoes were regular black sneakers, with a dark pink emblem upon the side, the laces striped like her socks.

When she tipped her head to the side, Yugi could see an odd streak of gray-silver which colored her jaggedly-cut bangs on the right. Her hair was feathered in layers, with a somewhat windswept effect where her bangs lay. It was strange and jarring to see it against the dark black color. It was shiny, shimmering, and the snow which fell upon it seemed brilliant and beautiful. Each flake seemed to show itself in perfect formation against the deep shadows that made its color.

"Uh… Are you okay?" Yugi asked uncertainly. But he did step back now. He felt as if something were crashing over him, scratching and clawing at his skin. His flesh was crawling, just as Yami had described seconds before. And his heart was skyrocketing as he considered the girl.

Instinct said to get closer to Yami. Instinct said that two against one was a far better option. He pressed back until he was leaning against him. And another part of him was relieved that Yami was still there. Because he felt he would shake and his knees might buckle if he wasn't.

He offered body heat that made Yugi nearly tremble. It was soft but powerful against his skin, like a blanket. He all but shuddered with desire to seep into it. But Yami was rigid and frozen behind him. The scratching noise from his finger's tics was growing at a rapid speed. Yugi swallowed hard. Yami was a drawn bow behind him, with enough strength in even this form that he felt as if Yugi had crashed into a brick wall.

The girl studied them. Her eyes were focused first on Yugi, and then they flickered to Yami as well. Yugi could tell by the way that Yami somehow managed to stiffen further that her eyes were boring into his. He swallowed hard, more unsure than ever. Yugi felt dizzy for a brief moment; was that her aura? Was that why the air seemed a thousand times colder and every instinct in his body screamed to flee?

Her eyes very slowly fell upon him again. They were dancing, like snowflakes melting under the sun. Yugi felt his stomach lurch, the dizziness growing tenfold. His mouth was dry and pasty. He blinked. She did not. Her head tilted the smallest degree further. And then her lips drew back. At first it was a hideous snarl on her face. And then she was sneering at them, smiling like a jackal.

Her teeth looked sharper, longer. Yugi swallowed hard. Yami snarled softly behind him. The girl's eyes grew brighter than ever. Her face lit up. And she tipped her head the opposite direction. Then she turned away.

"A-are you all right?" Yugi managed to breathe out. "D-do you need help?"

The girl looked up again. Her lashes were long, thick, and she peered at him from beneath them. Her lips drew back further into a smirk. Yugi was reminded of a shark circling the water. He narrowed his eyes into slits. She smelled of ivy tendrils and burning candle wax, of smoke and deep shadows. But beneath that was the smell of rot and sewage, like a corpse soaking in water…

"Yugi," Yami hissed. His voice was small, quiet, but full of predatory warning. If Yugi had not known any better, he would have assumed the tone meant Yami might attack him. He turned his head the smallest fraction to face him. Yami was still staring at the girl. His face had morphed with rage and caution. He looked thunderous, murderous. He looked like a complete stranger in comparison to who Yugi was used to seeing. And Yami had stopped clawing at his jacket sleeve. Now he was statuesque in a manner that preceded quivering in anger. "We need to go."

Yugi blinked. He felt it just as acutely. Every part of him was shaken. Every cell in his body seemed to thrum with fear and self-preservation. He was in fight-or-flight, he knew. His stiffened muscles were aching. But…what was it about her that affected them both so terribly? His stomach knotted as he looked back at her. The girl smiled that much wider. Her eyes reminded him of shards of ice, her stare like the one the gods used to peer straight through him.

She turned abruptly, her back to them, and began to skip away.

Yugi was trembling, his muscles releasing their tension gratefully. Yami was vibrating with aggression behind him. His voice was a rattling snarl behind him.

"We need to go."

"What just…?" He couldn't take his eyes off the girl as she turned the corner and continued away from them. Yami abruptly grabbed his arm. His grip was so hard it made his arm burn. He swore his bones ground beneath the pressure. Yugi nearly flinched away.

But Yami was not looking at him. He was still staring past him, towards the footprints the girl had left in the snow. His eyes were wild, unfocused, but there was something dangerous and feral there as well. Yugi almost thought he was looking at the wolf that had come back that day in the woods, the one that had fought Obelisk and won. He wondered, in some vague distracted part of his mind, if Shizuka had been witness to this expression as well, even if she had been unable to see it.

"Aibou," he whispered. He tried to move his arm. Yami clamped down harder. Yugi forced himself to swallow the strangled yelp threatening to leave him. Pain radiated up and down his arm rapidly, as if his blood itself carried it. He drew in a deep breath, swallowed hard, and reached out to touch his cheek.

Yami recoiled as if he'd been slapped. His grip loosened, but he did not release. His eyes stretched wide, the snarl on his face becoming puzzled and bewildered. He looked at him with strained focus, confused and shaken by the sight of his hand reaching for him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He shifted his arm in his grip, relieved when Yami's hand remained loose around the limb. He was not trying to grab him. He was not trying to restrain him. He was not trying to hurt him. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to vomit. You're extremely pale right now."

Yami seemed to realize he was still touching him. His hand dropped abruptly away. His head turned back to survey where the girl had gone. His right hand dug into the wrist of his left, scratching at the skin in a nervous manner. He narrowed his eyes. His lips pulled down into a snarl that morphed quickly into a grimace. A shadow passed over his face a moment later.

"She smells…" He bore his teeth, snarling low in his throat. "She smells like the fucking lab."

Yugi blinked, shivering. "I… Yeah, she did, but…"

"She just… The smell made me nervous," Yami finally grunted. But there was something passing in his eyes, something dark and terrible, and Yugi felt himself almost shaking as it faded. "I did not expect her to smell like that."

"Is that what set you off?" Was it so simple that the smell might have unnerved Yami in that manner? Or was it something else entirely? Had he not felt the same power radiating from her as Yugi had? Had Yugi simply imagined it? He was almost hopeful that was the case. "That's why you became so upset and didn't know how to explain it?"

Yami was quiet for a long moment. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." He shook his head, turning away. But he didn't walk. And Yugi wondered abruptly if he was still too shaken to. "But I… We should go another way. We need to make it back another way. She might have led someone else to us…"

"She barely looks like she's eight, Yami! She didn't look that old at all…" He furrowed his brows. When he turned to him, Yami had already started walking and was picking a new route with which to circle back to the house. Yugi wished he could have simply grabbed and held him, breathed him in and sank into him as much as physically possible. "Who the hell is so disgusting that they could…?"

Yami was silent for a long minute. Then he turned to him abruptly, eyes sharp and cold. "Atem was experimented on when he was two, if he was even that old. His arms were broken with weighted pressure machines. They drew blood. They did x-rays. They performed CT scans to measure his brain waves." Yami paused. His mouth opened but he didn't speak again for a moment. Then he snorted and turned away, eyes darkening. "If he was so young, then why might they have any problem with experimenting on a little girl years older than him? It makes no difference to them—male, female, child, adult, baby, senior; they are all the same. They are all lifeless faces meant to be used and abused and killed when they have no more to offer them."

"That's disgusting."

"Yes. But that is what happens. That is what has always happened." Yami hesitated. "It is no different than the casualties of human warfare. I know well enough the deaths which come from them as well. I know history, regardless of whether I speak of it or not."

Yugi licked his lips as they rounded a building. He looked around immediately, bristling. His stomach churned, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He felt dizzy again for a brief second. But there was nothing which Yugi could detect of the she-wolf. There was nothing at all to be found.

He drew in a deep breath, exhaled loudly, and came closer to him. "Well, I guess I just…I was hopeful that something like that wouldn't happen," he said softly, pathetically. "I guess I was just hoping that when they had me to experiment on they wouldn't do something like that to someone else…you know?"

Yami tilted his head and snorted, voice cruel. "Why stop with you when they can continue with others in your stead? You escaped, so why stop? They want you back. Why would they ever think to stop when they must create something of equal caliber to you?"

Yugi froze, bile crawling up the back of his throat. "I can't kill an eight-year-old girl!" he burst out, horrified. He gaped at him, feeling as if his eyes might pop out of his head. "You can't—you aren't honestly suggesting that!"

Yami fixed him with a cold stare. "Then I shall do it when the time comes," he said calmly. "I will rip her throat out and soak in her blood when it comes to that."

Yugi's head was spinning. His mouth opened and closed twice. He almost swayed, knees threatening to buckle. "You…! Yami, no! You can't! She's just a little girl!"

"And?" Yami returned, spitting at him now. "She is a part of this war."

"She's barely two years older than Kris!"

"And, pray tell, what is your point?"

"Where do you draw the line, Yami?" he hissed, heart in his throat. He couldn't keep pace with him any longer. "When the hell do you look at an opponent and think that they're too young?"

Yami stopped short. He was stiff for a moment. Then he turned around to face him. His red eyes were dark, something passing through them once more. And then he chuckled softly, voice cruel again. "Where do I draw the line? There is no damn line. You don't understand, Yugi. But I will say this to you in the simplest way I know how. I. Will. Do. Anything. To. Survive. I do not care who I must kill. I do not care who will die by my teeth. I will survive. I promised him I would! And damn you or any little girl who thinks otherwise!"

Yugi reeled back, shocked by the outburst. His mouth opened and closed twice. He swallowed hard, heart twisting and threatening to shatter in his chest. His throat burned, bile rising once more. "You… Yami…" He was shaking.

Yami stared back at him plainly, hateful as he turned away again.

"I have no qualms killing someone when it becomes necessary," he said slowly. He wouldn't make eye contact with him now. "And I will rip her head off the moment I have my chance. You may not like it, Yugi, but this is how I was raised. This is how I know how to live. This is how I have learned to survive. And I do not care if…after this is all said and done, you can never find it in yourself to forgive me for it."

Yugi blinked wide eyes.

"You will learn eventually that age is nothing more than a hindrance. It changes nothing. If one has to die, they have to die. Death is death is death. You think it particularly terrible because she is so young? No. All deaths are grave and terrible. Because they are all deaths."

Yugi stayed quiet for a long minute. Then he cleared his throat. "And me? If I died…?"

Yami tensed for a moment. He peered at him sidelong from beneath his lashes, clenching his jaw. "I would think it a loss." He turned to face him now, staring. "But every death is sad and terrible in its own way. Saying otherwise is disgusting. But when it all comes down to it, death is death is death. It is what it is and will always be as it is now."

Yugi blinked wide eyes. His stomach lurched and his heart ached more prominently now. "I can't just…murder a little girl, Yami."

"And that is fine. I will do it."

Yugi was shaking again. "Yami, that's not what I meant!" He opened and closed his mouth again. But he couldn't find the words. "Aibou…"

His voice came out in a low, pleading moan. The word was strangled, breathless, and his lungs felt as if they might collapse in on themselves. And Yami, for all his previous displays of sympathy and friendship, did not sway to it in the slightest.

"Am I now?" he asked, snorting at him derisively. "Am I your aibou still, Yugi? You cannot even look at me as you say it. And you look as if you might vomit. Do you truly plan to pretend that I am your aibou when you cannot even face me now? And when I kill her, what do you plan to do then? You won't ever be able to look me in the eye again, will you?"

Yugi blinked. Then he raised and turned his head, locking eyes with him defiantly. "When it happens, it happens. And we're going to do what we've always done. We'll go on with life like we have before." He drew in a deep breath, aching everywhere and unable to keep from wanting to sob. "But that's what will have to happen. If you kill her, I'll do as I always have. I'll support you and your decision."

"It goes against your morals."

Yugi couldn't help but laugh coldly, looking away. "I killed Bakura to save you. I killed Marik to save myself." He shook his head. "You killed those two wolves for me. You killed Ryota and Ryuzaki and Haga for me."

"What…is your point?"

"You killed Ushio for me. You killed Tomoya because you thought he had hurt me." Yugi turned to face him again. He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "My point is that I believe you when you say it's necessary that it happens. My point is that I agree, okay?"

The red-eyed teen blinked. "Is that so?" he murmured, humming as his voice became full of disbelief. "You believe me when I tell you that it is necessary to kill a little girl?"

Yugi grimaced. "I don't…have to like it. But if it's necessary, then yes. I agree that it has to happen." He opened and closed his mouth. "But we don't even know…if she's really a threat. We have no idea."

Yami stared at him, something like curiosity coming over his eyes. "I suppose not." He narrowed his gaze. "But she stinks of the labs. And that means something. You do not simply reek of that place and come above ground unscathed and free."

Yugi wished he could have argued. He wished with everything in him that somehow he could argue that fact. But Yami was right. And he knew that. There was no way he could say otherwise.

No wolf got out of the labs without being hunted down.

Even Shizuka had been monitored and known of the moment they'd come into contact with her. Her death had to have been discovered long before Yugi had come across it. The nurses had walked him to her room; they must have known. Perhaps they'd wanted to see if he would break down at the sight. Or maybe they'd wanted to get a clearer image of him on their cameras. Who knew?

And they'd let Yami in after visiting hours. Jonouchi had only left after he was forced to, he knew. The blond wouldn't have left a minute before.

Yugi forced it aside. "You're right."

The words seemed lacking, but somehow they appeared to carry the weight of the world with them as well.

"She's not some random survivor. Something else is going on. And she wouldn't have just simply seen us and skipped away like that if she hadn't gotten exactly what she'd wanted."

"She is the one who's been following us."

Yugi pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You think so?"

"Yes. It had to have been her." Yami tilted his head. "She only had to turn incorporeal and she would have been fine to follow us without any issues. And she would have been smart enough to hide away when we looked. But if she changed into another animal form, she could be bolder."

"She's been surveying us for a while then," Yugi mumbled. He closed his eyes tightly. "If she's a Harbinger, she could have changed into any animal. But if she's not… Yami…"

There was a soft clicking noise to interrupt the silence. Yugi opened his eyes, surprised that they'd made it all the way home like this. Somehow he'd thought they would not have gotten so far as to do so. He swallowed hard, shaking his head. Yami did not answer him for another handful of minutes. He let Yugi pass him and locked the door behind them. But Yugi noticed it when he didn't walk forward. When he turned his head, Yami was leaning back against the door. His nails were braced against the wood and his head was lowered, voice distant and cold.

"Is there still meat in the freezer?"

Yugi blinked.

"We'll need to buy some if there is not…"

"Frozen meat?" Yugi asked, bewildered. He remembered buying a lot more chicken than necessary when Yami had been recovering. He'd frozen the excess and some of them had gotten far too close to the motor. They'd become freezer-burned and useless. "Yeah, we should still have a few of them. I don't think Mom has cleaned out the freezer… Why?"

Yami's nails clicking against the wood reminded him of claws against tile. "Because I need to sharpen my teeth." He turned and trotted past him to make his way up the stairs. Yugi swayed for a second, stunned.

"Sharpen your teeth? I think you did that enough with the deer antlers the other day," he said with a shiver. He followed him a step, then swallowed hard. "But, uh… W-what are you…?"

"I will explain it to you as I set it up."

Yugi shivered, closing and locking the door behind himself. He came up behind him, curious and confused. Yami was already digging into the freezer, refusing to acknowledge him. He grabbed all four of the packages, dropping them onto the counter and digging back in. He retrieved two more, considered them, and then finally placed the better-looking two of them back.

Yugi shook his head, peering at him. Yami arranged them on the counter for a moment. Then he moved them to the table. Yugi could tell he was putting them in order based on how freezer-burned they were.

"Okay, so we have chicken. And…? Now what…?" Yugi prompted. He dusted himself off, gesturing, and waited for Yami to explain. When another minute passed, he huffed, "I don't understand."

Yami blinked. He turned his head, frowning at him. "Being…eaten alive by boars helped me learned one thing at the very least," he finally said. Yugi flinched at the reminder but didn't interrupt him. "It comes down to this. The boars would swarm in. and if I stayed on the ground, crouched low enough, I could aim for their throats. In my feral state, my anger was very empowering. Due to this, I was capable of taking a head off in a single bite."

Yugi blinked, mouth dry as cotton. "And you're telling me that you know how to do it on command now?"

"Essentially, yes. I know exactly what amount of pressure is necessary to do so." He drummed his fingers on the table, closing his eyes, and tilted his head. He seemed almost distracted for a moment now. "But I have not done it in a while. So practice would be a good idea."

Yugi stared at him, sickened. He looked down at the chicken. One was so burned the entire package had turned a deep gray color on one corner. He shivered, shaking his head, and swallowed hard.

"Okay, aibou. Just let me tell Grandpa not to come out until we're done with this." He hesitated after a moment, turning to him and pressing his lips into a thin line. "Although, I'm not sure he won't come out anyways when he hears all the noise."

Yami shrugged, looking away. "I do not care if he comes out to see what is going on. But I do not want him to freak out if he comes out and doesn't know ahead of time what we are doing."

Yugi shivered, stomach clenched in knots. "So, you can show me how to do this as well, right?" he asked quietly. Yami blinked, head snapping towards him with wide eyes. "I mean…"

There was a long moment of silence. Yugi couldn't tell if Yami was still in shock or if he was considering the question. But something sad came across his gaze before he looked away. "If that is what you wish. But we're going to need to get more chicken if that's the case. And we might want to teach you using serows as a way to harness it in motion."

Yugi nodded, queasy. He'd taken Bakura's head off without even meaning to. He'd killed him violently in order to save Yami. And he hadn't even thought it through when he'd done it. His heart skipped a beat and his stomach lurched harder than ever. He nodded again. It would be a good idea, he knew. He wasn't stupid. Yami was absolutely right. What he needed to know was whether or not he could truly do it.

Yami was still watching him when Yugi turned around and made his way to his grandpa's room. He glanced over his shoulder towards Yami once, studying his face, and then turned back to knock on the door. His grandpa had been awake, perhaps trying to listen in on what they were saying, but Yugi could also hear the soft hum of the small television he had in his room. Yugi cleared his throat awkwardly as his grandpa opened the door and looked at him curiously.

"Yami and I are going to be in the kitchen doing a couple of things." He paused. How was he supposed to explain that the two of them were going to be biting through frozen chicken meat? Yugi pressed his lips into a thin line, then shrugged a shoulder. "Yami is going to show me a biting technique. And we're using the frozen chicken from the freezer."

Sugoroku's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're…going to bite frozen chicken packages?"

Yugi felt his face flush as he awkwardly glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, Grandpa; we're using the chicken as our victims." He wanted to smile, but there was another part of him that desired nothing more than to flinch away. He caught Yami's eye for a brief moment, unable to stop himself from smiling when he saw the amusement on his face. The other teen studied him a few moments longer. And then they both looked away and he turned to his grandfather again. "So, the noise you're going to hear is going to be that."

"You're telling me that you and Yami are going to bite through packets of frozen chicken," Sugoroku said slowly, searching his face with clear bewilderment and disbelief. When Yugi nodded, arching a brow, the elder Motou looked past him to Yami. "Can I see?"

Yugi nearly groaned. He turned to look at Yami with a tilted head. The red-eyed teen had become somewhat statuesque, oddly still and tense. And then he turned away, murmuring, "If you would like" just as Yugi was about to deny him.

Sugoroku's plum purple eyes lit up as if he had been given the most beautiful gift the world had to offer. He blinked, lips tugging into a huge excited grin as if he were no more than a small child. Yugi felt sick to his stomach as he turned back to Yami and picked his way into the kitchen.

"I need to go change. But I'll be back in a minute." Yugi nodded and leaned forward enough that Yami brushed against him as he moved past him. They looked at one another for a brief moment, Yami studying and Yugi itching to press their lips together. He didn't know where the impulse truly came from. But he wanted nothing more than to do so. For a split second he considered it. And then he forced it away. He turned away just as Yami did, as if the two of them had both felt such a strange draw.

"This is exciting."

Yugi snorted and tilted his head. "Why? Yami is not doing something you didn't know he could do." He looked at him, considering. "And be careful when he does this, okay? Don't get too close to him. I don't know if he might snap at you or not, okay? Just keep a few feet away from him."

Sugoroku frowned at him. "He's not feral anymore," he muttered. "So, why would you think he'd snap at me? I wasn't going to stand close to him, but why would you assume that of all things?"

Yugi grimaced. "Because he could get stressed out, Grandpa," he said softly. He glanced down the hall towards the door of his bedroom; he knew Yami could hear him. And part of him felt guilty for even saying such a thing. But he didn't want Yami to feel crowded either and any way he told his grandfather to back away was worth it. "I don't know if he will, but it's always possible. So, please, just…"

"Okay."

Yami came back a moment or two later. He was trotting, nails clicking loudly against the tile as he entered the kitchen. His eyes were sharp, ears pricked and head tilted upward the smallest degree. His eyes were narrowed, studying both Yugi and Sugoroku for a long handful of seconds. And then he shook himself out.

Sugoroku was amazed.

When he had seen Yami as a wolf prior, he had been but skin and bones. His fur had been clumped and dull and disgusting where it had been left rather than grown back. His eyes had been sunken, his skin pale like snow, his shoulders sharp and jarring and his hips bony and small. His ribs had been visible and his claws clipped back, his legs wobbly beneath his weight.

Now he stood tall. Yami's head came to his chest, his ears almost to the base of his chin. His fur was deep black like a pool of shadows, shiny like an ink well. His eyes were dark but not dull. His cheeks were full of fur that made them look almost three times the size they had been formerly. His muzzle was the size of Sugoroku's hand with his palm opened to its fullest. His shoulders were high enough that the withers came to the bottom of his ribcage. His paws were huge, half of his shoe size, and his claws seemed to stretch an inch or so beyond the end of each toe. His body was not as bulky in strength and raw muscle as it should have been, however. But he was powerful regardless, hips no longer bony, his ribcage hidden beneath his long fur and his back legs perfectly balanced.

There were no longer any physical deformities to be found. And Yami looked over at Yugi lazily. He wagged his tail slowly, looked away again, and then padded beneath the table to get to Yugi's side. Sugoroku shivered when Yami pulled himself out from beneath the piece of furniture. While his grandson smiled at Yami and held a hand up for him to tap his nose to, the elderly Motou felt almost dizzy seeing him up close like this.

Yami butted Yugi in the hip with his head. When he pulled away, he must have said something, for Yugi blinked wide eyes and murmured, "Sure, give me a second. I'll move them."

Sugoroku frowned, tilting his head. The small teen reached forward, grabbing the packs of chicken, and put them on the floor a few inches back from Yami's muzzle. Yugi backed up a few steps.

"Are they far back enough? Or do you want them closer?"

Sugoroku studied Yami for a long moment. The black wolf was staring down at the food with pricked ears. He tilted his head, then shifted his weight and looked at Yugi again. The smaller teen nodded as if Yami had spoken again, smiling at him slightly. It was strained and mild and Yugi made no move of answering him.

"Grandpa, move back a few more steps, okay?" he murmured, turning to him abruptly. "He just needs a little bit more room."

Sugoroku nodded, backing up until he was almost a pace behind Yugi. The small teen was studying Yami now, however. His blue-violet eyes were puzzled for a moment before he nodded slightly. He backed up now as well.

Yami looked to the elderly Motou for a moment. Then he turned away again. His muzzle lowered to the first package of chicken. He snatched it up almost gingerly. And then it was thrown into the air. The black wolf waited only a moment. His eyes glittered with cunning.

And then he sprang hard and fast.

He was on his hind legs. His back legs were parted the width of his body. His front legs were raised, almost tucked into his chest. But his teeth snapped open. And then they slammed shut once more. The package split in half immediately. The noise was like glass breaking. Each bone popped as if it had never existed. They roared with crackling sounds. And both halves dropped to the ground.

Yami landed heavily. Every muscle in his body rippled from the impact. His fur shuddered. He opened and closed his jaws. His tongue flicked over his nose. He pricked his ears forward. He straightened his body. Then he shook himself out lazily.

"Jesus," he muttered before he could stop himself. His mouth opened and closed. Yami and Yugi both turned to face him with curious eyes. Yami's ears flattened and his head tilted. Yugi, able to speak, mumbled, "What?" in clear confusion. Sugoroku shook his head, flustered.

Yugi watched him for a moment. Then he turned away and leaned over to grab the split packages. There was a rancid smell coming from them, the freezer-burned scent making him almost gag. He grimaced as he looked it over. Yami had broken the center thigh straight down the middle. The blood was oozing from the bottom of the package. And the chicken meat itself was covered in ice crystals. It looked leathery, the skin terrible, the bones hideous gray and darkened red from pooled blood.

"I told you he was going to do this." He turned back to him. His grandpa was staring at Yami with as much wonder as a small child might a unicorn. But a second passed and he began to look almost horrified. "I told you he was going to bite through the package."

Yami was watching them both, he knew. Yugi looked at him sideways, studying. The black wolf peered at him after a moment. Then he turned away, licking his lips. Yugi almost smiled as the wolf murmured, If we can rinse the blood out we can see if you can bite through the other two halves of the packages.

Yugi grimaced. "I don't think that would work, Yami. I think the meat would be too rancid to be of much use if we did that. But I can wrap them in a Ziploc bag or something and do that instead. But that doesn't mean they won't still bleed everywhere though."

Then it would not be worth it.

Yugi nodded, relieved that he agreed. "Okay."

I will practice once more. Then you can do this to the other two. Yami studied him for a moment. His red eyes narrowed briefly, head tilted sideways. Do you think that would be okay?

"Sure. I don't see why not."

The wolf stayed quiet for a long moment. Is there a way to perhaps buy whole chickens? He asked the question hesitantly, as if he thought Yugi might lash out at him. Would we be able to do that?

Yugi looked at him, uncertain for a moment. He grimaced, studying him, and turned away again. "They are…kind of expensive, yes, but if you think it will help out, then yeah, we can do that. I'll grab them later tonight or tomorrow after school if that's what you want."

You will need to grab more than a few. We will need enough for the both of us.

"I don't know if I can manage that…"

How do you expect to win if you do not at least attempt doing so?

Yugi fell quiet again, then huffed. He dumped the chicken into a bag and tied it firmly, dropping it into the trashcan. He thought for a moment to wipe his hands on his jeans, then remembered what he had just been holding. "I'll go ahead and grab a few chickens but I don't know how well it will work out." He rinsed his hands, disgusted and feeling as if the blood had stained his fingers. "Anyways, though, you said you would use a second one?"

I am debating if it would be worth it for me to do so or if I should let you use all three left over. You…have never been forced to decapitate actively. The one time you have done so, it was an accident and you were simply trying to stop Bakura from hurting me. So, now it might be better to simply have you do this instead.

Yugi opened and closed his mouth twice, then grimaced. "I guess that makes sense," he mumbled uncomfortably. "I… Okay. Give me a minute to change and then I'll see if I can do it."

Should I change back?

Yugi paused, eyes wide as he turned back to him with a frown. "Why?"

Yami pricked his ears forward. Because Sugoroku cannot understand us like this. He is not a wolf. The lycanthropy is too dormant. And I cannot imagine that your mother would be happy to see the two of us as wolves in front of her when she comes back.

Yugi hesitated a moment. "You can still instruct me on how to do this, right?" he asked, feeling small and stupid as Yami watched him. "Because I don't think I can manage to do this on my own…"

Yami nodded. Yes, I can do that.

"Okay… Go ahead and change back and then I…will do that in a minute, too."

Yami turned and loped away without a second glance. Yugi wiped his hands on his jeans, still feeling as if the blood were stuck to his palms. He knew that it had never touched him to begin with, but it still grossed him out altogether. And he felt his palm almost twitching with disgust.

"Is he changing back?"

"Huh?" Yugi startled, forgetting that his grandfather had been there to begin with. He flushed and nodded, licking his lips awkwardly. "Yeah. He's changing back. I'm going to change and see if I can do what he just did."

Sugoroku stood straighter, eyes widening. "You think you can, too?"

"I don't know yet. That's what we're going to see. I have no idea if I can manage it or not, but we're going to try," he admitted softly, uncertain for a moment. "Usually muscle memory can work and make it super easy to do something once you've done it at least once before."

"Have you done it before?"

"No."

Yugi frowned as Yami came out of the room. He was wearing socks under his jeans and a jacket over his tank top. Yugi wondered at the choice. Was he self-conscious or just cold? And he wondered if Yami were still sick, if that was what might have influenced his choice of clothing.

"I will be back in a second, okay?"

Yami nodded. He watched him for a long handful of minutes. "Yes. Go ahead. I'll be out here when you get back." Something about the way he spoke made Yugi wonder if he was afraid or nervous. But he didn't look at him again as he turned abruptly to Sugoroku. Yugi made his way back to his room, though he paused when he heard Yami speak. "You seemed surprised when you saw me a moment ago. Was something wrong?"

"You…look a lot different than you did when I first saw you," the elderly Motou admitted, clearing his throat awkwardly. He frowned and his lips twitched, making his mustache wiggle. Yami wondered if that tickled. "You're a lot…healthier now. It's good to see that."

"Ah, well, yes. Yugi and I have been moving about and hunting more often than not. It has helped me out a lot." He studied him for a moment. Sugoroku was watching him with clear excitement and surprise in his eyes. Yami wondered if he had any idea about the situation in any manner. Most likely he didn't, but it was not hard to imagine that somehow he might. Yugi had told him he believed in so many of the legends surrounding the wolves in mythology. And now, he wondered, if he was afraid yet of what he had just witnessed a moment before. Did he realize that Yami was strong enough to kill him if he were ever worried enough to do so?

"Oh."

The door pushed open after a moment. Yami turned his head. His stomach churned and his mouth grew dry. He had expected it to be Yugi coming from his room. But the white wolf was in the center of the hallway. His head was turned, blue-violet eyes wide and ears pricked. His muzzle was tipped upwards slightly and his nose wriggled. And, in front of him, Kasumi was staring at him with a startled and mildly horrified expression.

Yami struggled to open and close his mouth. He wanted to say something. He felt he had to, if only to explain the situation. But Yugi was wagging his tail, tongue lolling and entire body quivering with the speed. He let out a playful growl and Yami snorted loudly. He looked so ecstatic to see her. He blinked, frowning minutely, and studied Kasumi immediately afterward. She was studying him with dark blue eyes, considering him curiously.

Then her head turned and she looked over at Yami. He knew she had not thought Yugi to be him. He knew that far too well. But now he realized that she was looking toward him in order to ensure that they were not both wolves. Perhaps she was nervous about the idea of both of them as wolves. Or perhaps it was simply that she did not want the reminder. It did not matter, however. Yami could smell her anxiety now. Her discomfort was a perfume in the air. But she was also making sure that it was not as dangerous a situation as it had been before. She was trying to ensure that the problem was not one that would escalate in any manner.

She turned back to Yugi after a moment. The white wolf wagged his tail rapidly again, thumping it against the wall in his exuberance. "Well, hello," she finally murmured. She closed the door behind her and Yugi came closer. The white wolf flattened his ears and wagged his tail once more. "I wasn't expecting to see a white wolf in my house when I got home."

Yami tilted his head. "Were you actually expecting one?"

"I figured eventually I would come home to one of you two as a wolf," Kasumi answered dismissively. She hesitated, studying Yugi, and then stretched her hand out. Yugi blinked, stared at her as if she were nuts, and then turned to Yami with an unhappy expression to his face.

"He's…not a dog. You don't need to let him sniff your hand like that," Yami mumbled. He was almost bristling as he considered her. He couldn't remember her ever even doing such a thing for him, and then he wondered. Had she? Had he simply forgotten it due to the feral state he'd been in? He wished he had a clearer recollection of it that time. "Anyways, we aren't normally in wolf form."

Or…at least Yugi isn't.

"Is that so?" Kasumi mumbled. But she didn't look at him. Instead she reached out and patted Yugi on the head. The white wolf startled, blinking, and turned to her with wide eyes. He wagged his tail again, licking her palm. She looked at him for a moment, then pursed her lips. "It's odd seeing you like this, honestly. I hadn't been expecting you to look like this or anything."

I'm adorable and fluffy, Yugi objected, huffing and pricking his ears forward to stare. But he continued licking her hand all the same, tail still wagging. She petted his head lazily for a handful of seconds.

"Adorable and fluffy?" Yami teased, raising a brow and wrinkling his nose. "I think you have the last one right but you're hardly adorable."

Yugi immediately fluffed up, bristling, and spun on him with a growl. He was bristling everywhere, his tail raised, and eyes locked on his. I'm cuter than your malnourished ass! he barked back.

Yami chuckled. "I have no argument for that," he laughed. Yugi hurried forward, springing towards him almost like a fawn. When he was within a foot of him, he threw himself onto his hind legs and tossed his forelimbs over his shoulders. His paws turned inward and he wrapped them more securely around his neck as if in a hug. "Don't do it."

Do what?

"Don't you dare."

I have no idea what you're talking about.

"I'm serious."

I haven't done anything.

Yami opened his mouth to answer, but Yugi did not say a word. For a moment the white wolf turned away and glanced over at his guardians. And then, as Yami was about to relax, Yugi turned back. His tongue ran over his face, covering him in slobber. Yami grunted. But at least his teeth smelled of mint toothpaste. And then the white wolf dropped down, snickering and stretching himself out.

"Bastard."

You were asking for it, jackass, Yugi said with a wide grin. His tongue was lolling and his eyes were bright with laughter. He looked away, smug as he wandered back over to his mom. Yami had the abrupt idea that he was looking for some kind of approval from her. But she was watching him warily, just as she had when she originally acknowledged him. Yami's heart broke for the smaller teen and he looked away immediately.

"What are you doing with the frozen chicken?" she asked abruptly, her eyes on the table rather than the white wolf. Yugi took a seat in front of her, scratching at his cheek as if his physical fidget of hurting himself was now translating to such. Yami looked at him sideways, heart in his throat. Yugi was trying his hardest to feign indifference, he noted, but the hurt was clear in his eyes. "Is there a reason they're sitting on the table like that?"

"Yugi and I are going to test our teeth on them," he announced with a lazy glance at her. Her eyes grew wide, brows furrowed, and her lips pulled downward into an uneven frown. "We're going to see how tough his teeth actually are."

Yugi got up after a moment, hurrying forward to come to his side. Yami ignored the urge to look down at him again. Kasumi was staring at him in open alarm now.

"You're going to test his teeth on them?"

"Yes. I did it and now Yugi is going to do it." He paused, studying the white wolf for a moment. When Yugi looked away, Yami turned to Kasumi once more. He wondered if she would lash out at him. He was waiting for it, somewhere between amusement and dread. "I was just about to set it up. He was changing so he could try it out."

"You…bit into it?"

"I bit it in half."

"You…?"

"Bit it in half."

"It was actually amazing to see," Sugoroku put in, grinning at her in an almost giddy fashion. Yami considered him a moment, then looked over at Yugi. The white wolf was staring at him with pricked ears and a tilted head. "It was… You need to see it."

Kasumi was staring at Yami with clear uncertainty in her eyes. And Yugi merely looked up at the other teen as well. He flattened his ears but the red-eyed teen stared at Kasumi with a somewhat flustered expression. He had not been expecting Yugi's grandfather to speak to her about such a thing. He especially had not assumed that he would sound so ecstatic about it. He bristled, trying to think of a way to answer the question he could see in her eyes. But no words came to him.

She can watch me. But I don't think it'll be nearly as great as it was when you did it, Yugi murmured after a long moment. He huffed out a breath and kicked at his chin with his back paw once more. He shot a flustered look at Yami when he turned back to him. I mean, I don't think this is going to be nearly as nice as what you managed to do.

Yami nodded. "Muscle memory will kick in soon enough, don't worry," he answered softly. He offered the wolf a small smile, hoping now that he could make him feel better. And he felt uncomfortably out of his zone due to this. He was not one to offer sympathy and he knew his limited skills left much to be desired. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "It gets easier as you continue to try it."

The white huffed out a breath. Yeah, but I… Okay, well, we're going to have to do this sooner rather than later, right?

Yami opened his eyes and looked down at him. The white wolf moved closer and butted his cold nose into his hand, wagging his tail. "Right. So, how do you want to do this? Do you want to do this? Do you want me to hold one or do you want me to throw it?"

Yugi tilted his head, humming. And then he got up, shifting his weight back and forth and flattening his ears back. He peered up at him curiously for a moment. Uh, maybe holding it would be best since I haven't done this before.

Yami nodded, grabbing the pack nearest him. The ice felt as if it were attempting to dig into his nerves for a moment. He shook the numbness away and considered Yugi for a long moment. Then he raised the package over his head and backed up a couple of steps. "Ready?"

Yugi looked uncertain for a long moment. Then he nodded, training his eyes on the package. Ready.

Yami nodded to him. Yugi lunged up and forward. And there was a single second of silence before a raw crunching noise erupted in the kitchen.

Yugi realized immediately. Something was wrong. Something was extremely wrong.

His eyes grew huge. His mouth dropped away. He stumbled back, gaping. Yami, on the other hand, puffed his cheek out. The chicken fell to the ground. It skidded loudly, harshly, across the floor. The red-eyed teen covered his right hand. Blood dripped past his fingers in bright rivulets.

Yami pursed his lips at him. "I thought we were aiming for the package."

I slipped on the tile! Yugi blurted out, horrified. He bristled and shook his head rapidly. His tail dropped awkwardly and he flattened his ears against his skull. I didn't mean to! I—I—Are you okay?

"Aside from a few bones broken in my hand," he snorted. He looked at the puddle forming on the ground. His socks were completely soaked in it now as well. He sighed. Yugi whined and threw himself onto his belly. He stared up at him with that same horrified expression. And Yami almost thought he looked as if he expected Yami to grab him and shake him limp. "And then we remembered why werewolves are so dangerous."

Yugi covered his muzzle with his paws and stared up at him pitifully. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to!

"Here, you need to rinse that. We'll bandage it if it's necessary," Kasumi said from the hallway, coming into the room now. Yami turned his head, startled by her arrival, and blinked in confusion. She was staring at Yugi, however. Her lips were quirked faintly to the side, as if she were struggling not to laugh aloud. Yami rolled his eyes and smiled before he could stop himself. He looked down at his hand, the flesh mangled and bones showing amidst the red. She brought Yami to the sink, guiding him with a hand to his shoulder, and ran the water. But she looked sick when she considered his face as well. "Jesus, it looks just like what you did to Yugi when he tried to put a collar and leash on you."

"Oh?" Yami mumbled, casting a wry glance at the white wolf. "Payback then, Yugi?"

He sprang instantly to his paws, glaring. Of course not! he snapped, bristling. I wouldn't hurt you like that on purpose!

Yami smirked, turning away. The water rinsed what remained of the initial wound. But the skin was already healing. The lycanthropy made his hand tingle. It was no longer bleeding, however. The muscles and sinews had regenerated. The skin had pulled itself together. He wriggled his fingers after a moment. He flexed his hand and rolled his wrist and then he turned the knob to shut the water off.

"You should change your socks," she repeated. Kasumi looked ill. She drew in a deep breath, then exhaled with a shudder. And then she looked up past Yami and grimaced. "Seriously, Dad?"

Yami turned his head, confused. Then he pursed his lips. Sugoroku stared at him, eyes huge and wide, as if he could not understand what it was that he had just seen. He looked as if he didn't know what to say or do at the moment. The red-eyed teen frowned minutely. He was clearly fascinated and Yami felt sick. What if he was so foolish as to say something? What if…?

Yami forced the violent thought away. He would not hurt him. He was Yugi's grandfather. If Sugoroku were so foolish as to speak of what he'd witnessed, Yami was not sure what might happen. He'd be forced to kill him, at bare minimum. If that were to happen…

Yugi would never forgive him for it.

This would not be so easily blown away as his declaration that he would kill the eight-year-old. Yugi would never find it in himself to do it. He may have been the most forgiving soul in the world, but even he could not be capable of such a thing.

Yami almost wished he could measure himself against Yugi. But his life was mostly full of dark shadows and grudges that burned his flesh. He could not pretend otherwise. Forgiveness did not run deep in his veins as it did for Yugi.

"Here, dry your hand off. Yugi, grab… Never mind. I forgot." She rolled her eyes. Yugi peered up at her, head tilted and eyes wide. Yami turned his head, confused for a single moment. He grabbed the paper towel she'd been offering him, wiping his hand clean. It came back with a minimal smear of red and he inspected his hand for a moment. But the blood must have dried before he'd rinsed the rest away. "I guess I'll go grab the cleaners for the floor. Yami, you need to change your socks."

And then she wandered off. Yami watched her go. She really did seem rattled by how red his socks were. Yugi got up, eyes wide and ears pricked forward. Yami turned to look at him in bewilderment.

Did it heal properly?

"Yeah, it's fine. My hand is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it, okay?" He studied the white wolf for a long moment. He wished there was something else he could say to make him feel better. But he found himself unable to say anything. So he pressed his lips into a thin line and narrowed his eyes. "I need to go change my socks before your mom beats with me a ladle."

Sugoroku burst out laughing. Yugi shot his grandpa an annoyed look as Yami began to move past him. He shook his head and flattened his ears against his head.

That's not funny! He's hurt enough.

Yami rolled his eyes and ruffled his ears. Yugi turned to him immediately. At first he was startled, eyes huge and confused. Then he wagged his tail hesitantly, eyes full of remorse. "Stay here. I'll be back in a couple of minutes, all right?"

Yugi watched him go, turning back to his grandpa after a moment. The elderly Motou was still studying the door Yami had disappeared behind. He shook his head, smirking. "What? I'm surprised you actually told him about the ladle thing!"

Yugi huffed at him. Why? He knew his grandpa could not understand what he was saying. But it didn't stop him from speaking regardless. I tell him almost everything!

"He didn't seem upset with me laughing at him," Sugoroku continued. "You shouldn't be upset if he's not."

I don't like it. Shut up. He growled, bristling. But his grandpa smiled a little more. He tapped his nose at Yugi and the wolf tilted his head in bewilderment. But he was immediately distracted again. His bedroom door had opened again. Yugi turned immediately, wagging his tail. Yami padded out with a new pair of socks and Kasumi wandered around him with a jug of cleaner once more. Yugi pricked his ears as they both made their way into the kitchen. You're sure you're okay?

"You don't need to obsess over a bite like this," Yami grumbled. He raised a brow and snorted at him, shooting him another wry glance. He smiled the smallest bit, ruffling his ears once more. "It's fine, Yugi. My hand is okay. See?"

Yugi leaned forward, sniffing the formerly broken flesh. He could really only detect heat from his skin, but the smell he got was nothing of blood. It was Yami's natural scent there. He smelled winter ice and moonlight drizzling through pine trees. And it made his heart accelerate for a moment as he licked at his palm. I'm still sorry.

Yami studied him. For a moment he looked as if he meant to say something. Instead he crouched down in front of him. Yugi startled, flinching away. His mind was racing with growing confusion and panic. Did he plan to hit him? Was he going to lash out at him in retaliation? Was he that upset with him?

But his fingers simply ruffled over his ears and then scratched at his cheeks. Yami ran his hands through the fur along his scruff, then along his back. Yugi nearly trembled with excitement. The touch was so warm and soft that he found himself almost quivering with joy. He wished he could sink into such affection.

But the moment passed.

Yami straightened abruptly, turning away.

"Do you want some help cleaning the blood off the floor?"

Kasumi must have been thinking about something rather hard. She startled when she heard his voice, head snapping up. Her hand paused in blotting up some of the blood on the ground and she stared at him as if she had no idea who he was or what he was doing there. It took her a moment to remember, then she blinked again and frowned minutely.

"What?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted some help cleaning the blood off the floor."

"No. I'm almost done anyways."

Yami frowned at her, clearly displeased. "I tracked it to the sink."

Yugi blinked. He couldn't tell if Yami had meant to warn her of the fact or if he was simply upset and that had been all he could figure out how to say at the moment. But his mom nodded slightly and went back to what she was doing. And Yami merely stared at the ground, crossing his arms.

---

It took another handful of hours before Yugi was willing to even entertain the thought of trying again. His mom and grandpa had retired to their rooms again. And he had changed back a while ago. He was seated across from Yami at the kitchen table. The red-eyed teen had been flipping through the newspaper as if it might somehow hold answers for him. The small teen frowned, shifting his weight, and grimaced after a long moment.

Yami had been pushing the suggestion of trying again for a while now. He'd been doing it for more than an hour. And Yugi had said he did not want to just as many times. But now he watched him as he repeated the statement. He had flipped the page so hard that it ripped down the middle almost to its entirety. The noise made Yugi flinch, eyes widening in bewilderment. He frowned at him again, then cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Can't we…just…not and then say we did?"

Yami drummed his fingers. "No. we need to get your jaw power under control. We can do it today, or we can do it tomorrow. But it has to be soon, Yugi."

"Why, though? I mean, do you really think something bad is going to happen—?"

"What kind of question is that?" Yami snarled. Yugi watched his hand twitch when he folded the newspaper shut and narrowed his eyes into slits. He wondered if his hand was suffering phantom pains. "Of course, something is going to happen! Are you fucking kidding me, Yugi?"

He frowned, shaking his head, and stared at him as his stomach churned painfully. "No, I…I get that you're worried about everything, okay? But…why are you doing this now? It's late. My mom and grandpa are going to go to sleep soon."

Yami bore his teeth. "We need to get this done," he snapped, voice cold and sharp. "We need to try to figure it out. We need to have the ability to counter them when they come for us. Do you understand?"

Yugi flinched. His tone of voice made his skin crawl. "Yami," he tried again softly, making his voice gentle and hopefully more soothing again, "that doesn't make much sense. Why are you so upset right now?"

"Because, I—" Yami fell silent again almost immediately. He clenched his jaw firmly, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head. He wouldn't meet his eyes now. "It's not coincidence that this girl showed up in front of us today, Yugi. There's no such thing as a coincidence like that."

Yugi blinked wide eyes, opening and closing his mouth twice. "I know that, aibou. But what…?" he muttered. Yami had gotten up, refusing to look at him more pointedly now. He wandered off for the fridge again and Yugi stiffened as Yami grabbed the handle of the freezer. "Yami, I don't want to—"

"It's nice that you don't want to do it," Yami spat, turning on him as he threw the door open, "but life is full of decisions people don't want to make. Now let's just…get this done."

Yugi swallowed hard, stomach lurching. "Yami, you look feverish…" He looked him over, drumming his fingers against the table, and swallowed hard once more. He tilted his head, searching his face. "What's going on right now? Are you sick?"

"I'm fine. I'm fucking fine." The statement was punctuated by a chicken slamming into the table. Yugi flinched, startled. Yami leaned against the table, breathing so hard he was shaking. The table wobbled beneath the force of it. His shoulders rose and fell as if with suppressed sobs. When he seemed to recover, it was only enough to wipe at his mouth with the back of his head. "I'm fine."

"You're shaking," he corrected him gently. He took a step closer to him and Yami closed his eyes tightly. "Aibou, please, what's going on?"

"I can't… Yugi, please, what's going on?"

"With what?" he demanded as softly as he could. He swallowed hard and chewed his cheek. "What can't you deal with? Do you need help with something?"

Yami shook his head. And his breathing became frantic. Now he shook so hard that the table rattled louder than ever. Yugi could feel the tremors rushing through him from the force. Yami was hyperventilating now. Yugi opened and closed his mouth twice. And then he crept closer. Yami was shaking, breath ragged and pathetic, as he whispered, "I can't do this again. I can't."

"Yami…?" he coaxed gently. "Explain to me, aibou? Explain what's going on, please? What happened? What's got you so upset?"

Yami opened and closed his mouth. His head remained angled down, his jaw clenched. He was still shaking. His body shuddered harder than ever. His breathing came out sporadically. The table squeaked from the pressure of shaking so constantly.

"You're going to die," he choked out. His breathing was raspy and strangled. "You're going to die. And you're not going to come back…"

Yugi blinked wide eyes, horrified. "W-what? What are you…?"

"You won't come back."

Yami's knees buckled. Yugi rushed forward to catch him. Yami was frozen at first. Then he slumped to the ground. He was almost boneless, shapeless. He was shaking harder than ever. Yugi held him tightly. Yami gasped for air. He sobbed, strangled, his mouth opening and closing twice.

"Shush, I'm here. I'm here, aibou. You're okay. I'm here. You're okay."

He was whispering the words.

And somehow his voice seemed to claw at him. His mouth opened and closed. Yami trembled and gasped. He shifted his weight. His arms rose. His hands clutched at him. He twisted around. His fingers dug into his skin. He drew blood. Yugi could feel it. His clothes stuck to his flesh. Yugi flinched and shuddered. Yami scrabbled at his skin. His face found his neck. He sobbed pathetically. He panted, sounding broken and exhausted.

"I can't do it again." He sobbed and blubbered. He gasped. He sputtered. Yugi held him as he shook somehow harder. He could feel his skin splitting again. His nails were cutting through him violently. He rocked back and forth gently. Yami gasped again. "I can't…w-watch you die! I can't, Yugi… I can't! I can't!"

Yugi blinked. He rubbed his back. Yami pressed into him. He pushed forward. Yugi's head smacked against the wall. He hissed. Yami sobbed louder. He was keening, Yugi realized. He was rocking and shaking. He clawed harder at Yugi's skin.

"Ssh, aibou. I'm right here. I'm okay," he continued whispering. He rubbed at his back again. He closed his eyes. Yami had broken down finally. He was openly sobbing into his skin. His tears were hot like boiling water against his neck. His nails left ragged red scratches beneath his clothes. He buried his face in his neck. Every inch of him shook. Every second breath hitched. Yugi moved to lay his chin on his head. The position was painful. His neck throbbed. His chest felt too tight. His shoulders burned. His back felt as if it were being clawed open. "I'm okay, aibou. I'm okay. You're okay. I'm here. You're here. Ssh."

"I can't…I can't!"

He rubbed his back again. Then he closed his eyes tightly. Yami had lost some of his shakiness. Yugi buried his chin in his hair. He reached up to thread his fingers through it. He ran his fingers over his scalp where he could reach. Yami shuddered, but it wasn't as jerky as it had been before. He seemed to shiver more from enjoyment than anything now. He swallowed hard.

"I'll do it. I'll do it. It's okay. Just help me and I'll do this, okay? I'll try again."

"I can't lose you too." The words were mumbled against his neck. Yami pushed forward, pressing into him as if he were trying to melt into his skin. But he pulled away abruptly. He faced him, cheeks wet and eyes still watery. His gaze was glassy. His hair was ruffled from his abundant shaking. He looked sick to his stomach, red eyes more feverish than ever. "I can't do it again."

Again? Yugi felt sick, head spinning for a moment. He blinked, eyes widening drastically. He tilted his head, furrowing his brows. But it did not stop him from moving his hand to his back again. He rubbed along his spine in a more comforting manner again. He wished more than ever that he could kiss him, tell him he loved him, and hold him as close as possible. But he fought it away. He shook his head and licked his lips.

Yami meant his cage mate.

Yami was in a panic because of his death. He was frantic for Yugi to reassure him that the same thing wouldn't happen now. He wanted him to stay safe. He wanted him to stay alive. He didn't want to see him die. He didn't want to witness another death of a friend. Yugi's head spun and his stomach knotted. And he wished he had something he could say to reassure him. He wished more than ever that he had the power to take his fear away.

Instead he moved his hands away. He reached out, hesitant, but Yami didn't pull away. He rubbed his cheeks, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. Yami shuddered but still did not pull away. Yugi pulled the sleeves up on his uniform jacket and wiped his cheeks dry. He feathered his lashes gently with his thumbs, shivering at the beads of salty water on his fingers. He searched his face for a few moments, then peered down at him.

His red eyes seemed to sear through him. His nails scratched against the tiles next to him. He searched his face for a moment or so longer. Yugi thought he looked as if he might lean forward. But then he closed his eyes. He stiffened briefly. Then he pulled away entirely from him.

He scooted back until he was in a slumped position. His legs were opened, folded so that he lay with his feet pointed outward. He let his hands lay across the tiles. His eyes were closed halfway, his shoulders slumped forward. He shivered violently for a moment.

"It's okay, aibou. I'm not going anywhere."

Yami's eyes shot to him. He peered at him through his lashes. He looked sick, as if he were swallowing back bile. Then he turned away again. He kept his eyes on the tiles for a long moment. "You can't tell me that and mean it," he mumbled, voice cracking with raw intensity once more. He looked exhausted and bewildered. But he moved to sit up, then stumbled to his feet again. When he looked to Yugi once more, he could not even tell Yami had been crying seconds before. "Go change back. We…need to try again."

Yugi nodded. "I'll be back in a second."

He came back a few minutes later, shaking himself out as he hurried to his side again. Yami was leaned against the counter. His frame was wracked with fine tremors. He was pulling at his bangs with one hand and scratching at his neck with the other. For a second he didn't seem to realize that Yugi was there. And then the red-eyed teen looked at him and made his way forward. He grabbed the chicken package from the table and held it out.

It was shaking so profusely that Yugi backed away with wide eyes. Yami hadn't recovered at all in the last few minutes. He flicked his tongue over his nose, flattening his ears against his head.

Aibou… he tried gently, titling his head, put it down. Or toss it up in the air.

Yami blinked, eyes flashing at first with clear frustration. And then he shrugged it away, tossing the package into the air. Yugi instinctively backed up, startled. It slammed to the ground in front of him, skidding. A piece of ice shot towards his paw, hitting him hard. He backed up, toes stinging as he flexed them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

I should have said I wasn't ready yet, Yugi answered uncomfortably, shaking his head and turning away. He looked towards the chicken for a brief moment. Oh, well, I'll see if I can throw it like you did before.

Yami leaned forward on the table, putting his chin in his hand. "Be careful when you do that. Don't throw it too high and, if it spins too fast, don't try to bite it. You might hurt yourself." He paused after a moment, studying him, and then looked away with a small quirk of his lips. "I don't think you'll get hurt though."

Well, I'm not biting your hand again, so maybe this will work out better for us, huh? Yugi teased, though he peeled his lips back and picked at the package. He pushed it forward slightly with his nose, narrowing his eyes. Then he gripped it lightly in front of him and moved to sling it into the air. He considered releasing it twice, ducking and raising his head, and then finally threw it. It flipped and he prepared himself to leap up.

But when he did, his teeth snapped shut hard.

The frozen chicken slammed into his muzzle.

Then it hit the ground and skid.

Yugi yelped and backed away. He rubbed at his muzzle pathetically, huffing. Then he looked to Yami, ears flattened against his head and fur in a slight bristle. He shook his head as Yami snickered. He turned away, lips pulled into a wide smirk, and reached up to run his hand through his hair again.

"Are you all right?" he teased. He looked at him from his peripheral and grinned wider than ever. "That had to sting."

A lot, Yugi agreed, sighing softly. But I guess it'll just throb for a few more minutes and then go away entirely, huh?

It'd be like all the other wounds he'd suffered since he'd become a wolf.

"Absolutely. You didn't break your nose, after all."

Yugi shook his head, huffing. He hesitated a second, then moved forward and pressed his forehead into Yami's hip. Thankfully not, he agreed. He wagged his tail, turning away to look elsewhere. Then he turned and made his way over to the package, considering it and glancing over his shoulder. Aibou, do you think you could throw it for me again? I think I can do it easier that way.

Yami nodded, moving around him. His hands weren't shaking any longer. And he was not laughing as he had been before. He took a stance a couple of feet away, held the package over Yugi's head, and then tossed it into the air. Yugi sprang for it, catching it, but dropped it immediately again with a yelp.

It's cold!

Yami burst out laughing, moving close enough to ruffle his ears. He shook his head and grabbed the chicken again. "I take back what I said earlier. You really are adorable," he chuckled, shaking his head and smiling at him. He smirked, throwing it into the air again. Yugi sprang and hit it, but could not bite through it as Yami had earlier. It dropped from his jaws again and he huffed, glaring at it.

I'm not doing so well with this.

"You're trying too hard, Yugi," he said quietly. "Relax for a second and try to focus again, okay? You need to find the weakest point and use it to your advantage. Every fight is about finding an advantage over your opponent. You had the element of surprise when you attacked Bakura. That was your advantage. And your adrenaline rush also helped a lot with that."

Yugi flattened his ears, regret surging through him. I never meant to kill him.

"I'm aware. But you can't show so much mercy so often, Yugi. It's not going to do you well." He shook his had and raised the package again. Yami hesitated for a moment, studying Yugi briefly. "You must disregard things like that. You have to remember that you are going to get hurt if you decide to remember and utilize mercy over power."

You've said so before, Yami.

"Then you might want to listen to me for once. I will say it as many times as it takes, but power trumps morals in war," he answered icily. "You have to remember that everyone has a weakness in a fight. It's easy enough to manipulate them if you can find it."

Yugi pricked his ears forward, titling his head. Right. He frowned, picturing Obelisk in the woods. He'd barely managed to pin him that day during training. It had seemed to take forever. And it had seemed a miracle more than anything. He shook his head at the thought, forcing it aside. But it led again to Yami killing the deity that day in the woods, feral and snarling and joyful at the prospect of having something—anything—to fill his belly. He'd broken his neck as if it were nothing more than a simple twig…

"Now, let's see if we can do this again." He tossed it into the air. Yugi watched it for a moment. Then he sprang. When he snapped his teeth shut once more, the package crackled. Bones broke. But the package did not shatter as it had for Yami previously. "Good. You're learning quickly."

Yugi searched his face for a moment. He pictured the black wolf again, scrawny and with patches of fur ragged and matted about his pelt. He was skin and bones, face sunken but muzzle utilized perfectly for the kill.

He nodded, looking away. Thanks, he breathed uncertainly. Let's try it again, okay? I think I can break the next one.

Yami went around him to grab a second one, then threw it into the air once more. It flipped around several times above his head. Yugi pricked his ears forward, studying it. And then he leaped once more.

His teeth snapped shut on it. The popping noise was terrible and seemed to echo hideously in the kitchen. The two halves fell from his jaws as he landed. He blinked, looking down at them. Then he turned to Yami, wagging his tail in delight. The red-eyed boy smiled at him, shaking his head slightly as if with surprise.

"Congratulations."

Yugi tapped his wrist with his nose, licking his fingertips. Some part of him swelled with gratitude for his patience, but another felt sick and weak, and the largest wished he could tell him he loved him more than anything. It might not have meant much of anything to Yami should he say it, but it would have meant everything to him.

Thanks.

But now all Yugi could think of was the way Yami had gone still in the snow. And he could only see Yami thrashing as the seizures came over him. He shivered, heart hurting more than ever. He couldn't stop his thoughts now. He saw Yami still and frozen upon the examination table, his mother cursing and panicked, as Yugi pumped him full of pentobarbital.

If Yami were to ask him how he'd managed to find the strength to bite through the package, Yugi would have choked.