Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh

Update schedule: Unknown due to limited time

Edit Schedule: Sporadic due to limited time

Chapter Warnings:Blood, Wound Descriptions, Depression, Self-Loathing, Blood Consumption, SLIGHT Self-Harm, SLIGHT Anxiety Attack(s), Character Death, Drug Misuse

So this was actually supposed to get posted a week ago but I couldn't find time to finish edits to make that happen. Sorry guys!

Self-harm comes from Yugi and Yami, in similar manners. Yami claws his throat and Yugi tugs on his choker again.

Chapter XCIV: Infallible

Work Log Entry LXXXIII: December, 2010

December 1

Atem's illness finally seems to be leaving again.

The root of the cause has yet to be determined. No one knows yet as to why his illness seems to go into dormancy before surging again.

There are no answers, despite the amount of tests run.

December 12

We have used Atem's blood for a transfusion to another lycanthrope. The wounds that formerly seemed impossible to heal have gotten better in a matter of hours.

December 20

The boss wishes for us to draw more blood and test it in every way possible.

We shall merge it with other lycanthrope's blood, human blood, hellhound's, etc. just to see what comes of lycanthropy being introduced to other hosts.

December 22

The blood samples that were merged transformed in the case of the human, merged in the case of the lycanthrope, devoured itself in the case of the hellhound, and violently attacked and destroyed the cells of all other samples exposed to it.

We now have definitive knowledge that the disease cannot spread beyond human hosts despite being a mutation of rabies.

Yugi turned his head and narrowed his eyes, considering where Sartorius lay. He was still eviscerated, looking weak and tired but aware of everything happening around him. Yugi almost found it funny despite the chill that came through him for that fleeting thought. He pricked his ears forward, glancing around slowly to take in the other wolves. Everyone was either looking at Yami where he lay broken and unconscious, or toward Valon where the hellhound was staring at the red-eyed wolf's shattered form. Yugi stepped forward and the golden eyes flickered immediately toward him, sharp and glittering and boring into his with wild amusement.

The look gained a few glances in his direction. Yugi raised and wagged his tail slightly, suppressing the anger that surged through him immediately for a single split second. Valon could have helped. He could have helped Yami in some way. Even if he'd just drawn her attention away for a moment, it would have been something.

And, yet, he could have said the same about any of them. He had not helped, either; not until he was sure he could get away without retaliation. He could have leaped into that fight at any time if he'd been stupid enough to risk his life. But he'd known better. And he knew better than to blame Valon in any manner, either. He'd always known his presence was temporary, that he wasn't there to truly help but for training. He wasn't going to fight Yubel. He didn't want to fight her. He hadn't come to the camp to fight her.

And it was unfair to think he should have.

Yugi shook himself out, shedding the anger and stepping forward again. His healing will kick in soon enough. He watched as Valon processed the words, eyes flickering towards Yami for a single second before they shot immediately to Sartorius. His interest was peaked, Yugi knew, because his eyes sparkled with anticipation. I want to get him to the clinic before that happens.

Valon snickered and got to his paws. That works for me. I'd love to see how you plan to keep him immobilized like this.

He grimaced, but he had an idea. He just didn't plan to tell Valon that in front of the pack.

Can you change back? I'll need you to carry him there.

Afraid of getting some blood on your clothes? Valon sneered, but he trotted past him all the same, toward where he usually hid his clothes when he came to the camp. He froze when Yugi barked a laugh, turning his head to look at him over his shoulder in bewilderment.

I plan to rip his stomach open again when he heals.

The hellhound bristled faintly, as if startled, then opened his mouth in a wide grin before turning away. He trotted off, disappearing from sight as Yugi watched. The white wolf turned his head again to regard Yami. The black male was still unconscious, breathing a faint gurgling noise as a bloody bubble popped each time in front of his nose. His face looked swollen and decayed, blood and pus oozing from various wounds.

Yugi watched him until his eyes felt as if they were burning from the constant onslaught of frustration and pain that came with the image. Then he raised and turned his head as he heard Valon approaching again. The boy had rolled his sleeves up to the elbows, though it was clear he hardly cared that he got blood on his clothes. It was likely so that he wouldn't have to worry about his adoptive mom freaking out when she saw the state he was in. He narrowed his eyes and watched him as he came forward and paused next to the fallen hellhound.

"I almost feel sorry for you."

Yugi snorted and ignored it when the others cast uncertain looks in his direction. He stepped toward him as he scooped the hellhound out of the snow. Sartorius struggled for only a moment, snarling and spitting and flashing white teeth. But he seemed to somehow accept it as well. Yugi wondered if he truly did know things that were going to pass. He remembered him talking about fate and things of that nature in his room when he and Yubel had first attacked. Had he known what would happen?

If he had, why hadn't he run for his life?

Surely even Yubel didn't manage to scare him so completely…

Yugi ignored the train of thought, trotting forward and getting to Valon's side. The hellhound had arranged his captive's organs so that they were hanging limp through the air, just long enough that Yugi could reach them when he tipped his nose up. He'd forgotten just how short the intestinal tract was for a dog or cat. Humans had much longer ones.

He shook the thought away again.

Distractions weren't a good idea.

Immediately he glanced over his shoulder. Jonouchi had come running over, eyes wide and startled as he stared at them in alarm. He got within a foot of them, then stopped and bristled anxiously, searching Yugi's face as if he might get a hint of the plan Yugi had formed. He flicked his ears, then flattened them and stepped forward hesitantly, ducking his head and wagging his tail slowly.

What do you want me to do?

Yugi looked him over for a second, realization crashing through him. Jonouchi was trying to make up for the trouble he'd caused. And he was trying to offer help without quite challenging Valon for it. But Yugi didn't want his help with this. It was better he stayed in the dark about anything to do with Sartorius.

It was better they all stayed in the fucking dark when it came to this.

Yugi raised his chin and jerked it toward Yami. Watch him. Stay with him. When he wakes up, he'll need a friendly face.

The golden-furred wolf froze for a second, then bristled. Yug, he's going to kill me.

The white canine snorted. He won't. He's going to wake up and he's going to want a friendly face. He's going to want me here, but if I'm not when he wakes up, he needs someone. You're tied to me. Even if he's feral, he'll remember that.

If he's feral, he's going to kill each and every one of us, Jim snarled, eye glittering as it bore into Yugi's. You even said so to Yubel.

I said that if she killed him, he'd turn on her the moment he woke. But as long as you're calm and don't bait him, he won't have reason to turn on you, Yugi corrected him, voice laced with malice. And if you are so stupid as to antagonize him when he wakes, you get what you deserve.

The words brought a tensed hush over the pack. The omegas gaped at him as if he'd turned on them violently. The others swapped looks of unease or frustration. And then, as if Yugi had personally sink his teeth into him, Jim finally looked away with a snarl of discontent. Yugi turned back to Jonouchi, searching his face.

Look, Katsuya, I don't need your help at the clinic. I need Valon's. But I need someone to take care of Yami when he wakes up. You're my best option. I'm going to trust you with him, understand?

The golden-furred wolf cast an uneasy glance over at him again. Yami remained still but for his breathing and the blood bubble that appeared. He shivered and turned back, tilting his head.

He's going to remember the fight we had before and—

He won't turn on you for it. It's resolved. He didn't come after you when you came back out and Sartorius was here. He won't come after you later. But Yugi remembered just how Yami had stared at him, ready to tell him that he'd killed his little sister. He remembered how determined Yami had been to give him a reason to hate him and turn on him like he'd attempted. He remembered it all too well and every part of his body ached at the thought. Yami was so stupid sometimes. The destruction he could have brought with that admission alone…

Okay. Jonouchi flattened his ears again. I'll watch him. When he wakes up, should I send someone to find you?

I'll be at the clinic if it comes to that. I'm just hoping he doesn't wake up before I get back. I'd rather he stayed asleep for a while.

Because, despite himself, Yugi couldn't truly say Yami wouldn't turn on them.

He was in pain. He was tired. He was angry. He would wake remembering Yubel. And he might damn well turn on him even as he assured Jonouchi he wouldn't. Even as the others listened and took note of his words, he didn't know. He didn't know for sure that he wouldn't slaughter them in her place.

Yugi looked at Valon. The teen was watching Yami with a lazy and bored expression. When he noticed Yugi studying him, he glanced over and mumbled, "Are we ready?"

He nodded and took off at a trot. Valon kept pace with him, shifting Sartorius to adjust his weight and steady his footing. Yugi kept his eyes ahead of them, scanning the snow and watching for anywhere Valon might sink should he step too far. He was sure it was unnecessary; the hellhound was perfectly capable of watching himself and keeping his balance, but he did it all the same.

They walked in silence, reaching the river before Valon finally spoke in a wry tone.

"You realize this is fucked up, right?"

Yugi flicked an ear in acknowledgment. I also know this is probably the only chance I'll have. He glanced up and over. Sartorius was wide awake and staring. His eyes were locked on him, as if he expected him to leap up and attack at any moment. Yugi searched his face and turned away again. I'm going to win. And I don't care what I have to do to ensure it.

"You're definitely not the same little kid I knew in middle school," Valon snorted. He sounded amused, lips tugging into a small grin. "It's almost impressive."

Only almost?

"If I didn't know half of it was false bravado, it'd be better," he dismissed. He shrugged and stepped onto the ice without a single glance down. Yugi sprang onto the fallen tree and crossed the snow without pause, meeting him on the other side and humming. He ignored the gnawing pain that tore at his insides. "Although, considering how well you handled the situation with the pack, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised. You've got a pair on you now."

Yugi flicked an ear. Handled the pack? he echoed, feigning interest. When was that?

Valon snorted. "If you don't want to talk, then don't."

You're keen for someone who doesn't experience emotions. He glanced at Sartorius again; he could see now that Valon had moved his hand to wrap around his insides at some point. He was physically holding them to where the wound could not close itself. Is it all the people watching you do or are you just that good?

"I'm sure it's helped some." Valon snickered. "Doesn't change anything, though."

I'm aware. Yugi weaved around a tree and sniffed at what looked to be a rabbit hole. He considered the task of digging them out of their burrow for only a moment. Then he made his way back to Valon's side. He probably looked like a well-trained dog returning to its owner, he realized with a small snort. All I want, is for this to be over with. I want to win and just…have this end.

"And if you can't?"

Then I guess I'll have to hope Yami can do it for me.

Valon barked a laugh. "The boy who can barely keep his head on straight? You really expect him to be able to end this?"

At that point, if I fall, there's no other choice. You better hope to the gods that he can handle it. Yugi shot him a dark look, watching the laughter fade to momentary alarm in Valon's glittering eyes. If I fail and he falls, you probably only have a year or two before it all comes to an end.

Valon curled his lip, spitting, "I'm aware. But you're putting a lot of faith in a boy who can barely keep his head above water."

I never said I wasn't. I admit he's not in the best state of mind. I even admit he'll probably lose himself in all of this. But if I fall, he's the only one who can finish this.

"Hearing you say that doesn't make me all warm and fuzzy," the hellhound scoffed. He rolled his eyes and Yugi turned away again, picking his way down the small incline they were standing on and padding forward a few paces before turning around to face him again. Valon didn't even look where he was stepping, walking as if he had no reason to consider his surroundings. Sartorius had his teeth bared, breathing sharply and flicking his tongue over his nose as he growled softly. "But you're right. I know that. Everyone knows that. If you get struck down, it's on Yami to finish it. It's just…so stupid that I have to place my faith in someone who can barely keep his head on his shoulders on his best days."

Yugi wished he could have argued. He wished he could have said it wasn't that bad. He wished he could have said he could help him. But it was all a lie. Yami was beyond his help. He knew that much. The red-eyed wolf was too lost. He didn't always even respond when Yugi spoke to him. And he knew Yami was struggling more than ever to even see him when they were together. Training had ruined much of his perception of him. His declarations of being Atem had made the other boy that much more volatile.

Yugi was still waiting, somewhere in the back of his mind—though he would never admit it—for Yami to rip his throat out. He remembered all too well the images that Lupa had shown him. He'd do it with his nails if he was human. He'd do it with his teeth if he was a wolf. But it was always him. He'd always been the one they'd planned to kill him.

His eyes were always the same.

They peered at him without an ounce of life to them.

They became dull, the red like drying blood, pupils neither constricted nor blown.

And he barely moved when he did it.

It was just a quick and simple, efficient kill.

There was no attachment.

There was no pause.

There was just Yugi, speaking, and then blood.

And Yami would watch him, standing there motionlessly as Yugi twitched only once.

He was merciful like that.

It was quick and easy.

Yugi didn't even have the chance to realize what was happening.

He almost laughed as he thought of it.

In truth, he'd rather it was Yami to kill him. It seemed…somehow more tragic and oddly karmic. He probably deserved it. He had hurt him despite his best efforts and he scared him when he didn't mean to. His attachment to him alone was enough to send him into a panic. It seemed fitting Yami turn on him for all of it.

"You still with me? Your eyes are glazing over."

Yugi snorted. Yeah, I'm still here, he replied, wagging his tail. But he still imagined it and he wondered for a brief moment if Yami would have done so much better if they'd never truly crossed paths. If he had simply bitten him and run off on his own, who was to say Yami wouldn't have survived and been better off? The pack would have come under Yugi's rule at some point regardless, right? And he wouldn't have let them kill Yami for the hell of it, regardless of whatever history he might have had with them prior to Yugi's arrival. He was still himself. And pointless bloodshed wasn't something Yugi could condone. But he wondered then how he would have found Yami on his own, how they would have crossed paths if Tomoya had bitten him. Would Yami have sought him out after hearing that Atem was there? Or would they have crossed paths by accident? Yugi didn't know.

He didn't suppose it mattered, either.

They'd dug their graves and now they would be buried in them.

Sartorius, he said slowly, turning his head to eye the silver canine, are you still with us?

The hound snarled low in his throat. Where else might I be?

Just making sure you weren't dead, he admitted, though he knew he wasn't. If nothing else, he could hear the throbbing of his organs as his blood flowed through them. He flicked his ears. Do you see the future or do you just ramble about fate?

Sartorius was silent for a long minute. Valon didn't acknowledge them if he was listening. And Yugi didn't care enough to look over and check in any manner. It didn't matter to him one way or the other.

Yes. I see events.

Yugi flicked his ears. Do you know what will happen at the end of this?

Sartorius barked a laugh. Of course I do, you stupid pest. I know exactly what will come of this endeavor of yours.

Will it work?

Why might I tell you?

Yugi couldn't help but laugh, something in his chest tight with pain. You're right. I shouldn't be asking you. The future should be a fun little mystery. I don't need to know it. He blinked once, long and slow, and fought back the wave of anxiety that came through him for a single second. Can you tell me one thing, though?

Fuck you.

Will Yami be okay?

There was only silence to greet the question. Yugi waited for what seemed hours. Then he sighed and shook himself out, growling, I don't know what I was expecting.

"I wouldn't have bothered."

Yugi ignored the urge to turn on him in frustration. He raised his head and trotted forward faster, down the incline and toward the clinic without a second glance. The future isn't mine to see, he told himself, because, if it was, I would know what would happen already. Lupa showed me what was meant to happen. She didn't show me the end as it will be now…

"So, now what?"

Yugi looked over his shoulder at him, studying his face. Now… Now I open the door and hope that this works.

Valon smirked and shook his head, looking away with a chuckle.


Is he awake?

Jonouchi jumped as if he'd been struck, then spun around with a startled growl. The noise made the other wolves leap to their paws as well, as if they expected an attack. But they took in the scene and turned away almost in a singular unit, as if disgusted by Jonouchi's surprise. Yugi wagged his tail at his friend, giving him a sloppy grin, and the golden-furred wolf flattened his ears against his head and huffed.

No. He's still asleep. He tossed his muzzle in Yami's direction and sighed softly. I don't even know if he's breathing anymore. And I can't tell if he's healing or not.

Yugi grunted, turning his head as well. He tilted his head and looked down at the wolf in question. Yami's eyes were still closed. His breathing was impossible to see, but he could just barely hear his heart. The rhythm was so weak he wasn't surprised Jonouchi had been unable to pick up on it.

Yug?

He flicked an ear.

What did you do with him…? Sartorius, I mean…

Yugi blinked and looked over at him. You don't need to know that.

What? Yugi, if you're going to keep him prisoner or something—

It's not something that trivial, he interrupted, shaking his head. I have a reason for taking him to the clinic. And it's not something any of you really need to know.

But Valon gets to?

Yugi raised his tail, peeling his lips back. Are you going to question me on including a hellhound in a situation involving another hellhound, Jonouchi? It's his species. It only makes sense to use his help.

His friend flinched at the hard tone and huffed again. You know what you're doing, right?

He had no idea what the fuck he was doing. That was the problem.

Yugi nodded dismissively and turned away. Absolutely, he lied, moving closer and circling the black wolf. Yami's ears flicked then, tracking him as he got nearer. He saw it when his eye opened into a slit. He was staring at him, watching and tracking each step he took. He didn't recognize him. He only saw a potential threat.

Yugi backed away and Yami eyed him. Then the red disappeared behind his closed lid again. Yugi stretched himself out, lying down and watching him. Yami's eye didn't open again. His ears didn't flick. And his entire body remained relaxed. Yugi lowered his chin to his paws and watched him.

Jonouchi lingered for a few seconds, as if he meant to ask him something else. But it faded. He abruptly turned on his heel and padded off. Yugi watched as he shot Mai a disdainful glance and the she-wolf pointedly ignored him. He just thanked the gods that Valon had chosen to go home rather than return with him after they'd gotten Sartorius situated. He shivered and turned back, studying Yami with a surge of distress.

Was this all going to be worth it?

He almost couldn't believe he was asking himself that question.

But it was something he'd been avoiding since he'd first formulated the plan.

And maybe it should have been something he'd considered before he'd put so much in motion.

He closed his eyes and exhaled shakily.

Would Yami believe it was worth it?

Yugi could only imagine the backlash he'd receive later when things got to their worst. When everything hit its apex, he could only imagine the horror Yami would suffer. He could only imagine the shock and disgust and fear he'd later experience from it all. He didn't want to consider it more than a moment, however.

He could feel it threatening to suffocate him, overwhelming his thoughts as if he were nothing but a toy.

He closed his eyes tightly, painfully.

A flurry of ice swept through the air and fell upon his muzzle. He opened his eyes instinctively at the cold touch, startled more than anything. His stomach lurched and his paws tingled as he got to his feet.

The trees around him were laced with moonlight and gold and his mouth felt dry as he stepped forward. Had someone summoned him there? Did Lupa or Fenrir expect another audience with him? Did Slifer or Obelisk or Ra want to converse with him? Or was it Skoll, Hati, or Morrigan?

He shivered and trekked forward, ignoring the tingle of frustration running down his spine. Why should he have to worry about the gods making conversation with him again? He didn't want to think about them any longer. He wanted to bury his head in the snow for a day or two, pretend it was all nothing and his future could still be mapped by academic achievements and his friends and—

His head snapped around when he heard a growl.

He blinked, craning his neck to raise his head and search for the source. His ears flicked about, angling and trying to catch it once more. And then, finally, after what seemed a long handful of minutes, he heard, Back off. You don't need to speak to him like that.

Yugi blinked again, turning around and making his way toward the sound. He didn't know what possessed him to investigate the disturbance. Maybe it was because Paradise was meant to be peaceful and this was certainly an argument. Maybe it was just bold curiosity. Maybe it was a need to find something else to focus on rather than his own worries. He didn't know. Frankly, he didn't care any longer. The longer he walked, the more he cared about this situation rather than his own. And that made him feel almost warm.

There was a small group of wolves.

He recognized Yami's cage mate and Bakura. He didn't recognize the dark brown, chocolate-colored male with black along the front of his forelimbs and tawny on his back. He didn't recognize the smaller gray and black male standing near him, with long white legs and tawny brows. He didn't recognize the steel blue she-wolf who stood nearby as well, her gray ears flicking and her muzzle splotched with silver and brown and legs of white almost to match his own coat. He didn't recognize, either, the female with black peppered across her reddish muzzle and sharp green eyes that bore into the form of a wolf laying in the center of their little group. He blinked and pricked his ears, coming forward more slowly so as not to attract attention.

You could have killed her, the brown wolf snarled, lips peeled back to show bright pink gums splattered with blood across his incisors. His ears were pricked forward and his body was rigid with anger. You could have finished her off. Yubel is hardly a threat to you if you just tried.

She's too fast for him, the green-eyed wolf snarled in turn, stepping forward with his teeth bared. The wolf in the center of the group hadn't moved but to shift his chin on his paws and close his eyes. But Yugi knew exactly who it was now. Even if they had not spoken Yubel's name, he would have recognized his scent as it wandered toward him in the smallest breeze. We all know that. She's got him beat there. And if he were to do as you're suggesting, do you really think the world wouldn't rot?

Who cares about the world? The brown wolf's blue eyes flashed like ice. He chomped his teeth at the gray male. Yami turned and raised his head. Yugi could see his body tensing as if he might leap forward. The brown wolf spun on Yami then, snapping his teeth again. Blood spurted from where they connected with his ear. Yugi watched Yami stare at him, unblinking and unflinching and simply calculating. The sheer lack of regard on his face made the brown wolf bristle to twice his size, snarling. It will rot eventually all the same. Who fucking cares anymore? Life has to end at some point. And this little bastard sure as hell won't be the one to save it. Do you really think he can do it? He can't do anything!

Considering he's still alive and you're not, I wouldn't say that.

He's a Pure-Blood. It's not as if his survival was ever reliant upon his abilities.

Yugi paused outside the circle of them now, curious. Yami made no move to rise yet, but the brown wolf had lowered his head, slathering, toward his face once more. He bristled faintly as he looked between them. What was the significance? Yami would have torn someone else to shreds for invading his personal space and attacking him like this, as mild as the bites were.

The gods should never have chosen you. They made a mistake. They made the worst of mistakes. I should have been chosen. I could have done this. I could have killed them all and finished this war before it even began.

Then why didn't you? You could have killed Gozaburo at any time. He was obsessed with you, if I remember right. And he's half of the little empire they've made. So, where was your courage then? You never even tried.

He would have killed Mokuba or Kisara.

And look how it turned out when they did die.

I can't believe we're arguing over this trivial shit, Bakura scoffed. He shook his head and took a seat, expression dismissive and cold. He chomped his teeth when the brown wolf looked at him, barely missing his eye. Don't you turn on me, Seto. I'll do what your dear little cousin doesn't want to and rip you to shreds all over again.

When Yugi dies, Seto snarled, turning on Yami and baring his dripping fangs, you'll understand just why you're the most useless creature the gods could have ever created.

Yami was on his feet now. His head was turned toward him. His eyes were locked with his. Not a hair on his pelt was disturbed, however. And he stood perfectly still, eyes burning into his.

You'll know just how worthless you are then, won't you, Yami?

Don't, his cage mate tried, voice full of warning. We don't need this fight. Let him recover and just—

Recover from a fight he could have ended before this war even started?! Seto roared. Because he's too fucking weak to do anything on his own and lets others fight his battles? The world is going to rot for his inabilities. Because he can't stop hiding like the little coward he is.

Yami continued staring at him. Bakura bristled and stepped away, uneasy and baring his teeth. Yami's cage mate exhaled long and slow. The yearling flinched and backed away, ears against his head. The she-wolves both watched them uncertainly.

What will you do, when all your past failures take Yugi from you?

Yami's lip curled faintly.

When Yubel takes his corpse and parades in front of you with it, what will you do then?

His incisors flashed hideously.

When she pisses on his broken corpse, what will you do?

Yami opened his mouth, just enough to part his teeth and show them in a snarl.

Enough, Seto.

Please, stop, big brother.

This fight isn't necessary.

No? He keeps hiding behind everyone else and this isn't necessary? What do you think is going to happen when Yugi dies? Seto barked, laughing as Yami stared back at him blankly. Yugi dies, he loses his mind. It's going to be as simple as that. And then what? The world crashes and burns, all because he didn't kill them when he had the chance.

And when would that have been? Yami's cage mate snapped. You mean when he was being tortured endlessly? When he was constantly dying and coming back and they kept him so starved he could barely function? Don't act like you could have done any better than he did. You weren't in his place. You have no idea how much worse he had it than you.

I've seen what they did to him. I know all about it. And it doesn't matter. He's still incapable. He should have harnessed that rage and used it.

You're a bitter, sorry excuse for a wolf, aren't you? You claim you could have done what he was incapable of, yet you died because Kisara did. Yami's cage mate barked a laugh, mouth splitting into a hideous grin of bright white teeth. Yami blinked and turned his head, startled by the venom in his voice. Yugi raised his head and stared, stunned by the display. You want to measure yourself against Atem? Do you truly? Why don't you go through all the trauma? You think you could embrace that and turn it into something? Please, speak to Lupa. See if she'll rewrite this world and give you that destiny you think you deserved. But let's not forget your death, shall we? Yugi has watched Yami die on numerous occasions and he's turned that into meaning. And yet, you…you died within a week.

And what of you? You forced a mating bond and he never even let you fuck him, Seto spat, turning on him now. His fur had risen into a hideous bristle, eyes flashing like ice. Yami backed up a step, as if the words stung him. His cage mate, however, stepped forward with his jaws parted, ears pricked and entire body tensed to spring. You saved him and he's never even been able to speak to you since.

You think, his cage mate said slowly, that if you were in his place, anyone would have sacrificed themselves for you?

Yami flinched and flattened his ears, eyes wide and horrified. Seto stared at his cage mate as if he might rip his throat out. Bakura burst out laughing, gaping a second later. Yugi stood, stunned by the declaration. Yami's mother bore her teeth and stared silently. Kisara turned away, eyes on the snow. Mokuba visibly trembled.

And, yet, Seto laughed a moment later. His head snapped around, blue eyes locked on Yami's face once more.

You didn't live up to the sacrifice he made for you. How do you think you'll measure against Yugi's? he guffawed, eyes glittering. When he leaned forward, he put his nose almost to Yami's, spitting, When his broken corpse is in your arms, do you think you'll have the strength to end it then?

Yami snapped his teeth. But he never made contact.

He'd chomped his incisors right where his skull had been a split second before.

But when his teeth shut, there was nothing but air.

Yami blinked, startled.

Every hair on his back rose.

His limbs stiffened.

His breath tightened.

A brilliant surge of power raced through him. The strength of it almost knocked him off his feet. His skin felt as if it were burning. His body tingled with shock. Horror nipped at his insides. His veins felt as if they were on fire. The marrow in his bones had solidified to ice. Every part of his body pulsed with pain.

Something had crashed into Seto. The brown wolf had been struck so hard he'd flipped. And the force atop him merely clamped on his neck. It shook him so violently Yami heard bones snapping. Blood spurted. Seto seethed and struggled. His legs kicked. He snapped his teeth. He tried to get up.

Yami watched as he slid across the snow with every toss. He yelped and tried harder to kick his attacker away. But they merely stiffened and held. They pinned him until he almost seemed to disappear into the snow.

Yugi…

The white wolf blinked at the sound of his name. His eyes shot toward him. He focused on him, curious, but didn't release. Yami tilted his head and stared, unsure of himself. Did he tell him to release him? Did he tell him he was okay? Did he remind him that Seto was already dead? Killing him would just mean he revived in a few seconds' time. No wolf was permanently taken from Paradise. Surely Yugi knew that.

Although, with the way he'd rushed into this fight, Yami wondered how much of the conversation he'd heard. Had he heard Seto belittling him? Was that why he'd attacked? He knew better than to think he'd just heard the end of the conversation and come into it like this. He was never angry like this if it had not had time to build up and fester in his mind.

Yami wagged his tail awkwardly. Hi.

Yugi blinked, wagging his tail in turn. Then he lowered his eyes as Seto tried to kick him off again. He shook him hard enough that Seto ceased moving. But his blue eyes were locked on Yami. And he stared at him as if he thought he might lunge next.

Can you guys die?

Yami looked to Yugi. The white wolf was staring at Seto.

Seto blinked and kicked, squirming.

His cage mate bristled uneasily. Yugi, don't—

Can. You. Guys. Die? I just want to know.

Yami flattened his ears. They can for a few seconds. Then they—

Good enough. Yugi shook him violently again. Seto seethed, snarling and spitting. He kicked once, then twice. And then Yugi lifted his head off the ground. He twisted his neck. The resounding crack was deafening.

Yugi stepped back, wagging his tail. His eyes were bright, but looked somehow dead. Yami backed away, studying him. The white wolf turned to him, not at all puzzled by the action. Instead he wagged his tail again and looked to Seto once more.

The brown wolf lay in a heap. Then he sputtered a breath and scrambled for his paws.

Don't move, Yugi growled, lowering his head towards his ear. Or I'll do it again.

Seto froze. Yami shivered and moved forward to butt Yugi in the shoulder.

Don't do this, okay? I'm fine.

Yeah, but he won't be, Yugi answered, wagging his tail furiously again. I like the idea of you going to Lupa, though. Please, please ask her to make you Atem. See who comes to your aid. Do you think a single person would try to help you? Who would waste their time trying to save you?

Yugi, please, Yami snapped, bristling when the white wolf spun on him. He'd moved fast enough to slam his paw into Seto's throat, pinning it there with his claws pressed into his jugular. His eyes were glittering and hollow in expression, boring into his. Enough, okay? Enough. Just stop.

Why? Yugi spat. Had it not been for his voice and the color of his eyes, Yami almost would have thought he was looking at someone else entirely. I'm enjoying myself. I can use him as a practice dummy. I can show him exactly why he shouldn't be talking about people dying when he can't even defend himself.

Yami peered at him, lowering his head with a slight bristle. Yugi was staring at him as if he didn't truly recognize him and Yami wondered for a minute if it was his own disconnect reflected there. You don't need to show him, all right? He knows he can't do anything against you. He's weak and bitter and pathetic. He always has been. He always will be. Just…leave him.

Yugi blinked once, long and slow, then turned his head to eye Seto. His expression was a mixture of laughter and disdain. Wow. Your cousin just called you weak and bitter and pathetic. That must make you all warm and fuzzy on the inside, huh? But he removed his paw and backed up a few steps. Honestly, you should probably grovel before his feet. I was going to decapitate you next.

Yami flinched at the threat, eyes wide. His cage mate shivered beside him. Seto rolled quickly to his feet and stared at Yugi with a stunned expression. He eyed him as if he didn't know what kind of creature he was or how to approach it. And Yugi merely stared back, waiting for some kind of response that would justify doing exactly as he'd just threatened, no doubt.

I don't even see your little brother coming to your aid, Yugi said slowly. His head turned toward Mokuba, eyes cold and burning. His stance was deceptively open, almost amiable. He was relaxed, tail wagging in a more friendly manner and ears pointed toward the sides. Maybe next time you should make him shut up before someone else steps in. Otherwise, if it happens again, I won't stop. I'll use his neck to sharpen my teeth. Understand?

Mokuba looked too stunned to answer him. Yugi turned to Yami then, pricking his ears and wagging his tail. And now he looked friendly, warm, as if the last minute had never happened. But Yami still felt that strength, overwhelming and powerful enough it threatened to crush his lungs all the same. He stared back at him, unsure of himself.

Had he caused this? Was it his own state of mind that had caused Yugi to lose his temper so violently? Or had he somehow superimposed his feral state on him? Maybe Yugi hadn't been so bad as Yami was imagining? Or…had he been worse?

Yami forced the thought away. Yugi was still wagging his tail at him as if he were a dog awaiting praise for bringing back a toy. He tilted his head and returned the gesture slowly.

When did you…?

Yugi watched his face for a long moment. So, you don't remember opening your eye and staring at me when I got too close to you a little while ago at the camp, he said. Yami blinked in bewilderment, shaking his head slowly. I kind of figured you didn't. You were pretty feral.

Yami nodded slightly. He had only come to Paradise because he had been in such bad shape. But he didn't remember in the slightest waking up and watching Yugi move around him. Likely he'd done it in a more subconscious disconnect. He had done that on numerous occasions, he knew. His cage mate had said he'd seen him crack an eye and even heard him snarling when he got too close to him when he was unconscious. He'd also launched himself at the guard bringing them food and ripped his head off before collapsing in a pile of blood to curl back up in the fetal position. Ryou had told him that. And Bakura had gotten his muzzle nearly torn off when he'd sniffed at him when they'd thought him dead; he'd barely managed to dodge back in time to just get his mouth cut with Yami's fingernails. So, it was not shocking to him that it might have happened again. He had always been aware it happened. He just had not realized he was…doing it again.

That doesn't matter, though, Yugi continued, leaning forward to lick his nose. His tail wagged as he searched his face. And then his mouth opened into a wide grin, tongue lolling. His eyes were sparkling with warmth. I—Yusei?

Yami blinked and turned his head to look over his shoulder where Yugi was staring now. The yearling was standing a few feet away, head tilted and eyes locked on them curiously. He wagged his tail hesitantly after a moment. But he didn't look upset. He just seemed curious and perhaps bewildered by the way the two of them were standing so rigidly in front of each other.

Hi, he said uncertainly, wagging his tail again. He looked between them with his ears flattened and body language friendly. I guess I missed something.

But his eyes shot to Yami, searching his face as if he were bewildered. There was a hint of suspicion in his gaze, as if he could not properly understand what he was searching for. And Yami realized abruptly he was searching Yami as the source of the burst of power. The wolves had felt it. He could tell. All of them had felt it and wondered. And he knew, glancing toward Yusei and his cage mate and Marik and Otogi that they'd come running because of it. Even as his eyes shot to the gods, standing there and studying Yugi with expressions mixed between shock and amusement, he knew.

I'm sorry, Yugi said abruptly, making Yusei and Yami turn their heads, about what happened with Amelda and Sartorius. I wish I could have been there to help.

They came for you, Yusei murmured with a small shake of his head. They weren't after Yami or me. If you'd been there, they would have just done the same to you.

I could have held Amelda off, Yugi said quietly, but Yami wondered if he felt the small chill of desolation from such a lie as he did. It wasn't Amelda they'd truly had to worry about. It had been Sartorius. And even with Yugi there, Yami wasn't sure he'd have been able to stop him. And, had Yami not been there, he didn't think he would have been able to make it in time to save him. His body felt numb and cold as he considered it. Sartorius…is a different story, though.

Yusei tilted his head and smiled at him slightly. Yeah, he would have been the issue for you, not Amelda, he answered softly. He wagged his tail again, searching his face. But it's okay. It was always going to happen. Like Slifer told you, I was going to have to die at some point. It was just a matter of time and who would do it.

Yugi looked away. It doesn't make it right.

Maybe not, but it's okay. It happened. I don't blame anyone. He looked at Yami and wagged his tail. He looked almost excited and playful now, as if he hadn't suffered such a hideous death in a war he should never have been involved in. You couldn't have stopped it, either. I was always going to die. You knew that. No one lives life and doesn't know that it'll end eventually. I'm just…happy I got to at least help you both.

How could anyone be happy to have gone through something like this? Yami almost hated him for the words. And again he felt that avid disgust in his gut that came with considering the other wolves who had come to help Atem without even considering their lives worth something else. They all should have run, gone the opposite direction and avoided this place entirely. How many more were going to die?

My life wasn't meaningless. I'm…I'm okay with how it turned out.

Yami bristled faintly but didn't speak. How? How did he think it was okay? It made no sense. Why not be angry? Why not consider all the things he didn't get to have? Wasn't that what life was for? Life was for finding and obtaining what there was to offer, wasn't it?

He was bitter enough for all of them, though, he supposed. Why should they all be upset when he himself could shoulder the majority of it, anyways? Wasn't that what he was there for anyways, to be miserable and suffer every single fucking time? Every single fucking minute of the day, he felt something or other. It was never warm. It was never fun. It was hideous and cold and it snaked through him like disease.

Regret and misery went hand in hand, didn't it?

I don't have any regrets.

I have plenty, Yami wanted to snarl. I have all of them, for everyone.

Yugi looked away, shaking his head after a moment. I'm still sorry, all the same.

Yusei wagged his tail and tilted his head, eyes bright. It's okay. I promise.

Yami turned to his cage mate, about to speak, and faltered as he saw the green-eyed wolf staring back at him. He tilted his head then, blinking and locking eyes with him. His tail wagged after a moment, as if he were confused by the attention he was giving him.

Are you all right?

Yami blinked and nodded, the apology and anger dying in his lungs, then turned to Seto. He was staring at Yugi intently, as if he expected him to turn on him again any moment. I should probably thank you.

The brown wolf raised his head, startled. Yugi bristled as he turned to him as well, baring his teeth. His cage mate blinked and growled low in his throat, eyeing his cousin as if he might lunge. Yami didn't respond to any of it, staring at Seto and holding his gaze to keep him from looking away.

As much as I loathe admitting it, you just reminded me of why I never destroyed everyone in those labs. If I had, I'd turn into a copy of you. And I'd destroy everyone in my path.

Yugi's eyes stretched wide, head snapping around. His cage mate blinked, startled.

And I couldn't afford that.

He still couldn't. Death and destruction was what he could yield like a sword, but the price it came with was too high. He would have killed Yugi by now. And the abyss he would have fallen into would have been impossible to escape.

He may have been full of rage and grief and bitterness and anguish, but he still harbored his strengths. He still had cunning and power and stamina and determination. If he didn't sink, he could still swim. If he swam, he didn't sink. It was simple enough, but it was overwhelming as well.

Living this way was hard. It made everything so much…worse.

But how was he supposed to fix it? He was running one way or the other, to Yugi or away from something else. And how then did he fix that? If he couldn't face things, why should he pretend he could?

Yugi looked as if he might speak for a single second, but the impulse seemingly died as he studied Yami's face. The black wolf shook himself out, scattering the smothering effect of the thoughts as they pressed down on him forcefully. He turned away, pricking his ears forward as his eyes shot inevitably to his cage mate.

If he'd done as Seto was suggesting, destroying those labs when he was younger and breaking free before he had, he would have wreaked havoc. In the state he'd been when he was younger, it was far from a good call to have given into his more primal instincts. He'd wanted to kill them all. He had. And yet, he'd stilled his hand. He'd held himself in that damn cage. And he'd waited as if the world might offer him a reward for his patience. Because, in truth, the alternative had been much worse.

And, now, as he considered, he realized he would not have stopped.

The labs could have been destroyed and he'd have killed anyone and everyone else to come across his path. He would have turned into the monster Yugi had thought he was when he'd killed Yoshimori or his classmates that day in the woods. He would have become the monster Jonouchi would one day consider him when he found out about Shizuka.

The thought made him want to laugh.

And he didn't think for a moment the gods would have been able to subdue him.

He'd been feral enough to think ending Yugi's life would have been better than what awaited him at the end of all this, but he had not been truly gone. And what Seto was suggesting would have completely torn his estranged sense of right and wrong to nothingness.

He would have slaughtered for the fun of it.

And the gods would have fallen before his teeth.

Obelisk had once. It wouldn't have taken much effort to do the same to Slifer or Ra. And Morrigan, Hati and Skoll didn't come back from the dead.

He could have wreaked havoc the proportions of which the world had never known.

And for a moment Yami almost wondered why he hadn't.

He should have. He should have torn the world to splinters and sucked the life from it.

His eyes flickered and shot slowly toward Yugi.

For the smallest of seconds he wondered what would have happened if they had not crossed paths. If he had failed to bite him, would he have continued in a more self-destructive manner? Or would have it grown tenfold? Would it have become so much worse?

How much of the world would he have decimated without Yugi to keep his head on his shoulders for him? And how much of the world owed Yugi its continued existence without even knowing? How much of this burden would Yami have swallowed and regurgitated to make the world bleed?

It was unfair of him. He knew that much. He should never have been so reliant upon Yugi. And he should never have been so desperate to have someone else help shoulder the weight he carried. He should have tried more than once to take it back from him. And yet somehow he'd found himself unable. He'd swallowed every impulse to take that suffering back upon his own shoulders. He'd choked on his guilt and he'd felt his heart break more than once.

And yet he'd never managed to do it.

He'd never managed to talk to him and just try to take back part of the burden.

Yami looked away when Yugi tilted his head. The white wolf stepped toward him, looking confused, and Yami glanced at Seto once more. His cousin was watching them with keen eyes, more curious and tense and suspicious than anything else. When he noticed Yami staring at him, he bristled faintly and looked as if he might take a step back.

Aibou?

Don't call me that, he almost spat before he calmed himself. Why should he cause more trouble by denying Yugi comfort in calling him by his chosen nickname? There was only so much pain and grief he could strike into the other boy before they both suffered for it. And hadn't Yami proven more than anything he didn't do well with punishment, self-inflicted or otherwise?

Yami flicked an ear. I don't want to be here anymore.

Yugi looked as if he might speak, but his cage mate gave him something of a horrified glance, voice blurting, Yami, you can't go back yet. Your body isn't—

I don't really care. Yami snorted and turned away, trotting past Yusei and baring his teeth at Marik when the purple-eyed wolf turned his head. He took off a little faster, then tore into a sprint. When he splashed into the river, his body jolted so violently he found himself sputtering for air. He jerked, lungs clenching and then relaxing, and drew in a shuddering breath. He was in a seated position, bones like jelly with pain and limbs shuddering beneath his weight as he opened his mouth wide and panted as if he'd been suffocating for years.

Well, that was kind of a dick thing to do, Yugi chided him as he blinked his eyes open. He was staring at Yami with an expression he couldn't quite read. But he could tell he was rattled all the same. His fur was disheveled, as if he'd been given news he didn't know how to process. Yami wondered if he'd never showed him that way of loosening Paradise's grip. Yugi shouldn't have had to know it, however. And he felt terrible for exposing him to it now.

I no longer required their assistance. But his head was throbbing. And his limbs were weak when he stood. He allowed a chill to creep down his spine and through the length of his limbs. He felt dizzy and sick, but the sensation passed the longer he gulped in air. He let the feeling of regaining his breath to help steady him. He got to his feet, glancing at him with the impulse to speak, flattened his ears as his heart scrambled in his chest, and turned away. He stepped forward experimentally, found his limbs worked despite their discomfort and stiffness, and walked away without a second glance.

Yugi watched him go, head tilted as he considered the other wolf. Yami limped along, though he almost didn't seem to be in pain. It was only his slow gait and heavier steps that gave light of the fact. Yugi watched until he became nothing but a distant shadow against the ice, glancing at the spot the wolf had formerly slept. Aki, Chazz and Zane had brought back food. There was rabbit, a deer, and even a small boar piglet. Yugi looked at the little pile for a long moment, glancing over his shoulder in the direction he knew they would be. All three of them were watching him with something of a puzzled expression, though Chazz abruptly shot forward.

I'll go make sure nothing happens to him while he's hunting.

Yugi flicked his ears, struggling to find the words to thank him. He settled on an awkward, almost painful nod. The gray wolf darted past him, throwing Don't worry; he'll be fine over his shoulder as he ran. Yugi nodded again, unable to verbalize the thoughts circulating in his head. Then he turned and wandered toward the kill pile, limbs like lead and body almost throbbing with disbelief. Yami had forced his way out of Paradise. And when he'd jumped into the water, for a single split second it had turned from frigid cold to boiling hot.

And he didn't know what to think of that. It wasn't as if Yami were a god, though he almost wouldn't have been surprised if he were. It was simply that he had managed it with such abandon and listlessness, as if he knew how to force the world to his will. And it terrified him.

Now that he had seen it, had watched Yami force his will over Paradise itself, he understood why his cage mate had been so antsy. He'd said the gods were afraid of what power Yami possessed. And maybe it hadn't been power of the magnitude they possessed. It didn't have to be all-consuming and strong enough to rewrite laws written to bind the world in its predestined order. It was Yami's willpower that they feared. He was headstrong, and dangerous, and he was a kid. He was a kid, with too much power, with too much pain, with too much sorrow, with too much grief. He was just a kid. And he was either floundering beneath the weight he carried or he was using it to force things to his own desires.

Paradise had buckled, had allowed him to escape before he was healed.

Yugi wondered then how many times he'd done that.

And did he know other ways?

It seemed foolish to think Yami only knew how to expel himself from there in just that manner.

He had to know more.

He had to have more than one escape route.

What would have happened if the wolves had been brave enough to step in his path?

What would Yami have done then to escape?

He knew another way.

He knew several, Yugi realized as he thought about it more pointedly.

Yami likely knew every way he could escape that place if he needed. He'd known the ways around the tunnels. He'd known his way in and out of the camp. He had several escape routes for the house.

Forcing his way out of Paradise likely cost a lot more energy than he was willing to show, however. Yugi had felt as if he'd been punched and his heart gripped by ice. He couldn't imagine the damage it must have done to Yami himself. But likely he'd also adapted, pushing and forcing himself until the pain no longer registered and he felt it was a common occurrence. He hadn't flinched when he'd dropped into the water. And Yugi had felt as if the world had come rushing forward, sucker punching him so violently it nearly threatened to break his bones.

Yug?

He flicked an ear, then slowly turned his head. What?

Jonouchi ducked his head, ears flat against his skull. He looked almost unsure what he wanted to say. There was a long moment in which he stared at him, as if he might find some way to force the words out of his throat. He looked toward where Yami had gone, tilting his head, and sounded tired when he mumbled, We were all wondering how you planned to celebrate.

Celebrate? Yugi blinked. Celebrate what?

What was there to truly celebrate? That Yami was too strong for his own good? That Yugi had no idea if his plan would even work? That he had no idea if any of his plans would bear fruit? That he had just lost his temper in Paradise, of all places? That he understood now more than ever just how terrible Yami's strength truly was?

Should he have been celebrating just how cruel the world truly was? Was he supposed to celebrate the fact that he wasn't ready for this war he was waging?

What part of this was meant to be celebratory?

He nearly spat the words at him, but Jonouchi shot him a puzzled glance.

You chased Yubel off.

Chased her off? Yugi hadn't chased her off. He'd convinced her to reconsider a potential genocide when Yami came back to life. He hadn't done anything to stop her. He'd fucking let her beat the shit out of Yami and then talked her down from killing him. It was nothing to celebrate. He'd condemned his best friend to death and just barely stopped it happening. And that was something he was supposed to celebrate?

Yugi almost laughed. Instead, breathless, he spat, I didn't chase her off. I…I barely talked her down.

That's not how the pack sees it. Jonouchi shook his head. They see it as you taking a stand for once. Aki even praised you for it. And you know how ridiculously hard that is. She said your balls finally dropped.

Yeah, that happened a while ago, but thanks. Yugi flicked his ears and glanced in the direction Yami and Chazz had gone. He hummed in acknowledgment for a single moment, considering his words, and then turned back. Look, I talked her down. Because I knew I could scare her. I don't see that as a victory.

No, but it's about the fact that you stood up for the pack. It wasn't just about Yami this time. We all know that.

Yugi blinked. Did they? They all knew how close they'd come to dying right then and there? Did they truly know just how terrible it could have turned out? If he hadn't managed to talk her down, they'd all be dead. Yami would have laid waste to each of them. He would have bathed in their blood as well as hers. Yugi couldn't have stopped him. He could never have talked him down.

Whatever place Yami had gone during that fight, it had only proceeded to get worse. And he'd buried himself beneath all that pressure. He'd morphed himself to become a creature that could have killed and murdered and never felt the smallest inkling of remorse. He wondered if that was what Seto had meant.

Had he meant for Yami to turn into a rabid animal? Had he meant to encourage him to have become a beast that didn't know when to stop and saw no allies?

And then he wanted to scream.

How could anyone encourage that kind of thing?

How could anyone be so fucking disgusting?

His heart squeezed in his chest. He looked back toward where Yami had wandered off. He felt the impulse to chase after him. He had a single moment in which he wanted to reassure himself. But he realized, hating himself for the thought, that he would have heard Chazz at least scream if Yami had turned on him. It might have been brief. But he would have heard it regardless. Even if it had cut off after the first second, it would have been there.

Yugi turned away.

I don't want to celebrate this, he spat. He bristled, shaking himself out, and fought the urge to growl with growing displeasure. The other wolves were watching him, expectant and curious and bewildered by his change of demeanor. He pricked his ears forward, padding toward the center of the clearing. He lied down and put his chin on his paws. He eyed the entrance as if it might give him some sense of relief.

Yug?

He hadn't even realized Jonouchi had followed him. He pricked his ears forward but tilted his head in question, eyes never leaving the entrance.

Look, I know it's not really as much of a victory to you as if is to the rest of us, but…you stepped in to save Yami and when you were talking to Yubel, she was terrified of you.

Yugi blinked. Was that what they thought? He let out a wry laugh. She was afraid of Yami, Jonouchi, he corrected him bitterly. She was afraid of what he would do to her. It had nothing to do with me. She's not afraid of me. She's afraid of him, because she's seen him come back to life. She's afraid because she knows he'd have killed her the moment she moved if he came back. She knew I wasn't lying. That's what she's afraid of.

That's not how the pack sees it. They think you basically just saved your beta and them.

Yami almost just got himself killed again, Yugi said slowly, turning his head to stare at him, because I didn't move fast enough.

But when you did, you made a difference. The golden-furred male fell quiet for a moment. He sighed and shook his head, giving him something of a tired look. When you did act, you managed to stop her. She was going to kill him. And she stopped when you interfered.

I also bluffed, Yugi snapped. He bristled faintly and shuffled his weight. Because, really, if Yami had come back in that state, he would have killed all of us.

It didn't happen, Jonouchi said firmly. And we're all alive right now.

But for how long?

How long were they all going to remain alive?

When this war ended, who would still be left standing?

He huffed a breath, lowering his chin to his paws and staring at the entrance again. She almost killed him again. I almost couldn't stop her. I can't take her physically yet. And I'm amazed she even ran like that when I told her to.

Honestly, Yug? I don't care what scared her off. I just care that it worked. And I bet the others only care about that, too.

Yugi went to argue, but found himself unable to muster the energy. Instead he shook his head and pressed his chin into his paws until they ached. He stayed like this, eyes on the entrance and head on his paws, watching listlessly.

Seconds turned to minutes and faded to hours.

And then, as he almost thought to go searching, he found himself suffocating beneath the wave of relief that swept through him.

Chazz was carrying a bone in his mouth, parading with it. Yami followed a few steps behind. His head was lowered slightly. His eyes were focused on the path in front of him. His ears were pricked forward. His gait was swift and even. His fur was slick, rippling over an expanse of muscle Yugi almost thought he'd never see again. His entire body looked as if it had grown twice as powerful in the handful of hours he'd been absent. Each movement made it apparent he'd regained the majority of his health back.

Yugi sprang forward, stunned as he trotted toward him.

Chazz skidded to a halt in front of him. Yami, on the other hand, padded past him. He peered at him, halting inches away. And then he lowered his head, hunching his spine, and wagged his tail as if he were a dog about to be struck. Yugi wanted to dismiss the reaction. But he could see the wolves all watching them. Each and every one of them was staring, studying and waiting. And he realized whatever respect he'd gained before could be lost in an instant.

Hating himself, he sprang forward. His teeth struck straight into Yami's throat. The black wolf let him pin him, tail between his legs. He tucked all four limbs to his belly and flattened his skull against the snow. And Yugi held him there for a few long minutes. He wanted to demand to know he was okay. He wanted to ask how he'd done it. But he knew better.

He released him. Yami hesitated, then sprang to his feet and darted off in the opposite direction. He never once glanced back, though Yugi wished he would have. And the white wolf watched him before turning away. His eyes shot to Chazz, voice sharp as he growled, How?

The yearling studied him a moment. Then he glanced at Yami and back. I don't actually know how he did it. He went to find Valon and I don't know what Valon gave him.

Yugi turned his head and blinked. What did he give you, Yami?

The black wolf lay curled amongst the roots of a nearby tree. His eyes were tightly closed, but one opened into a slit, the red like a gash of blood against his fur. He gave me blood, he said slowly, as if it should have been obvious. But then he opened both eyes, lips curling back slightly. He apparently had several vials of your blood.

Yugi blinked again, stiffening for a single second. He looked down for a moment, then locked eyes with him. Valon was supposed to hold onto it. They were supposed to use it to study if the experiment was going to work or not. But…

I'm glad he used them on you then, he said quietly, shaking himself out. A small, distant pang ate at his insides. I'd rather he use them on you than what I…

Than what you…?

It doesn't matter. He raised his head and wagged his tail. You're okay. That's all I care about.

Yami snorted and closed his eyes again, voice dripping with exasperation. Yes, I am okay.

Was it too much to wish Yami shared his enthusiasm? Was it too much to wish he didn't hate himself so much that he couldn't be proud of himself or relieved that the most immediate of his weaknesses was taken care of? Yugi wished more than ever that Yami would have agreed with him and meant it as more than a sarcastic remark or a bitter reprimand.

It's about time.

Yugi blinked and looked over, confused by the sudden statement. He pricked his ears forward in bewilderment and tilted his head toward the she-wolf. Aki was staring at Yami with a haughty expression, eyes glittering with amusement.

I was beginning to wonder when you would take this seriously.

It was always taken seriously. I just do not care to bleed someone for my sake. Yami didn't open his eyes. If I were to do that, he would never be able to handle Yubel. He'd be far too weak from my constant abuse.

Yugi flicked an ear, wanting for a moment to tell him he didn't care and he would have done if it if he'd only asked. He supposed it didn't matter, however. He was sure Yami knew that. Maybe he'd never wanted to suggest it and perhaps he was too self-destructive to want to hurt him for his own preservation, but he was sure Yami knew. It was unspoken between them. Whatever Yami needed that Yugi could provide, he needed only ask.

Aki scoffed and turned abruptly to Yugi. So?

He looked at her, bewilderment making his skin crawl as he saw her intense stare. He didn't want to sound stupid, but all he could think to say was What?

A couple of wolves snickered. Aki, however, scowled and bore her teeth, snarling. Yami still didn't open his eyes, but Yugi could see his ears angled pointedly in his direction. Chazz dropped his rib bone where he'd been chewing on it and tilted his head. Zane looked up from watching his brother and Yuya playing together so keenly. Mieru glanced up from grooming her paws and Mana bristled uneasily as she turned her head. Jonouchi had never stopped staring at Yami and Mai bristled uneasily as she looked to Yugi.

The ambush! Aki spat. Yami is all healed up. There's no excuse now. So. When is it?

The words made Yami's eyes snap open. He bristled and raised his head, lips drawn back into a snarl. Yugi wondered if it was indignation or pure rage he saw on his face for a single moment, but it was gone when Yami blinked and the cold stare he'd leveled at Aki had none of the intensity. For a long minute he remained staring at her. And then he looked over, peering at Yugi silently as if goading him to answer.

Yugi let out a long exhale and closed his eyes. In three days the power grid will be turned off. The evacuation will be considered complete, so there will be no reason for them to waste the energy. When he opened them again, all of the wolves were watching him intently. The power grid was always our signal.

Yami stared at him as if he didn't know who he was, like he was a stranger wearing his friend's skin. Yugi looked away again and flicked an ear. Realization made his skin crawl. He hadn't told him. He'd forgotten, because he'd been so worried about Yami's mental health that he'd been reluctant to tell him. But the announcement had gone off on his phone late the night before, when Yami had been fast asleep for once. Yugi had checked his phone, but it had been dead from neglect and Yugi hadn't bothered plugging it in after.

Perhaps he should have, so that Yami could have seen the announcement and Yugi could have agreed he saw it when he prompted him. But he'd failed to, because he doubted Yami would have even checked it regardless of the rigid buzzing. And, truthfully, some small part of him had wanted to pretend. He'd wanted to make believe that he had more time than he did. And he'd tried his hardest to scrape away at this fantasy and bury himself in it, if only to keep himself and Yami somewhat steady.

Three days, Yami echoed, voice sounding hollow and broken. He blinked when Yugi looked at him, but didn't respond as Aki sneered, Oh, you're just finding out. How precious. I'd thought Atem's head was up your ass but apparently he wasn't even going to tell you when we go fight the hounds.

The hounds, Yami said slowly, turning to her with glinting eyes, are not the enemy. The humans are.

So you claim, but I haven't had a human rip my pack mates' throats open. I have yet to see that. You show me that and I'll believe they're a threat.

The black wolf peered at her as if he didn't understand what she'd just said. Then he looked over to Yugi, scruff raised in a bristle. When did you plan to tell me? Did you plan to blindly lead me into this fight?

Yugi almost laughed at the thought. Frankly, if I can keep you out of this fight, I will, sprang to his mind, but he smothered it before he could possibly project it. Yami was staring at him, visibly hurt and flustered and more than slightly terrified. Yugi blinked and looked away again.

I would never do that to you, he growled, bitter as his voice dipped with resentment toward the implication. You're my aibou. I wouldn't have blindly led you into a situation like that.

Then why not tell me?

You guys want to speak up for the rest of the pack? Jim snickered, wagging his tail in Yugi's peripheral. I don't know about the rest of them, but I'm curious to hear whatever excuse Atem is making for his behavior. Does no one else want to hear it?

I beat you into submission when I was skin and bones, Yami said slowly, voice etched with ice as he turned his head and his eyes honed in on the other male. Imagine just what I could do to you now.

A hushed tension swept through the pack. Looks were swapped, eyes widened or narrowed, some growled and others assumed submissive postures. Yugi watched as Jim considered Yami for a moment, as if sizing him up, but abruptly turned away as if he'd been scolded. He lowered and tilted his head, exposing his neck, and Yugi could see Yami eyeing his jugular for a single second before he turned away.

I am rather curious, Aki said quietly, tilting her head. What are you two saying to each other?

Mostly flashing naked pictures and wondering when I'll get in his pants, Yami spat at her, getting up. His stiff position and the way he raised his head made him appear almost to loom over her as if she were nothing but a mere rat before a tiger. He peeled his lips back, teeth like pearls dipped in blood, and shifted his weight only to brace his shoulders as if to lunge. Stay out of my business and mind your own. I'll rip your head off the next time you butt in.

Yugi flicked his ears and looked at her. Aki snarled and backed up, flattening her ears and hunching her spine as she lowered her head. She bristled, fearful but defiant all the same, and bore her teeth at the black wolf. Yami eyed her, then turned to Yugi.

Well? When did you plan to tell me?

Yugi hated himself, because for a moment he almost snapped that he just had. He huffed, forcing the spite away, and looked past him toward the trees. I was going to tell you tonight, he finally admitted, because I…have something I need to do.

Something you need to do? Yami repeated slowly, voice dripping with disdain. His ears pricked forward and his lips peeled back. Something. You. Need. To. Do?

Yugi locked eyes with him. Something I need to do, he snapped. Yes, something I need to do. Something that doesn't involve you.

But it involves Valon.

The white wolf blinked, startled by the accusation. He wasn't wrong, of course, but why did he sound so suspicious? Yugi blinked again, then tilted his head as he studied him.

Yeah, it…it involves Valon.

Ew. Is he fucking you, too?

Yugi groaned out loud and snapped his teeth at the omega. Yuya yelped and flinched, fleeing a few feet before realizing Yugi wasn't giving chase. A few of the pack laughed. Others faltered as if considering the question more seriously.

Yugi turned to Yami, relieved when he found nothing but pure frustration on his face. He didn't suspect him of that. He didn't even slightly consider Yugi would do that. The realization made him almost tremble with relief. But Yami didn't look pleased and his expression grew more embittered and sour the longer Yugi remained silent.

Look, it's… You're not a hellhound. And I need a hellhound for this.

Yami stared at him as if he didn't understand. He tilted his head and peered at him intently, eyes boring into his. And then he lowered his gaze. A hellhound…for training?

Yugi nearly flinched. Yes.

The black wolf nodded, then fell into a heap again, stretching himself out and putting his head on his paws. He closed his eyes as if the life had been drained from him entirely. Valon is a good ally, he mumbled and Yugi could hear his voice trailing as if with sleep. That's good. That's…really good. Utilize your resources.

The white canine tilted his head, sniffing at him. Yami was asleep a few seconds later, a soft and soothing exhale whistling from his nose. Yugi watched him a few moments, then turned to the rest of the pack once more. They all seemed mystified, as if they'd just watched someone drop dead out of nowhere. Yugi nearly snickered at their astonished looks, but bit back his amusement.

In three days, we go to the labs. In two days, Valon will be gone. That day we ambush them, he'll be gone. He's going with his foster family to Honshu. The day before that, he'll be more or less useless to us. He pricked his ears forward and looked at the wolves, stomach churning painfully. He'll be packing all day and probably waiting around with them for the majority of it. So, that said, tomorrow is basically our last day to utilize him. As Yami said, utilize our resources. He'll be here at midnight and stay the full twenty-four hours. This is going to be an entire day of training. No one is resting. No one is going to sit it out. You can basically have an all out brawl with him. Do not draw blood. Do not hurt each other. You do not kill. You do not wound. If word gets back to me that any of you have hurt each other, I'll end your lives before Yubel gets the chance. In the meantime, Yami and I will be training. It'll be all day, without interruption and without a visit here. I'm going to trust you all to understand and uphold what terms I've laid down. Disobedience will result in a bloodbath. Valon will kill you if he doesn't drag you to me instead. Get it? He's a lot stronger a hellhound than any of you should ever have to face. But he's here. He's our most reliable resource at the moment. And we're going to use him.

He cast a small glance in Yami's direction. If he wakes up, tell him I'm at the house. I'll be back later, so let's hope he's asleep in that time.


Yami stepped into the room and lowered his eyes. There was hideous, sweet smell like blood and sugar in the air. He blinked, curious and bewildered by the new scent. The clinic had never quite smelled this way before. He wondered if it was disinfectant of some kind. Yugi had gone rather stir crazy recently and had a cleaning fit. The cleaner had smelled oddly of vanilla, so perhaps it had been distilled or mixed with something else. That didn't explain the blood smell, however, and he cast a swift, anxious glance around. His skin crawled; there was no puddle or anything on the floor. It was not his own, and he didn't quite think it was—

"Yugi?" he called, bristling uneasily. That was Yugi's blood, he realized. And it was abundant. He was hurt. Had someone gotten to him? He found his hand trembling as he shut the door behind him quietly, the click of the knob as it slid in place again the only sound in the room. He strained his ears for a moment, listening as intently as possible.

It took a full minute around the own thumping of his heart to catch it. Yugi's breathing was slow and uneven, his heartbeat almost rattling in his chest. Yami couldn't remember right then where he'd heard that noise before. But he had the faintest inkling of recognition all the same. His stomach lurched and his heart began to beat unsteadily, jumping into his throat. He tasted blood as he inched his way toward the exam room.

The clock upstairs ticked steadily. And the heat clicked on a moment later. The smell of blood became more intense the further he got. The sugar smell was pungent and threatened to suffocate him as he got closer. He grasped the knob of the exam door, peeking in through the window. But he couldn't find much of anything there. He couldn't see even the faintest droplet of blood or signs of a struggle of any kind.

The only thing different from that morning was that their makeshift beds had been put away. Yami wondered at this and bristled uneasily as he finally turned the knob. The clicking made him flinch but he shoved the door open all the same. It swung back before the weight caught it and held it in place to prevent colliding with the wall. Yami poked his head in first, glancing around slowly.

If someone had attacked and were still there he was a sitting duck if he made noise. But he couldn't find anything to announce the presence of someone else. His stomach rolled and lurched and an unsteady throbbing began in his head. He drew a breath, exhaled quicker than he should have, and forced himself to focus again.

It was only when he got a few yards past the door that he found him.

Yugi was propped upright against one of the cabinets, an arm looped through as if to keep him in place. His head was slouched downward. His shirt was covered in puke. His confined hand was slack, the veins disgustingly pronounced in dark blue. His arm was soaked in blood and the floor next to his hip was drenched bright red. His breathing was an unsteady whistle and his heartbeat stuttered pitifully in his chest.

Yami stared down at him, unable to properly process what was happening. And then he slowly lowered his eyes further.

Something lay in the puddle of blood. It was glistening, catching the light with its obscure shape. Yami stared at it, mind racing to put all of the components of the scene together properly.

And then he lifted his head again.

Yugi's arm had a single small pinprick, in front of the elbow, along the path of one of his veins.

Yami blinked again.

Then he lowered his head.

The sugary smell…

The blood…

The syringe

Yami couldn't help the strangled groan that left him. He reached up unconsciously to grab at his throat. His nails sank in, digging through skin and sinew for a single second. His blood was unnaturally hot and drenched his fingers in less than a second. He choked and gasped for air for a moment.

And then he looked at the other boy again.

Anxiety made his hands shake.

Yugi's fingers were twitching and jerking now. A shudder ran through his arm, making it smack into the cabinet and vibrate. He groaned, low and pitiful, but his eyelids merely fluttered rather than opened. His breathing came in a hushed little gasp, one that somehow seemed to echo about the room and smother Yami's own panicked heartbeat.

Yami blinked once, swallowed hard, and then forced himself to stumble over to him. His knees buckled halfway there and he found himself awkwardly scooting, almost crawling and dragging himself. His mouth was dry and ached where his teeth were clenched too tight. His skin twitched and burned and he shivered as he got closer.

Was this what his cage mate had so often felt upon seeing him seizing?

Yugi wasn't to that point yet. Or maybe he'd already passed it. But Yami didn't want to take the chance. He swallowed hard and looked him over, considering the sweat on Yugi's brow. He shook his head and reached forward, ignoring it when he came into contact with the bile across his abdomen. He removed his arm from the cabinet handles and drew him into his lap. Yugi twitched, at first a finger and then his whole hand. Yami flinched when the boy choked and sputtered and vomit spewed from his mouth.

For a long moment Yami wondered if he was dead. His breathing was nonexistent for what seemed a lifetime. But his heart had begun to rocket. His fingers twitched more furiously. His jaw ticked, clenching and unclenching several times. And then he moaned again, rasping at the edges as if he were struggling. His eyes remained shut for a long minute.

And then his hands shifted. One seemed unconsciously to grab at Yami's shirt, tight and unyielding as it balled the material between his fingers. The other moved to brace itself against his thigh. When his nails dug in, Yami suppressed a flinch and the urge to shove him away. But he released a second later and gulped in air, his lungs audibly straining to hold it.

Yugi panted, puked again, trembled violently, and whimpered as if he'd been struck. His shoulders hunched up to shield his neck and his nails dug into his thigh again. He shifted as if he might lurch forward, then panted more heavily, until his entire body shuddered with gasps. His leg twitched, then drew upward as if he meant to adopt the fetal position.

He groaned again, sputtering, and grew statuesque. Yami was too afraid to prompt him. He'd barely kept his arms wrapped around his abdomen in the mayhem. And he could feel it when Yugi finally seemed to stabilize. His miniature seizures stopped. His breathing grew calm and even. His lungs no longer croaked with each inhale.

Yami let him sink his nails into his leg again. The smaller teen leaned forward, as if testing his weight, and kicked his leg. He was testing his nerves, making sure his limbs were still attached, he realized. He shivered again, shifted his weight, and seemed to realize then he was staring at two pairs of legs. He blinked, touched the material of his skinny jeans, and mumbled, "Yami?" in such a cracked and quiet voice he almost had to strain his ears.

He tilted his head, moving a hand from his abdomen and toward his back. "Why?"

Yugi was quiet for a long handful of seconds. His hand loosened its grip on his shirt. His other lay across Yami's thigh, fingers tickling his flesh as he flexed them. He swallowed hard and it sounded like a gulp, but Yami could hear it when bile flooded his mouth. He leaned forward and retched violently.

It stank of rot and blood.

Yami rubbed his back and ran his nails over the arch of his spine. Each of his vertebrae seemed to tremble, though he didn't know if it was from pain or pleasure. He stopped, though the dissatisfied noise from Yugi made him repeat the gesture. The smaller boy shivered, then exhaled something slow and soft and content. Yami watched him, looking at where the sweat had glued his shirt to his skin, and closed his eyes.

Yugi turned his head just enough to look at him from his peripheral. He whimpered slightly, then shifted his weight and managed to raise his head, neck popping as it arched. He exhaled long and slow, looking as if he might fall over when the air left his lungs. For a moment he simply stared at him from the corner of his eye. Then he groaned softly and turned more to face him.

Yami studied his face for a moment. "Did you…?" He couldn't truly force the words out. His mouth stung and his tongue felt swollen. Every part of his body itched at the mere idea of speaking them. He breathed in slowly, then exhaled quickly, and nearly flinched when Yugi made a quiet noise and nodded. "Why?"

The other boy blinked, then snorted. His voice was rough, cracked and fractured. "Why not? I need to use all the help I can get, right?"

Yami opened his mouth to snap at him, but faltered. Yugi was breathing hard again, skin pale as a bead of sweat trailed down the bridge of his nose. He bore his teeth and breathed roughly, then exhaled as he panted. Finally he opened his jaw, skin ticking along his mouth, and sprayed another colorful assortment of bile.

Yami grimaced and looked at the tank top. At least clothes could be washed. It was a matter of how soon and whether he'd survive to see them clean again that was the new question.

Yugi wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, groaned, and whispered pathetically, "I'm so sorry."

"There's no harm done," Yami scoffed. He considered it payback for destroying his mattress before, or for bleeding all over his clothes as a wolf. Actually, now that he thought about it, Yugi had a lot to pay him back for. A little vomit was nothing in comparison. "I hadn't really…expected you to do this."

He looked at him for a long moment, then away again. "Yeah… I… The opportunity arose." Yugi shifted slightly as if he might pull away. Yami nearly cringed at the thought, but the smaller teen abruptly settled more comfortably in his lap. He managed to draw his legs up somewhat, wrapping an arm around one. "I thought you'd be asleep longer."

"That doesn't justify doing this."

Yugi stayed quiet for a long time. Then he snorted. "No, probably not," he admitted wryly. He grinned slightly and Yami could see the smallest bit of life returning to his brilliant eyes. They were no longer dull along the edges, his pupils focusing rather than vibrating. His skin didn't look as pale anymore, a noticeable flush coming to add color again. He exhaled long and slow, then shifted his weight. When he turned around, it was to stare at him for a long minute. "I'm sorry you walked into this."

Yami ground his teeth together and narrowed his gaze, studying him intently. "You shouldn't have done this."

"We'll agree to disagree." Yugi braced his hands on Yami's thighs and awkwardly pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled and Yami moved to catch him, but the smaller boy managed to find his footing. His eyes flickered around the room for a moment. And then they fell on the original puddle of blood, the syringe hidden in the midst of dark red. "That's a lot more than I was expecting."

Yami huffed. "Then you didn't plan well enough," he snapped, voice full of contempt despite his anxiety. Yugi glanced at him, about to tease him, and then froze when he saw his neck. Yami rubbed at it subconsciously. "I guess I learned from you."

"Not funny." Yugi stumbled when he walked forward a step, paused, and bent at the knees. They popped as if with arthritis, the noise making Yami flinch. And then he straightened, kicked his feet, and bounced on his tiptoes. "I should have had the wolves distract you and keep you there a while longer."

He bristled. "You knew this was wrong and you still did it."

Yugi nodded and didn't respond but for turning around and looking him over. "Well, you're here now. So…maybe you can help me train?"

The words didn't connect the first time. Yami processed them a second time, struggling for a moment to understand, and then bore his teeth.

"What? You can barely walk."

"Don't be so dramatic. I can walk. It just took a minute to remember how."

Yami almost wanted to punch him. It was relief which kept him from doing so, because at least Yugi was awake and moving around again. He was making light of the situation. He was breathing and wandering around. The relief was the only thing to keep his anger at bay. He lowered his eyes and looked at the mess of blood and vomit across the floor. He looked at where Yugi had tracked much of it due to their position. And he stared at where Yugi was standing, posture slightly more slouched than usual with exhaustion.

"Perhaps you should rest for a while and then we can train."

Yugi stiffened, turning to him with a firm shake of his head. "No, I don't need rest."

"How can you tell me that? You're still shaky and your fingers have yet to cease shaking. I don't understand—"

"That's fine. You don't need to." Yugi huffed and stared at him, eyes cold and glittering and boring into his. "But I need your help. You have to help me train."

Yami shook his head. "Why would I—?"

"Because I need you to. I need your help." Yugi opened and closed his mouth, as if he wanted to add something in that desperate tone he was using. But then he narrowed his eyes, clenched his jaw, and growled, "And you think you owe me so much. It would be easy for you to repay your imaginary debt like this. We train now, we rest later."

He stared at him, more than slightly shell-shocked. His stomach rolled. His mouth clenched. For a moment he almost forgot he was looking at Yugi. And then he wondered if this was how Obelisk and Slifer had felt when he'd reminded them of their oath. Though he had not claimed they owed him, he could only imagine the sting of betrayal they'd felt compared to his. His eyes narrowed as he considered him. He snarled low under his breath and backed up a step before he could squelch the impulse to simply lash out all the same. He wrinkled his nose and blinked, studying Yugi more pointedly.

Yugi knew exactly what he'd said and how the words had come across. He could see it on his face as he stared back at him. Yet there was no apology offered. And Yami couldn't tell if he was grateful and proud Yugi was standing by his words or if he should be angered.

His head hurt trying to understand and grasp at his emotions. His stomach rolled and burned and his skin crawled. For a moment he thought to lunge at him, just to see if he might flinch back. But the impulse faded. Yami blinked, narrowed his eyes further, and then swung for his head.

Yugi didn't manage to dodge in time. But his fist never connected with the side of his head.

Yami caught and held it a millimeter from his temple. Yugi hadn't flinched. But his eyes were wide and startled. His mouth had set into a small, thin line of displeasure and perhaps mild fear. He searched his face rapidly, as if abruptly remembering who and what Yami was. And then he blinked, furrowed his brows faintly, and offered him an awkward but warm smile.

"I thought you said you weren't as good at controlling yourself as a human," he teased. Yami snorted and dropped his hand. Yugi watched it as it fell to his side and then raised his eyes again. "You definitely knew how to control it just now."

The taller teen closed his eyes halfway. "I said I didn't know how to pull my blows when I struck out. I still don't. And I'm especially unsure now, seeing as I'm far healthier than I have been in a while. But let's see how good you are now, shall we?" His voice dripped with disdain. "Let's see what happens when you're up against a healthy Pure-Blood."

Yugi blinked and the look in his eyes turned into something akin uncertainty. His mouth pressed into a thin line. He studied him and shifted his weight and wobbled for a single second. Then he nodded and bounced on the heels of his feet again.

"Let me…clean this up first. And then I'll meet you outside."

Yami found suspicion weaving its way through him like a snake. His stomach rolled and lurched and his eyes narrowed as he considered him pointedly. "You wouldn't."

Yugi watched him, studying his face as if it might give him answers. He shook his head after a moment. "I have a plan and I'm going to stick to schedule." He turned away to look at the blood on the floor again. "Honestly, I just want a few minutes to catch my breath and make sure everything is still working like it needs to before we do this."

He watched him, torn between the instinct to offer help and one to simply plead with him that he didn't do this. Instead he lowered his eyes, staring at the blood as well, and finally turned on his heel. "Just…call me if you need me."

Yugi hummed in affirmation, then grinned at him almost childishly before going back to the cabinets to retrieve the cleaning supplies. Yami wandered out the door, paced a few yards away from the house, and took a seat on what he knew to be the driveway beneath all the ice. He crossed his legs and sighed heavily, tipping his head back and considering the snowfall as it began anew. It was ten minutes later that the door opened and he could hear Yugi approaching.

"Are you okay?"

Yami tipped his head back further, until his neck felt it might snap from the position. He wanted to spit at him for asking, but the impulse died mere seconds later. "Yes," he mumbled dismissively, "I'm fine. Are you ready?"

Yugi scrutinized him for a long minute. Then he nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm ready."

Yami tipped his head back further, braced his weight on his arms, and kicked off the ground. He rolled backwards a step and straightened halfway through the second, dusting himself off. Yugi let out a noise of something like surprise before looking him over. There was a tiny glint in his eyes that spoke of arousal, but it was not so potent it made Yami anxious as usual. Instead the smaller boy blinked again, seemed to remember why they were out there, and wandered a few paces away. Yami followed faithfully, lazy as he trailed him.

"Okay, so—"

Yugi yelped when he swung at his face, narrowly dodging the blow. The small teen hurried back a few steps, visibly shaken by the lack of warning. Yami raised a brow and stared at him, patience swinging dangerously toward nonexistence.

"Fuck, whoa, hold on."

"Why? You said you wished to train." Yami swung again but didn't bother to make contact when Yugi failed to move in time. He stumbled back again, but it was a moment too late and Yami knew he would have broken his nose on impact with the blow if he hadn't stopped. "I was under the impression that meant now and as per usual."

Yugi cringed, eyes wide and flickering as they searched his face. For a long moment he remained in stance to flee, but it dropped away when he saw Yami was no longer posed to strike again. He eventually straightened, exhaled slowly, and then nodded.

"You're right. I shouldn't have expected you to wait. Let's do this then."

Yami raised a brow and waited for him to say something else. But the moment passed. Yugi waited, taking on a more defensive position than Yami truly cared for. The taller teen paced in a circle around him, taking note of the apparent weaknesses in his stance. Yugi was leaning more heavily on his right leg than his left and his shoulders were tightened to lead into a quick dodge to the right. Yami feinted a punch to the left, spinning as he kicked with his right leg. Yugi yelped, sailing several yards and landing on his back. His legs flailed in the air for a moment before he managed to kick himself back into a crouch.

Yami kicked at his face and Yugi managed to block the blow. He punched. Yami caught his arm and twisted. Yugi yelped again, obviously startled. He tugged, pulling Yugi to his feet. The small teen was clearly more disoriented than even he'd realized. He was dragged up and forward a few steps and Yami used the momentum to simply throw him. Yugi hit the ground, rolled several times, and groaned as he stumbled to his feet.

"What? No follow up?" he teased when he'd caught his breath. He fiddled with dusting snow from his shirt and looked at Yami from beneath his lashes. The taller boy tilted his head and stared at him in bewilderment. "I thought you were going to train me."

He huffed, crossed the yard toward him, and sent him to the ground with a spinning kick. Yami looked at him as Yugi grunted, then kicked him hard in the ribs when he tried to get up. The smaller teen cursed under his breath, but used the momentum to roll over and climb to his feet. He kicked at him, returning the blow, but Yami barely had to move to evade it. He stepped back, then snatched his arm behind him and twisted again. Yugi yelped and hit the side of the house face-first when Yami shoved him.

He grabbed him again, pulling him from the wall. Yugi blinked, turning his head just enough to look at him. Yami caught his arm, narrowed his eyes, stepped back, and kicked again. Yugi spun in the air sideways, as if he were a toy that had been carelessly tossed. He hit the ground with a gasp, panted for air, groaned, curled up on his side, and then struggled for his feet.

Yami kicked again, spinning. Yugi dodged back at the last second, though he lost his footing and hit the ground. He scrambled to his full height. Yami hesitated a moment, studying him.

What was this going to do for him?

If Yami broke every bone in his body, what did it prove?

He didn't understand. Yugi was clearly going through further withdrawal. His hands had begun shaking at some point. His breathing was rapid and shallow. His legs occasionally bent as if they were attempting to buckle beneath him.

And yet he was still waiting.

He was waiting for Yami to move again.

He grunted and lashed out. His foot made contact with Yugi's leg. The smaller teen buckled, one knee hitting the ground. The other remained awkwardly bent and raised, as if he were performing a squat. Yami kicked again, hitting him squarely in the chest and sending him on his back once more. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanked him off his feet, and then threw him again. Yugi rolled, grunted, groaned, and climbed unsteadily up again.

Yami stalked toward him. Yugi blocked the first punch, but couldn't stop the next. Yami hit him hard enough his head snapped back. Then he caught his arm, tugged, and threw him onto his back. Had they been on the driveway, Yugi would have felt the blow as if he'd never had snow to cushion it. The ground was far more forgiving, though not enough that Yugi didn't whimper and curl up for a single second.

He was resilient.

Yami would give him that.

Even with a gushing faucet of blood from his nose, Yugi still got up and stared at him with that same determined expression.

Yami didn't know whether to be encouraged or disgusted.

"Can we stop yet, or did you want me to throw you around some more?"

The smaller teen snorted. Yami watched a bubble of blood pop in front of his nose. Yugi looked mortified. Yami had the strangest urge to reach over and wipe the blood away with his thumb.

"Oh, that's disgusting." Yugi wiped at his face frantically and Yami had to smother laughter at his horrified expression. After a moment he straightened again, flustered but easily still determined. "Okay, I'm good. Let's keep going."

Yami almost hated him. He didn't want to keep hurting him. Yugi was visibly still unsteady and training like this would not help him in any manner. Yami swung for his face again. Yugi barely managed to raise his arms in time to block the blow. He hit him in the rib and when Yugi's arms dropped, punched him in the face. Yugi nearly toppled over, but the blow to his stomach made him bend the opposite direction. It just barely kept him from landing on his back again.

Yami grabbed him by the shirt, pulled, and threw him into the side of the house again. Yugi took longer this time to get up. He curled his arms inward, hissing with pain, and slowly raised his head to look at him. One arm wrapped delicately around his ribs. The other slowly hoisted him up enough to at least sit. He shoved himself more upright after a minute of bracing his weight there. Then he panted, gulping in air, and got to a seated position. It took another long few minutes for him to get up, arm still wrapped around his ribs, the other pushing and legs scrambling for footing.

Yami watched him, tilting his head. It was a more predatory response than he would have liked. He could feel his skin twitching and his blood too warm in his veins. His mouth tasted dry and his fingers twitched as he studied him. He hated the realization his instincts almost screamed for him to put Yugi out of his misery. It was like watching an animal suffer and seize as its life gave out.

Clearly the situations were entirely different.

But Yami's frustration made it hard to differentiate. His anger made it too hard to fully focus on simply training. His anxiety danced beneath the surface at full force, coaxing him to react more viciously than necessary to protect himself. Watching Yugi like this did not invoke pity.

It enraged him.

Yami stepped back twice, shaking his head roughly.

Yugi shouldn't have done this. He shouldn't have done something so stupid. And he shouldn't have asked to be trained so soon.

He should have insisted the contrary. He should have fought him more.

Yugi was watching him intently now, as if he understood then what was going through his head. He blinked at him, bristling faintly. "Yami."

He wasn't going to give up yet.

Yami could see it on his face.

He huffed, then kicked him hard in the side. The force sent Yugi stumbling several feet but somehow he kept his footing. He gasped and panted and Yami could still hear the bone crunching from the force. He backed up a step, swallowing hard and trying to reign in his anger.

It was harder than he'd assumed. And he had to clench his jaws to keep from lunging again.

Yugi kicked at him, missing. And then he spun, trying again. Yami ducked beneath the blow and shoved his hip. Yugi startled, not hurt by the movement, but still hit the ground and huffed with frustration. He lay there and then rolled over onto his back, grunting, "Fuck, okay, I'm done. I give up. We can try again later."

Yami found himself even more infuriated.

"Later?" he spat. "What do you mean 'later'?"

Yugi didn't raise his head or attempt to get to his feet. "In about an hour," he answered without a single bit of anger or frustration to his voice, "we'll try again."

Yami barked a laugh. "You can barely breathe properly but you expect me to want to train you again later?" he snapped. "What the actual fuck is wrong with you?"

Now Yugi sat up and looked at him, blue-violet eyes wide and searching. "Yami, I have to do this," he mumbled. "I can't afford to rest. I'll heal. The wounds aren't permanent."

He bristled. "If I kill you, they will be."

Yugi raised a brow and looked him over. Then he dropped backward again, humming. "That's true, but I trust you not to."

"Why? I don't trust myself."

There was a long minute of silence.

"Then…I'll just have to trust you for the both of us."

Yami bore his teeth in a silent snarl and didn't respond, shaking his head roughly. Yugi remained quiet, eyes shooting to his after a moment as he slowly sat up. He blinked, ran a hand through his hair, and mumbled, "Can you help me up?"

He wanted to lash out. Instead he exhaled slowly, watching him pointedly for a few seconds. He needed his help? He asked his aid in getting to his feet? Yami was unsure how to respond to the request. His stomach churned and twitched. His mouth was dry, tasting foul and pasty. He forced himself forward a step, heart racing for a single second in his chest. He wanted for a moment to lunge and snap his teeth at him.

But it passed as he got closer.

Yugi needed him. He needed his help. And whether he was tired or not meant nothing. Yugi trusted him. And he'd always helped him when Yami needed it. He'd never had to beg him for anything. He'd never been left wanting of anything.

And if Yugi could do that for him, why could he not do the same?

Yami got to his side for a moment, then straddled his pelvis where he stood above him. Yugi looked up at him, eyes lightening with relief upon seeing him there, and raised his hand. The red-eyed teen reached forward to meet him halfway, hesitating for a single moment. And then Yugi's hand slipped into his. Somehow the warmth of his open palm and soft skin was enough to make his anger melt away.

Yami clenched his fingers around his hand, grasping tightly yet gently. Yugi's fingers wriggled and wove themselves between his. He folded them across the back of his own, squeezing in turn, and Yami held him there. He didn't move to help him to his feet for another minute. Yugi watched him, looking more tired than anything, though the warmth never left his eyes. He squeezed gently again and Yami pulled him slowly to his feet.

He caught his hip with his other hand to steady him when he stumbled. Yugi leaned against him, burying his face in his neck as if he meant to embrace him. Yami froze for a moment, unable to breathe before Yugi exhaled and laughed awkwardly against his skin. His hand squeezed his almost painfully for a moment.

"This is way more exhausting than I thought it would be."

Yami tried not to dig his nails into his flesh in reprimand, frustration making his entire body hot. He ground his teeth together, narrowing his eyes. "Why?"

Yugi didn't have any problem understanding what he was asking. But it seemed he had trouble finding the words to answer him. He was silent for a long time, then leaned forward until they were so close Yami swore their hearts were almost pressed together. His breath came out in a small, gentle sigh, and he mumbled, "Because I can."

He bristled and fought the urge to shove him off.

"And, because…I need every advantage I can get, Yami. I'm not infallible yet. And this will definitely help."

He blinked, opening and closing his mouth so forcefully his jaw clicked and his teeth ended up chomping next to Yugi's ear. The other boy didn't flinch, but rather snorted softly as if Yami had made a joke of some kind. He sighed a moment later, almost sagging into him when his knees abruptly quaked and nearly gave out beneath him.

"Atem…isn't infallible." Yami pressed his lips into a thin line. "He's more…indestructible."

Yugi snorted against his skin, a soft and easy gust of air that tickled the column of his throat. "I certainly don't feel indestructible right now."

"Considering I threw you across the yard, I wouldn't say you did, either."

Yugi laughed at the wry remark, then somehow snuggled further into him, as if he were trying to press them both into one person. Yami didn't know whether he should pull away or leave him as he was. Yugi made the decision a minute later, slowly disentangling himself from his grip and stepping back. He was still slightly wobbly but not enough to fall. Yami was almost amazed by how well Yugi held himself together now that he'd had a moment's reprieve. Upon catching his breath he was more stable and even looked as if he were holding his head slightly higher, almost like he was proud of himself.

There was the smallest bead of warmth that formed in Yami's chest at the sight. But it faded when he remembered just why Yugi had needed that minute to catch his breath and recover. He fought a scowl, swallowed some bitterness that made his blood feel colder than ice, and followed him into the house when Yugi began walking away.

When he shut the door behind him, Yugi looked over his shoulder at him. He looked as if he wanted to say something, eyes locked on his and mouth halfway into an "o" shape. He seemed to remember himself at the last moment, however, and closed his mouth before pulling it into a strained smile. He turned away again almost immediately, wandering into the examination room without a second look.


The second training session went much like the first. Yami found himself so enraged he'd gone through with his decision to repeat his previous offense that he'd lashed out before he'd even thought it through. Yugi was tossed, kicked, punched, flipped through the air, and even pinned with a shoe to his neck. He always felt as if each hit broke a bone, burned his flesh, truly devastated him. And yet somehow Yugi always got up again. He might have stumbled along, but he would get up without fail, be it a minute or five later, and look at him to encourage him to do it again.

Yami had helped him up, but Yugi hadn't leaned on him then. He'd merely grasped his hand, straightened, and watched him with the oddest look on his face that Yami couldn't explain.

The third session was much akin the second, and the fourth the third. The fifth had marked improvement, in which Yugi was able to dodge several of his hits but not deliver his own. The sixth he managed to actually hit Yami hard enough to throw him backwards, but the move winded him so badly he'd dropped to his knees and panted with his mouth open wide and an arm wrapped around his stomach. He'd gone into a retching, choking fit for a few minutes then, but had recovered all the same.

It was the tenth session that changed things.

Yami supposed intensive training hour by hour would do that. Even with a brief thirty minute resting session between each beating, Yugi was improving in leaps and bounds. He, on the other hand, was losing his mind more and more frequently. He could feel it when his temper rose, always beneath the surface but close enough to charge his punches with force he didn't need. He bore his teeth behind his lips and clenched his jaw hard enough to feel one crack. His bones sometimes ground when he unclenched it and his spine felt as if it were burning at times.

Yugi dodged the punch Yami threw at his head. The red-eyed teen caught the snap kick aimed for his chin. He held Yugi's sneaker in his hands. Then he shoved him backwards a few steps. Yugi caught his footing almost instantly. But there was a single second where he teetered between balance and falling over. Yami took that moment to unclench his jaw for what felt the millionth time that hour.

Yugi blocked the punch. Then he roundhouse kicked. Yami blocked the kick and shoved him back a step again. Yugi punched again. Yami caught the punch and jerked him toward him. Yugi yelped, startled, and Yami kicked him in the back of the leg. Yugi huffed, thrown to the ground, and Yami pressed his foot lightly against his knee.

"That would have snapped your leg in half," he hummed, stepping away from him a pace. He grabbed him, throwing him onto his back, and looked him over. "You realize I could have disemboweled, tore your neck open, stomped your chest in, or crushed your head, right?"

Yugi blinked up at him, grunted, and kicked himself to his feet. "Yeah," he mumbled dejectedly, "I'm aware."

Yami nodded and stepped away a few paces. Yugi dusted himself off for a moment, clearly trying to think of a new strategy to come at him with. He puzzled over it, visibly disheartened for only a few seconds. Then he grinned and looked over.

"You're watching my shoulders," he laughed, eyes sparkling with mirth. "That's how you're figuring out which way I'm going to throw a punch or kick. I'm leading with my shoulders."

"Yes," he agreed, shifting his weight and moving to bounce of the balls of his feet for a moment. Yugi watched him, intense and boring into his skin, and smiled slightly at the admission. "You lead too obviously. And I can tell by the way you distribute your weight how you will swing and what direction."

Yugi pursed his lips and looked him over. When Yami shifted his weight again, his blue-violet gaze dropped from his shoulders and face to his stomach. He tilted his head, puzzling as if he were unsure why his instincts were focused on something other than his limbs or face. Then he blinked and raised his eyes.

"You're not leading with anything." He tilted his head and frowned. "But your stomach tightens every time you move."

"It's the core of your balance. That's what you actually want to watch if you're looking for a lead from anyone. As a wolf it's easier to watch the back and the foreshoulders." Yami could see something moving in his eyes, expression becoming almost cunning as he considered him more intently. "The muscles at the center of the stomach as a human are almost impossible to mislead an opponent with. A wolf's back is the easiest cue to follow, because the stomach and the foreshoulders are easier to use to feint with."

Yugi looked him over more intently than ever, expression boring into him and making his stomach roll. "Show me."

Yami blinked, puzzled for a single second. He frowned, considering, and then finally shifted his weight. He bounced on the balls of his feet, trying to figure out what position he needed for any series of blows he might inflict. Then he punched.

Yugi dodged it by a single millimeter. His eyes brightened and his face twisted with a huge grin. "Holy shit! I saw it!" he crowed, letting out a small breathless laugh. "The muscles on your collarbone tightened and then your shoulder dropped just the tiniest bit."

He nodded and shifted his weight. A human wouldn't have been able to understand what they were seeing. The blow would have been too fast for their eyes to properly track. It would have looked as if Yami had struck out without a single warning. In truth, if Yugi had been watching more than his face the entire time, he would have caught onto it regardless. But showing it so openly now made Yami's stomach churn more violently and his jaw clenched with frustration and the smallest inkling of fear.

He shouldn't have shown him. If Yugi turned on him for whatever reason, he'd he able to read which direction he would dodge or lash out. And if he knew that, he basically knew how to counter or kill him if he got the chance.

He suppressed a shiver and backed away a step, stomach knotting and pressing painfully into his diaphragm. He swallowed hard and watched as Yugi considered him with a more cautious expression.

"Yami?"

He grunted, unable to make his jaw work long enough to speak.

"Aibou…" Yugi let out a small sigh. "Do you want to stop?"

He shook his head, frustrated with himself more than the question. Yugi was just being thoughtful and he could clearly see the struggle he felt brewing beneath the surface. He shouldn't have been angry with him, nor bitter about it. But there was an rancid taste on his tongue and he felt furious for a single moment before he looked away. He exhaled deeply through his nose.

"No, no, let's keep going."

Yugi returned the exact same blow Yami had shown in demonstration. The smaller teen mimicked him so precisely Yami almost did not notice until the last second that he was using his left fist. The red-eyed teen didn't dodge it, however, startled more by the realization than he'd originally considered. He brushed his jaw against his collarbone, trying and failing to ignore the ache that came through his teeth from the force in the blow. He stretched and rolled his neck, trying to force away the compulsion to lash out blindly.

Yugi dodged and kicked. Yami took the blow to the side of the ribs, flipped in the air from the force, and landed on his back. He huffed, surprised by how winded he abruptly was, and sprang to his feet again. Yugi watched the fluid motion with an appreciative eye, mouth curling partially into a small grin.

"Nice."

It took him a moment to realize he was teasing. Yami snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's always been nice." He felt some of his frustration drain away as he wiggled his hips and watched Yugi's eyes nearly pop out of his head with surprise. "I've got a nice ass."

Yugi burst out laughing, nodding, and looked away. "I can definitely appreciate it."

Yami opened his mouth to answer, perhaps to tease or maybe to tell him to focus again. But the noise died in his throat. His skin felt cold and pinched and his stomach churned again. He lowered his eyes and shifted his stance once more.

Yugi swung again. Yami dodged, dancing aside the next series of blows. Kicks were caught, legs pulled out from beneath him. Yugi would land with a grunt, hiss, or grumble. Then he'd immediately spring back up and come back for more.

But Yami could feel it. There was something untethered and tired and almost wild in his head. The initial flinch he'd felt at Yugi flirting with him had faded to nothing. And now he felt as if his tongue were glued to the roof of his mouth. His lips twitched and threatened to curl. A snarl bubbled in his chest. His muscles were becoming sore and tired, strained from abuse. He'd been tense while Yugi rested, some innate fear threatening to smother him at any moment should Yugi so much as make a gesture in his miniscule naps.

He'd expected him to die, in truth. And he'd been unable to stop himself worrying. He'd watched and stared and listened and strained his senses until he felt his skin was on fire and his head might split in two.

The tension had finally taken its toll. He could feel it now. He was running out of stamina. He was running on pure will, and his will was dangerously close to his temper. The two were almost merging, frayed and intertwined and burning where they met.

Yugi moved, hand shooting out. It was only instinct that allowed Yami to block the blow to his face. He pivoted sharply, moving behind him. Yugi whirled. Yami ducked under his arm, headbutting him in the stomach.

Yugi yelped. He staggered back a few feet. Then he blinked and stared, raising a brow in surprise. Yami drew in a deep breath. His first impulse had, admittedly, been to sink his teeth into his stomach. From there he could have easily eviscerated him. It had only been the realization that he was mock fighting that had saved Yugi.

"What was that?" Yugi asked, considering him with a confused expression.

Yami faltered for a moment, trying to think of a lie. "A headbutt, clearly," he snorted, lunging again.

Yugi dodged nimbly. His fist caught Yami's ear as he passed. He landed awkwardly, thrown off by the blow. But he still spun in order to avoid the next. Yugi's fist whistled past him. He grazed his side, fingers catching his shirt.

"Missed," Yami muttered. He swung, punching him soundly in the face.

Yugi flew backwards. He hit the ground with a crunch. Yami leaped, his greater weight stopping Yugi from squirming free. He gripped his shoulders, smirking down at him. He could smell the arousal now, thick and heady.

"Scared?" he teased.

And he didn't know when he started leaning forward, just that he had. Their noses were almost touching. Their faces were mere centimeters apart.

But a small sense of fear crept through him.

He jerked back. Yugi crawled from beneath him, a slightly hurt but mostly concerned look on his face. When he shifted closer, Yami kicked at him. He missed by inches, but it was enough to make him stop short.

"You okay?"

Bracing his hands against the ground, Yami hauled himself back to his feet. For a moment he thought to speak, maybe to explain or perhaps to simply deflect, but the desire died quickly and his lungs felt too tight in his chest. He straightened, dusting himself off.

"What? You don't want to train anymore?" Yugi asked, eyes full of concern.

"No, not really." Yami glanced up after a moment. He hated the anxiety he saw in Yugi's face, the clear concern and bewilderment. "I really don't want to."

There was a long moment of silence. Yami hated himself for glancing in Yugi's direction, for looking at his face again. It made his chest ache that Yugi didn't even seem hurt by the abrupt ending to their training. He seemed more upset and disappointed.

But it wasn't directed toward Yami.

And he hated that.


Yami stirred awake with a grunt, eyes snapping open in the dark. Yugi was hovering over him, one hand still touching his shoulder and the other braced almost instinctively across his bent knee, as if he were afraid Yami might lash out as he regained consciousness. He blinked, eyes darting across the room for a few moments. He could smell it again, but Yugi looked almost…okay.

"Hey, you were whimpering in your sleep."

He tried to remember what he'd been dreaming about, disoriented and cold as he struggled to recollect. But there was nothing he could grasp. And he felt the smallest inkling of distress still under his skin. He didn't know what it pertained to, but it was there all the same.

He shifted his weight to sit up, the movement sloppy and somewhat weak. He shivered and raised his eyes, feeling almost sick as he considered the other teen. He had the smallest, most terrible thought to simply reach forward and end it all. If Yugi was gone, then there was nothing to hold him there. And then there would be nothing to make him want to survive and—

He tilted his head and watched Yugi as the smaller boy studied him curiously. He leaned forward, reaching out before he thought it through. The smaller teen never said a word. He merely watched him, then leaned into his fingers when Yami touched his cheek. His fingers drifted unconsciously toward his pulse point, hovering gently there to remind himself he was still there. Yugi was there. He was alive.

He was staring at him.

He was warm and soft.

And he was worried about him again.

He wondered how Yugi managed to care so much for someone bound to get him killed. He wondered how he managed to be so concerned about someone who might just kill him.

He wondered what kind of courage that took.

He wondered how much fear.

And then he shrugged it away.

"Aibou?"

"I'm fine," he snapped before he could stop himself. Yugi visibly faltered at his tone, bewildered rather than cautious. His skin trembled under his fingertips where they lingered across his jugular. Yami almost shivered in turn, somehow delighted by the sensation. "I'm okay. I guess I was just having a nightmare."

"You don't remember it?"

He shook his head, chewing the inside of his cheek as Yugi's pulse jumped beneath his fingers and the sound of his quickened heartbeat made his belly warm with approval. The smell was just enough to make his mouth water for a moment before he shrugged it away and shifted to scoot back from him. Yugi pulled away to give him more space to get comfortable and Yami drew his legs up to momentarily wrap his arms around them.

He wondered what Yugi would think if he knew half of what went on in his mind.

"Are we training again?"

Yugi was silent for a long handful of seconds. Then he exhaled slowly and hummed, "If you're up for it. But I won't push you. I figured I would let you rest a while." He smiled when Yami raised his eyes from his knees to look at him. "I know you're uncomfortable and this upsets you, so I don't want to force you to do this if you're not up to it right now."

"I wasn't up to it earlier, either."

"No, but I at least could rely on your anger to be tempered earlier. Now it's not so contained. You're clearly pissed and I can tell by the way you touched my neck and shivered that you're doing a lot worse then you're letting on right now."

He snorted. "You shouldn't pay so much attention."

Yugi didn't say the words, but they hovered between them like a puff of air. He smiled wryly and turned away. "For the record, though, doing this isn't nearly as hard as you might think." He fell backwards and spread his arms out to the sides. His voice was warm and soft and gentle. "I think I have all the right reasons."


Yami grunted when he took another punch. Yugi had changed trajectory at the last second. He'd caught him under his arm. And at least one of Yami's ribs had creaked beneath the force. Yugi looked slightly mortified. Yami blinked once, then sprang forward.

Yugi evaded his hands. He slipped inside his charge. His hands grasped his shirt. He stepped back, using his momentum. He seemed almost to collapse. And one of his feet rose to drive into his gut. Yugi curled himself into an almost fetal position beneath him. His bottom hit the ground and he catapulted Yami with a kick. Yami sailed through the air, hitting the side of the house soundly. Yugi followed through with the rolling movement. He straightened even as Yami blinked and raised his head with a dazed expression.

Yugi grinned at him sloppily, laughing at his bewilderment. It almost looked like Yami truly couldn't grasp how he had been thrown like that. But it passed. The red-eyed boy blinked twice, snorted, got to his feet to dust himself off, and looked at him with clear approval on his face.

"You're far faster than you used to be."

Yugi felt warm everywhere, as if his blood had been lit with a fresh match. He trembled at the approval, unable to stop grinning. "Thanks. I try."

Yami snorted and wandered forward a few more steps. "Are you satisfied for this round?" he questioned. He pulled his phone out and glanced at the time as the screen lit up. Yugi felt the smallest, perhaps dumbest, burst of pride in his chest at the sight. Yami was truly using his phone. He'd never really done so, and now it made his heart skip a beat to see it. "It's almost three in the morning. We can rest a couple of hours and come back to this later."

The pride evaporated. No; they really couldn't. He could let Yami rest. But until he was sure, he couldn't retire. He couldn't afford to take a break for longer than necessary. And what was necessary was thirty minutes from every hour. He couldn't afford more. He didn't know if it was a fluke that he was doing so well or not. And until he had proof he was adapting, he couldn't risk loss of stamina in this experiment of his.

Everything relied on this one strength.

Yugi hated himself for the fact, but there was nothing else.

He wouldn't come back if he died, and he didn't have the means to fight Yubel with all his various shortcomings. A hellhound was naturally a little more violent, a little more extreme, and she had the ability to send him into a seizing fit if she so wanted.

Immunity was the only upper hand he might come to possess later.

"I'll lay down with you for a little while," he said quietly when he realized Yami was eyeing him suspiciously, waiting for a response he knew he wasn't going to like. Yugi lowered his eyes and shifted his weight, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet before he exhaled slowly. "But I can't afford to rest."

"You also can't afford to drop dead from overexertion."

"And I won't. I'm still taking breaks, remember?"

Yami looked at him as if he wasn't sure what species he was, but he wanted it gone. It passed a single second later and he huffed as he turned away with a scowl. "Right," he grunted, "then we'll start again in thirty minutes."

"Aibou, if you're tired—"

"Who will you train against if you are alone?" Yami hissed. His head snapped around from where he'd been starting toward the door. His voice came out almost guttural with frustration, but Yugi couldn't be sure who it was aimed at. "You cannot stay inactive with that in your bloodstream. You will rot slowly but surely. Moving around makes your blood pump faster which means your cells circulate and can oxygenate and reduce the effects faster."

Yugi watched him for a long moment. His stomach knotted and he looked away, frowning and fighting away the urge to claw at his throat. He tugged the sleeve of his jacket and closed his eyes.

"You can nap, Yami, until I get back."

"Get back?" Now Yami turned all the way around, eyes wide and mystified but growing rapidly alarmed as well. He opened and closed his mouth, shaking his head slowly. "Where are you…?"

"I need to get more."

It took a moment for the words to process. Yami stared at him in utter mysticism, almost as if he were panicked Yugi meant to run off without him. He'd seemed openly lost and maybe a bit more fractured than Yugi had previously understood. And then he blinked. The words processed. He frowned minutely, tilting his head.

"And you do not want me to come."

He wanted nothing more in the world than for Yami to just stay with him forever. It didn't matter if it was for five minutes he'd be away, or an hour or a night or twenty years. He wanted Yami at his side no matter what, forever and ever.

But he couldn't put him through that.

He knew just how badly Yami would take it. The entire situation would destroy him. He'd spiral down farther than ever and Yugi wasn't sure he'd be able to dig himself out of that grave then.

He shook his head. "I do, but you can't."

Yami stared at him for a long minute. His jaw clenched, then unclenched. His eyes lowered to the ground. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but he seemed to understand all the same. He nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line that showed his vivid frustration. Yugi wondered if he was disappointed he couldn't help him. He swallowed hard as Yami nodded again and turned away with a grimace.

"Right. I'm sorry."

"You're my aibou," Yugi said, wanting to tell him he was sorry instead. But he knew it would upset Yami if he were to do so. Yugi closed his eyes halfway and smiled softly. Yami was watching him with a half-disappointed but mostly uncertain look. "You don't have to apologize. And I won't hold your trauma against you. You know that."

Yami studied him, then nodded slowly again. "Yes."

"And you trust me to come back here to you?"

He stared at him in surprise for what seemed a lifetime.

"I… Yes. I…" Yami raised his shoulders as if to shield his throat. "I trust you. I trust you more than anyone."

"Then I'll be back in little over an hour."

"Don't… For my sake, Yugi, please. Just…don't."

He didn't have to ask what he meant. He nodded, smiled, touched his wrist lightly with his fingers, and murmured, "I won't. I'll come back and then we'll train some more. Rest until then, okay?"

Yami frowned but didn't argue. Yugi turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction.


Is this going to do anything? Yusei asked, peering at the river water with a furrowed brow. Yami's cage mate had taken a seat next to him, eyes locked on the same spot as his own. But their images were mixed and overlapping, the water rippling with pictures Yusei hadn't summoned and the other simply accepted.

It'll have to, he said, but his voice was quiet and cold and he looked distressed enough to tremble. Yusei stared at him for a moment and then lowered his eyes again.

Yami was seizing in his sleep, clawing and twisting in unnatural spasms. His mouth foamed with bile, a hideous and rancid looking yellow and his jaw clenched sharply. He twitched and jerked and shook and then, finally, with a guttural noise like a roar, his eyes snapped open. His irises were all but glowing and when he drew his lips back, his gums were eerily white. He straightened after a moment from his haphazard position on the floor and rose awkwardly to his full height.

Yusei couldn't be sure, but something about the way Yami moved didn't seem quite like the red-eyed teen. It was almost mechanical and he seemed as if he didn't recognize his surroundings for what appeared the longest time. And why wouldn't he recognize where he was? He'd been there so long it didn't make sense he didn't understand.

But his eyes flickered and danced across the room. His fingers traced a few of the tools left around atop the counters. His steps were somewhat heavy and yet noticeably light, like a predator that had no reason to control its weight but could easily do so at any moment. He strode rather purposeless around the room once, pacing almost like a caged animal, and then finally stopped. His head snapped up, eyes almost glowing as he considered his query with an intense stare.

And then it abruptly passed.

Yusei watched every single muscle in Yami's body lose its tension. He relaxed fully, as if he'd forgotten he was a predator to begin with, and almost sprinted for the front door.

Yugi must be home, Yusei snickered, wagging his tail. Yami's cage mate snorted and nodded, lips drawing back into a mild grin. I never noticed how much of a focal point Yugi is in his life beforehand.

He didn't let any of you see it while in the pack. He's constantly walking on eggshells and trying to reign in his temper because of the pressure he feels around the other wolves. His cage mate flicked his ears but didn't look away as Yami and Yugi began talking about something Yusei couldn't quite make out. He couldn't focus well enough to hear conversations; it was apparently a learned trick. The wolf beside him recognized every word coming from their mouths as if they were in the same room, but Yusei could barely grasp at words when he tried to read their lips. Yugi openly expresses it, but Yami is and always has been overtly cautious about connections to others.

Yusei flicked an ear and glanced over when he heard water sloshing. His eyes zeroed in on the other wolf's tail where it was rapidly wagging.

What did they say?

Yami admitted he's having a problem coping with being in the house again.

And that's a good thing?

He's processing again! He's been struggling to admit that to himself since they set foot in there.

But I thought… Yusei tilted his head. Yugi almost had a panic attack when he finally stopped cleaning, right? And Yami made up that little spot in the exam rooms for them. So what…?

He wasn't processing it for himself. He was shouldering it and trying to make it possible to comfort Yugi. If he focuses on someone else, he can do almost anything outside of his comfort zone. There's never been a problem he couldn't solve for someone else. For himself he can barely take a minute to relax and evaluate problems.

It won't last long, a new voice growled; Yusei turned his head in surprise and bristled faintly when he saw Seto standing at the bank. His blue eyes were frosty and his stance was stiff, entire body wired as if he might lunge. Yami's cage mate didn't pay him any mind and Yusei forced himself to turn away as well. He's never been good at facing things head-on.

And you blame him for that.

Who else is there to? You act as if we all played a role in his cowardice. And perhaps you did, but I did not.

Yusei flicked an ear and looked between them awkwardly. In the water, Yugi was talking with his head tilted and warm eyes. Yami was studying him with an expression he couldn't quite read, something sharp and restrained and perhaps slightly agitated.

What did he say that upset Yami?

Yami's not upset. He's listening and calculating what Yugi is saying to him. His cage mate turned to Seto. Are you coming to watch or are you just here to talk shit? I don't truly care for violence, but I can beat you down just like Yugi did.

That was a fluke, Seto snarled, chomping his teeth. And you would be so lucky. Yugi managed to catch me off guard.

I don't know how, Yami's cage mate said with a snicker. Where Yami is, he tends to be as well.

He was awake!

And? Anyone knows better than to assume Yugi couldn't figure out how to go between like Yami did. If he can wake himself up before he even heals, who's to say Yugi can't do the exact same?

Seto huffed so loudly Yusei couldn't fight the impulse to look over. Yugi; right, magical fucking Yugi, he spat. Because what can one do that the other can't?

Yusei felt a small ripple of anxiety creep through him, so odd and new now that he was dead that it made his skin crawl and his fur rise in a brief bristle. He blinked as it passed, but the churn of his stomach continued for a single moment. What could one do that the other couldn't? There was a lot, in truth. Yugi was stable and Yami couldn't find that footing to balance upon. Yugi could fight Yubel with a chance of victory whereas Yami's stamina failed him each time. Yugi had friends he could rely on, whereas Yami was too fearful to forge such relationships with anyone but the smaller teen. Yugi had rallied the pack behind him through leadership, yet Yami demanded their respect due only to his willingness to fight Yubel and Sartorius.

Yugi would survive if Yami was struck down, even if the other boy could not rise again. Yusei had the startling thought Yami never could have done the same. He'd crack and rot and disappear.

And Yusei wasn't sure what would happen then.

There's a lot Yugi can do that Yami can't and vice versa, the green-eyed wolf answered calmly, turning away with a dismissive grunt. But you've only tried to measure them where their strengths fail. You've never bothered actually understanding the situation further.

Atem isn't as he should be. I understand that much, Seto snapped. Yusei watched him take a step toward the water, bristling as his mouth opened in a wide snarl. It is you who seems to be forgetting it.

No, I know exactly how stunted they both are. In the end, however, we'll have to see. I don't know who will survive the ordeal.

If one of them falls, the other will not be far behind.

Yami's cage mate turned his head then, snorting, It shows how well you understand the situation. No, Seto, Yami might not be able to deal with it, but Yugi would be able to push it under just long enough. You still don't understand what measures he's willing to go to. He looked away again, then wagged his tail rapidly again. Yusei glanced into the water as well then, unsure what had gotten him so excited.

Yami was staring at Yugi with something of a puzzled but warm expression, the slightest hint of a grin tugging the right side of his mouth. Yusei wondered what had been said, but Yami's cage mate was too exuberant and far too pleased for him to want to interrupt his focus. It was a long moment later that Yami laughed and Yugi grinned like a schoolboy, more than slightly pleased with himself.

It's always good to see them relaxing a little, even if it doesn't always last. Yugi got him laughing, though, which is amazing considering the state he just woke up in. Yusei wasn't sure if he wanted to ask what had been said or not, but decided instead to simply wag his tail. Yami's cage mate never lifted his eyes from the water. I'm glad they're working together, instead of what Fenrir and Lupa had originally planned.

Originally planned?

Yami was going to cross paths with Yugi when he was already acting as Atem. Because of his hatred for everything related to the subject, he would have killed him upon meeting.

The yearling froze, stunned. What?! No way!

What does it matter what they'd planned formerly? It didn't happen, Seto growled, making Yusei turn to look at him over his shoulder again. Although, truthfully, if I were the gods, I would have ensured it did. Yami would be far stronger on his own.

He'd have headed back to the labs if he'd been alone for so long. The entire purpose of killing Yugi in the original timeline would have been to force Yami to go back to the labs when the packs turned on him. He'd have gone back and gotten captured and tortured.

Perhaps he would deserve that then.

Both Yusei and Yami's cage mate turned their heads to stare at him now. The yearling bristled, infuriated, and the older wolf at his side trembled with rage.

What? He's useless no matter which way you look at it!

Interesting words.

Yusei froze, then flattened his ears and ducked his head respectfully to look at the unnaturally large black wolf that had approached during the growing argument. He didn't acknowledge him in any manner, but the yearling still kept his head lowered and hunched his limbs though he didn't feel comfortable crouching in the water.

Seto flinched and ducked his head, following Yusei's example of submission. My apologies—

Don't grovel at me, the wolf spat, peeling his lips back to show his brilliant teeth. The disdain was clear on his face when he turned toward Yami's cage mate behind the yearling. I find Yami quite interesting, even if he is not so powerful as he was meant to be. I can understand your draw to save him, though I must say I'd be rather lacking in my favor after.

The green-eyed wolf shook his head. He's my little ruby, he stated, turning away. He might be scared right now, but he'll find strength later.

So, I've been told. It's rather interesting just how terrible a creature he truly is when he needs to be. The wolf snorted a breath, then chuckled. He snapped Obelisk's neck as if he were a common dog. He endured hideous experiments and punishments from the moment he was born. He jumps between life and death by his own will. He's learned to utilize pain to heal himself faster. He's pressed the barriers until they've broken, and he's suffered for doing the things meant to be beyond his capabilities. Truthfully, if nothing else, he's useful in the matter of entertainment.

Yusei flinched at the cold statement. The black canine lowered his eyes to his, staring at his irises rather than challenging him. But Yusei still felt his legs tremble and nearly buckle beneath the weight of his gaze.

I think Atem is as he should be, he continued after a moment, the words sounding oddly wistful, though I do wish he was more…ruthless, as he was meant to be. His mercy now makes my flesh crawl.

Seto huffed. Even you're disappointed with him.

No, not quite…disappointed. The black wolf turned his head now, though he tipped it toward the sky rather than the brown-furred canine. I am more…expectant. The things to come will be glorious. I've tasted the power they'll possess and I cannot wait until the world feels it.

Yusei couldn't help but tremble.


Yugi spun, kicking. Yami dodged back, blinking in surprise. Yugi grinned. The taller boy considered him curiously for a moment, then furrowed his brows. "What?" he finally mumbled. He swung and Yugi ducked away.

"You used to always get me on the kicks. Now you don't."

"Can't," Yami corrected him. He ducked a roundhouse kick aimed for his head. "I can't get you on the kicks. You move too fast now for me to do that."

The words visibly stunned the smaller teen. His eyes grew owlish, mouth opening and closing. Then he blinked, grinned, and his entire face lit up. Yami watched as he absorbed the praise, smiling a little wider, and ducked a kick again.

"Holy shit. I'm getting faster."

Yami tilted his head. "That's…what I just said, yes."

Yugi smiled at him, more than slightly pleased with himself. He didn't swing or kick again and Yami was almost relieved not to have to dodge so soon. Ever since they'd changed strategies and Yugi had become the aggressor for a few of the challenges, he'd been almost relentless. He hadn't landed a blow since earlier that day, when he'd punched him so hard in the rib Yami had collapsed on his back and been winded, curled up in a fetal position and struggling for air. Yugi had panicked. Yami had shoved him off and spat at him when he'd tried to grab him to check on him again. The lack of judgment and control had stunned them both, although Yami had cursed himself for his shortsightedness.

It had only been natural.

Yugi was gaining in speed and endurance from constant movement. Both had channeled into his physical strength. And Yami knew he should have been paying more attention, but somehow he'd overlooked it. Yugi had swung when Yami was trying to lunge. The result had been terrible and traumatic for Yugi, while Yami had simply thought himself stupid for forgetting.

"I know! I'm just…excited. That's really awesome!"

Yami frowned curiously. "It is," he agreed. "But the real question now becomes whether your healing is still impacted or not."

Yugi blinked, then halted his celebration of pretending to punch an imaginary opponent. Yami thought he remembered the phrase as "shadow boxing" but he couldn't be sure. People were weird. Their phrases were even weirder.

"How do you want to test that?"

Yami hated himself for the suggestion, but forced it from his throat regardless. "I think…that you should cut your wrist, from side to side, the moment you next dose yourself. I think that will be the best judge of ability."

The smaller teen frowned with a visibly startled expression. Then he nodded slowly, chewing his lip. "Okay. Yeah, that makes sense."

He didn't know whether to be relieved or frustrated when Yugi didn't ask if he'd help.


Yugi sorted his fingers through his hair again, listening to his even breathing as Yami kept his ear to his chest. He ran his nails over his scalp lightly, suppressing snickers when Yami pressed his weight further into Yugi's body. He was almost like a dog that leaned into someone when they were petting that one spot. He smiled faintly, comforted by the way Yami kept their breathing in sync. His eyes were half-closed when Yugi risked a peek, his entire body relaxed and calm like a content dog. His soft breathing and steady heartbeat made Yugi's entire body warm and holding him like this—arms around his shoulders as he burrowed into his chest, one leg twisted around his and the other bent so that his thigh pressed into his hip—made everything feel almost okay.

Yami had chosen the position when Yugi had taken a spot on the ground to inject himself again. The other boy had initially flinched when he'd watched, eyes dilating so that his irises were almost nonexistent. He'd stared at him blindly, trembling as Yugi watched him and called to him. It had been a miracle when the other boy had finally moved, though the action had been so violent and jerky Yugi had been scared he might lunge.

But Yami had gotten halfway to him, gotten on his knees, and crawled the rest of the way. He'd burrowed into his stomach, tangling himself forcefully. Yugi had let him, feeling Yami tremble more and more violently as time passed. Yami had finally forced him backwards the smallest bit more, until he could lay across him almost like a blanket. Then he'd settled, no longer shaking but occasionally breathing the smallest bit harder.

They'd been like this for over an hour now. And Yugi wanted to train again, but the way Yami still sometimes shivered made him unable to ask. He closed his eyes and threaded his fingers through his hair again. Yami let out a content noise, somewhere between a sigh and a purr, and shifted his weight against him once more. Yugi almost snorted, entire body warm with affection.

"Did you want to train again?"

Yugi paused sorting his fingers through his hair. "As a wolf?" he asked, frowning slightly. Yami had already said they likely didn't need more training like this, if only because of how keenly he'd progressed since their initial handful of sessions.

"Yes."

"Do you think I need to?"

Yami was quiet for a long time, then grunted, "Probably not. But I can't be sure. The wolf body is different; immunity in one form might not mean the same for the other. Antibodies sometimes get destroyed, so maybe you should…"

Yugi looked down at him, surprised to find the other boy staring at him. He hadn't felt him move or change position, so it was almost alien to see him like that. He wondered if he'd just been too caught up in his head to realize. But something in his eyes made Yugi's stomach twist faintly.

"And you will be fighting her as a wolf, yes?"

He had never even considered fighting her as a human. "Yeah."

"Then we should make sure your immunity is available in both forms."

He went to open his mouth, but Yami had pushed away from him entirely, disentangling as if they'd never been so close to begin with. He got up, wandered a few steps away, and stared at the syringe resting atop the counter near him. His lips twitched in something reminiscent of a snarl and his eyes shot to Yugi then.

"Change."

He froze, mouth opening and closing twice. "What? No. You're not doing this. I'll do it and then I'll change after."

"No, you'll change, and I'll do it. Changing will likely just push the poison from your system. And what purpose then would this have?"

"But you can't do this. I—"

"I can. I will." Yami stared at him with a somewhat cold expression, then closed his eyes. "I will be okay to do this. It is rather a question instead of where the injection site should be."

Yugi swallowed hard, wanting to argue once more. But he'd no longer have thumbs or a way to poison himself if he changed. He could break the syringe with his teeth, but ingestion was not the same. It would hit the bloodstream more slowly than a true injection, so the effects would be different due to the speed.

And who knew then if it would be an accurate judge of endurance?

He lowered his eyes. "I can ask Jonouchi to do it instead."

"I will do it. You simply have to tell me where."

Yugi felt as if his heart were in his throat. A small and unsteady throbbing began in his head. A sense of absolute dread filled his belly.

"I don't want to put you through that."

"It'll be fine."

"Yami."

It was the tone. He knew it was. Yami faltered in his intense staring, the harder stance he'd taken on. He blinked, expression softening slightly as Yugi stared back and found his hands almost trembling.

"I don't want to put you through that."

He searched his face, then exhaled slowly and looked away. "Yugi, you can't protect me from everything." He fell quiet for a long moment, raising his eyes to Yugi's again. "And I can handle this. It'll be okay."

Yugi chewed his cheek and watched his face for a long handful of seconds. "You'll tell me if it's too much?"

He nodded and looked over at the syringe. "I'll tell you."

"Yami."

"I swear to you, Yugi, I will tell you if I can't do this." Yami met his eyes and offered something of a tired smile. "I'm okay. I'm tired, but I'm okay."

He frowned, worrying his bottom lip. Yami simply peered at him in turn, expression somewhat soft but also flustered. Yugi searched his face, studying him intently and swallowing hard when he couldn't quite read him. He wasn't always the most open, but Yugi had prided himself in being able to read him formerly.

He was likely the only person besides his cage mate who could truly do it.

"We'll…I'll show you how to find the vein in my foreleg and we'll start there," he said, voice barely more than a whisper. "From there, we can move closer to the jugular."

Yami nodded slightly, an almost imperceptible action. "I don't think I'll change until we've moved to the jugular. You'll be most…accustomed by then to the poison and I don't want to try to train or fight with you until then."

Yugi wanted to smile but couldn't quite find the way to make his mouth pull up rather than down. He swallowed hard and looked away again. "Okay, aibou."

The red-eyed teen came forward after a moment, hovering a couple of steps away from him. And then he felt his fingers trace a path along his wrists. Yugi raised his eyes but Yami was simply playing with his veins, tracing and then folding along his fingers to hold his hands. His palms encompassed his entirely, his fingers weaving between his and squeezing lightly.

Yugi almost melted into him, wishing more then ever to simply collapse against him and merge together. He wanted to sink into him and be enveloped by Yami's warmth. He wanted never to leave it again. He wanted to just…stay there forever. And he wished he could have just stood there and never moved again, as long as Yami was just holding his hands and—

"If you feel you can't handle it, I wish for you to tell me as well, okay? I can't be the only one to promise to admit to discomfort with this situation, Yugi." He was silent for a moment, then leaned forward to bury his face in his neck. His nose tickled his jugular and his exhale made Yugi tremble. "You have to tell me as well. You have to trust me enough to tell me, too. Because I…I can't do this if I can't rely on you as well."

Yugi felt as if his chest might burst for a moment, he was so warm. He smiled, squeezing his fingers and relishing in the feel of his palm so tightly pressed against his.

"I'll tell you."

Yami pulled away slightly, studying his face for a moment, and then exhaled long and slow. His eyes searched his face rapidly once more and then they lowered to their joined hands. He seemed to consider them with something akin bewilderment, but it passed moments later. And then, finally, he began to undo his fingers. Their palms remained together a few moments longer before Yami dropped his hands away and looked to the syringe again. Yugi watched his expression for any sign of fear, but it had seemingly passed.

"Change. I'll do the rest."

Yugi hesitated, then nodded. "Okay." He paused for a few seconds, then grinned and waggled his brows at him. "Feel free to peek, though."

Yami startled visibly, then burst out laughing as he turned his head. "Really, Yugi?"

He couldn't help but beam, entire body warm and seemingly vibrating with the echoes of his laughter. His heart quickened for a moment as he tilted his head and suppressed the urge to simply remain as he was and fail to change. Instead he reached up to remove the jacket from his arms.

Yami watched him kick his shoes off and remove his socks, turning away when he began to pull his shirt over his head. He listened to the clothing as it dropped to the floor, then to the rapid popping and shift of muscle and organ as Yugi changed behind him. He licked his lips and waited, swallowing hard as he considered the sound of Yugi's steady breathing. He heard him as he came forward, startling when he felt a cold nose bump into his palm.

When he looked down Yugi was wagging his tail and grinning up at him sloppily. Yami fought a grimace, ruffling his ears. "Where is the vein?" he requested softly, searching his face.

It's the, uh, the cephalic vein, Yugi said after a moment. He hesitated, then wagged his tail again. It's pretty easy to find. But you might need to feel around to get to it, honestly. I think the fur is mostly going to be in the way but I promise I'll hold still if you want to shave me.

Yami snorted, then shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'll need to shave you," he answered mildly. "Just tell me how to find it and I'll do it."

He raised his head to lick at his forehead. Okay, well, to find the vein, you'll have to extend my elbow and put your index finger on the front of the leg. Grab above the elbow joint and put your thumb just below on the back side of the leg. And then apply firm but gentle pressure there to make the vein rise to the surface for better access.

Yami nodded and crouched down to do as he bid. He moved his leg and stretched the limb, then sorted through to find the vein. "This is rather high up. I thought we were going to start lower."

If you would like, then you can access the vein closer to my carpus.

It took him a moment to understand the name of the joint in question. "Your wrist?" he said slowly, searching his face. Yugi flicked his tongue over his nose and wagged his tail. Yami turned back to his paw, raising it from the ground in his hand and feeling along the length of it to find the vein once more. "Okay. And is there a direction I need to go to inject properly?"

Just make sure there is no air in the needle.

Yami nodded. He flexed Yugi's paw in his hand, drawing in a deep breath, and groped up on the table for the syringe. It felt cold and eerily disgusting in his hand as he drew it from atop the metal and toward himself. He prepped it for air, then pressed on Yugi's leg once more to find the vein and inject.

Yugi growled at the prick of the needle but didn't jerk away. When Yami looked at him again, his eyes were on his face and his head slightly tilted. He wagged his tail minutely, then flicked his tongue out to touch his forehead.

I'm okay. The white wolf took a seat, the movement only then reminding Yami he was still holding his paw. He frowned slightly, embarrassed but not enough to truly let go. Yugi didn't seem to mind. He wagged his tail and let his tongue loll from grinning jaws. So, I'm not feeling any different.

Yami snorted and shook his head. "We'll give it at least ten minutes. Then we'll see how you're feeling again."

The wolf nodded, scooted closer, and licked his forehead with a wag of his tail once more. Yami considered the relaxed stance and soft features of Yugi's face before sighing softly.

"What if… What if none of this works?"

Yugi blinked. What? This is already working.

"You know what I mean."

I do, he agreed, tilting his head and staring at him. His blue-violet eyes grew a shade darker with distress. And I'm going to tell you what I've been telling myself for the last week. It'll work, because I'm going to make it work.

Yami raised a brow. "And how do you propose to do that?"

I'm deceptively adorable. I'll just ride on that and bite everyone in the face if I get caught.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, unable to stop his mouth tugging into a small smile. "Yugi, I'm serious."

So am I. It's going to work. I don't care how hard it is to make it happen, it will work, Yami. Yugi shook his head and stared at him, finally removing his paw. Yami started to shift his weight and move away but the white wolf shuffled closer and put his paw on his knee, searching his face. Look, I know you're scared. I am, too. This isn't fun at all. I don't like doing this any more than you do. And I hate how hard this is for you. And I hate how little I can actually help you. But this…this will work. I'm going to make it work. I don't care how hard it is, or how much work I have to put into it. I don't even care how much of the pack I'll lose when I do this. I just… I have to win. This entire war banks on me winning.

Yami frowned, acutely aware of the implication Yugi was laying before him. "You realize I still have no plans to leave this solely to you, yes?"

Yugi nodded immediately. I know. He wagged his tail again, then stretched forward to lick his forehead and cheeks. He raised a paw to wrap around his shoulder and pull him impossibly closer. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that the pack will follow me more readily than they will you.

He wasn't sure he believed him, but perhaps the explanation was plausible. If he wasn't being paranoid, the answer wasn't too farfetched. "I promised to help you do this."

I know. And you're amazing for that. Yugi's fur rippled and went through a small spasm. His muscles clenched minutely, then slowly relaxed. He pulled away then, backing up a few steps. He shook himself out and his legs threatened to slip beneath him. I guess I was celebrating prematurely, huh?

Yami offered him a strained smile, stomach churning. "Maybe just a little."

Yugi collapsed, but he didn't seize. His mouth foamed and bile the color of blood spilled from his jaws when he parted them. But he didn't shake. And, after a few minutes of vomiting, he slowly rose to his paws again. He took a seat after shaking himself out again, huffing, Lovely.

"Little one…" He faltered when Yugi looked over with a scowl. "Look, I know this dampens the mood, but it's okay. You just have to work in this form a little bit longer and then you'll be immune in both. I—"

Yugi lowered his head to stare at the pile of vomit again. His lips curled back with frustration and he huffed once more, flattening his ears. It's not that. I just… I didn't want to clean vomit again. He flicked his ears and looked over at him, his frustration intensifying for a single second before melting away. It's okay. I'm just a little tired, too.

Yami ignored the alarm going off in the back of his head. Yugi just didn't want to talk, he assured himself even as he fought away a flinch.

Yugi wagged his tail until his entire body began to tremble with the force of the movement. So, you should totally admit I'm the smartest person around.

He blinked. "Is that so?"

I'm over here building up immunity. I think that makes me a pretty smart wolf for coming up with the idea, don't you?

"You took a gamble," Yami corrected him harshly, voice sharper than he truly meant. He cringed when Yugi blinked at the reprimand. "And you're lucky the lycanthropy is truly as strong and aggressive as you were hoping."

Yugi huffed loudly, giving him a dirty look, as the fur along his spine rose and fell in a frustrated tic. You can't tell me you wouldn't have done the same if you were in my shoes.

"No, but I am not so self-sacrificing."

No, but you're self-destructive enough. If you'd found a reason to do what I'm doing, you'd have chosen to do the same.

Yami frowned. "I won't agree. Because I don't know your reasoning."

The white wolf paused for a moment, staring at him for a long heartbeat. Then he wagged his tail and panted lazily, tongue lolling as he considered him playfully. And you don't need to know it, he said gently. All you need to do, is tell me I'm the best and smartest wolf around.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "No, definitely not."

Yugi pounced on him then, growling and then pressing his nose forcefully into his forehead. It startled Yami enough to make him flinch. Sorry, I know my nose is cold.

Yami ran his fingers through the fur along his scruff. "You're an idiot," he murmured, voice dripping with fondness. He was surprised by how warm he truly felt. "But I can't say the idea wasn't genius. I concede to your intelligence."

Yugi wiggled from the force of his wagging tail. He quivered and slobbered and ran his tongue over his face sloppily. Yami laughed the longer he did it, until Yugi burrowed into his arms and lay atop him as if they were hugging. He wagged his tail and panted and grinned like a dog that had finally gotten snuggles from its owner.

It was distinctly painful when he had to gently push him off and ask, "Are you ready to do this again?"

Yugi looked almost heartbroken by the physical separation, but nodded all the same. Yeah. You remember how to get to the vein further up?

He hummed and got to his feet, moving aside him to grab another syringe from the counter. "How much of this did you get?"

About twenty vials. Yugi had the decency to look flustered when Yami shot him a startled glance. I didn't know how much I'd need. So, I just… I went ahead and got as much as I could.

He exhaled loudly. "Where did you put the others?"

They're still in my jacket pocket.

"Okay." He grabbed the syringe and prepped it. Yugi immediately loped over, holding his forelimb out just as he had before. Yami felt along his elbow, found the vein, and isolated it. "Ready?"

Absolutely!

He snarled again when Yami pricked his skin. He huffed, flattening his ears, and wrinkled his lips back as if he'd smelled something disgusting. "Okay?"

The white wolf wagged his tail. Yeah. I just understand why the animals hated this so much, he said with a shake of his head. No wonder they all wanted to maul my face off when I sedated them.

He snorted and shook his head. "I'd eat your face, too."

Yugi seemed to pause for a moment, as if trying to consider the words he'd just said. It occurred to him only then the manner they could be taken. He hurried to negate the innuendo, but Yugi merely opened his jaws wide and chomped his teeth at him. I think I'm in the better position for that, he growled, continuing to playfully bite at the air in front of him. Yami chuckled and ruffled his scruff. I'm vicious. Hear me growl.

He burst out laughing as the white wolf continued back and forth in little sweeping motions. "You're ridiculous."

Well, you're a liar. Yugi wagged his tail. And you should agree that I'm adorable.

Yami rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous."

And adorable.

"Fine. You're adorable."

Damn straight I am! Yugi crowed, licking his nose and then darting off. He ran around in a circle, sped back, leaped into his lap again, and licked his face until he felt he was soaked in drool. I'm adorable! I'm adorable! I'm adorable!

Yami wiped slobber from his face and ruffled his ears again. "You're not having any effects?"

I'm a little nauseous but I don't feel like I'll puke.

Yami swallowed back a mouthful of saliva that tasted of bile. He had the smallest itch in his gums, as if his teeth were trying to stretch and shift and push themselves from his jaw. He always swore he felt them wiggle if he moved his tongue the wrong way. It took only a nudge but it worked. His teeth would shiver as if they were alive and his skin would crawl and his heart would shake in his chest. He wondered just how useful a toothless werewolf was, how quickly he'd die for his inability to lash out.

He thought then of his cage mate, wondering stupidly whether he had realized Yami had been missing teeth half of that time they'd been around each other. He wondered if that was why he'd been so gentle and soft with him at times. Maybe that had been why he'd saved food for him when Yami was strictly being fed kibble.

He shivered and lowered his eyes. He ignored the nausea that bubbled up in his stomach now at the turn of his thoughts, remembering bitterly the disdainful taste and texture of hard kibble on his tongue. He almost gagged, but he thought that might have been from Yugi accidentally pressing a paw into his diaphragm when he stretched forward.

You good?

Yami grunted. Yugi was definitely pressing on his diaphragm on purpose, he realized. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

You weren't responding for a minute there. I just didn't want you to… He tilted his head almost helplessly, as if he were struggling to find the words. I'm just glad you're okay.

He nodded and pushed him gently back a step. "Next time a bite will suffice."

I'm going to stomp your groin next time, Yugi said with a sloppy grin. I've already decided my next plan of attack. You didn't react for a few seconds to the diaphragm. I figure a paw to the groin will definitely wake you up.

Yami snorted and shook his head. "You're a monster."

But I'm an adorable one!

He would have argued, but Yugi did have a point. He was quite adorable, wagging his tail and trotting around in circles to keep his attention.

It was sweet, even if Yami wished he could have argued with him he didn't need him to go through such antics. But his constant movement was perhaps the only thing that kept him from breaking down, in truth.

"You're also annoying."

But I'm adorable while I'm being annoying!

He snorted. "Very true."

And you love it, Yugi continued, bouncing back and forth. Yami could almost barely track his movements he was going so fast. He wagged his tail, let out a small yip, and almost threw himself atop one of the exam tables for the fun of it. The white wolf continued his frenzied dance around the room without a second glance. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

Yami raised a brow. "Perhaps," he teased, "but who knows?"

I'm the best and you should just admit it.

"Is that so?"

Yugi rushed up to him, nose almost touching his, and flicked his tongue. That's so!

He burst out laughing at the defiant stare he was given, rolling his eyes and moving to draw him into his lap. Yugi squirmed slightly, though Yami didn't think it was more than to get comfortable. He wagged his tail, panted, and then hummed. He moved to put his chin on his shoulder, the humming tickling his skin. The wolf licked his face after a moment and Yami grunted as he buried it in his scruff. Yugi kept wagging his tail, wiggling in his grip.

I'm the best.

Yami actually couldn't think of anyone better than Yugi as it was. Maybe it was biased from being told so many times that he was the best, but either way he did agree. He was the best. He was warm and soft and gentle and all around he tended to have a good temperament. He just was still somewhat naïve and maybe too merciful. But he was sweet and forgiving all the same and Yami adored him for that.

He almost wished he had a similar personality.

Maybe then it wouldn't have been so damn hard all the time.

But he knew Yugi had to struggle at times, too. He had to have days where he was exhausted with the world and hated everything. He had to want things to be over, to not have to try so damn hard all the time. He had to just want to relax and lay down and ignore the rest of the world, to pretend his problems didn't exist.

Yugi just could hide it better.

Yami embraced him tightly, exhaling against his long guard hairs and settling comfortably. Yugi shifted his weight, bringing himself closer to put his back to Yami's stomach. The wolf was quiet for a long time, then mumbled, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before Aki asked at the camp. I should have…made sure you were okay before I told the pack.

"It wouldn't have made any difference." Yami hummed and buried his nose as far as he could into his coat. "I still wouldn't have reacted well to the news."

I know. I just… I'm sorry all the same.

He squeezed lightly. "It doesn't matter."

I'm still sorry. You didn't deserve to have that thrown at you like that.

"I'm okay."

It doesn't…change that I'm sorry. I still wish I'd talked to you before then. I…I messed up in not talking to you about it.

"Maybe, but I forgive you that."

Yugi was quiet for a long minute. Are you sure you're okay?

"I'm tired, and I don't want to be angry with you." He combed his fingers through his fur and sighed. Yugi shifted his weight in his lap, and Yami could feel the powerful muscles in his neck as he turned his head to face him. They rippled under his touch and his fur shivered with movement. "And I just want to get through today and figure out tomorrow as it comes."

Yugi bumped his shoulder gently with his nose. Me, too.

"Mm."

Yugi raised a forelimb to reach his paw out and wrap around his back. He flexed his toes and sank his nails into his skin, tickling his spine. I'm glad you're here with me, you know. I just… I can't imagine doing this if I was alone. I… I know everything was supposed to be different, but I'm really glad it isn't.

Yami blinked and exhaled slowly, long and quiet, and nodded against his fur. "I'm glad as well. I don't… I don't know what might have happened otherwise." He could imagine the world bathed in red, drowning in rivers and torrents of blood if he'd hit his true most feral state. A Pure-Blood at its most lethal would be indestructible. No Pure-Blood could lose themselves and heal without calamity. And their namesake meant death and destruction and the end or beginning.

"You're my best friend."

Yugi stiffened for a single moment, as if shocked by the soft statement. Then he squeezed with his paw again, burrowing his face into his flank. You're my best friend, too, Yami.

Yami drew in a deep breath, about to open his mouth again, but Yugi cut him off.

And, as your best friend, I have to tell you something.

Yami felt fear well through him. He wouldn't say what he thought he might, right? He wasn't going to say it, surely? It would shatter him. And Yami wasn't sure he'd be able to gather the pieces enough after to so much as speak to him again.

I lied a little. Yugi squirmed slightly in his grip, as if writhing with shame. I lied about why there are so many vials. I was being truthful about not knowing how many I needed. But it wasn't because I didn't think this form would be able to metabolize it just as well as my human one. I… I wanted to increase the doses. And I wanted to go from an hour to half, then to twenty minutes and eventually to ten. I was going to do it in increments of two each time, and then from there the extras would be used all at once to see if my system could force it out again.

It took a handful of seconds for the words to truly process in his head. He blinked once, then twice, and slowly pulled away to look at the white wolf. He stared, unable to think straight, and felt as if his mind were racing. He couldn't focus on any individual thought, a million surging forth and threatening to suffocate him. And then it slowly began to pass. His mind processed the words again. His jaw lost its painful clench. His fingers twitched. His mouth opened and closed. His eyes flicked away and back. He shivered.

"We haven't even gotten to your jugular."

I know. But I… I can't tell you you're my best friend and pretend I'm not lying. I'm sorry. I just… I had planned to find a way to either do this on my own or to contact Jonouchi. I hadn't wanted you to have to go through this. I…I never wanted that for you.

"The world is full of things none of us want for each other." He closed his eyes and almost fell backward but Yugi caught him by the front of his shirt with his teeth and held him in place. Yami wished he'd let go and maybe he'd smack his head hard enough against the floor he'd pass out soon after. In a perfect world he'd get a concussion and forget everything but Yugi and be able to find some semblance of happiness. "But that doesn't quite make a difference. Who better to be with you now than me, however? I'm your alpha. Should something go utterly wrong, the Alpha Command may damn well be the only thing to snap you out of it."

Yugi grunted and tugged him forward. Yami fell as the wolf let go again. He collapsed into the pillow of white fur once more. I still would have rather you didn't have to go through this, Yami.

"It doesn't matter. Things would be worse if I didn't. You remember the experiments. I could still be there. And then how much worse would it all be?"

The white wolf trembled once, quick and brief, and his voice came out sharp when he snapped, Don't say that!

Yami frowned against his fur. "Sorry."

No, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. Yugi shifted his weight and licked his arm where he could reach. I just really don't want to think about that…ever, honestly. I'm not… You're not going back there.

He hummed. "Here. Are we ready to inject at the jugular?"

Yeah.


The one thing that remained of the poison's effects was a hypersensitivity to lighting that lasted all of ten minutes after he changed. He was hungry, but his teeth accidentally biting his cheek and blood spilling across his tongue had alerted him to a drive toward meat. He wanted a fresh kill, which he realized spoke of anemia from the anticoagulant the poison truly was. His headache when he changed back slowly faded to nothing as he walked down the street. He'd told Yami to get rest, offering him chamomile tea and anxiety medication which the other boy had initially refused but finally taken when he found no other reason to argue. Yugi had simply put it down in front of him, told him he had to go to address the pack but didn't think it necessary he join him, and turned around to get an extra jacket. When he'd turned back, Yami had drained the cup and swallowed the pills down, watching him with a keen but wary expression.

Yugi kept his eyes on the road ahead, trying in vain to ignore the hideous crunch of his own footsteps. He felt as if his mouth were dry and cracked like a frozen cache freshly dug into. His teeth ached in his jaws but he knew it was because he kept clenching them when his resolve wavered the smallest hint.

He stepped into the clinic a few minutes later. He clicked the lock behind him and waited for his eyes to adjust. It took a moment but fixed itself almost instantly when he saw movement.

The small but steady throbbing noise that met his ears made him bristle faintly. He shivered but ignored the urge to growl. The middle kennel was the only one occupied, in an isolated room further toward the back where they kept the critical patients. It made the difference of whether the animal would jump or not and when he stepped into the room, though he knew it impossible for this particular one. He sighed softly and came forward further.

"You ready for this to end?"

The wolf's eyes opened into slits, at first dilated with pain and unable to focus. And then they locked on him, a great and terrible keenness creeping through them to announce his disease. He flicked and pricked his ears and curled his lips but didn't snarl. His tongue ran over a dry and cracked, bleeding, nose.

Is this it?

"Yeah. I'm going to finish this tonight."

He blinked and closed his eyes again. Are you ready for that? Yubel will kill him.

Yugi moved to the cabinet where his mom kept the sedatives. "He won't fight her. I will." He exhaled long and slow, stomach churning. "I figure…one of us will be the sacrificial lamb whether we like it or not. So…why not me?"

The hound raised his head, turning to stare at him. You would do that for him?

He nodded, grabbing a needle from the drawer and emptying the contents from the vial. "Yeah, I'm doing that for him." He looked over at the hound as Sartorius shifted his weight awkwardly and folded his forelimbs toward his chest. Yugi studied him a moment, then sighed softly. Valon had wrapped the other hound's intestines around the kennel door, severing them just long enough to do that. The constant pulsing had made Yugi sick initially, but now it just saddened him. Sartorius had been more or less a good ally to Yubel. He hadn't deserved her disregard and disgust when she'd abandoned him to the pack.

Hell, no one deserved that.

Even Yubel didn't deserve that.

"I've already decided what I'm going to do." He looked the hellhound over for a moment, considering his expression and smiling faintly. Bitterness made his tongue sting. He lowered his eyes and let out a small laugh. "Yami is going to hate me for it. But I figure it gives us more of a chance, you know?"

Sartorius tilted his head in bewilderment. Will it be so bad?

Yugi felt his lips tug up into a wider smile. "Yeah. Yeah, it's going to be that bad to him. He won't want it. And he's going to be livid when he realizes."

Then why do it?

"It'll be better for him in the long run," he said with a small shrug. He sighed again, raising his eyes to look him over. "And it'll give him more of a chance."

You are foolish, Sartorius snarled. You are the biggest fool. You think you need to save him?

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Don't lecture me. You're the one who refused to back down and got disemboweled for it."

By him. The wolf you think you need to save. He did this and yet you think it is your job to protect him.

He laughed. "Oh, no, I know it's my job to do this. He might resent me for it and he'll hate me forever when he realizes what I've done, but I love him. And I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure he makes it out alive."

He can handle things for himself.

"Physically, yes, but emotionally and mentally; no. He's not that strong. He's not infallible like that. He's tired and beat up. He's bloodied and unbowed, but he's exhausted and I know he'll crack under that pressure. I know him too well. I can see where he's fraying even now." Yugi frowned and tilted his head. "Have you never loved someone enough to do anything for them? I'd follow Yami to the ends of the earth if he needed me to. I'd have laid in that fire with him if he'd been unable to trust me that night in the woods. And I know if he was in my place, he would have done the same if it had come to it. He's afraid and he's tired and he's running and maybe he can face some of it, but not all of it."

And you think you can?

Yugi hummed. "Maybe not. I don't know I can face all of it and not want to give up, but I'll force myself to."

You love him so much?

"Mmhmm."

You love that creature?

"Creature, monster, menace; whatever you or someone else wants to call him." He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I've done ridiculous things and gone to extreme heights to ensure he's okay. What I plan to do is almost nothing in comparison to what I would do if I had more of a chance. If I could come back, I'd make the world burn for what it's done to him. But it doesn't matter. I don't have that chance. I don't have that power. And, at the end of it, he'll understand, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

Sartorius snorted. I always knew.

Yugi raised a brow. "Did you now?"

You were far too merciful, always lenient and soft. And he's always been ready to tear someone's throat out for looking at you the wrong way. I saw it when you both interacted the first time in front of me. You…you're a falsity.

He shrugged again. "I guess so."

Does he know?

Yugi snorted and smiled wryly. "Of course he does. He's always known." He sighed and looked the syringe over, pressing on it to expel air. "But it doesn't matter. It's immaterial, like everything else. I am still Atem. And so is he. There are two of us for a reason."

Sartorius snorted. You both never figured out how to coexist the way you needed. This plan will end in failure.

He shook his head. "I won't let it." He locked eyes with him, smiling wide to show his teeth in a snarl. "I'll kill the gods if I have to. You can watch as I rip their throats out one by one."

You can't kill a god.

Yugi snorted. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sartorius. They can't control us. And they fear us for it. I could certainly give them a reason to justify that fear." He looked the needle over. "I watched Yami kill Obelisk. And if one of us can do it, I doubt the other couldn't. I'd bet if I were to try, I could kill a few of them. You die in Paradise and then you come back. It could be what I do for the rest of eternity."

Sartorius stared at him in shock, as if he couldn't comprehend what Yugi was saying to him. The small teen grabbed his leg, searching for a vein beneath brittle fur and paper-thin skin.

I understand now.

He tilted his head in silent acknowledgment, finding the vein and holding it between his fingers.

You're the traitor.

Yugi froze in place for a single second, stunned by the declaration. And then he remembered. Atem was prophesized. There was a verse about him, passed from one generation to the next to the next and so on. It had passed from the Ice Age to Yugi's own. It was lost to the majority of the wolves, turned into mere story about Atem and his purpose.

Aki and her pack had assumed it to be Yami, because of his dark coat and red eyes, his immense stature and power. He'd pretended and hidden there among them for that small duration of time, attacked Annie and fled. He did actually make sense to be the traitor the verse apparently mentioned.

And yet…

Yugi laughed. "You know what? Yeah, I probably am." He grinned at him, somewhere between sad and genuinely amused. "It makes sense. I'm about to betray him…again."

The hound lowered his head to his paws.

"So, why did you even follow Yubel? Was it because she was stronger than you? Or did it have to do with the labs?"

I liked her strength. She was wild and unpredictable and she kept things interesting. It helped she was far more powerful than the rest of us, of course, but it was mostly her chaotic nature. She drew us in like flies.

Yugi nodded and slid the tip of the needle under his skin. "She's got some kind of charisma, I guess. I can see why she'd appeal to you guys." He paused. "You realize you've been talking about her in past tense, right?"

She'll be dead in a couple of hours, won't she?

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah, she will."

Sartorius yawned and moved slightly to get more comfortable. What of you, Yugi? You were not always in love with him. So why did you follow him?

He hesitated, frowning. "Because he came to me for help. And I…I couldn't deny him that. Following him beyond the initial time he took to heal was…more out of loneliness than anything else, I think. But…" He shrugged, forcing his voice not to break. "He needed someone just as much as I did, so—"

More, Sartorius growled. He needed someone more than you did.

Yugi blinked. "You're right. He needed me more than I needed him at the time. I still had friends and family. He didn't have anyone. I saw it. So, I offered him some companionship I knew he needed. And I guess that nurtured the mating bond. So, now…here I am. And here I am about to do the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life." He grinned again. "He's worth it, though. I love him. His life is worth mine."

You believe that?

"Let me put it this way, Sartorius. If the gods told me I'd have to offer my life for eternity just to see him happy, I would do it."

He pushed the plunger on the syringe. Sartorius didn't so much as twitch.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry," he said slowly, quietly, swallowing hard when Sartorius opened an eye to stare at him. "I'm sorry that it turned out like this. I never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I certainly never wanted to torment or torture someone for their saliva. And the fact that this is the way it's all turned out, it's… I'm sorry."

You act as if I didn't aid in killing your family.

Yugi shook his head. "No. I remember. And I can't forgive you that at the moment. And I can't forgive Yubel. But I've forgiven Yami some equally heinous things. He's done things that make me want to puke. And I've forgiven him that. So, maybe, given time, I'll be able to do the same for you. Of course, I suppose dying tonight will do well to give you instant forgiveness, right? No one is ever truly mad in Paradise." He straightened, pulling the syringe away. "I just… I wish things were different. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just… I wanted friends and maybe the smallest slice of happiness. And, yet, everywhere I turn things are hideously gray and everyone is in pain in one manner or another."

Sartorius blinked, head sagging with the weight of the drugs in his system.

"I… I'm just sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, or even Yubel. And I know it doesn't make a difference. Things are how they are. But I still wish it wasn't like this."

Yubel…would devour you if she heard you say that.

Yugi nodded as Sartorius's head fell to his paws and his body shuddered. "I know," he mumbled as he went still. He listened to his heartbeat as it slowly faded and then straightened and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He took a deep breath, holding it until his lungs ached, shifted his weight, exhaled, and repeated. He felt as if his head were spinning now that he looked at the lifeless body.

His chest tightened, heart hammering. His breathing became sloppy and quick, his hands trembling. He swallowed in a throat that was rapidly constricting. His legs trembled under his weight.

This was really happening.

He was going to do this.

There was no stepping back from this now.

He reached up, tugging on his choker until he saw stars.

Then he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, inhaling and exhaling violently. It took a moment, but his fingers stopped shaking. His mouth lost its dryness. His legs no longer trembled.

He opened his eyes a minute later, when his throat lost its tightness and his stomach no longer churned.

It's over. I have no way back.

There was no reason to wait. There was no reason to hesitate. He had no reason left to hide from the choices he'd made. He had no reason to pretend any longer there was a way out of it all.

He would lead the wolves.

He would kill Yubel.

And, before that, he would…

He grabbed the second syringe he'd prepared, looked it over, flicked the tip of it and pushed some of the fluid through. His eyes glazed over as he considered it, but then his focus shot to Sartorius.

He couldn't leave his dead body like that.

His intestines were wrapped around the kennel door. Valon had woven them several times through the bars, as if he were having fun rather than doing it to help Yugi at that point. The smell of death wafted forward, sharp and hideous and sweet and cloying in his nose.

He looked at the door of the kennel, dropping the needle into his jacket pocket. And then it occurred to him.

I need more. I need more than this.

It would be metabolized too quickly and he couldn't risk it. Yugi gently undid the entrails securing the kennel door and slid them through to rest inside the hollow cage of Sartorius's stomach. They were already cold, his lungs almost frozen to the touch. Yugi would have stitched the skin together to give him some kind of respect in discarding the body. But he couldn't stomach it long enough to consider for more than a few brief seconds. And he could feel it now.

He was running out of time.

He grabbed the body out of the kennel, holding it gently to him, and headed out into the snow. He buried him in the grooves of some roots of a nearby tree, though he mostly simply placed him there and the ice falling then covered him as if with a blanket of white.

Yugi headed back into the clinic, grabbing five more syringes and filling them as well. He did the same to the five that he'd done to the first, prepping them. And then he rushed for the house.

Yami stirred just enough to shift his weight. But the antidepressants and chamomile had done enough to keep him resting.

Yugi hesitated, heart beginning to race, and forced himself to a calmer state again. He couldn't afford to wake him. He was fucked if he woke him. He ground his teeth, balled his hands into fists, and exhaled ruggedly. He counted to ten, reached into his jacket, and moved to kneel next to him. Yami shifted slightly, as if he sensed him there, and Yugi swore his lips peeled back into a snarl but it faded just as fast.

The small teen reached for him, gently tipping his head up from where his chin was pressed to his collarbone. He swallowed hard, heart in his throat. Yami twitched and this time his eyelids fluttered. Yugi bit his lip, chewed the inside of his cheek until it bled, and quickly pricked his neck with the needle.

Yami startled and jerked, eyes snapping open. The confusion was visible in his expression. But he wasn't snarling, which meant he was still groggy.

Yugi quickly injected the second syringe in the same spot he had the first. Yami twitched and squirmed, moving to try to get away from him and toward the cabinet. Yugi shifted his weight. His knees pinned one of his legs and his left hand moved to grasp at his. He twined their fingers together, squeezing, even as Yami blinked at him.

Yugi felt his heart stumble in his chest. "Hey, aibou," he whispered around the lump in his throat. Yami stared at him in turn, moving his free hand to press against his chest. He pressed the third syringe into his throat and Yami curled his fingers against his shirt, nails cutting through the top layer of his skin.

"Yugi." And somehow it came out as a snarl rather than the confused grunt it should have been. His metabolism was picking up. The adrenaline had kicked it into overload. Yugi could hear his heart around the pounding in his head now. "What are you…?"

His hand lost its grip and dropped. His body seemed to sway. Yugi caught him before he would have fallen backwards and knocked his head into the cabinet handles. He pulled him closer.

"Hey, it's okay." He pulled him into his chest and ran a hand through his hair. Yami was breathing unevenly, struggling to catch his breath and regain his bearings. Yugi exhaled slowly. "It's okay, Yami. I promise."

The other boy snarled low in his throat, a grumble like thunder crashing in the clouds. "Yugi."

"Mmhmm." He angled his head slightly to get to his jugular again. "Yeah, aibou, it's me."

Yami didn't fight him but to try to push at his chest with his hands. But they were shaking now and it was clear he couldn't quite control them. He shivered and panted and struggled just to gasp in air.

Yugi fought away a sob. "Here's the thing, Yami. I…I can't let you come with me to the camp. And I can't let you follow me to the labs. I…I just can't let that happen." He ignored the snarl Yami loosed then. It sounded like a chainsaw, like a rabid bear about to try to take off his head. "It's phenobarbital again. That's what I'm using right now. And your metabolism is slower than usual, because of the antidepressants and the…ketamine I gave you in that tea."

Yami shifted his head enough to give him a sharp but glazed look from his peripheral. Yugi stroked his chin with the hand he'd formerly had the syringe in. The snarling hadn't faltered and he was sure if Yami had been able, he would have lunged and taken his head off by then.

"It's… I couldn't let you go there. I couldn't let you come with us. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I did this. I broke your trust again. I care about you more than anything. I…" He shook his head. "You already know that. Sorry. I… Yami, just… I'm sorry. And I wish I could have done something else to help you. But this is the only way."

Yami went through a single spasm, muscles shaking and twitching against his command. His eyes sharpened and burned into Yugi's face, great and terrible and almost glowing with anger. Yugi felt hollowed out, broken to shards and haphazardly put back together with fumbling hands as he tried to grasp his resolve again.

"Don't fight it, okay? Just… It's nice. It's warm and it's soft and you'll be with your cage mate again soon. You miss him. And he'll be right there to see you. He'll meet you instantly." Yugi smoothed his hair with his hand again, leaning forward to shift the angle of Yami's jaw when he slumped. "You won't have to be scared anymore. It won't last forever, but it'll be long enough. And, by then, maybe it will all be over."

His voice cracked then. His eyes welled with tears, vision distorted at the edges. Yami sagged more fitfully in his arms and Yugi drew him to him completely then. The teen growled, but the noise was fading and distant and Yugi buried his face in his hair.

"Six syringes," he mumbled, sniffling. "Six syringes to subdue you. You amaze me, aibou."

Yami shivered as if he were trying to fight a wave of cold. But Yugi knew it was muscle spasms. He was losing the fight. He was losing consciousness. He was going to drop in his arms, slumped and dead, soon enough. The phenobarbital would take longer to metabolize at such a high dose and even as his body fought to force it away, it accepted more through exhaustion.

He cooed soft soothing noises, whispering to let it happen. He stroked his hair, rubbed along his spine, sniffled and fought back open and broken sobs. He kissed his forehead when Yami finally went still. The other boy was completely statuesque, no longer even breathing, and Yugi held him there a few moments. Then he forced himself to let go, to shuffle his weight and rearrange Yami on his side.

He'd puke and convulse when he woke.

Yugi smoothed his hair from his face. Yami looked almost peaceful, though he couldn't pretend he believed it. It was a step too far, and Yugi could not stomach it. He lowered his hand and exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He got up, looking the other boy over. "I…"

He sucked in a breath, then looked away.

"I love you."