Warnings: Referenced Death

Prompt V: Ticking

"I know, I know," Yugi grumbled, huffing. He shook his head and swallowed a groan. He could only imagine just how hurt and confused and devastated Yami would be when he found out. "But he thinks they're still alive, Grandpa! I don't want to be the one to tell him they're dead."

"We're putting the entire pack at risk every time we let the two of you go and spend the night there. That alarm last night wasn't about someone just drifting through. There were hunters in our woods, Yugi. And we don't know if they're tracking him or not! Indulging him like this is a possible liability for the pack."

Yugi put his hands in his lap and kicked his feet in frustration. He knew that. He'd heard that several times. But they weren't actually sure they were hunters, was the problem. They'd seen humans in the woods, near the edges of the territory. The badger set had been in their path, but for whatever reason they had not gone that far.

"I know. I just… He looks so hopeful whenever we're there. I don't want to hurt him by telling him they're dead."

"He'll accept that truth from you more than he will anyone else."

"I don't want to."

"As future alpha, you'll need to make hard choices like this every day, Yugi. Learning that skill now will save you trouble later." His grandpa sighed softly. "And Yami is a time bomb like this. If he's visiting that site every night, he's going to get himself or you hurt or killed. And what of it if he figures out on his own? He might turn on us for it."

He wouldn't have turned on anyone. Yami was too sweet for that. He was just a yearling and he liked to play in the moonlight and chew on sticks and occasionally run around with stolen food. He wasn't just…violent.

"But he's going to hate me."

"He won't hate you, Yugi. He'll probably be angry and he might try to hurt you, but he won't hate you." He was quiet for a long handful of seconds. "That boy… I don't even think he knows how to hate someone."

Yugi huffed. "I'm his best friend."

"Which gives you even more reason to be the one to tell him."

"But, Grandpa—"

There was a single low noise, of the door clicking. Yugi looked over immediately and Sugoroku frowned as he turned his head. The back door was open, where it'd been shut before.

No one had been in the house when they'd begun discussing this; Yugi had made sure. He'd checked everywhere. He'd made sure Yami wasn't in the house when their conversation started.

Yugi nearly sobbed.

He recognized the little silver chain on the ground at the door.

"Yami…"

He opened and closed his mouth twice, then swallowed back a whimper. His heart had begun racing and his head was spinning. And for a second the world seemed a blur. His lungs strained. His palms itched. Sweat bloomed on his brow. The world shivered.

There was a burst of heat.

And then he was running for the door, leaping on four legs and barking an alarm call. Several wolves responded instantly, even as his grandpa called, "Yugi, Yugi, wait!" and he ignored him to sniff at where Yami had been standing. He'd changed as well at some point, because his scent was three times as strong a few yards from the house and the remains of his clothes littered the floor. Yugi sniffed there for a moment, circling twice to figure out which direction he'd gone.

He threw his head back, howling so loudly the pack ceased movement even from the outskirts of the territory. Even Bakura, the usual troublemaker, stopped and listened. He didn't verbalize anything, but the noise had caught and held their attention now. Yugi only stopped when he ran out of air, panting and then sniffing again.

Some small part of him had hoped Yami would answer. But the black wolf never uttered a peep. He would have known had he. He would have instantly recognized it.

"Yugi, wait. You can't go charging out there looking for—"

Yugi spun around, snarling with his ears pricked forward and every tooth showing. I'm not going to let him get killed, he spat. He flicked his ears and sniffed again. Yami would have taken off straight for the edge of their territory to the badger set. If he'd gone any further than that, Yugi would have to follow him alone. Everyone else could stay where they were and—

"Yugi, this isn't wise. We don't know the situation—"

I don't need to. I want Yami back! Yugi snapped, rushing forward. He stopped a few yards away, then glanced over his shoulder. He's my responsibility. I brought him here. I'm going to find him and bring him back.

"And if he doesn't want to come back?"

Yugi ignored the gnawing pain in his chest. Then I guess I'll let him go then.

He let out an alarm bark again, listening as it was echoed about. Then he took off, hurrying to remember the shortcut he'd discovered for the badger set. If Yami were headed there, he'd be able to get there first and cut him off at the pass. But if he wasn't headed that way, then Yugi would be wasting time unnecessarily.

It was better to follow the direct path Yami had taken, he decided then. Because he didn't know where Yami was really headed. He could speculate until he found him. But trying to counter his path would only lose time. He remembered that lesson from hunting. Bakura had been the lead yearling at the time and he'd thought he knew where the deer was going to run. When he'd tried to lead them off, thinking they'd go uphill instead of down and straight towards the wolves before taking a detour, the stunt had lost them their meal. One had jumped straight over his head and another had simply hit Kisara in the side and sent her flying. Thankfully their antlers had been sawed off prior, so the maneuver had not killed her. But they'd been too tired to try again, though Bakura had chased them for another two hours and come back exhausted and angry.

He wondered if that was how Yami felt. Was he just as angry and tired? He'd run away when he'd heard them talking. And from what Yugi could tell, he'd taken off in a full sprint. Because it already seemed like the trail was becoming stale, as if the autumn chill had begun to decay it.

Yugi whimpered and kept moving. Yami didn't hate him, right? He didn't. He couldn't…right?