A/N Hey guys, here's the end of the first arc so I hope you'll be ready for the second arc since things are going to get crazy, now sit back and enjoy since Juno is going to seriously piss off Eric and he's going to show a darker part of himself that had been building up ever since he experienced the black market and also nearly got killed by the Shishigumi.
The next morning, I'm awoken to a soft poke on my forehead and groggily open my eyes with a soft groan, only to be staring right at Legoshi dark orbs while his expression was apologetic and that told me we needed to get up and leave pretty soon before he planted a quick kiss on my forehead and left the bed.
Of course, I shamelessly watched his tall form with a small smile on my face as he hurries into the bathroom and I faintly heard the shower running after that, then I got out of bed as well and yawned while I waited for the canine to be done until he soon finished and left the bathroom with the dry tank top before spotting me out of bed.
Legoshi's face showed a red hue when he saw me naked as he went to put his clothes on, just before I went past him and entered the bathroom to take a shower so that I could get the dry cum stains off me.
Pretty soon, I was done and dried off before leaving the bathroom with a towel around my waist until I got fully dressed, though I could only speed-walk at the moment so Legoshi quickly lets me climb onto his back and held me before running to the train station.
With flaming cheeks, I ignore the many looks I get on the train and opted to lean against Legoshi's side while he didn't appear surprised once I let out a sigh of relief after we stepped off the train, quietly chuckling as I mumble on about how people can't seem to mind their own damn business.
It was a nice day, the sun shining brightly in the blue sky with its warmth tickling my skin like a close friend, a soft morning breeze weaving through the trees and carefully playing with my short strands of hair while it's mostly quiet between me and Legoshi, but in no way uncomfortable.
No, this one is a silence filled with understanding, trust, respect, and adoration towards each other while my gaze is directed in front of me, carelessly following the journey of a beautiful leaf from the cherry blossom trees as I felt Legoshi's gaze on me while there'd sometimes be a small unnoticeable limp from me because of our...fun activities last night until I was taken by surprise by a white butterfly landing on my nose and I chuckled as I went completely rigid with excitement.
When the butterfly flies away, my eyes follow it with a look of content and a beaming smile so even though yesterday was a hellish experience, this morning showed me that there was still beauty in this world despite all the ugliness I had faced these past few months so I was grateful that I was still alive and able to see that beauty.
"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" I commented while turning my attention to Legoshi.
"It sure is," Legoshi agreed, his eyes meeting mine.
"Hey, I want to tell you something important," I said with a glint in my eyes.
"Hmm? What is it?" Legoshi asked curiously.
"Thank you so much for coming to look for me, Legoshi," I told the wolf with a genuine smile, glancing up at him and he hums in response with a small smile growing on his face until I started chuckling with a smirk.
"By the way, you snore pretty loudly," I remarked, causing Legoshi to let out a groan while lowering his head.
"Sorry," Legoshi muttered bashfully, and I playfully elbowed him with a grin.
"Don't worry about it, it didn't keep me awake since your arms are pretty damn comfortable," I assured before we chatted for a little while after that and soon arrived at the festival, where I eventually spotted the other drama club members together and talking about me and Legoshi being missing, just before Bill and Dom spotted us and looked bewildered at the state of us while the others soon saw us.
"Hey guys, sorry we worried all of you but we're alive and kicking," Legoshi greeted with his hands up, and I sweatdropped since I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to say that judging by the looks from the other club members.
"Alive...and kicking?" Dom murmured in confusion while Bill was staring at us weirdly until he looked at where the bitemark was on the area between my neck and shoulder, making his eyes widen in complete surprise.
After that, Legoshi and I were bombarded with questions before we managed to calm them down and told them that it was a long story, then we went back to the academy since Legoshi needed to get checked out by the school nurse and I just wanted to change in a fresh uniform since the one I had on was missing the polo shirt and it stank from sweat so I separated from Legoshi and the others before proceeding to make my way to room 701.
Even so, I didn't have my room key on me since all my stuff could still be on the festival grounds or was picked up by a random bystander for all I know, so I just had to risk it and hope Jack or the other canines in room 701 left the door unlocked because I was seriously screwed otherwise.
I wasn't really eager to see them right now since it was a certainty that they would crowd me before asking questions about where I've been and why I looked slightly disheveled while my clothes smelled a little funky, not to mention that I was starving and needed to get myself checked out at the infirmary just in case but not before I talk to Legoshi first to see how he's doing.
Making sure no one was around, I quickly headed back to my dorm room until I soon arrived and checked to see if the door was unlocked, which it was and I quietly entered the room before unfortunately catching the attention of five pairs of eyes.
'Well...shit,' I thought in dismay as Jack and the others widened their eyes when they saw me.
There was nothing but an awkward silence with the only sound being the music of the cicadas outside as the others stared at me unblinkingly, making me more than uncomfortable as I went to the closet and took out a fresh uniform, then I was about to head to the bathroom when Jack stepped forward.
"Eric, where have you and Legoshi been?" Jack asked while looking worried, causing me to feel guilty for him feeling that way since I'm sure me and the wolf going missing all of a sudden yesterday probably scared the hell out of him and the others.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to make you guys worry, but it's kinda a long story and I'd rather change in a fresh uniform since the one I have on doesn't smell all that great," I said before Durham sent me a dry look.
"Yeah, I've noticed...wait, what the fuck is that smell? Eric, why do you have Legoshi's scent all over you?" Durham questioned in complete confusion, and I refrained from blushing since he no doubt caught a whiff of my previous activities with the large wolf last night.
"As I said, it's a long story and I need to head to the infirmary to get myself checked out so we should probably hold off on the questions for now," I suggested uncomfortably, and the others seemed to notice that I was affected by something before Miguno started looking concerned.
"Okay, it's just that we were worried about you and Legoshi because you two went missing for an entire night, no one knew where you both were, and then we started hearing those rumors about a human being kidnapped by the Shishigumi so we started getting scared that something happened to you and the big guy," Miguno pointed out, just as I sighed.
"Well, we're okay so you don't have to worry about us anymore, but thank you for the concern either way so I'm going to get changed and meet up with Legoshi in the infirmary," I replied as I headed to the bathroom and went inside.
It took longer to change out of my dirty clothes and put on a fresh pair since I was mostly lost in thought and recalling my traumatic experience with the Shishigumi last night, trembling slightly and letting out a shaky breath as I tried not to think about it while I was finished putting on my fresh uniform.
"Damn it," I muttered, leaning onto the sink and running my hand across my face with a deep sigh before I glanced at my reflection.
I looked like hell with my eyes appearing dull and my hair was disheveled so the fact that I was emotionally drained really shines through, and the only thing I want right now is to cuddle up beside Legoshi and sleep the day away.
Pulling down the collar of my polo shirt, my cheeks heat up at the sight of a few dark hickeys and the wolf's bite mark, so without meaning to, I started showing a small goofy smile when I remember my night spent with the gray wolf and my mood lifts a little.
Taking a deep breath, I left the bathroom and exited the dorm room, not even bothering to say anything to the others before I started making my way to the infirmary with steady steps and a small part of me felt guilty for being distant with Jack and the others, but I was struggling to come to terms with what I've been through and they wouldn't understand the trauma I've experienced last night so it was hard to open up to people right now who haven't gone through what I had.
The way to the infirmary isn't long and a wave of relief washes over me when I see the familiar door but some deity is apparently on a mission to kill off my last bit of sanity today as the dorm mother, a strict female baboon, comes out of the infirmary this very second and her eyes meet mine until she started scowling sternly before I groaned internally while she points an accusing finger at me.
"There you are, young man!" the dorm mother exclaimed, and I felt like tearing my hair out from the amount of bullshit that keeps being thrown at me.
'Oh, fuck nuggets,' I thought wearily as the dorm mother storms up to me and proceeds to rip me a new one.
Naturally, I ignore every single word coming out of that woman's mouth while merely rolling my eyes with an exhausted sigh, and I'm convinced that she hadn't taken a single breath in between sentences so it made me wonder just how livid she was at me and Legoshi until I heard something from her that made me do a double-take.
'Wait, she hasn't even reported this incident? I almost died and she doesn't see that as important enough to even mention it to the higher-ups of the school?' I thought, not knowing whether I should be happy or pissed she decided not to report it.
On one hand, I would've been killed had it not been for Legoshi all because of the school's negligence but on the other hand, if she did report it, I would've found myself being taken into custody by the police and sent to prison so I would've lost my freedom and Legoshi at the same time.
"-but this will definitely bring some heavy consequences for both you and that young wolf!" the dorm mother finished, then that caused my temper to flare up as my eyes narrowed into an ugly scowl.
"Excuse me?" I questioned, my voice cutting through the air like a dagger and I relish in the faltering spark of superiority in the baboon's eyes so even though I'm secretly very grateful that she didn't report it, I certainly wasn't going to let Legoshi be punished after he went through hell and back to save my ass while also nearly getting killed himself.
"Y-You heard me correctly, young man," the dorm mother stuttered slightly while my eyes held a terrifying gleam in them, then I took a step forward and decided to play my cards right so that I could save Legoshi from getting into trouble while also teaching this woman a lesson.
"Oh, did I now? So, I heard you correctly when you said that you did not report two of your students going missing, one of which is a member of an endangered species?" I asked as the dorm mother tried to find her voice to respond, but she was apparently too flabbergasted to form any coherent sentences.
"Let's look at the facts, shall we? Your students go missing, one of them being the only human to leave one of his communities for the first time in a century and integrate into this society to learn how much has changed since the war, but you don't report it.
No, you decided to punish a wolf who risked his own life to save me, a male human so that makes him a goddamn hero in my book and I assume he told you that it was the Shishigumi who-" I continued, my voice cold and apathetic until I was cut off.
"Enough, you will not mention the name of that terrible organization in front of me again so I accept that you were in danger and that I did not act accordingly when faced with your case, however, I won't have you make up stories to hide the truth," the dorm mother retorted, only I didn't show any reaction and simply pulled up the bottom of my shirt to show small cuts and bruises that I had gained during my fight against the chief lion.
"I'd like to say that it isn't the truth but unfortunately, as you can see, it is and I'm sure that any professional doctor would tell you that these cuts were caused by a lion's claws so I'd like to keep this short and simple as possible, miss, seeing as I need to get these treated.
What's going to happen is that the wolf won't be punished for his actions and neither will I so seeing as we both made it back alive, I think we can leave this incident unreported for once but should you disagree with those terms, I will not hesitate to leak information about the situation to the authorities and that the school's negligence almost resulted in a human being killed.
Basically, one anonymous phone call to the right people will end in a lawsuit against this school, as well as one against you for not acting accordingly so I'm sure you understand the consequences that would occur if I were to reveal this to the media and the police, now do we understand each other?" I stated as I lowered my shirt, and the dorm mother paled rather significantly from my threat.
"Y-Yes, of course," the dorm mother answered with a shaky voice before I sent her a small smile of satisfaction.
"Good to hear, now have a nice day," I said before I moved past her and went to open the door to the infirmary, but before my hand could touch the handle, the door opened and a familiar female wolf left the infirmary until she got in my way.
Juno stood in front of me, the two of us making eye contact with one another and I waited for her to move out of the way but she wasn't budging for some reason, then her face started contorting with each passing second and I was feeling concerned that she was having some kind of mental breakdown, judging by the intense twitching of her left eye until she suddenly put up a fake smile.
"Ah, excuse me, are you going in?" Juno asked as she moved aside, and I sent her a short nod.
"Yeah, got something for the nurse to check out so I'll see you later, Juno," I replied while eyeing the female wolf with weary glances, then I passed her and entered the infirmary without sparing her another glance until one of the nurses spotted me.
"Hello there, do you need something?" the nurse asked as I entered the infirmary and sent her a warm smile.
"Yeah, I got hurt and need to get it checked out," I answered before the nurse sent me an unamused look.
"Again? This seems to be happening to you a lot lately," the nurse grumbled while her friend chuckled at her reaction and I shrugged.
"What can I say, trouble just seems to find me," I remarked just before another nurse comes up to me with a gentle smile and guides me to a bed to sit on, but not before my eyes meet Legoshi's and I couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on my face.
"Alright, let's see what happened," the nurse said, prompting me to remove my shirt and fresh tank top before her eyes furrow in befuddlement when I show her the cuts and bruises, making me chuckle nervously before quickly grimacing as she disinfects the cuts.
"Goodness, how did this even happen?" the nurse muttered in disbelief, causing me to rub the back of my head.
"I, uh, kinda got into a fight," I replied sheepishly, avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment and the nurse sighed in exasperation.
"Well, lucky for you, these cuts won't scar but those bruises will take a few days before they fade so you're going to be sore for a while, now try not to do anything strenuous for at least a week if you can help it," the nurse told me before I chuckled.
"No promises because, as I said before, trouble just seems to find me," I said while ignoring her tone of pity, and even though my cuts and bruises will heal, my hellish experience with the Shishigumi will leave mental scars that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
"Do they hurt a lot?" Legoshi inquired, his deep voice coming from behind me and I turned my head to look at him.
"No, the cuts are fine and I feel a little sore from the bruises, but it's nothing I can't handle," I reassured, then the wolf hums contently but his worried eyes never leave my figure during the nurse's entire process of disinfecting and bandaging my injuries and once the nurse was done, she gave the two of us a knowing smirk and leaves us alone until I slowly make my way to Legoshi's bedside with heat appearing in my cheeks.
"So, how are you holding up?" I asked timidly, a little unsure of how to act around the male wolf after last night.
"I'm good," Legoshi responds, his body language making it painfully obvious that his entire focus is solely on me as he raises a hand before holding it out for me and I didn't hesitate to take it with mine, then I let out a surprised gasp and went limp while he suddenly drags me onto the bed and against his torso.
My head rests against his shoulder and a pleasant shiver runs down my spine when he nuzzles my neck, just before his nose nudges the collar of my shirt aside and I didn't bother suppressing a content sigh of bliss as his tongue runs across the bite mark.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Legoshi muttered, his arms wrapped around my torso.
"I'm happy you're okay as well since you really had me worried yesterday, you know?" I admitted softly, causing a content growl to rumble through his chest as he nuzzles against the bite mark and I sigh happily while feeling tempted to fall asleep right then and there, but there were more pressing matters I need to attend to despite how comfortable it is to rest in Legoshi's arms.
"Legoshi," I groaned, tapping against his chest twice with my fingers.
"Hmm?" Legoshi hums, reluctant to let go of me.
"Even though I'd rather stay here with you, I need to go," I said, chuckling at his groan of dismay before I pushed myself up and stared right into his eyes as my hands gently rest on his cheeks.
"I know you don't want me to go, but I need to find Haru since I'm sure she's worried sick about me," I added before Legoshi hums in understanding, and even though he wasn't enthusiastic about it, the gray wolf loosens his hold on me and I sent him a thankful smile before kissing him on the forehead until I got off the bed and made my way to the door while sending him a wave as I left the infirmary and let out a sigh while leaning my back against the door as I stood in the hallway.
"Damn, he sure as hell can be persuasive," I muttered, chuckling under my breath until I became lost in thought.
'Okay, now to find Haru so I should probably start in the gardens and who knows, maybe I'll run into Louis on the way there and ask him what the hell he was doing there...but I must've imagined it, right?
There's no fucking way he could've been at the Shishigumi's hideout so it must've been my imagination, right? You know what, it doesn't matter so I'll find Haru and track down Louis for some answers after that,' I thought as I shook my head.
With a new goal in mind, I began my way to the gardening club and there weren't many students around since most of them are probably too busy making plans for the festival so I would have to start getting ready in a little while as well, seeing as the drama club still had some stuff to do as far as I remember while it wasn't anything major, but I'll have to double-check if I'm still a part of the light crew.
Not a single person crosses my way through the long hallways, which was why it was easy as hell to distinguish the extra pair of footsteps from my own, so whoever was behind me certainly wasn't doing a good job at being stealthy and I would've noticed them regardless as I glanced at the windows with the bright sun making me squint my eyes for a second until I could easily make out the curled reddish-gray fur.
'Huh, maybe it's just a coincidence and she's just going the same way I am, though it's a little odd that she won't start a conversation with me...well, it's not like we're friends or anything but Juno's a pretty social wolf and a complete ass-kisser.
So, she would use every opportunity to get on someone's good side, right? Well, I'm fine with the silence either way so it's not my problem,' I thought as I kept walking with Juno right behind me, still listening for her footsteps behind me and a short time passed by before I started coming to the possibility that she was following me and it was beginning to creep me out as I picked up speed and hearing her moving quickly to keep up with me was unsettling me as I sweatdropped.
'Is she following me? Okay, this is starting to freak me out a little so she needs to quit it,' I thought uneasily as I finally went around a corner, slowing my pace for a few seconds to catch my breath before I subtly glanced behind me and stopped moving until Juno comes to a stop behind me, confirming that she was following me.
Suddenly, I bolted as fast as I could and heard Juno letting out a surprised gasp at how fast I was until she chased after me while I ran through the hallways, using the many twists and turns to my advantage but she still kept up with me as I made it to the stairs leading to the roof before running up them and I felt Juno's clawed hand clasping around my wrist, forcing me to stop and locking me into place with her fierce grip.
"Okay, what the hell do you want from me?!" I exclaimed irritably as I twist around to lock eyes with the female wolf while a twinge of fear crawls up my spine at the feeling of a clawed hand on my wrist.
I didn't believe that Juno would ever physically hurt me since she was too clever for that, but the memory of that twisted lion still burned freshly in my brain as Juno gritted her teeth with her cold eyes staring straight into mine.
"Do you actually believe that you can make Legoshi happy?!" Juno interrogated, taking me off guard from the straightforward question.
"E-Excuse me?" I stuttered as I was taken aback, but I was still irritated as hell since she could've just asked to talk to me instead of following me around like a crazy person, so a spark of bravery flared up in me and I rip myself free from her grasp before fully turning around with my arms crossed while I held a stern glare.
"That's pretty forward of you, considering that we're barely acquaintances and not really friends, not to mention that you're a first-year so don't forget that," I lectured firmly, then Juno composed herself before widening her eyes and she lowered her head.
"I-I'm really sorry, senpai," Juno told me, her voice going back to its usual soft chipper tone and I recalled that she was rather obsessed with Legoshi so I felt embarrassed that I had forgotten about that as I sighed.
"Juno, if you wanted to talk, you could've just asked instead of freaking me out like that back there," I pointed out, moving to lean against the wall and even though I wasn't all that fond of her, I owe her the decency to hear her out since that's what I'd expect if I was in her situation and it's not like it'll cost me anything, so it's the least I could do.
"Um, let me ask you something...you were the one involved in the incident with Legoshi, weren't you?" Juno asked hesitantly and I chuckled.
"Well, I'm the only human here, aren't I?" I joked before closing my eyes tiredly and adding, "I was, though I don't really know what that has to do with anything but I want to assure you that my relationship with Legoshi isn't as shallow as you might think if that's what you wanted to ask.
I won't say that I can guarantee his happiness since I would have to be an idiot if I did but in the end, it all comes down to Legoshi and how he feels so I'm just grateful that he's a part of my life honestly."
I didn't pay any mind to the footsteps echoing closer but once I felt the looming shadow above me, I slowly opened my eyes to see Juno standing in front of me with her arms on each side of my head and successfully caging me in, so it took me a second to realize what I was seeing and my eyes widen while I stared into her cold periwinkle orbs and sweatdropped.
Naturally, I'm a little intimidated but even though I was gay, I couldn't deny that it was a little bit appealing to have a rather attractive female wolf standing before me like this and staring at me like I was her last meal on death row while I gulped.
"J-Juno, what the fuck are you doing?" I asked uncomfortably since she was invading my personal space and I didn't like it.
Unfortunately, it gets even worse when the canine's face comes incredibly close to mine before dipping down to sniff at the nape of my neck, then she sniffs both sides of my neck twice and growled lightly as she found the bite mark with the quiet rumble coming from her sending a shiver down my spine, just as my face felt like it was on fire and I was pretty sure I was about to have a heart attack.
"J-Juno, w-will you s-stop that?!" I sputtered as I tried to push her face back, though she finally eases up and moves back before standing about two feet in front of me with her arms behind her back as my legs were shaking and I met her stoic gaze with my fierce one while I crossed my arms again and pressed my back further against the wall.
"Okay then, I see...you guys actually had sex, huh?" Juno questioned while I felt like I had just been violated as horrific flashbacks of the chief lion humiliating me ran through my mind.
'D-Did she figure that out just by sniffing me?! For god's sake, what the fuck is wrong with these people?!' I thought incredulously as I stared at Juno with my eyes bugged out.
"Pity, I would've guessed he wouldn't be seduced by a puny little human like you," Juno continued and I was unsure whether to respond to the insult or not, though I was completely bewildered as I gaped at her with a ball of anger growing in my chest at the belittling spark in her eyes.
"Oh, did you think I was going to devour you just now?" Juno questioned while I was mystified by what was happening, just as the female wolf started walking up the stairs with her back turned to me.
"I don't need to cheapen myself but I am going to surpass a man like you as a woman," Juno announced proudly and that pissed me off slightly.
"Now hold on-" I tried to protest and was cut off.
"And I'll prove it...at the festival of the meteor," Juno declared, and for a second, it's absolutely silent as I tried to fully comprehend all of the bullshit I just heard until I followed after the female wolf and stood face to face again when I opened my mouth.
"That's great Juno, absolutely wonderful, but maybe you should think really carefully before going around and insulting your upper-classman and fellow club member," I mused as I stared at her with no emotion in my eyes, then she let out a surprised gasp that I relished after I grabbed her shoulder lightly with one hand just to have her listen to what I had to say.
"My relationship with Legoshi is none of your damn business because right now, I keep him happy, not you and until that changes, you need to keep yourself in check because I've been through a fucking lot these past two days, okay?
I do not have the nerve to deal with your bullshit as well so if you have feelings for Legoshi, then your business is with him and not me so don't drag me into your mess," I continued with my voice eerily calm as I let go of her and walked past the female wolf until I stopped with my back turned to her.
"Don't act so high and mighty, Juno, and don't go assuming shit when you have absolutely no idea about what's going on in other people's lives...I'll see you later, Juno, and don't do something the both of us will regret, okay?" I emphasized darkly as I glanced over my shoulder one last time to meet her gaze with a cold look in my eyes and a humorless smile on my face until I continued up the stairs and ignored the female wolf behind me.
The mesmerizing scenery of the gardening club would never cease to amaze me because it was impossible, the flowers practically sparkling with life under the glow of the bright summer sun while bees swarmed around, butterflies rested their wings in this peaceful haven and if I listened for a moment, I'd hear the music of the cicadas so this place always helped me take my mind off of the harsh reality of this world.
Still shaken up from my encounter with Juno, I look around in search of my friend and stay quiet, fully focusing on any familiar humming or things like that while I listened for a few moments of silence until I caught Haru's soft humming coming from the direction of the shed.
With a growing smile on my face, I made my way to the wooden structure and Haru doesn't take notice of me immediately, though her ears twitch in my direction once I'm a couple of feet away from her and it was nice to see her taking care of one of her plants, one I wasn't going to name, but she seemed rather busy so I decided to wait patiently until she was done and a few minutes went by before Haru was finished and she stood up to turn around when she saw me and froze.
"Hey Haru," I greeted warmly before Haru started having a bright expression on her face, then she throws herself at me and I grunted as her arms wrapped around my lower torso.
"You're alive!" Haru exclaimed in relief, causing me to laugh but I started wheezing since she was squeezing me a little too tightly and I started grimacing when my bruises flared up.
"Hey, I couldn't exactly leave you all by yourself, could I?" I remarked with a strained tone in my voice before Haru thankfully let go of me, taking my hand instead and dragging me into the shed before I was brought to the bed and she had me sit.
"What happened?! You have to tell me everything, and I mean everything because when that wolf got into a fight with Louis after-" Haru started to question, then I heard the last part of what she said and my eyes widened before I cut her off.
"Hold on, Legoshi fought Louis? Why would he...oh, that dumbass wolf is definitely going to hear it from me for withholding something like that!" I vowed irritably, looking annoyed from having something like that being kept quiet when I should know about it.
"So, he was the one to save you from the Shishigumi?" Haru asked before handing me a cup of tea and taking a seat on the only chair in the shed, then I nod and took a sip before furrowing my eyes at the weird but not unpleasant taste as Haru appeared to notice.
"It's lavender, I needed something to calm my nerves yesterday and I thought it would be nice to make tea out of a plant I grew myself," Haru explained before I smiled.
"It's not bad, just surprising and Legoshi was the one to save me...wait, how do you know about that?" I asked in confusion, then a forlorn gaze appeared in Haru's black eyes and she turned away from me before facing the window.
"I found your watch and a card from the Shishigumi next to it, so I didn't know about them until I reported it and the mayor himself actually said he'd take care of it and bring you back, but something just felt off, you know?
I had a really bad feeling so when I saw the wolf, I immediately told him what happened and the rest is history so he fought Louis, no idea why, and then he vanished," Haru told me, causing me to let out a groan as I rubbed my eyes to fight off another headache.
"Fucking hell, I'm gone for an hour and that idiot gets into a fight with the school's most popular student so I swear that I'm putting a damn bell on him since you really can't leave that airhead alone for even a second," I grumbled unamusingly, just as Haru turned back to look at me with her eyes glistening with compassion and safety.
"So...what happened?" Haru asked, making me swallow audibly and I avoided her gaze by lowering my head so even though I trust her, I didn't want to talk about it.
I couldn't since talking about it would make it real and right now, I couldn't deal with that, not while it was still raw and fresh in my mind while all of it happened yesterday, not a year, a month, or a week before, literally less than 24 hours earlier.
"Eric?" Haru questioned in concern, and I flinch before lifting my head and having no emotion on my face.
"Sorry, I just...kind of spaced out," I said hesitantly.
"It's okay, take your time," Haru told me kindly, and I was forced to clear my throat while my body began to shake and my eyes started to water.
"There's...not a lot to talk about, a lion gang wanted to eat me for dinner so I fought back and endured it long enough for Legoshi to save my life, but we missed the last train so we had to stay the night in the city," I explained before falling silent and struggling to keep my composure.
It's quiet for a moment and I could tell that Haru sees right through me and knows that a lot more happened than what I'm describing, but she had the decency to understand that I wasn't ready to talk about it so instead of questioning me further, she hums gently and takes a sip from her own cup of tea before meeting my eyes with a beaming grin.
"So...what else happened? I mean, between you and the wolf?" Haru asked with her grin widening before my face turned red and I let out a nervous chuckle.
"Oh, uh, funny story actually, we kind of...had sex," I mumbled, glancing to the side in embarrassment before Haru suddenly spat out her tea.
"You fucked?!" Haru exclaimed in shock, and I sent her a look of indignation.
"Look, I just survived a near-death experience and adrenaline was flooding my system at the time, so it just happened! It's not really that big of a deal..." I trailed off while feeling mortified that I was even talking about this when it should be private, though Haru didn't seem to think that it wasn't a big deal if her expression told me anything.
"What are you talking about?! You had sex, so of course it is!" Haru yelled in disbelief, and I could only respond with a shy nod before letting out a yelp of surprise when she's suddenly right in my face.
"So, how was it?" Haru asked and at that, a shaky grin appeared on my face.
"Um, let's just say that you would've died if you'd been in my place," I answered uncomfortably, then Haru gasped.
"Oh jeez...how big is he?" Haru inquired curiously, then I couldn't take how embarrassing this was for me so I let out a strangled cough and lift the cup of tea to my lips as my eyes were bugged out.
"Uh...around eleven, maybe twelve," I squeaked while my face was bright red and I felt like I was going to pass out as Haru gasped again and put her hands on her head while her ears twitched in excitement.
"Holy crap, how are you even walking right now?!" Haru exclaimed in shock.
"I'm not, I'm still limping honestly but overall, it was incredible...a little awkward, but incredible," I admitted while smiling shyly before Haru smirked and wiggled her eyebrows.
"So, how often did you-" Haru started to ask, only I cut her off by holding up three fingers to answer the question and she laughed loudly.
"Oh wow, I didn't think the wolf had it in him, honestly," Haru remarked before I fidgeted slightly.
"You know what, let's change the subject, please," I suggested uncomfortably, then Haru sent me a soft smile.
"Don't worry, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything since I'm just curious and I've slept with plenty of guys so I'm not judging or anything like that, now was it something casual or are you two a thing now?" Haru asked, causing me to sigh heavily as I went to the wooden table next to the wall before setting my teacup down on it and leaning against the table.
"I don't know, we honestly didn't talk about that but it wasn't casual because Legoshi isn't that kind of guy, especially since he was really affectionate when I went to visit him in the infirmary earlier and after everything we've been through, it would be stupid to deny the fact that I love him," I responded tiredly while I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Do you think he'll confess at the festival and isn't there some kind of ritual for lovers at the meteor or something?" Haru wondered and I nodded.
"Yeah, there is, it-" I started to say and instantly stopped as I recalled something important and it takes a lot to resist the urge to facepalm.
"A-Actually, he talked to me shortly before I was kidnapped and literally said that he wants to confess to me tonight! Son of a bitch, how the fuck did I forget about that?!" I shouted in disbelief, making Haru giggle at my embarrassment before she moved closer to me and held my wrist in a comforting manner.
"Well, it's not like you had it easy in the last 24 hours, and you remembered now so I'd say you're all good," Haru pointed out, causing me to stare at her with a tired but grateful expression until I let out a frustrated groan and ran my hand through my hair.
"Haru," I said, catching the rabbit's attention.
"Yes?" Haru asked before I looked at her with a vulnerable expression.
"I'm scared," I admitted and it was the truth since I was scared, terrified even, of what tonight will bring.
I wasn't sure if I had ever confessed to anyone and been in a relationship before since I couldn't remember, and even though I believe it's pretty clear my feelings aren't one-sided, there's still no full guarantee of that since there's still that fucked up voice in the back of my mind telling me that none of it's real, that it's just one big prank or something similar, but I love Legoshi.
I was sure of it now, but having to open myself up to someone and let them in after everything I've been through these past few months, to show them every little part of me and enter a new state of vulnerability absolutely scared the shit out of me so multiple terrible what-if scenarios swirl around in my head, clouding my judgment and bravery.
However, before I'm able to fully lose myself completely in the void, the white dwarf rabbit in front of me was able to bring me back to reality as she patted my lower arm and looks up at me with a gentle smile.
"You know he loves you, right? Everyone but you can see that since he's not very subtle about it, so you'll be okay," Haru reassured and I swallowed thickly, closing my eyes for a few moments and taking deep breaths to calm myself down while Haru compliments me and keeps me distracted from my current anxieties.
"See? You're okay, completely safe and doing great so the festival's going to be wonderful, and come tomorrow, I'll have to fight that wolf for every bit of your time, I just know it," Haru added, making me chuckle and her smile gets bigger as a familiar glint in her eyes appeared.
"You know, if I had known you'd fall for that gray wolf back then, I would've locked the two of you in here just to speed things along," Haru remarked, causing me to laugh slightly before sending her a playful glare.
"I didn't fall for him, he fucking tripped me," I replied wryly.
"Whatever you say, Eric, and we should probably start heading out to the festival now since the clubs have to get there early so you do remember that, right?" Haru inquired as we began to head to the door while I shrugged.
"Of course I do," I answered, though that was a lie since I had completely forgotten about that after everything that had happened yesterday.
"All of this was perfectly organized yesterday, so what the fuck happened?" I muttered in frustration as I searched through the boxes in one of the tents for the drama club.
My peers and I were moving stuff around, as usual, all of which has been scattered around the many cardboard boxes littering the tents and I had gone out of my way yesterday to organize them so it'd be easier to navigate which of the dozens of boxes contained the items I was looking for, but some asshole either disagreed with my way of making life easier for everyone involved or they wanted to intentionally piss me off since I can't find shit and nearly fell onto my ass for a total of five times because I tripped over one of those damn boxes, which didn't help my bruises at all.
As it turns out, I'm not part of the lighting crew for the time being seeing as my injuries and the fact that I had been kidnapped the day prior had my fellow club members worried, so I convinced them that I'd at least help to set everything up while also taking it easy but damn do I regret that now and one thing I've noticed throughout all that is that I haven't caught a single glimpse of a certain deer.
'He sure knows how to take his sweet ass time, doesn't he? What, did Louis decide that he wants to spend the fucking weekend in Las Vegas or something? Where the hell is he?' I thought irritably as I scowled at nothing in particular.
As for Legoshi, he had been keeping a close eye on me throughout the entire night and stayed a lot closer to me than usual, so even though I thought it was cute, it was still a little inconvenient when I had to struggle with the number of boxes everywhere and I was also in a less than stellar mood.
"Legoshi, after you put that box away, you can just go back," Kai spoke up, he and the wolf each holding a box as Legoshi looked at him.
"Huh? Why's that?" Legoshi questioned, tilting his head in confusion.
"What, isn't it obvious to you? You can't work the lights when you're all beat up like that!" Kai responds, his temper flaring up while I thought it was a little unnecessary snapping at the poor wolf.
"Sure I can, I'm actually fine so I can handle it," Legoshi assured before Kai scowled.
"It's a busy time right now and all of us in the art department just don't want any more hassles happening again, alright?!" Kai reprimanded harshly, and I watched with slightly widened eyes while trying to keep my balance after tripping over yet another box as Legoshi looked puzzled.
"Again?" Legoshi asked, voicing what was on my mind just as Sanu approached us with a solemn look.
"Louis disappeared, so we had to make an awful lot of last-minute changes," Sanu explained and Legoshi opened his mouth to say something, only I cut him off.
"Louis-senpai's gone?!" I shouted incredulously in a booming voice, making everyone in the tent flinch while my eyes were bulging and Sanu let out a mournful sigh before turning to me.
"Yes, we haven't been able to contact him at all...which is so unlike him, that's for sure," Sanu confirmed, then he shook his head and walks off while leaving me and Legoshi completely flabbergasted by what we just learned as something horrible just occurred to me.
'It had to have been my imagination because h-he couldn't have been at the Shishigumi's hideout, but if he was, then that would mean...he's...no, I can't think about that so he's probably off enjoying something only rich people do.
I do know one thing, I'm going to get my hands on that asshole and strangle him myself for making me worry so damn much!' I thought as I ran my hand through my hair stressfully and felt Legoshi's eyes on me, only I ignored it and wondered what to do when someone entered the tent.
"J-Juno?" Kai gasped and I looked at what caught his attention before I was also taken aback by the female wolf's appearance, as is everyone else.
She was clad in a red dress with a scandalous slit showing off her left leg, a single red strap on her left shoulder, and quite possibly her breasts holding up the front while a choker necklace graces her neck as golden ribbons decorate her upper arm and a translucent red veil wave in the wind behind her, ending just below her shoulders.
As for her head, the tips of her ears and cheek fur are painted white and sparkling jewels are littered beneath her periwinkle eyes, so I had to admit that she was gorgeous but the only thing bugging me is the three feathers adorning her head with one a bright purple, another one lime green, and the third one a golden yellow so it was a catastrophe in terms of color coordination.
Green and red are opposite on the color spectrum while they are complementary colors, and while that usually doesn't stop them from working together, that green feather is definitely hindering her costume from shining to its fullest, maybe the yellow one as well so I had to change that. With newfound determination, I search through the boxes surrounding me and listened to the conversation while looking for my desired item.
"I had them change my make-up and costume just a touch, especially since Louis-senpai isn't with us right now so we need to do whatever it takes to make this performance the best that it can be!" Juno announced proudly, her sweet voice filling the humid air of the tent as she added, "Let's go out and give it our all!"
After she said that loudly with a bright smile, the mood among the drama club members instantly changes for the better as most of them cheered so even though Juno and I had our differences while not being on the best of terms, I had to admit her charisma and cute persona were a good thing for the drama club since Louis was gone and someone needs to be the motivating inspiring role model, and while Juno wasn't nearly as talented as the deer, she would have to do for now.
Glancing down, I finally find what I was looking for and took out two feathers that were the same as Juno's, only in different colors with one a bright orange reminding me of the color of fire while the other is a bright red that was a lighter shade than her dress.
With a satisfied smile, I ignored the weird stares burning into my back as I make my way to the female wolf, and standing before her, I pulled out the green and purple feathers from her headpiece while she let out a surprised yelp as everyone around us let out a gasp.
"What are you doing, senpai?" Juno questioned, sounding concerned and probably thinking that I'm destroying her costume when I'm actually trying to save it.
"I'm saving your costume so what were you thinking with those feathers, Juno? Green and purple don't go together at all, much less with red so we need to fix that," I stated sternly as I tucked in my choice of feathers.
Once that was done, I stepped back and had Kai get a mirror before he promptly handed it to Juno, who proceeded to inspect her face curiously while I watched with a gentle smile until she was done after a moment and glanced back up to me my gaze with her expression full of hidden awe, suspicion, and gratefulness.
"The colors of the feathers were taking all the attention away from your costume, so I changed that by giving you more similar colors to the one on your dress, and besides, you kind of look like a phoenix now with a very warm and bright appearance, which is exactly what we need to captivate the audience so now you can shine to your fullest, Juno," I explained and sent her a grin as I caught the awestruck look in her eyes until a moment passed and I remembered that I wanted to ask Haru if she needed any help.
"Well, I gotta go so I'll see you guys later," I said before leaving the tent and heading to Haru's booth.
"Eric, we're almost done here!" Haru called out from behind the many dozen plants.
"Okay!" I responded loudly, carefully setting down the small purple flower in my hand at the front of the booth before my mind begins to unsurprisingly wander.
'God, so much has happened in the last 24 hours that I feel like I've experienced a heavy dose of fantasy and reality, so I don't know how much more of this I can take,' I thought while Haru went over to me, then she cleared her throat and that brought me back to reality.
"Alright, we're done here so you should go now, the drama club's performance will be starting any minute and I don't want to keep you here any longer than I already have," Haru told me, the reminder making my eyes widen.
"Oh, right," I said as I swiftly got up, only to stop when Haru called out to me once more and she smiles at me while giving me an inspiring wink.
"You can do this," Haru encouraged, and I knew that she was talking about my confession to Legoshi so I nodded in determination before running off in the direction of the stage while hoping that I'll find Legoshi there since it would save me a whole bunch of trouble.
It didn't take long for me to reach the grand stage, its vibrant red and orange lights mesmerizing me instantly as Juno danced in the center while truly looking like a phoenix rising from the ashes as the rest of the dance team was in the background, gracefully moving to the music while their pure white dresses softly sway with their movements so it's a true spectacle to witness.
As expected, Juno's beauty doesn't go to waste on the audience with praises and mutters of awe rushing through the crowd as I stand in the middle of it, gazing upon her graceful movements and I thought about how gray wolves can be beautiful in this world.
'Juno's really representing the perfect picture this world has of carnivores, beautiful, powerful, special, all of that is undeniable when she's dancing on-stage,' I thought with a soft smile, and without meaning to, my eyes search the crowd around me and my heart flutters when I realize that I'm subconsciously searching for a very special gray wolf.
'Legoshi, you're the only one that really accepted me for who I am...and no matter how much I try to deny it, I can't be without you anymore! I hate this, being so vulnerable but with you...I couldn't care less and that scares the ever-loving hell out of me.
Dammit, I need to tell you, or I might lose my mind if I don't!' I thought as I kept on the lookout, searching for the male wolf and hoping that I'll see his large head appear in the crowd so once I finally spotted him, my eyes lit up gleefully and I make my way to him without hesitation until I was right behind him and he didn't seem to notice as the wolf looked around and sniffed the air to find my scent.
"Holy hell, is your nose working alright?" I asked jokingly, causing Legoshi to freeze in an instant before turning around to come face to face with me as my hands were on my hips while the people around us clap and cheer once the performance ends.
"Took you long enough, Lego-head," I remarked with a smirk, keeping my gaze focused on his as the wolf steps closer and my expression falters with my face filling with heat when Legoshi leans down slightly, grasping my hands with his and I'm noticing once again just how big they are compared to mine.
"Eric...I, uh-" Legoshi tried to say, and I shook my head to cut him off.
"Wait, I think I should go first," I whispered gently, lifting my gaze from my hands and stared into his dark eyes with my heart beating faster, threatening to jump out of my chest any minute as I take a deep breath in a last attempt to collect myself.
"Legoshi...I'm in lo-" I started to say, only to be rudely interrupted.
"Thank you so much, and now, I'd like to introduce someone who's a courageous member of our group! Our hero!" Juno announced as the bright spotlight suddenly falls onto me and Legoshi, our hands still tightly holding onto one another while my left eye twitched irritably and anxiously, but I didn't let go of the wolf's hand and turn to glare at Juno in annoyance while she proudly stands on the stage.
"You see, he risked his life and rescued a student from our school, who had been kidnapped so as a carnivore, it was a very courageous act for him to do," Juno continued, unaware that I was shooting daggers at her.
'No, it wasn't because his bravery has nothing to do with being a carnivore! It's called civil courage, for fuck's sake!' I thought irritably.
"Now, Legoshi, will you please come up on stage?" Juno spoke, gazing at the gray wolf in front of me and he wasn't given the option to refuse as Tao rushes up to us in a blink of an eye and swiftly grabs Legoshi's hand before dragging him away from me and onto the stage as I gritted my teeth in frustration.
"I swear to god I'm going to kill the entire fucking club when this is over," I muttered as I scowled, seeing Tao leaving Legoshi beside Juno and the male wolf peered down at the crowd with a startled expression until he turns to Juno before saying something to her that I couldn't understand, but she didn't respond as she intertwined her fingers with his and lifts their hands into the air.
"That's right, Legoshi went and risked his own life to save Cherryton's only human student who was in great danger, and regardless of what you may think, carnivores are always here to help the powerless herbivores in any way they can.
It's called compassion and I want to tell each and every one of you that there's a lot of potential with our strong physique, which is a precious gift," Juno declared, and with a seething rage burning in my core, I watched the female wolf raised her's and Legoshi's hands even higher.
'That fucking-' I thought as my hands clenched into fists and my knuckles turned white while my nails were about to dig into my palms.
"That is the true nature of carnivores!" Juno finished and my rage only grows further when the crowd starts to clap, praising the two wolves while I trembled from the overflow of terrible memories like the chief lion, the distorted event of getting shot twice, then everything comes crashing down onto my shoulders and I was sure that I was going to suffocate.
I glared at the female wolf with murder in my tear-filled eyes, just as she turns to Legoshi and whispered something to him while I struggled to stay in control of myself until I could no longer take it and something in me finally snapped after months of stress and trauma flooded to the surface with my eyes becoming cold and unstable.
"Hey!" I announced with a deafening shout, the clapping ceasing as I became the center of attention and Legoshi let out a gasp at the look on my face while I started pushing my way through the crowd, completely done with being nice and wanting to let Juno know just how I felt about this.
Tao and Kibi came up to me, trying to calm me down but they froze when they saw the look in my eyes as I sent them a cold expression and they quickly backed away with their hands up as I continued to fight my way through the crowd as I didn't feel anything but the urge to kill the female wolf that was on that stage.
It was true that Juno and I weren't on the best of terms, but this was crossing a line as I climbed onto the stage and shortly stopped in front of Juno as I stared at her with no emotion in my eyes, something that appeared to have unsettled her if the unnerved look on her face told me anything but I had enough of her and could care less what she was feeling right now.
"Are you proud of yourself, tormenting a traumatized person by pulling this shit? Who the fuck do you think you are, Juno? How dare you, you have no fucking right to talk about that so how dare you use my fucking trauma for your goddamn propaganda speech," I said coldly with a lack of empathy or anything else in my voice, rendering the crowd silent and they all looked unsettled by how dead I sounded.
"You had no right to talk about this, not you of all fucking people after you had the gall to corner and threaten me just a couple of hours ago, so you seriously want to preach your bullshit about how carnivores have a compassionate side and all when you didn't even bother to ask me about what I went through not even 24 hours ago?
You didn't give a damn about my side of the story but, apparently, it was good enough for you to use it to spread your propaganda so not even a fucking 'glad you're alive' from you or anyone else in the drama club.
All of you knew, even though I never said a thing about the fact that I was almost devoured yesterday and none of you, except Legoshi and the chief, even bothered to ask me how I felt about any of this shit," I continued, my cold facade starting to crack and tears beginning to run down my cheeks as my voice became shaky.
"Fucking preach your bullshit, I don't give a damn, but you have no goddamn right to use my trauma for your own fucking benefit so you don't get to talk about compassion when you wouldn't know what it is, even if it fucking hits you in the face.
You're no better than the sick fucks who damn near killed me last night," I told Juno, staring at her in complete disgust and losing any kind of sympathy for her before I quickly left the stage and make my way through the crowd until I was gone like I instantly vanished.
Later on, the eerie glow of the street lanterns guide my way as I climbed the stone stairs, already leaving the festival grounds and I had stopped crying a while ago so now that I'm walking alone in the darkness with my hands in my pockets, I wondered if anything even really changed in the time since I lost my memories after getting shot so what if I'm nothing more than a toy to be tormented by some deity's amusement?
'I didn't hold Juno in high standards, but I thought she was better than that so I gave her the benefit of the doubt...shit, I've given a lot of benefit to a lot of people recently and I'm usually pretty good when it comes to dealing with assholes, but...I couldn't take it anymore.
I'm done, just so fucking tired of all this bullshit,' I thought, and in the midst of my despair and forlorn melancholy, my thoughts drift back to the image of Legoshi and Juno.
'Those two...they looked really good together so anyone would assume that they're a happy couple and Legoshi would receive all the blessings a same-species female and male relationship could give him.
We were happy, even if it was for a short time, but...no one would really accept a wolf and human couple so how the hell could he ever be happy with me? I've got no family, no place to call home, and I'm a dangerous person who might not be human in the first place.
Who the hell am I kidding...it's not like I own him or anything since it's his life, not mine so I was just glad to be a part of it and I'm sure that once I back off and erase myself from the public eye, everything will calm down while I know that he'll be happier without me.
He has to be, right? It should be simple, shouldn't it? To leave someone so that they can have a brighter future, even if it hurts you? It should be simple, but...' I thought as I heard someone calling for me, the voice faint at first until it got loud enough for me to recognize it as I knew who was behind me.
"Eric, it's dangerous to walk alone in the dark like that," Legoshi told me, making me stop and I felt frustrated that he just had to come and find me when I was considering leaving him and dropping out of school altogether so that I could leave the city and live off the grid since it would be better for everyone because I didn't have a lot of hope for my future or the future of this society if people like Juno were in charge.
'Goddammit, he really knows how to make everything so much more complicated than it needs to be!' I thought irritably, but I refuse to face the large wolf since I understood that I would break completely if I did.
"What the hell are you doing here, Legoshi? You should be with Juno back at the festival since everyone was cheering for you, and...you two seemed to be the perfect couple," I spoke, my voice completely apathetic and emotionless while the pain I felt was nearly eating me alive.
"What?" Legoshi questioned, and I felt his affectionate gaze burning into my back before I sighed.
"Screw it, this is so stupid so you should go back," I suggested as I continued my slow ascent up the stairs.
"She's just another gray wolf, we hardly have anything in common with each other since I'm, well, gay and we don't even share the same interests," Legoshi pointed out, his heartfelt voice breaking me down without meaning to, soothing the pain in my chest and I couldn't keep going anymore since my legs were now trembling too much to walk away from him.
"I'm...a rather dark-natured guy, so it doesn't matter if I'm in the dark or the light since I'll always continue to worry and if I'm always going to worry, I'd rather it'd be about things that have to do with you, Eric.
Don't you see? It's more important to me that I focus on that," Legoshi added while he follows after me, and I heard his footsteps before I sighed.
"Yeah, but ever since we met, you were almost killed and I...I've dealt with so much bullshit after losing my memories that I don't know how much more I can take before it breaks me," I admitted wearily as I took in a deep breath, fighting my body and continuing up the stairs.
"Then let me help you carry those burdens since we've had to deal with more hardships than other people, but I'm sure we can fight through them like our night at the hotel...we were happy there, weren't we?" Legoshi asked, and at the mention of that time, my body goes rigid and heat rises to my face before I started feeling frustrated and pinched the bridge of my nose to fight off a headache.
"Even so, we need to face the fact that you're a wolf and I'm a human, something that isn't going to change and things didn't end well with my kind if the carni-herbi war taught me anything," I pointed out irritably, then the silence suffocates me as Legoshi hesitated to answer.
"Actually, when you were kidnapped by the Shishigumi...it felt like they had stolen my prey and, honestly, that got me confused a-and scared and..." Legoshi trailed off while audibly gulping and it's almost like I could feel the fear coming off of him.
"I have doubts about...what motivated me to save you, but it's pretty clear to me now so I would never eat you, Eric, because-" Legoshi continued, but I didn't want to hear it anymore so I cut him off.
"Enough, don't you see that's not what I care about?! How the hell can you be so damn sure that...you'll be happy with me?!" I shouted as I clenched my fists, and speaking those words was too much for me to handle so I couldn't control my legs as I ran up the stairs.
I couldn't take it, being forced to deal with so much shit these past few months so I decided to run from it all in the hopes that I would no longer be able to experience that pain again, though some part of me knew that I was trying to escape responsibility but I didn't care as long as I wouldn't have to face that pain again even if that wolf was turning my world upside down.
"Wait, I'm about to tell you!" Legoshi called out, but I kept running and pretended not to care when he chased after me while I was torn between the part of myself that wanted to close myself off from people so that it would protect me from getting hurt to the part that loves him so much that it hurt.
'The more Legoshi is honest about his feelings, the harder it gets to walk away from him so doesn't he realize that he could have so much more if he'd stop chasing me? Dammit, I hate this pain and how my heart is literally shattering in my chest!
You might as well kill me now so I'd at least still have whatever's left of my sanity,' I thought stressfully while my eyes welled up.
"Face it, there's no guarantee that a wolf and a human can be happy together in this broken world, which is why you'd be so much better off with someone else!" I argued distressfully as I ran, tears about to roll down my cheeks and I struggled to hold them back.
"There may be no guarantee, but I have a reason to stay with you, a simple one!" Legoshi yelled, the echo of his voice affecting me greatly as I gritted my teeth.
"And what would that be, Legoshi?!" I questioned bitterly, my voice sounding much harsher than I intended to and it took everything I had not to turn around and apologize.
The night sky greeted me when I reach the platform at the end of the stairs that was overlooking the entire city but I didn't go any further than that because, in an instant, Legoshi's arms wrap around my waist as he pulled me against him with my back pressing against his chest while his head rests on mine.
"Because I love you," Legoshi told me gently, and just like that, I fall apart in his arms with tears gushing down my cheeks as I held his arms tighter to my frame.
"Eric, I'll get stronger...I won't let this society or my instincts get in my way because I want to make you happy, so I'll get stronger," Legoshi vowed, his breath right next to my ear and in this very moment, I knew that I didn't want to be anywhere else so it was hard to admit your weaknesses and vulnerabilities but I'd fight for the wolf holding me affectionately and I'll stop running for him.
"I love you too, so if you'll allow me to, I'll stay by your side for as long as I can," I confessed, and it was the first one I've made ever since I woke up without any identity or knowledge of who I was so when I looked up and his eyes met mine as they did all those months ago, I knew that it'll be worth it.
A/N Hey guys, I'm finally done with this chapter since it was a pain to finish but I'm pretty satisfied either way, so it shouldn't be a surprise that Eric reacted the way he had after what Juno did since he had just been through a trauma and compared to all the other crap he was put through, it's no wonder he snapped and him speaking eerily calm instead of shouting makes it even more terrifying to witness.
Well, the first arc is done but the next chapter is going to take place between the first and second arcs to set things up rather nicely, so let me know what you think and stay tuned.