Chapter Three- New Views

Kisara awoke to a knock and sat up. "Come in," she said before stifling a yawn and swinging her legs over the edge. She smiled when Seto entered, pieces of silver in his hands and arms.

"Sleep well?" he asked, putting the silver on the bed, crouching down, and putting cuffs on a leg.

"Oh, yes. Quite well." She watched as Seto put cuffs on her other leg and forearms before standing and putting a solid silver female collar around her neck. She saw that Seto also sported cuffs but wore a silver necklace with a silver charm. "This will protect me from vampires?"

"It will. The merest brush of silver kills them instantly. It protects us especially when wild. Kisara." He pulled her to her feet. "The pharaoh is willing to make us mates once you have changed."

Kisara's face lit up. "He has? That's wonderful."

"It is. Come, it is almost dark." He led the human through the corridors and into the Throne Room where the court and Atem waited. She noticed that the pharaoh had swapped his gold crown and earrings for silver ones and removed his rings. The cuffs on his legs and arms were already silver.

Seto looked outside and said, "It's time." The sun vanished and Kisara suddenly found herself among seven gray-furred, gold-eyed wolves. She knew the one in front of her was Atem as he was still on the throne and that the one beside her was Seto. She looked down to see him look at her. "It will hurt like I said," he said through clicking teeth. "But it will be worth it." He then lunged and bit her hand. It was gentle, but still hurt and she cried out.

She then gasped as her body grew gray fur, her dress melding with her skin and her breasts had disappeared. Her nails lengthened and formed sharp claws while her hands formed paws. Her nose and jaws fused together and extended into a muzzle. Her ears turned pointed and moved to the top of her head while her eyes turned gold and her white hair turned gray and furry before joining the rest of her fur. Her feet became paws with extended claws, the heels going up. Her knees changed direction and she went to all fours as her spine curved. A full bushy tail grew out and she howled, feeling power and strength flow through her. Seven other howls sounded, welcoming her to the pack. She lowered her head and opened her eyes before looking at Seto whose tail swished.

"Oh, Kisara. You're lovely," he said.

Kisara felt amused. "Seto, I look like everyone else."

"Yes, but-,"

Kisara giggled as she nuzzled Seto's cheek. "I know what you mean."

A throat clearing brought everyone's attention to Atem. The werewolf pharaoh jumped down and said, "Kisara, I formally welcome you to my pack and as alpha, I name you and Seto as mates." Atem then howled in a different manner than before.

Seto bowed by bending his front legs and Kisara copied him, feeling it was the right thing to do. "Thank you, alpha," Seto said. "May we leave so I can guide my mate in weapon use?"

"Granted." He watched the pair walk away and felt a pang in his heart. He felt his breath catch at the realization of what it meant. It's beginning, he thought. I have reached the age when a werewolf would desire a mate. It is necessary for the alpha to take a mate to insure leadership of the pace continues. Gender does not matter; my mate would carry the pup. However, the alpha could simply name a successor and as no one has caught my interest, I may indeed name a successor.

A duo of gasps echoed in the underground chamber and Bakura sat back in his throne as two humans transformed into vampires. They were criminals that had avoided capture and had sought refuge in his village kingdom not knowing that vampires slept beneath them. When the first vampires came up and saw them, they seized them and brought them before Bakura.

Bakura, as vampire king, could smell criminal humans from non-criminal ones. It was this ability that allowed him to turn only criminals. The previous king had set the standards of the turning and he saw no reason to change that. His predecessor had gotten killed by the alpha werewolf a year ago and he took the throne as the successor. He heard the alpha died not long after he became king and that the city was led by the alpha's son.

The death of the previous king is what had prompted Bakura to launch occasional attack on the city for revenge, but every attack resulted in failure and forcing Bakura to turn more criminals to replace them.

His new subjects were led out by those that caught them and he put his elbow on the armrest and propped his head on his hand. I have at least a hundred subjects now with the addition of those two new ones. But one of my spies claims he saw twice that number of werewolves. We are outnumbered two to one. I don't turn humans often and I should stop pursuing revenge for my predecessor. A king should insure his subjects' health and happiness. That is what I'll do. No more revenge attacks. We will simply drink our fill of blood and avoid tangling with werewolves. I will have my subjects capture humans tonight so we don't have to roam for blood the next three nights. Bakura rose and left the room to announce his decisions and plan.

Kisara seized the leather of the double-bladed knife in her mouth and whipped her head back and forth, the silver blades whistling through the air. She replaced it in its holder and then quickly brought it out once again

"Very nice," Seto said as Kisara put the knife away.

"Thanks, but I hope I won't need to use it."

"We all wish we didn't have to defend ourselves against vampires, but our reality is that we must. That is why we wear silver, especially during the full moon."

"So, I'll end up being a murderer," she said sadly.

"If vampires penetrate the palace, I'm afraid so. However, most of the pack are efficient in dispatching that attackers and as we are actual wolves on the full moon, we feel no guilt in killing for food."

"Do we have to eat humans?"

"No. We eat whatever we can find that appeals to us, mostly meat." He saw her bow her head and he went over and lifted her head with his muzzle. He was alarmed to see tears shining in her gold eyes. "Kisara! What is the matter?"

"It's just…I'm happy we're together and that you turned me, but the idea of killing scares me." Fat tears slid down her cheeks.

Seto tenderly licked up the tears. "I'm sorry. I was born this way so everything I've told you is natural to me. I never turned anyone before and never actually spoke to a newly-bitten to see how they were handling it. I suppose all of this can be scary, but there are advantages."

"Oh?" she sniffed.

Seto gave a wolf's grin. "Well, I can't speak from personal experience being a pureblood, but I've seen others react to their sharper senses, faster speed, and increased strength. We do heal quickly and retain all of it in human form."

"Seto, if you've never spoken to a newly-bitten, then how do you know they're reacting to their sharper senses and new abilities?"

"Not all of the alpha's court are purebloods. Mahad, Master Aknadin, the alpha, and I are the only ones in the palace that are purebloods and a little less than half of city are pureblood."

"So having sharper senses, faster speed, and increased strength balances out having to kill?"

"I believe it does. I will guide you tomorrow night. I will know you as my mate, thanks to the alpha's blessing and my bite as my scent will mix with yours." He nuzzled her before leading her to her room before retiring for the night himself.