This can't be happening!
This can't be happening!
Izaya's red eyes stared at his reflection in disbelief. The wolf's red eyes stared back at him, the sides heaving every time Izaya himself inhaled or exhaled. He could feel his heart pound against his chest while his mind reeled at what had just happened.
He took a step backwards and watched as those black paws mimicked his movements exactly. He turned to look behind him, and was met with the sight of his now lupine body. A loud whine rose up in his throat. A wolf… I'm a wolf! But why? How?! What could have…
The Informant gasped in a sudden realization. The bite! That was what must have changed him, he was sure of it. The sharp canines, the headaches, the suddenly extremely good sense of smell and sound; all those started to appear the day after he got bitten.
As that registered, Izaya's mind dwelled on what all of it could mean. A bite, turning into a wolf… does that make me a… a werewolf? He looked at his reflection again. But how could that be? Where could that wolf that bit me have come from?! Wolves are extinct in Japan!
It didn't make sense, none of it did. Izaya could feel his heart beat faster as panic clutched him once more. What do I do?! How can I fix this? How do I turn back?! How-
Before he could completely lose himself to his worried thoughts, his sensitive ears locked onto the sound of footsteps. His large black ears angled themselves as he heard the familiar clicking of his security lock.
Namie!
Izaya finally turned away from his reflection and attempted to run to the door, but having four legs was more difficult than two. As he tried to turn around, he got his legs confused and crashed to the ground with his front and back leg tangled.
He let out a small growl and shook them free. It took him three tries to get back to his feet, the smooth, black tile flooring proved to be slippery when you had claws.
By the time he finally stumbled over to the front door, Namie was already inside with the bag of groceries held in her arm. She looked exhausted and stressed, but Izaya barely noticed it, he was more focused on receiving her help.
"Namie!" He called out to the woman.
His voice made Namie jump and spin around, the bag she had been holding dropped onto the ground. When her wide-eyed gaze landed on Izaya, she visibly relaxed. "Oh, it's just a dog." She glanced around in confusion. "How did you get in here?"
"What?!" Izaya's red eyes widened. "Namie, what are you talking about! It's me, Izaya! Your boss! I need you to stop messing around and help me!"
Namie groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Listen, I don't know how the hell you got in here but your barking is giving me a headache. I don't think Izaya would like you being in here either, and I actually prefer to get paid. You have to go." She turned around, opened the metal door, and glanced back at him expectantly.
Izaya stared back at her in disbelief and frustration. "No! Namie I'm not leaving, can't you see that it's me?!"
His secretary didn't react at all beyond her face twitching, as though hearing him talk brought her physical pain.
The Informant recalled her words about barking. Ugh, it's no use. She doesn't understand me! He thought quickly, and an idea popped in his mind. I'll show her it's me! If I go to my desk I can type out a-
A surprised yelp involuntarily escaped his mouth as his scruff was gripped in a harsh grip. He stumbled over his own legs as he was dragged to the open door and unceremoniously thrown out of the door. He crashed into the ground with a pained grunt.
"I said get out!" Namie snapped in a much harsher voice. She slammed the door shut behind her.
Izaya scrambled back to his feet with an angry growl. "Namie! Open the door this instant!" He lifted a paw to scratch at the door, but got no response. "Namie!" He snapped one last time, but still there was silence.
The informant turned wolf growled again and stomped his paw back on the ground. He knew it was hopeless to try and outlast Namie, it wouldn't last very long. His apartment complex had a strict 'no animals' policy. His barking would get him kicked out before he even made a dent in Namie's resolve. She was the most stubborn woman he had the misfortune of knowing, there was no way she would open the door before security threw him out.
Knowing a lost cause when he saw one, Izaya's mind drifted to his next possible target for aid. Shinra! He's been obsessed with Celty and her supernatural power for years. If anyone is going to know how to fix this, it's him! He turned and began to stumble down the hall. And if he can't, I can at least hide there until we find a way.
Perhaps Izaya was taking advantage of their friendship, but he didn't particularly care. He put himself and his problems first, as usual. Shinra wouldn't turn him away, he never did.
Izaya made his way to the elevator and tried to reach the button, but his hind legs nearly gave out when he tried. With a frustrated sigh, he resigned himself to taking the stairs.
For the first time in his life, Izaya cursed himself for having an apartment with a beautiful view. Walking down the stairs on four legs took a dreadfully long time, and he tripped several times.
When he finally got into the lobby, he broke into a sprint towards the door. He heard the receptionist cry out in surprise, but ignored her in favor of escaping through the opening automatic doors.
As soon as he passed the threshold into the open city, his senses exploded with stimulation. The overwhelming smells, the sounds invading his ears, and the bright lights of the city all left him confused and dizzy.
He skidded to a halt, only for something to roughly hit his side. He opened his red eyes to try and see what it was, but his eyes could barely make out even his own paws. When he tried to back away from what had hit him, he was hit by something similar.
"Go away!" Someone yelled. Their voice was like hot needles that stabbed his eardrums, a burst of pain added to the constant agony from the sounds of the city around him.
Izaya's head throbbed as he furiously shook his head. Shinra! Shinra! Find Shinra! Find him! He told himself.
With a growl, the informant forced his eyes open and faced the blurry sights. He stumbled forward for several seconds, but made no distance due to the fact the world was still spinning around him.
He could barely keep himself on his paws when he was constantly hitting the many passersby on the sidewalks. In a desperate hope to get anywhere closer to his goal, Izaya tried to break into a sprint.
Almost instantly he crashed into another leg. This person seemed to be more aggressive than the others he had hit. "Stupid dog!" They snapped, and Izaya was roughly shoved away from the angry voice.
The push sent Izaya crashing on to the rough ground with a yelp, his head hitting the ground and sending another spike of pain through his already confused mind. He forced himself back onto his feet and was instantly hit by a wave of dizziness.
He stumbled again, and nearly tripped over his own feet before he managed to come to a halt. Then, a loud honking erupted in his ears. He whipped his head around and saw two bright lights speeding towards him. A truck was speeding towards him! There was no way he could move in time, he was dead for sure!
Before the truck could hit Izaya, something else crashed into his side. He was flung out of the way and tumbled along with whatever had just saved him from what had been certain death.
When they finally stopped tumbling, Izaya was laying on his side. He took huge gasps of air, his red eyes scrunched tight in terror as he tried to tell himself he was okay, that he was safe.
Only when his heart began to calm did Izaya notice that there was someone else near him. Their panting was harsher, but not as intense as Izaya. They caught their breath much quicker, and he heard soft clicks before an angry voice reached his ear.
"Are you insane?! You could have been killed! What were you thinking running into the middle of the street like that?!" The gravelly voice snarled at him.
The informant slowly forced his eyes open, and found himself in the pleasant darkness of an alleyway. Without the harsh lights of the city, his vision finally began to clear. The blurry form in front of him slowly faded into a-
Izaya gasped.
Standing in front of him was a large wolf. Their white fur glistened in the moonlight, with muscles rippling under the pelt. Their sharp teeth were bared, and their pale grey eyes stared down at Izaya furiously, waiting for an answer.
But Izaya was too surprised to even register what the form in front of him had asked. Instead his wide red eyes scanned the creature in front of him several times before he managed to form a single though. "Y-you're a wolf too…" He croaked.
A shock of surprise ran through the pale grey eyes, and any anger he had melted away. "Oh…" He pawed closer and lowered his snout, taking a moment to smell. "Oh, I see… This is your first transformation, isn't it?"
Still in shock, all Izaya could manage was a fervent nod.
The wolf instantly looked sympathetic. "You must be very confused, I was too when I first turned." He sat down next to the informant broker. "Don't worry, you won't have to go through this alone. We can help you."
Izaya's flattened ears rose in curiosity. "We?" He repeated.
The white wolf nodded. "My pack. I'll take you there right now. They can help you." He got back onto his paws and trotted over to Izaya, using his nose to try and nudge the black wolf up. "Plus, It's much safer than staying on the streets."
With some help, Izaya managed to get back up on shaky paws. The white wolf started to walk, but stopped when he noticed that the black wolf was still struggling to keep up with him. He looked down at Izaya's shaking legs, and once again understood.
"You're trying to walk like a human. You need to walk like this." He turned around and walked back and forth a few times, this allowed Izaya to observe how the hind leg left the floor slightly before the front leg on the same side and hit the floor before the front leg did. When the front leg hit the ground, the opposite back leg lifted up and the process repeated.
Now armed with a visual representation of what to do, Izaya found the courage to start walking. He took a few awkward steps before he found his rhythm, and could slowly follow the white wolf further into the alleyway.
It seemed like the white wolf knew that the sounds and lights of the city would be painful for Izaya, because he kept to the alleyways as much as he could. The few times they had to venture onto the sidewalks, he was quick to press himself against Izaya's side so the informant would know which way to go.
After many twists and turns, the white wolf finally came to a stop by a two story building. Izaya took a deep breath as they approached, and his sensitive nose instantly caught the scent of other wolves. Is this it?
The large wolf he was following turned down the alleyway until they had reached the back of the building. "We're here." His companion said as he trotted up and stood in front of a door that said 'employees only.' He raised a paw, and scratched against the door several times in a pattern.
After a few moments of waiting, the door opened the slightest bit. The white wolf used his nose to nudge it open further, then looked back at Izaya and flicked his tail towards himself. "Follow me."
The two wolves walked inside the darkness of the building, and Izaya was overwhelmed by the smell of many different wolves. He blinked quickly, forcing his eyes to get used to low light in the room so he could see what was around him.
It seemed like they were in a small back room, which had piles of books and dusty boxes stacked everywhere except for one corner. Izaya noticed the beginning of a staircase, and realized it must lead to a basement.
The white wolf walked towards the open back door, and closed his jaws around a rag that was tied to the handle. He pulled and walked backwards, shutting the door with a loud click. After he tugged a few more times, he let go of the rug and turned back around.
Movement next to the opening on the floor caught Izaya's attention, he looked up and saw a scraggly grey wolf sitting in front of the boxes stacked by the opening. He eyed Izaya with a curious gaze, and then looked back towards the white wolf.
"Shiro, you're late. I was starting to get worried." His voice was croaky, and sounded like that of an old man.
The white wolf, whom the gray one had called 'Shiro', brought up his leg to scratch at his side. "Sorry, Jinsei, I didn't mean to worry you. But as you can see, I got a little sidetracked." He put his leg back down, and motioned towards Izaya with his snout. "I found a pup. He's lucky I did, too. He was about to get hit by a truck."
The informant's fur heated up in embarrassment as the grey wolf, Jinsei, made a noise of concern. He moved over to the Izaya's side and scanned him with worried brown eyes. "Are you okay, young man? Any wounds?"
The confusion that had been building up in Izaya's mind finally began to overflow. His head whipped from Jinsei to Shiro, and back again. "I don't understand what's happening. Who are you people? Why are you helping me?! You don't even know who I am!"
His frantic questions did not surprise either of the two wolves in front of him. Shiro's face remained blank, and Jinsei's chest shook as he chuckled in amusement.
"My name is Jinsei, I am the leader of this pack. As for your other question, I don't need to know you to help you, pup. We werewolves stick together, no matter what." He turned his head and motioned to the basement stairs. "Follow me."
Izaya was tired of following people, but found his paws moving without his permission down the stairs and into the basement. It was much more comfy looking than the room he had just been in, with gentle orange lights illuminating the area.
The floor was covered in blankets and pillows, and strewn all over the room were other werewolves relaxing or sleeping. They quickly focused on the three wolves climbing down the stairs, with many of them watching Izaya in particular.
Jinsei stopped in front of the stairs and looked back at Izaya. "This is my pack. When there's a full moon, we gather here to transform in peace. But this place isn't just open to my own pack, I take in any wolf that needs a place to hide on the full moon no matter who they were; Whether they are old geezers like me, or pups like you."
"Pups?" Izaya questioned with a tilt of his head.
Shiro sat down next to Jinsei. "Pup is our word for new werewolves, like you." He explained.
The old gray wolf nodded in agreement. "My pack does our best to find and help Pups like you. Shiro and a few other pack members spend the beginning of the full moon patrolling the city to try and find any new werewolves and help them learn what it means to be one."
"That's a very kind thing to do," Izaya observed aloud.
"I'm not forcing you to join our pack, that's your decision. But I do request that you stay here until your first transformation is complete." The old man explained,"That way we can help you learn everything you need to know before your next one."
Izaya looked at Jinsei, surprised by the warm feeling in his chest. The old man's actions were kind and selfless, and he didn't expect anything in return. Can humans really be this kind? He wondered, and then huffed in amusement. Although I suppose none of us in this room would be classified as human…
He turned back to Jinsei, and nodded his head. "I'll stay," He agreed. It's not like I have much of a choice, anyways.
The gray wolf's tail wagged. "Wonderful! Then let me introduce you to the pack." He turned towards the other wolves, who were now all watching them. "Everyone, Shiro brought back a new pup. I'd like you all to meet… Erm…" He tilted his head towards the informant. "What is your name, young man?"
"Orihara Izaya," He answered without thinking.
Instantly, several of the wolves in the room bristled in surprise and their eyes sparkled with fear. It seemed that Izaya's reputation preceded him, and he cursed himself for not using a fake name.
A reddish wolf near the front of the group glared at him."Orihara Izaya the informant broker?! No, no way! Jinsei, he can't stay here!" She snarled angrily.
"Why would I send him away?" Jinsei asked, his voice filled with genuine confusion.
The red wolf's ears flattened against her head. "He's a monster! He spends every day making people miserable and selling their information without caring about what happens to them! He works with Yakuza!" She exclaimed,"How are we supposed to trust that he won't tell everyone about us?!"
"Now, now, we don't know that…" Jinsei tried to placate.
"Yes we do! That's all he knows how to do! He ruins peoples lives! He needs to leave now!" She snarled, her teeth bared and ready for a fight.
A loud bark interrupted her angered growlings. Shiro jumped in between Izaya and the reddish wolf, his pale grey gaze boring into her yellow eyes.
"It doesn't matter who he is! He is suffering his first transformation, just as many of us have! You wouldn't want Jinsei to throw you out because of your own mistakes, would you?!" He snarled.
The werewolves all were silent in response, their tails between their legs at the sight of an angry Shiro. Even Izaya was slightly intimidated, so he stopped himself from correcting Shiro on his use of the word 'mistakes' and stayed silent.
When he got no response, Shiro let out an angry snort. "Exactly! It doesn't matter what Izaya has done, you know the rule as well as I do! Werewolves stick together, no matter what."
The reddish wolf's yellow gaze flickered from Shiro to Izaya. Then, with a huff, she stomped her way back to the corner of the room, flopped down, and furiously chewed on her paw.
The rest of the pack wolves quickly settled down, still sending nervous glances at Shiro and Izaya.
Shiro ignored them, and turned himself around to face Izaya. The informant broker felt slightly embarrassed. He knew that staying was his safest choice. As confident as he was in his own abilities, he knew nothing about being a wolf. He hated to admit it, but Izaya knew he needed the help.
"T-thank you…" He muttered, dragging his paw against the ground. "I really appreciate you sticking up for me."
The white wolf narrowed his eyes. "Don't think I haven't heard of your reputation either, Orihara Izaya. I know who you are and what you've done. But werewolves have to stick together, even if they're like you."
Shiro spun around and stalked further into the room and left Izaya alone with his thoughts. Somehow, even though Shiro was barely more than a stranger, his words managed to dig their way deep into his fragile heart.
He knows who I am, he obviously hates me… But he still defended me. Why? He huffed, flattening his ears. Because 'werewolves stick together' he says… But can it really be that simple? I don't understand..
The sound of movement next to him broke him out of his thoughts. He looked to his side and found Jinsei standing next to him. The old wolf gave him a sympathetic look, and nuzzled his cold nose against Izaya's shoulders.
"Don't worry, pup. Shiro is just being protective of the pack. I'm sure in time, you two will become good friends." He promised as he moved to join the rest of the pack. "After all, he has a month to do so. Relax, Izaya-chan. You're safe here, I promise."
Izaya watched Jinsei flop over on the pillows, nuzzling against another scraggly looking wolf and closing his eyes. The pack looked so peaceful together, so happy. And despite what they knew about Izaya, none of them were going to turn him away.
Werewolves stick together, huh? He wondered as he settled down, resting his head between his paws. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought…
He closed his eyes, only to snap them open a second later and whip his head up.
"A MONTH?!"