The rain fell from the clouds in copious amounts, the trees shuddered and creaked as the wind violently threw them around, the lightning occasionally lit up the sky for a brief moment before it disappeared, followed by the booming of thunder.
As the thunder ended, a different noise emerged from inside the forest. The sound of howling rose into the sky. In the middle of the woodlands, two wolves stood with their heads angled towards the sky, desperately calling for their pack member.
When their howl ended, they lowered their heads and angled their ears from side to side. They listened desperately for any noise that could be interpreted as a howl from the white wolf they were searching for.
Mizuki let out a loud whimper of frustration and turned to face Izaya as her fur bristled. "It's no use!" Her voice was nearly drowned out by the roaring of the wind. "I can barely hear anything as it is!"
Izaya knew how she felt. The booming thunder, the creaking trees, and violent breeze was painful to his sensitive hearing. He had to strain to hear Mizuki, and she was only a few feet away from him.
The black wolf looked at the swaying trees and back at Mizuki as guilt pooled in his chest. "He couldn't have gotten far! We have to find him! The storm is only getting worse!" Izaya loudly replied.
Although he didn't voice it, he knew both he and Mizuki were thinking of the same thing. They needed to find Shiro and bring him home safe, and then Izaya would be able to apologize for his unwarranted cruelty.
It was my fault he ran away in the first place… Izaya thought as they trudged through the muddy grass. If I hadn't acted like a bratty child, he would still be safe. This is all my fault!
Izaya and Mizuki forced their way through the storm as the wind tried to force them back, the mud squished uncomfortably in between their paw pads, and their fur soaked to the bone. They trekked for what felt like an eternity without finding any sign of Shiro.
Mizuki looked exhausted. Unlike Izaya, who had thick black fur that kept him warm, her own brown coat was shorter and the rain was affecting her more. She was shivering so badly it was like she could barely stand. Izaya wasn't sure how much longer she would hold out.
Just as it seemed like they would have to give up and turn around, Izaya noticed something on a nearby tree. "Mizuki!" He trotted ahead of her and up to a tree, where large claw marks were flayed across the bark. The leaves on the tree were large, and seemed to have saved the bark from getting wet, which meant any scent would still be there.
He pressed his nose closer to the bark and inhaled the scent attached to it. His heart skipped a beat. Old books and chocolate… Shiro's scent! He yipped hopefully and hopped backwards to let Mizuki sniff the claw marks. As soon as she caught the scent, her resolve was once again strong.
"The scent is still strong! He was here, and recently!" Mizuki guessed after another sniff. She raised her nose and sniffed around until she seemed to catch a train. "Come on! We have to find him before the rain gets rid of the trail!"
The two wolves quickly took off into the woodlands. The mud fought to slow their pace, and the rain threatened to wash away their only trail. The two ran as far as the smell took them. When the scent became difficult to discern, they stopped again and tried to pick it up once more.
Izaya caught the scent of many different things, but he struggled to discern anything that could be from the missing wolf. He rummaged through the smell of humans, sap, and mud in the search of that familiar one attached to the white wolf.
When he finally caught the scent, so did Mizuki. The brown wolf swished her tail towards the trees to their right. "This way!" She burst forward as a blast of bright lightning danced across the sky.
The light in the darkness made Izaya notice something shimmering in the muddy grass… Something sharp. Panic overtook him as he realized what it was, but he was too late to warn Mizuki.
With a loud clang, the trap snapped shut around her front paw. The young woman let out a shocked howl of pain and crashed into the mud. "Shit! My leg! My leg!" She cried and writhed in pain.
"No!" Izaya burst forward and ran to her side. He could already smell the blood coming from the wound on her paw. He turned to where the trap was buried in the soil and began to furiously dig to try and dislodge it.
Mizuki growled and bit at the metal clamped around her leg, tugging as hard as she could but it wouldn't budge. "Shit! Izaya! You need to keep going, find Shiro! I'll be fine!"
"I can't leave you here! What if whoever put it here comes back?!" He didn't even look up at her, he was still trying to dislodge the buried metal.
Mizuki furiously shook her head. "I'll be fine! But we can't lose Shiro's scent, go now!" She ordered him in a strong tone that sent a chill down his spine.
He knew she was right, so he nodded in understanding and turned to run away. But as he turned, the sound of mud squelching reached his sensitive ears. He froze, his red eyes scanning the forest around them. Where could that noise be coming from? Was it Shiro? Had he changed back?
The wind began to blow forward, bringing with it a scent that Izaya recognized. The smell of a campfire… The human! He spun around just in time to see a large pitchfork speeding down towards him. He yeled in terror and tried to jump out of the way.
The sharp edge of the pitchfork sliced against the side of his face. He stumbled and crashed to the ground, his head spinning from the sudden assault.
"I knew it! I knew it! Wolves! You damn creatures! Thought you could pretend you were extinct and kill my livestock?! Not this time! I'm gonna kill both you filthy creatures!" The old man's voice echoed in Izaya's head.
There were the sounds of footsteps as Izaya's vision began to stop spinning. He could see the man raising the pitchfork, and Mizuki let out a horrified cry as she desperately tried to pull away.
"No!" Izaya forced himself to his paws and burst forward. He rammed his head against the old man's legs and sent him to the ground, the pitchfork splattering in the mud as he landed next to it.
The old man yelped in shock as he hurriedly sat up and grabbed it again. By the time he was up, Izaya had taken a defensive stance in front of his packmate. His hackles were raised, his ears flat against his head, his teeth bared, and his ferocious growl echoing on the trees around them.
For a moment, he saw fear flash through the man's eyes. But it vanished a as he sent the pitchfork forward again. With a loud snap of his teeth, Izaya flew forward to meet it. He ducked under the sharp edges, ignoring the feeling of it catching the skin on his flank, and sank his teeth into the wooden shaft.
"You damned creature! Let go!" The old man shook the pitchfork in an attempt to dislodge the black wolf, but Izaya only held on tighter.
He held tight as he ran forward, dragging the old man away from the trapped Mizuki. They grappled as both tried to shake the other off. The lightning flashed again as Izaya bit down as hard as he could. With a loud snap, the pitchfork broke in half.
The old man, who had been tugging hard, stumbled backwards and landed in the mud again. Izaya quickly spit the broken wood from his mouth and stood above the human with a snarl. He couldn't bite the man, but he could scare him away and that was good enough for him.
Their eyes met, and Izaya could see the terror within the old man's. He didn't care to manipulate or mess with the human, all he cared about was keeping his pack member safe. He let his growl emerge once more as he lurched forward and snapped at the air with a loud bark.
The old man yelped in fear and scrambled up, running away without looking back. He stumbled and fell into the mud once, but a quick bark from Izaya made him quickly right himself and run away faster than before.
Izaya panted for a few moments and then let out a satisfied huff. He looked down at the piece of the wooden shaft the old man had been holding during their grapple. He knelt down and picked it up in his jaws, hurrying over to Mizuki.
"Here… Use this." He placed the stick down and nudged it into the small opening of the trap made by Mizuki's paw.
The young woman quickly caught on and helped Izaya press weight down on the stick, forcing the trap to open up. As soon as she could move her paw she yanked it away and stumbled backwards. When she tried to place the paw down, she let out a sharp yelp and hurriedly lifted it.
"Damn it…" She whispered, gently licking at the wound. "I can't go on, not like this. Izzy, promise me you'll find Shiro! If the old man was lurking out here, he may have tried to catch Shiro too! You have to get him home!"
Izaya ignored the stinging on his face and flank as he gave a determined nod. "I will, Mizuki. I won't come back until I find him. Can you make it back to the house? The old man might come back, you'll be safer there."
Mizuki looked at her paw, and back towards where the old man had run. "I don't think he'll come back, you scared him pretty good. But you're right, I'll go back, but I'll be slow. Go, now!"
Izaya nodded as he watched her limp away. Once he was sure she could move on her own, he took a deep inhale to catch Shiro's scent again. It was faint, but it was still there. He knew where to go, but he had to get there fast.
He ran through the forest as the ice cold rain began to seep through his thick coat and make him shiver. He kept a careful watch out for any more traps. Any he saw, he quickly tripped for his and Shiro's safety when they returned.
Finally, after a painful eternity, he caught a stronger scent again. At the same time, he heard the sound of rushing water. The river? Why would Shiro be here? He looked through the trees and felt his heart jolt.
The river was completely flooded. The water rose above the bank and sloshed against the bark of drowning trees. The water was dark and violent, splashing and swirling as though it had its own storm within it.
He could smell Shiro, he knew he had to be here, where was he? Had he gotten trapped on the other side? Did he get washed downriver? Izaya needed to find him.
The black wolf trotted alongside the water's edge as his red eyes scanned the river. He stopped once to let out a loud howl, trying to see if Shiro responded, but just like last time he got nothing in return. He began to fear that he may never find the missing wolf.
After he took a few more steps, a distinct smell he recognized easily. It wasn't Shiro, it was the smell of blood.
With panic fueling him, Izaya hurried towards the scent and skidded to a stop as he noticed a flash of white by the river. His eyes widened in shock. "SHIRO!"
In the middle of the rushing water, draped over a log, Izaya could see the white wolf with red staining his muddy fur. His eyes were closed, and the water was dragging his back legs around as if they were being puppeted.
The log was only managing to stay unmoving thanks to being slightly elevated by a rock. If anything were to dislodge it, Shiro would likely sink. The black wolf on the bank knew that he didn't have much time.
Izaya ran to try and reach him, but the second he took a step into the water he sank up to his stomach. He yelped in fear and backed up, his eyes watching the unconscious wolf. "I- I can't! I don't know how to swim, Shiro, I'm sorry!" He whimpered and looked at the rushing water. "There's got to be somewhere that the water is lower, I could cross there and come back and-"
A flash of white light exploded in his vision as one of the trees across the bank was struck with a bolt of lightning. Izaya cried out in shock and scrambled backwards as the sizzling tree creaked loudly. Then, as if it had given up, the large tree fell towards the river. "No, no, no!"
With a loud splash, the tree sent large shockwaves through the water. The strong waves crashed into the log that Shiro was clinging to and dislodged it without any effort. Izaya could only watch in horror as the white wolf sank off the log and into the darkness of the river.
"No!" Izaya cried as ran with the rushing water. He couldn't see Shiro at all, it was if he had been swallowed whole by the flood. He knew he wouldn't be able to save Shiro now… Unless…
Izaya felt his heart beat against his chest, but he couldn't stop his body. He crouched down and leaped. His body crashed into the water, the cold sending a shock through his system.
The water was ruthless. It battered Izaya like a tennis ball, he felt his body spin and hit the many rocks underneath the water. When he managed to surface for a moment he gasped for air, only to swallow water instead. I'm drowning! I'm drowning!
As his thrashing continued, Izaya began to fear that his stupid decision to jump would be the last decision he ever made. But before he could succumb to the darkness, a strange voice reached his ear.
Stop thinking like a human, for you are not one. You are a wolf, use that knowledge and save yourself!
The mysterious voice grounded Izaya, and pushed away his panic for a brief moment. He knew the voice was right. Perhaps as a human, Izaya couldn't swim, but he was no longer human. He was a werewolf, and he had the ability to save himself.
Izaya let his instincts take over. His body stopped it's thrashing and he managed to right himself. Underneath the water, he began to paddle, using the small webs between his toes to his advantage. His heart soared as he no longer struggled to stay surfaced, the wolf inside him knew all along how to swim.
"I'm doing it! I'm swimming!" He barked enthusiastically before he calmed himself. "I'm coming, Shiro!"
The river pushed him forward as he paddled to the best of his ability. His eyes scanned the darkness of the water for any sign of the white wolf. Soon, he caught sight of soaked white fur. "Shiro!"
Izaya paddled faster as his panting grew heavier, unused to swimming. Once he managed to catch up with the limp form, he found that only Shiro's side was above water. He dove down to the side, sank his teeth into Shiro's scruff, and pulled.
The sudden weight made swimming even harder. Izaya grunted as water sloshed into the openings of his jaw and his nose, but he forced down the instinct to cough. If he let go, he might not be able to catch up to Shiro again.
He held on tight as he kicked as fast as he could towards the edge of the water. He needed to get them to dry land as soon as possible, before both of them were washed away and drowned.
Just as he felt his paw land on something solid, a huge wave crashed into Izaya's side. His paw's delicate grip on the muddy ground was dislodged and he yelped in surprise as they were tossed roughly back into the darkness of the river. He lost his grip on Shiro's scruff for a moment and let out a panicked cry as he lunged forward, his teeth barely managing to catch the skin again.
He let the current carry them for a moment as he adjusted his grip on Shiro's scruff once more. Once he was sure he was holding on as tight as he could without hurting his packmate, he kicked as hard as he could towards the surface.
When he finally clawed his way to the edge of the bank, his legs were shaking so hard he felt like he would fall over any moment. He took slow, heavy steps as he dragged the limp white wolf as far away from the river as he could. They soaked coats left a trail of water as he brought them back into the forest.
When they were safe, he dropped his grip on the wolf's scruff and stumbled to his side. He could see the wolf's side rising up and down, he was alive, but it was weak. Izaya whimpered and pressed his nose to Shiro's forehead, giving a small lick. "Shiro… Shiro wake up…"
The wolf didn't react at all. Izaya let out another small whimper, but went silent as the smell of blood reached him again. He lifted his head and looked towards the red stains on Shiro's side. There was a large gash against his side, so bad that Izaya almost wanted to throw up. How did this happen?!
"Oh no… Shiro…" Izaya croaked as he watched his packmate's breathing begin to come to a stop. It seemed like there was nothing he could do to help with such a horrible injury. So Izaya raised his head to the sky, prepared to release a mournful howl.
But just as his howl started, it came to a stop as a strange feeling overcame him. Like a rush of energy that sent his heart pounding against his chest. Despite the fact that he had never felt it before, he knew exactly what it was. A werewolf was near.
He jumped to his paws and looked around the forest, but he found nothing. Then, the sound of splashing water reached his ears. He spun around and stared at the rushing river. Halfway across the treacherous waters was a large gray wolf.
Izaya felt a burst of protectiveness overcome him. He stepped forward so he was standing over Shiro's prone form, and narrowed his eyes at the other werewolf. He bared his teeth the slightest bit as a warning. Don't mess with my packmate.
The gray wolf did not react to his warning. He swam across the river and climbed out with ease, his gentle brown eyes never leaving Izaya. "Don't be afraid, pup," He finally spoke, his voice deep and strong. "I am not here to hurt you, I am here to help you."
"Help me?" Izaya echoed suspiciously as he glanced towards Shiro. "How can you help? The wound.. It's too big…"
The gray wolf's warm gaze softened and grew sad. He shook his head with a sigh, and looked up towards the sky. "It always saddens me to see how many werewolves have forgotten about the moon's gifts."
Izaya balked. "The moon…" He followed the wolf's gaze with a frustrated growl. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Let me show you." The gray wolf stepped forward and motioned his snout to Shiro. "Trust me. What I have to show you will help your packmate."
The black wolf hesitated. This wolf sounded like he was speaking nonsense. But for some reason, Izaya felt like he could believe him. He slowly dipped his head, stepped back, and crouched down next to the unconscious Shiro.
The gray wolf returned the small bow before he approached Shiro. He lifted a paw and placed it against Shiro's wound. Then, he angled his head back and let out a loud howl.
As he listened, Izaya shivered in awe. This howl was unlike any he had heard before. It was strong, and imbued with power. It sent a spike of adrenaline through him. Even though Izaya had never seen such an ability if felt familiar...
Then, the gray wolf began to glow a gentle white color. The glow slowly began to creep over Shiro's prone form. As it hit the deep gash, the wound began to glow brightly.
As the howl came to a close and the glow began to fade. When the bright light around Shiro's wound disappeared, the wound was completely gone and only clean white fur remained where it used to be.
Izaya let out a soft gasp. He trotted over and leaned down to sniff at the healed wound. He couldn't even smell blood anymore, it was like the wound had never happened.
"How did you… how did you do that?" He whispered as he turned his red eyes up to the other wolf.
The grey wolf regarded him kindly. "We are the moon's children, young pup, and she gave us many gifts besides our wolf form. But when we were forced to hide among humans, many of those gifts were forgotten."
He turned away from Izaya and looked back towards the sky. "Many have forgotten her, but she has not forgotten us. That is why I cast away my human identity, and committed myself fully to the form she gave me."
"You live only as a wolf?" Izaya asked with a tilt of his head.
The grey wolf nodded proudly. "Yes, I am one of the Wild Ones. Humans have caused us only misery, but the moon has always been kind. So, we commit ourselves to her form and continue the traditions that many others have long forgotten."
Izaya found his respect for the gray werewolf growing stronger. "That is a very noble life to live." He turned to look at the sky as well. "But I don't understand. If we have these gifts, gifts that help people, then why did humans try to kill all our kind?"
His mysterious companion's wise eyes landed on Izaya once more. "Humans often fear things they don't understand."
Izaya stayed silent after the werewolf's firm declaration, for he didn't know what to say. He had many questions, but he wasn't sure if he should ask them.
Eventually, the grey wolf was the one who spoke next. "I saw what you did for your packmate. Even though you are just a pup, you still risked your life to save him. You are a very courageous wolf."
Izaya felt his heart soar, only to quickly be weighed down by the guilt of his actions. He whimpered and flattened his ears. "But it was my fault he got hurt in the first place. He ran away because I was being a jerk, and he got hurt…"
"And it take courage to admit that," The gray wolf quickly countered. "And despite your harsh actions, you still risked your life to save him. That, to me, is the sign of a wolf with a kind soul."
The wolf got to his paws and shook his wet fur. "Listen, pup. I want to teach you to heal like I do. This power has been lost to most our kind. But maybe, through you and your packmates, it can be reborn. Would you like to learn?"
Izaya felt his heart flutter once more. Orihara Izaya with the power of healing? How ironic. But at the same time, perhaps it was the best choice for him. After spending most of his life causing harm, now he could finally begin to redeem himself.
With a firm resolve, Izaya looked into the brown eyes and gave a firm nod. "It would be an honor to learn."
As the rain began to calm, the clouds parted slightly and gave the moon a view of two of her children, and the sight of her gift being shared once more. That night, she shined more brightly than she had in a long time.
"You found him!" Mizuki let the tears she had been holding back fall. She held her bandaged hand close as she jumped down from the genkan and ran towards the two wolves.
Izaya took slow steps as he balanced the limp Shiro on his back. Once Mizuki reached him, she helped the black wolf carry her husband back into the house.
Once they got inside, they slid Shiro underneath the warm Kotatsu, making sure his head rested on one of the pillows.
Izaya walked away from the Kotatsu and shook his fur, still wet from his struggle in the river and the rain. Once he was no longer dripping, he grabbed one of the folded towels and made his way back to the Kotatsu.
Kneeling down next to her husband, Mizuki gently petted his damp fur. She sniffled softly as she took the towel from Izaya, and began to gently wipe the mud from the white coat. "Where did you find him?"
Izaya settled next to the Kotatsu, wrapping his tail against his side. "He was in the river where we caught that rabbit hanging onto a log. The water pulled him in, I had to jump in to save him." He shuddered at the memory. "He had a pretty bad gash on his side, too."
Mizuki grew panicked for a moment and lifted the Kotatsu. When she saw no wound on either side, she sent him a confused look. "I don't see any inury…"
Izaya's ears rose excitedly and his tail wagged. "No! Not anymore! Oh wait until you hear, Mizuki, when I was in the forest I met a-"
Shiro's body suddenly jolted underneath the warm Kotatsu and he began to cough violently. The two werewolves jumped in shock, and hurried to his side.
Mizuki pulled him out of the Kotatsu and gently massaged his sides as the white wolf spat out water. "It's okay, Shiro. You're safe now, it's okay, cough it up."
Once the werewolf finished coughing up the water and began to breath normally, he opened his tired grey eyes and brightened at the sight of his wife. "'zuki… What happened?" He croaked.
"I'm not sure. But I know that you got injured and fell into the river. You would have drowned if it weren't for Izzy. He saved you." Mizuki kept rubbing his side as she looked towards Izaya.
At the mention of the black wolf, Shiro's eyes grew cold and his ears flattened against his head. He glared at Izaya with anger, and sneered. "I'm surprised he saved me, considering how he said we mean nothing to him."
That stung, but Izaya knew it was a fair hit. He whimpered and lowered his head next to Shiro. "I'm sorry Shiro. The things I said, the way I was acting… It was wrong. You were just trying to help me, but I hurt you instead. I was acting like a whiny pup. It wasn't fair to you when you were just trying to help me."
If Shiro was surprised by his apology, he didn't show it outright. He stayed silent, and waited to see what Izaya would say next.
"Mizuki talked some sense into me. I promise you, I want to do better, I want to be better. I want… I want to be part of your pack. I'll do whatever it takes to prove to you I'm willing to change."
After a few moments of silence, Shiro softly asked,"You really saved me?"
Izaya nodded hurriedly. "I did, I swear I did. I jumped in the water and brought you back here."
Shiro looked confused. "If you were willing to risk your life to save me, then why were you being so cruel earlier?"
Shame pooled in Izaya's gut. "It's because I was afraid. I spent most of my life feeling like I was an outsider, observing humans instead of interacting with them. When you two started to be kind to me, and wanted to be my friend… it scared me."
He sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't excuse my actions. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know I'm going to be better from now on. You have my word."
Shiro's sharp grey gaze seemed to stare into Izaya's soul for several seconds, which made the young wolf shiver awkwardly. Was Shiro going to forgive him? Or would he be cast out as he probably deserved?
Then, despite all Izaya's doubts, the older wolf's eyes crinkled upward and he gave a soft nod. "I forgive you, Izaya."
"Really?!" Izaya asked hopefully.
"Really?!" Mizuki asked at the same time.
Shiro rolled his eyes. "Yes, really. I mean, I would be kind of a hypocrite to not understand why you acted that way. After all, I put Jinsei through hell for the same reasons. You see, when I was a kid-"
Mizuki quickly interrupted him, a blush on her cheeks. "Actually, dear, I already told him all about that."
Shiro let out a shocked yelp. "What?! Mizuki! You told him everything?!" He asked, obviously desperately hoping his wife hadn't done what he was thinking.
With a mischievous smirk on her face, Mizuki shrugged. "Maaaaaybe."
"Even that time where I got caught by the dog catchers?!"
Izaya let out a bark of laughter. "Well she didn't mention that part but I'd love to hear more about it!"
The white wolf let out an embarrassed groan and dropped his paws against his snout in an attempt to hide his face.
Mizuki and Izaya burst out laughing, Shiro eventually joining in. The moon in the leaky house improved greatly, and the three pack members felt lighter than they had in a long while.
Once they had calmed their laughter, Mizuki and Izaya told Shiro about the rest of their adventure while searching for him. From catching his scent on the tree, to fighting the old man and chasing him off.
"My arm still hurts, but I'm thankful that Izaya stopped him from hurting us worse than he already did," Mizuki explained while rubbing her bandaged wrist. "How did you get hurt, Shiro?"
Shiro shuffles further under the Kotatsu. "I.. I'm not sure. I was so frustrated that when I reached the bank of the river, I wanted to try and hunt to ease my nerves. But the river's flooding was bad… I think I got caught by a wave and hit a rock. I'm surprised Izaya managed to find me at all, because I have no recollection of anything after that."
"So you really did get hurt! Izaya said you did, but you don't have any wound on you…" She looked towards Izaya curiously. "Didn't you say you were going to explain that to me?"
With both werewolves watching him curiously, Izaya told them his tale of the large grey wolf who had healed Shiro's wound and saved him when Izaya thought there wasn't any hope. He told them about the grey wolf's stories of the moon, and how he taught Izaya how to use the same gift he had saved Shiro with.
When he finished his story, both his companions stared at him with disbelief. "Is that really true? I've never heard Jinsei mention anything like that." Shiro said after an awkward silence.
"I mean, I remember when I was younger he told me stories about the moon… but I thought those were just stories." Mizuki added as she stared down at her injured wrist.
Izaya shook his head as he scooted towards Mizuki. "They're not stories and I can prove it." He motioned to her wrist. "Can I heal you?"
Mizuki nodded her head and unwrapped the bandages, revealing the harsh cut and bruises that wrapped around her arm. Izaya winced, the cut looked even worse in human form.
He gently placed his paw over the cut, and lifted his head in a howl. In the howl, he was asking the moon for her help in healing his packmate. Soon, he felt the power surge within him. He directed it to the wound underneath his paw, and felt the wound grow smaller and smaller until it vanished completely.
When he finished his howl and pulled away, the wound was gone. Mizuki's arm looked as though nothing had ever happened. She stared at it in awe and spun her wrist around. "Whoa… it really works!" She looked at him excitedly. "And he taught you how to do it? Can he teach us?"
Izaya nodded, his tail wagging. "He said he would love to pass on what he knows. We can probably find him again before we go back next week, if you guys would like to."
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh, Shiro, let's do it! Let's learn more about our wolf side!" Mizuki asked her husband with her puppy dog eyes. "Please?"
Shiro chuckled. "Are you kidding? Of course we're going! There's no way we can pass this chance up! Jinsei is going to freak out when we tell him!"
"YES!" Mizuki cheered as she jumped to her feet and ran towards the small kitchen. "It's time for some celebratory rabbit!"
Izaya watched her with glee in his heart. He was happy that his packmates wanted to learn more about what the grey wolf had taught him, and he knew that his mysterious companion would be happy to pass on the old traditions to more of his kind.
Next to him, with a gentle glow, Shiro changed into his human form and stretched out his sore muscles. He reached out and ruffled Izaya's fur between his ears. "Come on, little brother. Let's go before Mizuki finishes it without us."
Izaya jolted in surprise at the name, before he nodded and followed after his packmate in a happy trot.
Little brother… I like that.
On the eve of the next full moon, the old van parked outside of the bookstore in Shinjuku. After Shiro and Mizuki did a quick scan of the area, they opened the back door and let Izaya hop out of the truck.
They trotted up to the back door, where Shiro knocked in a specific pattern. After a minute, the door opened and a smiling Jinsei was there to greet them.
"Ah! You three, come in, come in! I was just about to close up!"
The trio hurried down the stairs to the basement that the werewolves all hid in on the full moons. There were a few pack members in there already, since the full moon was tomorrow, but it was mostly empty.
Once they were safely downstairs, Jinsei looked at the three of them and placed his hands together. "How did it go?"
"Well… a lot happened," Mizuki began awkwardly, which made the two men nod in agreement. "But overall, Izaya did very well! He's a fast learner!"
Jinsei's grin grew ever larger. "That's wonderful! Sometimes new pups have trouble adjusting, but I knew you were a smart one the moment Shiro brought you in!"
He turned and motioned to the safehouse. "Since tomorrow is your last day before you can change back, you're welcome to stay here until then. After that, it's up to you if you want to stay in our pack or join a different one. Don't worry, you don't have to choose right away."
Izaya shook his head. "It's okay, Jinsei. I already know. I would like to join your pack, if you guys will have me."
Jinsei's smile remained as bright as ever. "Really? Wonderful! Well then, welcome to the pack, Izaya-kun."
The old man left to close the store. Once he was gone, Mizuki squealed and hugged the black wolf rightly. "Yes! I knew you would stay, Izzy! I'm so happy that we're packmates!"
After a small smile appeared on his face, Shiro nodded. "So am I, little brother."
On the day of the full moon, in the safehouse under the bookstore, the werewolf pack stayed hidden for the night.
Although a few pack members were still wary of Izaya, Shiro and Mizuki's friendship with him helped others open up to him. Strangely, Izaya didn't feel any desire to take advantage of his new pack's trust. Instead, he held it dear to his heart with the promise to never betray them.
He relaxed on a pile of pillows with several wolves piled around him in a giant cuddle pile. He was squished between Mizuki, who kicked in her sleep, and Shiro, who tended to snore loudly.
Despite this, his sleep was restful and his soul was whole. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was truly happy.
Orihara Izaya was a werewolf, this was his pack, and he would protect them no matter what.