Izaya?!

Those red eyes were suddenly with panic, and that's when Celty knew she was right. The black wolf turned and limped away a fast pace, towards the alleyways of the city to try and escape from her.

Celty quickly chased after him before he could get away, her hand catching his scruff and pulling him backwards. The wolf yelped and struggled against her hold, but he couldn't do much thanks to her strong grip. Don't you dare run away from me, Izaya! I want to know what the hell is going on!

Izaya's struggles suddenly stopped, as his wide eyes settled on her. He let out a series of barks, but Celty somehow knew exactly what they meant. "Eh?! You can talk?!" He exclaimed in disbelief.

The Dulluahan was so shocked that she dropped the wolf and stumbled backwards. She pointed at herself. You can understand me?!

"You can understand me?!" Izaya echoed her question with his own shock. Once again it sounded like he was yapping and barking, and she still understood it perfectly.

I can! But I… I've never been able to do this before! She shifted anxiously on her legs, desperate for an explanation. What is going on?!

The black wolf tilted his head as he looked at her in awe. "I… I don't…" He shook his fur out. "I don't understand… Could this be because we are both supernatural creatures?"

Supernatural… Celty thought in confusion as her hands shook against her chest. What do you mean supernatural? You're… But you were a human!

Izaya looked like he might try to run away again, his red eyes filled with conflicting emotions. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed and shook his head. "I'm not human anymore, Celty-san."

As she watched, he stood proudly and raised his head up to the sky. The moon's light seemed to shine on his fur protectively, like the loving embrace of a mother. He seemed to grow relaxed from the light, and returned his gaze to her.

"I'm a werewolf."

Once the duo calmed down enough to think straight, they quickly moved off the road and into a secluded area of the alleyways where they couldn't be seen. Celty leaned Shooter against the wall and leaned against him.

She looked towards the ground in front of her where Izaya was. He was still in the form of a wolf as he gently lifted and set down his back paw a few times. She saw him wince slightly the first time, and eventually managed to work through the pain.

After that he sat down with his tail twitching nervously behind him. She still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She almost wanted to pinch herself to see if it was a dream. But the strange feeling deep in her gut told her it wasn't.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a long moment, the tension between them too thick for either of them to break through. She slowly tapped Shooter's side, as she tried to figure out which of the thousands of questions she should begin with.

So… You're a werewolf? Celty questioned, and instantly felt like an idiot as she recalled that Izaya had outright told her that just minutes earlier.

But instead of mocking her or making a cruel joke, he looked mildly amused as he nodded his head.

The dullahan felt a mixture of relief and confusion at his behavior. She made sure to think a little harder about her next question. How long have you been… Not human?

"About a month now." He lifted his good leg and scratched an itch on his side. "Although I was bitten about a week before that. I didn't change for the first time until the full moon, and then I was trapped in my wolf form for a month."

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Oh! So that's why you were missing! You were stuck like this for a whole month?! I thought it was only on the full moon?

Izaya nodded his head. "It is, but the first time we change, we are a wolf for a month so our bodies have time to adapt and change. Going from fully human to a supernatural creature doesn't happen overnight, sadly."

Celty nodded her helmet. That makes sense… A thought suddenly occurred to her. Is that why I got that weird feeling? I know it had to come from you, because it happened both times I saw you!

Her wolf companion let out a sigh and flattened his ears. "Yes it was from me. It's a power many of us have, the ability to sense when others like us are near." He turned his guilty red eyes to her. "And… About that… I need to apologize to you, Celty."

The courier felt her confusion only grow more intense. Izaya wanted to apologize to her? Why? Was this another one of his tricks or was he finally being genuine with her? She desperately hoped it was the latter.

"When you asked me about that a few days ago, I got scared. I wasn't prepared to be caught so quickly… So I said those awful things to push you away…" He explained.

"I shouldn't have acted that way, and I shouldn't have been such an asshole." He turned away from her, seemingly too ashamed to continue looking at her.

"But that's not the only thing I have to apologize for. The way I hurt you and Shinra, the way I manipulated people all my life. I was always cruel, and I never should have acted the way I did, it was wrong. You don't have to forgive me, but just know that I am really sorry…"

If Celty had her head, her jaw would have dropped. She had been expecting a fake apology, one riddled with mocking and sarcastic barbs about her and her missing head. The feeling the apology left her feeling happy, like she was finally able to stand up straight after carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Despite how good she felt, she still wasn't sure how to act around this new Izaya. She shifted against Shooter, and forced herself to speak. I don't think I can forget the things you did, Izaya… But I can forgive you.

"Really?" Izaya exclaimed hopefully, a surprised expression on his face.

Celty nodded her helmet. If you had apologized to me before… I think I would have thought it was a trick. But it seems like you're actually trying to change, and that's why I forgive you.

The large wolf's tail began wagging at a surprisingly fast rate. "Thank you, Celty, that means a lot." He gave her a determined look, which was rather hard to take seriously when combined with the tail. "I will keep working on becoming a better person, for you and my pack."

Your pack? Celty asked curiously.

Izaya shuffled his paws in front of him and nodded. "Yes. They found me when I first changed and helped me understand what it meant to be a wolf. I've only known them for a month but they've always been there for me. It's because of them that I was able to change for the better. They're not just my pack, they're my family."

Izaya's voice was filled with such genuine love and admiration that Celty couldn't help but be in awe of it. He truly cared about them, and he found that amazing.

A few moments later, the implication of the pack reached her and then she received a burst of excitement. Wait, so there are other werewolves too?! Does that mean there are other supernaturals too?!

"Yes!" Izaya matched her eagerness with his own. "Werewolves, vampires, gnomes, druids, nymphs, they all exist!"

Celty felt an explosion of happiness. Then… Then that means I'm not alone after all! She looked towards the werewolf. Oh, Izaya! This is the most amazing thing that's ever happened to me! Do you think I could meet your pack some day?

Izaya hummed thoughtfully. "Well I would have to ask my pack leader… But when he hears that you are a dullahan, I'm sure he'd love to meet you. He runs an antique bookstore, and loves meeting different supernatural creatures. Maybe he has something in his shop about other dullahans!"

You think there could be more of me? She asked the werewolf hopefully.

"Hm… I don't see why not. If there can be dozens of other otherworldly creatures like werewolves and vampires, I'm sure there's other dullahans out there." Izaya said with absolute certainty. "I can help you look! I am an informant after all, one of the best!"

Celty clapped her hands together excitedly. I would love that! Thank you so much, Izaya!

The werewolf wagged his tail even faster, his eyes alight with excitement. "It's the least I could do for my favorite courier!"

They remained in that happy bubble for a moment longer before Izaya suddenly froze. He lifted his nose and sniffed the air, a panicked expression overcoming his face. He hurriedly scurried around Celty and squished himself in between Shooter and the wall, almost knocking the Dullahan off the bike. Izaya! What are you doing?!

"Kill, kill, kill, kill!"

Celty looked away from the hiding wolf and found herself face to face with her best friend, Heiwajima Shizuo, But instead of the usual happiness that gave her, she was left with a spike of panic.

Oh, Shizuo! What are you-

"Your PDA!" Izaya whispered from behind the bike.

She sent a quick thanks to Izaya as she pulled the electronic device out and typed out a message. [Shizuo, what are you up to? Is work over for the day?] Her words were easier to type when she didn't have to worry about the tone.

Shizuo's face was pinched with anger. "I was having a great day, but then that fucking flea had to show his pest of a face! He ruined my whole day, Celty!" He bit through his cigarette with gritted teeth.

[Oh, that's awful Shizuo. But you can't let him get to you, remember? He's just trying to rile you up. That's why he pesters you all the time.] She wisely pointed out, doing her best to not glance at the werewolf whom they were talking about.

"That's not going to work Celty, not this time! You wouldn't believe it, the audacity of that little prick!" He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I fucking went to chase him, and he's acting all freaked out and tells me he doesn't want to fight me anymore! And then he runs away!"

Celty was surprised by the sudden turn of events, but kept her body language neutral. [Maybe he's being truthful, Shizuo. He was gone for a month, maybe he has changed since then…]

The debt collector let out an angry growl. "But I still smell his stupid stench through the city, even right now! He's toying with me Celty, I know he is! And when I find him, I'm gonna make him wish he had never come back!"

Shizuo stormed away while growling angrily to himself. Celty watched him go, but neither her nor Izaya dared to move until he was long gone from where they were. Despite their sudden friendship, she couldn't stop her suspicion.

What did you do? She questioned the Informant.

"I didn't do anything this time!" Izaya quickly defended himself, his fur dusty and ruffled from his sudden escape into the hiding spot.

Celty couldn't help herself. She reached out and began to smooth the thick fur and brush the dirt off. Did you really tell him you didn't want to fight anymore? Izaya gave her a quick nod as she pulled a dried weed from his coat. Were you planning to do it?

Izaya twitched his ears thoughtfully. "Well, to be honest, I hadn't really thought about it at first. I was hoping I had more time to think about how to handle it... I was in Ikebukuro to do a job for Shiki when it happened…"

Earlier That Day

When the sun was barely setting, Izaya returned to the bay where he had gotten bitten. He at first tried to catch wind of the werewolf who had bit him a month ago, but the only scent he found was where he had been bitten, and that had gone stale by now.

He pulled out his phone and looked towards the many security cameras. The app on his phone had been hastily created, but he hoped that it would work the way he intended. It was meant to be a third party, sending the camera footage through it and to the laptop he had bought for this very job.

If he ever was noticed or the gang occupying the area grew suspicious of him, it would be very easy to discard both the phone and the laptop and still be connected to the footage. The parts he had gotten from Celty worked like a charm for his plan… Which only made him feel more guilty about what he said. But he quickly pushed it away, he needed to focus on work.

He watched as two workers in bright orange jackets walked by, and turned his red eyes to the phone. The same footage played just moments later. Izaya let out a satisfied noise. Try deleting the footage now! He challenged the invading gang.

With his work for the day completed, Izaya decided to make his way to Russian Sushi. He hadn't been there in a month, and he wanted some fatty tuna. However, on the way there, his sensitive nose caught a smell that smelt way more delicious to his wolf side.

One of the street vendors along the roads of Ikebukuro was selling Yakitori with tare sauce and salt. He couldn't help himself, and bought himself two skewers.

By the time Izaya had almost gotten back to Shinjuku, he had eaten both of them. He thanked the moon for his fast metabolism, or else he likely wouldn't be able to keep up with his appetite.

The informant's eyes were on his phone as he weaved through the many alleyways. He had received a text from Mizuki, who seemed as excited as ever. His heart ached. He had been so busy getting his life back on track that he hadn't been able to see them.

Muzki: Yo, Izaya! We're hosting a hot pot party at our place next week! Be there, and bring beer!

Izaya felt a smile involuntarily rise up on his face, he was excited for the opportunity to spend time with his packmates again. He threw away the empty skewers and quickly responded.

Izaya: I wouldn't miss it for anything! See you then!

He was just about to put his phone back in his pockets when he received a hurried text from one of his other packmates.

Shiro: Don't listen to anything Mizuki tells you other than the date. She already asked Sayuri to bring some, she's just trying to get free beer out of you. We'll see you next week!

Izaya rolled his eyes in amusement, he should have expected Mizuki to try something like that. Still, he would bring something to the party. If the rest of the pack was contributing, so could he. Hm… There was that fancy new dessert place that just opened. Maybe he could-

His peaceful thoughts were cut off as a large vending machine crashed into the ground mere centimeters from his face. Izaya yelped in shock and fell backwards as the debris from the sidewalk flew into the air.

Instantly, all his instincts were sent to overdrive. His wolf instincts grew aggressive and angry, wanting him to fight the predator head on and show it not to mess with a wolf. He felt a tingling on his fingers, and when he looked at them he discovered that his fingernails had changed to claws. When he reached up to his tingling ears, he found that they felt pointy. He was changing! Oh no, oh no!

"IIIIIZAAAYAAA!"

His instincts screamed at him again. They told him to attack, bite, fight for his life against his enemy. But the image of biting Shizuo, and forcing him to change just like Izaya was forced, sent a cold wash of fear through him that managed to stop the oncoming transformations. No! I can't attack him! I won't! I won't!

The pounding footsteps behind him came to a screeching stop, but Izaya didn't dare turn to face him. He hunched over in his leather coat, and pressed his clawed hands against his chest.

"Thought you could sneak back into Ikebukuro, flea?! You were wrong! I'm gonna kill you right here, right now!" Shizuo's booming voice sent his instincts into panic again.

He opened his mouth, ignoring the feeling of his sharp canines as he forcefully said,"No, Shizuo! Stop it! I don't want to fight you anymore!"

Shizuo's angered noises stopped in an instant. "What? What are…" He felt the man's anger return, and that loud growl escape his throat as he heard the sound of crunching metal. "You can't trick me, Izaya! I know all your stupid tricks! You're not getting away this time!"

Izaya's heart pounded against his chest, he couldn't bring himself to taunt or begin their usual chase. He knew if he did that his overwhelming desire to attack would be too much. He sank his canines into his lips and turned, sprinting past Shizuo as fast as he could.

"Huh?! What?! You're not getting away! IZAYA!" He could hear Shizuo's footsteps again, it wouldn't be long before the man caught up.

He turned down the first corner he could, and let go of his human form. His paws landed on the ground of the empty alleyway and gave him a burst of speed. He sprinted as fast as he could away from the blonde's roaring and towards the edge of the city.

He had to get away, he had to. Before his teeth met flesh and he did something he could never take back.

Oh, I get it now… Celty said as she finished fixing the wolf's thick fur. You ran away because you didn't want to bite him.

"No, I don't. Even if Shizu-chan has made it his goal in life to kill me, I won't let myself bite him." The wolf shuddered and flattened his ears. "Because then he would go through the same thing I did. I love being a werewolf, I love my pack, but being bitten and transforming for the first time all alone… It was terrifying."

Celty tilted her helmet curiously. Then what are you going to do when you have work in Ikebukuro? Shiki won't believe that you suddenly can't fight with Shizuo anymore. You'll need to come up with something.

Izaya let out a tired sigh. "I know… But what can I do? When I told him I didn't want to fight, he instantly thought it was a trick. If I ask for a truce or just outright tell him we should stop, he'll just think the same thing."

The Dullahan tapped her handlebars thoughtfully. Well… Do you still hate Shizuo or have you gotten over it?

The black wolf instantly looked bashful. "I never hated him… I was just… Jealous. I thought he was a monster, and he was still able to have so many people who cared about him." He shuffled in embarrassment. "Now I realize that the only monster was me and the way I was acting…"

Izaya chuckled and shook his head. "It's ironic, isn't it Celty? I didn't realize how human I really was until I wasn't human anymore…"

Celty knew that feeling. It was one of the many things she had struggled with while she learned to navigate her life in Ikebukuro. Nobody else had been able to understand, and that made her feel so alone… Until now.

She knelt down next to the werewolf. I understand more than you realize, Izaya. It can be scary and lonely, especially when you're surrounded by so many humans. But just because we aren't them doesn't mean we are monsters. We have souls, and feelings just like they do. We may not be human, but we still have humanity.

Her words seemed to comfort him as his fur settled and the happiness returned to his expression. "Thanks, Celty." He gave her an inquisitive glance. "It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this."

I've had a lot of time on my own in this world. Celty reminded him, trying not to be saddened by her own words.

Izaya seemed to notice her sadness easily, as he quickly nudged her hand with his cold nose. "Hey, you're not alone anymore, remember? There's others like us out there, and they all know how we've felt."

Celty's spirits lifted the slightest bit, and then an idea popped into her mind. Hey… Izaya… The wolf tilted his head curiously. I don't have many memories of the other creatures in this world. I know a lot about Dullahans, but that's because I am one. Do you think… Maybe you could teach me what you know?

The werewolf informant looked surprised by her sudden question. But it was quickly replaced with glee, as he nodded his head. "I don't know much, I'm still just a pup myself. But I can teach you what I do know, and what we don't know we can learn together!"

That sounds perfect! Celty quickly responded. I'm looking forward to it!

They separated soon after, knowing it was safer to continue the conversation another day, somewhere where persistent cops and angry blondes wouldn't be able to find them.

Izaya trotted back to the road, looking back at her. "Good night, Celty. It was nice to talk to you… As a friend."

The courier nodded in agreement and waved goodbye as Izaya looked both ways, sprinted across the road, and disappeared into the alleyways on the other side.

In that moment, Celty found herself starting to understand why Shinra always defended Izaya so strongly. She was seeing through the facades, the endless shields that the raven had made over the years to protect his fragile heart. At some point, those masks had become so connected to him that he had forgotten his true self.

But now, thanks to his month away, thanks to his pack, he was able to break free. This was who he truly was, and Celty was incredibly thankful that she had the gift of befriending the real Izaya.