Life has quickly fallen into a routine, once Sabo had healed enough to move around unhindered. If he was honest the change barely felt substantial. The three of them still woke at the same time, in the same treehouse. They still hunted first thing in the morning before training, and then hunted again for lunch, and later for dinner. They still spent time searching for traps and avoiding Dadan.

The only difference was in Sabo's own biology. In retrospect, he should have expected everything he was used to to be amplified, but it still took him several careful days before he could withstand a corpse, or a bird's screech, or even just the stench of Dadan's den. Even finding his paws had been easier. Adjusting to a new body was a lot more internal than he had anticipated.

(Not to mention the new sort of urgency in which his body responded to his brothers. Was this what they had meant, when they said it took a werewolf to make a proper pack? The pull between them, the new shift in his brain to allow for that tug of claimed-pack-family-blood was like a weighted blankets over Sabo's more sensitive awareness.)

Still, a pattern came quickly. The same cycle of wake, hunt, train, run. The kind that they each fell into with barely a hitch in their step.

It was the change of change that was easy; and Sabo did not trust it.

It was midday, and they were supposed to be hunting.

They had set out on all fours, tracking a boar down towards the edge of the forest when they heard it– Bluejam's distinctive voice freezing them tight in their tracks. He was downwind of them now. Just over the drop off of the treeline, into the bordering stretch between them and the Terminal.

"-Worry, Good Sir, Everyone in Grey Terminal knows the boys. We're certain your little heir has been the kid running around with the forest brats lately."

Ace peeked through the brush and growled a curse under his breath. "Sabo," He warned, voice almost nonexistent. Nothing else managed to come out.

Sabo inched closer to the edge of the forest beside Ace, trying to peer through the foliage. Ace backed up to give him a bit of space. Immediately, Luffy was attached to his side, tail tight between his legs and eyes huge. Unlike him and Sabo, Ace had warned Luffy not to transform– just in case. If it was as it sounded, and Bluejam's men were looking for them… he would rather it was Luffy in the best position to get away quickly. His littlest brother was still just a puppy. All soft, rubbery edges and fluffy fur, barely out of the den.

There was no way either of them would be able to live with it if they risked getting him caught by the same people who set traps out for them.

Ace carefully rubbed Luffy's ears down, trying to shush him before the humans heard him whining. After a moment he glanced up, about to ask Sabo what he had heard. His mouth snapped shut with a quiet click. Sabo's ears were plastered to his skull. "He's looking for me," He whispered, voice strangled with horror enough to make Ace instinctively reach for him. The words processed cold and heavy in his stomach. "He's trying to… take me back." Sabo shrank away from the clearing, eyes wide and unblinking even as he stumbled back on all fours.

His brother stank of fear. The last time he had smelled so strongly of it they had been– the blood, on Ace's hands, the gleam of moonlight in the panicked white of Sabo's eyes– A feral growl erupted out of Ace before he could stop it.

Immediately, all the voices just outside the forest went silent.

The boys went still. Barely daring to breathe, Ace frantically began to push at his little brothers, trying to shove them further back into the undergrowth. Neither were budging. Stock still, eyes huge, neither Luffy or Sabo seemed able to do much more than remain frozen in place.

They wouldn't move. Ace's limbs locked, jaw clenching. It was as if the silence was making him seize up. Come on, Ace wanted so badly to whisper, his throat tight. His heart was beating so loud he had to tell himself that the humans couldn't hear it. Come on, come on please— just get back into the forest, get home—

"I know you're there."

Bluejam's voice cracked across the silence like a whip. All three brothers flinched. Even through the blood roaring in his ears, Ace could hear the distinctive crunch of the pirate's boots towards where they still hid. He couldn't look. Couldn't turn. A shadowed face, eyes dark and greedy, flashed in his mind. "I suggest you come out now." None of them moved. "Or stay there. We could always just start setting fire to the forest." Sabo shrunk away from the clearing, pale hands shakily pulling his top hat low over his face in a poor attempt to hide his low whimper.

Ace's blood boiled. He heated past the fear, past the trepidation. Smoldering tight and molten hot around a single looping thought of Threat To My Brothers, To My Pack.

"Okay, If you won't come out, then—" Ace grit his teeth and leaped out of the undergrowth. He could hear both his brothers gasp loudly as he moved, barely fast enough to avoid being yanked back by claws frantically trying to snag into his tank top. Ace swore he heard Sabo hiss something nasty under his breath– but he didn't care. However long Sabo decided to be mad at him after this would pale to what would happen if they were all caught.

Ace was the oldest. The alpha. The leader of their tiny pack. He was the most capable. It was his job to protect his family.

Outside of the immediate forest, the air smelled so much worse. It was as if the cover of leaves and trees had blocked the worst of the stench from the mountains. Even the soil felt wrong— mixed with little chunks of rubble, splintering wood, rusty bits of metal that dug into the pads of his feet.

Ace looked up to meet Bluejam's disgusting smile.

"That's better," the man cooed, mockingly sweet in a way that made Ace's throat tighten around an instinctive growl. "But believe it or not, you're not the one we're looking for, little wolf—" the pirate stepped to the side, gesturing to a man behind him in a short flourish. He clearly stood out from the rest of Bluejma's usual gang; plump flesh sagging into pressed and expensive clothing and extensive mustache wax. "—So, have you eaten the blond kid yet?"

Indignant anger burned through him, hot and quick like a bullet fired through his veins. Ace did not want to answer. Didn't want to give them anything. Not a single clue of where his brother— either of his brothers— were. He could not run. Not without leaving them behind. They were still frozen, he could tell– no rustle of paw pads or fading scents. Nor could he fight and hope to win. Not with how many men Bluejam had, waiting on the edge of the forest– and their captain had always smelled off to Ace. Like a beacon pointing straight at the human declaring Danger, this one is a Problem, loud and clear.

Ace couldn't move, couldn't speak.

Not while his pack was still behind him.

The stench of fear was worse even than the trash of the terminal. Putrid enough to make Ace's fur stand on end.

Bluejam sighed, dropping into a crouch to better face Ace eye to eye. He barely paid Ace's growling warning a cursory glance. "Look, pup," he started, and raised a hand in the most insincere surrender Ace had ever seen. "Sir Outlook just wants him to come home. If you actually do care about him, why don't you let him go?" His eyes glinted greedily, just as sharply as the sunlight of the steel muzzle Ace could just spot poking out of his bulging pockets. "I'm sure he wants to go home," he crooned sweetly, "Don't you think he'd be better off where he belongs?"

Ace wanted so badly to bite him. He wanted to bury his teeth in his sagging, filthy throat and shake him like a chew toy. He wanted to rip him apart for even daring to insinuate that Sabo wasn't exactly where he needed to be, away from the Terminal and whatever sorry excuse for a human pack he had before he had been thrown away– "Sabo is home!" He snarled, fur sprouting along his back and arms sporadically. It took everything not to just shift, not to lunge– It didn't matter that Sabo may have had a human dad. It didn't matter that he hadn't said a word to Ace or Luffy about it. He had chosen them. Sabo was theirs now. "he'd rather die than come home with that bastard!"

Outlook's face twisted in rage. Bluejam looked more amused than anything, content to let the noble step forward from his circle of thugs. "Then he can die," he hissed, "but not before giving us what he owes us, as my bloodline heir!"

Ace snarled back, just as openly furious— But, surrounded by stronger men, Outlook had finally caught his confidence. "I'll have you exterminated," he promised. "Now that I know there's such an infestation in the forest— it'll be easy to finally convince the city to begin logging this primitive place." His eyes raked up and down Ace's form and Ace took an involuntary step back. "I do wonder just how much a werewolf will sell for."

The bushes rustled behind Ace and he nearly howled in dismay when Sabo tumbled out of them, eyes huge and terrified. Of all the times to move– Luffy followed right on his heels, teeth clamped right in his tailcoat to no avail. Ace watched his small paws skitter against the soil uselessly and felt his heart fill his throat.

"I-I'm here!" Sabo shouted. His voice cracked and pitched terribly and Ace wanted to cover his ears and hide. "I'm here, I'm here, please just— leave them alone!"

"You idiot," Ace managed to whisper. His stupid, idiot brother, trying to keep them safe as if that wasn't Ace's responsibility, Ace's failure– "You— you stupid— why didn't you run?!" Bluejam stepped closer and Ace spun to lock his eyes back on him, all his fur standing on end.

"He's smarter than the average mutt," the pirate said mockingly. His lumbering form had them all frozen in place as he approached them, completely unphased even as both born werewolves' lips pulled away from their teeth in a vicious snarl. "He knew what the best option was."

He reached and Ace snapped— growling guttural in his throat as he lunged for Bluejam. It didn't matter that the pirate was bigger, or stronger, or smelled bad— he was a threat cornering his pack. His family.

But for all that his teeth clamped tight around that filthy hand, Bluejam only flung him away by the back of his neck like a disobedient puppy. Ace scrambled to get up from the dirt, limbs shifting loudly. "I should just kill you for that," Bluejam warned. "I've been pretty nice, you know? And I got bitten for it." His gun clicked in his hand and Ace's ears pressed tight to his head. Bluejam smiled. "I wonder if it's true only silver bullets will kill you."

"No!" Sabo screamed. "You can't— I— I already—!" He lunged for Ace, for Bluejam— Ace didn't know— only to be caught firmly around his midriff by Porchemy and held squirming off the ground. " I'll come home!" Sabo shrieked, eyes wild where they frantically switched between Outlook and Ace, "I'll come home, I said I'd come home— I'll- I'll do whatever you want, just leave my pack alone!"

"No," Luffy whimpered. Frustrated tears burned in his eyes.

A look from Outlook was all it took for Bluejam to pocket his gun. Still shiny and exposed, a hand rested threateningly on its hilt— but no longer pointing at Ace. Sabo sobbed in relief, sagging. Outlook gave him a considering look. A long one, intense and questioning in a way that made Ace distinctly uncomfortable.

"Your pack," he said slowly. "Do you really think these feral little beasts and you are a pack?" Immediately, Sabo's face contorted in anger and Outlook shook his head in unsurprised disappointment. It was as if the human had never thought Sabo could do anything but disappoint him. As if he couldn't even be shocked anymore, to be let down– and it made Ace boil. How dare they, how dare he, no wonder Sabo had decided someone like Ace was worth taking a chance with– "They are dogs," he continued, "I will cure you of this disorder yet— maybe it would be better if we do kill them now—"

"No!"

Sabo struggled to get out of Porchemy's arms, writhing furiously. Slamming his head back barely winded the man— sending his hat toppling to the dirt at their feet.

Outlook made a scandalized noise.

"Are those—" he choked. Porchemy obediently held him still as the noble sharply stepped closer, peering incredulously at the furry little appendages almost invisible with how tight they were to Sabo's head. Ace and Luffy both nearly howled with their brother when Outlook yanked at his ears, roughly pulling at sensitive flesh. "You..." disgust barely showed on his face. The noble was too fixated on his task to even be revolted as he forced Sabo's mouth open to see his new canines— nearly dislocating the wolf's shoulder to see the claws on his fingers.

Bluejam immediately flew into shallow apologies, hands raised placatingly. "So sorry, sir, we weren't aware he had become a werewolf–" The pirate passed a considering look at the two werewolves still huddled on the ground and Ace carefully nudged Luffy further behind him. It barely worked. Even frozen, his littlest brother looked ready to fling all safety aside if it meant burying his teeth in Bluejam's jugular. "We can put him down for you," He offered. A growl started immediately in Ace's throat, raw and desperate, but Bluejam didn't even spare him a glance. Even turned away They could see the glimmer of interest in the man's dark eyes. "If you would prefer, for a little extra we will gladly take care of the other pests too."

Outlook shook his head stiffly. "No matter," He hissed, "An heir is an heir. Amputation will not be noticeable under a hat, and claws can always be trimmed and gloved– the right price will properly settle this." His eyes were so cold when they caught on Luffy and Ace.

The two werewolves wavered in place, indecision making them shrink back and forth as Sabo squirmed uselessly. He quickly stilled when the man caught the edge of his ear. "Do what you will, but don't kill them." So, so cold. It didn't matter where he was looking. As if the man– the thing– only had the capacity to be empty. "But know," He whispered, forcing Sabo's ear to turn towards his voice even as the boy shakily tried to twist away, "That I can always change my mind."

Ace felt like screaming. Sabo was so limp. As if the words triggered something within him to flicker out and die. All his fight was gone. Extinguished. His brother was little more than a ragdoll, a pet and a slave– his eyes turned away from Ace, from Luffy, from everything they had– and Ace couldn't see anything familiar in them.

Even when out of sight his scent was still so fresh. The stench of the humans and trash around them couldn't remove the reminder that barely a second ago, Sabo had been happy and here.

Their brother had been taken, and Ace had done nothing but watch.

Ace was a failure of a pack alpha.

its beena long time lmfao sorry. ive been very focused on literally Everything but one piece for the past two months and it Shows

theres only a few more chapters left to this! maybe 2 or 3? im ready to let this fic go lmfao it really has stretched more than i ever intended to let it. anyway heres some werewolf angst

As always, you can find me over at my tumblr, Leviathiane