Disclaimer: We do not own Boruto or it's characters.

Chapter One- Boruto

I got down from my horse and opened the small hatch that had the old bell inside. It was a small and ancient thing, but it rang loud and clear when I pulled it. There was no doubt in my mind it was enchanted by the elderly lady that lived here especially considering she was a witch. A few moments later, the large doors opened by themselves and I quickly led Hana inside. She shook her head before trotting along, her cream colored coat shining under the limited sunlight that peeked through the trees.

I let her go graze once the doors closed behind us and I headed inside the moderately small building. The air around me was filled with magic, I could feel it and it only got stronger the further I went. The shelves were stacked with different kinds of goods, some of which made noises as I made my way around to the front desk. The witch that owned the shop sat behind the counter with her white hair pulled in a tight bun. She smiled at me and beckoned me closer, her long fingernails tapping on the wooden surface.

"It's nice to see you again, dear." She greeted and I gave her a smile of my own.

"Hello, granny. How are you doing?" I asked, feeling comfortable enough in the place known as grandma's house. While we weren't related by blood, everyone called her granny. It was something she insisted on and those who were smart didn't protested.

"I'm doing just fine. You're my first customer today." She informed and tapped her nails again. "How about a discount?"

I removed the hot pink hood of my cloak and chuckled. "But you already give me a discount."

The old woman clicked her tongue. "A bigger one then. You are one of my favorites, Boruto. Always so kind . . . and quick on your feet." She added with a mischievous smirk. "Wise beyond your years."

"Most of that is thanks to you." I reminded and she laughed, the sound light and airy.

"So I did, so I did. You never waste the chance to flatter an old crow like me." She said fondly. "Onto business, dear. What can I do for you?"

I pulled the list of items from my pocket and handed it over to her. "Most of it is medicine, I'm afraid a good number of the villagers have gotten sick."

She hummed as she looked it over, eyes flashing purple when she met my gaze. "Interesting indeed . . . there are quite a few remedies requested, but the symptoms for this particular string of illnesses strokes my intuition."

"What are you thinking, granny?" Her intuition was always spot on and I wasn't foolish enough to brush off her words.

"Check your water supply." She ordered. "If you find any brown circles that look like dirt, cover the area in this." She said and with a wave of her finder a green pouch floated over. "Free of charge. As for the medicine, I can narrow it down to a couple that will work just as well. Perhaps better."

"Thank you." I said with a bow of my head, blond bangs falling in my face.

"So polite." She mused and stood. "I'll have everything you need ready in a few minutes, Boruto. Make yourself at home. There are some cookies near my rocking chair, you know where."

I thanked her again as she went into the back to collect everything I needed. I wondered what exactly was in the green pouch she had given me, but I knew better than to ask. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss. I went over to her rocking chair and had a handful of the small chocolate cookies. It was crazy really, how relaxed I could be here. The people who visited were slim and it was almost never the same person twice. The witch had a playful side that killed many brave souls and those that tried to outsmart her paid the price.

None of them knew the rules. If she gave you advice, you took it. She never asked about important matters, she told you. Asking was fine in light conversation. However, if she gave you an option in the form of a yes and no question you always said no. The old lady was fair, but she would trick you if you weren't careful. You could trust her on some things and on others you couldn't. It was as simple as that and if you didn't learn to tell the difference, well . . . a number of things could befall you.

It was a dangerous job yet critical for many villages. It was near impossible to survive in this world without any magical influence and wizards were too rare to hope for. Trading with some kind of mythical creature was a norm even if the risk of death was high. No one else in my village would dare to travel to grandma's house, the destination just as threatening as the trip. In this case I listened more than I talked and that's what gave me an advantage. That and the fact the ancient woman had taken a liking to me, more often than not she would teach me the secrets of the woods. She had even made me the pink cloak I scarcely took off, the fabric embedded with her magic.

It saved my life more times than I could count, protecting me in ways I didn't fully understand. I was grateful for it and knew she would do nearly anything for me if I asked, but she would still try to trick me from time to time to keep me on my feet. She was certainly a crafty thing.

"Here you are, dear." The witch called and I came back around to find her seated at the counter.

The items were wrapped tightly and set in a basket, the list poking out from the side. "How much do I owe you, granny?" I asked and took out the money the chef had given me. I didn't try to hide how much I had, knowing she would over charge me on purpose if I did.

"A third of that, nothing more, nothing less." She said and I smiled. That truly was one hell of a discount.

"You're the best." I said and she laughed again, waving her hand in the air after she took the payment.

"Now now, I couldn't possibly give you another discount." She teased before adding, "Unless you really desired one. Would you like another discount?"

"No thank you, granny."

Her eyes flickered purple again in approval. "That's my boy. Greed will lead to one's destruction. Off you go, can't have you traveling after sunset. The creatures of the night will be upon us."

I nodded and picked up the basket. "Until next time." I said and pulled my hood back up.

Hana was waiting for me outside and I was quick to mount the young horse. My usual companion had gotten too old to make the trip and I didn't want to push his limits. Hana was a bit more skittish than he was, but she ran almost as fast as the wind blew. It was an important quality for this journey and I didn't really have the option to be picky. All the big and strong horses were either left for the farmers or taken by the hunters. My village was lucky in the sense that a wizard had lived among us a very long time ago, his spell still alive and well while it acted as a barrier to the forest. It was old and small mythical creatures made their way in from time to time, but it kept out the dangerous ones.

There was always that fear of the spell wearing off and breaking down. However, it wouldn't be until another few decades or so. We were safe for now. The large doors opened up for me and I pushed my heels against Hana's sides to que her to go. The trail was a long one and I couldn't have her going full speed the whole way. If I didn't pace her, we would be vulnerable in case of an attack. I had run into my fair share of creatures, most of them preferring to curse me with magic. My cloak kept me from harm in that regard, but physical assaults were a different story. Thus my need for a dagger. I kept it close at all times and was lethal in my own right, but I wasn't stupid. I was only human and here were a great number of beasts that could overpower me.

I was about halfway home when a could hear the sounds of branches breaking to my left. I had Hana run a bit faster in hopes of avoiding attention, but whatever it was started to follow. I urged her on faster and the sounds of breaking wood grew fainter. We just had to outrun it. I didn't push her too much out of caution and even though it was a valid decision, it bit me in the ass. The sound of a heavy tree falling close by rumbled against the ground and causing Hana to suddenly buck. I hadn't been holding on as tight to the reins as I should have, my hand more concerned with the dagger at my waist. I was thrown off of her back and hit the ground hard. I was better than this, or at least I thought I was. My head was the first thing to collide with the unsympathetic earth and I wasn't able to keep a grip on consciousness as I blacked out.

The first thing I processed when I slowly came to was that my head hurt. A lot. The second thing was that it was really cold, extremely so. I blinked my eyes open and was met with darkness. For a moment I feared I was out in the open on the path, fully exposed to the creatures of the night. My heart skipped a beat at the thought, but as my eyes adjusted and I looked around, realizing that wasn't the case. I was inside a . . . a cave of some sorts. I felt along the wall in front of me, easing my way into a sitting position. No, not a cave . . . the wall was too smooth and so was the ground. It was more like some kind of dungeon, though that was my dramatic side coming through. It couldn't really be a dungeon, could it? I looked around some more and from what I was able to see it was completely bare.

My belongings and horse were nowhere in sight and I pulled my cloak tighter around me. A sad attempt for comfort and a barrier against the temperature. What was I going to do now? I had no idea how I'd gotten here and thinking of a reason only gave way to more concern and slight panic. Just who . . . or what had dragged me here . . . and for what purpose? A low growl sounded as if in answer and I barely had time to react before a pair of eyes appeared, their color as dark as the place I found myself in. I could feel my pulse quicken as the eyes came closer and I shuffled backwards on instinct. I could only go so far, the wall soon hitting my back. Its shape grew clearer each step it took and within moments I was face to face with a wolf.

It wasn't a normal wolf, not by a long shot. It was a large beast. A king of the canines and I feared the worst. My cloak wouldn't be of any use and there was no way I could fight it off in these conditions, if I stood a chance in the first place. None of that would stop me from trying though. My hand inched towards my dagger as I held the wolf's gaze. I would have one shot at this at the most, I had to make it count.

"You can't hurt me with that. I am not going to hurt you. So calm down."

The deep voice seemed to sound in my head, as if they were my own thoughts. It was definitely a first for me, but for the most part I was used to the unexpected. Perhaps anyone else in my position would have called the wolf on his lie or attacked. It was a logical thing to do, but not the smartest. If this creature wanted to kill me he would have done it already. He wanted something from me and I had to figure out what in order to use that as a bargaining chip. Otherwise, I was completely at his mercy. I removed my hand and let it fall to my side. I willed my heart to slow down so I could focus, but there was still an underlying fear with the large animal close enough to rip my throat in an instant.

"You brought me here." I assumed, proud my voice didn't falter. "How does that benefit you?" It was important to ask the right questions, but I didn't want to be too direct and get brushed off.

The wolf came even closer, causing me to flinch even though I tried to remain calm. I closed my eyes tightly, anticipating something dreadful, but what I got instead was a cold wet nose on my neck. He was sniffing me.

"Your scent . . . It's intoxicating."

I couldn't suppress a shiver at his warm breath and his words left me confused. Intoxicating as in tempting? Appetizing? It was hard to figure him out. A wolf wouldn't have much use for me other than food, what else could a human give him? I held still as he continued to smell me and only opened my eyes when he pulled back.

The large wolf laid down in front of me, resting his head in my lap. "Do you see this thing around my neck?"

I was taken aback by the tame gesture, but I knew a beast like him could never be tamed.

"Yes." I answered simply, gaze peering over to it briefly. It was a seemingly black collar, hanging comfortably around his neck. It was strange to say the least and I couldn't imagine who put it there or the significance it held. "A collar . . ." Perhaps he needed me to take if off of him?

"I knew you were the one." He said with a sigh, nose pressing against my crotch as he inhaled deeply.

A squeak left my lips and before I could think better of it I pushed his nose away. "W-what are you doing?!"

He nudged my hand to the side and then licked my wrist. "Just getting to know you."

I barely held back a huff at that, but once I thought about it, it made sense in a way. Dogs were always smelling each other in inappropriate places and he was a much larger and more vicious version of one . . . kind of. I still didn't know what to make of him, but I supposed he was being civil in a sense compared to the other creatures I had run into in the past. The lick was oddly friendly, but then again he could be having a taste of what was to come.

"You want to get to know me." I repeated and decided to keep my hands at my chest, gripping my hot pink cloak. "Is that . . . a way of playing with your food?" I asked directly. Despite myself, I couldn't let that worry sit and fester. I needed to know.

"I don't play with my food." He said simply. "I need your help. You're the only one who can help me . . . Boruto."

My voice blatantly faltered at my name, shocked and even more confused. "Y . . . y-you . . . how do you know my name?" I asked, taking this one question at a time. The whole situation was startling to say the least and one of the weirdest I had been apart of.

"I know everything about you. Even more than you know about yourself." He told me with a confidence that was baffling. "That's beside the point. Right now, I just need you to take this damn collar off of me."

So my suspicion was true. He was more than just a beast if what he was saying was true, not many creatures could know something as personal as a name upon first meeting and certainly not 'everything' as he claimed. I didn't know what I was getting into and a part of me thought the collar was some kind of curse. Whether it was put there for a valid reason or not, I wouldn't know. But I did know one thing for sure, I had my bargaining chip.

"I request you let me leave unharmed in exchange." I said firmly. Demanding would get me nowhere, but I had to make it clear I wouldn't fall for any tricks either.

"I will never bring you any harm." He said, voice full of promise. His words were sincere.

"Alright . . ." I trailed and slowly moved my hands, making sure he could see every movement.

I reached for his collar and felt around for the buckle. A part of me noticed how soft his fur was and for a second I even wondered the color, but I had a task to complete. When I found the bit of metal I unfastened it gently. It slipped off with ease after that and I was left holding it in my hands.

The wolf shuddered and made a strange, quiet sound and my lips parted in amazement as I watched his body shift before my eyes. It couldn't be . . . I never dreamed I would come across one in person. This wolf . . . he was a werewolf. I didn't know a lot about them, but I knew enough to recognize what was happening. He was turning into a man, a human. All I could do was stare dumbly at his transformation. Perhaps I wasn't as used to the unexpected as I believed. His fur was replaced by skin and toned muscle, long arms and legs settling into a kneeling position. His hair was styled short on the sides and long on top, just as black as his eyes had been. That wasn't the case now, his eyes taking on a lighter color I couldn't quite make out. His snout morphed into a nose and his handsome features caught me off guard.

I hadn't seen anything like it and in a way it was . . . beautiful. He looked at me silently as I took him in, my gaze working its way down from his face. He was still big even for a human, though not nearly as huge as before. He was packed with as much muscle as one of our warriors, if not more so and it only clicked when I got to his groin that he was naked. I quickly averted my blue eyes and felt my face heat up. Sure we were both men, at least for the moment, but that was not something I should be looking at. It was private and more personal than I was ready to get.

"H-here." I stuttered and held out his collar, closed fist bumping against his firm chest.

"No." He rasped out loud, backing away from me as if I'd scalded him. "Keep it away from me."

I retracted my hand, remembering that it was probably a curse. "Do you want me to get rid of it?" I asked, feeling concern and sympathy for the werewolf even if it wasn't the wisest thing to do.

"Do with it what you will, as long as you keep it away from me." He said so quietly before laying back on the cold floor and stretching his limbs with a pained groan.

I wasn't sure what I would do with it yet, but I would keep it away from him nonetheless since he had been kind enough not to eat me. He had in fact given me his word he wouldn't harm me at all and that was strange all by itself. Time wasn't on my side at the moment though, I had to get out of the woods. I didn't know if it was night or even the next morning. Hell, I didn't know if Hana was alright or what happened to the basket I had been carrying along with the small green pouch. I was still where I started aside from a little less likely to die before I made it back home. I wrapped the collar around my belt and stood, the pain in my head not as bad as before but enough for me to lean against the wall for balance.

"How do I get out of here?" I asked the werewolf, already worrying about what my next steps would be. I was easy prey without a horse.

Slowly, he got to his feet and then closed the distance between us. "First you should heal that wound."

"I can't, I have to find my horse." I explained. "The medicine . . . my village . . ." I said mostly to myself. There wasn't anyone else who could make the journey but me.

"I have your things. Though I can't say much for the horse." He muttered the last bit and reached towards me, grabbing the dagger and pulling it to himself, flipping it around with a speed and skill that had my eyes widening. "You shouldn't be so afraid." He told me, taking my hand and pricking my finger with the sharp tip of the blade. Then he moved my hand to the back of my head. "Come on now, say the words."

My mouth spoke on its own before my brain could catch up, foreign words falling from my lips so fast that I couldn't remember them. I felt a slight tingle on the back of my head all at once the pain was gone. With a gasp, I pulled myself from his grip and backed away along the smooth wall. What the hell was that?

"What did you do to me?" I asked, cradling my hand to my chest.

"I only helped you tap into your power, something you should have learned about long ago." He mumbled and held the dagger out to me. "You're strong. You should act like it."

I took offense to the comment. "Not everyone flaunts their strength." I huffed and took the blade, putting it back in its rightful place. I wasn't sure what power he was going on about, but if he wasn't an immediate threat then I wasn't going to dance around him any longer than I had to. "You said you had my things? Where?"

"You really are clueless." He appeared almost disappointed as he turned his back to me and started walking away. "Follow me."

I made my way through the darkness and trailed silently behind him. We traveled up some stairs towards light and I had to admit I missed it. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust, stopping once we entered a cave. Lanterns stood along the sides of the rocky walls and I was frustrated to learn that it was in fact night time. Going out now was begging for trouble . . .

The werewolf had gone off to the side and returned with my things, the basket and pouch still intact and seemingly undamaged. "Thank you." I said as I took them from him.

My gaze quickly moved back to the entrance of the cave, wondering if I should chance it. I feared for Hana and knew the only hope she had of surviving was if she went straight back to the village. However, that still left me with a hard position.

"The horse is dead. Don't bother yourself brooding over it. She had a quick death."

I looked back at the werewolf, heart clenching. She was a good girl . . . and I should have taken better care of her. "I see . . . wher-" I cleared my throat. "Where is the trail from here? Do you know?"

"Of course I do. I'll get you back to your village."

I wasn't sure I could trust him with the location of it, but he hadn't proved to be a liar so far. Besides, it wasn't as if he could enter the village anyway.

"Very well." I agreed, knowing it was the best chance I had considering the situation. "I appreciate it."

"Yes. Because you have no other means of making it back alive. I'm not willing to let you die anyway."

His body shifted back into his wolf form and I was reminded how dangerous he was despite his odd desire not to hurt me. He really was quite the sight and size, my mind taking note that his fur was light grey. I was surprised to see him padding over to me, watching him suspiciously until he started rubbing against me.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously as he continued, coming close to knocking me over. "Hey!" I chuckled, a light hearted feeling washing over me.

He hummed and crouched down next to me. "Get on." He ordered softly.

I hesitated and looked into his black eyes. "Really?" Surely something like that was disrespectful, I couldn't possibly.

"Don't you need to get that medicine back as quickly as you can?"

"I do." I confirmed and steeled myself.

I stepped closer and grabbed onto his fur, noticing again how soft it was and also mindful not to pull too hard. I raised myself up and swung my leg over him with a grunt. He stood tall and I held on at the movement, realizing very quickly that this wasn't like riding a horse. Not at all. The wolf walked out of the cave and sniffed a few times before he went into the woods.

My grip tightened when he began picking up speed and I had to press my face down in his fur due to the harsh wind. It blew my hood off of my head and went to town on my hair, whipping it every which way. I kept the basket and pouch as secure as I could with my eyes unable to stay open. I wasn't able to see and a part of me didn't want to, but I had to admit it was pretty fun. I had never gone at this speed and a few gleeful giggles escaped me when he jumped. I felt like a little kid and didn't get the chance to worry about what else was out roaming the woods.

The wolf hadn't asked for directions and we reached my village a lot faster than I thought we would. I was able to sit up once he slowed down and opened my eyes to see the tall walls that surrounded my home. He got close, but not too close to the gate to let me down. I was breathing a little harder than normal, adrenaline running through me after riding him. I came around to his head and took a chance.

"Thank you." I told him and reached out to touch his snout. I pushed my hand up between his eyes and to his head in a long pet. If it was disrespectful I didn't know, but he seemed to like it, so I did it one more time.

My hand pulled back quickly though when his body started changing, in a matter of seconds his human form was towering over me. "I'm starving. Feed me."

I blinked at him, the request random and a little worrisome. "Okay." I said slowly, supposing he wanted it as payment. "Do you like beef?"

"I smell something good in there." He murmured, eyes gazing at the gate longingly.

"I'll bring it to you then." I offered. "Wait here."

"No. I'm coming." He said quickly, eyes looking down at me.

He was . . . serious. "That isn't a good idea and I don't think it's possible. There's a barrier protecting our village, it could kill you." And the thought of it strangely made me sad.

"It can't harm me. Not now that I belong to you."

"H-huh?" Him? Belong to me? What?!

"There is no sense in questioning something that's been destined since antiquity." He told me. "Only you could free me and because you did, I'm yours."

Fuck me, what did I get myself into? I understood what he was saying, but I couldn't believe it. He wanted to stay with me . . . claiming I owned him. It was a lot to take in and I had no idea why he chose me, why I was able to free him from the collar. I was missing pieces of the story, but now wasn't the most opportune moment to be asking.

Though there was a smaller problem in regards to his . . . condition. "You're naked." I pointed out, not that it needed to be. "I can't just sneak you in there even if you could get past the barrier . . . I can't keep you."

"You'd let your own pet starve?" He questioned me sadly, giving me a round of big puppy eyes that pulled at my heartstrings.

Was this really a werewolf? Of course it was, but he was so . . . so . . .

"Alright, I understand." I caved, his actions making me notice his eyes were colored as a silver-grey in this form.

I was insane to go along with him. It was a miracle I was still breathing after everything that had happened, but he hadn't given me a reason not to trust him. Other than that, no beast with ill intent willingly went inside a village at a humans mercy, much less in a more vulnerable state. I took off my cloak and held it up in front of him. It wasn't long enough to cover what it needed to and I opted to wrap it around his waist instead.

"That will have to do for the time being." I sighed and wondered if I could pull this off. "Stay close to me, okay?"

"You don't need to worry about that." He grinned then, looking excited.

It caused an odd fluttering in my chest, but I put it aside in favor of thinking up a plan. I walked up to the gate with the werewolf close behind me. I opened the small hatch and pushed the button inside, a large flag coming down above the gate to alert the guards. They should have seen us coming, but in some regards the barrier gave way to laziness in the ranks. It was honestly shameful. One of the guards called out for me to identify myself and after I did the gate was opened. I held my breath as we walked through, hoping that the wolf was correct and he wouldn't get hurt. That same breath rushed out of me when the gates closed and the werewolf was unharmed.

"Boruto!" A familiar voice shouted and I turned my head to see Metal jogging over. "God, we thought you were dead. What the hell man, turning up at this time of night? Not that I'm not glad to see you." His gaze went over to the werewolf and I was quick to put it back on me.

"I got the medicine." I said and handed the basket over to him. "Take it to the chief so it can be distributed."

He nodded, giving me a grateful look. "You pulled through . . . but you always do, don't you?" He mused. "Your friend there, who's he? And why . . . is he wearing your cloak?"

I moved further in front of the wolf, almost protectively. "Metal, focus. That medicine is the most important thing right now. As for this guy . . . I wouldn't have made it back without him, that's all you need to know. Get going, no time to waste."

"Right." He said and glanced one more time at the werewolf before he was off.

My opinion changed about the night time and I was thankful for it. Less people were awake and it was easier to sneak around. I motioned for the wolf to follow me and led him through the backways to my house, praying we didn't run into anyone else. I closed my front door behind us with a loud thud and once again told myself how crazy I was for doing this, but so far so good. After I locked the door, I turned my attention to the very much wild animal I had brought home.

First things first. "Clothes." I said curtly. "Then food. Do you think you can hold out a little longer?"

He quickly shedded the cloak around his waist before looking back at me. "I'm ready."

I'm not, I thought and went to my bedroom. I put the cursed collar in my dresser and I searched my closet for clothes big enough to fit him. I handed them over when I found some, not missing the look on his face. Closing the door behind me, I left the room so he could get dressed. I realized afterwards that he might not know how to wear human clothes and almost went back in to help, but thought better of it. He would figure it out. I went into the kitchen next to cook and I was fairly hungry myself. I only got as far as prepping when I heard my bedroom door open.

"It's too hot in here." The werewolf said once he was in the kitchen and I turned to find him just as bare as I'd left him.

"I'll turn the air on." I said and went over to him. "I gave you those clothes to wear . . . did you need help?"

"Air?" He tilted his head curiously as if he didn't understand but then shook it off and walked closer to me. "I don't like those clothes. I'm hot."

I stepped around him into the hall, turning the temperature down until I heard a click. "Once it cools down, put on those clothes." I said, insisting. "Please."

"Alright." He agreed easily, though I didn't miss the way he pouted about it.

It was strange alright, his behavior . . . but it wasn't bad. "Thank you."

I focused on dinner and tried not to let his presence distract me. I let it stew for a bit as I walked back into the living room to pick up my cloak, hanging it up. There was no need for me to put it in the washer, granny was thoughtful like that and I wondered if she enchanted her own clothes to spell themselves clean. The food didn't take too long to finish, but I didn't make our plates just yet. The werewolf had seemed to cool down and was still pointingly bared. He did say he didn't like clothes, but I couldn't let him walk around in the nude.

"You said you would get dressed, remember?"

With his lips turning downward, he got up from where he was sitting on the floor and looked around worriedly. "Do I really have to?"

He made it look like I was being cruel. "Well . . ." It shocked me that I was even considering it. Just one day and I was letting him walk all over me, it was hard to say no. "You do . . . outside of the house."

His whole face lit up and he came over to me, pulling me into a hug and rubbing his cheek against mine. I froze, but figured it was a wolf thing. He was turning out to be very . . . affectionate.

"L-let's eat." I said, not sure why my voice cracked as I patted him on the back.

"Yes. The food smells almost as good as you." He hummed, nose running from the bottom to the top of my neck, sniffing me all the way. "So good."

This was just . . . "Wolfy," I said in lack of a name, "I have to-to make our plates."

"Plates?" He leaned back to gaze down at me in wonder. "I thought you were making food."

I stared at him before breaking out into a grin. "I am, but I need to put the food on the plates." I explained.

"Why?" He asked as he pulled me into the kitchen without releasing me.

"That's just how I eat, how humans eat." I said, careful not to trip. "Since you're in human form it might be easier for you to do it too, but I'm not certain about that."

He didn't seem used to his human form or rather, he just wasn't used to the human world. It made me wonder if that was normal or if he was under that curse for a long time.

"I don't care as long as I eat." He said though he still wasn't letting me go.

"Regardless, I have to make our plates." I repeated. "You have to release me, wolfy."

"Oh." He sounded saddened by this but did as I said, dropping his arms to his sides immediately.

It was hard to wrap my mind around him and the situation I found myself in. He was like nothing I had come into contact with before. And he said he belongs to me. A pet werewolf, I couldn't even imagine. Yet here I am and he is, it doesn't get anymore real than that. I loaded two plates with food and then set them on the table. I told the werewolf to have a seat and fixed us a glass of water as well, grabbing napkins and silverware after. I sat down only to find the seat across from me empty and as well as the plate. A short look around and I spotted the wolf kneeling by the table, apparently all done. I was going to correct him, but stopped myself. Whatever was going on here I wasn't about to force him to be someone he wasn't.

"You don't have to be on the floor." I said to be clear that he wasn't expected to. "But if you're more comfortable like that, I won't stop you. Within reason." I couldn't have him hurting himself . . . and he seemed more helpless by the minute.

"What's wrong with the floor?" He asked, always seeming to have a question. I didn't have a chance to answer him, too distracted by the way he crawled over to me. He pressed his nose to my knee and inhaled deeply. "This whole place smells like you." He breathed and then started gliding his face up my leg.

Truly more wolf than human. "Is it . . . overwhelming?" I wasn't sure how strong his sense of smell was.

"Intense." He admitted, face still down on my leg.

"I see . . ."

Perhaps I was wrong before. Looking at him now, he was almost tame. The change was drastic. I tried not to make things awkward and began running my fingers through his hair, telling myself I wouldn't find it weird if he didn't. I determined he was affection starved judging from how he acted and I didn't really mind. Strangely enough, I was handling everything pretty well.

"Do you always wear so many clothes?" He asked, finally lifting his head a bit to peer up at me.

It was an innocent question all things considered, but my face tinted red all the same. "Yes. It depends on the weather outside, but for the most part it's about the same."

"But we're inside." He said, blinking at me.

For heaven's sake. "We are, but I wear them inside too. Practically all the time humans wear clothes."

"How unfortunate." He sighed and started smelling me again, moving further up until his nose was at my side.

I couldn't smell that good, in fact I probably stunk. "You don't get worn out? Smelling me this much?"

"Why would I?" He asked, voice having dropped to a lower tone. "You smell so good. My mouth is watering."

Whoa. "You should go take a look around the house." I suggested with a pat to his head. "I'll be done eating in a bit."

He took another deep breath through his nose before pulling away and sitting flat on his behind. "I'll wait here."

He wasn't making this easy, not at all. But it wasn't as if I could be cross with him for it. I let him do as he pleased while I finished eating, trying not to feel bad that he was still on the floor. I put everything in the sink when I was finished and was starting to feel how tired I was. I told the werewolf to make himself comfortable and take that look around the house before I made a beeline for the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the shower. I put my clothes in the bin and got under the warm water, pulling the curtain closed after me. I washed quickly and had just got done rinsing my hair when I heard the door open.

Barely a second later, the curtain was pulled back and I shrieked, hands moving to cover myself from the wolf's eyes as they trailed down my body slowly.

"You like water?" He asked, stepping in as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Oh. It's hot."

I was blushing furiously and turned my back to him. "You can't be in here right now." I told him, doing my best not to raise my voice. "Wait for me outside, I was just about to come out. Okay?" What the hell did I do to deserve this? It's too much. He's too much.

"I see." He said quietly before leaving the shower and then the bathroom quickly.

I waited until my heart calmed down and then turned off the water. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself, opening the door to peek into the hallway. I jumped when I spotted him on the floor right in front of the walkway. He was dripping wet and looked . . . depressed. I frowned as I realized I hurt his feelings. He was almost like a child, he didn't know human rules and behaviors. He was out of his comfort zone. I grabbed another towel and stepped over him, leading the way to my bedroom.

"Come with me?" I asked him and he followed silently.

We went inside and I had him stand in front of the bed, asking him to hold still as I started drying him. I did my best without getting too personal and had to get on my tippy toes to reach his head. Once I was satisfied, I dropped the towel over a chair.

"There." I said and watched his expression closely. "I'm not mad at you, wolfy. I was just surprised and a bit overwhelmed . . . I'm not upset."

"Yes you are. You said I was too much." He pouted and flopped down on the floor in front of me.

I hadn't thought I said it out loud, but it must have slipped. "I meant . . . well, too much for me to handle." I said, struggling to explain. It wasn't like he was stupid, human concepts were just foreign to him. "It was too much for me because no one has ever done that before so I was shocked. People usually take showers alone."

"Yes. I understand." He said softly before making a quick transformation to his wolf form and curling on the floor. He still looked sad as his eyes stared ahead at the wall.

I wasn't sure if he really got it and I was oddly enough caught off guard by how small he made the room look. I went to my closet to get some nightwear and dried off, looking over my shoulder every now and then to make sure he wasn't paying attention. I got dressed in a flash and made sure the lights were off around the house. Then I got into my needlessly huge bed and clicked the lamp off, unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling as I laid down. It took less than two minutes for me to give up and scoot to the edge of the bed.

"Hey wolfy?"

"What is it?"

"There's plenty of room up here."

A short whine sounded from him but nothing more, he didn't move.

I tried again. "You can join me, it's big enough. I think."

He got up after a few seconds and padded over to the bed, resting his head beside me, tail wagging. But he didn't make a move to get on the bed.

"Come on now, I'll get cold all by myself." I assured and it wasn't entirely a lie. I had turned the air up.

Apparently needing no more convincing, he hopped over me, settling on the bed beside me and nuzzling the back of my neck. I smiled and reached back to give him a few pets over his soft fur.

"You smell funny now." He commented after a while.

"I do?" I didn't have to think hard to figure out why. "It's probably my soap and shampoo. That's what I used to get clean."

"Your natural scent is much more appealing." He said with certainty.

I chuckled at that. "You're probably the only one who would think so. I didn't stink at all to you?"

"No. But I don't very much care for this soap." He muttered.

Another possible problem, but I would let him be tonight. Tomorrow . . . I had a lot of work to do. "We should get some sleep, wolfy." I yawned and didn't give it a second thought as I wiggled closer to him. "Goodnight."

"Rest well." He hummed, resting his snout in the crook of my neck, body completely relaxed.

Little did I know that this wolf could change my entire life and the world around me as I knew it. In the end, he would be all I had left to hold onto.

A/N: A KanaTyy collaboration XD