Once upon a time, there was a Godly valley with mountains that could touch the sky and trees that cast long shadows. The people who live in the small mountain town are hardworking and happy, so long as they never stray into the forest where the wolves lurk in the darkness. Adults brave the trees in groups to hunt the vicious pack as they have for decades, the conflict is deep with no sign of victory for either side. But wolves are not the only threat, nor the village's only secret - and the link connecting them is a simple cloak of Red ...

Every night, from the highest peak of the uninhabited mountains, a single Wolf howls to the good folk of the valley – as a warning, as a message, and as a reminder of what they did:
"Beware, beware, the Path where the Witch once stood. Beware, beware, of the Wolf in the Wood."

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Sighs.

"Ugh! Shut up already!" Zack grumbled, kicking at Cloud's shins as he rolled about in a sunny patch of earth. Cloud barely spared him a glance before sighing again, curling up the other way with a smile. The air was unusually warm and he was taking advantage of it along with most of his tribe, there wasn't a wolf who hadn't sunned themselves today. In his private 'grounded' spot far back from the business of life and the exits to the forest, there was a patch of sun that was just heavenly and Cloud was going to enjoy it to the max.

Zack wasn't thrilled the consequences of the lazing around, all that was on Cloud's mind was his last encounter with Leon … idly, Cloud pressed a hand to his lips and sighed, imagining the feel of Leon's again and barely suppressing the bubbling laughter when he reminded himself, yet again, that it hadn't been one of his may dreams.

"It sounds like you're deflating, stop it."

Cloud grinned wider at Zack's grumbles and flipped over to see his face, the older male looked vaguely annoyed, propped on his knees at the very edge of the patch of sunlight. His face was bored, and his hands and fingers twitched for action, Cloud couldn't sympathise much but offered an apology all the same. "Sorry."

Zack puffed out his cheeks and rubbed his nose, clearly already at his limit of being Cloud's watcher for the third day in a row – punishment for leaving Yuffie, their youngest wolf, out at post by herself. "No, you're not … again with the sighing! What's wrong with you?" Cloud fended off several pokes and prods before Zack demanded answers again.

Cloud rolled out of the way and propped his head up to admire the view of the valley, oceans of green and whispers of freedom, trying to not sigh and irk Zack again, he replied; "I'm happy! He didn't hate me … and I kissed him," he added with a smug smirk, his hand playing with his bottom lip indulgently.

Zack raised an eyebrow "Forgive me for not leaping for joy." He lay back into the sun with a sigh of his own.

Cloud ignored him and reimagined the short memory of Leon's lips on his. They were warm and soft, just like he had predicted. Leon's scent filled his nose, the strands of hair he tangled in his fingertips had left phantom sensations on his palms, and then he was gone. He bit his lip as the slightly less pleasant thought of Leon's reaction to his affections skittered across his mind and resolved not to dwell on it because all he wanted to think about was finally having Leon where he wanted him.

He yelped when Zack leant over and flattened him, "Hey!"

"Still have some air in you I see," he teased, his front squashing Cloud's middle into the dirt without mercy.

Cloud wriggled under his bulk "Get off!" he kicked Zack away when he managed to squeeze a foot under him. Glaring slightly, he muttered "Killjoy," and stubbornly turned his back on him.

Zack shrugged and shifted just enough to appear in Cloud's peripheral, "I'm trying to figure out the 'joy' here." He held up a hand and began to tick off a list "Your man is a hunter who's probably planning to shoot you dead right now. We may have to pack up and leave after all the work we've put into this place if he brings his trigger happy friends with him. Angeal's pissed at you. You're grounded for life, basically. And most importantly I have to put up with you which means I'm trapped too!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow, throwing the look over his shoulder "Most importantly, my ass."

Zack shoved him "I'm serious, though. How can you be happy with the mess we're in?"

Cloud exhaled, ducked another smack from his wolf brother, and said easily "Because everyone is overreacting, Leon wouldn't turn a gun on me. Ever." He shot Zack a hard look when he raised a hand to try and argue otherwise. "According to your last scout reports, Zack, he's been leaving his gun at home."

Stumped, Zack dropped his hand, but Cloud continued before the older teen could try to counter that, "Angeal will get over it when he sees that I'm right, Leon's not someone who threatens us. I'm not going to be put on watch forever, sooner or later you'll all get fed up of me and let me out again, and you all can leave this mountain if you want, but I'm staying," he vowed resolutely.

"Angeal will make you leave," Zack pointed out with little confidence.

Cloud smirked, "He can try."

It wasn't a secret anymore that the Alpha's commands could be resisted, Cloud especially had gotten better at resisting the orders because he was infatuated with Leon, and his loyalty was split between a possible mate and his family. It was causing a few problems in the community, who were still trying to figure out just how much of their identity was wolf and how much was not. Cloud's case had confused a few people, who didn't think that the Alpha's leadership could be ignored, and had made them worry that they indeed could not stop him from chasing a hunter through the woods and, more importantly, they couldn't force him to leave for safer territories.

If he wouldn't leave, which nearly everyone had acknowledged as a possibility, then they could not bring themselves to abandon him. Their wolves cried out in anguish at the idea of abandoning a wolf. Many had speculated it would lead to Cloud's death, and others had gone into hysterics when they imagined this affair leading the entire tribe to its demise.

In an attempt to calm their worries, Angeal had had serious words with Cloud, asking him to think of for the good of the tribe, they couldn't halt all efforts to be safe just because Cloud was stubbornly flirting with danger. Cloud fired right back, insisting that Leon wasn't a threat and life wouldn't need to change, and added that if there ever came a time when their tribe's safety was truly compromised he'd never stand in safety's way.

For now, stubbornness was ruling, and the tension hadn't died down.

Zack raised an eyebrow when Cloud sighed again and reached over to pinch his nose shut "What's the huffing about anyway? It's not you reconsidering, I can tell."

Cloud half grinned behind Zack's hand "'orry," he pulled his nose free, "When I see Leon again, he's going to tell me if he wants me as a friend or a mate." He rubbed at his spiky hair "I guess I'm nervous, I keep trying to focus on the positives, but I still …"

His older friend put an arm around him, eyes sympathetic "I get it, you're stuck here and can't get your answer yet … but do you even want one? He's Catholic."

Cloud deflated at the reminder "He said he'd think about it … it's not a no."

"Not a yes, either," Zack commented.

Cloud kicked him "You're not helping."

As he massaged his abused hip, Zack patted him on the back "He's an idiot if he says no. You've done a lot for him, and I'll kick his ass if he hurt you!" he promised, Cloud hid a smile under his hand, ducking his head into his arms. He didn't want that, in no shape or form, but his heart skipped happily at the promise. Zack coaxed him back out and when he had Cloud's eyes on him again he added, "You keep saying he's not an idiot right?"

There was no hesitation in Cloud's voice. "He's not."

"Then what are you worrying about? He's fine, it's you who has gone mad- a wolf chasing a hunter, sounds sickening."

Cloud didn't respond immediately, he just smiled. "Thanks, Zack."

"I'll tell you you're mad for the rest of your life, don't you fret," Zack teased, purposely misunderstanding Cloud and earning another kick. Cloud didn't mean it, though, he propped his head up and tried to think of other ways to pass the time until his grounding was lifted. Save from mentally ogling his hunter.

"Cloud! I'm going to sew your lips shut!"

Despite the fact they lived but minutes away, Leon did not visit his sisters as often as he supposed he should. He made more effort to visit Edea than them, and she lived in a reclusive area that took at least fifteen minutes to walk to compared to the two it took to see Quistis and Selphie. However, they were always welcoming when he did stop by, and always ready to lend a listening ear. After two weeks of turbulent thoughts and feeling, Leon was at his wits end and was seeking advice. His brothers were not an option, Seifer would probably make things worse, and Zell and Irvine couldn't keep a secret if their livestock depended on it.

Additionally, Edea was off the list too. Leon worried that she would put two and two together too fast before he got any help. She knew Cloud from his previous talks about him, and she must have known that something had happened, she didn't ask and Leon was honestly too nervous to tell his Mother figure that another man had taken a fancy to him. As she was a dedicated Catholic, he feared she would tell him to forget the idea altogether.

That left just his sisters.

So far, he had worked out very little about himself, his head felt too full and he scarcely had a moment without Cloud on his mind and tripping his thought processes up again. Too scared to hurt him, too stressed to be honest with himself, he needed help to sort his feelings.

Quistis answered the door as normal, her hair tied up and her blue eyes narrowing as she looked at her visitor, she had never said so aloud but everyone suspected that her eyes were troubling her. Leon was glad for the slight pause, it let him hide his worries behind a smile reserved just for them. "Hello, Quistis."

"Leon! What a surprise, come in," his eldest sister exclaimed, pulling at his arm until he was enfolded in a hug on her welcome mat. Her arms were long and thin, but hard from toiling dirt and making cures to ailments. She stepped back once she had gotten her affections out of her system, and at once switched to playing host, "We just finished lunch, but I'm sure I have something here if you're hungry."

Leon grunted, Selphie hugging him tightly around his middle, her shoulders digging into his stomach as she launched herself at him. "I made bread!" she declared with glee, squealing with happiness as Leon held her back.

"Hello to you too- Only if it's not too much trouble," he insisted, Quistis at once snorted and brought out a plate of food. Leon unhooked his little sister from him, tempted to swing her over his shoulder to get his own back, but refrained from his childish wants. He let her sit by him at their tiny table instead, "Have you two been well? I'm sorry I haven't been visiting."

Selphie sighed dramatically, her hair had fallen out of its tie and swept her shoulders, "It's been fine. We're getting a bit more firewood because we've traded a lot more herbs, and Irvine took me out for a walk last week!" she cooed, blushing and glowing at the same time.

As Leon congratulated her, her eyes turned sneaky as she glanced at her sister "Oh, but Genesis keeps coming by with flowers for Quistis, he's annoying."

"What?"

The blond was blushing, her arms and legs suddenly awkward and stiff, but she didn't deny it as she sat down. "I throw them out!" she squeaked. Her hands rubbed against her apron a few times and she quickly added, "I told him I can't tolerate him. And I won't," her arms folded over her chest and yet her blush hadn't budged.

Leon gave her a sad smile, wondering if she was embarrassed by him or guilty for liking him. He had never been great at reading relationships, and with no experience of his own, he offered a neutral comment, "You shouldn't hold back for me."

Quistis shook her head wearily, at last unlocking her joints, "No, my conscious wouldn't allow me to accept him. It's tough enough hearing him in the tavern every day," she rubbed at her nose. "He's so full of hate for the wolves and for all the troubles in the village I doubt he has it in him to care for a dog let alone a wife."

With a sympathetic smile that held all the things unsaid, she asked him "Where have you been, Leon? Your colour has been missing from the village for quite some time, I thought I told you a month ago that you could make an appearance in the village again?"

Leon sighed "I've been in the woods. Hunting has been fair recently."

Selphie raised an eyebrow "So why don't you ever come back with something?"

Coughing slightly at the sharp observation, Leon soothed his throat with a drink before answering "You're too nosy for your own good," as Selphie smugly laughed, he elaborated, "I've just been wandering recently, I didn't feel like hunting, even though I saw many good opportunities."

Quistis frowned "That can't be a trend that stays, Leon. Winter will be here before you know it, and then what will you eat?" she bit into a section of her own bread before adding, "It's not gone unnoticed, your supposed lack of luck in the woods … don't tell them you go because you like it, for God's sake, it'll only have them talking more," she rubbed at her eyes.

Selphie huffed "Why do you even go to the tavern anyways? You don't like it."

The blond shook her head "Not a bit. But I know what everyone is talking about if I do go and clear some tables, and the leftovers are enjoyable, remember the cheese from last week?" she chuckled.

Leon smiled to himself, Quistis never grew out of her 'big sister' role. Even in the present day she was keeping an ear out for him in a place she hated, she passed on advice when she could and even put in kind words for him to the local women who may consider him worthy of marriage one day. She had hand-picked Rinoa, of all people, because her high standing family reputation would raise his own reputation from outcast to model citizen should he marry her. His face fell when he recalled exactly why he had come here.

"Actually, Quistis, I need to talk to you about something …" he began uncertainly.

Her attention caught, she waited. When he didn't say anything she guessed; "Alone?"

Selphie glanced between them "Should I leave?"

Quistis took one look at Leon before nodding at her "Yes, go see Irvine for a bit, Sel. I'll make it up to you." The young girl nodded, rose and messed Leon's hair before she walked out the door with her coat on her arm. She called goodbye over her shoulder and the two were alone. Selphie was quite to the point about her business, she was still young enough to be treated like a child and yet she was quickly growing into a no-nonsense adult. Leon fixed his hair with fond thoughts of her earlier childhood.

Quistis smiled gently "We're alone now, so what is it?"

Leon looked into his drink, thinking of how to phrase his question. I really must be desperate to be asking someone about this. Why couldn't it have just been simpler? "How do you know if you love someone?"

He didn't look up from the leaves floating in the clay cup, but the silence in the house spoke volumes to how Quistis was reacting. Leon listened to the faint sound of people talking outside and in the distance to block out his sister's stunned silence.

Eventually, the elder of the pair weakly asked a question in return "Is that what you've been doing, going off to meet someone?"

Leon nodded.

"Who's the lucky girl?"

Cringing a little, Leon muttered, "I don't want to say." I can't say, I know that the second you know Cloud's a man your advice won't be advice anymore, it'll be orders. I just need to know. He didn't need to hear Bible recitals, or how Cloud was going to hell, he just wanted to understand if it was possible to return his feelings, he wanted to know what his feelings were without Cloud's gender interrupting his judgement. He wanted to be honest with him like Cloud had been when revealing everything about himself; his past, his wolf and more.

Quistis's eyes were alight and she was smiling "Right." She pondered for a moment "How do you know if you're in love … well, I've heard in the tavern lots of men talking about the attractiveness of their sweetheart," she tilted her head "Are they to your taste?"

Leon rubbed his head with both hands if it had been that simple he wouldn't have come here. "I don't know; I've never been attracted to anyone."

"Really?" Quistis exclaimed incredulously, Leon wincing at the volume of her voice and the level of disbelief it held. He knew it was unusual, but he had long accepted that nothing about him was ordinary. Wolf-friend notwithstanding, he was also an amnesiac and had an animal deliver him to Edea's door, he was far from average.

"Not even Rinoa?"

Cringing at the thought, Leon answered honestly "No. I admit she is not ugly, but I don't find her appealing either." He sent his sister a disapproving look "No matter how many times you try to pair me up with her, her personality would drive me to drink before the month."

Quistis blinked several times in surprise. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about her … ah well, her disappointment won't last too long, she has plenty of admirers," she shrugged, not in the least fussed over her fate or that her work to suggest Leon's worth in her eyes had gone to waste. "So it's her personality that makes you dislike Rinoa? If we cut out her tongue would she suit you better?" she teased.

Snorting, Leon briefly pondered the idea "Probably not."

"But your mystery sweetheart, you're attracted to them, yes?" she pressed.

Leon thought to himself quietly, he thought about Cloud's eyes, his golden hair, his smile and his bare chest; he was a fine man, but was he attracted to that? He had certainly never experienced fantasies or fits of lust he sometimes heard men suffering from when hung up on some maiden or other. In his few and rare nights of self-indulgence, there had only been touch in his mind, not a person. He blushed as he grudgingly recalled Cloud in the nude, besides from it being a highly embarrassing situation, he hadn't seen anything that made him hot or disgusted.

Being honest he said, "I haven't thought about it."

Quistis looked like she didn't believe him, Leon cringed at the thought of explaining to her the inner workings of how his mind processed physical pleasure, but luckily she just moved on. "Why's that? If you want to know that you're in love with someone, I'm pretty sure there's a level of attraction there too."

Leon sighed "They told me. I hadn't really ever thought of liking them back in that way," he avoided her eyes "It was kinda sudden … I just can't stop thinking that if I don't say something back, they'll go away."

"You're scared of breaking her heart?" his sister guessed.

His, Leon corrected in the privacy of his own thoughts. "Yes."

She sighed sympathetically "Well you must care about her, whatever her name is, you don't want to hurt them or make them leave. That's a start … Do you enjoy their company?"

Trying, and failing, not to blush, Leon replied: "Moreso than anyone else."

"What is there even to do in the woods?" Quistis muttered to herself.

Despite understanding that she had not asked him a question, Leon answered "Scenery, adventuring company, hunting and privacy."

She chuckled "Privacy? I guess you both escape a lot of village gossip that way." She put her cup down "How did they confess to you?"

Leon recalled Cloud's words almost accurately, they had been playing on his mind for so long. "Um … they admire me, feel peaceful with me and they don't want to be without me. They feel lonely when I'm away, and happy when I'm with them, they said they loved me for me, because I was different and because I could accept them for who they were too." He frowned at Quistis's sappy expression, her gentle eyes and the hand over her heart.

"That's … that's actually kind of beautiful, Leon," she cooed, her face still slightly patronising and there were hints of tears on her lashes like she was watching him take his first steps all over again. Leon knew that a confession like Cloud's was more than she could have ever hoped for him, before, had he had to marry a village girl, it would have been for suitability at best and peer pressure at worse. She didn't have to make him feel embarrassed about it, though.

"Whatever-"

"No! Don't 'whatever' this, young man." She snapped, shocking him into silence. Her eyes were steely and for the first time she looked cross with his apathetic answers. "This person gathered up a lot of bravery to tell you that. That you had no answer was probably crushing." She glared "Respect it."

He lowered his head, thoroughly scolded and slightly ashamed. He recalled Cloud's downhearted expressions and felt his own heartache as he realised Cloud's risk to confess everything was met with nothing. Guilt rushed through him like a dam bursting, "I didn't think-"

"You never do by the sound of it," she tutted, a little impatient.

Leon winced but accepted the blow, well aware that he had earned it with his recent actions.

After a few tense minutes, Quistis restarted their discussion, "Answer me honestly. Do you admire them back?"

Leon blinked. He admired Cloud for his skill, for his grace, for his patience, for his endless cheer and peace. He liked that he could be himself, that Cloud was open enough to never judge him and could laugh at him, with him, about everything and nothing. His wolf was admirable too, the hardships of his life had made him strong, Leon couldn't imagine pulling through as he had with a light that bright at the end of it. He liked standing by his side and sharing that strength, and he longed to do half as good as he did one day. "Yes."

"Do they make you feel peaceful? That you won't ever want to leave?"

Leon thought of the long walks they had, the partings a little harder each time they had to say goodbye knowing that not all the jokes in the world could ease the space they were now vacant from. He never had his guard up around Cloud, the smiles were natural, he had laughed more than he had in his entire life with him, it was something he never wanted to leave behind.

"They do."

"You sound so sure," she observed, a suggestion of awe in her voice, "I think you already know your answer, Leon. Everything you've told me you've said without hesitation."

Leon ducked his head slightly "I … I just needed to be sure, I haven't ever had a relationship. I was worried it would change things, change us."

Her hand reached for his own. "Do they make you happy?"

Leon smiled before he could formulate a verbal answer, Quistis's eyes were alight as he answered: "Yes, very much so."

She sighed dreamily, "I think, at the very least, you care deeply about them." She squeezed his hand fondly. "Did you just need to hear it out loud?" Leon didn't answer her teasing, he felt calmer inside his own head, his thoughts had their proper places and he was currently wondering why he ever needed to question it at all.

"They won't hurt you, or torment you or break your heart will they?" she checked.

Leon shook his head "Never." It was not just his faith or his trust speaking for him, but all parts.

Quistis smiled "I can't tell you if you're in love or not, Leon, that's up to you. But, from what I hear, regardless, you're a very lucky man."

Wordlessly, Leon agreed.

Three agonisingly long days later, while he whittled stakes for traps and carved the parts for a new axe handle, a lone howl echoed through the valley village. The sun was resting against the mountain peaks, the reddish gold made the sky look like it was on fire.

At first, not registering what he was hearing, Leon dropped his tools and stood up, staring at the mountains in disbelief and relief as he realised the long wait was over. Three weeks and he, at last, had the answer. He smiled, imagining the silvery grey wolf with the eyes blue as the open sky throwing back his head in a majestic howl just for him. I'll see you tomorrow, he thought as the lone song bid the sun goodbye.

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