Happy Halloween, Everyone! Special thanks to phoenix-before-the-flame for Being my Beta, And see you all next year!
Note: Implied Freed/Laxus in this chapter.

"I understand the urgency, Natsu, but absolutely not."

Makarov's ruling was absolute. The eldest of the shifters stood at the top of the hierarchy despite his short stature and his word had always been treated as law. His head barely met many of their waists, shuffling past with cane in hand and a wry smile hidden behind a wiry mustache that bristled when he spoke.

Only he wasn't smiling now. He still managed an air of authority that was hard to ignore. Natsu had always respected him, despite the occasional urge to pat his bald head, earning the old shifter's ire. As did the rest of his growing family. His rulings were often made at the behest of their own kind's protection, even the ones that bent the rules and worked on loopholes.

He had hoped one of those loopholes could have come into play that very moment, but Gramps wasn't giving in. His decision, as far as the elderly shifter was concerned, was final.

Natsu wanted to throttle something.

Already his knuckles were throbbing from how tightly he gripped the arms of his seat, nails digging into the hardwood until crescent shaped indents were made in their wake. Another thing he'd be admonished for, but Natsu didn't have it in him to care. Nor did he care for the door behind him,swinging lamely as it hung for dear life by a single hinge after he'd kicked it in, too rushed to bother waiting for it to be unlocked. The Guest center was emptied by the time Natsu learned of his blunder with Lucy, but the old cabin Makarov called his den during these events was the second most likely place for him to be.

And that same older man was fixing Natsu with a stare that broke no arguments, more than ready for the vitriol the younger shifter wanted to spew. He was irritated, sitting cross-legged atop his desk; tension tightened his features, drawing his shoulders back. His eyes were sunken in with the pounding of a headache no doubt knocking on his temples. Natsu knew breaking down the door didn't put him in a favorable light, but this was ridiculous.

"I can come right back." He insisted, desperately holding himself as still as possible, despite his quaking body pushing him to stand and bolt right back out the doors and not return. "I can be a little late. Wouldn't be the first time. Just long enough to get back to Lucy and explain-"

"That's just it." He was interrupted by the wizened growl of the other, eyes blazing gold as his pupils shrunk to tiny slits, "You can't explain anything to her."

Natsu recoiled, baring his fangs, " - that's bullshit!"

"I know it's not what you want to hear, Natsu, but I'm not changing my mind." Makarov shifted his glare to the broken door as it pitifully squeaked, eyes simmering. "I and the previous heads didn't work so hard for this land just to have it threatened by one girl-"

"She's not just a girl! She's Lucy!" Natsu exclaimed, spitting acid, "I've known her most of my life. You know about her! she wouldn't do a damn thing to hurt any of us! How is Lucy a THREAT?!"

"You think so?" He scoffed. Curling his fingers together, Makarov considered Natsu as one does a disobeying child, lips thinning as he frowned. "You fail to recall your history then, boy. You should've paid attention to your studies."

"What does that have to -"

"Everything!" He barked, cutting Natsu off with a swipe of his hand. Pointing towards the door, Makarov's voice quivered with unchecked rage. "This place! This community! This freedom and safety was fought for with teeth, claws, blood and bone! And the price we pay to keep it that way is absolute secrecy. What about that is so difficult for you to understand?"

Drawing a steadying breath, claw-tipped fingers dug into the table top as a glint of fangs hid behind his restrained snarl. Makarov counted to ten, willing his own transformation to recede as he covered his eyes, the signs of his shift dispersing with each breath. "...We're done here. Fix your mess if you wish, with whatever tale you choose to spin when this is over. Be my guest, but I forbid you to say anything about who and what we are: understood?"

A beat passed between them and Natsu, body quaking from barely contained tension. "... What…can I even say at this point?" He helplessly asked.

What was a test of wills between two stubborn fools swayed the moment Natsu's countenance wavered. In the silence Makarov saw the confusion and the hurt flicker across the younger man's face. He almost deflated, wanting nothing more than to console the shifter he'd watched over since he was a child. His gaze hardened, ignoring his own protective instinct, decision set in stone.

"My boy," He sighed, full of regrets, "I know you like her. I do, as well. However, we have to face reality… The risk is too great. I take the blame for letting this go on for so long but, I think it's time to end it, Natsu."

Silence spanned a millennia between them as Natsu looked to the floor, eyes shadowed by the fringe of his bright pink hair.

It was clear that further discussion would get him nowhere and he struggled to control his breathing, feeling close to bursting. Nauseating whirl of emotions in his chest threatened to spill angry tears and the chair arm snapped in his grip as he flew to his feet. He spun on his heel with a snarl as he stomped back through the swaying door, and ignored how it finally broke from its last hinge to crash against the floor.

Makarov rubbed his forehead and groaned, "... what a mess."

He hoped the others could calm the hotheaded shifter down, if not, they were probably in for some trouble.

Tension was thick in the air upon Natsu's return.

His general, robust nature became closed off as his body teemed with rage. The others felt it on his arrival, watching as he stomped through the dirt with barely contained emotions that shuddered through his entire frame. He prowled through the gathering on the balls of his feet, teeth dangerously glinting as they elongated to sharp points. He wasn't himself.

The others who came for a happy reunion, shared uncertain glances amongst themselves. Makarov was the head for a reason, what more could be done?

Natsu didn't accept that: refused to. And everyone who watched his pacing with nervous eyes could see it too.

He was struggling to stay in control. Every movement was a struggle to keep his form more human than beast. The wolf within fought to escape, demanding to give in to the desire to escape while he floundered for a solution out of his reach. The bunching of his muscles sparked pain through his nerves at every attempt to stave off the intense need to shift.

He considered his options, moving through the crowd with a purpose. He could leave. No one would truly try and stop him, but what of the consequences? Going against an elder was a trained taboo in the minds of every shifter in existence. The mere thought made his stomach flip. And even if he did, who could he turn to? No other clan would accept a turntail after such a sin. He'd be out alone with no one to call family. Just the thought made his gut twist into knots.

He could- he could call? Borrow Lisanna's phone and call Lucy to explain. There must be something he could say to patch things over until- Natsu snarled at the thought, startling someone with a frightened yip but it hardly registered in his now pointed ears. He doubted Lucy would listen to anything he had to say if all he attempted was a mere phone call.

So what then? Radio silence for the weekend? Two whole days of guilt and panic eating away at him as he did nothing and kept her in the dark longer?

And after this? Did he just fake nonchalance? Natsu' head was starting to pound as he grinded his teeth at the thought, wincing when a prick against his lip drew blood. No, he didn't like his options at all. Vaguely, he wondered how many would try to block his path if he walked away then and there. One glance around the gathering told him all he needed to know.

He was outnumbered.

"Come on, Natsu," Macao coaxed from a lawn chair he lounged in, too relaxed to be natural. "We can figure things out on Monday, let's try and relax a little, yeah?"

"That's not what you actually want." Natsu snapped voice was a harsh rasp that barely sounded human, pushing through curled lips. He ignored the way it made the older shifter blanch in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I just hope it doesn't make you think you can do anything with her." Natsu repeated verbatim. His voice shook as he tried to keep it steady. To keep it human. "I remember what you said. You wanted this."

"Wait just a second-" Macao sat up, followed by a few others who had whipped their heads back at the scene. His eyes flashed a light yellow, "why would I ever want that girl to be -"

"Because it's not supposed to happen!" Natsu snarled, nails digging harshly into his palms, "I wanted to at least keep her friendship and now I can't even have that."

"Natsu!"

It was Lisanna's voice that froze him, she appeared behind Macao, lightly brushing his shoulder in an attempt to calm the older man. In her eyes, Natsu saw regret as she shook her head, gnawing her lip, "Macao would never want this. None of us wanted this to happen. Please don't take it out on us. We're all here for you." She swallowed thickly, trying to appease Natsu's inner beast with a gentler tone, "I know it's hard, but…"

She trailed off, muted by Natsu's dark expression. His eyes were manic, wide with shrunken pupils as he hunched over . His struggle was one they all struggled with at one point or another. When emotions were high, controlling their bodies could become near impossible and Lisanna regarded Natsu with a desperate cry; He was barely there. With the eyes of a wounded animal staring back at her, begging for help behind slit pupils and bared fangs. At the almost inaudible whine slipping through, he turned away from her and the others, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Yeah, I get it," His voice cracked, "sorry.. I … just …"

Natsu was getting tongue tied. Mouth twisted on words he was progressively forgetting how to form. Not good.

Someone tried to brush his back, a soothing gesture much as Lisanna had done, but he shrugged them off; wrenching himself away from the group as it became too difficult to focus. His body was screaming at him to shift into a vessel that fit the strength of his emotions, that could handle the tornado of instincts barreling inside his chest.

"Shit- Natsu, calm down, it's not good to shift in a messed up headspace-" He thought he heard Cana... or was it Levy? Everyone's voices were melding together, just indistinct masses that crowded him. They closed in on him with warbled voices puncturing into his skull.

Keening from the stabbing pain, Natsu stumbled further from them. He escaped the hands that tried to steady him, dodged any attempt from his fellow packmates to keep him still. He couldn't be calmed. He no longer wanted to be calm.

Baring his fangs when someone else grabbed his shoulder, just on the edges of the forest, he vaguely recognized the tight grip of Gray's fingers as he tried to hold Natsu in place. Not good, not good, not good- he didn't want this. He didn't want any of this.

"Fleabrain, chill out, man!"

He dropped into a crouch, breaking free of Gray's grasp as his growl reverberated through his entire frame. Natsu's claws sunk into the earth while he wildly shook. Too many voices. Too much touch. He needed to clear his head and this wasn't helping him. He needed -

"Quick! someone stop him-"

He needed to breathe.

He took off, darting back through the woods, overwhelmed by the voices all shouting for him. He couldn't stay there.

He needed space!

The world shifted, colors blended to a muddled mess of orange and brown as he tore through the trees. Panic made him stumble as the wolf in him finally clawed its way out with, bursting free as his body rippled with the unplanned change. Bones crackled and reformed, skin bristled in russet fur, and in a sudden clarity far sharper than a humans, he rushed through brambles, weeds and fallen logs, large paws padding through the leaf encrusted dirt.

Natsu needed to think, and he wasn't going to get it with everyone else coddling him.

Everything buzzed inside his head, too loud to make sense of.

Escape. Run back to town. Find Lucy. Get reprimanded. Endanger his family. Break the rules. Possibly be thrown out of the pack.

There were too many ways for things to come crashing down worse than they already have. And everyone's voices, the pity in their eyes and acceptance of Makarov's ruling. He couldn't stand it.

Who's to say Lucy was a danger to them anyway? He knew her. Better than them, better than himself. She could be trusted, she was… Natsu slowed his steps as the adrenaline drained away, leaving behind a panting, head bowed wolf, whimpering like a wounded pup.

"I should've…" he realized with the first amount of clarity he'd felt in over an hour, "I should've told her the truth."

That realization was enough to bring it all back together. It made sense. He messed up. Not just today, not over the week, but for years. If he trusted her as his best friend, why would he ever think keeping everything quiet was the best decision?

Stupid, absolutely stupid. He knew he wasn't the smartest out there, but how did he ever convince himself this had been the right course of action?

Stray twigs scratched across his face as he began to sprint once again. The brambles caught his fur, but his run didn't last long. He skidded to a halt near a small stream, scattering small pebbles into the hardened earth beneath his pads grounded him, sucking in air as fast as he was able.

The bright light of the fall sun brought little warmth as it trickled between branches to fall against Natsu' ridged back. But he found comfort in it all the same. From the cascading rainbow hues to the chilly air that filled his nose with the light scent of fresh water and decaying leaves. He pawed at the dirt, taking in his surroundings. It was a familiar location. Still on their lands, but the exact position escaped him.

He had always been a fast sprinter, but how far had he gone from the others he wondered?

The more time he gave himself to think, basking in the gentle heat of the sun, the more he pieced together. He was closer to the edge of the woods than he had started; back in the direction of the conservation center. Subconsciously, his instincts were making the decision for him, it seemed.

But should he continue forward, or head back to the others and explain himself? Would Lucy even listen if he ran back today?

It was overwhelming to try and think about, but this was the space he needed. It could help him get his head screwed on straight. Standing in the water, he let the cold stream wash over his paws, focusing on the swirling stones and small fish weaving around him, unperturbed by his presence. With a groan, his hindlegs fell into the water, sitting down with a splash. He resisted the temptation to lay completely down, knowing a fully soaked coat would be hell to dry. Taking in the nature around him, his ears swiveled and twitched at the birds whistling above him and other critters rustling through the dying undergrowth.

With each passing second, the pressure on his joints began to ebb away. Letting nature overtake his senses was a comfort, and he sighed, legs shivering as the cold water began to sink into his weary bones. Yes.. this was exactly what he needed.

"...Natsu?"

Startled from his thoughts, he shifted in place, wary and unwilling to move from his position. Hackles raised in a growl of warning while his eyes darted to the familiar voice that broke through the peaceful air.

It had been over a year since he'd last heard this person and he wasn't in the mood to deal with them. But the owner approached slowly, his soft steps brushing through fallen leaves and moss with barely a sound. The calm tenor of his voice put Natsu at ease more than he wanted to admit. That was the ability of a man like Freed Justine. His recent joining of the pack had garnered trust far quicker than most and Natsu was no exception.

"Ah, that is you," The man stated, finally entering Natsu's view with a grim expression. He lifted a hand quickly at the sight of Natsu preparing to bolt, "Go ahead and catch your breath. I'm not here to bring you back."

Snorting in disbelief, Natsu eyed Freed with tense muscles and a wariness that buzzed in his head loud enough to mute the world. True to his word, the other man made no attempt to move close; rather, instead, he moved to sit upon a nearby rock, brushing the dirt from it before keenly eying Natsu in companionable silence. He wanted something, that much was clear, but his soft blue eyes gave nothing away. A calm quiet falling between them and Natsu finally registered the chill of the stream as it soaked his haunches.

He grunted, pulling himself from the stream as his body slowly began to crack and rearrange. If Freed wanted to talk, he'd need a human jaw to manage it and the change took longer than it had before now that blind instinct wasn't coursing through his veins.

The popping and changing of bones reshaping themselves and the itch of fur sinking back beneath skin was his least favorite part of the transformation. When it was over, he panted against the ground, grimacing, braced on all fours while his pants clung to him like a second skin.

His expression must have tipped Freed off, chuckling behind his hand, head tilting as he watched the other. "Fall is hardly the best time for an outdoor bath, you know."

Natsu's answering grumble only increased his laughter, but the point was still valid. "I'll get over it." He rasped, taking a seat in the dirt, uncaring how it stained his clothes in mud and old grass. "S'not like I'm gonna get sick from it. Our body heat's warmer than most anyways."

Freed nodded in agreement, but gave no further reply. Silence fell between them once more, a gentle, patient one. Whatever Freed had followed him for, he was waiting for Natsu to start the conversation. Being a more impatient person, the silence would hardly last another minute, but Natsu knew Freed could hold his ground for days if he had to.

"... So," He drawled, refusing to meet the others' eyes, " Ya' gonna try and convince me to come back?" Fat chance of that happening, he thought. If Freed believed he'd return after a short conversation, he'd be wrong, but would the more reserved man accept a fight involving tooth and claw rather than debate?

It was only at that moment that Natsu had a startling realization: he'd never seen Freed transform. None of their family gatherings through the years had the green haired man running through the fields on all fours like the others. With the size of their pack, perhaps it was simply explained, but his mind focused on the thought, trying to bring to mind what the other looked like transformed.

"Quite the opposite, actually," Freed's voice pulled him away from the revelation, amusement tinging the edges of his words, "I was hoping to inspire you, perhaps. And send you running back to town. On all fours if I must."

Wait.. what? Natsu swung his head back to face him, the world spun in his rush and he wobbled in place, fingers digging into the ground to balance him. "... you actually WANT me to go against the old man's orders?"

Freed shrugged, eyes glinting with a secret, "He means well and under normal circumstances, I'd agree with him, but…"

When he didn't continue, Natsu huffed, "...but what?"

"Well," he leaned forward, long hair falling past his shoulders in a thick curtain, "Lucy isn't a normal circumstance. Is she? In fact, I think she's more like me than anyone realizes."

This was getting too confusing. Natsu's brows knit together, knowing there was something the other wasn't saying. The implication was there, but the truth of it slipped from his fingers the more he thought about it. What did he know about Freed beyond the fact the male had joined his family five years ago? He tried to tick everything off in his head:

A new pack member...

The partner of Laxus, the head's grandson.

Stickler for the rules. Kinda uppity.

Too smart and...

Never transforms.

Wait a second- pupils shrunk as his eyes widened.

"There ain't no damn way," Natsu breathed, eyeing Freed up and down. His pupils were slitted, a clear sign to his inhumanity, but what else made sense? And what was Natsu missing?

Freed barked out a sharp laugh, revealing a sharp set of fangs in his grin, "There are mysteries the elder hasn't told all of you, but if not for them, I would not be here."

Natsu couldn't wrap his head around it. Was Freed... actually human? Natsu gave a cautious sniff yet he couldn't find any trace of a human in the air.

"If not for Laxus 'breaking the rules'," Freed continued as if talking to a small child, "Well.. I suppose I'd still be half the country away, feeling like everyone I had ever met was just a giant lie."

Okay, this is bullshit, Natsu's head was beginning to hurt again, "Are you trying to tell me that you're somehow human, but not at the same time and the old man knows this? That ain't even possible!"

"Technically, you're right," Freed agreed, his smile widening as Natsu's growing bafflement turned to flustered anger. "There's a trick to it. I will never be completely like you and the others, but..." He paused, either for dramatic effect or because he truly wanted to think through his words. Natsu wouldn't tell at this point. "Laxus was done lying and chose to tell me everything."

There wasn't anything Natsu could say then.

Trying to piece together every vague thing Freed was throwing at him was akin to catching sand being dropped over your head and he was beginning to regret changing back. He bared his fangs, blunted in his current form and fixed Freed with the hardest stare he could muster.

When this spurred Freed to only lean closer until their noses were practically touching, Natsu couldn't help but feel as if the other was testing him.

"If you plan to see Lucy," He drawled, eyes never leaving Natsu's for a second, "and intend on telling her everything, as Laxus did for me. Then I'll tell you my secret."

Natsu jumped on the opening before Freed could finish, "what's with all the cryptic bullshit-"

Freed interrupted, voice cold as ice, "I'm saying this for your benefit, Natsu. Telling her everything will not guarantee her agreement, and knowing what Laxus and I did will mean breaking even more rules. Are you willing to chance that? That risk? I have my doubts of her posing a threat to the community but even so, she could still cut you off, refuse to speak with you again. Think hard on it before making your decision. Is this what you want?"

He had enough of the grand standing and warning messages.

Shoving Freed out of his space, Natsu stood to his full height. (Still shorter than the other.) His body thrummed with something like excitement that made it hard to stand still. As if all his earlier anger and desperation had been morphed into something more palpable.

"I ain't like you or Laxus," He snarled, eyes blazing, "There's no other option, right? Even if she hates me, she deserves to know everything. So I'll tell her. I don't need time to think about a damn thing."

And Natsu was pleased to notice that his own resolve pinned Freed into place, eyes wide as his earlier, amused confidence draining away.

"So," He began, voice a low hiss, "quit stalling and tell me."

That was all the prompting Freed needed, smile returning as a mischievous air settled between them.

"Then listen closely," He warned, "As I'm not explaining this twice."

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Lucy will be back next chapter.