Chapter Seven- Closure
Kaiba hovered over Mokuba's shoulder as he mentored him in his home office the next day. Kaiba felt a bit distracted and irritated that his curse had been exposed to Yugi and his friends and was grateful that Mokuba was a bright kid as he could barely focus.
"Seto, let's take a break and have some lunch." Mokuba suggested some time later.
"We can order our lunch and work some more while we wait," Kaiba said as he picked up the phone, called the kitchen, and ordered juice, coffee, soup for Mokuba, and smoked sausages for himself.
Mokuba did work for several more minutes before stopping and saying, "Actually, I want to talk about yesterday."
Kaiba knew Mokuba was not referring to the duel. "We would have gotten out of there if Wheeler hadn't been demanding a duel," he said after a time.
"I wouldn't say demanding. How about hounding you for a duel?" came an accented voice and both brothers looked up to see Joey in the door, their lunch on a rolling cart in front of him.
"How did you get in the house and why are you here?" Kaiba asked icily.
"Your staff let me in after I said I was a friend."
"We are not friends. Leave the cart and get out."
"Don't you want to know why I'm here? I mean, you asked and I haven't answered yet."
"Fine. Why are you here?"
Joey grinned in a sly manner. "To learn more about you bein' a werewolf."
"That is not something I care to discuss, least of all with you."
Joey eyed the cart. "Those sausages your lunch, Kaiba?"
"That's none of your business."
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Beat it, Wheeler."
"It must kill you to admit that magic and the supernatural are real, to being a wolf after calling me a dog. I think of that as perfect revenge."
Kaiba gave a real wolf growl before saying, "I mean it, Wheeler. Leave. Now."
"Hey, maybe we could play a game. How about Fetch?" Joey asked before snickering loudly.
Joey's teases and laughter pushed Kaiba too far. He gave an angry growl before standing and shifting into wolf form. He stalked toward Joey, speaking in growls and snarls as he was incapable of other sounds due to his anger. Joey, seeing the change and hearing the angry sounds, backed up, his eyes wide with fear.
"Seto!" Mokuba cried in alarm. He jumped out of his sea, crouched beside the snarling wolf, and put a hand on a shoulder blade. "Seto, please calm down!'
"Oh, man," Joey breathed as he stared at Kaiba. "I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't really mean about playing Fetch. I, I take back all the jokes I said. I get it now! You hate it and I would too. Man, don't kill me!"
Joey's fear filled Kaiba's nose and while it delighted him, it also abated his anger and brought his voice back. "I won't kill you. I'm not a killer."
"That's a relief. Look, I really am sorry about what I said."
"Did you intend to tease me to get me to change out of anger? If so, you succeeded."
"No. I was teasing to get back at you for all the insults you threw at me."
"Yes. I can see that and I would do the same if you were bitten. Actually, I would keeping using the dog references."
"Yeah, you would."
"You should feel honored. I haven't changed out of anger before and I don't want to again. I can only growl and snarl while I'm angry." He paused before adding, "Now, I'm hungry."
Joey and Mokuba gently laughed at this comment before the former put the sausages down while Mokuba left and came back with a bowl of water. Kaiba's teeth cut into the meat, its juices filling his mouth and he licked his chops from it.
"Good?" Joey asked.
"Delicious," Kaiba replied. "Nice and juicy. My cook knows how I like my meat to be." He lapped up some water.
Joey waited until Kaiba had changed back and was seated before saying, "Seriously, I want to hear how it is bein' a werewolf."
"I can't say that changing every night is a good thing, but I have enhanced senses, speed, and strength day and night and can turn them off while I'm human." His eyes looked softer as he said, "The senses are amazing. Especially the hearing. Heh, I could use them to spy on anyone I want."
"So, you don't have any unusual features while human?"
Kaiba glanced at Mokuba before looking away. This quick exchange was not lost on Joey. "There is, isn't there? What is it? I promise I won't laugh."
"My ears are pointed." Kaiba unclipped one side and brushed it asked to reveal the ear before he concealed it again.
"Actually, I think that's cool."
Kaiba gave a slight nod. "I was also told that my saliva can heal minor injuries on a person day or night. Any injuries I sustain heals instantly though a burn from silver does take a little longer to heal."
Joey made a face. "Your saliva? Uh, wouldn't that turn someone?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I admit, werewolf saliva entering a human's bloodstream would turn them but only if it's the full moon which is the only time that would happen."
A gasp of pain drew their attention and they looked to see Mokuba clutching a finger. Kaiba said, "Mokuba?"
"Paper cut," the boy said and Joey flinched.
"Yeah, those are painful," Joey said as Mokuba took a tissue from a box on the desk and applied pressure to the cut with it.
Kaiba move next to Mokuba and pulled the tissue away. "I can fix this. It will hurt, but I promise it will be worth it." He leaned over and quickly ran his tongue over the cut. Mokuba gasped in pain again and he stared as did Kaiba and Joey as the cut was sealed and then vanished. "Interesting," Kaiba commented.
"I'll say," Joey added. "That's cooler than I thought."
"Yes and I'm thinking that being a werewolf is not as bad as I had believed."
"Yeah?" Joey asked.
Kaiba nodded. "I still have to restrain myself three nights a month but I can handle that."
"I don't doubt that. So…think we could be friends, Kaiba?"
"We could, but we would need to take it slow, given our past."
"Of course."
"Good. Let's start with a duel on Saturday morning at the Kaibadome and the others can come." Kaiba smirked as Joey beamed and left after promising he'd beat Kaiba. I know I'll win, but perhaps I'll gain a new perception of him and a civil relationship could happen. After all, I gained a new perception of the world when I became a werewolf.
The End