Yami slowly inched away from Mokuba's sleeping body, relieved that the child had finally fallen asleep.

He dropped silently onto the floor and padded softly out of the room, down the hallway, towards the older Kaiba's room. The sound of fingers tapping against a keyboard was reassuring. It seemed Kaiba was back to his usual self.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba caught a movement, and he recognized it as the cat.

He hit 'save' and craned his neck over his desk, smiling at the spotted cat who was slowly approaching his desk.

"Hey there," he said warmly, and Yami froze, quite taken aback by the sudden change of tone.

Something was…not quite right.

He stayed where he was while Kaiba rose out of his chair and strode over to him, picking him up in his arms and holding him up to his face. They made eye contact, and Yami swallowed thinly, daring himself to enjoy the brightness of Kaiba's clear blue eyes.

He had to give it to this human. He was…incredibly handsome.

"You're an apex predator, aren't you?" Kaiba asked calmly, weighing the cat in his arms before he pressed his nose into the top of its head, nuzzling into the softness and taking a deep inhale. "Did you get into a fight and kill that black cat about an hour ago?"

Yami froze, growing cold all over as he wondered how Kaiba could've possibly known that.
Ah, well, the CEO was taking a walk outside, which was why the glass door had shattered…. Had he seen the corpse? But he had hidden it well!

"You don't smell like anything," Kaiba frowned, wondering if it was only black cats that smelled and tasted like sweet potato pie. "I guess you're clean."

I am clean! Yami thought indignantly, and Kaiba blinked rapidly, thinking he had heard the cat speak to him.

"Did you say something?" Kaiba asked curiously, kneading the cat in his hands, and he earned a painful yowl.

Yami winced and gasped for air when Kaiba's fingers pressed down into a still-healing rib. It had only been a couple hours since Kaiba had landed on him, and even at full strength, healing took time.

He was saved by Isono coming in with a tray of food, and he spied a freshly grilled fish on a white plate. Excited, Yami scrambled towards the manservant and stood up on his hind legs, keeping his eyes wide. The fish…please…!

"Down, boy," Isono said absently, setting the tray on Kaiba's desk and giving the master an appraising look, appreciating how the color had returned to his face. "You look well, Mr. Kaiba, but please, eat."

"The cat can have it. I'm not hungry," Kaiba said quietly, watching the cat intensely. He was waiting to hear it speak again.

Did this mean he could understand dogs too?

"I insist," Isono said coldly, putting his foot down. "I will not have you starving yourself on my watch."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and sat down behind his desk, waving Isono away. "Thanks, old man. I'll eat."

Isono nodded stiffly and bowed out of the room.

Kaiba waited until he heard his manservant's footsteps disappear down the hall before he inched his chair back and called for the cat.

"Hey, cat, want some fish?"

Yami flicked his ears, interested. He ran over to Kaiba's chair, circling his legs excitedly, purring while he rubbed against a stiff calf. Yes, food, please.

He gazed up at Kaiba, seeing the man smirk at him and hold up two slender fingers.

"You get two pieces of grilled fish if you talk," Kaiba said gleefully, wondering if Mokuba was indeed right. What if…the cat was Yami. Impossible, right? But he had to check.

Talk…dammit, Kaiba growled, keeping the pleasant smile plastered on his face while the cat stared blankly up at him, blinking its angular amethyst eyes.

Yami heard this passing thought and decided to remain silent. How touching. The older Kaiba was taking Mokuba's words at face value and was also testing him. It really was time to leave this mansion.

"Fine, I'll talk to the dog instead," Kaiba said stiffly, setting the entire plate of fish down by his feet and stepping over the cat.

Yami's mouth watered heavily, and he dove forward to enjoy his meal. Food always tasted the best when he was fully fed in animal form, so he had to make the most of it. Grilled fish was delicious.

Kaiba hurried through the house, listening intently for Isono's footsteps. Making his way down several flights of stairs, he finally reached Miyu's room, and he dipped inside hastily, making sure to ease the door shut behind himself.

The dog barked loudly in fear, and Kaiba frantically pressed a finger to his lips.

Don't fucking bark! Kaiba shook his head furiously, seeing the dog cower in the corner, behaving strangely.

"Hey, it's me…" he whispered, holding his hand outstretched, and to his dismay, Miyu whined and looked away, panting nervously while pawing at the ground.

What the hell? Was something spooking her?

"What's wrong?" Kaiba coaxed, walking over to her and pulling her into a tight hug. He felt the dog freeze and remain motionless for a long time.

He leaned away and cupped the dog's face in his hands, gazing deeply into her brown eyes. Her eyes widened so much; he could see the whites around them. Why was she so scared?

"Can you say something?" Kaiba asked, and the dog blinked fearfully back at him. He listened intently, and there was nothing but the rapid heartbeat thundering in her chest.

He leaned forward and buried his nose into the top of her head, inhaling deeply. Kaiba's eyes widened while his senses were assaulted by the strange barrage of scents. She smelled like salted caramel, very sweet, but on the savory side…delicious….

Kaiba smiled and ran his tongue along the bottom of his lip, nearly cutting himself on the tops of his teeth, and he leaned away nervously, flicking his tongue in and out again, tasting his own blood.

What the…?

Slowly running the tip of his tongue along the tops of his teeth again, Kaiba encountered an extra canine tooth hidden beneath the fold of his lip, just above his gums.

Was he turning into a dog after eating that cat's blood?

He could feel Miyu trembling in his arms, and she began to slowly urinate on the floor right where she was sitting.

"Fuck!" Kaiba leapt to his feet, feeling the wetness staining his knees, and he glared at her. "Why did you do that? What are you so scared of?"

"Master Kaiba!"

Kaiba turned around furiously, seeing Isono standing with his arms crossed at the doorway.

"Get back into bed. Did you eat?"

"Yes, mother," Kaiba said venomously, rolling his eyes. "I'm going back up. Don't follow me. Clean her up. She went to the bathroom all over the floor."

"What? Why?" Isono cried, rushing forward to tend to the dog. "Miyu! Didn't you go to the bathroom an hour ago? Is this reverse potty training? This is twice in a week! We need to get her a dog trainer, Master Kaiba. I thought we did a great job ourselves, but…."

Kaiba shut Isono out, slightly surprised he could still hear his manservant talking even when he was three stories below.

He locked himself in his room and eyed the spotted cat, who was still eating quietly under his desk. Staring at the fresh salad in a small dish, Kaiba wrinkled his nose. After his horrible encounter with the apple, he was afraid of eating something else that might taste like dust.

Leaning down to give it a sniff, he was relieved to discover that the salad smelled…normal.

Picking up the chopsticks, he dipped them into the salad and slipped a dressing-covered leaf in his mouth, chewing slowly. There was still a dullness in the flavor, and Kaiba frowned.
Was Isono's cooking slipping, or were his taste buds screwy?

He picked up an orange slice and popped it into his mouth, feeling it burst the moment his teeth clamped down, and the usual citrusy tang wasn't present. Chewing it angrily into a pulp, Kaiba swallowed the disgusting lump and scanned the tray, snatching up the bowl of rice and the side of spicy tofu along with some sesame seasoned seaweed.

Hastily dripping a glob of seaweed and tofu atop the rice, he shoved it in his mouth and chewed.

It tasted like he was eating paper with a side of mush.

Isono's cooking was fine.
His own taste buds were betraying him.

Yami smacked his lips happily and hopped up on Kaiba's chair, meowing softly in thanks. He watched the CEO set his bowl of rice down angrily, talking to him as if he was human.

"Eating is such an annoying chore," Kaiba scoffed at the cat, throwing his chopsticks down with a clatter. "What the fuck do I do with this? He's going to come in and force-feed me. Can you eat it?"

Yami's heart skipped a beat when Kaiba met his eyes once more, and he dared to shake his head. He was full of grilled fish.

"Oh, so you can shake your head, but you can't say no?" Kaiba seethed, beginning to see why Mokuba was frustrated with this mysterious cat. He pointed threateningly at it with a slender finger.

"Don't say anything then."

Picking up the tray, Kaiba rushed into the bathroom to toss the food into the toilet.

Yami tilted his head and watched this behavior with rising concern.

He had spent approximately three days with Kaiba now, and even when he was in human form, he recalled Kaiba had also refused food from the maids downstairs.
The doctors were right when they said Kaiba was lacking nutrients, so perhaps it was a combination of the horrible eating and constant blood feasting that had led to his collapse.

He has a mental illness—an eating disorder! Yami realized, his fur rising slowly with horror.

Kaiba jerked his head up when he heard this, and he rushed out of the bathroom, nearly forgetting to flush the food down before he came out, and he bent over the desk, glaring at the cat.

"Say that to my face," he sneered at the cat. "Did you just say I have an eating disorder? What the fuck kind of cat are you?"

Yami blinked rapidly, reminding himself to keep his thoughts in check. He wasn't accustomed to being at full strength, so it was a terrifying experience anytime someone inadverdently understood him…but perhaps, it was a good time to come clean.

I'm sorry, Yami thought firmly, and he watched as Kaiba threw his head back to laugh heartily.

Unnerved by the sudden outburst of emotion, Yami hopped up on the desk and sat down gracefully. What a strange human.

"Okay, interrogation time," Kaiba said gleefully, circling the desk and sitting down in his chair with a flourish. "Where is your owner, and why did he leave you here with me?"

Nervous, Yami remained silent, unsure of how to answer this. He was instantly reminded of how Mokuba had set him on the desk and stared him down. These two were definitely related.

First, tell me where Mokuba's parents are, Yami replied anxiously, and he watched Kaiba frown slightly.

"No parents," Kaiba answered tersely, lacing his fingers together and propping his elbows up on the desk, obscuring his mouth. "We only have each other."

Yami's chest tightened with a strange feeling, and he nodded.

"Right, I answered your stupid question, now answer mine," Kaiba demanded bossily, drumming his fingers on the surface of his desk. "Where does Yami go on these trips of his?"

Nowhere? Yami ventured carefully in response, wondering when Kaiba would put two and two together. Didn't his voice sound the same in his thoughts?

"Nowhere," Kaiba repeated, struggling to keep a straight face. "So, you're saying…he's still here."

…Yes, Yami answered quietly, lowering his head guilty, ready to tell the full truth. He's always around. Do you want to see him now? He has something to tell you.

"Sure," Kaiba said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Didn't he say he was a…what was it, a magician? You do his bidding? Or is it the other way around?"

Yami raised his head and made solid eye contact with Kaiba, his confusion rising. Was he being teased? He was trying to be serious here…!

Kaiba propped his chin on his hand and gazed intently into the cat's amethyst eyes, his mind oddly clear. He wanted to see Yami right now. Could the cat make that happen?

If you want to see Yami now, I'll fetch him, Yami said nervously, feeling oddly light-headed when he hopped off the desk, and he made his way to the bathroom.

"Hurry up," Kaiba grinned, feeling the odd tooth grazing along his upper lip.

He watched as the cat kicked the bathroom door shut with his hind leg, and he stared incredulously at the closed door.
What a weird cat.
Pulling himself together, Kaiba leapt to his feet and ran towards the full-length mirror beside his bed to inspect his own reflection. The extra tooth hiding in his gums was freaking him out. He had to see what the fuck it was.

Approaching the mirror, Kaiba froze, shock rooting him to the spot when he realized…he had no reflection.

Fear gripped his chest tightly as he waved cautiously, but seeing nothing other than the TV, the couch, and the closet doors behind him.

He leaned up against the mirror and breathed on it, seeing the glass fog up, but it was as if he didn't exist.

Thoroughly spooked, Kaiba grabbed the mirror and turned it away with effort.
Maybe he was hallucinating. He was making it all up. Even the extra tooth inside his mouth was a figment of his imagination.
Nothing was real.
This was all happening inside his head because he was…sleep deprived, malnourished, paranoid, stressed, or well-rested….

A soft knock sounded at his door, pulling him sharply back to reality, and Isono's voice floated through it. "Master Kaiba, I'm here to collect the tray."

Yami listened intently, crouching with his ear pressed against the door, completely naked. He was about to exit the bathroom to confront Kaiba but had heard Isono coming up the steps.

The sound of the door opening and closing echoed thinly around the room, and Yami held his breath, hearing Kaiba sigh and sit down on something soft. It seemed safe to come out, but just in case, he would wait an extra five minutes.
He didn't want to risk being seen by the manservant. It was going to be difficult enough answering Kaiba's questions, he didn't want Isono piling on as well.

Kaiba tucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes briefly, feeling extremely relaxed and at ease with the world. It was as if nothing could bother him. Not even a call from Pegasus could ruin his night because he felt so rested.

His neck and shoulders were no longer tight with stress, and his body was oddly light.

Maybe I should take naps more often, Kaiba thought blissfully, drifting off slightly.

Yami peeked out of the bathroom and was shocked to discover Kaiba sleeping peacefully in the bed. Mildly irritated, he stepped out and approached the edge of the bed, hovering over Kaiba with his arms crossed across his bare chest.

"Seto," Yami hovered over Kaiba's face, feeling his breath breeze across his blond bangs. "I'm here. Wake up, dammit."

The CEO remained fast asleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Yami frowned, staring intently into Kaiba's face, taking in the sharp cheekbones and the slender nose which rose into a wonderful peak, sitting just above a pair of soft, plush lips.

Looking away hastily, Yami pressed a palm to his bare chest, terrified of the sudden tightness he felt. This was bad. He recognized this feeling. It was…love. Affection.

His cheeks burned when he recalled the one, awkward, sexual experience he'd had with Kaiba. That moment had felt rushed…and forced.
Something about this man was different.
He seemed different then, and he seemed different now while laying here asleep.

Sighing to himself, Yami circled the bed and climbed up on the other side, tucking himself in beside Kaiba. He could get some rest before having to explain himself tomorrow.

He snuggled closer and pressed his forehead against Kaiba's shoulder, mildly startled to find that his skin was cold. Shifting the covers up higher around the CEO's chest, Yami laid his head back down and stared at the profile Kaiba's peaceful sleeping face.

Light brown bangs rested handsomely across a strong brow, and Yami felt another strange flutter in his chest.

Shutting his eyes tightly, he forced himself to sleep, which surprisingly wasn't too hard. The room was cool, and the house was quiet. The sound of Kaiba's breathing quickly lulled him to sleep.


Kaiba's eyes shot open, and he bolted upright in bed, shivering from head to toe.

He was freezing!

He swept his gaze around the room, his stomach gnarling with hunger again. Someone was rolled up underneath the sheets beside him.

A one-night stand? Had he been drunk last night?

Hissing in annoyance, he gently extracted himself from the bed and snuck into the bathroom, feeling a headache coming on. Kaiba sagged heavily against the door, trying to remember what the hell he'd been doing before he passed out.

Shutting his eyes and gripping his hair, Kaiba took a slow, shuddering breath, willing himself to calm down…calm down…calm down….

The last thing he remembered was…leaving his office and getting into his limousine with the cat in his lap.

What had happened after that?

Kaiba slowly opened his eyes and stood, mechanically walking into the shower out of habit. What time was it? It was still dark outside…well, it was dark every day whenever he woke up. At least this way, he knew he wasn't late for work.

He stood under the rushing water, thinking he must've picked up the one-night stand on the way back from the office.
Who was it? Did it matter?
All that mattered was that he got away before she, or he, woke up.

The first one to leave the room after a one-night stand assumed the least amount of responsibility.

Shutting the water off hastily, Kaiba stepped out and reached for a towel, freezing when he didn't see his arm in the reflection of the mirror. Horrified, he dropped the towel on the floor and nearly tripped over himself while scrambling out of the shower to get a closer look.

Breathing heavily, he leaned over the sink, glaring into the mirror with all his might, seeing nothing but the large windows and the door leading into the walk-in closet over his shoulder.

A quarter moon shone brightly, casting its silver glow over the marble surfaces in the bathroom. Kaiba stared at it for a full minute before he tore his his eyes away, feeling a sudden urge to stand under it…outside.

Gripping the sides of the sink, Kaiba avoided looking in the mirror while his head spun with fear and confusion. His throat was impossibly dry, and his stomach was curling painfully with unbelievable hunger.
He had never been so fucking hungry before in his life.

Deciding he would deal with the mirror issue later, Kaiba didn't bother drying off before he dashed out of the bathroom, down the grand staircase, through the kitchen and out through the glass patio door, which he barely noticed had been broken.
It was as if something had possessed him.
A magnetic force was pulling him outside.

Treading softly over the grass, Kaiba stood naked in the garden with his arms outstretched, drinking in the silvery moonlight.

His skin seemed to glow with an eerie paleness, and Kaiba glanced down at his own arms, enjoying the incredible warmth. The moon was his new sunlight. He felt energized, happy, and…invincible.

Perhaps there was another tasty black cat around. The thought seized him fully and consumed him. Kaiba dropped down on all fours, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath, trying to pick up a scent. Any scent.
Blood…flesh…anything delicious, anything he could sink his teeth into that would taste absolutely…alive.

After a moment, a wonderfully sweet scent wafted under his nose, and Kaiba's eyes shot open with excitement. Inhaling deeply, Kaiba realized his vision had brightened, and he could see clearly as if the sun was overhead.
Sniffing the air again, Kaiba frowned when he recognized this sickly-sweet scent as Miyu.

He couldn't bite into his dog.
That would be wrong.
…Right?

A crow cawed above his head, and Kaiba's head snapped upwards, his gaze fixating on the bird.
It was…too small.
He wanted a satisfying bite, and that was only something a larger animal could provide.

Annoyed, Kaiba scaled his garden fence with ease and jogged off his property at a solid pace, fully aware that he wasn't clothed, but a part of him didn't care. If anyone dared to cross him, he would just…bite them. Simple.

His feet hit the cement of the road quickly, and Kaiba glanced down to marvel at his own strength. This was great! If he felt this way every day after consuming animal blood, Kaiba vowed he wouldn't stop.

The sound of wheels rushing over pavement approached quickly, and Kaiba froze, suddenly feeling very exposed. He was in the middle of the road, and the person driving by would see him. Eyeing the bushes in the distance, Kaiba made a beeline for them, ignoring the branches that poked into his skin.

The car passed by in a deafening rush, and he winced at the loud noise.
Fuck cars.

Emerging from the brush, Kaiba continued on his way, his gaze nailed to the bright buildings of Domino city in the distance. Buildings meant people—people who owned delicious animals, ready to be eaten.

Smirking triumphantly to himself, Kaiba tensed excitedly, gathering his energy for one large burst. After rocking back on his heels several times, he launched himself forward with a furious leap, his feet hitting the ground rapidly as he sprinted at full speed towards the city.

His heart pounded viciously in his chest, and his breathing grew shallow with effort. Blinking rapidly, Kaiba tried not to panic when he realized his vision was fading, and the streetlights above him became a slid blur.
Wave after wave of new scents assaulted him steadily, and Kaiba pushed himself harder, determined to keep running until he got tired, but every time he blinked, his world would flash in a different color. Red. Blue. White.
What was happening? Kaiba blinked, seeing green. White. Black.
Was he going to faint?
His vision flashed white and then green again.
Strange outlines of pink and yellow zipped across his eyes before everything faded.

Black.


Yami's eyes shot open when he found himself roughly shaken awake by the manservant.

"Where is Master Kaiba?" Isono asked gruffly, trying not to let the panic seep into his voice. "Did you hear him leave? How long have you been here? When did you come in? Did he let you in and then leave? Why didn't you stop him?!"

Sitting up hastily, Yami pressed the sheets tightly to his bare chest, shaking his head silently, wondering why the human sounded so frightened.

"I'll get your clothes," Isono pressed. "Now tell me where he went!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Yami said guiltily, finally finding his voice. "I'll go out and look for him—"

"No!" The man cried, resting a shaking hand on Yami's bare shoulder. "We can't leave the house. Police reported a large wild animal rampaging around downtown, and several convenience store attendants were mauled before it ran inside the Kaiba Skyscraper. Mr. Kaiba must have gone out to take care of it himself!"

Isono rushed out of the room, sweating profusely while mumbling to himself.
Such careless behavior from the master. Mr. Kaiba was letting that spiky-haired foreigner wander in and out of their house, which meant that he probably had a key.
If Mokuba hadn't called for him, he wouldn't have known until morning.

Yami blinked, letting the news sink in before he threw the sheets off himself and dashed to the window, throwing it open and leaning out of it for air, seeing the sun barely rising over the horizon as Isono's words echoed around in his mind.

A wild animal was rampaging around town, mauling people.
It sounded like werewolf Gaius or one of his idiotic friends had broken the peace treaty. Again.
There was going to be hell to pay when the identity of this "wild animal" was revealed.

Everyone had agreed on peaceful city life with no murder within the city limits because fear spread easily in tight communities. This mauling incident would be the last straw for Gaius and his pack of ingrates.

Gritting his teeth, Yami placed his foot on the windowsill, thinking he could chance a transformation before the sun fully rose. He could do it. After all, he was well-rested and at full strength.

Crouching down, Yami shivered and closed his eyes, his shoulders hunching as he shrank, letting black feathers sprout all over his body while his feet hooked into scaly talons. Twisting his neck to the side, Yami's eyes watered in pain while his teeth retracted upwards into his gums, and a beak stretched in front of his face.

Letting his breath out slowly, Yami hopping lightly up and down on one leg, stretching his wings gratefully. That had been painful, so this had better be worth it.

Jumping off the windowsill without hesitation, he soared through the air and beat his wings heavily, his gaze fixated on the silvery buildings in the distance.


Author's note:

ohhh snapppppppppp

edited by:taedae

pwease leave a reviewiwewwww!

-Ugli