I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Chapter One- Family Discovered

Seto took a deep breath and then shivered a little. Night had fallen and temperatures had dropped as usual. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful night. The sky was cloudless and strewn with stars and an almost full moon. It will be full tomorrow and the two nights afterward. I look forward to those nights; so much so that I will celebrate a night early. He gave another slight shiver before he transformed into a large brown wolf with blue eyes. He padded through the shadows of the city and out into the desert. He gave a joyous howl once far enough away. Seto no longer felt cold due to his fur coat. The night was brighter, the sounds were clearer, and the smells were sharper. A grin crossed his muzzle. I love being a werewolf.

Seto had been born a werewolf like his father but it didn't unlock until he had turned sixteen. His mother had revealed his heritage when he was a child and it was a good thing as she had died before his sixteenth birthday. It was a birthday he would never forget.

It had started with his senses becoming sharper. It happened all throughout the day and it was overwhelming whenever any one of them sharpened. He spent the day trying to control them which wasn't easy as he was also partially shifting too. His nose and jaws would start pushing out into a muzzle but go back to his nose and mouth before fully forming, for example. The entire experience ended when he transformed after sunset. It had been painless because of the shifting and it happened without him wanting to change. That was to be expected, though. A new werewolf had to change on the night of his birthday and stay a wolf all night.

It's really not bad, he thought as he ran and leaped. I can still talk and reason. I do indulge in wolf behavior such as sounds and hunting, but only in wolf form. Some people would call my heritage a curse. I clearly don't. I was born with the werewolf gene and it was waiting until I was old enough to handle its changes to my body. The only disadvantage is that there are no other werewolves around, at least to my knowledge. Pity. I would like some company.

A howl rent the air and Seto turned to it, making note of it. It was made by an older werewolf, the wavering sound at the end made that clear. He knew it was a werewolf as they carry a distinctive scent in wolf form, but not when in human form. The older one howled again and Seto realized that he was calling to him. He howled back and the older one's scent grew stronger, meaning he was coming closer. A large gray wolf appeared on a dune before sliding down it and running toward Seto. He blinked and his muzzle dropped in shock. The wolf had a gold right eye, but the other socket held the Millennium Eye!

"Master Aknadin?" he gasped. "You're a werewolf too?"

"Yes. I know I should have told you the day you joined the court. I smelled that unique scent coming from your chambers on occasion."

"I understand why you said nothing. I didn't know you were one, so I also kept it a secret. I think it's in our nature to keep it a secret, particularly for our protection."

"True. Seto, I was calling as I have important matters to discuss."

Seto was immediately alert and sat down. "I'm listening."

Aknadin sat too. "You've been a werewolf from birth and unlocked it, about two and half years now, yes?"

"Yes. A birthday I'll never forget."

"Well, a werewolf will be turning sixteen tomorrow and I have reason to believe that he does not know of his heritage; actually I know he does not know."

"That's not good. You must find him and warn him and if you need help, I will provide it."

"I will require your assistance."

"So, who is the young man?"

"The pharaoh."

Seto blinked rapidly. "The pharaoh? Our pharaoh?"

"Yes. His father, the previous pharaoh, was a werewolf too."

"Why did he not tell him of his heritage?"

"Because he entrusted me to tell but not until his birthday. You see, Seto, the previous pharaoh was my older brother."

"Then, that means…our pharaoh is family to you."

"And you as well for you are my son."

"Your…son?" Seto repeated faintly.

"Yes. I know this must be quite a shock, learning you have a family you did not know. The country was at war when I left you and your mother. I was trying to protect you from enemies who would take you both hostage in order to force our surrender. I still feared it when you joined the court, I shouldn't have as you could transform to protect yourself at that point." Aknadin bowed his head. "I'm sorry, my son."

Seto put his muzzle under Aknadin's chin and tilted the head up. "No need to apologize. Keeping our connection a secret was the right thing to do, given the circumstances of war and our heritage. The pharaoh about to come into his own heritage was the perfect time to tell me…Father."

"Thank you, Seto. But you must not tell anyone except the pharaoh of our connection to each other and him and of course, of the pharaoh and us being werewolves."

"Of course I won't tell about us being werewolves. I have overheard people during my first year of changing that werewolves are feared and why."

Aknadin barked a laugh. "I have heard that they believe we will bite humans on the full moon into werewolves and that we hunt humans to eat."

"I heard that too and knew that only half of that is true. We don't eat humans but we can turn them if they want it and only on the full moon."

"And such an agreement must be made in daylight as we only speak as wolves during the cycle, though we understand each other and our sounds are words to our ears."

"The pharaoh will need to know that as the full moon starts tomorrow!"

"We will tell him everything, Seto. I told your mother everything about werewolves when we met and when I knew she was the one for me."

Seto knew this. His mother had told him that his father was a werewolf; a trait that had been passed to him. He had taken it in stride when he was a child but then he resented it when he turned twelve. His mother assured him that, aside from sharper senses and full moon changes, being a werewolf wasn't a bad thing and wouldn't keep him from his life plans. She was right. I had planned to be a priest of the pharaoh's court and I succeeded; being a werewolf didn't stop me from achieving it. I enjoy my heritage, despite having to keep it a secret, something Aknadin knows all too well as he keeps it a secret as well.

"Seto? What would you say to playing right now?"

Seto looked to see a gleam in Aknadin's eye. "Sure," he said. "Whenever you're ready."

Aknadin got up as did Seto and bounded away a short distance before turning and charging toward his son. Seto met the charge and the two went down in a tangle of limbs, barking, yipping, and laughing. Seto didn't hesitate in being less than delicate in his playing as Aknadin was stronger and more resilient despite his age. Plus, any injuries both sustained would heal almost instantly. Seto gave a yelp as Aknadin's claws raked through his fur and cut his skin. He gave a growl and swung a paw across a cheek, leaving three scratch marks. The marks healed as did Seto's cut and Aknadin leaped away, calling, "Catch me if you can!"

Seto howled in response and ran after the older wolf, the latter laughing and Seto no longer feeling lonely and looked forward to telling Atem about his heritage.