Author's Note: Hi wonderful readers~ Welcome to Chapter 3 :) Thanks so much for all of the support and I hope ya'll enjoy the update!

To YAAAAAAS: Haha you're welcome! I'm glad you liked it!

To Urutiyori: I'm so glad you're enjoying my work so far! As for Luffy's past as a hybrid or pureblood and your other questions, I won't spoil anything for you, but don't worry it will all be revealed in time ;)

To AnsiTT: Aw, thank you so much! I'm having a lot of fun writing it XD All of your questions and theories are good and you're actually quite close to what really happened...but I won't spoil anything for ya ;) Look forward to more to come and thanks for the sweet review!

WARNINGS:

- Baby wolf Luffy makes an appearance

- Dragon is a rebellious boi, no matter the universe

- Mentions of drugs/injections


When they finally arrived at their destination, Dragon gathered his limp son into his arms and rushed through the front door. Luffy had long since succumbed to the sedative and was thankfully sleeping peacefully, unaware of his full transformation triggered by the moon.

Dragon bit the inside of his cheek as he gently cradled the small, dark furred wolf to his chest.

Lycanthropes had three forms: one that made them appear human, a second that was a hybrid of both (and typically what you associated with 'werewolves'), and a third form they called their true appearance. Their true form was that of a wolf, with four paws and all, and was generally triggered by a lycan's first full moon. Their sire would accompany them and teach them control in a restricted environment where they could enjoy the moon without risk of losing themselves to it. Over time, they learned how to go in and out of all their forms…but Luffy had no such luxury.

"This way." A nurse directed, opening a door for Dragon and Garp, "Dr. Vegapunk will be with you shortly."

The two men wasted no time rushing inside and laying Luffy down on the table in the middle of the room. His wolf form was small, very small compared to a typical lycan, yet somehow it still looked like the smiling teenager he knew. The fur was a deep black color that matched his hair and the way his tail wagged slightly in his sleep…

"He's still Luffy." Garp whispered while petting along the wolf's spine, "A bit of fur doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything." Dragon shot back while clenching his fists, "Look at him! If the serum doesn't work, do you really think the upper brass will let us-"

"It'll work out." Garp interrupted, frowning slightly at him, "Right now, Luffy needs his Father more than ever." Just as the older Shikari finished his statement, the door opened and a man in a lab coat entered, holding a long syringe in his hand.

"My apologies for the wait. It took longer than I thought to get the serum boost ready."

"Will it…take?" Dragon questioned as Dr. Vegapunk used an alcohol swab on Luffy's scruff to prepare the skin for the injection. The doctor sighed.

"I'm honestly not sure. His lycan blood has clearly taken over, more than I anticipated from your report. I hypothesize that he took on such an extreme appearance because it had been held back for so long. Once the floodgates were opened a tiny bit…" Dragon swallowed nervously as the needle was inserted into Luffy's neck, the fur obscuring most of the insertion. The small wolf twitched but didn't stir. "…his suppressed lycan instincts quickly took back ownership of his body."

While Vegapunk disposed of the needle, Dragon and Garp watched Luffy closely, waiting for any change in his form. Minutes went by but nothing happened. They leaned in close when Luffy whined and licked over his sharp teeth, like he was dreaming about food.

'Probably meat.' Dragon thought with a sigh. Dr. Vegapunk hummed as he pulled on a clean pair of gloves and began to palpate over Luffy's spine and paws.

"Well, the good news is that he seems healthy. I'll need to run some additional tests, but I don't believe the transformation is a danger to him. If anything, it probably feels more natural to him."

"That's the last thing we want…" Dragon muttered, looking over his son with frustration, "How long do we have to wait for the serum to take effect?" The old doctor sighed and scratched behind Luffy's ears affectionately, causing the little wolf to unconsciously nuzzle against his hand.

"We should've seen results already. I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for him."

Garp closed his eyes and hung his head at the statement while Dragon had to turn around, unable to face the wolf that was his son. He felt ashamed that he was unable to protect Luffy even though he'd promised himself he would raise him right…make amends for putting him in harm's way when he was just a toddler.

"Okay, so what now?" Garp asked, recovering faster than Dragon.

"I'm sure you're aware of what the Shikari leadership thinks of our little 'experiment'." Dr. Vegapunk started, prompting Dragon to turn around. Of course he knew. They'd tried to kill his son the second they found out about his turning. The only reason they hadn't was because he promised to keep him human. "They'll probably demand he be killed unless I can justify his existence. Unfortunately, that means he'll have to live in the lab for a while…"

'For a while…' Dragon thought, gut clenching at the picture of his bouncing, cheerful son locked in a cage. Captivity would kill him before other Shikari could.

"I would keep working on a cure, of course," The doctor continued, "but we all know how much success we've had with that over the years. I hate to say this so bluntly, but while our prevention measure saw limited success, there is no way to turn young Luffy back into a human. He's full lycan now, and we'll have to accept that."

"What other options do we have?" Garp put in, crossing his arms.

"If Luffy doesn't stay here with me it will only be a matter of time before others come for him." Vegapunk explained with a sorrowful expression, "Some may say he could be useful, perhaps for tracking vampires or something…but I guarantee most will advocate for his termination, especially with his…features, an unexpected side effect."

Garp grit his teeth and clenched his fist around the edge of the table, denting it. Dragon understood his Father's anger. Things had been going so well, but they knew (deep inside) that the fabricated life they'd convinced Luffy he had would come crashing down someday. The medication was never infallible, but Dragon had hoped it would exceed their expectations.

Before they could continue their conversation, Luffy stirred on the table, blinking as he woke. Dragon immediately knelt down so their eyes met, hoping his presence would help soothe his no doubt frightened son.

"Hey, Luffy…" His voice made the wolf's ears perk up as he struggled to push himself into a seated position. Dragon then turned to Vegapunk, "I thought the sedative would last longer."

"He's a lycan now, Dragon, drugs made for humans won't work as well."

As the boy attempted to coordinate his unfamiliar limbs, he seemed to realize that something was different. Luffy tilted his head in confusion and flopped back onto his rump, lifting one front paw after the other. It took a few seconds, but when he saw they were in fact connected to him, he barked in shock. Dragon immediately reached out to catch him when he stumbled off the table.

"Easy, son. I know it's a shock but we need you to be quiet, okay?" At his words, the little wolf's barks lessened to curious whines as he looked around the unfamiliar environment. He stroked him in an attempt to offer his son some form of comfort (trying to force down the feeling of wrongness as he showed kindness to a lycanthrope, his sworn enemy).

"I say we set him up here." Garp suggested, eyeing Luffy with pity, "It's not ideal but-"

"I refuse to let him be used as a science experiment!" Dragon hissed before gently placing Luffy on the ground. The small wolf sniffed the air and took a tentative step as he tried out his new body. "There has to be another option."

"He already was a science experiment, of sorts." Vegapunk put in bluntly, "No offense, Dragon, but I agree with Garp on this one. We have to think about what is best for Luffy."

"He's my son! I am thinking about what is best for him!" Dragon shot back, raising his voice. Luffy yelped in surprise at the sudden noise, his ears flattening against his head. They all looked at the little wolf apologetically who lowered his belly to the floor and rested his head on his front paws. "I-I just don't want to-"

Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded, further scaring Luffy. The small wolf sprinted under the table, his paws slipping as he tried to catch his claws on the slick floor.

"What's going on?" Garp questioned with a frown. Vegapunk immediately went to the communication panel on the wall and typed something in while Dragon instinctively reached for his dagger. This particular division of the Science and Research Branch was located in a very remote area so they didn't have many security measures.

"The perimeter alarm was tripped." The doctor said, adjusting his glasses, "It's unclear if it was just an animal or-"

"I'll go check it out." Garp determined while kneeling down to Luffy's level. The small wolf inched forward and sniffed his hand when it was presented, as if to make sure it really was his Grandfather. The old man smiled softly when Luffy's tail began to wag and he pet him on the head. "You stay with Luffy."

All too soon, Dragon was left alone with Luffy as Vegapunk accompanied the veteran Shikari out to the front entrance. The small pup tentatively approached when he sat on the floor and flopped down next to him rather clumsily so he could place his chin on Dragon's knee. He absentmindedly stroked his son's furry body while his thoughts ran a mile a minute.

There had to be another option.


Portgas D. Ace crouched on the limb of a tall tree near the Shikari outpost he and Sabo had tracked the captured wolf to. It wasn't all that big and didn't seem to have a whole lot of manpower. The Alpha brushed a strand of dark hair from his face as he silently kept track of Sabo's position across the yard.

His always competent brother had quickly located a sensor that would no doubt lure most of the fighting force outside and would trip it any second now. Normally, Ace wouldn't even think of invading a Shikari base. They rather enjoyed their quiet life in the woods and didn't want to bring the wrath of their enemies down on their heads.

However, with the aid of the full moon, both of them were feeling particularly strong and were confident in their ability to rescue the unnamed wolf.

Ace looked up when the alarm blared and was pleased to see Sabo's quick form darting back out of harm's way. They didn't want to fight or reveal themselves if they didn't have to.

'Well, here goes nothing…' He thought as he leapt down to the ground and rushed towards a window he'd identified as his entry point. Just before he reached the window, Ace inhaled deeply, causing fur to appear on his body as he turned into his hybrid form. Senses and strength enhanced, he easily tore the window off its hinges and entered the building.

The first thing he did was confirm no one was around. Once he felt he was in a good position, Ace sniffed the air, trying to locate the wolf in distress.

'Ugh, it stinks in here!' He mused, crinkling his nose. It smelled like chemicals and other unsavory things. Eventually, despite the 'interference', Ace picked up the slightly sick smell of the captive lycan. As soon as he felt he had a decent idea of where to go, he turned back into his human form and snatched a lab coat off a hook in the corner of the room.

Pulling his shoulder length hair back into a low ponytail, Ace huffed. The disguise wasn't great but it would have to do.

He sidled up to the door and immediately went still when a group of armed Shikari marched passed him. They were likely responding to Sabo's distraction. Ace quietly snuck into the hallway and followed his nose, doing his best to walk calmly and quietly. Thankfully, he passed no one and didn't run into any lingering humans.

Ace dropped into a defensive pose when a door opened near him. He quickly hid in the doorway of a room across the hall and peeked around the frame just in time to see a man with a tattoo on his face exit with a bundle in his arms. Ace's eyes widened when he recognized the thing in his grasp as a lycan, a young one at that. The fact that he was in his true form meant he had probably been turned recently.

The small pup looked up at his captor with big eyes while the man (who was probably a Shikari) shushed him.

Ace snuck after the man when he jogged down the hallway with his prisoner. What did they want with a newly-turned pup?

The Alpha wolf was careful as he followed the human and stopped outside of a door at the back of the facility. He could smell that they were in the room and silently opened it. Closing the entrance behind him, Ace creeped around crates and shelves that made up the storage room. What were they doing in a place like this? A high-pitched yip made him stop in his tracks.

"Quiet, Luffy…we can't let anyone hear us back here."

Ace peered around a crate and was surprised to see the Shikari had placed the pup on a wooden box not far from him as he attempted to pry open a barred window that led into the forest. He frowned when the tattooed man cursed and shook his hand, blood dripping down one of his fingers. Human skin was always so fragile.

The pup whined and padded forward rather awkwardly to lick the man's arm, as if to soothe his pain. Ace scowled at the act. Were they trying to domesticate him or something? The mere thought disgusted him. When the man sighed and tried to open the window again, Ace stepped out of the shadows and growled to let the human know he was there.

"Trying to run off with a prisoner? That's pretty odd even for a Shikari." He snarled, meeting the man's surprised gaze easily. The pup's ears went back at his appearance and he sniffed the air cautiously. The tattooed human looked him over calmly while placing a firm hand on the pup's back, keeping him in place.

"You're…" He mumbled before, surprisingly, putting his dagger away, "I must say I'm surprised. Not many lycans can successfully sneak up on me."

"Thanks for the compliment, now hand over the pup." Ace demanded, causing the small lycan to shrink back further under the human's hand. Why was he acting so familiar with his captor?

"What pack are you a part of?" The Shikari asked suddenly, catching him off guard. Ace frowned at the question but then he picked up yelling in the hallway that drew his attention. "Hurry, we don't have much time!"

Ace was taken aback by the human's sense of urgency and the desperation in his voice. For whatever reason, he found himself answering truthfully.

"A small one…it doesn't really have a name."

"You're the Alpha?"

"Yes." He replied, unsure why the Shikari was asking so many questions, "Why do you care?" The human glanced around Ace as the voices grew louder. With a determined look, he scooped up the pup, approached him, and placed squirming thing in his arms. Ace was completely shocked at the action and wasn't sure what to do.

"Please take Luffy away from here. I can't protect him anymore." Almost immediately, the young lycan in his arms barked and struggled, trying to get back to the Shikari. Ace hated how upset the little one sounded as he tried to get back to his former captor. "You have to go with him, son. There…there's no place for you here, not anymore. All they'll do is hurt you and I can't let that happen."

Ace's eyes widened at the mention off 'son'. Was this the pup's father?

"Why?" He questioned, even as he tightened his grip on the lycan pup in his arms. The Shikari sighed, suddenly looking a lot older than he probably was.

"Because I want what's best for him, even if that means going against everything I believe in."

With that, the human took off towards the door where the voices were coming from, leaving Ace with the pup whose name was Luffy. The kid was clearly distressed and continued to try and escape his grasp, whimpering for the human to come back.

"Well…that was something." Ace muttered just before a set of teeth sunk into his hand. He looked down, rather unimpressed, as the pup tried to maul the skin between his thumb and his finger. "Hey, knock it off. Biting is rude."

The little one ignored him and continued his attack, tail perking up when he finally managed to draw a little blood. With a huff, Ace allowed the pup to chew on his hand while he used the other arm to mess with the window. Glancing back, he saw the Shikari was attempting to hold the others back.

What a weird human.


Sabo caught his breath when he arrived at the rendezvous point, panting softly. His light colored fur helped to keep him cool and was a blessing even under the moonlight. Once he was suitably calm and had taken a quick drink from the nearby creek, Sabo changed back into his human form and settled down to wait for Ace.

He didn't have to wait long but was surprised when the raven-haired lycan returned holding a tiny pup tightly in his arms. Ace had a grip around the little one's snout, keeping him quiet and still even as he struggled against him.

"I take it this is our new friend?" Sabo asked, smiling at the young lycan. Ace just huffed and released the pup, causing him to scramble away from them on shaky legs, growling as he backed up to the water.

"Yeah, his name's Luffy apparently." Ace said while casually moving to stand next to Sabo, "Would you believe a Shikari just gave him to me?"

"Really?" The blonde replied while watching the very uncoordinated pup look around with wide eyes, "Give me the short version." Ace explained what happened while they watched their new acquaintance try to get past them. It was easy to corral him back to the water though seeing as he clearly had no idea how to walk properly in his true form.

"So, yeah, that's what happened." Ace finished before cracking his neck, "Weird, huh?"

"Very unusual, that's for sure." Sabo whispered before kneeling before the small wolf pup, "Luffy, right? My name is Sabo and this is Ace…he's the Alpha of our pack." The young lycan seemed unimpressed and just glared at him. When he attempted to approach him, however, Luffy yelped and backpedaled, which sent him into the water.

Ace cursed and quickly fished the yipping pup out of the creek, holding him up by the scruff.

"Look, kid, we're not going to hurt you, okay? We're lycans…just like you."

Just then, the peak of moonlight from the full moon was lessened by a cloud and the pup started to change, no doubt unconsciously, in response to the atmospheric switch. Ace didn't release him and let the young one change in his grasp, but both of their eye's widened in shock when the boy was fully revealed to them.

"What the…"

"I'm not a werewolf!" Luffy insisted even as he hung from Ace's grasp, fluffy ears back against his hair and tail puffed up in irritation, "I'm human!"


"Dragon…" Garp said softly, prompting him to lift his head from where it rested in his hands, "What…what did you do?" The old soldier had come into the facility after checking on the alarm to see Dragon fighting with his own men and obviously wanted to know what was going on, especially since his precious grandson was missing.

"I gave him up." Dragon admitted, "I just couldn't bear the thought of Luffy being in a cage and-"

"So you handed him over to a lycan!?" Garp thundered, clearly upset, "With his 'extra features', those wolves will treat him worse than we ever would! They don't want their existence revealed and will kill Luffy to make sure of it."

"This one was different." Dragon insisted, "My gut told me I could trust him."

"You can't trust any of them, fool!" His Father shot back before pacing back and forth across the room, "I thought I trained you better than that." He scowled at Garp before looking away, not wanting to endure the disappointing gaze of the man who taught him everything he knew.

Dragon knew the higher-ups would probably punish him for whatever reason they could find, maybe even accuse him of treason. But regardless of what happened to him, he hoped that Luffy, at least, was free.


Ace's pack wasn't like other packs. He didn't have a pack house, den, or a lot of subordinates to order around. No, all he had was Sabo, his brother, his Beta…his second in command, and he liked it that way. When he became a werewolf, he felt so alone and was alone for many years until he befriended Sabo.

It was the greatest day in his life when his found brother agreed to take on the lycan 'curse' and become a werewolf.

They were offered places in more prominent packs but had no interest in joining them. Lycan culture, politics, and disagreements often became complicated and Ace didn't want any part of it. So, instead of settling in the city, they left all of that behind and moved to the forest. There, they found an old, abandoned building nestled in a lovely grove of peach trees that they decided to call home.

That place was currently where they were dragging Luffy, kicking and screaming.

Ace sighed and glanced back to see how Sabo was doing with the pup. He'd suggested they just knock the kid out, but Sabo vehemently opposed that idea, saying it could do serious damage or something. His brother had Luffy thrown over his shoulder and was getting a face-full of tail as the young lycan-mutant…thing, struggled.

"I don't wanna go with you! Take me back to my Dad!"

"Now, now…I promise it won't be as bad as you think." Sabo soothed with a big smile, "When we get there you can get all warm and comfy-"

"No!"

"-and, get this, watch TV! The connection isn't great, and we only have about three channels, but it works."

Ace would always be amazed at his brother's patience. Sabo was taking all this in stride. Of course, he also knew that his Beta's thoughts were likely all over the place as he considered what the hell happened to the boy who'd been thrust into their care. Lycanthropes didn't look like Luffy did. Their hybrid forms had similar traits, but the pup seemed to have no control over the ears and the tail being visible all the time.

It was like his human form had been compromised, and that was dangerous.

After what felt like forever, they finally arrived at the center of their territory and the place they called home: The Happy Rabbit Bar. Now, Ace hadn't wanted that name, but he lost a bet to Sabo and didn't have much of a choice. They'd worked hard to renovate the place and turn it into a decent business.

Though every time he looked up at the smiling, cutesy pink bunny on their sign, he cursed Sabo and his poker face.

"And here we are!" The culprit himself chirped while putting Luffy down and holding him by the shoulders so he was looking at the bar. The pup seemed…confused, but also more concerned with his sopping wet clothes. The poor thing was soaked from his dip in the stream and trembled slightly. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Luffy glanced up at Ace before nodding and wrapping his arms around his trembling body. They led him up onto the porch and into the building, turning on lights as they went. The pup looked around with big eyes, taking in the tables and décor.

"Um…where do you sleep?"

"Upstairs! It's right this way."


Luffy sat awkwardly in the tub while the blonde werewolf, Sabo, adjusted the temperature. He honestly wasn't sure what to do…everything had happened so fast and he had been all but shoved at these two weird lycans. Honestly, his emotions were a mess. Why had his Dad left him with a werewolf? What did he mean his co-workers were going to hurt him if he stayed?

Didn't Dragon work for the good guys?

"How does that feel?" Sabo asked, kneeling down so they were eye to eye. Luffy didn't say anything and just sat in the warm water, ears and tail drooping. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-I…I wanna go home." The werewolf's eyes softened even as he squeezed some soap onto his hands and started to massage it into Luffy's scalp.

"I bet. From what Ace told me, you've had a stressful day." Against his will, Luffy found himself enjoying the massage and his tail started to wag in the foaming bubbles. "If you don't mind me asking…your Dad, he's not a lycan, right?"

"No…he said he's a s-shish kabob or something." Luffy answered, closing his eyes when Sabo held the faucet over his head to rinse out the soap. The werewolf chuckled at his response.

"Do you mean Shikari? That would make sense seeing as we found you in one of their bases. Okay, here's my next question: Who's your sire?"

"Sire?" He questioned, tilting his head in confusion, "What's that?" Sabo frowned and settled down on his knees next to the tub.

"You don't know…? Your sire is the lycan who turned you." Luffy's eyes widened when the blonde pulled back his shirt to reveal a scar unnervingly similar to his, "Ace is my sire because he bit me and passed on the lycanthropy curse, giving me the same abilities as him."

Luffy lifted a furry hand up to his own mark.

"B-But…I wasn't ever bitten…" He muttered, "Dad said this happened in an accident when I was a baby." Sabo hummed and leaned forward a bit.

"Could I take a closer look?" Luffy nodded and exposed his neck to the lycan, curious what he'd have to say. Sabo poked at it and even smelled it before settled back onto his knees. "Well, that's definitely a turning mark though I can't smell any scent from it. Honestly, Ace and I thought you were a fairly new lycan because of your inability to control your forms during the full moon but…based on how old that scar is, it looks like you've been a wolf for a long time."

Luffy sunk down into the tub, his bottom lip trembling.

"But Dad said I was human…to not let anybody tell me otherwise."

"I'm sorry, pup, but you're 100% lycan." Sabo stated firmly, "That being said…there's definitely something at play here that makes you different but there's no need to get into that right now. I bet you're tired, hmm?" He nodded and didn't resist when Sabo drained the tub and gave him a towel to dry himself off with.

Luffy considered making a run for it when Sabo left to 'get him some clothes' but he'd learned on the way there that the two lycans currently holding him captive were a lot stronger than him.

And…he was pretty tired.

A few minutes later, Luffy was dressed in a pair of Sabo's shorts (because the waist was slightly slimmer) and one of Ace's shirts. Both pieces of clothing were much too big for him and they had to really cinch the shorts, but they'd do. When he followed Sabo out of the bathroom, he stopped when he noticed Ace leaning up against the wall of the hallway.

"All better?" The Alpha lycan asked, making Luffy press his lips together and look down, avoiding his gaze. Ace was the one who took him away…so he was mad at him. When Sabo cleared his throat, Luffy realized they wanted him to say something.

"Um…yeah, I guess. It was nice. You still suck though." Sabo chuckled at his response while Ace just sighed.

"Where is he gonna sleep?"

"I was thinking we could set him up on one of the top bunks."

The two lycans led him into the second of three rooms located above the bar, and this one was clearly the bedroom. There were four beds in total thanks to the bunk-beds pushed against the far wall, framing a window. The two bottom bunks were larger than the top ones and clearly claimed.

"You can have this one." Ace said, motioning for the bed above his, "Sabo, do we have any extra blankets?"

Luffy shuffled nervously as the blonde fussed over his 'bed' and got it just the way he wanted. Was it normal for werewolves to treat their captives so…nicely? Or maybe they were just trying to trick him into thinking they were nice. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Ace moved to stand right in front of him.

"The bar doesn't open until tomorrow evening, so feel free to sleep in. Just remember, Sabo's a light sleeper and we both have your scent memorized."

Luffy scowled up at the lycan, recognizing the statement as a veiled threat not to run away. Without a word, he climbed up into the bunk and wasted no time making himself comfortable, which was a bit more difficult now that he had a tail he consider. He made sure to face the wall so the lycans got his back. Luffy wanted them to understand that he didn't want to be at their weird bar no matter how soft their blankets were.

When they finally left him alone in the room, Luffy curled up into a ball and did his best to keep in his tears. Just a day before, his life had been normal…why'd he have to go and mess everything up?

With a muffled sniffle, Luffy fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of his friends and that soft smile of his Dad's that didn't appear often, but gave him so much comfort.


"Well…did you learn anything?" Ace questioned while Sabo poured himself some tea. The blonde lycan huffed and leaned on the bar counter.

"Yes and no. Honestly, I don't think Luffy understands what's going on himself. He didn't even know what a sire was."

"What!? Then how-"

"His mark is old…really old." Sabo continued, unconsciously reaching up to place his hand on his own mark. Ace had been really careful when he bit him, making sure to avoid the long scar that covered the left side of his body…a remnant of his childhood. "I'd estimate he was turned at least a decade ago, maybe more. I tried to pick up a scent from it but couldn't smell anything."

Ace scowled at the thought. Turning children was generally frowned upon in lycan culture, but that hadn't stopped both him and Luffy, apparently, from falling victim to those who desired power…and control. The more wolves an Alpha had in his pack, the more influential they became. Turning someone was an easy way to gain followers due to the instinctive connection between sire and pup.

It took Ace nearly five years to break away from his bastard of a sire, and the man still came around trying to recruit him despite the continued rejection.

"Seeing as he was in a Shikari base, and his Father knew about his transformation, maybe they did something to him that caused this." Sabo suggested while making ear motions on top of his head, "Everyone knows they've been trying to find a 'cure' for lycanthropy…maybe Luffy was their test subject?"

"Who knows…" Ace whispered, "For now, we need to keep him from being seen. I'm sure other packs will see his existence as a threat."

Sabo nodded before taking a sip of his tea.

"Definitely. Now…are you sure you're ready for this kind of commitment?" Ace rolled his eyes at Sabo's quip, recognizing humor behind his eyes, "Because I hear kids are a lot of work."

"He's not that young! Besides, if anything, he's your kid…I saw the way you were mothering him."

The two lycans laughed and joked for a while, trying to make light of the situation that could quickly turn dangerous. Sabo was right in that Luffy would be in danger, and not just from the Shikari. Werewolves were nothing but a myth in the eyes of most humans, and most wanted to keep it that way. Luffy's extra features made him a walking target.

"We can question him more in the morning." Sabo stated after finishing his cup, "I'll try to do some research on his condition and see what I can find. Who knows, maybe he just needs someone to show him the ropes?"

"We'll see."

"And…you know, there are people we can ask if my research doesn't-"

"No." Ace firmly hissed as he went around the bar locking the windows and entrances, "Absolutely not. It's bad enough that they come here regularly…" Sabo just shrugged, seemingly amused by his annoyance.

"I'm just saying…Marco's a doctor and has been around a while. He may have some insight on the situation that we don't."

"Find out what you can on your own." Ace ordered, calling on his authority as Alpha of the pack. Sabo simply dipped his head in understanding. "I-If we can't figure it out…maybe I'll consider it. Maybe. I just don't want to put Luffy in more danger than he already is."

"Aw, so you do care." Sabo teased, making Ace bristle.

"Shut up, 'Bo. He's a pup, I'd have to be heartless not to care."