Not going to say much here. This chapter took longer than I wanted/expected. But I really hope it was well worth the wait.

As a side note, I have a side story/spin-off for AWB planned in the future. It'll take place between 'Season 1' and 'Season 2' of the anime (during the summer break, basically). It'll be an Ao3 exclusive since it'll be nothing but pure smut and other kinky stuff.

Anyways, enough talk. Read and enjoy! :)

Legoshi felt like he was floating, surrounded by a never-ending darkness. He couldn't move, nor could he speak. The only thing that reached him was his breathing and the steady rhythmic beating of his heart. It reminded Legoshi of the morning after he…

The wolf opened his eyes with a sharp gasp, the memories from that evening flooding his head with daunting images of what could've been if he hadn't snapped out of it with the inadvertent help of Zoe, the taunting, eerie voice of his instincts, the mocking laughter of the shadow taking on the various forms of his friends; Legoshi tried to push it all away, to shunt it out of mind and sight. He shuddered as a cold chill traveled up his spine, his teeth audibly chattering from the movement. He swiveled his head around, finding himself on his back and still in the black void.

Legoshi sighed and sat up, his limbs finally free of whatever force held them down. He found an empty space wherever he looked as he leaned back on his elbows. It was a strange sensation to be held up by seemingly nothing, making Legoshi a bit dizzy. However, he didn't have time to dwell on it further as a hauntingly familiar voice echoed around him.

"Hello, young wolf. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Legoshi felt his blood run cold as his eyes landed on the shadowy figure standing mere inches from him. "W-what? What are you doing here? Go away!"

The figure chuckled, its shoulders shaking as it shook its head. "Oh, Legoshi. You still don't get it, do you? You can't get rid of me because I am you, no matter what you say or do otherwise."

"W-what do you want from me?"

"Like I've said before. I'm you, a part of you. Always have been and always will be. As for why I'm here…" The figure shifted and morphed into the silhouette of Jack, fully nude and bearing her significant, soft assets Legoshi had become familiar with in the past month. "I'm just looking to guide you and set you back on the right track. You're a wolf, Legoshi. A carnivore. And you can't change that." It spoke in Jack's voice, but ethereal and ghostly. Then it shifted again, switching to Louise this time, just as naked and using her smooth, sultry voice. "You need to embrace that fact rather than push it away and deny it at every step. As this beautiful, sexy doe said before you emptied your balls into her mouth: Take responsibility for what you are."

"But I don't want to!" Legoshi protested frantically. "I don't want to hurt my friends if I lose myself! I…I can't!"

The Shadow-Louise shrugged indifferently. "So? That's part of life, Legoshi. We're all animals in the end, aren't we? And at our core, we carnivores are still savages. We have needs, don't we?"

"But it's wrong!"

"Says who?!" the shadow shrieked angrily, getting in Legoshi's face. "Who says it's wrong to accept our instincts and ourselves for what we are? Who says that it's wrong to be a carnivore? Those soft-hearted, cowardly herbivores who oppress us? The ones who pass laws to do everything to inhibit us and make our lives harder? And let's not forget about the hybrids, your mother in particular."

Legoshi narrowed his eyes at the shadow and growled. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this."

The shadow chuckled and morphed into the woman in question. The normally motherly visage of Leano was twisted into a perverse interpretation by this creature, flaunting her naked body for Legoshi to see. Large, voluminous breasts hung from the figure's chest, coupled with a curvaceous, hourglass figure that carried all of the baby weight she gained in the hips and buttocks. And despite the figure being almost pitch-black, Legoshi could make out the various patches of scales scattered all over her body and the fluffy tail that lashed behind her. The young wolf tore his eyes and body away from the sight, regardless of whether it was his real mother; he couldn't bear to look.

"What about 'mommy dearest', hmm?" Its voice was the same as his mother's but with a deep, sultry undertone that sent an unsettling chill up his spine. Legoshi screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to ignore it, but the shadow was not done with him yet. He felt the soft, gentle touch grace his left arm before it traveled up to the side of his face and cupped his cheek. "She's suffered enough with the background she has, right? Ugly, green scales tainting her beautiful, flawless, gray fur, forcing her to hide her true self from everyone, including her own family, especially you."

The shadow sighed and pressed its voluptuous body against Legoshi's back, wrapping her arms around him in a perverse hug and resting her chin on his shoulder. "And then, she almost took her life because she couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror. She had you, ensured you were free of her imperfections, and spent one last night with you before leaving forever."

Legoshi's hands shook, clenched into fists as anger and unbridled fury coursed through his veins. How dare this…this…thing talk about her like that? Yes, it was true, but this creature had no right to soil Leano's name like that. Leano's so-called imperfections didn't make her any less of a good mother. Even with her condition, she had always tried her hardest to help provide for him and ensure he knew right from wrong. And she had her father with her every step of the way.

On that fateful night, when Leano slipped into bed to bid him a final goodnight, Legoshi couldn't help himself and turned around, wrapping his little arms around her tightly and begging her to stay. He told her that she was beautiful, even with her scales, and that they made her look prettier. Hearing those words from her son broke Leano's will to carry out her plan and made her realize the sheer weight of what she was about to do. She broke down, hugging her son tightly. The two spent the rest of the night sharing tears until they fell asleep and awoke the following day. Leano abandoned her plans and decided she would be there for Legoshi, no matter what, and that she was done living in the shadows.

Leano had turned her life around, and Legoshi wouldn't have it any other way…

Legoshi snarled at the dark shadow, which was currently wearing the visage of his mother, and whirled on it, bearing his teeth threateningly. But the shadow only smirked and continued to embrace him, the glowing white eyes boring holes into the young wolf as he slowly faltered under the shadow's touch. "She would be proud of you, you know. Coming out of your shell, making new friends," it paused and giggled. "Even 'dating' your best friend, Jack."

"But…but…" Legoshi started, but the shadow hushed him softly and pulled him closer, squishing her giant breasts against him.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Legoshi. I'm what makes you, you; what makes every carnivore a carnivore. They can embrace it and, relatively, live a happier and somewhat easier life, or they can fight it and be miserable for the rest of their existence. So, the question is: What do you choose?"

Legoshi mulled its words, not realizing he had slackened into the shadow's body and was now resting his chin between the deep valley of her breasts. "I…I don't want to hurt Haru, Els, or…any of them. They're all…valuable friends of mine. If I choose to embrace my instincts, then…" He trailed off, not wanting to think about the end result of that eventuality. "But if I fight it, maybe I can find a way to control it and not hurt any of my friends."

The figure chuckled and shook its head. "I'm afraid that's not how it works, Legoshi. But I will say this: you can embrace your instincts and learn how to keep them in check so that there's no repeat of what happened with Els and Haru. Otherwise, let's just say things could turn out much worse." Legoshi whined in protest, torn between his personal choice and the hand he was dealt with instead, but the figure put a finger to his lips and shushed him. "I'm afraid that's all the time I have for now, little wolf. Until we meet again."

"B-but what about—"

"Wake up, Legoshi."

He was falling again, slipping away from the shadow's embrace and watching as it faded into a faint speck. There was a deafening whooshing sound, pounding in his ears as everything went black. And then, there was a blast of something cold and wet. Legoshi awoke with a loud gasp, his breath coming in long, labored gasps as he snapped his eyes open and found himself naked (save for his boxers) and drenched head to toe.

"I said, 'Wake up,' dumb wolf. You've had your beauty rest, and now it's time to return to the land of the living."

Legoshi looked around before settling his gaze on a familiar panda woman… She was in nothing but a sports bra and sweatpants that left nothing to the imagination. In her hands was a bucket still dripping with water.

"How long was I out?" Legoshi wanted to say but could not, and his words came out as a muffled series of grunts. When he reached with his hands to figure out why, he discovered they were tied behind him, and the object preventing him from speaking was a muzzle. In a panic, he struggled against his bonds but to no avail, and he froze when the panda set the bucket down and slowly approached him.

"About time you woke up," the panda said in an almost scoffing tone as she let out a small plume of smoke from her mouth, the foul smell of tobacco flooding Legoshi's nostrils. "Had to drag your ass all the way back here after you dropped flat in the middle of the Black Market. You should be lucky that you aren't carnivore chow right now. Oh, and don't worry about your pretty tiger friend. She's in the waiting room with some tea and other things to keep her mind off you."

Legoshi, having calmed down slightly, slowly nodded, somewhat relieved that Belle, despite their differences, was safe and unharmed. After that little chat with what he supposed was his own conscience, the last thing he wanted to do was end up losing control and either attacking or…having sex with someone again.

"Now, I bet you're wondering where you are, who I am, what all this is, and I'll get to that eventually. For now, I need you to relax and sit tight while I give you a little…checkup, shall we say." The panda said as she began rummaging around the room. "Now, you just don't go anywhere. I'll be right back. I just need to get a few things." She said with a stone face as she exited the room

I'm not entirely sure what else she expects me to do, Legoshi thought with a muffled groan as his bonds began to itch slightly. At least Belle's all right. While he was somewhat at odds with the tigress, he never explicitly wished any harm to her, no matter how abrasive she was.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there waiting. His ears perked up as the door opened again, and the same panda returned carrying a few things in her muscular arms. Legoshi's nose twitched as he smelled the scent of blood coming from one of the small packages in her hands.

"Right," she said, sitting down in front of him. "This juicy little thing is just going to help me figure out whether you're a killer or an unfortunate addict." Legoshi quickly shook his head in protest, which the panda ignored. "Oh, don't worry. It's a painless process. If you cooperate. Now, sit still. I need to do something first." She approached Legoshi, and the young wolf suddenly panicked and scrambled away. But she reached him, grabbed him by the hem of his shirt, and held him still as she pulled a stethoscope from her hip. Lifting his shirt, she placed the disk against his chest. After a brief silence, the panda hummed thoughtfully.

"Huh. Interesting. You're awfully calm for someone who's chained up. Then again, maybe you're into this kind of thing, especially since you've seen the likes of me." She gestured to herself with a single hand, even running it up to her bountiful chest and cupping one of her massive orbs. But she quickly frowned, dropped her hand, and leaned closer to Legoshi. "Too bad I'm not interested. Now, take it easy, will you? I'm gonna take this cage off of you."

The panda reached out and unfastened the muzzle from Legoshi's head and face. Once he could speak again, Legoshi screamed at the panda woman. "Who are you?! What is this place!? Why are you doing—!"

He was swiftly met with a fist crashing into the side of his face, along with a rumbling growl from his captor. "Shut up, wolf. You cause any problems, and you'll wish I had never found you in that alley. Of course, you would have your tiger lady friend, but what good can she do against the entire Black Market and some lackeys from the Toragumi?" She sighed as Legoshi looked up at her like a kicked puppy. "Look, I'm here to help you. I'm a doctor… Sort of. But I can't do my job if you're flailing around and screaming. It just makes it harder."

The panda backed away to the far side of the room, leaving Legoshi still chained to the bamboo pole holding him in place. "Now, you're young and in the Black Market. That can only mean one thing: either you're looking for your first taste of meat or wracked with guilt for eating an herbivore. Either way, I'm here to help you snap out of it before you fall too deep. You have two paths here. Either you shape up and snap out of it before you get more of an appetite for herbivore meat, or you go down the path of a slavering animal." She crossed her arms with an arched eyebrow.

"So, kid, what's it going to be?"

Legoshi remained silent, his eyes refusing to meet the panda's steely gaze as he stared at the floor. From his first look at the woman, he could tell that despite her seemingly relaxed posture, the panda's eyes told him she was more than willing to take him down by force if need be and that she had the physical capability.

Finally, Legoshi relented and let himself relax a bit. "All right." he sighed. "Let's just get it over with."

"Good." the panda grinned. "And by the way, the name's Gouhin."

Belle sighed as she laid back in the unusually comfortable chair. She had been sitting here for what felt like hours. Her phone had died a little while ago, and she had been bored out of her skull for the past two hours. Her mind was all over the place, a by-product of barely getting any sleep after that whole…debacle from just a few hours before. She could only hope that Legoshi was alright. Seeing him panic and run off like that, only to collapse unconscious before a tall and menacingly busty panda woman.

Belle wanted nothing more than to clock the black-and-white ursine in the face, but she put that on hold when she was met with a firm blow to the gut with a bamboo pole. It was enough to halt the tigress in her tracks, wound her pride and dignity, and fall to one knee as she clutched her stomach. Damn, she hits hard, she had thought to herself.

Luckily, that was the only act of violence between the two as Belle relayed the situation to the panda woman, who introduced herself as Gouhin, the 'guard of the Black Market' - whatever that was supposed to mean. After the two formed a truce, the panda woman picked up Legoshi and slung him over her shoulder almost effortlessly as if the wolf weighed nothing. And looking at the bear's abs and biceps bulging through her top, Belle could guess why. As she studied Gouhin further, Belle couldn't help but compare herself to the panda woman and began to feel overwhelmed and insignificant. For one, Gouhin had a larger bust than Belle's generous D-Cups, and the panda appeared to have no regard for public appearance besides a shirt and a pair of pants. The apparent lack of a bra allowed for Gouhin's engorged, round, and plump breasts to be almost wholly bared to whoever dared to lay their eyes on her and the stiff nubs peaking through her top. Then there was her behind, nearly as big as Belle's, if not bigger…

The tigress swore to herself and shook her head, pushing the thoughts and images aside. She was only jealous because she envied Gouhin. She might not be as well-gifted in the chest as most of the girls and women on and off campus, but she was incredibly proud of the ass she built for herself. Years of rigorous exercise and training allowed the once-skinny tigress to become a mountain of muscle with a very generous ass that drew many eyes whenever she hit the gym nowadays. And if she were being honest with herself, Belle kinda liked Legoshi. Sure, he was a bit of a pushover and constantly demeaned himself for the sake of the herbivores, but he was clumsy and awkward in a manner that Belle found cute and endearing. She felt guilty (and still does) about scratching up his back on stage. The tigress felt a sense of obligation to make it up to Legoshi.

And what better way than to get him some "therapy" from a freakishly hot and scary panda woman from the Black Market?

Belle sighed. I hope Legoshi is doing okay, she mused, resting her chin on her hands as she leaned forward with elbows on her knees. He seemed a bit out of it when I found him. I…I've never seen him so scared like that. The tigress sighed again as she eyed the scattered magazines on the coffee table. Well, at least Ms. Gouhin was "nice" enough to let us stay here for a while. Wait a minute…

Belle's eyebrows furrowed as she suddenly reached out and pulled a magazine from underneath the pile. Then her eyes widened. That…that looks like Legoshi! Well, if he had tits the size of watermelons and…are those reptile scales?

The Legoshi-look alike in question was a female wolf, appearing to be in her mid to late-thirties and partially facing away from whoever snapped the photo. She was almost completely nude save for the white bra falling off her shoulders and a matching pair of panties halfway down her thighs. Her right arm was crossed over her…rather big chest and held up the bra, and was littered with patches of emerald green scales that gleamed like gems. Her tail was covered primarily in fur, but scales were scattered over it. Then there was her face, which to Belle was the most shocking feature compared to everything else:

The wolf woman's face was nearly split into two, with the right side having those glittering emerald scales, seemingly polished to a shine that caught the light almost perfectly and extending from where her muzzle met her face to cover a single area over her eye. At the same time, the other half was almost entirely void of scales. Instead, it was covered in neatly brushed, light-brown fur. And then there were her eyes, with the one on the scaly side of her face having a small, pin-prick pupil while the other was a big, round, warm, glowing amber color. And Belle could only focus on the one she'd seen only one other person have: Legoshi.

Then there was the title:

"Meet Leano: The World's First (and Hottest) Exotic Hybrid Model! (see p.32 for more details)"

"Leano," Bell repeated under her breath, still reeling from the sight before her. This…this does look like Legoshi. If he were a girl and a…is she part-lizard or something? Belle shook her head and set the magazine down on the table. But there's no way, right? Surely, they aren't related in any way possible. It's like…it's like zebras! And tigers! Yeah! They look the same from far away but are entirely different up close. And those eyes, their eyes… Nope. Just a giant coincidence. That's all it is and nothing else. I mean, there's no way Legoshi's a hybrid, right? Otherwise, he'd start showing signs of it…

As she tried to wrap her head around this new information, the door to her left opened, and Belle stiffened before covering up the 'modeling' magazine with the others. The tigress then looked to the door and spotted Gouhin with Legoshi in tow.

Belle locked eyes with the wolf briefly before turning to Gouhin. "Well?" she began, spreading her arms out. "How is he?"

The panda woman grunted and said, "He's fine. Just a case of shock from a sudden and first-time exposure to raw herbivore meat. It's expected from a carnivore who's never touched or eaten meat before." She crossed her arms over her massive chest and pursed her lips. "I've already contacted Headmistress Gon and informed her of the situation. She's agreed to alleviate any truancy and curfew infractions when you return later than usual. However, I've prepared a room for you to get some much-needed rest." She waved a hand at the two of them, beckoning them to follow her. "Come along, now. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get back to school, and we can put this whole nonsense behind us."

Gouhin led Belle and Legoshi out of the 'lobby' and into a hallway with multiple doors lining either side. Belle shot several fleeting glances at Legoshi as the magazine she had glossed over was still fresh in her mind. The similarities were unnervingly spot on, and Belle couldn't shake the feeling that Legoshi and this 'Leano' were somehow related. However, she didn't know if she should confront him about it. For all she knew, she could be just making connections where none existed.

It's not like Legoshi talks about his parents that much, right? she mused. Then, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Wait. Has Legoshi ever spoken about his parents, to begin with? I can't seem to recall if he did or not. Belle quickly shook her head, dismissing the idea for a later date. In the meantime, it was late, and she felt a little tired. Thankfully, Gouhin finally led her and Legoshi to their room, using a key ring that had…lots of keys to unlock the door. She opened it, and the two teens stepped inside, only to stop and stare at the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room. The panda then spoke up, making the two teens turn to her.

"This is where you'll be staying for a bit. Get some proper rest after that whole mess in the Black Market. And I'm sure you kids are hungry, right? Anything you two want?" the gruff doctor asked, eyeing the pair.

The two looked blankly at each other before Legoshi finally regained his composure. "Um. A-anything would be just fine," he said shakily.

Gouhin nodded. "Alright. Just sit tight, you two. I'll be back in just a little bit." She turned and strode out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

The tigress huffed and turned to Legoshi before she approached him and pulled the wolf into a hug, startling him slightly. "I'm glad you're okay, buddy," she said before pulling away and giving Legoshi a soft smile. "You had me and the others a little worried back there. Do you…Would you like to talk about it?" Legoshi quickly shook his head. Belle nodded in understanding and released him from the hug. "Okay. That's fine."

Then Belle looked at the bed and frowned. "Fucking fat tittied panda bitch," she muttered under her breath. "I just hope she comes back with our food soon." The tigress sighed as she walked to the bed, pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it aside. As she turned and sat down on the edge of the bed, Belle looked up at Legoshi and saw that he was taking off his shirt with his back facing her. She also noticed the disheveled, coarse fur where it had grown in over the deep scars there. Belle winced and felt a wave of immense guilt wash over her.

Belle didn't know what came over her that day. Was it her pride? Arrogance? Jealousy? No, that one came much later. Or did it? Belle could smell Legoshi's scent on Louise that particular day, stirring something within the tigress. Then, there was the day that Legoshi got caught in the act with his roommates. Belle recalled being all hot and bothered when she saw the photo on the front page of the school's newspaper. And although she was loath to admit it, the tigress may have fantasized once or twice about being in that sheepdog's place.

Of course, she'd only be in it for the sex and nothing more. After all, canines and felines don't mix or interact in any way whatsoever. It was a common principle and standard for big cats like Belle. And speaking of sex, all those stories of her riding some poor tiger guy until he couldn't feel his legs? Completely made up. In reality, Belle couldn't score a boyfriend because of her loud, obnoxious, and abrasive behavior. Not to mention that not many guys like a girl with muscles and is almost pure ass. Belle scoffed at that last part.

Their fault for liking girls with flat butts, Belle thought bitterly before she shook her head and looked at Legoshi again, who was now shirtless. He wasn't as muscular as some of the males she'd seen at the gym, but he had a fair bit of muscle that perfectly fit his slim, lanky build. Of course, that didn't attest to Legoshi's punches on that stage; they hurt like hell and gave her noggin a good rattling. He was deceivingly strong for a skinny guy like him. Overall, seeing Legoshi without a shirt awakened something within Belle.

But she quickly shrugged it off just as Legoshi turned to her and approached the tigress. Belle scooted over to make room for the wolf as he sat down beside her, his hands folded in his lap and his gaze fixed on the floor. An awkward, uncomfortable silence fell between the two teens, and neither of them said a word to one another. What was there to say? Their last interaction was violent and over a vial of herbivore blood that Belle was doping on to help with her on-stage anxiety. The tigress had long discarded said vial and has worked on other alternatives since then.

As she side-eyed Legoshi, pondering what to say to him, Belle got a better and closer look at the wolf. At some point, her thoughts returned to that magazine with the risque wolf-lizard woman on the front cover. Belle tried to convince herself that it was only a coincidence that Legoshi and that wolfess were nearly identical. A similar facial structure, similar build (minus the gigantic breasts on the wolfess, of course); that's all it could be, right? But the more she thought about it, the more Belle realized that perhaps Legoshi and the wolfess were related. And with the topic fresh on her mind, Belle couldn't help but ask him about it.

"H-hey, Legoshi?" Belle said, folding her hands together in her lap. The wolf snapped his head towards her, his pinprick-pupiled eyes locking onto the tigress. She gulped and asked, "What's your mom like?"

Legoshi appeared stunned and taken aback by the question as if it was the first time anyone had asked that. Belle hoped that she hadn't touched on a sensitive topic for Legoshi; she'd hate to damage him more physically or emotionally than she already has. Thankfully, the wolf relaxed and calmly answered her. "My mom? Well, she's…I don't know. The most I've interacted with her was during middle school. In fact, the last time we ever really talked was this past Rexmas." Legoshi shrugged and turned away from Belle. "Other than that, I haven't seen her much because of her job; she's always traveling a lot, leaving my grandpa to care for me while she's out and about."

Belle couldn't help but inquire further and asked, "What's her job? Some kind of accountant or something?"

Legoshi chuffed and smiled. He smiled, and it was a charming, if short, smile that Belle found oddly cute. "Not exactly. She's a model and a fashion designer. Really famous too, which is something I don't exactly like other people finding out about."

The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them. "Does she have scales?"

Legoshi looked at Belle wide-eyed, his mouth agape as he stared at the tigress in disbelief. "H-how did you—? Where did—? Huh?!"

Belle realized her blunder and chuckled sheepishly, shrinking slightly as she looked away from Legoshi. "Heh heh, uh…there may have been a magazine out there with her on the front cover," she confessed.

"...Oh," was all Legoshi could say before falling silent momentarily.

"Yeah," Belle said sheepishly. "I…I didn't mean to touch on a sensitive topic, Legoshi. I just…I was curious since she looked very similar to you."

"I get that a lot," Legoshi said, looking up at Belle. "I mostly take after my dad, whom I've never known in my life, but because of my grandpa's…traits, I have a bit more of my mom, too." Legoshi shrugged before he looked away awkwardly. "I only have his fur color, but I have more of my mom's face."

"And the scales?"

Legoshi hesitated briefly before saying, "My grandpa, her dad, is a Komodo dragon. My grandmother was a gray wolf." He sighed heavily, his ears folding back. "My mom didn't always have scales. If I remember correctly, they only started showing up right after she graduated high school. And my mom, she was a bit conscious about herself back then. She was loved by everyone in her school because she was, in her words, 'the most beautiful wolf' anyone had laid eyes on."

Belle chuckled softly and said, "Yeah, I can see that." Legoshi gave her a look, to which she raised her hands and reiterated. "I'm just saying. Even with those scales of hers, your mom's pretty hot. Heh, I bet your dad is one lucky guy, too."

Legoshi's face fell, and he quickly looked away from Belle. The tigress winced and let her hands fall to the bed. "Oh. Did…Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did."

"N-no," Legoshi said softly, shaking his head. "It's…it's fine. It's just that…I never knew my dad. But that was part of my mom's plan to have me anyway."

"Really?" Belle tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"After her scales started showing up, my mom believed she was ugly," Legoshi explained. "That all of the beauty everyone previously saw in her was no longer there. She was sent into a downward spiral as the scales started progressing more and more, completely overtaking half of her face and parts of her tail, arms, legs, and most of her back." The wolf heaved a sigh, hunching over further before continuing. "It got to the point where her mental health was going down the drain as well. But she had enough…motivation, for lack of a better term, to at least leave my grandpa with some grandkids. So, she hooked up with this random guy, whom she made sure was a purebred wolf, and then had me. Grandpa helped her raise me, even more so when she ended up locking herself away in her bedroom, just so I wouldn't be able to see how 'ugly' she was."

Legoshi shook his head, closed his eyes, and clenched his fists. Beads of tears were forming in the corner of his eyes, and Belle was about to stop it and prevent the wolf from languishing himself further. But he kept going regardless. "She even attempted to kill herself!" he choked, his voice cracking. "Once she was certain that I wouldn't exhibit any physical traits like hers, Mom planned to leave me and Grandpa forever! And she almost did, but I stopped her. I told her she was beautiful no matter what she or anyone else thought. I said that I needed her, and if she was going to go, I would too!"

The dam finally broke, and the wolf collapsed into an ugly sobbing fit. Tears streamed down his cheeks like a river, damping his fur and clothes as they fell. Belle hugged the broken wolf without hesitation, wrapping one arm around his back and placing the other around his head. Legoshi buried his face into her shoulder and let it all out as she stroked the back of his head, softly shushing him as she rocked back and forth.

Belle had no words for him or in general. Here, she thought Legoshi was just a shy, timid, and unassuming wolf when, in reality, he came from a broken, misshapen family. His mom was a hybrid, and hybrids were considered abominations in society. So many problems existed within them, and many 'purebloods' thought it was best to shun them into exile. But as Belle saw with Legoshi's mother, there were obviously some exceptions. Belle's family had their own problems, with her dad being an abusive drunk almost 24/7 and her mother being wholly absent and sleeping with literally anyone except for her spouse. The young tigress coped with her dysfunctional family by going to the gym every day and becoming an absolute beast, just in case her idiotic father ever got any ideas. And when that day came, Belle ensured he wouldn't ever be able to walk or move again. Then she walked out, leaving her mother to bring home whatever man she wished, and moved in with her aunt and uncle, who were significantly better and the complete opposite of her parents.

But that was just an everyday family issue that just about anyone could have. Legoshi, on the other hand, definitely had it worse than the 'purebloods.'

Belle felt her stomach turn in circles at the thought of Legoshi's mom wanting to…wanting to go that route and leave him behind. She couldn't even fathom how different Legoshi would be if his mom weren't alive today…

Which begged the question:

Belle turned to Legoshi and asked, "How is she now?"

Legoshi, his sobs having died down to a feeble whimper, stayed silent before sniffling and saying, "Better than ever. She's got a big, successful career now. It's partly how I could be enrolled here in the first place." He wiped away the "But she's gone for weeks, sometimes months, on end, going wherever her next photo shoot takes her. I…I really miss her. I hope to see her again this summer or during the festival." Legoshi shrugged. "I don't know."

Belle stared at him for a moment before she sighed. "I never really had good parents," she admitted, gazing at the floor. "I'm lucky that I even have an aunt and uncle who actually give a damn about me." Legoshi looked at her incredulously, but before he could say anything, Belle shook her head and said, "I don't want to talk about it. At least…at least not right now. It's a little too much to even think about it, you know?"

Legoshi nodded in understanding and decided to drop the topic then and there. "R-right. Sorry."

Belle shook her head again. "It's fine, buddy." She wrapped an arm around the wolf and shook him gently. "But hey, you're the son of some famous model, huh? I think that's pretty neat. Not only that, but you're part lizard. Any other secrets you've been hiding from me?"

"N-not that I know of," Legoshi stuttered softly.

Belle chuckled softly and squeezed Legoshi's shoulder. "No worries. Even if you do, I won't pry. Besides, I'm pretty sure I know everything about you."

One Legoshi's ear flicked as he turned to look at the tigress in surprise. "R-really? How so?"

"Well, let's see. You fucked your best friend and your roommates, you're in a polyamorous relationship with them, Els, and a couple of other girls who are herbivores, you're a hybrid of a komodo dragon and a wolf, and you're the son of a really hot and famous model." Belle tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Anything else that you'd like to add, Legoshi?"

"How about a 'big idiot who doesn't know what he's getting into?'" came a familiar voice, making the two turn their attention to the door where Gouhin stood with a few plastic bags in her hands. "Supper's here. Meet me in the lobby. Unless you two lovebirds need a little more time to yourselves?"

Belle immediately rose to her feet and distanced herself from Legoshi as much as possible. "Nope. I'm hungry. Legoshi, are you hungry? Of course, you are. Come on, let's go!"

The tigress was out the door in a flash, leaving Gouhin and Legoshi to themselves. The panda woman turned to Legoshi and huffed at him. "Well? You coming or what?" Legoshi nodded solemnly as he stood up from the bed. "Don't forget to put a shirt on, yeah?" With that, she left the room.

Legoshi sighed as he stared at the floor, his mind a tumultuous whirlwind. He didn't know how he got to this point. Everything was going smoothly before Tem's death, and now he was wrapped up in the most bizarre moments in his life. But Legoshi couldn't really complain, could he? He was in a polyamorous relationship with his best friend and several other girls. As tiring and tedious as it is to manage something like that with nine females vying for his attention, Legoshi genuinely enjoyed his time with them. He shook his head, a smile creeping on his lips as he gathered his shirt from the floor and put it on.

He couldn't wait to see the girls again. He hoped they weren't too worried about him at the moment.