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Part 17

I look at the bite that covers a fair size of the young man's shoulder and let out a sigh before turning to look at his aunt. "Did you see it happen? See which wolf did this?" She shakes her head as she speaks, "No, we were fleeing from my shop when he turned back cause he had forgot something. He turned a corner then I heard him scream. By the time I got to him the wolf that did it was gone and he was holding his shoulder."

She looks at me with worry in her eyes, "Will he be ok Alpha Seeker, he is all the family I have left." I take a moment to think about how best to tell her what is happening to her nephew, "He will survive, but he won't be the same as before." She looks at me with a confused look, "What do you mean not the same? You mean he won't be my nephew anymore?"

I grimace a little as I try to explain, "He will still be your nephew, but he is also going to be a something more." She wipes his brow again as she says, "I still don't understand what you're saying sir. What do you mean something more?" I take a deep breath before starting, "Not all werewolves are born werewolves a very rare few are turned into werewolves. Most humans when bit by a werewolf have a sore spot for a few days that heals with no problems. Then there are some humans who have something in their bodies that reacts to werewolf bites that turns them into werewolves."

I look down at Marcus as his eyes flit around behind his lids, "It looks like your nephew is one of those few that will be turned into a werewolf." Her face pales as she looks between me and her nephew and back again, "Is there anything you can do to stop it? Or at least make sure he doesn't forget who he really is?" I put a paw on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do now to stop him from changing. If we had known about the bite right away, maybe we could have done something, but not now. However, I know for a fact that he won't forget who he is, or where he comes from. Werewolf or not, you will still be his family. That will never change."

Right then Marcus moans and starts to thrash about under his covers. I place a paw on his forehead then check his pulse. "He is starting his first change. It is going to be painful for him." I look at his aunt, "This will be hard to watch, and very painful for him. I won't force you to stay if you don't want to." She looks down at her nephew with nothing but love and concern on her face, "I will stay he needs to know that I won't leave him for any reason." I nod, "I understand."

With a sudden burst of violence Marcus knocks both his aunt and I from his side as his covers are thrown from his body leaving him lying on the bed in nothing but a pair of shorts. Shadow catches his aunt before she falls to the floor and helps her to his feet. At least we don't have to worry about the clothes impeding his change any. His aunt goes to try and restrain him but I stop her, "Don't get to close his first change is going to be the most dangerous. He may hurt you by accident. I won't make you leave the room, but I won't let you get hurt either." She nods as she steps back from the bed and stands next to Tabatha who gently puts a paw on her shoulder.

I sit back down on the bed next to Marcus and grab one of his flailing arms and try to hold him down as best as I can. I can feel his muscles tensing and changing under my grip. The change is going faster than I expected. I look down at his chest and watch as the muscles under his skin move and shift on their own as his body reshapes itself to his new form.

While his muscles change his legs lengthen and try to shift into digitigrade for walking as a werewolf. But instead of being a smooth transition his body is resisting the change being forced on it. His legs stretch and shorten in spasms, cracks issuing loudly as the bones break and reform several times. The moans from Marcus turn to cries of extreme pain. I just swallow hard knowing that the pain is only going to get worse.

Eventually his right leg finishes changing though there is no hair yet. His toes are still human though the nails have darkened and are slowly turning black. While his left leg continues to fight the change his arms begin to undergo their own change. The muscles in his arms all flex and expand rapidly stretching his skin tight as his bones lengthen and increase in size. His hands clench tightly into fists which I force back open to keep his growing claws from cutting his palm open.

Each finger changes at a different rate some remain human with wolf claws, others lengthen and grow pads but keep their human nails and still others are fully wolf in form but without the hair. Eventually his hands stop shifting and all his fingers are wolf shaped with sharp claws and pads. Once they are done he stops clenching his hands so tightly so that I am able to let go of them without worry that he will cut himself.

While his arms were shifting his left leg finished its change as well. Now he has the arms and legs of a werewolf but the body and head of a human, an odd sight. His cries of pain subside as the shifting of his limbs stop but it is only a short respite before the real pain begins when the rest of his body changes.

He lays there panting with his eyes closed as sweat runs off his face and chest. I take the time to use a damp cloth to wipe him down a little. At this point his aunt speaks up, "Is everything going ok with him?" I nod, "The change is going a little faster than I expected, but not so fast as to cause worry." She moves closer and steps into my field of vision, "Have you seen this happen before?" I let out a sigh and nod, "Unfortunately yes. There was a time when werewolves bit humans just for the fun of it. Some even tried to raise armies of werewolves in that manner. It never worked though fortunately."

Marcus lets out a wail of pain as his back arches sending his chest up in the air as his eyes snap open though he doesn't seem to see anything. I can't help but notice that one of his eyes has changed to a wolf eye and is a bright amber color while his other eye is a sky blue. He lets out another wail as his ribs crack and realign themselves all at once. I watch the bones and muscles of his chest all twist and churn under his skin as they make the transition from human to wolf.

I hear his aunt fight back a small sob as she sees his eyes. I turn to her, "It's ok ma'am, once he learns how to control his shifts he will be able to change back to looking human at will." She looks up at me, "You mean he doesn't have to be... like you all the time?" I can't decide whether to be insulted or not so I just let it slide and answer, "No ma'am, the only reason my pack and I, and others like us choose to remain in wolf form most of the time is because to us, it is the most natural form. Your nephew will choose which form is more to his liking as he gains control over his shifting." She nods visibly relieved at my words.

Turning my attention back to Marcus I see that his chest and abdomen has finished shifting to a more wolf like form, with just slight traces of his human side still lingering around. I study the muscles that have developed all over his body and note that he is going to be a rather strong werewolf when this is all said and done. He has gained a foot or so in height putting him at around six foot ten inches, give or take, once his head changes he may even hit seven foot tall. Looking at his legs I notice his tail has already grown in, it is laying between his leg and is around three foot long but still hairless making it look like a flesh colored snake.

He lets out another long groan of pain as that gets deeper in pitch as his throat changes around his vocal cords. With a series of cracks his upper and lower jaws reshape forming into a muzzle that pushes out from his face as his nose goes from human to wolf. His mouth opens in a silent scream of pain as his teeth sharpen from the flat edges of human teeth into the sharper pointed teeth of a wolf.

While his teeth and muzzle form his ears grow more pointed and begin to move towards the top of his head. The whole time his head is changing his hands grip the bed causing his claws to punch holes in the sheets. Eventually the changes stop and he has indeed gained those last couple inches putting him at an even seven feet tall. But he is still hairless, for a werewolf, giving him a look not unlike a shaved dog.

After the last of the pain fades from his face and he lays there panting I turn to his aunt, Shadow and to Tabatha, "He is fixing to start putting his hair in, it will itch like hell, but is the least painful part of the process. Since he won't be immobilized by pain he will try to scratch, we need to hold his arms down so that he won't cut himself up."

The move at once, Tabatha takes one arm as I take the other, while Shadow takes hold of his legs. While we hold his arms and legs down his aunt wipes the last of the sweat from his face and head as his fur begins to come in. It starts as a light dusting along his chest and arms but quickly spreads into a thick coat spreading over every inch of his body. The hair on his arms and legs are a deep earthy brown that flows towards his abdomen then goes around to his back and tail then up to his head. The hair on his chest is a light tan that flows up his neck and under his muzzle at the same time as it flows down his stomach and behind his shorts.

The whole time that his hair his growing in his arms are tense and trying to break free from our grip. His legs lash back and forth in Shadows grasp as he tries to scratch them on the bed beneath him. When his hair finishes growing out into a rather fine coat his limbs all go slack as he relaxes from exhaustion with his head laying on its side his now wolf tongue hanging out as he pants.

As he lays there panting in a state somewhere between being asleep and awake I let go of his arms and step back from the bed. Tabatha follows my lead and we watch as his aunt works to make sure he is comfortable. I can't help but notice the look on her face as I reach over and place a comforting paw on her shoulder, "The worst is over now. He will be coming to in a few minutes and will likely be very confused. It will help to have you here as we explain things to him. He will also need to stay here with us until he learns to control himself. You are more than welcome to stay as well." She nods as Marcus lets out a soft whine and opens his eyes.

Everyone turns and looks at Marcus as he looks around the room. After a moment his eyes settle on his aunt and he speaks for the first time, "Aunt Mary, what's going on?" Before she can answer I speak up, "Marcus, my name is Seeker. How are you feeling?" He takes a deep breath then freezes as his eyes cross to look at the muzzle sticking out of his face. As his eyes go wide and begin to fill with panic I grab hold of his shoulders before he can move too much, "Marcus, try and focus on me for a moment."

His eyes shift back to me and I can see the panic rising in them, "What's happened to me? What have you done to me?" I hold on to his shoulders firmly but without harming him, "Marcus I need you to calm down and think for a moment. Yesterday when the village was attacked, you were fleeing with your aunt. You turned back, do you remember that?" He swallows hard then nods, "Yeah, I remember... I had forgotten a picture of my parents and went back for it. When I turned a corner I remember walking into something dark, and furry, then a pain in my shoulder. Next thing I knew my aunt was helping me up off the ground and we were making our way here."

He looks from me to his aunt and back again, "What has happened to me?" I look at his aunt for a moment then back at him, "When you turned that corner it would seem that you ran into one of the werewolves who attacked the village and he bit you." He looks at me with confusion, "What does that mean, am I sick or something?" I shake my head, "No, you're not sick. But you have been changed." He tilts his head to the side in confusion, a distinctly wolf like move. He asks, "Changed how?" I lick my lips before answering, "You have been changed into... a werewolf. Like us."

For a moment he stares at me stunned, then he laughs, "I get it, you're trying to trick me." I close my eyes for a moment then open them again, "I wish we were." I let go of his shoulders giving him his first full view of his changed body. His eyes follow me for a minute before he lowers his eyes and sees his body for the first time. His eyes travel down his legs then back up to his arms. He raises his hands and looks at them both in turn studying them closely as he moves his fingers around and flexes them.

He drops both his hands and just stares ahead his face blank. I reach out a hand to touch him but when I do he freaks out, "Don't touch me!" He starts trying to back away from me but only succeeds in falling off the bed on his side. His aunt is beside him in an instant holding him close like he was a small child again. She speaks to him in a soft voice, "Marcus, please calm down. Alpha Seeker is only trying to help you. He didn't do this to you. But he can help you figure it out."

Marcus's breathing slowly returns to normal as his panic fades and he turns his head to me, "This, isn't a bad dream then, or a hallucination?" I shake my head, "No, I'm sorry it's not. But your aunt's right, I'm only here to help you. If you want the help that is." He looks from me to his aunt who nods softly before he looks back at me, "You can help me with this?" He holds up one of his paws. I nod.

He slowly disentangles himself from his aunt and starts to try and stand up, "Well, I guess it would be smart to learn from a werewolf, if I am one now." He manages to get on his feet, if a bit wobbly, and starts to take a step. However his human mind hasn't figured out how to move his werewolf body yet and he falls forward. I manage to catch him before he falls too far. I help him to the bed, "Maybe we should start with walking first. You don't have your human feet right now."

We get him sat down on the bed only for him to let out a help and jump back up gripping the base of his tail. As soon as he realizes he is gripping his tail his head whips around so fast that he spins in a circle causing Shadow, Tabatha, and I all to laugh out loud. As soon as I stop laughing and see that he is staring at me I explain, "You looked like a young pup chasing your tail. Guess I should have pointed that out before you sat down." He looks at me with an irritated look, "That would have been helpful."

We spend the next couple hours helping Marcus figure out his new body. In no time at all he has found his new sense of balance and is walking around the room easily. He even learns to control his increased strength when handling objects in no time at all. I can't help but be impressed at how quickly he has adapted.

On his fifth lap around the room without any help I comment, "You are doing remarkable Marcus. The last time I helped a turned werewolf it took him three days to get where you are now. In fact, there are some natural werewolves that I have known who didn't have your balance." Marcus and his aunt Mary both look at me in surprise as he says, "Really? You have seen clumsy werewolves before?"

I can't help but laugh, "Oh yes, I used to be one actually. But that was a long time ago." He just nods and is about to say something when he freezes and his eyes no longer focus on anything in the room. He starts to sniff and asks, "What is that smell?" I lift my nose and sniff but don't detect anything unusual, "What does it smell like Marcus." He sniffs again, "I'm not sure. It smells like... like some kind of meat, but I don't know what kind."

His aunt looks around the room confused, "There isn't any meat in here." That's when I catch the sent to and smile, "That would some of the left over venison in the kitchen. Smells like someone just took it out of the fridge for a snack." He looks at me his eyes wide, "I could smell that all the way up here?" I nod, "Your senses as a werewolf are much stronger than when you were human and over the next few days as you get used to them they will continue to get stronger. You may want to stay away from too many loud noises for now. They can really hurt your ears if it gets too loud."

As though just to prove my point a high pitched whistle comes from down the hall causing Shadow's, Tabatha's, and myself to fold our ears down in annoyance. But Marcus who is not able to filter it out as well slaps his paws over his ears and whines in pain causing his aunt to run up to him in concern. After a moment the sound and its echoes fades away, "See what I mean, even someone just whistling for something can be painful. In time you will learn to block the majority of sounds and smells out and just focus on what you want."

When Marcus finishes rubbing his ears he looks at me, "Ok, being a werewolf is not as fun as I thought a few minutes ago. So when will I be able to change back to my old self? I know you guys can do it, so when can I?" I take a deep breath and let out a sigh, "That will take more time and a lot of practice before you can do it at will. For now you will most likely change randomly in your sleep, go to bed a wolf wake up a human. But first you're going to need to get some rest. Your first change is very draining on your body. Frankly I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet."

He stretches his arms over his head popping a couple joints, "Actually I have never felt more alert before." His stomach lets out a loud grumbling noise causing everyone in the room but him to laugh. When the laughing subsides Mary speaks up, "Well at least his stomach hasn't changed any. I never could get enough food to keep him happy." Smiling I turn to Tabatha, "Why don't you take Marcus and Mary down to the kitchen and get him some food. I'm sure Rosalie will have something fixed up he can snack on. You may as well tell her the story about what happened to him, it will be spread soon enough. Better to have the truth out now than a bunch of rumors." She nods and guides Mary and Marcus out of the room.

Before she leaves Mary turns back to me with a smile on her face, "Thank you Alpha Seeker, for helping him through this." I smile back, "It's my pleasure." With that she walks out of the room to catch up with the others.

After they are gone Shadow and I both sit down on the bed and look at the wall across from us. After a few moments Shadow speaks up, "This is going to cause problems you know that right." I nod my head, "Yeah I know, there hasn't been a turned werewolf in over two hundred years. There is a reason why all the wolf packs agreed to never let it happen again."

He sits there for a minute then asks, "So are the legends about turned wolves true?" I nod, "In some cases yes. There were some who were a lot stronger, faster, and more agile than pure blood wolves. There were also the ones who went insane shortly after being turned and killed entire packs with their bare hands. I saw the carnage left behind of one pack that that happened to. No one survived."

We sit in silence for several minutes. I think about some of the past events surrounding turned werewolves. Shadow I'm sure is thinking about some of the legends he has heard. Eventually he gets up and walks to a window asking, "So do you think that will happen with Marcus?" I let out a long sigh, "It's too soon to say for sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't prove to be the most agile of the pack before long. As for anything else... we will just have to wait and see."

Shadow nods and turns to look at me, "Do you think it's best not to tell him or his aunt right away?" I cross my arms across my chest and start pacing, "I don't know how long we can wait to tell them. Too soon and it would cause them to panic, too long and they will hear a garbled version from someone else. We do need to tell them sooner rather than later. But for the time being let's just keep a close eye on him, train him, and help him learn to master his new abilities. We do have one thing going for us though."

Shadow perks his ears up at my comment, "What is that?" I stop my pacing and look at him, "There will be two guardians training him. That and it is very rare for a turned to go insane as long as there are positive influences on them." Shadow nods, "Well that certainly puts things in our favor doesn't it."

I let out a humorless chuckle and sarcastically say, "This day just keeps getting better and better doesn't it. I can't wait to find out what happens next." Shadow rolls his eyes as he says, "For someone over three thousand years old I would have thought you would know better than to say something like that. I realize what he is saying and mentally slap myself as not much later Jasper walks in the room. Shadow looks at me and says, "Told you."

I roll my eyes at Shadow as I turn to Jasper, "Yes Jasper, what's wrong now?" He gets a confused look as he looks between me and Shadow, "Nothing's wrong Seeker. I was just going to ask when you thought about starting the trial for Harandoom and the others. Some of the villagers have been asking."

I let out a relieved sigh at not having another emergency to worry about. "I haven't given to much thought today, had my paws a bit full this morning." I walk over towards the door where Jasper is, "How about we start the trials first thing in the morning. If the villagers and Alpha Steel agree to that we will be able to get everything ready today." Jasper nods and turns to leave, "I will let the village elders and Alpha Steel know and see if they agree."

As soon as Jasper leaves I let out a loud sigh and lean against the wall. Shadow walks up to me and places his arms around my neck. After a short kiss he smiles at me, "Getting tired so soon? It's not even dark yet." A low growl rumbles in my throat, "Today has been the third worst day that I can ever remember having." He cocks his head to the side in confusion, "Third worst? What are the first two?"

I give a humorless grin, "The second was finding out Atlantis was destroyed, and the absolute worst day was yesterday when I thought I had lost you forever." He plants another soft kiss on my lips then playfully licks the tip of my nose, "Well while yesterday was a rough day, and more than a little painful. I would not trade it for anything in the world. Yesterday was the day that made it possible for us to spend eternity together. I never again will have to worry about you being alone after I am gone."

I raise an eyebrow at his last comment, "You were worried about me being left alone?" He blushes a bit under his fur and gives a small shrug, "Maybe a little, I was mortal until yesterday after all. Now I don't have to ever worry about it again." I smile and lean forward planting a soft kiss on his lips. A kiss that rapidly becomes much deeper as I plunge my tongue into his mouth tasting him as we push closer to each other.

After several long moments of bliss we pull apart and look into each other's eyes. Eventually he speaks up, "If we are going to take this any farther don't you think we should at least go to our room?" I glance around the room remembering that we are still in Tabatha and Eve's room. "I can see your point love." After disentangling ourselves I poke my head out the door to see if anyone is nearby. Seeing that the coast is clear Shadow and i head down the hall towards our room.

We reach our room without any interruptions but just as I put my hand on the door knob a voice calls from the hall behind us, "Ah, Seeker, Shadow. I have been looking all over for you two." I close my eyes and hit my forehead on the door just as I sense Shadow tense up behind me. Today is turning into a very annoying day. Suppressing a growl I turn around and to see who it is that interrupted our plans.

When I finish turning around i see Luna trotting down the hall towards us with Rick on her heals like an obedient puppy. I swear if he doesn't make his feelings for Luna known to her i am going to beat them both over the head with a stick. Her for being so blind to a good thing, and him for being so shy about it. In a few seconds they have come to a stop in front of us.

Letting out a sigh i speak up, "You found us, now what is so important that you have been looking all over for us?" After catching her breath Luna starts speaking excitedly, "Is it true? Rick and I heard a rumor that you made Shadow a guardian like you and that you have offered to make Rosalie one as well. We just wanted to hear from you if it was true. So is it?"

Shadow and I both let out a chuckle as i turn to him, "Talk about a fast gossip system around here. Who do you think was outside the door?" He shrugs, "My guess would be Eve or maybe Aaron." I shake my head and turn back to Luna and Rick, "Even if it was true, and I'm not saying it is or isn't. Why are you so eager to find out?"

She starts bouncing on her feet with excitement, "Well if it's true then you won't be the only one anymore. You won't be the last or all alone in the world." I can't help but cross my arms and look at Shadow as his words from just a few moments before are echoed from another mouth. After a moment I start talking in a slightly more gruff tone than normal, "Well I don't know why everyone is so concerned about me being alone all of a sudden, I have managed perfectly well for the last three thousand years on my own."

For a moment I stand there taking in the slightly stunned looks of Luna and Rick before I break into a grin and open my arms taking them both into a firm hug. Then speaking in a more joyful tone, "But I do appreciate it none the less."

After releasing them both, to a few suppressed chuckles from Shadow who is laughing at their stunned expressions, I step back grinning. "Well to answer your question Luna, yes I did make Shadow a guardian yesterday." With that Shadow holds out his right arm and reveals his red tattoo for the two of them to see.

The two of them stare at Shadows wrist then Luna starts bouncing up and down again with excitement and looks up at him, "You're a fire guardian aren't you? Can you summon your sword yet? Does it feel different? You look different did you get taller? Oh of course you did guardians have to be bigger than normal don't they. That is so cool." Shadow looks between me and Luna as she continues babbling her questions in an unending stream. Behind her Rick just shakes his head with a grin as he watches her.

Eventually her questions come to an end as she takes a breath. Shadow takes the opportunity during the break to ask, "When did you find out?" Rick is the one to answer, "Just a few minutes ago, we overheard Rosalie talking about it to Aaron in the kitchen." Shadow looks at me and I just shrug and say, "You know nothing stays secret around here for long. Besides, the fact that you grew nearly two feet over night would be a rather large give away." He shrugs, "Guess so, though it would have been nice to tell people on my own terms for once."

Rick grins, "With the three queens of gossip living here? You should know better than to hope for that." All of us start to laugh except Luna who turns on Rick and puts her paws on her hips, "Queen of gossip am I? What about you and Jasper, always whispering to each other when you think no one is looking." He shrugs, "That's guy talk, not gossip. It's different." She just rolls her eyes and turns toward me, "Guy talk really. That's just another word for gossiping."

She turns and walks away from the three of us, "Well I am going to go find Eve and Tabatha and have some GIRL TALK." Rick, Shadow, and I exchange glances as I speak up, "I get the feeling that we are going to be gossiped about." After another round of chuckles from the three of us Rick turns to leave, "I am going to go see about getting a bite to eat then I have a shift of guard duty on the prisoners."

He is about four steps away when Shadow catches my eye and nods in his direction as he mouths, 'tell him'. I turn to Rick and call out, "Hey, there is something that we need to tell you. Would you come in here with us for a second?" I open the door to our room and hold it open for Rick as he turns back to look at me confused, "Ok, sure Alpha."

Once we are all in the room Shadow sits on the foot of the bed as I pull up a chair for Rick before I join Shadow on the bed. I take a moment to compose how best to tell Rick about his potential to be a guardian. I notice that he is starting to get nervous about being here so I start talking to try and relax him a little, "First off Rick, I didn't ask you here to berate you for anything. In fact I have been rather impressed with how you and Jasper took charge last night after we returned. I obviously wasn't at my best and you two more than stepped up to the challenge. For that I am very thankful and proud of you both."

My words served to make the large wolf blush under his grey fur as he says, "It was nothing Alpha we were just doing our jobs as your betas." I nod softly before continuing, "That may be true, but I appreciate it none the less. However, that is not the reason that I asked you to stay right now." I glance at Shadow and he nods as I continue, "As you know I did tell Rosalie that I can make her a guardian, either because she was born destined to be one or earned the right at some point already. Well as of right now she is not the only one that can become a guardian. There is at least one other person who is ready to join Shadow and I as the new guardians."

Rick looks between Shadow and I for a moment with confusion then his eyes begin to widen as understanding settles in his mind. His mouth opens and closes a couple times before he manages to get the words out, "You mean me?" As Shadow and I both nod he asks, "But how could I be one? Shadow I can understand, he was willing to give his life for you. Rosalie... well I'm sure she has done something that I don't know about to deserve it. But I have never done anything special. Just been your beta for several years and before that Jasper and I were just pups trying to survive in the world. I certainly never did anything of importance."

I let out small chuckle and pat Rick on the shoulder, "Not everyone has to do some brave or selfless act to become a guardian Rick. Some like you and me are born to the roles. If you had been born in Atlantis you would have been trained from childhood to become a guardian, just like I was. But fortunately for you, you weren't born in Atlantis. So now you are being given the same choice that I gave Rosalie. Would you like to become an earth guardian Rick?" Rick slumps back in his chair and just stairs at Shadow and I. Clearly he is suffering from a bit of information overload so I add, "You don't have to answer right now. In fact I want you to think about it for a while. Though I would ask that you don't go spreading it around that I made this offer to you. We don't need people to start thinking that anyone can be a guardian now after all.

He nods as he rubs his head, "This is really something to think about isn't it." I just grin and nod at him. After a minute he gets up and starts pacing before asking, "Can I at least talk it over with Jasper? He is my brother after all." I nod slowly, "But only Jasper. At least until you have made your decision." With that Rick nods and turns to leave to go think about what I have offered him.

Just before he steps out the door though I call out to him, "Oh Rick one more thing." He stops and turns back to look at me asking, "Yes Alpha?" I grin as I say, "I know it's really not my business to get involved in your personal life but if I might make a suggestion. Tell Luna how you feel about her. If there is one thing that the past couple days have taught me it is that life is too short, even for an immortal, to not tell someone how you feel."

Ricks fur darkens as he blushes under it, "Uhm... you know how I feel about Luna?" Shadow and I both chuckle as Shadow speaks up, "Rick, I think the only one who doesn't know how you feel about Luna is Luna. You're not all that good at hiding your feelings when you're around her." His blush gets deeper as he scratches the back of his head, "Well I will see about that then." With that he turns and leaves the room closing the door behind him.

Once the door is closed I turn to Shadow, "Think we will be having any more earth shattering conversations today?" He sighs and falls back onto the bed so he is looking up at the ceiling, "I hope not, the sun set an hour ago." I look out the window and sure enough the sky is black with stars filling it. I let out a tired sigh, "I was so distracted I didn't even realize it was dark already."

He chuckles, "I did, about the same time I realized that we missed dinner." He lets out a loud yawn then looks up at me, "Did you want to go see about finding some food, or just skip a meal and get some sleep for tomorrow?"

I fight back a yawn of my own as I get up and start to take off my shirt and pants, "I say we sip the meal and get some rest. Going to need all the rest we can for the trials tomorrow. I am sure that it will be eventful in one way or another." Shadow lets out a groan as he gets up and undresses himself saying, "I wouldn't mind if it was a simple uneventful event that took only a few minutes and we would be done with it." I sigh as I fold back the sheets on the bed before climbing in with Shadow following soon after, "Oh it will be eventful in some way. Nothing around here is ever simple."

He nods in agreement as he places his head on my shoulder and cuddles close to my side. Before long he is fast asleep and snoring softly. I lay there listening to his breathing as my own eyelids grow heavy and I soon join him in slumber.