FSE

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LYKOS

Second Skin

Chapter 24

(Nature Versus Nurture)

Pale blue light filtered down from the moon suspended against the lavender backdrop - unmoving, unswaying, persistent. The surface details were incredible. There were craters, ridges, the Sea of Tranquility, but it was all an illusion contradicted by the observation window smashed in by a fallen tree. Even the long trunk was partially artificial, cored out and filled with metal to anchor it into the floor of the arboretum. Flames flickered from inside the control room, the orange emergency lights backlighting the smoke as it drifted out into the false forest.

Marco looked up at the sight as he and the others approached, feeling the war between his senses. He could feel the pull of the moon in his bones, gripping him, holding him as his werewolf self, but it wasn't real. Marco looked at the moon, then at the rippling crack in the air just in front of it, the crack of blue light. Looking right into it, Marco's mind filled with more memories of the past, of speaking with Nyctimus, of having Yom and Udo encourage him when he needed it most during the battle with Demeas. That crack was part of the spirit world breaking through.

“What were they doing here?" Fletcher murmured as he came up behind Marco, his paw digging into the bark dust, smelling the burning electronics in the smoke in the air. Udo came up beside Fletcher, the white wolf looking upwards towards the ceiling. It was hard to see, especially with the smoke, but the tops of the trees were projected onto the ceiling, interspersed with a few pieces of reality.

“It was another experiment. Maybe a bunch of them. They wanted control over the wolves. This must have been where they sent them during the full moon." Udo said. Yom sniffed the air, growling a little, the brown and black wolf moving closer to Marco.

“Not all of them… I don't smell as many down here as back in the building. But the ones that are here are close…" Yom replied, bowing his head to indicate direction. Marco turned, spotting the largest werewolf he had ever seen. Not only was the silver wolf tall but he was broad shouldered as well, sitting on his haunches, supporting himself with one paw on the ground. His eyes were haunting, the same pale blue as the artificial moon and the crack before it. Luke looked at Marco curiously, seeing the rich and vibrant turquoise in his eyes, a color that reminded him of the innocent son of Lycaon...

“Marco Iona… You should not be here." Luke stated simply, though his voice had a timbre to it that Marco could feel in his chest.

“I don't believe we've met." Marco replied, “I think I would have remembered someone like you." Luke did not smile.

“I know all the sons of Lycaon. I know all the werewolves… I know what they have done, I know what is in their heart. I know those that accept me and those that fight me. You should not be here. You must leave before it is too late." Luke replied.

“I can't do that… and I think you know I can't." Marco replied. Luke nodded his head slowly.

“I know that's what you think, but I must encourage you to leave." Luke answered. Yom bristled as more wolves emerged from the trees. The first was another abnormally large wolf covered in misty grey fur. His huge shoulders and unusually large arms made it clear he was a darkwolf. The next two were similar to Yom in size, covered in black fur although one had azure, teal and purple hues to the hair running down the center of his wolf head. Udo sniffed the air, smelling a strange mix of lust, love and subservience.

“Four on four…" Fletcher said, running his tongue across the roots of his saberteeth, surveying their competition. Marco shook his head.

“We can't let it devolve to that level… This is a lot bigger." Marco murmured, looking back at Luke carefully. He took several steps forward, forcing Ian and Enzo to run out in front of him, blocking him from making it all the way to Luke. The two wolves growled. Marco showed no fear, pushing himself up off the ground, rising onto his hind legs, standing as tall as he could.

“Marco!" Yom growled, not wanting his alpha hurt. Marco, however, looked directly into Luke's eyes, the eyes so similar and yet different to his own.

“You said you know all the sons of Lycaon, all of the werewolves… those that fight you and those that accept you." Marco said, “That is because you are the curse, aren't you? The curse of the werewolves, of Lycaon, of lycanthropy, of all of this?" he asked. For the first time, Luke did smile… except that it wasn't Luke. It was his echo, his reflection, the spirit that had connected with him.

“Yet one more reason you should not be here Marco Iona. You do not deserve the fate that will befall those that trifled with me, that manipulated me and my children. Leave now and save yourselves. Live the lives you were meant to lead." Luke said.

“What are you going to do to the people of this place? What fate is going to befall them?" Marco asked. Fletcher and Yom had moved up to flank Marco just as Ian and Enzo protected their Alpha, leaving Udo to move toward Milo, sizing him up. Luke lifted his head, looking at the control room, then the ceiling.

“I tried to warn them at first, that it was unwise to try and manipulate the will of the gods… Accidents, mistakes, glitches… I like that word…" Luke murmured, “Inconveniences to deter them, to slow them, to make them rethink their efforts. They did not listen. I tried harder, breaking things, disrupting things… Taking the randomness out of chance."

The words haunted Marco, making him think back to when the facility had started to flood. So many little things had gone wrong, then big things, but it had all worked to his advantage, allowing them to escape. Marco looked back at Luke, his jaw almost hanging open as he thought of the context. He looked at Luke, then the fallen tree, the artificial moon, the fires in the control room. He thought about the mounting storm and the werewolf effect.

“You did all of this, didn't you? Everything that's gone wrong here? The computers, the equipment failures?" Marco asked.

“Not just here… Those that have committed crimes against the werewolves will feel the justice of unfortunate chance." Luke said, the grin on his silver muzzle growing dangerous.

****

Naomi sat in the passenger seat of Chad's car, drooping as if the life had been drained out of her. Her eyes were closed and she only vaguely paid attention to the starting and stopping of the vehicle as Chad tried to navigate away from the tower. The slight pitter pat of rain fell across the windshield as they moved. Chad reached to turn on the wipers. Even with her eyes closed, Naomi couldn't shut out the outside world. She felt the decrease of friction on the road with the rain, the slight sway of wind against the car, and then the quick pop somewhere in the engine before a horrendous clicking/tearing sound ripped around.

“Shit…" Chad hissed, feeling the power die away from the engine at once. He managed to steer the car to the curb, coming to a somewhat rough stop a few inches into the intersection.

“What is it?" Naomi asked. Chad put the car into park, looking around. He could still see the Futurza tower in the distance behind them. They had only managed to make it a few blocks.

“I'm not sure, but we have to get you out of here." Chad said, “Stay here." he added under his breath as he reached to pop the hood before he got out. Naomi's brow furrowed as she watched him move to the front of the car and lift the hood, propping it up with the metal arm, obscuring her view other than a thin sliver of movement between the hood and the windshield. Naomi slowly leaned back in her seat. She took slow breaths, wondering if this was what it felt like when the fire and fight finally left her.

The car shimmied and shifted as Chad worked on whatever calamity had befallen them at the least opportune time. Even in the midst of her self-indulgent despair, Naomi didn't like being left behind or out of control. She took one quicker breath and reached for the glove box, though her hand slowed as it brushed the plastic. Her gaze had drifted to the side view mirror and locked with the red eyes of a beast covered in dripping brownish black fur. The teeth were gnarled and wicked, mismatched, coming between the lips that had grown around the fangs.

Naomi's face remained still even as her hand did not, reaching down between the seats, fishing around to find the weapon she knew Chad kept in there. When her fingers brushed the metal hilt, she reached over and hit the horn, trying to warn Chad and spook the Direwolf. It worked, at least in part. The direwolf snarled and slammed into the window, forcing it to shatter into the car. Naomi crawled over the console and rolled down the window enough to pass Chad his staff.

“Naomi, get out of there!" Chad exclaimed. Naomi winced, straining to feed the staff through. Chad grabbed onto it and pulled it out, but Naomi felt the spray of tiny turquoise beads of glass raining down across her back as the direwolf broke through the passenger window. He reached down with his grizzled, oversized paw, wrapping around both of her ankles with ease. Naomi twisted to try and get on her back, intent on seeing her attacker's face.

In one smooth movement, the predator pulled Naomi out of the car as easily as a tissue from a tissue box, tossing her to the sidewalk. Naomi landed in a heap, but she didn't stay put. She used the moment to roll and bound up, getting back a few feet just as Chad came around the back of the car, his staff coming down to hit the direwolf. The beast snarled as the electricity crackled, but it was too big for the shepherd's crook to hook around its neck, let alone for Chad to use his mass against it.

Naomi moved around the car as the direwolf focused on Chad, opening the driver's door to pop the trunk. She ran back on bare feet, feeling the sting of broken glass breaking the surface. She pushed the pain aside, threw the trunk open and reached in, grabbing the tire iron from its hiding place beneath the carpeting lining the trunk. Armed in some capacity, she focused on the direwolf before she charged.

Chad grunted as the clawed paw wrapped around his neck, lifting him up off his feet. The direwolf growled with delight at seeing such a strong specimen, wondering if he'd be better as a wolf or as a meal. Chad kicked uselessly at the beast's chest cavity, catching Naomi's advance out of the corner of his eye. All he had wanted her to do was to stay safe, but he knew she'd always be at the forefront, putting herself in danger. The least he could do was try to reduce the risk to her as much as possible.

The bodyguard swung his legs back, pushed off the car to gain speed and then hooked his legs up around the direwolf's neck before he squeezed them as much as he could. The direwolf responded predictably by tightening its grip on Chad's throat. If it was a contest of wills, the direwolf was going to win. Chad felt the blood rushing to his head, his heart racing as it tried to provide oxygen to the brain that was running out of it. Chad's body responded by trying to protect itself, his eyes shifting orange as his ears started to stretch into points.

Whether it was the fact that Chad was transforming, or that the direwolf still had strong legs wrapped around its neck, it had been just the distraction that Naomi needed to get up close enough to use the sharp end of the tire iron, slamming it into the direwolf's side. The creature yelped, letting go of Chad's throat who was dropped like a sack of potatoes, falling from the beast's neck and landing on the ground.

The direwolf turned fast enough to hit Naomi with the backside of its paw, sending her skidding down the sidewalk and into the corner of the building behind. Naomi grunted; the wind knocked out of her. She felt the copper bite of blood in her mouth and her forehead was burning. She looked up, watching the direwolf approach step by step, looming larger with each passing second.

Naomi looked from the monster before her to Chad, seeing him try to push himself up from the ground. Despite the fact that they were both likely to die, a small smile crossed her lips. If there was one thing she knew more than anything, it was that he had never betrayed her. He may have kept his secrets, he may have been some sort of supernatural creature, but he would have always given his life for hers. It was the one true thing in her entire life - at least the one good true thing. Naomi looked back up at her aggressor.

“Were you one of the test subjects from the tower? Or are you one of the wild things crawling around the city?" Naomi asked. The direwolf's lips tightened and a growl emanated from its maw. Naomi shook her head, “Wrong place, wrong time." she muttered before she pushed herself up, grabbed onto the brick wall beside her for support and forced herself back to her feet, smiling even more, “Well, nothing's stopping you now. Prove yourself to be the monster you are." Naomi dared the beast. It accepted her offer.

“No!" Chad screamed as the direwolf charged, but in a moment as mesmerizing as it was confounding, the direwolf crumpled, almost as if it was crushed inward. A flash of yellow light had enveloped its form, pulling its arms inward, its legs together, even coiling around its muzzle. The wolf gave a muffled snarl as it crumped to the ground, panting and huffing. Naomi looked at the incapacitated beast, then the confused expression on Chad's face before she turned around.

Standing a few feet behind them was another werewolf, this one of the common variety, and what appeared to be a young African American man with an outstretched hand, yellow light dancing between his fingers like arcing electricity. The lean, strong rugged black wolf sniffed the air before looking at the human.

“Ethan, that's Naomi Bennet… She's the one that orchestrated all of this." The wolf growled softly. The keeper's eyes turned from concerned to angry, his lips tightening. Naomi heard a scrape of shoes on the broken glass behind her, Chad limping forward as he brought up his keeper's staff. He brandished it, the electricity sparking along the length as he held it out between Naomi and the others.

“We can all walk away from this. We appreciate the assist, but it might be best if you forget you ever saw us." Chad said, shifting the staff to try and keep from putting weight on his injured leg. Conrad growled, taking a step forward before Ethan held his spare hand out, the other still aimed at the direwolf restrained on the ground.

“It was you, wasn't it? The one at the secret facility?" Ethan asked, looking at the bodyguard's unique weapon. He had spoken to many of the werewolves that Marco had helped lead to safety and they had all shared the same description of a masked vigilante with a mechanical shepherd's staff. Chad paled slightly at that before he turned, grabbing Naomi's wrist, turning away from the others as he started to walk. Naomi followed after, though she was as perplexed as anyone, looking back at the others as Chad quickly limped down the street and around the corner.

“This is your plan? We're just going to hobble away and they're going to let us?" Naomi asked. Chad stared straight ahead, looking toward the crosswalk ahead, realizing all the streetlights on the block had gone out.

“Yeah, they're going to let us. Dumb luck has to be on our side eventually." Chad whispered. Naomi looked at Chad for a moment before she stopped in place, her hand pulling free from his. Chad winced and turned to look back at her, “We don't have time for this. We have to get out of here." he said softly.

“What did he mean, the one at the secret facility?" Naomi asked softly, “Did you go to the Beta Site? Were you there before it fell?" she asked. Chad looked back at Naomi with a pained, exhausted look before he shook his head.

“If I tell you, will you come on?" he asked. Naomi's eyes widened.

“You were there… You were there, and the werewolf community knows about it. What did you do? Whatever you did, you didn't stop its collapse… and you didn't tell me…" Naomi said. Chad growled, his eyes flashing a brighter orange.

“I had to protect you from yourself!" Chad exclaimed, startling Naomi. Chad winced a little, but he had finally uncorked the truth. He took a heated breath, “The experiments there went too far. If those scientists had their way, all of those werewolves would be dead and that would have been on your hands. There would have been no coming back from that. They needed protecting and you needed protecting from yourself." he repeated.

Naomi stood there on the street, her red hair blowing in the cold wind, the rumble of thunder filling the skies above them. The traffic lights were out, the buildings were dark. Garbage blew down the street, dancing in the wind. The air smelled of blood and smoke and smog. Naomi looked at Chad, at how hurt he was and how angry he was. She looked at the conflict in his heart, then her eyes fell in shame to the sidewalk. She was still, quiet, even as sirens grew louder in the distance.

“You've always been there to protect me." Naomi said, “From danger, from secrets, from myself." she whispered before looking back up at her oldest friend with tears in her eyes, “Why?"

The words were spoken so quietly, so tenderly. If Chad had been human, he might not have even heard the last word, but with his enhanced senses, he caught it. He looked at how vulnerable she was before he stepped forward, closing the gap between them. He approached until he was inches away, looking into her sad, lonely eyes. He reached out, resting his hand on her arm.

“In this world there is nature, and there is nurture." Chad said, “Nature makes a person and nature can be merciless. There are no second chances. But if you nurture a person, if you protect them, if you keep them safe… amazing things can happen. All the good things in life become possible. Random acts of kindness can save lives, and the quest for justice and the truth can lead to medical and technological discoveries that can save even more lives, lives that can go on to make art, music, culture, to make new laws to nurture others." Chad smiled as he said the words and Naomi felt almost as if she'd been wrapped up in the warmest, softest blanket. She looked up at Chad, wanting to accept the words, but her question still nagged at her. Her brow furrowed.

“But you never tried to stop me, not… directly." she said. Chad shifted a little at that before he nodded.

“If I had tried, I wouldn't have succeeded. Then you really would have been alone. At least this way I could run damage control, try to keep you safe and try to help others too." Chad explained. Naomi looked at Chad with respect and awe before she felt the stinging in her legs getting worse.

“I don't deserve you, but for once I'm going to stop fighting. We really do need to get out of here." She said. Chad closed his eyes and grinned.

“I've waited so many years for you to take my lead." he smiled, turning to resume their path. Naomi stepped up, looping her arm under his to try and help shift the weight off of his injured leg.

“Don't get used to it, my friend." Naomi said. Chad laughed at that.

“No chance of that happening." he replied, keeping his eyes peeled for any more threats that might present themselves.

****

The standoff in the false forest remained unchanged. Marco and his three betas faced off against an Alpha possessed by the curse of the werewolves and his three Betas. If it weren't for the fact that Luke had bonded with a timeless embodiment of a supernatural law and grown to be ten feet tall, Marco might have felt it was a fair balance… but how did one fight a curse, let alone one in an innocent body? Marco could smell the air getting thicker with smoke and there had been a creaking and groaning coming from other parts of the ceiling. Whatever damage was being inflicted was getting worse.

“Science had no right to try and define what you are…" Marco began. Luke snarled.

“To manipulate me, to round up the werewolves, to experiment on them!" Luke roared. Marco nodded.

“I know, I was one of those, so was my pack… People I love and care about were hurt, people died…" Marco hesitated, the words forming in his mind as he tried to use logic and reason to argue law with a curse, “But you cannot punish them all for the mistakes of a few. There are innocent people that are going to be hurt. There are innocent people that have already been hurt because of your acts." Marco said. Luke said nothing at that, his ears flattening against his head. Marco took a breath to continue,

“A great keeper taught me that the curse was created to punish those whose inhumane crimes and hubris was worse than that of any animal, but over time the curse grew merciful as those impacted learned how to be humble, how to be kind, how to live with themselves, right?" Marco asked. Again, Luke said nothing. “And when Demeas broke through the veil, connecting the worlds, the curse updated itself. It wasn't just werewolves and direwolves, it was a spectrum. There were those that fought you, but you still were merciful, they became dark wolves, shifting organically…"

“The humans that did this are even more guilty than King Lycaon and his sons were. They ended one innocent life. How many have these humans ended? They have forgotten me; they have forgotten the punishment for their crimes." Luke growled. Marco took a deeper breath and stepped forward. Ian lunged and snarled, snapping at him, saliva flinging from his fangs. Marco did not flinch.

“They might be, but you are not the only reminder to humans that there are consequences for their actions. You are not the only system of order to keep them in check, and humans cannot learn from their crimes if you destroy them. Others will repeat the same mistakes… just like they did this time." Marco said softly, “Turning the humans into werewolves set them apart from humans. Most of them learned their lessons slowly, painfully, over time, but they couldn't share what they learned with the rest. They were feared and outcast, marginalized. They hid for their own safety. If you kill these humans, no one will learn. The crimes will be repeated." Marco said clearly.

Luke's ears slowly lifted from his head, his pale blue eyes gaining a hint of gold to them. He looked at Marco, at the werewolf standing before him without fear or pause, at the werewolf that freed himself from the shackles of humanity and werewolf alike. This time Luke was the one that stepped forward, forcing Ian to tuck his tail between his legs and move out of the way, Enzo backing off as well. Milo managed to turn and watch the two Alphas come together, standing side by side with Udo. The huge silver wolf reached up, putting a paw on Marco's muzzle, looking into his eyes for a long moment.

“How did you come this far?" Luke asked. Marco exhaled slowly.

“It wasn't easy, I had to re-learn some lessons." Marco said softly, “I've always tried to live a life of kindness and do the right thing, but I backslid a little this year. I had to learn that I was more than just an animal, and more than just a man. I had to find the balance, equilibrium. I had to find myself so I could share that with others…" Marco said, looking over at Fletcher for a moment, remembering the lesson he had learned from Haechi in his vision of how life could have turned out if things had been a little different.

Luke looked into Marco's eyes for a moment longer before he lowered his paw and dropped down to all fours, moving back several yards, sitting down at the base of the tree that smashed through the window above the artificial moon. He looked up at the crack to the spirit world and at the technology that had enabled it to happen in the first place. It had been a sweet poison to focus on the rage and wrath of being forgotten, of sitting in the wake of tragedy and injustice… and none of that had been wrong. The system had been wrong, the crimes had been wrong… but in that particular moment, in that particular place, Luke could see Marco's destiny. He could see the direction he was headed, and he could see a different path for the rest of the werewolves. The moment hung in the air until he finally broke the silence.

“There will still be a price to be paid for mercy… By you, by those that are guilty of the crimes." Luke said. Marco nodded eagerly.

“Of course." Marco said. Yom's ears sprung up and his back arched as his boyfriend so easily accepted a price without knowing what it was. Luke slowly rose back up to his feet, his tail swishing back and forth behind him.

“My influence has already spread out through every piece of code, every file, every database, every server. They will live to remember the lessons they learned, but they will not benefit from their experiments. This place and everything it stands for will still be destroyed… but there will be enough time for those that inhabit this place to escape. You already have experience helping innocents to escape sure destruction." Luke said seriously.

“Thank you… I'll get them out, I'll make sure they have the chance to learn from this lesson." Marco said.

“What about Luke? What about my Alpha?" Enzo called out. Luke looked back at Enzo, at Milo and Ian. The plea had reached him, the real him. The curse had been persuasive, reaching out as his echo, showing him everything they had in common. It had given him security, strength and comfort, but like a security blanket, its time had passed. Luke had been a passenger in his own body, but he had heard Marco's words. There was no denying it was the same sort of thing he would have done if their roles had been reversed. An Alpha looked out for his pack, but a real Alpha looked out for those around them too…

“Don't worry Enzo, you have me…" Luke whispered, his eyes shifting from a dull blue to a bright amber. He looked out at his pack; at the omegas he'd helped become Betas. They were so handsome and so strong and so brave. He smiled and moved to take a step, but as he moved, he felt a great wave of dizziness sweep over him as his strength seemed to falter.

At first it almost looked as if steam was rising off of Luke's body, but as the werewolves watched, much of his immense size started to lift off of him, turning to vapor that glowed in the pale blue light like a ghostly after image. The mass stripped away until Luke dropped to the ground, panting, heaving for breath, a white furred wolf no larger than Marco. He was soaked with sweat, dizzy and disoriented, his mind struggling to reassert itself after being out of control for just a touch too long.

Enzo and Milo rushed to nuzzle and nudge their Alpha, to help him up, but Marco was looking at the shape that the vapor had taken on, the shape of a real wolf standing on the fallen tree in front of the artificial moon. It was made of blue light, its eyes the brightest points. It looked on at the werewolves before it before it dispersed, caught in between the wind and the light, fading away to thought and memory.

A tremor shook the ground beneath them all as the curse loosened its grip on the technology that had brought the situation to its zenith. The wolves weren't certain what had caused the shaking, only that it was likely a warning of the dangers to come. Marco moved over, pulling Luke up onto his four legs. Fletcher looked up as the artificial moon flickered, the light dimming and becoming uneven. There was another shudder and a fountain of sparks broke through the wall, showering outward in a vibrant cascade of white-hot embers. One of the capacitors had exploded, bringing with it an acrid tang of acid.

“We've got to get out of here!" Milo exclaimed.

“The elevator will not fit this many werewolves." Fletcher said, looking at them all.

“The passenger one won't, but we used the freight elevator once. I'll show you where it is." Ian said, leading the way. Yom circled back to keep their flank safe, coaxing the others along. As they moved away from the artificial moon, the flames only grew brighter. The observation room had gone from a dull flicker to a roaring bonfire. Another capacitor went, splintering the cement off the wall, exposing a quarter of the cyclotron behind. It had been a carefully engineered piece of equipment, more sophisticated than anything ever assembled by man. It harnessed magnetism, gravity, light - each a complex system in its own right, each vulnerable to the fluke chance that the unexpected, the unfortunate, the unlikely could happen.

The device trembled as more of the capacitors exploded, shaking the foundations of the tower itself. Another waveguide failed and suddenly one of the components pulled in on itself, the silver housing crumpling under its own mass intensified by a gravity field. The sudden compression ripped the mechanism from two of its moorings, the uneven weight shifting another load bearing strut.

A deafening crack echoed through the false forest as the cement tore. The seam zig-zagged its way upwards, ripping through the wall, past the observation window, arching upwards until it started to branch across the ceiling. Smaller pieces began to fall, crumbling downward and falling like a shower of plaster and cement. Projectors that had been keeping the illusion alive on the wall began to shear from their anchors, tumbling down. The hot lamps smoldered before the bark dust began to ignite, spot fires picking up and adding to the smoke that was already in the air.

The illusion was crumbling. The artificial moon was no more. The massive device peeked out from behind the collapsing facade. More explosions punctuated the moments, but a deep resonating hum began to slowly die as the cyclotron's mechanisms spun slower and slower. The last light faded from the emitters as the device fell dark. The last point of blue light came from the tiny, razor thin zig-zag scar that hung in the air just in front of where the artificial moon had been… but even that began to close and heal, disappearing entirely.

The machine had fallen silent. In its wake the fires were growing, the damage increasing. The smoke was getting thicker, spreading outward, filling the foundations beneath the tower. As the moments passed, the fires grew. The soil that had been so meticulously chosen was consumed first, the flames tearing the wood away from the metal that supported it. The illusion that the natural world could be reproduced underground went up in fire and smoke, burning hot enough to threaten everything that kept the manmade structure up. The very attempt to harness the supernatural had opened the door for the coming destruction.

****

The freight elevator door rumbled open, allowing Udo, Milo, Ian, Artyom, Enzo and Fletcher off first. Marco looked back at Luke. The white wolf had regained a lot of his strength on the ascent, though he still looked a bit tired and sapped. Marco stood back upright, resting a paw on his shoulder, giving it a soft rub.

“Were there any other wolves down there?" Marco asked. Luke shook his head.

“Some were down there to start with, like the scientist, but they snuck upstairs when they had the chance earlier… I think the curse was encouraging them to make more werewolves, another way to punish them for their misdeeds…" Luke said. Marco nodded.

“No more wolves down there means the rest are up above… and we have to get them out." Marco said, looking at Fletcher. Fletcher slowly grinned, looking over at the wall. Like any school, dorm, office building or public space, the Futurza Tower was pockmarked by red fire alarm stations. They were a part of modern society, and Fletcher had always, ALWAYS, wanted to pull one. He reached out, his clawed fingers gripping the red metal lever before he pulled down. The lever crushed a small glass capsule inside and triggered an independent circuit.

Even without the primary electricity being on, the hallway lit up with a white strobing light. A steady klaxon began to sound, and the werewolves heard that pulsing, thumbing, warning sound ripple upward. Floor by floor, dorm by dorm, every corner of Futurza tower was lighting up with the fire alarm. The warning call had been sounded. Now it was up to the werewolves to heed. Marco looked around, taking stock before he met eyes with Luke.

“You and your pack have been through enough. Get outside, get to a safe distance. There are keepers that will help you get the rest of the way." Marco said. Luke looked at Marco with a bit of astonishment, a small smile creeping across his muzzle.

“I could say the same thing about you, but you know we both have to make sure everyone gets out of here, right?" Luke asked. Marco hesitated before he nodded.

“Alright, but no more elevators… Stick to the stairwells, okay?" Marco asked.

“Always wise in a fire." Luke agreed Marco turned, looking at his pack.

“Fletcher, you need to be the relay. Let the keepers know we're coming out. Keep an eye peeled for emergency response. This could get messy if more people try to come in." Marco said.

“Milo, relay messages back and forth. Keep us updated. Ian, I need you to help get everyone out that can't help themselves." Luke said.

“Artyom, help him with that." Marco added, “Udo, we're going to come across people that aren't ready to accept help from werewolves. We have no idea how long the effect from the fake moon is going to last. Think you can be diplomatic?" he asked. Udo smiled.

“I'll be a very good boy, I promise." Udo agreed.

“What about me?" Enzo asked. Luke moved over and reached to give his mane a pet.

“I need you to be brave and come with Marco and me… Three stairwells, three ways up. We've got to make sure we get out as many people as possible in the shortest time we can." Luke said. Enzo leaned into the pet.

“You've got it." Enzo replied.

“Let's get to work, we don't have much time." Marco said. With that, their plan was decided. The wolves split up, each moving to their assigned duties. Fletcher grabbed onto the wall, forcing himself back up onto his hind legs as his joints creaked and shifted. Fur retracted, his tail shrank, his muzzle blunting and flattening until his human face emerged, though his tusks remained. He tilted his neck to one side and then the other, flexing his hands as they reverted to mostly human.

As Fletcher headed for the front door, Ian and Artyom moved around the corner, heading out into the lobby, spotting an unconscious blond werewolf on the ground. Yom sighed softly, moving over with the misty gray darkwolf. They each grabbed onto one of Poulson's arms and started dragging him toward the exit, ready to do their part to save each and every person they could. Somewhere far below their feet they felt another tremor, an ominous sign in a building as large as the tower. Yom looked back toward the stairwells, watching Marco disappear into one.

“Be quick, my love…" Yom whispered to himself, though Ian overheard and felt the same way for his own Alpha.

****

The navy-blue clouds flashed with fury as lightning crackled, jumping cloud to cloud and striking the already over-taxed building. The fire that had started with the HVAC systems had spread rapidly, compounded by secondary fires from other failing systems. The rain had stopped but the wind had picked up in its stead. Even with electricity out, word had spread about smoke spilling from the upper floors of the Futurza tower. Emergency response crews had tried to get close to the building to render aid, but a labyrinth of crashed cars slowed their access.

There were mere moments of anonymity left as a steady stream of werewolves filed out of the building, heading down the steps and sprinting across the road to where a growing number of Keepers were using their powers to try and shield the wolves from observation. Ethan worked near the forefront, moving his hands and lips in a deluge of magic, summoning every bit of strength he had. It felt almost as if his magic was a muscle, and the more he worked it the more he could manage.

Shards of light were coming together, forming a patchwork tunnel across the road between the tower and the alley. Ethan had to be quick and he had to be diligent. After the blood moon eclipse, he had little doubt any police officer responding to the scene would treat a werewolf as a threat. He had to keep them safe. That was his sole purpose, his responsibility. Every so often he looked back, seeing Conrad ferrying the wolves away through the narrow gaps, getting them away from downtown, but it wasn't easy. Many of the wolves were freshly turned, still garbed with scraps of lab coats and uniforms and business suits…

Even with the roaring fury of the storm above, the constant pulsing whine of the fire alarms continued to punctuate the chaos inside of the building, disrupted only by an occasional explosion somewhere above or below. The artificial moon was breaking down, but the fires were also reaching laboratory levels. Every fire suppression system seemed to be failing in one unfortunate fluke chance after another. The chemicals only added to the destruction, spreading rapidly. It was a feeling that weighed on Marco's shoulders as he moved down the stairs, but he knew if another section of the ceiling fell, it would weigh on him a lot more.

The smoke irritated and burned at their lungs, tinged with elements and chemicals that had no right to be inhaled. Their werewolf bodies struggled hard to repair the damage, but their enhanced senses amplified the sensations at the same time. It was torture to subject themselves to it, but Marco and Luke both knew they had to be sure, they had to do their due diligence. Most of the remaining humans and werewolves had evacuated themselves when the fire alarms went off. Only a few had remained behind, too distracted by their new natures. Even fewer had actually been trapped, but for those few Marco had helped, he knew they had done the right thing.

“I can't smell anyone else!" Enzo said, singed and tired, his golden eyes watering.

“I can't smell anything." Yom agreed. Luke was panting, his chest rising and falling, Enzo nuzzling him to try and encourage his Alpha. Marco licked his lips, his nostrils burning. His ears twitched as somewhere above them there was a deep rumbling shudder.

“We've done all we can. I really don't think anyone else is in here. We have to get out of here. Go, as fast as you can, all of us." Marco said. There was no hesitation. Enzo nudged Luke again who got his second wind, descending down the stairwell. It was no easy feat for the werewolves to move like that, let alone in a confined space, but floor by floor they descended. Even the emergency lighting was starting to flicker, the stairs shaking. Yom refused to move ahead of Marco, staying by his side.

As the four got to the bottom, Enzo threw the door to the lobby open. The space had been forged out of dark blue and black and those colors spread beyond the tower with the raging storm. The fountains had gone dry, the pumps deprived of power. Enzo helped Luke out across the lobby, but Marco paused, feeling the fur on the back of his neck stand straight up as he felt a sudden increase in the air pressure.

“Go, GO! GO!" Marco roared. Luke and Enzo got to the doors as Marco and Yom broke into a dead sprint, a deafening rumble shaking everything above and below them. A terrifying, haunting howl of metal and cement came as floor after floor began to collapse, disrupted by explosions as volatile elements were brought together by circumstance. Marco and Yom breached the doorway, but nowhere close was safe, not from what was happening. They kept going, catching up to Luke and Enzo, heading toward the alleyway where Fletcher, Udo and Ethan were standing, watching in stunned shock.

Lightning flashed viciously across the skies as the Futurza tower collapsed. Glass shattered, cement erupted, metal twisted and broke. A great haze of deadly dust billowed outward, spreading in a shockwave. Ethan dropped his illusions, focusing entirely on defense. Pearl light poured from his hand as he formed a barrier a second before the debris hit. Other keepers squeezed up through the alley, moving to help Ethan, trying to provide more cover. Fragments of cement peppered the shield before falling to the ground below, but it was the dust that looked the most deadly. It was a fine powder, pulverized pieces of glass and steel and cement.

It felt like an earthquake as the tower came crashing down, an earthquake that lasted an eternity. Every sense was muffled. They could feel the sounds more than they could hear them. Udo's ears buzzed from the overwhelming onslaught, while Fletcher was shell shocked at seeing something so big come crashing down. Somewhere in the distance there was the flashing blue and white lights of emergency vehicles, but the haze was so thick that none of them could see out of the alleyway. Luke remained close to the edge of the shield, looking out to where the tower had been, to where his home away from home had been, to where he had started his life over… a third time, a third version, a third chance to get it right. He'd touched the divine, and now?

The destruction had been total and complete. The entire area was shrouded in dust too thick to see through, but all at once they felt a change, as if something had been squeezing their hearts all this time and it had just let go. The strange, somewhat uncomfortable and unnerving feeling of reversion began to spread through the wolves. Fur began to pull back, claws shrank away. Yom popped his neck as his muzzle retreated, and Luke flexed his fingers as his paw turned back into a hand. The influence of the artificial moon was no more.

Far above the tower, the fury of the storm began to fade away. The lightning ceased, the swirling clouds began to break up and the late light of a Houston afternoon began to shine through. The sunlight came down in a pillar, illuminating a haunting silhouette through the smoke. Futurza tower had fallen, but the honeycomb of metal hexagons, the shell around the building, still stood. It had acted like a net, catching the debris, protecting the buildings around the tower, containing the destruction and funneling it downward into the foundation below.

“We can't stay here…" Marco said, feeling incredibly tired as his eyes reverted from turquoise to hazel. His fur retreated, his ribs contracted, his muscles shrank. Marco reached out to support himself on the wall, his breathing labored. He'd never been that winded after a transformation. He swallowed, still trying to breathe, “They're going to want to ask questions. The fewer of us they see… the better."

“Let's get these people out of here." Ethan directed the other keepers, waving them along. Luke looked at Marco with an odd knowing look, but the movement of those being evacuated forced him along with the current. Yom, Udo and Fletcher remained behind with Marco. Each of them felt a sensation at the edge of their awareness that was too strange to put into words. For Udo it was as if someone had just stepped on his grave, chilling him to the bone. For Yom, it was a peculiar change to Marco's scent as if one of the elements had disappeared, but for Fletcher it was a far more profound reading of Marco's body language. He wasn't moving like himself; he wasn't carrying himself like normal.

For once in his life, Rayne Fletcher did not have a witty remark or observation. He sidled over, slipping his arm under Marco's, helping him to his feet. Marco smiled with appreciation and love, feeling relief at being able to share Fletcher's strength.

“I'm sorry, I must have overdone it." Marco admitted. Fletcher rolled his eyes.

“Of course you overdid it, you always do…" He forced a grin, but the worry in his eyes was palpable as he spotted a cut in Marco's arm. Fletcher had no doubt Marco had been injured trying to evacuate people from the tower, but the cut was static and unchanged. It wasn't pulling shut or knitting itself together. It wasn't even doing a very good job of clotting… It was an everyday, ordinary wound healing at an everyday, ordinary speed. Marco had never asked the curse about the price he had to pay. To Marco, any price was worth the lives of others. Fletcher just prayed that the price was going to be skin deep.

****

The sounds of the highway came and went like lapping waves against the windows of the cheap hotel, each passing vehicle bringing a sunrise and sunset of its own as headlights passed beyond. The sound was reassuring to Chad in its own strange way, a reminder that life continued, that another day would come, that another chance awaited them. Chad had settled into a recliner, allowing his injuries to mend themselves. He didn't heal as fast as a werewolf did, but he was thankful for any accelerated healing at all after the fight with the direwolf. His scrapes and cuts had mended, but his back and neck were still quite sore. He adjusted carefully in his seat, trying to find a good position for his back muscles to stretch out.

The dingy dark wood panels that formed the walls of the hotel had to be from the seventies, along with the disgusting yellow ochre carpeting. If Naomi hadn't felt bad enough that her empire had fallen and her life's work had evaporated in front of her, the hotel had been the finishing blow. It was an affront to all that was good and decent, and it was a painstaking reminder that there was a very real chance she'd never see her home again…. That was enough to make her sick, and at least the hotel bathroom didn't have that terrible wood paneling.

Naomi stood in the bathroom, stripped down to a t-shirt and shorts. Her red hair had been pulled back into a makeshift bun to keep it out of her face. At first, she'd felt hollow and empty, but as the sun set and evening set on, she'd actually started to feel sick. She'd felt hot and flushed, sweat soaking the collar of her shirt. She'd washed her face and tried to come to grips with it, only to feel her stomach burn and churn inside.

The heat and nausea grew stronger until she was gripping the sink basin so tight her knuckles were turning white. Naomi's breathing accelerated; her heart started to race. Her lungs rose and fell faster and faster. Was it a panic attack? She'd read about those, but did they come with fevers? Naomi grunted, feeling strange, as if her bones were red hot. She grunted louder before her eyes snapped open, looking at her reflection in the dirt mirror, seeing eyes that were not her own… they were bright, they were vibrant, they were the same shade of amber gold that she had come to despise. They were the eyes of a werewolf.

“No, no! No, please no!" Naomi begged, but her words could not hold back the curse as it took root. Her fingernails darkened, the clear enamel cracking as the keratin beneath hardened and darkened, shifting from a pristine white to tan, brown, and then brownish black. The nails grew longer and sharper, thickening. Her fingers stung as the nails sunk deeper into the flesh, anchoring into new nail beds that were forming. “No!" She screamed, balling her hand into a fist before bringing it slamming down onto the counter, feeling the crunch of plastic beneath her hand. She looked at the accidental target of her rage, the flash drive she had taken from Futurza. The device was crushed, the chip inside split.

Naomi snatched her hands back, shocked equally by her changes and her strength. She forced herself to look back at her reflection as her perfect round ears began to push upwards, the cartilage shifting into points. Naomi's chest rose and fell even as her breasts began to tingle, feeling perkier, fuller, rounder. Her shirt strained and shifted as her chest grew larger, but her arms were thickening too. The muscles she had kept in peak shape at the gym were growing at an accelerated rate. She gasped, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. When the door to the bathroom opened, Naomi gasped, startled. She looked over at Chad, knowing he had come when he heard her scream. Now she looked at him with shame and terror.

“Chad, please…" she whispered, looking at him with desperation, “Please, don't let this happen… I know… I know you can do it. You can put me out of this misery." she whispered. Chad was frozen, stunned, shocked and then appalled by her suggestion as his mind scrambled to catch up. Chad stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Naomi, pulling her to him. Naomi felt his chest against her face, and she broke out into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Her clawed hands curled into fists for a moment before the strength left them. She held on weakly to Chad's body, weeping.

Chad held Naomi, feeling her shift against him. Her spine lengthened; her legs got toned. Any other person would have found it a power, a force to be reckoned with, but to her it was a sentence worse than death.

“Naomi, I promise that I'll keep you safe. I always have and I always will. We will get through this. We will survive. We'll find our place… I promise you." Chad whispered. Naomi continued to cry, her head pressed tightly to Chad's chest. The only thing that kept her from crumpling was the comforting sound of Chad's heartbeat. She'd never heard it so clearly before. Then again, she'd never heard anything so clearly before. Her senses were waking up and every one of them was enhanced. She could smell things, hear things, and feel things she never could before. She stayed there for what felt like an eternity before finally she opened her golden eyes and looked up at Chad, scared and afraid. Her lips parted as she seemed to struggle to find the words.

“So, you're not going to give up on me?" She asked. Chad smiled back at that.

“On you? On us? Never… Besides, you're like me now. We're both more than we seem." Chad said softly. Naomi was comforted by his reassurance, but she was taken aback by his analogy. She… was like him. The words were so simple, so true… She didn't have to be exactly like the werewolves. Chad was something else, something different, but even among the werewolves she'd seen different kinds. She didn't have to be defined by her curse, not entirely… She could be her own sort of person, her own sort of werewolf.

Naomi looked up at Chad as if he had invented some new language, but in his comfort, he had given her a choice she didn't know she had. She would not be defined by her nature. She would be defined by the choices that she made, that they made… Maybe death was not the answer. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way ahead after all. The two stood there, embracing in a hotel on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, knowing this was just one pitstop on a much longer journey.

****

The steady hum of a box fan, the kiss of a slightly cool breeze across bare skin, the comfort of a soft pillow and the warmth of another pressed to his side… For a moment Marco could have sworn he was back in his dorm room, back safe at college, back where he could be himself - except it didn't smell like Echo Creek. It smelled like home, his real home, in Hawaii… almost. The smell was subtle, muted, barely there. A red glow filled Marco's vision, light playing against his eyelids. As reluctant as he was to do so, he knew he had to open them.

Light swept in around him, filtering through the gauzy off-white curtains holding back the Texas sunset. Marco felt lost for a second, the surroundings unfamiliar and alien for a few seconds until he remembered where he was - his parents' house in the Houston suburbs. Marco turned and looked at the person asleep by his side, Rayne Fletcher, tucked up against him and his… bandaged arm.

Marco's brow furrowed softly. Why had they bandaged him? He tried to sit up but swiftly abandoned that goal. His bones felt hollow, his muscles felt drained. He was dizzy, his brain foggy. It was like his synapses were firing slower, his body barely functioning. It felt… like the dream he had, the vision of another life not lived. It felt like he was human. Marco's heart started to race in his chest, but it was a pathetic pulse compared to what he was capable of before. Marco's face tightened into more and more concern until a hand pressed against him.

“It's okay, Marco. It will be okay." Fletcher said softly. Marco opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. He was speechless. Fletch leaned up softly and kissed Marco's fuzzy cheek and then his lips, reaching to caress his beard before looking him in the eyes. “It will be okay." Fletcher whispered. Despite his fear, despite his trepidation, Marco believed him. He knew if Fletch believed it, it would be okay.

****

The television had been on for three days, showing wall to wall footage of the destruction of Futurza tower. There were no confirmed deaths, though there were several individuals listed as missing. The dust from the collapse had blanketed the city for miles, but most of the debris had been confined on site, trapped in the honeycomb that served as a monument to the hubris of those that tried to understand a curse that refused to be dissected.

Yom sat listlessly in the recliner, staring through the television rather than at it. He'd barely eaten, barely drank anything. The only time he'd move was to trade off with Fletcher, to get time cuddled up with Marco, to try to nurse him back to strength. Nothing had worked and the days had passed. Yom felt powerless, unable to save the man that had saved him so many times over, yet again.

Udo sat at the dining room table, working away on Cira's laptop after realizing that Haku's had succumbed to some sort of computer virus. The hard drive had been fully corrupted. Even the recovery discs hadn't worked. Udo had tried to cope by reaching out to Ren, to Ethan, to anyone that might have understood what happened to Marco, but every time he asked, he was met with shock.

Cira had fallen back on an old family tradition in times of crisis and had started cooking. She'd cooked double, even triple the amount that the boys could eat, saving Marco and Yom servings even though neither ate… but even that wasn't enough. She'd made a few short trips out, taking food to those working to clear the damage around the tower and those giving aid to the ones affected by it. She said it was strategy, to touch bases, to get a feel for what was happening, but Futurza was gone and gutted.

Haku had tried to be practical about it all, deciding on their next move. They had come to Houston entirely based on the job. They had their house back in Hawaii, but money was running out. They had to get back while they still could afford to, and they had to find a new way to support themselves. He'd arranged for boxes to be dropped off, but they sat in the garage unused. The idea of moving away from the trauma of the last few months was far more appealing than taking the steps needed to actually do it.

Each of them had tried their best to cope in their own way. Few words had been exchanged between them. It was almost impossible to process. When the bedroom door creaked, all four froze, looking up. Fletcher emerged first, a soft smile on his face. Marco stepped out after, looking a bit embarrassed and sheepish. He gave everyone a meek smile.

“Sorry if I worried everybody, I guess I was really tired…" Marco said. A thump sounded as the recliner hit the ground, Artyom having launched himself out of it so fast. He bounded across the room and pinned Marco to the wall, bringing his lips in to kiss him. Marco murmured as that hungry, meaty tongue invaded his mouth, fishing its way back and forth, their beards meshed together in a masculine embrace. Yom pressed against Marco with a power and intensity Marco had never felt before, part out of Yom's desperation, but also by the fact that Marco now understood… he was a human being kissed by a werewolf.

“Hey!" Cira shouted as she brought a fly swatter down on Yom's head, though his ample mane of hair cushioned the blow. One yellow eye opened, regarding his boyfriend's mother. Cira gave a soft smile, “You'll have your turn, but you do not get to cut in line. Am I understood?" Cira asked. Yom reluctantly pulled back from Marco.

“Yes mom…" Yom said softly. Cira wiggled her lips at that.

“It will take some getting used to having so many of you calling me that." Cira said. Yom stepped away as Cira moved over, licking her thumb and using it to brush some of Marco's hair out of his face. She looked into his eyes appraisingly. While Marco did look a lot like his father, he got his eyes from his mother, each of them sharing a rich earthy hazel tone. “Are you alright, mijo?" she asked gently. Marco gave a soft smile and nodded.

“Yeah, I think I am." Marco answered, and despite his attempt at bravado, he actually meant it. Cira knew the slightest deviations of his voice and his answer was convincing enough to her. She leaned in and kissed Marco's forehead before she stepped aside, pointing to Udo. Udo blushed and smiled at that, moving over to Marco.

“You really worried me." Udo said before he stood up on his tiptoes to hug Marco, only to realize Marco wasn't quite as tall as he had been before - or rather, he was closer to the height he had been before becoming a werewolf. Udo blushed even brighter before he hugged Marco tight, lying his head on his shoulder for a long moment before he let go. Marco gave Udo one last squeeze before he looked over at his father. Haku looked at the boys and Cira before he considered.

“You want to sit on the porch with me for a minute?" Haku asked. Marco nodded gently.

“Yeah, that sounds good dad. It's been a while." Marco answered. He knew it couldn't be easy expressing things in front of an audience, but he knew he had to give his dad the chance.

****

The sounds of Houston were still muffled, though to Marco everything was now. His hearing, vision, smell and even touch were no longer enhanced. Part of it could have been shock, but he had never realized just how fully his werewolf side had enriched his experience of reality. Still, he didn't regret having to give it up. Marco moved out onto the porch, looking at the strange reddish gold haze hanging in the sky. The dust hanging in the atmosphere made it feel like being on an alien world.

“So…" Haku said softly as he closed the front door behind him, promptly realizing that this porch lacked benches or even a retaining wall to sit on. He elected to move over and sit on the steps. Marco moved to join him, father and son sitting hip to hip. Marco looked out over the neighborhood, seeing one of the neighbors trying to brush the dust off their car.

“So." Marco replied, not sure where to start. Haku exhaled a bit.

“I wish there were enough words to apologize for what I played a part in, what you had to go through." Haku said. Marco looked at his dad, a little surprised.

“You're not at fault… When the time came, you did the right thing. You didn't hesitate. You operated in the best interest of everyone start to finish. I get that from both you and mom." Marco smiled. Haku groaned at that.

“You're just trying to butter me up. How did we manage to get such a sweet son?" Haku asked. Marco laughed at that.

“If I didn't inherit your good looks, I'd think I was adopted." Marco shot back. Haku groaned at that before chuckling.

“I'm glad you can still joke through all this." Haku said. Marco leaned back, bracing his arms on the porch as he looked up at the fiery glow in the sky.

“I know it's strange. I know it's supposed to be this big price I paid, but I feel like I was ready for it." Marco said softly. Haku lifted an eyebrow, an expression Marco caught out of the corner of his eyes. Marco relented and decided to explain himself, “It may take years of therapy to unpack everything I went through, but during one part of it at that underwater base thing, I had to face what it would be like if I'd never been turned into a werewolf in the first place. I knew that if I had my pack, if I had my family, that it would be okay."

“That's true… That would have been true if it was just your mom and me, but you've made yourself a pretty nice family. They're all very good boys. They're also very different…" Haku considered. Marco grinned.

“I have to admit, I feel REALLY lucky that you and mom took everything so well." Marco laughed nervously. Haku looked down at his feet and nodded.

“I guess I was old fashioned in the way I was brought up, but I'm a scientist. I know things change and grow and evolve. I feel like I got to see how werewolf packs work, how the heart has no finite limit to love, that it can all work out. In the end, as long as you're safe and happy, that's all that matters to me." Haku said. Marco looked at his dad at that, his eyes starting to glisten a bit. Marco reached up to wipe his face.

“I don't know if I'll ever be safe… I don't know if I can be." Marco said softly. Haku looked as if his son's pain physically wounded him.

“Marco…" Haku whispered. Marco shook his head.

“No, I mean… I keep putting myself in harm's way. I became a werewolf because I tried to save a life. I nearly died trying to stop an ancient spirit. I got kidnapped, I ran into a skyscraper that was about to come crashing down, I leap before I look and now, I'm a human, a plain ordinary human… and I still can't picture myself sitting on the sidelines." Marco whispered. Haku took a sharp breath at that and leaned over, wrapping his arms around his son's shoulders. Marco leaned into the embrace, resting his head against his father's chest.

“You're right… You are right my son." Haku whispered, “Then I will adapt, and I will grow… I want you to be happy, to be loved, to be as safe as you can be, and to be who you are. This world is lucky to have a boy with a heart like yours. It would be wrong to deny that compassion you have." Haku said. Marco all but crumpled in the hug, feeling as if the last stones had been taken off of his shoulders. He said nothing, barely able to hold it together as it was. Marco no longer had the gifts or curse of being a werewolf, but he certainly had the strength of a family that loved and nurtured him. Werewolf or not, Marco knew he would always have his pack.