Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu Yu Hakusho. Only Stan and his servant are mine.
Chapter One- Attractive Desire
Kuwabara strolled home after an enjoyable afternoon at the arcade. He hummed Megallica song he had partially heard at the arcade as he walked. It was a clear lovely night with the full moon shining down from above, basking the area in slivery light. He decided to cut through an alleyway in order to get home sooner for he suddenly got the creepy feeling of being watched and the street was oddly deserted.
Suddenly, he felt someone slam him up against a brick wall as soon as he entered the alley and he struggled against his attacker and succeeded in kicking him in the leg and breaking free of his attacker’s grip. Kuwabara turned and swung his right fist toward his opponent’s stomach, but the man recovered quickly from the first attack and avoided the punch. He head butted Kuwabara in the stomach and the tall teen’s back hit the wall hard, causing him to gasp and knock the wind out of him. He saw the man put a rag to his nose and mouth, smelled a sweet scent from the rag, and fell unconscious.
He awoke with his head spinning. Uh, my head. What was the stuff? Wait. I think it was uh…chloroform. Yeah, that’s it. But who was that guy and why did he attack me?
He struggled to open his eyes and after a few attempts, succeeded. What he saw didn’t look too good. He was in a wire-mesh cage the one used for cage matches and he was locked in heavy chains. The room beyond the cage was dim, round, and high with a retractable hole in the roof. Am I gonna be forced to fight a demon in a cage death match? Is that what this is about? If so, why me and not Urameshi? He’s got more experienced fighting demons than I do, though I would never admit it out loud.
He spotted some food and water next to him and his stomach grumbled. Since his arms weren’t pinned behind him, he was able to grab the food and water and satisfy his hunger and thirst. Well, at least they let me eat before the match, whoever “they” are.
Kuwabara fell back asleep due to a combination of food, boredom, and the lingering effects of the chloroform. The sound of the roof retracting as well as the cage door opening woke him from his sleep.
He sat up as a man entered the cage, the door closing and locking behind him. He looked to be twice Kuwabara’s age, yet his hair was completely gray. He loped toward the teen with a grace and elegance that Kuwabara admired while wondering what this man’s intention was, for it was becoming clear that there wasn’t going to be a fight with a demon.
The man crouched down in front of the bound teen. “Hello, my young friend,” he greeted flashing a smile of white and slightly sharp teeth. “May I have your name?”
Kuwabara was surprised by the man’s friendliness and thus replied, “Kuwabara.”
“Kuwabara,” he repeated. “Nice. I am Stan.” He leaned forward and gave Kuwabara a passionate and lust filled kiss, causing the teen’s eyes to widen in shock and disgust. This guy was gay!
Stan pulled back and Kuwabara gasped in disgust. “Look, man, I’m not into guys and I refuse to be part of your sick desires.”
Stan chuckled. “My dear Kuwabara, not only will you be my companion, you will eventually be attracted to me. Very soon.” He looked up at the sky that was visible now and then grabbed the lock holding Kuwabara’s chains and…simply snapped it off, causing the chains to slide off.
“Your companion?” Kuwabara echoed as he stood up while Stan backed up. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve been watching you for weeks and a desire to have you grew inside me until I couldn’t fight it anymore. So, I had my servant capture you and bring you here. You see, Kuwabara, I’m a werewolf. I have been for years and I’ve learned to control the vicious, dangerous nature of the wolf.”
Kuwabara’s eyes widened. Now, I get it. He plans to turn me into a werewolf and claim me for a mate. I’ve got to find a way out before that happens. Maybe I can knock him out and open the door with my spirit sword.
He charged toward Stan, but unfortunately the chains were entangled around his feet and he crashed to the ground. He grumbled to himself as he tried to remove the chains while Stan laughed. “Nice try, my boy, nice try. But it’s too late.”
The sky overhead darkened and Stan growled as his gray hair turned to fur and spread over his body, his clothes melding with the skin and fur. He dropped to his hands and knees as his limbs became legs and paws. A long furry tail grew behind him while his nose and jaws pushed out into a muzzle, his slightly sharp teeth turning into the teeth of a predator. His ears turned pointed and furry before moving upwards as his eyes turned gold. The transformation was complete.
Stan howled, reveling in the strength and power that came from becoming a wolf. If he hadn’t learned to control his wolf’s nature, he wouldn’t remember his name or that he was really human. He would be consumed by the desire to hunt for food, to kill people, and maybe turn people. Well, maybe not turn people; he would be more about killing them. But since he still had his human mind, he knew what he was going to do: He would bite Kuwabara to turn him and once he had transformed, he would pin him down and deliver the mating scratch. Once he’s marked, he won’t attack me. Instead, he’ll be my omega and he’ll be my loving mate. He’ll be attracted to me like I said he would.
Kuwabara had been entranced by Stan’s change and it was the gray wolf’s howl that spurred him to work again on removing the chains. He had just finished removing them when Stan wheeled around and sank his teeth into the human’s arm. Kuwabara screamed and he gripped his arm once Stan had released. Oh God, he bit me! I’m going to become a wolf!
A burning sensation erupted in his stomach as well as red fur sprouting all over his body. The color of the fur surprised him; he thought it would be gray like his sire. He also acknowledged that he would change one more time before he had a month until the next full moon. He felt his clothes meld with his body as well as his legs and feet conforming into a wolf’s legs and paws. He saw his arms and hands forming legs and paws too before he dropped to his front legs as his spine couldn’t keep him erect.
He sprouted a bushy red tail and his body’s muscles enlarged, giving him a large muscular build. His ears became pointed and furry before moving up while a muzzle of sharp teeth came out and his eyes turned gold. He snarled as his mind turned wolf, filling him with hunger and a desire to kill.
Stan’s tail swished happily and with great excitement. Kuwabara was a great specimen of wolf and he knew he would make a good mate. He couldn’t help but stand there and admire the red wolf even as Kuwabara whirled around to face him. He snarled at Stan, showing his white teeth.
Stan inwardly smirked as he slowly moved to one side. He had no doubt that he would claim Kuwabara. He still thought as a human while Kuwabara had the mind and instincts of a killer wolf. He knew he was capable of outthinking and outmaneuvering the red wolf.
He was still thinking that and planning out his moves when Kuwabara slammed into him far faster than Stan would have anticipated or thought possible. Kuwabara moved like lightning. Stan skidded across the floor on his side, momentarily stunned and before he could recover, Kuwabara was upon him. He unsheathed his claws and raked them across Stan’s neck and then the jugular. Kuwabara then lunged down and ripped the throat away before lapping up the blood and tearing into his kill for the meat.
Once he had eaten his fill, he ran at the door and rammed his shoulder at it. The door shuddered, but held firm. But the red wolf would not be stopped. He continued to ram at the door until he succeeded in knocking it off its hinges. He charged out of the cage and out of the room into a long carpeted hallway.
He lifted his nose and scented fresh air and something else to kill. He followed the scent to a room, where he saw an open window and a trembling figure that he somehow knew was a human. He turned to the human and leaped at it, knocking it down. He wasted no time in clawing at the chest, delighting in the screams of pain he heard. He slashed at the throat, severing the vocal cords and the major arteries. When Kuwabara was satisfied that his prey was dead, he leaped out the window, and ran into the nearby woods where he found a cave to spend the night.
Chapter Two- The Guilt
The chirping of birds woke Kuwabara from his sound sleep. He sat up, his gold eyes peering into the darkness that was growing lighter. He smelled different types of prey, but he didn’t feel the least bit hungry or desirous to simply kill. Instead, he simply sat there, staring into the woods, his nose informing him that there were no kin nearby; no other wolves. The sun peeked over the horizon and he suddenly yelped in pain. He felt a burning sensation ripple across his fur and his body, causing him to whimper and whine. His vocalizations turned into groans and moans and black eyes blinked and squinted at the sunlight that was causing his eyes to water.
Kuwabara who had been lying face-down, sat up, rubbing the side of his head and looking around in confusion. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was getting bitten and changing into a wolf, but after that…nothing. Maybe I was thinking like a wolf and since wolves don’t remember things like people do, I would remember nothing when dawn comes.
He lowered his hand and blinked in shock. His entire hand from palm to fingertips was covered in dried blood! He checked his other hand, shoes, and feet to see dried blood on them too. What exactly did I do last night? He left the cave and wound his way through the woods until he reached the edge and saw a large house. He went up to the front door and knocked. He waited and knocked again, but still no answer.
“I guess no one’s home. Well, maybe they won’t mind if I go in and wash up. Perhaps, I’ll be gone before they get back.” He tried the doorknob and, to his surprise, it turned and the door opened. He stepped inside and began searching for the bathroom. He chose an open room at random, looked in, and froze in horror.
There was a man lying dead on the floor. He had been slashed to death. There were marks on his chest and throat. He slowly moved closer and saw that the slashes looked more like…claw marks! Plus, there were paw prints in dried blood leading from the body to an open window! His breath came in fast and hard as he looked at the marks and prints, then his hands, and back again.
I…I killed him. Somehow I got loose and killed him. Oh, God, no!
Kuwabara fled the room and the next room he tried was the bathroom. He leaned over the sink and cried over the man’s demise. He never killed a human before and any demon slaying was usually in self-defense. Another person wouldn’t have felt guilty, since they would rationalize that as a wolf they had no conscious control. But not Kuwabara. He considered himself guilty, whether human or wolf. He looked up at the mirror and received another shock: There was dried blood on his face too!
Did I eat that man, too!? No, he was just clawed. I didn’t see anything missing. And speaking of wolves, where’s Stan? He washed off all traces of blood off before searching the house for the room with the cage. He soon found it and entered to stare at the devastation.
The cage door had been knocked off its hinges and in the cage laid a dead wolf. Apparently, if one died in wolf form, they did not change back to human upon death. He could see from the cage door that Stan’s death was his throat being ripped away and the state of the body led Kuwabara to the conclusion that he had feasted on the wolf once he had been killed. He sank to his knees, staring blankly forward. How could this have happened? Damn it. I should have let him claim me. Then, I probably wouldn’t have killed him and his servant.
Kuwabara had no idea how long he sat there, horrified by what he had done. He contemplated killing himself, but dismissed the notion as cowardly and not an honorable thing to do. He need to be a man and own up to his crime somehow and resolved to stay in the nearby woods tonight and try to find his way home in the morning.
&&&&
After determining that no one else lived in the house, Kuwabara got a bite to eat and took a nap before heading for the woods. He stood in a clearing, watching the sky overhead darken. He suspected that changing forms burned a lot of calories and energy which sent him into hunt mode once he was a wolf. He suspected it was the werewolf aspect that caused him to kill people. So, if he stayed in the woods, he wouldn’t meet up with any humans and feel the desire to kill them. That is, as long as no people had decided to camp in these woods. Of course, all this occurred because his mind turned wolf and he acted like an animal.
I don’t want to hunt or kill, but the desire to do so is too strong to fight. I wish I knew how Stan managed to control it; probably from being a werewolf for years. He probably also enjoyed being a werewolf whereas I don’t and probably never will. I don’t know how he became one but he probably saw it as a blessing or gift while I see it as a curse.
The sky turned dark and the full moon started to rise. The area was lit with moonlight and Kuwabara’s eyes suddenly turned gold and the area grew even brighter, thanks to the night vision. The burning sensation from last night returned, but this time his feet, hands, and limbs changed first. He dropped to his paws as his clothes melded with his skin and the fur started to grow. He growled as his face started to stretch and become wolf-shaped. His tail grew out, his body enlarged, and his wolf mind took over as the change completed itself. He lifted his nose and sniffed the air for something to kill and eat.
He scented a likely prey and he stalked it before running it down, catching it, and killing it. He devoured his catch right there and washed his face and paws when he was done. With his hunt concluded and his hunger sated, he started sniffing and roaming the woods, looking for humans to kill. His search was in vain and he snarled his frustration. How was he supposed to work off his energy when there were no humans to kill? He settled for a good long run that wore him out before retiring to the cave.
Kuwabara awoke after dawn, relieved that he had slept through the change from wolf to human. As he started to work out where he was and which way was home, he confirmed that he remembered nothing from last night and was surprised to find his hands clean, yet his stomach felt full. Maybe I…licked my paws and face after eating. That would make the most sense. He reached a road and followed it along the grassy side. He kept going until he found a bus stop outside a convenience store with a pay phone. He called his sister to let her know he was all right and that he was going to see Genkai. He needed help to deal with his guilt. Maybe she’ll be able to provide him with some kind of meditation or words of consolation.
Chapter Three- Meditation
“Oh, Kazuma! Where have you been? Everyone’s been so worried!” Yukina exclaimed in relief when Kuwabara appeared at the top of the stairs.
He managed a half-smile at the ice apparition. He loved her, even though he hadn’t expressed his feeling for her very well. Her presence and warm personality always made him happy, but his new condition made him feel tainted and unworthy of her attention or friendship.
The door behind Yukina opened and Genkai was on the other side. “Kuwabara, your sister called to tell me you were coming.”
“Genkai, I came for your help,” Kuwabara said in voice tinged with desperation.
The psychic gestured for Kuwabara and Yukina to come in and several minutes later all three were seated with cups of tea. After everyone had taken a few sips, Genkai said, “All right. Now, what’s the problem?”
Kuwabara put his cup down and dropped his gaze to his lap. “I was kidnapped three days ago and two days ago, I was bitten by a werewolf. I have no memory of what goes on when I’m a wolf, but yesterday morning, I managed to find out that I…I…”
“You killed someone,” Genkai cut in softly and with sympathy.
“The one who bit me and his servant who kidnapped me.”
Genkai nodded. Now she knew what help Kuwabara wanted. He was feeling guilty over killing a werewolf and a human; more the human than the werewolf, she suspected. He was looking for a way to stop feeling this way; to push past his guilt.
“Oh, Kazuma, that’s awful,” Yukina said who sat beside him. She leaned over to put a hand on his lap.
He flinched and inched away from her. “Don’t touch me, Yukina. I’m a monster.”
“You are not a monster,” Genkai snapped. “I get that you feel guilty and want to get past that. I can provide you with a meditation technique, but that’s all. I trust you know that there is no cure from being a werewolf.”
Kuwabara nodded. “Yeah, I figured there wasn’t a cure. I was hoping for a kind of meditation.”
“All right. I will teach it to you right away. I’m afraid you’ll only have two weeks to use it.”
“Why?”
“It’s a blue moon month. That mean two full moons in one month.”
Kuwabara paled. “Two full moons?”
“Yes. You’re welcome to stay until it’s over and you can come here every full moon too. There are plenty of animals and troublesome demons in the forest for you to eat and a stream of water to drink.”
“I appreciate that and I would also like it if you didn’t tell anyone else what happened to me.”
Genkai was surprised at first, but then nodded. The teenager was behaving like anyone else who became a werewolf; they tended to conceal their condition, feeling that their friends and family would turn away from them if they learned the truth.
“Okay,” he said, finishing his tea. “What’s this meditation like? What do I do?”
Genkai coached Kuwabara through the process, which was actually simple. He would sit in quiet contemplation and think about his wolf side. He didn’t want to think about it, but Genkai insisted.
“Why do I need to think about it?” he demanded.
“The wolf is part of you now. You can’t ignore it. Think about this: If you think about the wolf, you may gain some control over it or at least remember some things you do as a wolf.”
“Gain some control? That would be good.”
“Yes and by gaining control, you might understand that part of you and get past your guilt.”
Kuwabara’s face lit up at hearing that. “All right, then. Let’s really get started.”
Kuwabara spent the first day in quiet silence finding peace in his meditative state. It was wonderful to just let go and not think about anything at all. The next few days were devoted to seeking out his wolf side. It wasn’t buried too far down, but Kuwabara had to work up the courage to seek it out. After all, he had an idea of how vicious that part of him can be.
Once contact was made, he found an animal driven by instinct and satisfying its immediate needs. Hunger was one of those needs and it helped him feel better about eating Stan. Both of them had been wolves at the time and Kuwabara had burned a lot of calories and energy from his initial change. In a way, he felt Stan got what he deserved. He underestimated how vicious and fast Kuwabara would be as a wolf and paid dearly for his mistake. He had a feeling that part of his speed had come from fighting demons so much since the ones he encountered had impressive speed.
Understanding why he killed the human was another matter. He had to dig deep into his wolf’s side to find that reason, for the surface contact only showed a simplistic beast who only desired to hunt for food. He kept digging and came away from that exploration with a dark and frightening reason. The desire to kill humans was born of the werewolf’s anger of forever being part of two worlds instead of one and it was the humans’ fault for cursing the first werewolf. This anger carried down through the centuries from the first werewolf and became part of the werewolf’s psyche. No amount of meditation or acceptance would control that feeling.
He reported these finding to Genkai and Yukina near the end of his two week meditation session. Yukina had a look of horror when he related the desire for killing humans while Genkai was grim-faced. “I’ve tried to calm or control that desire, but nothing worked.”
“You’ve made good progress over the last two weeks in any event,” Genkai said. “You understand what you are and why your wolf side does what it does.”
Kuwabara nodded. She’s right. I understand that I am a werewolf and nothing can change that. I must separate myself from humans during the full moon so that I don’t end up killing them. At least no one else knows my secret.
“Kazuma,” Yukina spoke up. “Don’t you think Prince Koenma should be told? That way, he won’t summon you for a mission that’ll occur on the full moon.”
Kuwabara was silent for a moment before saying, “You have a point, but Koenma must not tell the team.”
Genkai nodded. “I’ll let him know.”
Chapter Four- Full Moon Confessions
Kuwabara awoke on the morning of the full moon, washed up, and settled down to meditate some more. He felt that he might connect with his wolf side more than usual since the full moon was tonight. He had found an instinct-driven wolf during the last two weeks when he did a surface scan, but this time he found a vicious, angry wolf. No, not a wolf. A werewolf. This was the side he needed to understand to gain some control over it.
He probed the werewolf to find some new angle in which to calm the anger of being a cursed creature. No, it’s not the cursed one: I am. I’m cursed to turn into a wolf every full moon and it’s the humans who are to blame! They did this to me! Once it gets dark, I will change and have my revenge! They will all suffer! Wait…what!? I don’t want to do that!
Kuwabara gasped as he pulled out of his meditation probe. The werewolf’s anger was very strong and it was trying to turn Kuwabara against humanity. He prodded the werewolf gently and found that it wasn’t going to wait for the full moon to rise anymore; it would instead change once it got dark! Oh, great. My probe just made things worse.
He reported this disaster to Genkai and Yukina at lunch. Yukina expressed her sympathy, but Genkai said, “Some werewolves don’t wait for the moon, in order to change due to immense anger. Your probe didn’t cause the change to occur sooner, it just made you aware of when it will happen.”
He looked at Genkai. “Yes, you’re right. If I didn’t know, I…I might have killed you and Yukina.”
“You wouldn’t. I would be behind a barrier of wards as would Yukina. That way, the only thing you’ll do is run into the forest to hunt.”
Genkai’s words served to calm him and it angered the werewolf within him. He pushed that feeling down. He would not let the wolf’s feeling influence his thoughts during the day. He was as much human as wolf and he would control the wolf until dark. He just needed to be in the forest before-
“Hey, Grandma! You home?” called the voice of Yusuke Urameshi.
Kuwabara’s eyes widened at the voice. Urameshi can’t be here when I change which is a few hours away. I don’t want him finding out I’m a werewolf.
“I’m here, dimwit. You don’t need to shout,” Genkai said as she opened the door.
Kuwabara looked to see not only Urameshi, but Kurama as well. The sight of the redhead caused his panic to subside. If he asked or insisted his friends leave, Kurama would do so and have Urameshi do the same.
Yusuke flashed a grin as he and Kurama stepped inside. “Hey, Kuwabara. Long time no see. Your sister said you were up here.”
“Yeah. I asked Genkai for help with a personal problem.”
“I’m almost done helping him. He’ll be ready to leave in about four days.”
“Shizuru will be pleased to have you home,” Kurama said.
“Yeah, I will be, too.” He thought about that reunion and knew he would have to tell her his secret. She’ll be understanding about why he didn’t come home for two weeks. She would be supportive and accepting of his condition. And I plan to keep meditating in hope that I’ll end up controlling the wolf’s anger or even better, being in complete control when I change.
Kuwabara talked somewhat guardedly about his last two and a half weeks. He mentioned being kidnapped and that Genkai gave him a meditation technique to cope with the ordeal, but he didn’t go into detail.
He got increasingly nervous as the sun got lower and lower. He wasn’t the only one who was nervous; so were Genkai and Yukina. The psychic left at one point and didn’t reappear for some time. Kuwabara suspected she had been warding her and Yukina’s sleeping areas.
Genkai cleared her throat when she returned. “Yusuke, Kurama. I think it’s time for you to head home and I suggest you not come back once you leave. At least until tomorrow or when Kuwabara goes home.”
“Not come back?” Yusuke repeated. “Why?”
“Don’t question it, Urameshi,” Kuwabara said. “Just do what she said.”
“I don’t see why I should. We can stay if we want.”
Kuwabara glanced nervously at the sky. The sun was half gone! He jumped to his feet and ran into a large closet, closing the door and locking it as he retreated into the far corner, ignoring the pounding on the door. “Open up!” Yusuke demanded.
“Go away, Urameshi!” he called back. “You need to get away before it gets dark. Everyone needs to get away.”
“I’m not going ‘til I know what’s going on.”
“I’m going to be dangerous for the next three nights and I don’t want to harm anyone.”
“Dangerous? What-?”
“I think,” Kurama’s voice said calmly. “Kuwabara’s saying he was bitten by a werewolf.”
“That’s right, Kurama,” Kuwabara admitted. “If you don’t leave, I’ll end up busting down the door and will attack the first one I find.”
Yusuke was shocked. Despite his fighting skills, Kuwabara was actually a nice guy. I’ve seen him kill demons, but to kill innocents with no conscious control? Even I could never do that and yet that’s what Kuwabara would do as a wolf.
“Yusuke, we should go,” Kurama said. “It’s almost dark.”
“All right.” Yusuke followed his friend, but not all the way. He was convinced that Kuwabara could control himself if faced with a friend while in his wild wolf state and he volunteered to test that theory. There was also another reason: He found that he loved Kuwabara, though no one else knew it. He had known Kuwabara for years, back when they first fought. Through their fights they built a grudging respect for one another. A lasting friendship came at last during the case with Rando. He had heard that Kuwabara he kept him alive when he killed the last of the Saint Beasts. Yusuke had used his life energy to do the job and would have died if Kuwabara hadn’t donated some of his own to save Yusuke.
He saved my life then. The least I can do is help him cope with his condition and I think I know where he’s going to go once he’s transformed.
&&&&
Kuwabara felt a fiery pain shoot through his body and knew that was the sign that he was starting to change. Red fur spread from head to feet, his hands and feet formed paws and he went down to all fours. A bushy tail sprouted from the base of his spine while a muzzle grew from his nose and jaws. His ears turned pointed and went to the top of the head with red fur covering the backs. His eyes turned gold and he growled in a tone that suggested that he was ready to hunt and kill. He coiled back and leaped at the door, splintering it to pieces. He ran outside and the forest nearby seemed to be calling him and he indulged that feeling. He ran through the woods, delighting in the sheer joy of running.
He slid to a halt as the scent of prey hit his nose. He lifted his head, breathing deeply. Yes, it was prey all right and it was all his! He growled softly and crept in the direction of the scent. He kept moving slowly and almost silently but inwardly he was trembling with the thrill of the hunt. He was getting closer and his prey seemed unaware of his presence. There was a bush that separated the two of them, but that didn’t concern him; in fact it served to give him the element of surprise. He leaped over the bush before crouching low growling at his prey who stood facing him.
&&&&
Yusuke stood looking at the crouched red wolf in front of him. He figured Kuwabara’s instincts would compel him to go into the forest. So, he selected this section for the confrontation. “Kuwabara,” he said softly. “It’s me. Urameshi. Don’t you recognize me?”
Kuwabara only crouched lower before leaping forward, claws and teeth bared. Yusuke leaped aside to avoid the charge. The wolf sailed past, skidded around, and leaped again. He plowed into Yusuke, forcing the detective on his back. He lunged for the throat but Yusuke threw his left arm up in front of it while his right fist glowed with energy. Kuwabara’s teeth bit down on the arm and Yusuke screamed before his fist swung around and nailed Kuwabara in the chest. The wolf flew through the air and hit the ground unconscious. Yusuke jumped up and ran to put some distance between him and his friend.
He stopped at a stream and dipped his arm into the water. He berated himself, Idiot! Kuwabara warned you to get away, he said he was dangerous! He would have killed me if I hadn’t reacted the way I did! But, now I’m a werewolf, too! He pulled his arm out of the water and saw the mark fading thanks to his Spirit Wave’s power.
Then his arm sprouted black fur and it raced over the rest of his body. What? I’m changing now? he thought as a muzzle extended from his face and his eyes turned gold. His ears turned pointed and furry before traveling up. His hands and feet became paws and he stood on all fours as a tail sprouted and the desire for prey and his mate flooded through his body and mind as he bolted deeper into the woods to fulfill those desires.
Kuwabara awoke to sunlight and hints that he had hunted: His stomach felt full, his hands were bloody and he was sure there was dried blood around his mouth. He looked around and saw the remains of a demon that he knew wasn’t Hiei, Kurama, or Yukina. Well, that’s a relief.
He got to his feet and started to make his way back to Genkai’s. Perhaps, he would go into the woods before dark tonight. He thought that it made sense since wolves live in forests for most part. He heard a rustle and a yawn to his right. He looked to see Yusuke standing up. “Urameshi?”
Yusuke turned and a small sheepish smile came to his face. “Yo, Kuwabara.” Yusuke also had dried blood on his mouth, which was odd.
“What are you doing here?”
“I thought you wouldn’t attack me last night. I was wrong as you bit me and I changed soon after.”
“You mean I cursed you!?” Now the reason for the blood on Yusuke was clear: He had hunted as well.
“Yeah. I’m not mad at you. It was my fault.”
“You’re darn right it was your fault! I warned you, but your stupid self wouldn’t listen to me!”
“It’s more than that. I…I love you, Kuwabara. I have for some time. I vaguely remember desiring food and a mate after I changed.”
“You-you love me?” Kuwabara didn’t know how to respond to that. He considered Yusuke a good friend, but nothing more than that. “Urameshi, you can’t be serious! I mean, I don’t feel the same way.”
“I’m serious. I do love you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, I just want you to know. So…you want to hunt together tonight?”
“Together? Well…okay. It was kind of lonely doing it alone, though I probably didn’t realize it at the time.”
“Great. I’ll meet you right here.”
Chapter Five- Alpha and Omega
Kuwabara stayed in one of Genkai’s spare rooms all day thinking of his conversation with Yusuke that morning. He found it hard to believe Yusuke was gay much less that he was the one he loved. It was a little unnerving to hear Yusuke declare his feelings as he was good at burying his emotions. Did my bite bring down his wall? Maybe I should ask him. I still don’t love him, but I’m curious why he confessed beyond wanting me to know.
“No, your bite had nothing to do with it,” Yusuke answered as they headed for the forest. “I kept it to myself for a while and I couldn’t since it was just you and me there.”
“Well, I don’t love you, but if you feel better confessing, then that’s fine.”
Yusuke nodded, but inside he was certain that Kuwabara would love him by the next morning or the morning after that. Yes, they were both dangerous wolves during the full moon but Yusuke was sure he would again feel the desire for a mate and hoped his wolf side went for Kuwabara.
They reached the spot where they had originally planned to meet before Kuwabara decided to talk to Yusuke. Both stood there silently watching the sun go down. A fiery pain went through them as the sky darkened. Two coats of fur, red and black, grew out but the rest of Yusuke’s change occurred from the head down while Kuwabara went from the bottom up. Both growled but only Yusuke howled to declare his desire for a mate. Kuwabara ignored his howl and started sniffing for food. He scented a large one that would require two wolves to take down. He sensed that he was the alpha wolf and he barked at Yusuke to get his attention. Once he got it, he tilted his head in the direction of the scent before taking off with Yusuke right behind him.
Kuwabara marveled at how much he was aware of, unlike last night. All he cared about last night was hunting and killing. Anyone he saw was either prey or nothing he cared about. He recognized nothing and no one. Tonight was different: He knew who he was, he knew who his companion was, and he felt like he was in control of his actions. Was it because he wasn’t alone this time?
He rounded a bend ahead and came to a stop. There was their prey and as he figured it was large. His killing instincts surfaced as his eyes roved over the body, trying to find the perfect spot to attack. He didn’t sense his companion, his omega, behind him or next to him. Where did he go? Did some deep-rooted fear in the wolf send him running? He prey spoke, but he didn’t understand him and not because he spoke a foreign language; Kuwabara simply registered it as sound.
Suddenly, the prey fell forward, revealing that a black wolf had tackled him from behind. The red wolf lunged forward, clamping onto the throat and pulled which ended the prey’s life. Yusuke leaped off the body as Kuwabara ripped into the throat and slit his claws across to a shoulder where he found meat that was desirable and proceeded to eat.
Yusuke ripped open the side and feasted on the meat and organs he found. He was pleased with the kill as he chewed on a kidney. His alpha faced the target while he crept around to attack from behind. The tracking, the takedown, and the feasting gave him such a thrill that he threw his head back and gave a joyous howl. His howl was echoed by his alpha and then Yusuke proceeded to lap up some blood. Once he had eaten and drank his fill, he laid down, and quickly fell asleep.
Kuwabara swallowed another bite of meat before glancing over and seeing his companion fast asleep. As he stared, he found the smaller wolf attractive, particularly with blood on his paws and muzzle. He felt a desire to claim his omega, but settled for curling up beside him and falling asleep.
Yusuke woke up to see sunlight shining through the trees. He blinked and focused on the large remains of a demon. Too much for two wolves to eat, but we’re not exactly thinking about that. I think a lot of energy gets used up when we change, so naturally we’re hungry and that’s why we hunt.
He then became aware of something pressed up against his back as well as something across his waist. He looked down to see an arm with a bloody hand draped over him. It was just Kuwabara. But why was he curled up next to him? Did I do something in my sleep that attracted him? He wiggled out from under the arm which woke Kuwabara. He blinked as he sat up. “Morning, Urameshi.”
“Morning, Kuwabara. I was surprised to find you next to me.”
“Yeah, well, you fell asleep and to my wolf side you looked attractive with blood on your paws and muzzle.”
“Did I?” There was a tone of interest in Yusuke’s voice.
“Yeah. I recall a vague feeling of wanting to claim and thinking of you as my omega.”
“I thought of you as my alpha. So…any thoughts about wanting to claim?”
“No. Let’s get cleaned up and we’ll see tonight.” “You know,” Yusuke said as they went to the stream. “Last night seemed different. I actually remembered some things unlike the night before after I changed. All I could think about that night was food and acting as wolves do. I didn’t even remember being human.”
“Yeah, I hear you. I don’t remember anything more than you do from the night before or the nights when I changed earlier in the month. But, last night, I knew I was a werewolf, and that you were one too, and I was aware of my actions. It’s possible that it was because I wasn’t alone.”
“Yeah? I remembered as much too. I didn’t know either of our names, but I somehow knew that we know each other. So, we head back to Genkai’s or our kill?” Yusuke was a little surprised that he was asking Kuwabara about their next move since he was the one who usually made the decisions. Perhaps, I’m still thinking like an omega.
“Our kill. I want to explore that claiming feeling and I won’t be able to if the urge to hunt takes over first.” Kuwabara was likewise surprised about being asked. He surmised that both of them were still thinking like an alpha and an omega.
&&&&
Kuwabara shook himself out as the change ended. His stomach grumbled with hunger and he wasted no time in eating what remained of their kill from last night. He looked at his omega as he ate. He looked positively cute as he ate his fill. That claiming sensation from last night came back and it was stronger than before. He wanted this wolf for his mate and he would make it so no other wolf could claim him.
He started toward his omega who paused in his feeding at seeing his approach. Kuwabara stepped up to his omega’s left side, who stayed still. The red wolf unsheathed his right claws and swiped three shallow claw marks on the left shoulder blade. He then howled to tell all that he had a mate and he had been claimed.
Yusuke turned around to face his new mate. He had understood the howl and now he had to make it clear that he was pleased at being claimed. He rubbed his right cheek against his alpha’s left while giving a low satisfied growl.
&&&&
Yusuke awoke to find himself in Kuwabara’s arms. He smiled as he closed his eyes and snuggled against his boyfriend. Yes, he thought. Boyfriend while human, mate when wolves. I knew he would love me by the morning after the third full moon at the latest. He sighed softly as he drifted off back to sleep.
Kuwabara opened one eye to gaze at Yusuke before closing it again. He had felt Yusuke snuggle closer to him and it seems it was done in his sleep. He reflected on last night. After Yusuke showed his pleasure at being claimed, they had gone on a long, joyful run and howling in celebration of their new relationship.
Urameshi was right to confess. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have felt the claiming urge and we wouldn’t be in love much less in this position. Hmm…should I call him Yusuke since he’s my boyfriend? I’d kind of like it if he called me by my first name. I’ll start first and see how he responds.
“Hmm…Yusuke?”
There was a stir and then, “Yeah, Kazuma?”
“I was wonderin’ if we were goin’ use first names and I decided to go first.”
“I was hoping you would. It sounded nice when you said it.”
Kuwabara opened his eyes to see Yusuke looking at him. “I liked hearing you say my name, too.” They stared at one another for a little while before both leaned forward and shared their first kiss.
Once they parted, they got up and headed to the stream to wash up before leaving for Genkai’s. Kuwabara walked on Yusuke’s left so he could see the mating scratch that was clearly visible since Yusuke was wearing a tank shirt and it was obviously immune to the Spirit Wave’s ability to heal…or maybe Yusuke had to consciously use it to heal injuries. Yes, it had to be conscious thought. I never thought Yusuke and I would get together, but I’m glad we did.
&&&&
“Welcome home, baby bro,” Shizuru greeted lazily from the couch when Kuwabara walked in the front door. He found it odd that his sister didn’t seem too concerned about his return. He kind of expected her to be angry about making her worried and reasoned that she probably was angry and was covering it up in her usual way.
“Hey, sis. We need to talk.”
“It’s about your seclusion at Genkai’s, right?”
“Yeah. You see three days before I called, I got kidnapped and taken to this secluded house where a gay guy lived. He wanted me for a companion.”
“You’re joking. You expect me to believe that?” Now, she sounded angry and a little dismissive of what she heard.
“It’s true. This guy also turned out to be a werewolf and he bit me once night fell and I immediately changed after the bite.”
Shizuru finally got up and turned around, her mouth wide open. “You’re a werewolf?”
She dismisses the idea of a gay guy kidnapping me, but believes me when I say I’m a werewolf. Heh, maybe the supernatural is easier to believe considering everything she’s seen since the Dark Tournament. “Yeah and I have no memory of what I do when I’m a wolf, except the last two nights.”
“Why the last two?”
“Because I bit Urameshi three nights ago and we spent the last two in each other’s company. I think since I wasn’t alone, I was more aware of myself, not that I knew my name or that I was human, though.”
“So, Yusuke’s a werewolf too?”
“Yeah. His fault, really. I warned him and Kurama to leave, but Urameshi though I wouldn’t attack a friend, even though I didn’t recognize him.”
“True, but didn’t you say that because you weren’t alone, you were more aware of yourself?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“So, Yusuke’s action actually made your situation better- for both of you since Yusuke would have no memory either.”
If Yusuke didn’t love me, he wouldn’t have confronted me and we wouldn’t be a couple. So, for once, Yusuke’s stupidity was a good thing.
Chapter Six- Honest Admission
Yusuke and Kuwabara kept their relationship secret from everyone else, although Keiko did notice that Yusuke was being a little distant with her. Whether they were at school, in Koenma’s office, on missions, or at Genkai’s they treated each other the way they always did. It wasn’t easy for Yusuke as he was finding himself wanting to be close to Kuwabara. He chalked it up to the fact that he was an omega wolf and the submissive in the relationship. But, it seemed to make him more aggressive in wanting to show affection.
On the day before the full moon, the pair of them were walking home alone, Yusuke said, “Kazuma?”
“Yeah, Yusuke?”
“I…want to be more open about our relationship. I’m having a hard time keeping it under wraps.”
“How come? You’re good at keeping your emotions in check. Sometimes too good.”
“I think it’s because I’m a omega. I want to be more open about my feelings toward you.”
“Interesting. I’ve been feeling more reserved with my emotions, which is odd for me. Probably because I’m an alpha. A leader should keep his emotions locked away.”
“Yeah. I agree with you. But, sometimes they can help in a fight.”
“True.” He sighed. “I don’t know, Yusuke. I’m perfectly happy with keeping it a secret. How about this? We tell when other people start asking questions.”
“Deal.”
“Yusuke! Kuwabara!” called a voice from behind. Both turned to see Botan running up to them. “Botan, what’s wrong?” Yusuke asked.
“Mission from Koenma. Let’s go.”
&&&&
Kuwabara and Yusuke both felt pale, even though they were sure it didn’t show outwardly- at least for Yusuke. The mission involved apprehending a demon after traveling for a little over a day.
“I understand you’re on a tight deadline, Kuwabara,” Koenma said. “But we must take care of him. Bring him in, dead or alive.”
&&&&
Good thing he said dead or alive, Kuwabara thought. Cause this guy’s puttin’ up a fight. The demon was at least eight or nine feet tall and sporting long sharp claws. His skin was a reddish-purple and a laugh like fingernails on a chalkboard. Kurama wielded his rose whip and Hiei had his sword. Kuwabara also had his spirit sword, but no one seemed to be making any headway. The demon swung an arm at the team and they leaped out of the way. Behind the demon, Yusuke was getting ready to fire his spirit gun. Before he could fire it, the demon lashed backwards with a leg causing the detective to leap to avoid a hit.
Yusuke cursed as his chance to fire got away. This demon was clever, but his team will bring him down. That was inevitable. Too bad Hiei can’t use his dragon. There wouldn’t be anything to bring in. But, it would have ended this sooner; it’s almost dark.
“Urameshi, look out!” Kuwabara exclaimed, pushing Yusuke aside as one of the demon’s arms swung down. Yusuke landed on the ground, but one the demon’s claws caught Kuwabara, cutting his left arm from forearm to shoulder. He landed on his right, blood gushing from the wound.
“Kazuma!” Yusuke yelled as he leaped up and kicked the demon onto his back. He then knelt next to his boyfriend. He was aware of what he said, but he had more important matters to worry about. “Listen to me, Kazuma. You’re gonna be all right. My Spirit Wave will help.”
“Too late, Yusuke. We’ll both be changing soon.”
“You’ll pay for that, Detective!” the demon roared as he got to his feet.
“And you’ll pay for injuring my teammate!” Yusuke shot back a second before the pain of his change hit him. He felt intense anger flood through him after the change and he knew it was because his alpha and mate was hurt and the figure in front of him was responsible seeing as he could see and smell blood on the claws that he recognized as his mate’s. He gave a short growl before he had to jump out of the way of another arm sweep. His leap carried him within distance of a leg and Yusuke moved fast, clamping his jaws onto the leg and swiping his claws at it for good measure.
The demon roared in pain and swung his leg to dislodge the wolf. Yusuke clung on as tight as he could. He didn’t know if a demon could become a werewolf and he didn’t care because he didn’t intend to let this one survive. As the demon swung his leg up, Yusuke disengaged his jaws and used his legs to propel himself upwards and he latched onto the throat. He bit down as hard as he could and let gravity pull him down, the demon’s jugular being torn away as he fell.
Yusuke landed near his mate’s back, spat out the hunk in his mouth and went to Kuwabara’s front as the demon hit the ground on his back, dead. He nudged Kuwabara’s head, whining. The red wolf’s eyes opened and he looked at Yusuke with an expression of determination. His eyes seemed to say, “I’m fine, please don’t worry.”
Yusuke licked his cheek in a way that said, “What a relief,” before laying down in front of Kuwabara so that his alpha could drape his foreleg over his body and put his head on the neck. Both wolves sighed softly in unison as Kuwabara drifted off to sleep while Yusuke kept watch for anything that might pose a danger to him or his mate.
Kurama moved to step forward, but Hiei barred his way with his sword. “Don’t move, Fox,” he spoke through telepathy. “Get close to them right now and the detective will likely bite you to protect the oaf. The last think I need is for you to be a werewolf and try to kill me for food.”
“Unlikely,” Kurama responded. “You would kill me while I was changing.”
“Actually, I would knock you out. Nevertheless, wait until they both fall asleep before you take the corpse to Koenma and inform him that Yusuke is a werewolf, too. I will stand watch over them and we will question them in the morning.”
“Agreed.”
&&&&
Yusuke awoke and was aware that he was being snuggled. He craned his neck slightly and put a hand on the part of the arm he could see and reach and used the Spirit Wave to heal the cut. The healing warmth roused Kuwabara from his sleep. He watched the injury heal and fade leaving only dried blood on his arm. “Thanks, Yusuke,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome, Kazuma,” he whispered back.
A throat clearing caused both to untangle themselves and turn around to face their teammates, who had questioning looks on their faces. Hiei and Kurama sat opposite Yusuke and Kuwabara. For a few moments, no one spoke.
Finally, Kurama said, “You didn’t follow me all the way back to the city, Yusuke. We were warned, but you did not take heed. Why?”
Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushing red. “I thought Kuwabara wouldn’t attack me since we’re friends. I didn’t realize that he doesn’t distinguish between friend or food.
“The other reason is that I, well, I love Kuwabara. It took a couple of night before Kuwabara came around to my feeling for him. We agreed to use our first names but only when alone and not to tell anyone until we were being questioned?”
“So, you really have no idea what you are doing when transformed?” Kurama asked.
“If alone or feeling threatened, yeah,” Kuwabara said. “But when we hunted together, I still sort of knew who I was, who Yusuke was, and what I was doing. We knew we were wolves, but not each other’s names. Our minds think the way wolves do during the full moon, yet some part is still human.”
“I get you two are in love, but wolves don’t just love,” Hiei spoke up.
Yusuke nodded, shifting sideways and pulling up his left sleeve to expose the claw marks. “Yeah, on the third night last month, Kazuma claimed me for his mate. It was during our first hunt together that we found that he’s an alpha wolf and I’m an omega.”
“I thought the two of you had switched in terms of showing emotions,” Kurama said. “Alphas are reserved while omegas are not.”
&&&&
“Yusuke, that was irresponsible of you, not to mention, stupid!” Koenma scolded once the team had returned to his office. “You were told to leave, but you didn’t and end up getting bitten!”
Yusuke seemed a little cowed at Koenma’s ire, which was a little odd for him. The detective could only assume it was his omega behavior showing again. It was only natural for omegas to be submissive to authority figures, particularly his alpha. Koenma, being an authority figure and his boss, brought his submissive actions to the surface. Kuwabara watched this silent reaction from Yusuke and felt a need to protect him. He wanted to defend his boyfriend. He took a step toward the desk. “Koenma, Yusuke’s actions last month actually made things better for both of us.” Funny, that’s what Shizuru said to me last month.
“Better how?” Koenma’s tone was both stern and curious.
“The vicious, angry wolf in me has changed since then. It is more of an alpha, a protective leader. It didn’t change until the night we both changed together.”
“The same thing with me,” Yusuke added. Koenma drummed his fingers on his desk. “Anything else I should know?” “Yes,” Kuwabara answered. “Yusuke and I are a couple. We’re calling each other by first names and last month, I claimed Yusuke.” He turned Yusuke to the side and exposed the mark to the prince.
Koenma stared at it for a moment until it was covered and then at the two werewolves. He sighed. “Well, we can’t cure you and if being together makes you happy, then who am I to stop you? In any event, this case is closed. Job well done, everyone.”
The team left the office and split up: Hiei for Demon World, Kurama to his home, and Yusuke and Kuwabara to the forest near Genkai’s home, holding hands and preparing for another night as mates.
