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Chapter Text

Part I

     "Hey, I found something!" announced one of the members of the five-man wolf pack rather acutely. He needed his companions to come to him as soon as possible, so he didn't hesitate to call them again. "Come on, you sleepyheads!" he urged them on.

     "It's going to be some shit again like always, Kei," laughed the other wolf on the scene, roughly the same in size, but the color of their pelts differed. This one was colored a dark gray, almost to the point of black, while Kei's fur abounded in brownish hues.

     "Shut your mouth and come here, Hikaru!" Kei was quickly losing patience with where the rest of his pack was hanging out. In the meantime, he himself was examining what he had discovered with his eager sniffing.

     "Wow..." Hikaru finally arrived at a small cave under a rock overhang. It was the only at least partially dry place in the whole wide area. It had been raining for several hours straight now, and small streams of rainwater were flowing into the dark cave itself. To the amazement of not only Hikaru but also the other three wolves who finally arrived under the overhang, they discovered a small ball of several wolf pups in one of the excavated holes. At first glance, it wasn't even clear exactly how many there were, as they were huddled into each other to keep what last warmth they had left. Their fur was soaked through, and if the pack wouldn't sense that they were still alive, they must have thought they were long gone.

     "I didn't smell anything," the slightly larger wolf with the grey and white majestic fur said in a slightly saddened or disappointed tone.

     "Neither have I, Kota. Don't worry about it," Yuya, the second largest wolf with fur colored in perhaps every color imaginable, tried to console him.

     "How did you find them? In this rain?!" Hikaru couldn't understand, himself sniffing the four exhausted and soaked pups that the rest of the pack had gone to investigate.

     "I have the keenest sense of smell of you all, never forget that!" boasted Kei, but it was clear to all that they shouldn't waste their time with such talk when the pups were lying at the edge of their strength in front of them. They didn't even notice the attention they were getting. They just rested in each other's presence, snuggled against each other.

     "Wait a minute... They're..." Daiki rolled his eyes, not even noticing that quite a bit of water was dripping onto his head through some crack in the cave ceiling. That's how shocked he was at their discovery.

     "Same as us..." Kota finished for him, and he was right. All the wolves present could sense by the scent that these wolf cubs were no ordinary animals.

     "Are they from the same litter?" Yuya wondered. After all, all the wolf pups had different colored fur and their sizes were also very different.

     "Hm, these two are a lot smaller, but they don't look any younger," Kei, who had been examining the pups for the longest time of the pack, pointed with his paw at the two little ones snuggled together. One was black and the other was probably white, but his fur was dirty from the muddy water that flowed through the cave.

     "How old do you think they are?" this time Hikaru wanted to know, looking around nervously to see if he could find any fresh or old signs of the pack the pups might belong to. It was very strange that they were lying here so abandoned.

     "I'd guess about three weeks from the size?" Kota, the oldest of the wolves, guessed.

     "They're very thin..." Daiki lamented, and although he was the youngest of the five, the sight of the puppies' emaciation made him feel very uncomfortable. Like all the members of his pack, it tore his heart to see them in such a state. He himself hadn't had a very good experience when he was a puppy, and so it affected him more than anyone else.

     "I'm surprised they're still alive," Hikaru didn't hide his amazement.

     "All four of them are still breathing, but they don't have any energy anymore, it shows," Kei uttered with a sad sigh.

     "They're not reacting at all, are they?" Yuya tried to gently scratch each of the little ones with his snout but got no reaction.

     "No one's cared for them in a long time..." It wasn't just Daiki who recognized that they must have spent many cold and wet nights alone here.

     "Okay, everyone, take one in your mouth, but be extremely gentle," Kota, the pack leader, finally said. "Then we'll take them home and take care of them," he outlined the plan to his companions, whereupon his best friend Hikaru decided to act immediately.

     "I want this one!" he muttered, carefully catching the single dark-colored pup in his teeth. It was blacker than night, blacker than coal, and almost disappeared in the darkness of the cave. If it hadn't been so wedged into its white sibling, it wouldn't have even been visible. It had by far the best camouflage of all for hiding in the blackness of this cave.

     "Doesn't black carry bad luck?" Kei remembered a few old stories he had heard in the village the whole pack lived near.

     "I don't believe in such tales!" Hikaru muttered as he managed to carefully free the second smallest pup from the warmth of his friends, before turning him around on the ground to get a better grip on the skin on his back. It wouldn't hurt him in the slightest, this was a perfectly normal way to carry small wolf pups.

     "Maybe you should since they're based on the truth..." Kei stood his ground. "A black wolf is a bad sign... A sign of death," he explained or rather boasted of his knowledge, which was among the best not only in the pack but in the nearby world of humans as well.

     "And what do you suggest? Leave him here to die? No way!" Hikaru naturally rejected any thoughts of that sort. "I'm not going to assume he's already bad on sight just because he has a rare coat color," he explained to his companion, then caught the wolf in his mouth. It didn't stir at all, it looked dead. It had no energy for any sort of defiance, which was absolutely enough of an excuse for Hikaru to run out into the rain and get his newly acquired pup dry and warm as quickly as he could. The others didn't wait long, and so another member of the pack chose one of the pups as well.

     "Kota, that's the one I wanted! The little one!" Kei whined, guaranteed he was the most whiny one today, but that was not anything new. He's like that quite often, he's very talkative and always has something on his mind. The others have gotten used to him by now.

     "Then you should have put him in your mouth sooner! Take your pick of the two!" Kota scowled at him, and he too had already run off with the tiny white wolf to meet the inclement weather.

     "Oh, yeah! Alright!" Before Kei could recover and look around, however, he couldn't choose anymore, because by then Yuya had also started running, this time with the biggest of the pups with dark brown fur.

     "Stop whining and take him, we have to go!" Daiki snapped his friend out of his eclipse with a slap of his paw before heading off after the others himself. He still wasn't an adult, so worrying about the remaining pup naturally fell to the most talkative wolf far and wide.

     So, Kei grabbed the last grey-furred wolf in his teeth, and he too ran towards home.

Chapter Text

     The whole pack and its new members went through an underground tunnel leading to their lair, or rather to the cellar of a wooden house at the very edge of the village. None of the people had a chance to discover that this house was regularly visited by the five wolves hiding inside. To their surroundings, on the other hand, they acted as excellent hunters who were always a pleasure to do business with. Today, however, it's not trading that interests the pack. This time they had other things to worry about.

     Once they had all arrived safely, the older wolves did not hesitate and immediately transformed into their human form to care for the exhausted wolf cubs of their own kind. They had never done anything like this before, and so they were confused and didn't quite know what to do. They acted more on their parental instinct, which was not foreign to any member of the pack.

     Hikaru, Kota, Kei, and Yuya took their pups in their arms and hurried up the stairs with Daiki. Since they were living like humans in some aspects thanks to their human transformation abilities, they weren't lacking in basic items such as towels or blankets, which each pup was wrapped in by its guardian after being at least partially dried.

     Meanwhile, Daiki had taken care to build a fire in the fireplace, around which everyone and their cubs settled to be as close to the warmth as possible. Then Kota and Hikaru went to the kitchen, where they tried to figure out the best way to feed the wolf cubs while Kei and Yuya tried to give them a drink by putting a spoonful of water to their mouths, and then they waited if the pups would drink. However, they weren't very successful, as if the cubs really didn't even have the strength to open their mouths and stick out their tongues.

     There was quite a hesitation in the kitchen. The pack tended to have a supply of dried or frozen meat, although there was no shortage of vegetables or fruit, there was no chance of getting the wolf cubs to chew anything, so they had to think of something much simpler. Hikaru finally suggested that they could try making them some mash, and so the head cook set about mashing up just about everything he could find in the pantry and mixing it together. When he tasted his culinary masterpiece himself, he was pleasantly surprised that it didn't taste so bad!

     So Hikaru, along with the leader of the pack, settled down with the remaining members, who were vainly forcing the cubs to drink. The local cooking expert placed a bowl of mash on the floor, and Kota handed out needleless syringes for everyone to try and get at least some food into the pups. They knew that as soon as they could eat at least a few small bites, it would replenish the puppies' energy and kick-start their regenerative systems, which were probably no longer working at all. Their species has almost magical self-healing abilities for an ordinary human, but if the body is so exhausted that the individual can't even move on their own, then even the werewolf system can't work properly.

     All of the members except Daiki, who was putting wood in the fireplace, each took their cub wrapped in a blanket on their lap. They had to open their mouths by hand, and then gently push the tip of a syringe into them and slowly feed them mash. The question was whether the cubs had the strength to swallow at all.

     "Come on, little one..." Hikaru gently ran his fingers between the black wolf cub's ears and then under his chin, trying to get him to become more aware of his surroundings. After all, the area under the muzzle and ears were some of the most sensitive parts of a wolf's body. "This mash is really good! You'll see! I tasted it myself! It's yummy! Really! Try it!" enticed Hikaru to his tiny pup, the second smallest of the four new pack members.

     His persuasion finally bore fruit. The cub, which coal-colored fur stood out, even more, when he was dry in the light blanket, slowly began to swallow. His eyes were still closed, but he was already getting some nutrients into his empty stomach, which made Hikaru absolutely beam at how happy he was to have just brought this little guy to life.

     It also took the others quite a while to get their new companions to start eating, but eventually, they all managed to do so. The atmosphere suddenly couldn't have been happier. Daiki even had to wipe his tears in his sleeves as he felt relieved. A huge stone fell from everyone's heart.

     The sight of the wolf cubs gradually coming to life under their hands was one of the most amazing sights in their lives ever.

Chapter Text

     All the cubs were now fed and resting happily in the arms of their caretakers. They were also warm enough by now that there was no need to sit by the fireplace with them, so Hikaru and Kota settled on the couch, Kei in the armchair, and Yuya lay with his little one on the floor. Daiki was still making sure there was plenty of wood in the fireplace, and when it was stoked he couldn't resist gently stroking Kota's white puppy's tummy. Its eyes were still closed like the other little ones, but it definitely looked a lot better than it had a few hours ago. It was fed and hydrated, now it just needed enough rest in the warmth of someone close to it to get lively again.

     "Have you looked them over properly? See if they have any injuries?" The leader of the pack asked everyone, sizing up his members with his gaze. The first one rested on his best friend since birth.

     "Ryosuke had two ticks," Hikaru announced, grinning from ear to ear, his fangs perfectly bared. The only problem he had with those was that they remained quite prominent even after his transformation into human form. People often asked him why he looked so strange, but he always just smiled even more and simply explained that he had inherited his fangs from his grandfather. It sounded quite funny when he talked about it.

     "Ryosuke...?" repeated all the companions at once in shock.

     "Yeah, Ryosuke!" repeated the still-young werewolf with shoulder-length brown hair. He and Yuya always competed to see who could keep it longer. "That's what I named him!" Hikaru said, proud of the name he had come up with for the black pup. It snoozed contentedly in his arms as he snuggled it close to him, warming it not only with the blanket but also with the heat that his own body radiated.

     "Can we even give them names? Don't they already have their own?" Daiki hesitated. It was customary, as with humans, for cubs to be given names by their own parents, but naturally, if the little ones were as small as they were, they might not even remember their own names, if they ever learned them at all. The pack still had no idea where their family had gone, or if they ever had any. They could have been dumped there by some person who didn't want to take care of them, or their parents could have simply disappeared... or died...

     "I guess it wouldn't hurt to give them names, right? Then they can have two if they happen to have some already," Kota shrugged. He didn't see any problem with that, so his pack followed him without further question.

     "Then mine will be Yuto!" smiled Yuya at the brown wolf curled up on his chest. Compared to the other three, it was much bigger, compared to the smallest one Kota had in charge, it was at least half the size!

     "This one will be Yuri," Kota thought to himself, naming the white beauty that Daiki kept pestering with his petting. He couldn't resist, and no wonder, the little tots were incredibly cute!

     "I don't know what to name him," Kei sighed dejectedly, looking at the little grey wolf.

     "Think of something, Kei," Daiki prompted, this time focusing his attention on Ryosuke, he too earning a gentle pat on his overstuffed belly.

     "Kei? Hm..." his own name began to scramble in his clever mind until he finally came up with the perfect name for his little one. "Keito!" he exclaimed excitedly until little Keito flinched, but then continued to snooze quietly. "It's going to be Keito!" he repeated happily, nodding his head eagerly as if perhaps waiting for his friends to praise him for his creativity.

     That didn't happen, however, as they were all busy blushing over their wolf cubs.

Chapter Text

     Several days have passed since the wolf pack took in four exhausted wolf cubs they rescued from an abandoned cave. Their condition had begun to improve rapidly, and they were even able to chew on their own and enjoy their first bites of dried meat on which to practice their ever-growing grip on their growing teeth.

     Yuto lay on the floor under the table in the middle of the living room, enjoying his dinner. His munching was slowly getting louder than the crackling in the burning fireplace. Keito sat on Daiki's lap, his playful paw preventing him from reading a book about the conflicts between the supernatural world and human beings. Kota wanted all the members of his pack to be educated in these historical matters and to be aware of all sorts of connections that could be very important in the future, as peace between these worlds could not be eternal. There is always a new war or clash happening, even if it doesn't look like it at first glance. But the truth was that evil lurked around every corner.

     Little Yuri was impatiently squatting on the floor between Kota and Hikaru's feet while the two of them, in their human forms, bent over the journal on the kitchen counter, in which Kota was recording the details of their hunting and earnings for the day. As werewolves living near humans on the outskirts of the village, it was extremely important to them that no one, but absolutely no one, had the slightest suspicion that they weren't normal humans. If anyone found out that they had a pack of werewolves so close to their homes, the entire neighborhood would immediately rush in with sharpened knives and burning torches to eliminate the pack. People were simply afraid of them. They were afraid that the werewolves would destroy their laboriously grown crops, kill their livestock, or maim their children or anyone else. But this was not the style of the pack Kota led. They had set clear rules that people were not to be harmed under any circumstances unless it was in necessary self-defense.

     That being said, the wolf pack primarily fed on hunting, either larger game such as deer, wild boar, bison, or rock goats, or small game such as rabbits or fish. The priority was naturally to feed the pack, so they always hunted food for themselves and then, thanks to their human transformations, were able to process it into dried or frozen meat that they could store for longer periods of time. Moreover, they sold everything to the local butchers, who would buy quality catches from them in exchange for money or other useful items suitable for further barter.

     "How are we doing?" Yuya wondered, just sinking into his chair and leaning back comfortably. He'd had enough for the day, he'd been hunting most of the day along with the others, with the exception of Daiki, who was the youngest of the pack's eldest members, taking care of the little guys.

     "Dare I say, downright brilliant! Good job today," the pack leader spared no praise for his comrades. After all, they had managed to take two deer today, very nice catches. Kota kept an honest record in his journal. He wrote regular entries for each day. Among other things, he kept a record of how their cubs were doing. He liked to keep all the information together and available for future reference. This is a trait he picked up from a very educated man who raised him among humans.

     A special feature of the journal Kota wrote in was that only the werewolf's eyes could read the contents of the seemingly blank pages. To ordinary mortals, the diary appeared immaculate, yet it contained so much interesting reading.

     "Wow... Ryosuke is a real savage!" Kei uttered in a totally overwhelmed voice as he and the last of the cubs returned from their walk in the garden. He didn't want to go home at all, and just ran back and forth until Kei managed to convince him that even running around inside was more comfortable, and at least no one was getting rained on.

     "Haha, he is! He's always got to be chewing on something or running somewhere-" Hikaru had barely finished saying that when a small black blur whizzed between his legs, sliding across the floor before running to the other side of the room, sliding again, and running back again. And like that, little Ryosuke did this about five times before he tired himself out, and while he was panting, Yuri came over to sniff him. These two were closer than the others. Maybe it was the way they were snuggled together in the dark cave where the pack of wolves had discovered them.

     "Hikaru, fess up!" slapped the named Kei on the shoulder as they both watched Ryosuke and Yuri slap each other with their paws. "You're giving him some super-secret goodies that make him feel like he's on drugs!" he accused his friend.

     "That's not true! I'm not giving him anything extra!" Hikaru defended himself with his hands away from his body, but he wasn't very good at lying. Of course, he was giving his wolf pup a little extra too. Ryosuke was special to him, he was his puppy, and so he spoiled him far more than the others. What else could he do when he was so consumed by the parental instinct and simply loved the little creature from the first moment he laid eyes on it? It was as if Hikaru had known exactly that he and the creature would hit it off and get along, just based on the similar colors of their coats.

     "No way! There's something weird about this pup! Not just the black fur color and red eyes... But there's something else suspicious about him!" Kei argued, eagerly pointing at the black puppy who was currently fighting with his brother. "I can smell it!" And then he tapped his finger on his trained nose, which had worked well enough in his transformation into a human.

     "It's just that Ryosuke hasn't grown brakes yet!" Hikaru found a rather simple and obvious reason behind his charge's increased activity.

     "Well, that might be actually true," Kei chuckled, and eventually probably believed this reason before he too got his mouth full, but unlike Yuto, he didn't indulge in a slice of jerky, but took an apple to sit down at the table with. Wolves may be carnivorous creatures, but werewolves had it differently. Their human bodies needed a lot of vitamins to sustain them that they couldn't get from meat alone, so they supplemented their nutrients with fruits or vegetables as well.

     "Daiki, when did you grow brakes?" Hikaru wondered in regard to his black puppy's unstoppability.

     "I really don't remember," the smallest werewolf in the room shrugged, unless we counted the four little ones. Daiki didn't remember much of his adolescence, and what he did remember, he didn't want to talk about too much.

     "Hey, but you do realize that when they grow up, we will need a bigger house?" Kei spoke with his mouth full, so he could barely be understood.

     "We're not going to make do with this?" Yuya sighed, who was surprisingly no longer asleep in his chair but was quite awakened when his wolf jumped onto his lap with dark brown fur and a chunk of meat in his mouth, which he soon resumed chewing on.

     "Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to crowd with Keito on the same bed when he outgrows me." Kei was obviously worried that very soon he would have to sleep on the floor. It wouldn't have been a problem in his wolf form, but he spent a lot more time in his human form, so he was fairly used to having his own bed.

     "Well, we still have time for that," Kota reassured him, still focused on his journal.

     "But that's only if they want to stay with us at all..." lamented Daiki, stroking behind Keito's ears.

     "Where else would they go? Their home is with us now," Hikaru was convinced, watching with a smile as Ryosuke and Yuri continued to bicker.

     "But we should also somehow deal with the fact that there might be another pack nearby that these little ones belong to," Kei correctly pointed out a very important detail about the pups' origins.

     "No pack would leave them alone and exposed to everything," Hikaru argued bitterly. He himself couldn't imagine the wolf cubs suddenly disappearing from their presence now. Sure, they still hadn't been together that long, but they were all clinging to them. They couldn't just give them up now. They were a pack, members of a family.

     "If it was in imminent danger, then yes," Kota disagreed. In his clever mind, there would be plenty of reasons to abandon the four wolf pups, but that didn't mean he approved of such reasons. He himself knows it is his duty to protect the pups, even at the cost of his own life. That's how important they are. "Maybe they haven't had a chance to get back to them, we have to be much more cautious now. I'm pretty sure we didn't leave much of a scent behind because of the rain, but we still need to look around more. They might come back for their young," he advised everyone to increase their caution, and they all nodded in agreement.

     "When do you think they'll be able to transform for the first time? They already look stronger than before," Yuya mused, currently letting his pup playfully nibble his finger with his still barely emerged teeth.

     "They're still very scrawny and tiny, I'm sure it'll take a few more months," the pack leader analyzed.

     "You know, it makes quite a difference if they came into the world as humans or as wolf pups, in their case it's more the latter," Kei finally finished his apple and rejoined the discussion. Like Kota, he was brimming with a great deal of knowledge, not only regarding the werewolf world but the human one as well.

     "They probably don't even know they can transform yet and don't understand what we tell them from our human side," Kota squatted down next to the two smallest cubs with a smile, thinking he might be able to scratch them behind their ears a little, but they kept fighting with each other. They even growled softly at each other or tried to bark, which was incredibly cute to everyone present.

     "Maybe we should try the wolf one then?" Hikaru thought while scratching his chin. Not a bad idea at all, the pups had only seen the pack in their human forms. When they were rescued from the cave, they were indeed in place as wolves, but the little ones were so exhausted they couldn't even remember them.

     "But be careful not to scare them-" Kota had barely finished speaking when his best friend assumed his wolf form before all four pups froze in shock, rolled their dark eyes, jumped in place, and then scattered across the room. Their animal instincts told them to run, so they did. The problem was that they had nowhere to run, so they variously hid under the couch, under the table, or in Kota's arms, where Yuri promptly jumped in, certainly hoping the big furry monster wouldn't catch him that way.

     "This is going to be hard..." Kota ran his hand over his forehead, then stroked Yuri's beautifully pure white fur soothingly as he clung to him in fear, trying to hide before Hikaru.

     "Well, you see, Hikaru. You're such an ugly wolf that even your own pup is afraid of you," Kei laughed at his werewolf friend, who stuck his tongue out between his fangs at him with a scowl, then snorted in frustration.

     "I was afraid of you the first time too, give them a moment and they'll come. As I came," Daiki remembered the events of a few years ago when he too had joined this wolf pack, his eyes searching for where Keito had run from him. He had to do a little digging with not only his good eyesight but his sense of smell as well, to find the light grey pup quietly curled up under a cupboard.

     Yuto ran to the nearest room where he tried to stuff himself into an open drawer, Ryosuke ran under the nearest safe hiding place, which was the couch Daiki was sitting on, and Yuri hid in the pack leader's arms.

     "I agree, let's give them time. At least try not to look so murderous, Hikaru," Kota also shot a glare at his companion, who originally wanted to growl at him in his dark grey-furred wolf form, but ended up not doing that for the sake of not startling anyone else.

     It took about fifteen minutes before one of the pups finally got up the courage to confront the big wolf. It probably won't come as a surprise that it was the little black-furred wolf that was the first to come out from under the couch. Either he was the bravest of them all, or he smelled the familiar scent of the person he had spent the most time with the last few days. He slowly stuck his muzzle out of the darkness that made him almost invisible due to the color of his fur and watched the wolf as he lay down on the floor and sighed in despair while the rest of the pack watched him and waited to see how the situation would play out. They too were interested to see how the wolf cubs would handle this unknown challenge.

     Ryosuke crept along, crouched down, ready to run again if need be. With slow steps, he approached the familiar scent, his piercing red eyes examining the body of the large wolf. Compared to him, Ryosuke was outrageously small, so it was no wonder he was so cautious in his presence.

     However, the closer he got, the calmer he became. The familiar scent grew clearer in his nostrils until he was one hundred percent certain that he was in no danger. After all, he already knew this creature. He knows that he gives him goodies to munch on and that he falls asleep with him at night. He began to wag his tail happily, attempting to bark and prick up his ears before he literally jumped on the dark wolf, or rather between his huge paws, where he immediately lay down on his back.

     This naturally pleased not only the transformed wolf, who stroked his cub's exposed belly with his snout, but also the other werewolves in the room, and most importantly, calmed the remaining pups. No longer wanting to hide in Kota's arms, Yuri let himself be put down on the ground and rushed over to his brother so he too could go say hello to Hikaru's wolf form.

     It wasn't long before Yuto and Keito joined in as well.

Chapter Text

     It was a calm day and the wolf pack was preparing for the soon arrival of the full moon. There was a slightly tense atmosphere in the wooden house on the edge of the village that hid the secrets of the werewolves. Every member of the pack knew this full moon would be different. It was the first time they had the four little wolves between them, who had never experienced the full power of the moonlight before.

     Kei was sitting in his human form in a chair in the corner of the room, completely engrossed in reading the newspaper. He didn't notice that little Yuri, the white wolf, was quietly creeping up to his feet. With a sharp eye and a mischievous smile on his face, Yuri selected several pages of sports news and began to tear them to pieces. Every piece of paper that made it into his little paws was carefully ripped apart and nibbled before he spat it out onto the floor in disgust.

     “When is the moon coming out today?” came the voice of Hikaru who was sitting on the couch thinking about the coming nights. His long brown hair was casually pulled back into a ponytail and his fangs gleamed in the fireplace light.

     Kei looked up from the rest of the newspaper and answered promptly, “At like 10 pm.” There was no hint of concern in his voice, just plain information.

     Yuya, who was standing by the window watching the setting sun, frowned. “I wonder how they'll put up with it,” he muttered as he rubbed his chin.

     Kota sat down on the floor next to Daiki and nodded. “Hopefully, they will be fine. And if not, we won't be getting any sleep anyway,” he said with a slight smile, but there was worry in his eyes.

     Daiki, the youngest of them, was leaning against the hearth, tending the fire. “I hope we won't have to lock anyone in the basement,” he remarked quietly, sighing. The memories of his own first full moons were still vivid and full of unpleasant experiences.

     “It'll be fine,” Kota spoke firmly, turning to the others. “It's enough if we get ready well and don't let ourselves and our butts out in the moonlight,” he added with a conviction that should have calmed the whole pack.

     Hikaru got up from the couch and walked over to little Ryosuke who was just trying to climb onto a low stool. “We should prepare them properly,” he said as he pulled the black wolf into his arms. Ryosuke snuggled up to him and purred contentedly.

     “How exactly can we prepare them?” Yuya asked, looking at Hikaru.

     “We have to show them that there is nothing to fear. We'll make them a safe place to hide and we'll be close to them all the time,” Hikaru replied patting Ryosuke's head.

     “Exactly,” agreed Kota. “They need to see that we are here for them. Whatever happens, we're a family and we'll get through it together.”

     Kei got up from his chair and laughed when he saw what Yuri had done to his newspaper. “This little rascal is going to have to learn what a full moon means,” he said with a smile, holding up the torn pieces of paper.

     “And we'll have to learn to be patient with them,” Daiki added, watching Keito, the gray wolf, examine the rest of the newspaper.

     As the evening turned into night and the first stars began to shine in the sky, the tension in the wooden house on the edge of the village grew. Kei, Kota, Hikaru, and Daiki were looking more and more towards the door, expecting the arrival of Yuya, who had not yet arrived home after he went out today. Everyone was preparing for the arrival of the full moon, but the absence of one of their members was unsettling the entire pack.

     “Where's Yuya?” Kei asked nervously, ignoring the torn pieces of newspaper under his feet.

     “He's not here yet?” Kota retorted as he looked at the clock on the wall. His worries grew with each passing minute.

     Hikaru nodded and ran a hand over his forehead where beads of sweat had begun to form. “He said he would just walk around to see if he could find any signs of the other pack,” he explained.

     Daiki, who was sitting by the fireplace stroking little Yuto, who chewed on dried meat, frowned. “But he should be here by now. The moon will rise in a moment! He knows the rules!” his voice sounded angry, but inside he mostly felt fear for his friend.

     “He'll definitely come, he's never been late before,” Kota tried to reassure everyone, even though there was uncertainty in his voice. His gaze kept drifting to the window, where the first rays of moonlight were beginning to reflect.

     But Yuya wasn't coming back. The full moon was already shining brightly through the surrounding woods, and the werewolf still hadn't returned home. The tension in the room was palpable. Ryosuke, Yuri, Yuto, and Keito, who had been playing and carefree until then, began to feel the nervousness of their older protectors.

     “Maybe he wouldn't make it here in time and rather stayed in some other hideout?” Hikaru suggested, taking Ryosuke in his arms to comfort him. The black wolf pressed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

     “I hope so…” Kei replied quietly, his gaze meeting Hikaru's. They both knew that if Yuya wasn't safe outside of the moonlight, the consequences could be disastrous.

     Kota decided that he must remain a calm and responsible leader. “We have to be ready for anything. Yuya might still come back, but probably already under the influence of the moon. We can't search for him, so now we just have to stay calm and protect our cubs,” he stated firmly, his voice giving the others the strength they needed.

     The evening shadows gradually turned into the darkness of night as the full moon began to bathe the forest around the house in its silver light. A tension that had not been there for a long time reverberated through the house. The doors and windows were carefully boarded up to prevent even a grain of moonlight from entering. All the members of the pack gathered in the living room, near the warm fire crackling quietly in the fireplace.

     Kei, Hikaru, Kota, and Daiki sat spread out across the room, each with a worried look on their face. Four wolf cubs were huddled on the floor, beginning to feel the power of the full moon. Little Yuto, Keito, and Yuri cowered, their small bodies shaking with unpleasant sensations they had never experienced before.

     “They can already feel the full moon too,” Kei remarked softly as he sat in the chair watching his gray wolf Keito writhe on the floor.

     “Are they in pain?” Daiki asked, carefully stroking Keito and Yuto's heads, trying to calm them down.

     “They shouldn't be,” Kota replied thoughtfully. “The moon should have the same effect on them as it does on us, so they're more uncomfortable than in pain as we are,” he added.

     Hikaru, who had the little black Ryosuke on his lap, just nodded. “Well, as long as they don't turn into murderous monsters, it's probably good,” he tried a small smile, but the worry in his eyes was obvious.

     Ryosuke, unlike his brothers, didn't seem particularly bothered by the full moon. He was more scared of his brothers' suffering. He occasionally jumped down and circled around, stopping every now and then to check on Yuri, Yuto, and Keito, trying to calm them down with his quiet bark and presence. His red eyes glowed in the firelight and his black fur glistened as if covered in fine silver dust.

     “Can we pet them?” Daiki asked as he saw the gray wolf Keito shaking. “Or does it disrupt some processes somehow?” he added, his voice sounding uncertain.

     “We can, it probably shouldn't hurt them in any way,” replied Kota, who took Yuri in his arms and began to gently stroke his stomach. “Maybe when they feel that we are here with them, they might feel a little relieved,” he said.

     Kei nodded and took Keito in his arms. “That makes sense. Cuddling might help them feel more secure,” he said and began to gently stroke the gray wolf's back.

     Hikaru, once again holding the restless Ryosuke, smiled and began to gently scratch behind his ears. “See, Ryosuke, your little brothers need some love,” he said watching the black wolf. Ryosuke wagged his tail and barked softly as if he understood and agreed with his werewolf dad's opinion.

     The whole house was filled with the quiet roar of the fire and the occasional barking of wolves. All the werewolves felt uneasy and uncomfortable due to the full moon, but the presence and proximity of the pack gave them strength. Each of them knew they had to stay strong for their little pups.

     As the night progressed and the full moon shone over the forest, there was a strange mixture of tension and calm in the house. The wolf cubs huddled close to their older protectors, who tried to soothe them with petting and gentle talking. But one of them, little Ryosuke, behaved completely differently from the others.

     Suddenly, a small black wolf detached himself from Hikaru's lap and headed towards the corner of the room where a forgotten squeaky toy lay. Ryosuke grabbed it in his mouth and with a gleeful bark ran back to Hikaru, whistling the toy. Hikaru looked at him in surprise as the other werewolves raised their heads and watched in disbelief at what was happening.

     “He wants to play? Now?” Daiki asked with an incredulous smile as he stroked Yuto, the largest of the little wolves.

     “Looks like it,” Hikaru replied, taking the squeaky toy from Ryosuke's mouth. “Do you want to play catch, Ryosuke?” he asked, gently tossing the toy around the room. Ryosuke chased after it excitedly, his red eyes glowing in the firelight.

     “I can't believe he's not feeling sick,” Kota commented as he held Yuri in his arms. “He should feel the full moon as we do,” he added thoughtfully.

     Hikaru smiled and watched as Ryosuke ran over with the toy again and placed it at his feet. “Maybe Ryosuke is just special,” he said, holding up the toy. “It's not just about his red eyes and black fur. He is simply exceptional,” he added with pride in his voice.

     Kei, who had been silent until then, frowned. “Black wolf fur carries bad luck,” he stated firmly. “There's just something wrong with him,” he added confidently, hugging little Keito.

     Hikaru glared at him. “That's not true, Kei! Nothing is wrong with him! Ryosuke is special, in a good way. He doesn't mind the full moon because he's stronger than us. We shouldn't condemn him because of superstitions,” he argued, his voice sounding indignant.

     Kei frowned even more. “We will see. I'm just saying we should be careful,” he insisted, but his voice was no longer so firm.

     Kota, who was watching the argument between Hikaru and Kei, raised his hand to silence them. “Guys, calm down,” he said in a calm but authoritative voice. “We must remain united. Whatever Ryosuke is, he is a member of our pack and we must protect him just like the others. The full moon is hard for everyone, but together we can do it,” he added, his voice full of determination.

     Hikaru nodded and looked at Ryosuke who was now sitting calmly at his feet whistling a toy. “You're right, Kota,” he said quietly. “Sorry, Kei,” he added, his voice sounding sincere.

     Kei sighed and nodded. “Sorry too, Hikaru. I just want the pack to be safe,” he said looking at Ryosuke with less worry in his eyes.

     The house was quiet, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the occasional whistle of the toy Ryosuke was still playing with. However, suddenly there was a creaking of the door, which broke the calm atmosphere. All of the pack members suddenly tensed when they heard a muffled growl from outside. They weren't unfamiliar with the sound – Yuya was coming back, but he wasn't okay.

     “It's Yuya,” Hikaru said softly, immediately recognizing his scent wafting from the door. “But he's in his werewolf form,” he added, concern growing in his voice.

     Kei frowned and gripped Keito tighter. “He's hard to tame under a full moon,” he said, but his voice was firm and decisive. You could see that he was ready to face the situation, even though it was dangerous.

     “Everyone, keep calm,” Kota commanded, his authoritative voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “Daiki, take care of the pups. We're going to tame Yuya,” he said handing Yuri to Daiki while Hikaru and Kei carried Ryosuke and Keito over to him.

     Daiki nodded and hugged tightly all the wolf cubs that were clinging to him. “Be careful,” he said with concern.

     Hikaru, Kota, and Kei made their way into the hallway where growls were getting louder and louder. As soon as they opened the door, they saw Yuya, but not as they knew him. Yuya was neither a wolf nor a human. His body was taller than in human form, covered in thick fur. Sharp claws grew on his feet and hands, and his face changed beyond recognition. He resembled a wolf, but still had the features of a human face.

     Yuya stood on two legs, his eyes blazing with a wild light and his breathing heavy and shaky. It was the strongest werewolf form, enhanced by the full moon and the moonlight that dazzled him outside. He couldn't speak or perceive anymore. Anyone who stood in his way now became an enemy that needed to be neutralized.

     “Yuya,” Kota tried to calm down first rather than provoke further aggression. But Yuya didn't react, his gaze filled with malice and hostility.

     Kei crouched and prepared for a possible attack. “We have to be careful. He's in his strongest werewolf form,” he said softly but urgently.

     Hikaru who was standing next to Kota nodded. “We need to calm him down before anything worse happens,” he said and slowly began to approach their friend, his movements slow and steady.

     Yuya suddenly turned and roared, his voice sounding like a mixture of a human scream and a wolf howl. Hikaru stopped.

     “Yuya, it's us,” Kota tried again, taking a step forward. “Your pack. Your friends,” he added, hoping his words would cut through the werewolf's fury.

     However, Yuya showed no signs of calming down. On the contrary, his growl grew more intense and he prepared to attack. Hikaru, Kota, and Kei exchanged quick glances, each of them ready to step in and protect the pack.

     At that moment, however, Kota did something unexpected. Instead of fighting, he tried one last chance to calm the werewolf down. He slowly raised his hands and showed open palms, a symbol of peace. “Yuya, come to us,” he said softly but firmly. “We are your family. We won't hurt you.”

     Yuya froze. His gaze met Kota's and for a split second a glimmer of understanding appeared in his eyes. But then his face contracted into a wolf's fury again and he lunged forward.

     Hikaru and Kei were ready. The moment Yuya attacked, they charged at him and pinned him to the ground with their combined strength. Kota joined them and the three of them held Yuya, who squirmed and struggled against their grip.

     “We have to lock him up somewhere!” Kei said between his teeth as he tried to keep Yuya under control.

     “To the basement!” agreed Kota. “Quickly before he takes us down!” he added as he, Hikaru, and Kei pushed Yuya towards the basement where there was no window and the moonlight couldn't get in.

     As they continued to push him, Yuya became more and more agitated. His growls grew louder and his movements became more and more aggressive. Hikaru, Kota, and Kei tried to keep him under control, but it was like holding a wild beast.

     “We have no choice,” Kota hissed as they reached the top of the stairs leading down to the basement. “We must push him down!”

     Hikaru nodded and he and Kota used all their strength to move Yuya over the edge of the stairs. Yuya tried to catch his claws on the wooden railing, but ended up losing his balance and fell down with a loud roar, landing with loud thuds on individual steps before coming to rest on the cold stone floor of the basement.

     “Now we have to transform!” Kota said as his body began to transform into wolf form. Hikaru followed him, their bodies changing, fur growing, jaw lengthening, eyes glowing with wolfish instincts. Kei remained in human form while quickly reaching into the first aid kit for a sleeping serum. He prepared the syringe and waited for the right opportunity.

     In the basement, the real battle began. Yuya rose to his feet, his claws screeching against the stone floor, and lunged at his friends. Hikaru and Kota jumped at him from both sides, trying to push him to the ground again, but Yuya was incredibly strong and fierce in his werewolf form.

     Kei, ready with the syringe, stayed in the background, looking for the right moment. The fight in the basement was fierce and dangerous. Hikaru and Kota faced Yuya's furious attack while Kei waited for his chance.

     Meanwhile, upstairs in the living room, Daiki was sitting on the couch, hugging all the wolf cubs. Their little bodies were shaking with fear. The sounds of fighting from the basement terrified them.

     “Shh... Don't worry, little ones,” Daiki whispered, his voice full of tenderness and reassurance. “It's going to be okay... Everything is going to be okay, I'm here to watch over you, okay?” He held them even tighter. “I'll protect you, you're safe with me,” he added, petting Ryosuke's head, who looked at him with confidence, barking lightly to reassure his brothers.

     In the basement, Kei finally saw his chance. Yuya turned his back on Hikaru at one point, his attention fully focused on Kota. Kei didn't hesitate and lunged forward, skillfully injecting the sleeping serum syringe into Yuya's shoulder.

     Yuya roared in pain and turned to attack Kei, but the effects of the serum were swift. His movements began to slow down, his body stiffened, and he finally collapsed to the ground where he remained motionless.

     Hikaru and Kota slowly returned to human form, panting and exhausted but with relief on their faces. “Good job, Kei,” Kota breathed and looked at his friend.

     “It's over,” Hikaru breathed and looked at the others. “For now,” he added quietly, knowing that the full moon would last all night.

     “It was tight,” Kei admitted as he carefully checked that Yuya was unconscious. “But we made it.”

     “We have to leave him here until the full moon is over,” Hikaru said leaning against the wall, still panting. “But at least now we know he'll be safe.”

     Yuya's body began to lose its wolf features and slowly returned to its human form. The fur was receding, the claws were getting shorter, and his face was once again becoming the familiar, human face of Yuya that everyone knew and loved.

     Kota looked at Kei and nodded. “We have to tie him up, just to be sure. I don't want to risk him transforming again,” he said, quickly finding the strong ropes and chains they had ready for such emergencies. Together with Kei, they carefully bound Yuya's hands and feet so that he wouldn't be able to move freely when he woke up.

     “I'll stay here and watch over him,” Kei said as he checked the strength of the knots.

     “I'll be here too,” Kota nodded and looked at Hikaru. “You go upstairs, Hikaru. Daiki and the wolf cubs will need you,” he said firmly.

     Hikaru stood up, still out of breath but determined. “Alright, be careful. If anything, call me,” he said, heading back up the stairs. When he reached the living room, he saw Daiki still holding the wolf cubs and trying to calm them down.

     “He's safe in the basement. We put him to sleep and tied him up so he can't transform back,” Hikaru informed Daiki as he approached him.

     Daiki visibly breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Hikaru. I'm glad to hear that,” he said, petting the wolf cubs' heads.

     At that moment, Ryosuke ran towards Hikaru with a happy bark, carrying his favorite squeaky toy in his mouth. “Ryosuke!” Hikaru shouted in surprise as the little black wolf wagged his tail happily.

     “Want to play again, buddy?” Hikaru smiled as he picked up the toy from the floor. It was obvious to him that Ryosuke was not afraid, nor affected by the tension and fear of others.

     “It's incredible how fearless Ryosuke is,” Daiki remarked as he watched the little wolf jump around Hikaru waiting for him to throw the toy.

     “Yeah, he's really special,” Hikaru replied, his voice full of admiration. He threw the toy across the room and watched as Ryosuke happily ran after it, completely oblivious to the tension that was taking over the house.

     Hikaru sat down next to Daiki and together they watched Ryosuke play. “The night isn't over yet, but we'll make it,” Hikaru said, his eyes smiling.

     “Yeah, we can do it,” Daiki agreed, hugging the wolf cubs tighter.

     The house was quiet, even though the full moon was still shining over the forest. The pack was together and everyone felt a strength and unity that gave them hope. It was a night full of challenges, but also a night that showed that even in the most difficult moments, they can find strength and support in each other.

Chapter Text

     The sun slowly rose above the horizon, bathing the forest in a soft golden light. The air was fresh and saturated with the scent of pine needles and damp moss. The wolf pack was waking up to a new day full of anticipation. It was a momentous moment – they will take their little wolves deeper into the forest.

     “We're going to take you hunting today,” Hikaru announced, kneeling down to get to the cubs' level. “It will be a great adventure,” he added with a smile.

     The wolf cubs looked at him with bright eyes. Their little bodies quivered with excitement. Hunting was something they had only heard stories about from their elders, and now they themselves were to become a part of this ancient ritual.

     The pups were so excited that they were eagerly hopping by the door and barking loudly at the older wolves. It was obvious that they couldn't wait to finally embark on their first adventure into the forest. Their little bodies were full of energy and joy, which made everyone present laugh.

     “We have to take those squeaky toys from them or we won't catch anything,” Kota said with a smile as he watched the little wolves playfully chase each other around the room, each with their favorite squeaky toy in their mouths.

     Hikaru nodded and walked over to Yuto, who was particularly determined to keep his toy. “Yuto, we're going to need you to put the toy away for a moment,” he said and tried to take it from him.

     However, Yuto wasn't willing to give up his toy so easily. He bit down on it even tighter and began to wrestle with Hikaru. Ryosuke, who was always ready to join in the game, also joined in and began to fight with Yuto over the toy.

     “Ryosuke, you little rascal,” Hikaru laughed as he watched the two little wolves fight over one squeaky toy. “We have to leave it here so we can hunt,” he explained, but his words were lost in the excited barking and whistling of the toy.

     Yuto ended up winning this duel, triumphantly holding his toy in his mouth. Ryosuke looked at him with slight disappointment but quickly went back to cuddle with Yuri.

     Kota sighed and gently approached Yuto. “Yuto, I know you love that toy, but we have to leave it here for now. I promise you'll be able to play with it as soon as we get back from hunting,” he said calmly and reassuringly.

     However, Yuto still held his squeaky toy tightly in his mouth and refused to let go. One by one, the older wolves tried to convince Yuto to leave the toy at home, but his determination was unwavering.

     Hikaru was the first to try again. “Yuto, we need you to focus on hunting. You can play with the toy later,” he explained patiently, but Yuto just shook his head and bit down harder on the toy, making a short squeak as he did so.

     “Come on, Yuto, let's trade it for something else,” Yuya tried, offering him a piece of meat he found in the kitchen. “Look, here's your favorite meat,” he said enticingly, but Yuto just shook his head once more and grunted in disapproval, holding the toy tightly.

     Daiki tried a different approach and offered Yuto a different, more colorful toy, but it didn't whistle. “Look, this one is even better,” he said with a smile, but Yuto didn't even move. He stayed true to his original toy.

     Kota finally tried once again as well. “Yuto, leave the toy here so we can go,” he said with an authoritative tone, but Yuto didn't want to give up. The pack's Alpha sighed. “Alright, but at least don't squeak with it, okay?” Kota tried to compromise.

     Yuto nodded, but there was no guarantee that his playful nature would keep his promise. Yuto was still holding his squeaky toy in his mouth as they made their way into the forest. There was an occasional short squeak as Yuto excitedly ran after a new sound or smell, eliciting smiles and sighs from the older wolves.

     “He's just a playful little wolf,” Yuya commented with a smile as he watched his pup's joy. “We must forgive him.”

     The wolf cubs held together, their little paws gently touching the moss and leaves beneath them. Every new sound and smell fascinated them, their noses fluttering all around.

     As the pack delved deeper into the forest, the wolves kept a close eye on their little cubs, ready to protect and guide them. Yuto, despite the occasional squeak of his toy, still kept close to the others, his eyes shining with excitement at the new adventure.

     The smell of the forest was fresh and the air was saturated with the scents of wild animals. The wolf cubs eagerly absorbed all the new impressions. It was their first hunt and their first real step into adulthood.

     “Hold together and obey our instructions,” said Kota as the pack stopped in the clearing where they were to begin their hunt. “You will learn something new and important today,” he added.

     However, the cubs still could not perceive these complex instructions from the older wolves. Although Kota and the other wolves were explaining the importance of hunting and concentration, the little wolves were more focused on their surroundings. For them, this trip was all about discovering the new world that surrounded them.

     Once the pack set off into the forest again, the pups were fascinated by everything they saw. Ryosuke, his black fur glistening in the light shining through the trees, was the first to approach the tall fern. His little paws touched the soft leaves and he smelled their scent, which was completely new to him. He raised his head and barked at the others as if to alert them to his discovery.

     Yuto, still with the squeaky toy in his mouth, joined Ryosuke's discovery. His eyes lit up when he saw a large fallen tree trunk covered in moss. He happily jumped on the trunk and tried to squeak with his toy, which produced a short, muffled whistle.

     “Yuto, remember not to make loud sounds,” Yuya admonished him gently, but with a smile on his face. Yuto looked at him apologetically, but it wasn't certain that he would listen.

     Yuri and Keito followed the others and soon found a small spot full of colorful flowers. Yuri, with his white fur, sat down among the flowers and watched the butterfly fluttering around him in fascination. Keito, the gray wolf, tried to grab one of the flowers in his paws, his movements clumsy but full of enthusiasm.

     “You see, guys, this is important to them,” said Kota, watching the little wolves with love and pride. “They need to learn to know their home so they can feel safe and find their way around it,” he added with a smile.

     Ryosuke, still at the ferns, found a small puddle of water and began to carefully poke his paw into it. The water splashed and he squealed with delight as he saw his reflection in the still water. Keito joined him and the two sniffed the water together, playing with the gentle ripples their movements created.

     Yuto, still with the toy in his mouth, decided to investigate the tall pine tree. He walked up to it and carefully began to scratch up its trunk, his small claws trying to find a foothold in the rough bark. Yuya watched him closely, ready to intervene if needed.

     Meanwhile, Kei and Kota made sure all the wolf cubs were safe and had plenty of space to explore. Every new sound, every unfamiliar smell was a source of constant surprise and joy for the little wolves.

     The whole pack moved slowly through the forest to allow the little wolves to absorb all the new feelings and experiences. It was their first real introduction to nature, and even if they weren't able to fully understand the meaning of hunting, it didn't matter at all.

     Yuri, with his white fur, suddenly stopped in front of the muddy puddle that appeared in front of him. His curiosity got the better of him and he jumped into the mud without hesitation, instantly turning his pure white fur into a dirty brown. Mud splattered all around him, and his jump drew gleeful squeals from the other wolves.

     “Look at Yuri!” Daiki shouted with a laugh as he saw the little wolf floundering in the mud, his white fur now covered in a layer of brown mud.

     Ryosuke, who was always ready to help, immediately ran to his little brother. He jumped into the mud behind him, his black fur quickly turning as dirty as Yuri's. He grabbed Yuri's back fur with his teeth and began to drag him out of the mud. Yuri struggled to free himself, but Ryosuke was determined to “save” his little brother.

     “Well, aren't they adorable?” Daiki said with a smile as he watched the scene before him. “Ryosuke is trying to save Yuri.”

     “They're cute,” Yuya agreed, his eyes shining with love for the little wolves. “Ryosuke has a really protective nature.”

     Eventually, Yuri managed to free himself from the mud and he and Ryosuke returned to Daiki, both covered in mud from head to toe. Ryosuke looked satisfied as if he had just accomplished a heroic deed while Yuri shook himself to get rid of as much mud as possible.

     Daiki then gently stroked Ryosuke's head. “You're a brave little wolf,” he said and Ryosuke wagged his tail, barking happily.

     As Yuri and Ryosuke rejoined the pack, Kota noticed them and his expression changed to horrified. “Yuri! Oh my…!” he sighed and quickly approached the little white wolf, who now looked more like a brown ball of mud. “You're so dirty!” the Alpha of the pack cried out.

     Hikaru, who had been laughing at Kota's reaction until then, couldn't hold back his laughter. “Haha, you'll enjoy cleaning him up,” he laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

     Kota frowned and sighed, but then joined the others in laughter. “Of course, you're laughing because you won't have to scrub him for hours,” he added with a wry smile.

     But Hikaru's laughter quickly died down when he noticed his own wolf, Ryosuke, who was just as covered in mud as Yuri. Ryosuke, his black fur turned into a brown muddy mass, ran up to him and wagged his tail happily.

     “Ryosuke!” Hikaru exclaimed as he saw the state of his wolf. “You're covered in mud too!” His expression, which was full of amusement a moment ago, changed to the same horrified expression that Kota had before.

     The other members of the pack began to laugh even more. Daiki scratched his stomach with his paw as he laughed and Kei had to lean against a tree to keep from falling. “See, Hikaru, that's karma!” Kei laughed.

     “Ah…” Hikaru said with a smile despite being taken aback by his wolf's condition. “But let's face it, this is pretty funny.”

     As the pack slowly set off again, Kota thought about the best way to wash the wolf cubs as efficiently as possible without making a mess of the house. Suddenly, it dawned on him. “I have an idea,” he said. “We'll go to the stream. The puppies can bathe there, and we'll get rid of the mud before we get home.”

     Hikaru nodded. “That's a great idea. The stream is nearby and the little ones will be able to play a little there,” he added with a smile.

     “Alright, pack,” Kota called out to get the attention of the wolves that were still scurrying around the forest. “Let's go.”

     Yuri, who was the most covered in mud, frowned at the mention of the bath, whined, and started backing away from the others.

     “Don't worry, Yuri. It'll be fun,” Kota tried to reassure him, but Yuri still looked displeased.

     On the contrary, Ryosuke and Yuto were excited. As soon as the little black wolf saw the silvery flash of water between the trees, he jumped into the stream without hesitation and the water splashed all around.

     Yuto, still with the squeaky toy in his mouth, followed. He jumped into the water and his toy gave a short squeak before sinking below the surface.

     “See, Yuri? It's fun,” Hikaru encouraged the little white wolf as he watched his own pup Ryosuke happily splash around in the water.

     However, Yuri still hesitated and refused to approach the stream. Keito, who was also looking uncertain, stood next to him. Kei approached them and gently pushed Keito towards the water. “Come on, Keito. It's not that bad, don't worry. You will be clean and feel better,” he said encouragingly.

     Keito slowly ventured towards the water, uncertain, but eventually entered a shallow part of the stream. He began to wash himself slowly, his gray fur slowly getting rid of the dirt.

     “Yuri, come on. It's really not that bad,” Daiki said, taking Yuri gently into his mouth. He carried him to the water and carefully placed him in a calm part of the stream. Yuri hesitated at first, but when he saw how the other wolves were bathing happily, he slowly began to adapt as well.

     “That's it, kids,” Kota complimented them as he saw that all the wolf cubs were finally taking a bath. “Enjoy it and clean yourself up.”

     The stream was shallow, its bottom covered with fine sand and pebbles, and its cool, clear water glistened in the afternoon sun. The little wolves joyfully dived into the water and began to play, their enthusiasm knew no bounds.

     Ryosuke and Yuto, both full of energy, started chasing each other and playing in the water. Yuto, still with the squeaky toy in his mouth, tried to keep it safe while Ryosuke tried to get him to let it go. Ryosuke's red eyes glowed with excitement and his small body thrashed around in a playful struggle.

     Hikaru and Kei watching them smiled at their enthusiasm. “They're playing nicely,” Hikaru said as he watched his little Ryosuke fight with Yuto.

     “Right,” Kei nodded, but his eyes were constantly looking around, making sure the wolf cubs were safe. “But we have to keep an eye on them, you never know what can happen.”

     Meanwhile, Yuri and Keito sat in a shallow part of the stream, their fur half-submerged in the water. They both watched Ryosuke and Yuto's battle in fascination, which was nothing new.

     Yuri growled and nudged Keito to look at their siblings. Keito laughed and wagged his tail as he watched his brothers.

     Ryosuke bit down even harder on the toy and tried to pull it out of Yuto's mouth. Yuto didn't let go and they both floundered in the water. The other wolf cubs, Yuri and Keito, watched them with smiles and the occasional bark. For them, it was like watching the best show where their brothers were the main stars.

     The older wolves were still keeping an eye on their little rascals and at the same time keeping an eye on the surroundings. Each of them was ready to intervene if any danger arose. Their watchful eyes followed every movement, every sound to make sure the wolf cubs were safe.

     Ryosuke finally managed to pry the squeaky toy out of Yuto's mouth. He held it victoriously between his teeth and wanted to run away with it. However, Yuto, angry and frustrated, growled at him and bit his side without hesitation. This was the beginning of the real battle.

     The two wolf cubs went at each other with full vigor, barking and growling. Ryosuke tried to defend his catch while Yuto tried to retrieve it.

     Hikaru and Daiki quickly realized that the situation was getting serious. “Quick, we have to tear them apart!” Hikaru called and they both jumped into the water.

     Hikaru grabbed Ryosuke by the skin on his neck and lifted him into the air. “Stop it, Ryosuke!” he growled at him. Still holding the toy in his mouth, Ryosuke growled back at Hikaru, but he couldn't break free from his grip.

     Daiki did the same to Yuto, grabbing him by the skin of his neck and lifting him into the air. “Yuto, stop!” Daiki admonished him sternly, even though he was the youngest of the biggest wolves. Yuto tried to break free and attack Ryosuke again, but Daiki held him tightly.

     The two wolves kept barking at each other trying to get back into the fight, their bodies tossing in the air but Hikaru and Daiki held them tight in their teeth. “That's enough!” Hikaru growled. “You can't fight like that!”

     “You have to learn to solve things another way than by force!” Daiki added sternly, still holding onto Yuto, who was still trying to get to Ryosuke.

     The elder wolves on the bank of the stream looked at them with serious expressions. Kota stepped closer and looked sternly at the two little brawlers. “This behavior is not acceptable,” he said firmly. “We're a pack and we have to stick together.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto slowly stopped fighting, their barking dying down as they realized the older wolves were serious. They both looked at Hikaru and Daiki with apologetic looks.

     Hikaru and Daiki finally put them back on the ground after a while, but still kept a close eye on them. “We'll be watching you,” Hikaru warned them. “If you start fighting again, you're going to be in trouble.”

     “Now calm down and play normally,” Daiki added, letting go of Yuto, who looked calmer now but was still watching Ryosuke, who slowly pushed the squeaky toy towards Yuto. He immediately pounced on it and gleefully lifted it back into his mouth, but then started barking and whining again as if trying to explain his frustration.

     Hikaru did let go of Ryosuke, but when he saw another attempt of his to quickly move forward towards Yuto, he grabbed him in his mouth again and decided to take him aside, along the stream, so they could have a quiet moment away from the other wolves. “You're coming with me, Ryosuke,” he said softly.

     When they reached a place where the water was shallow and calm, Hikaru carefully placed Ryosuke in the water and sat next to him. It was their moment. For the first time, Hikaru felt a true fatherly duty and knew he had to speak to his little wolf's soul.

     “Ryosuke,” Hikaru began calmly, his eyes meeting the little pup's. “You have to understand that this kind of behavior is not right. You're part of the pack and we need to help each other, not fight over toys.”

     Ryosuke stared at him, his red eyes full of confusion and guilt. He barked and whimpered as if trying to explain that he didn't understand everything that had happened. Hikaru gently placed a paw on his head and continued.

     “I know you're young and everything is new to you,” Hikaru continued, “but you have to learn that violence is not the answer. Yuto is your brother; you have to help each other and protect each other.”

     Ryosuke whimpered again and his body tensed slightly. He felt guilty but at the same time, he didn't understand all the words Hikaru was saying. Still, he could sense the tone of his voice and knew he had let him down.

     “Don't worry, everything can be fixed, okay?” Hikaru said softly, stroking Ryosuke's head. “We just have to learn to get along better. I will teach you and help you understand what is right, alright?”

     Ryosuke whimpered in response, wagging his tail as if trying to show that he understood at least a little. Hikaru smiled and felt a warm feeling spread through his heart. It was his first real lesson as a father.

     Hikaru then bent down to Ryosuke and carefully inspected him for any injuries. Ryosuke received a few bites from Yuto, but nothing serious seemed to have happened to him. Hikaru gently scanned his fur, checking each wound. Ryosuke whimpered occasionally when Hikaru touched a sore spot, but overall, he was fine.

     “Okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru said softly, still in his wolf form. “You got a few bites, but nothing serious. Some places may hurt for a while, but they will heal soon.”

     Ryosuke glared at him and whimpered to show that he understood. Hikaru gently placed a paw on his ears and continued to speak.

     “It's okay to play,” Hikaru said, his eyes meeting the little wolf's. “But you have to be careful not to hurt yourself and each other. Playing is important, but violence is not right.”

     Ryosuke wagged his tail and whimpered again as if to say he understood. Hikaru smiled and continued petting his little pup.

     “Okay,” Hikaru said, standing up. “Now let's go back to the others and show them you can be a good and lovely boy, okay?” Ryosuke barked happily.

     Hikaru carefully led Ryosuke back to the other wolves, his eyes still watching his little one closely. As they approached the pack, Ryosuke stopped and looked at Yuto who was sitting nearby with a squeaky toy at his feet.

     Ryosuke felt his tail tighten a bit between his legs, but still determinedly approached Yuto. He poked him gently with his snout.

     Yuto looked at him and hesitated for a moment, but then wagged his tail and approached Ryosuke. The two wolf cubs snuggled together and began to lick each other's snouts.

     “Looks like things have calmed down,” Kota commented as he watched Ryosuke and Yuto play again, this time without fighting.

     “Yeah, they learned an important lesson,” Hikaru replied with a smile. “They have to learn how to work together and protect each other. That is the most important thing.”

     Ryosuke whimpered as if he was saying he was sorry for their previous argument. Yuto responded with a similar whimper; his snout pressed against Ryosuke's as if to say everything was fine.

     The other wolves watched them with a smile. “Look at them,” Yuya said softly, his eyes full of pride and joy. “They are learning and growing before our eyes.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto exchanged gentle nose touches and the occasional whimper for a while before they both got up and started playing in the water again, this time without any bites.

     Yuri and Keito joined them and soon all four wolf cubs were running around the stream splashing and playing. Their joyful barks carried over the forest as the older wolves watched them with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

     It was a beautiful moment that showed the strength and unity of the pack. The little wolf cubs were learning how to be part of a family, how to work together, and protect each other. The older wolves knew that with lessons like these, they would one day become strong and wise members of the pack, ready to face whatever challenges life would throw at them.

     The sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon as the pack decided to head back home. The little wolves, still full of energy, happily moved through the forest, their little paws rustling in the leaves and their curious noses taking in all the new scents.

     However, Ryosuke separated himself from the others. His curiosity led him further into the forest, where he came across something that immediately startled him.

     Daiki quickly noticed that Ryosuke was missing and ran after him, his heart pounding in fear for one of the little wolves. As he ran up the hill, he saw Ryosuke standing in front of the huge bear, his small body tensed and growling as if trying to protect his pack.

     Daiki froze in shock for a moment, but then quickly reacted. He jumped to Ryosuke, grabbed him by the mouth, and started running back to the others. The bear growled and reared, but Daiki didn't look back. “Bear!” he called as he approached the pack. “Quick, we have to go!”

     Kota, Hikaru, Kei, and Yuya immediately reacted. “Grab the pups and run!” Kota called out, his voice firm and determined.

     Each of the wolves quickly grabbed one wolf in their mouth. Hikaru grabbed Yuto, Kei grabbed Yuri, and Yuya took Keito. Kota then grabbed Yuto's squeaky toy, which the little wolf had accidentally dropped, and quickly joined the others.

     With the wolf cubs in their mouths, they ran through the forest away from the bear. They knew they could chase him away, but they didn't want to risk the safety of the little wolves. A bear might fear their strength and numbers, but even one wrong move could spell danger for their young.

     They ran fast and coordinated. Daiki was carrying Ryosuke, his eyes scanning the surroundings carefully to make sure no one was following them. Hikaru, Kei, Yuya, and Kota tried to keep the wolf cubs safe, their bodies tense and ready to protect them at all costs.

     When the pack was safely away from the encounter with the bear, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began to laugh. They were glad that they had managed to avoid danger and that the wolf cubs were all right.

     “Well, Ryosuke, you really showed what a good hunter you are today,” laughed Kota, scratching Ryosuke's ear. “The first animal you encountered with us today was a giant bear!”

     Daiki, who was the only one to see the bear, joined in the laughter. “Yeah, that was something! That bear was really huge,” he said, beginning to describe the scene he saw. “He had massive brown fur and when he stood on his legs he looked twice our size. But our little Ryosuke wasn't afraid of him at all. He was even growling at him!”

     Yuya laughed and nodded his head. “That's our Ryosuke. Small but brave. A bear for the first hunt, not a bad start.”

     Hikaru smiled and patted Ryosuke's head. “Ryosuke, you really are a brave wolf,” he said proudly. “But you have to remember that sometimes we also have to pull back and protect the pack.”

     Kei joined the others and shook his head with a smile. “Well, now we know we can count on Ryosuke when we hunt bears,” he said with humor in his voice.

     Ryosuke, though still a bit in shock from the previous encounter, wagged his tail. He felt that his pack supported and understood him, and that reassured him.

     “Imagine that,” Daiki continued describing the situation while laughing his ass off. “That huge bear just stood there growling and looking like the biggest danger in the forest. And our little Ryosuke just snarled at him menacingly, as if to say, 'Don't you dare come near us!'”

     Everyone laughed, including Ryosuke who whimpered and grunted slightly in agreement.

     “Alright, pack,” Kota said as the laughter subsided. “Now let's go home. It's been a long day of adventure and we all need a rest.”

     The pack set off again, this time more calmly and cautiously. Ryosuke held close to Hikaru, his small body shaking with the excitement he was experiencing, but he felt safe and protected by his family.

     The journey back home was calm and pleasant. The wolves talked and laughed, shared their experiences of the day, and planned their next trips into the wild. The little wolves, although tired, were looking forward to the next lessons and experiences that awaited them.

Chapter Text

     It was a warm afternoon and the whole pack was enjoying some quiet time in the garden behind the house. A high fence surrounded the entire area, ensuring that the little wolves were safe. The sun was shining high in the sky, its rays reflecting off the green grass and trees that lined the garden.

     On one side of the garden, the adult wolves in their human forms sat around a large table. They played cards and laughed while the little wolves ran and played around them. Each of their barks carried through the air, filling the atmosphere with joy and well-being.

     “So… who lost this round?” Kota asked with a smile as he laid his cards on the table and looked at the others.

     Kei laughed as he checked his teammates' cards. “Well, I guess me,” he admitted with a sigh. “I'll go for it,” he added, rising from his chair.

     “Good luck,” Yuya wished him with a laugh. “Wolf cubs really have a lot of energy today.”

     “When don't they?” Kei smiled and walked over to the pups that were currently chasing around the trees. “Hey, guys! Who wants to play?” he called, immediately catching their attention.

     Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito ran towards him with excited barks and wagging tails. “I'm going to catch you all, you rascals!” Kei called out and started playing chase with them while the other adult wolves continued to play at the table.

     “Are you surprised too about how Kei made friends with them?” Hikaru commented with a smile as he watched Kei chase the wolf cubs around the garden. In his human form, it was obviously much harder to catch any of them.

     “I'm still in shock,” Daiki laughed, shuffling his cards. “But he's doing well. We're all doing well, I think.”

     Hikaru smiled and nodded. “We are,” he said confidently, picking up new cards.

     Meanwhile, Kei was still chasing the wolf cubs. Ryosuke and Yuto had the most untamable energy as usual, so the adult wolf rather chased the two of them to give them a good run. Together, Yuri and Keito hid behind the trees, waiting for their guardian to approach them so they could slip through his arms.

     “You're so fast!” Kei exclaimed as little Keito turned sharply and started running in the opposite direction to escape his pursuer.

     On the other side of the table, Hikaru, Daiki, Yuya, and Kota were still focused on their card game, occasionally laughing and exchanging jokes. “Okay, who's next?” Kota asked as everyone laid out their cards.

     Hikaru looked at his cards and shrugged. “Ah, back to action,” he admitted, getting up from his chair to switch places with a tired Kei. He approached the wolf cubs, who were waiting with pricked ears to see what activity the next wolf would come up with for them. “Shall we play hide and seek?” he asked them and they barked loudly. They already understood this game and knew how to play it.

     “Alright, I'm starting to count!” Hikaru said, covering his eyes with his hands. “One, two, three...”

     While Hikaru counted, the wolf cubs quickly ran around the garden looking for the best hiding spots. In a way, the game of hide-and-seek was training for sneaking and finding the best-hidden places, so the big wolves played it with their little ones very often.

     Ryosuke hid behind a large bush, Yuto found shelter in a pile of leaves, Keito hid behind the garden furniture, and Yuri, apparently the sharpest of the wolves, hid under the table where the other wolves were still playing cards. He was sure that Hikaru wouldn't even think of looking there and he was right.

     At the table where the older wolves sat, the conversation turned to a more serious topic. Kota leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I heard something in town,” he began slowly. “Some gossip about vampires saying they've discovered bodies with their teeth imprinted on them.”

     Yuya frowned and put his cards down. “I heard something too,” he nodded. “Could this mean that a vampire family has settled nearby?”

     Still out of breath from the chase with the wolf cubs, Kei looked at the others with concern in his eyes. “Ugh… That could be quite dangerous. Not only for us but also for the people in the town,” he said quietly.

     Daiki sighed and scratched his chin. “I'm quite afraid of vampires... Compared to us, they are very unpredictable and dangerous. If they're around, we should probably be careful,” he said seriously.

     “I agree, we need to find out more,” the pack leader continued. “We can't just sit back and wait for something to happen. We should send someone to town to get information. Ideally today.”

     “I'll go,” Yuya offered. “I'll find out what I can and report back.”

     “I'll go with you, it's better to go together,” Kei added.

     “Okay,” Kota said, looking at the others. “If there are vampires around, we'll have to think three times about every step. We can't risk the safety of the little ones.”

     “I agree,” nodded Hikaru, who had just returned to the others when he found all the wolf cubs except Yuri while playing hide and seek. He discovered the smallest of the wolves soon when he accidentally bumped his feet into him under the table. “There you are!” he laughed and scratched Yuri's ears before turning back to the cards and the adult wolves. “We mainly have to keep an eye on the puppies. They don't yet understand the danger that could come…”

     Yuto, who came to take a closer look, listened curiously to the older wolves' conversation. His little ears flicked in their direction, but he quickly re-immersed himself in the game as Ryosuke gently poked him with his snout so they could start chasing each other again.

     The older wolves then continued to play cards, when suddenly little Yuri jumped onto the table. His white fur glistened in the sun and his dark eyes shone with curiosity. He sat down in the middle of the table and began to examine what the adult wolves were doing. His head swiveled from side to side as he tried to understand the rules of the game they were playing.

     “Whoa,” Hikaru laughed, placing his card on the table. “He's adorable! He's watching us!”

     “He's our little curious boy,” Kota, Yuri's caretaker, nodded with a smile. “I guess he's interested in how the big wolves play.”

     So, Yuri continued to sit in the middle of the table, watching the card movements with a serious expression, as if he was really trying to understand what was going on. Occasionally, he cocked his head to the side and his ears perked up slightly when he heard the rustle of cards.

     Keito, on the other hand, enjoyed playing with Yuri, so he approached the table and gently barked at his friend to invite him to play. But Yuri only moved slightly and continued his observation. He was very interested in the cards and the game.

     “Looks like we're going to have a new player,” Yuya commented with a laugh. “Maybe he could be better than some of us,” he chuckled as he looked at Kei and Hikaru who frowned.

     “I wouldn't even doubt it,” Kota replied, gently scratching Yuri's ear. “Yuri is incredibly focused. He's a really perceptive little wolf, isn't he?” he smiled at the white wolf, still scratching his ears.

     Meanwhile, on the ground, Ryosuke and Yuto continued their playful brawl. They fought and tugged at the stick, their barking echoing through the garden. Sometimes one of them would fall to the ground, but immediately get up again and start playing again.

     “Hey, you two,” Hikaru called to Ryosuke and Yuto. “Be careful not to hurt yourself, okay?”

     The two wolves stopped for a moment, looked at Hikaru, and then resumed their game. Sometimes they bit each other gently, but never with full force.

     “As long as they don't cry and bleed, leave them be, Hikaru,” Kei commented, placing another card on the table. “They have to run around, otherwise they won't sleep today. You know them.” Hikaru sighed.

     Yuri was still focused on the cards, his little nose moving close to the table as he tried to understand what was going on. “Maybe we should teach him how to play,” Daiki said with a smile. “Who knows, he could be a great player.”

     “Firstly, he should understand that the cards are not for chewing,” Kota laughed, looking at Yuri who seemed to be completely fascinated by the game.

     Tired of his failed attempt to get Yuri's attention, Keito decided to join Ryosuke and Yuto who were still merrily fighting on the ground. Keito threw himself into their playful battle, but it was obvious that he was a bit clumsy. His movements were less sure and he often lost his balance, making him vulnerable to the faster and more agile attacks of Ryosuke and Yuto. “Fighting probably won't be Keito's strong point,” Yuya pointed out.

     Kei, who was also watching their antics, was aware of his pup's clumsiness and decided to stand up for him. “Keito is good at other stuff,” he said with a smile. “He doesn't need to fight, he's too peaceful for that. I think he prefers to stay away. He will be good at collecting, for example, because so far, I can't imagine him catching anything without whining sadly,” he assessed.

     Kota, who was sitting nearby, nodded his head and smiled in agreement. “Each wolf has its strengths and weaknesses. They will complement each other beautifully,” he said, picking up his journal. “It's been a really interesting afternoon today.”

     The pack's Alpha began to write down today's events in his journal. His pen slid across the paper as he jotted down the memories and experiences of the day. He described how the wolf cubs were playing, how Yuri was watching the cards intently, and how Ryosuke, Yuto, and Keito were merrily fighting on the ground.

     Meanwhile, Keito tried to keep up with Ryosuke and Yuto, but occasionally swayed and lost his balance. Noticing his clumsiness, Ryosuke and Yuto nudged him gently, but always in a friendly spirit.

     Still sitting on the table, Yuri suddenly decided it was time to join the fun. He slowly got off the table and joined the other wolf cubs on the ground. Seeing his friend, Keito howled happily and his movements suddenly became more confident and determined.

     Kota smiled as he saw all the wolf cubs playing together and learning from each other. “These are moments worth recording,” he said, continuing to write in his journal.

     While the adult wolves played cards, the wolf cubs continued their playful battle. Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito chased around the garden, occasionally collapsing in the grass before getting back on their feet, ready for the next round.

     The rest of the pack laughed and chatted about plans for the next hunt and future wolf training. The garden was full of joy and a relaxed atmosphere. Everything seemed fine until suddenly there was a loud whine.

     Everyone immediately jumped and their gazes turned to where the sound was coming from. Little Yuto was sitting on the grass holding his paw and whining in pain. Confused and scared, the other wolf cubs also started whimpering because they didn't understand what was happening, but they could see that their friend was suffering.

     “What happened?” Hikaru called out and quickly stood up as did the others.

     Kei, who was the pack doctor, immediately reacted. He ran to Yuto and gently took him in his arms. “Shh, Yuto, I'll look at you,” he said in a soothing voice, stroking his ear.

     The other wolves approached and watched as Kei brought Yuto over to the table where he laid him down. Yuto was crying and his little body was shaking, but Kei was calm and gentle.

     “I think he stuck something in his paw,” he said, carefully examining Yuto's paw. “Don't worry, we'll take care of this.”

     Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito stood around the table still whining. Kota approached them and tried to calm them down by caressing their fur. “Everything will be fine,” he told them. “Kei will take care of your brother.”

     “I can see it's something more serious than a thorn,” Kei stated, scratching his head. “It looks like a small piece of nail.” His face clouded with worry as he realized the little wolf would need more thorough treatment.

     “Hold on a minute, Yuto,” Kei told him caringly, petting his head. “I'll be right back.”

     Kei quickly ran into the house and returned shortly with a first aid kit. He placed it on the table and opened it, taking out the necessary tools. Yuto whimpered in pain as the other wolf cubs stood up on their hind paws and rested their chins on the table. They watched curiously and carefully what was going on.

     Yuya gently held Yuto so he couldn't move much. “It's going to be okay, Yuto,” he said softly, caressing his back.

     Kei gently grabbed Yuto's paw and began to carefully remove a piece of the nail. Yuto whimpered in pain, but their wolf doctor was careful and quick. When he finally pulled out a piece of nail, he showed it to the others. “Here's the problem,” he said. “Now I have to clean and bandage it.”

     The other wolves watched as Kei carefully cleaned the wound with disinfectant. Yuto whimpered, his small body shaking, but Yuya held him gently, soothing him. “Just hold on, Yuto. You're a brave wolf,” he whispered and put a kiss between his ears to calm him down.

     Kei then carefully bandaged Yuto's paw with a sterile bandage. “That's it!” Kei announced triumphantly. “You have to walk carefully now, okay? No running, so your little paw can heal!” he said as he finished bandaging. “You won't be able to step on the paw until it heals.”

     However, little Yuto didn't seem to understand his guardian's instruction as he barely got on all fours, lost his balance, ground his little snout on the table, and immediately whimpered in pain.

     “Hey, be careful, okay?” Yuya carefully picked him up in his arms and sat him on his lap. “It's alright, Yuto,” Yuya said in a soothing voice, petting his head. “You are a good boy. Everything will be okay.”

     Yuto snuggled up to Yuya, his small body slowly calming down. Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito came closer and began to gently lick Yuto's fur. Their whimpers turned into soft growls and barks as if trying to say they were here for him.

     Kei patted Yuto's head and smiled. “Now rest and you'll be running again soon.” Yuto wagged his tail, still in pain but calmer. Yuya caressed him gently and held him close to make him feel safe.

     Yuto then closed his eyes and his body finally relaxed. He felt safe and protected in Yuya's arms. The other wolf cubs, especially Ryosuke, came closer to him and started snuggling up to him. Their small bodies pressed together, giving Yuto warmth and support. Ryosuke gently pressed himself against Yuto's side and began to lick his head as if to tell him that everything was okay.

     Yuri and Keito joined in and snuggled from the other side. Their little paws gently touched Yuto and their whimpers turned into soft, soothing purrs. All the wolf cubs were now together, forming one solid circle of support around Yuto on Yuya's lap.

     Yuya smiled and gently petted all the wolves while sitting on the ground. “You see, Yuto, you are not alone,” he said in a calm and loving voice. “We love you and we'll take care of you.”

     Yuto slowly calmed down and his whining stopped. He snuggled closer to the other wolves, feeling their warmth and safety. Ever the protective one, Ryosuke kept clinging to Yuto, occasionally giving him a gentle lick to calm him down.

     “This is truly a beautiful sight,” remarked Kota, who watched the scene before him with a smile. “Our pups are already learning how to be there for each other.”

     Kei smiled and looked at Yuto who was now surrounded by his siblings and looked much calmer. “I'm glad he's better,” he said quietly. “Now all he needs is a rest and some love.”

     “And that's exactly what he's getting,” Yuya added with a smile as he continued petting the little wolves. “We are here for them and always will be.”

     The wolf cubs eventually began to calm down and fell asleep, snuggled up to each other and to Yuto, who was now surrounded by the warmth and love of his pack. It was a quiet and moving scene that showed the strength and unity of their family. The adult wolves watched them with pride, knowing that their young could already take care of each other.

Chapter Text

     It was a calm and relaxed early evening in the house. The sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon, its soft light streaming through the windows into the kitchen where Daiki was preparing something special. The other adult wolves were in town, so Daiki was in charge of all the little wolves.

     The puppies, full of energy and curiosity, gathered around Daiki in the kitchen. Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito couldn't hide their excitement when they smelled the aroma wafting from the bowl where Daiki was mixing the batter.

     “So, you guys ready for something really good?” Daiki asked with a smile as he added the last ingredient to the batter.

     Ryosuke was the first to dare to make himself known properly. He ran over to Daiki and began tugging gently on his pants, his red eyes shining with eagerness. “You want to help too?” Daiki asked with a laugh as Ryosuke started hopping around on two legs as if trying to get a peek at exactly what Daiki was mixing. But he certainly wasn't that tall.

     Yuto was not far behind. He joined Ryosuke and began hopping around Daiki on his hind paws, with his front one resting on Daiki's shin. He still couldn't properly step on his still bandaged paw, but that didn't stop him from using his remaining legs. “Relax, Yuto. Have a nice sit and rest on that paw,” Daiki said lovingly as he gently pushed him back to the ground and little Yuto sat up. “It will be healed soon, but you have to hold on a little longer.”

     Yuri and Keito, who had been keeping a bit of a distance for now, ended up joining in on annoying the biggest wolf present as well. Keito grabbed Daiki's other leg and gave it a gentle tug, while Yuri cleverly hopped onto a chair, peering cautiously at the kitchen counter.

     “Okay, okay, I see,” Daiki laughed as he looked at the four excited little wolves around him. “Can't wait, huh? But our dinner still has to go into the oven.”

     Daiki gently pulled the wolf cubs away from him to continue his preparation. But their small bodies kept pressing against him, and he felt their eagerness. “You know what?” Daiki said with an idea. “Why don't you go out and try to play for now? When it's done, I'll call you and you can be the first to taste the treat.”

     But the wolf cubs had no intention of just abandoning Daiki. They wanted to be close to that scent and follow his every move. Ryosuke even tried to jump up on the chair and onto the table to get a better view of what Daiki was preparing.

     “Okay, then you can stay here,” Daiki sighed with a laugh and continued working. “But no table jumping!” he glared at Ryosuke who was already staring at Daiki from the table anyway, so it didn't matter and the almost grown wolf sighed.

     The little ones followed Daiki's every gesture curiously. Occasionally, one of them would whimper softly as their eagerness grew and they were more impatient.

     Daiki carefully poured the batter into the prepared molds and placed them in the oven. “Now we have to wait for it to bake,” he said, turning to the wolves. “But I promise it'll be worth it,” he smiled at them and sat down on the ground, the four of them jumping to him.

     The wolf cubs snuggled up to Daiki, clearly eager for dinner. “Alright, you can sit here with me and wait,” Daiki said and the wolf cubs began to snuggle up to his sides, their little heads resting against his legs. Daiki could feel their warmth and a sense of peace and joy flooded his heart.

     “You're the cutest pack, do you know that?” he said softly, caressing their heads gently. The smell of baking wafted through the air and the entire kitchen was filled with quiet anticipation and love.

     However, suddenly something changed. The wolf cubs, so far calm and happy, became restless. Ryosuke stood up first, his ears perking up and eyes widening in fear. Yuto, Yuri, and Keito followed him, their small bodies starting to shake, their eyes fixed on Daiki as if expecting him to tell them what was going on.

     Daiki suddenly felt uneasy as well. There was a strange smell in the air that made the hairs on his back stand. It was something unfamiliar and uncomfortable, something that instinctively told him he was in danger.

     “Hide!” Daiki said urgently, gently pushing the wolf cubs towards the shelter under the couch. “Quick, hide in there and be quiet.”

     The wolf cubs immediately ran under the couch, their bodies pressed together, whining softly as they watched Daiki. He stood up and slowly approached the window. His heart was beating faster and his every sense was on edge as he tried to figure out what was causing the strange feeling.

     Daiki cautiously looked out the window but saw no one. Still, he felt something coming. The air was filled with the smell of people, but this smell was different – foreign, cold, and brought with it a chilling sense of fear and… death.

     Suddenly, the window flew open with a loud crash. Shards of glass flew across the room and Daiki instinctively pulled back. Before he could realize what was happening, he heard the sound of a door being kicked open. A quick movement followed – something sharp and merciless scraped across his face and body.

     Daiki grunted in pain and tried to fight back, but the attack was too fast, too strong. He felt something cut through his skin and then the world began to spin around him. He fell to his knees, his body covered in blood that quickly seeped into his clothes, and his eyesight began to fade.

     The last thing he saw before he passed out was the ceiling of the room spinning and melting into the darkness. His mind clouded and his body went limp. He was knocked to the ground, helpless, while the wolf cubs remained hidden, frightened, and without anyone to protect them.

     The rest of the pack was slowly approaching home. The sun was already low on the horizon, coloring the sky in warm orange and pink tones. Hikaru, Kota, Yuya, and Kei walked along the forest path leading back to their house, their faces thoughtful and full of worry.

     “We haven't been told much about vampires in town,” Kota began, breaking the silence between them. “But everyone we've spoken to is terrified. Several disappearances and strange deaths are reported. And the fact that we haven't found any of them yet worries me.”

     “Me too,” Hikaru nodded. “Just the mere presence of a vampire family so close to our home is beyond annoying.”

     Yuya, who was walking beside them, sighed. “We have to be careful. If they are really close, they could be dangerous not only for us but also for the pups. We don't know what they are capable of.”

     Kei, who had been walking silently beside the others, suddenly stopped, his eyes widened and his nose caught something that completely changed the atmosphere around them. “I smell blood,” he whispered and immediately turned towards the house. He had the most sensitive sense of smell of the pack, so even at a greater distance he could smell smells that the others only noticed when being close. “And it's a lot of blood!” he started to run without thinking or further explaining.

     “What?” Hikaru responded as he realized what Kei was saying.

     Without another word, they all took off running, their bodies driven by instinct. They ran fast, ignoring the branches and bushes that stood in their way. Their minds were focused on one thing only – to get home as quickly as possible and find out what happened.

     When they arrived at the house, the door was kicked in, hanging on one hinge and looking like it would fall off at any moment. There was an eerie silence inside, broken only by their own heavy breathing.

     They ran inside and immediately even the others smelled blood. It was intense, full of metallic tinge.

     “Daiki!” Kota yelled, running into the kitchen to find his friend lying on the floor in a pool of blood. His body was covered in scratches and lacerations, his face pale and lifeless.

     Kei quickly approached Daiki, his hands shaking as he bent over him. “He's unconscious but still breathing,” he said urgently as he checked Daiki's pulse. “We need to treat him now!”

     Meanwhile, Yuya and Hikaru were looking around. There was blood everywhere, but the wolf cubs were nowhere to be found. “Where are the pups?” Yuya asked desperately when there was no response even to calling their names.

     “It's not just Daiki's blood here,” Hikaru said darkly, kneeling down next to the blood trail by the couch. “This is… Ryosuke's blood…” he said quietly as if he didn't want to believe it himself. His little wolf Ryosuke was everything to him, he was the new meaning of life for him. And now there was a pool of his blood on the floor.

     “They had to be taken away,” Kota said, his voice shaking with horror as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. “We must find them!”

     Kei gently picked Daiki up and moved him to a more comfortable position while Yuya and Hikaru began searching the house for any more signs of the wolf cubs. The smell of blood led them out of the house, but their small footprints were quickly lost in the darkness.

     “We need to stabilize him first,” Kei said firmly, though his heart also wanted to immediately go after the cubs. But he couldn't just leave Daiki to his own faith.

     There was confusion and fear in the house. The blood on the floor and the wounded Daiki were horrifying reminders of what had just happened here, and who might have been responsible. Kota knelt over Daiki while Kei tried to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible and stabilize him.

     “What the hell happened here?” Kota cursed as he noticed the extent of Daiki's injuries. “Who would do that?”

     “Something's not right here,” Yuya growled, his voice sounding confused and scared as he came back. “How did they even get here? And why?”

     “We'll find out, but right now we have to take care of Daiki,” the pack medic replied, though he too was scared. “He has very deep wounds, but he will survive. I just need you to help me.”

     Kota and Yuya quickly obeyed and helped as per Kei's instructions while he worked on treating the wounds himself. Blood seeped through the bandages, and Kei tried to stop the bleeding.

     Meanwhile, Hikaru continued to explore the house and surroundings, his body tense and every sense focused on looking for any clues. He could smell blood everywhere, not just Daiki's, but Ryosuke's and Yuto's as well. That made his stomach clench. All that was left of their little ones was blood and bloody paw prints, and that scared him.

     “Damn, that's not good,” Hikaru cursed as he bent down and noticed the small drops and pools of blood on the floor and in the doorway. “Damn it!”

     He turned back to the others. “They're gone,” he said, his voice rough and full of rage. “There's blood all over the fucking floor!”

     “Did they fight with them?” Kota looked at him with eyes filled with anger and horror. “How the hell could even they do that? Yuto still had an injured paw!”

     “I don't know, but the blood isn't just Daiki's,” Hikaru growled. “Someone must have attacked them and they tried to defend themselves. But it wasn't enough. The bastards took them away!”

     Yuya looked desperately at Kei who was still working on Daiki. “We have to find them! They can't be far!”

     “Yeah,” Kei replied, his voice quiet and focused. “But Daiki is in a bad shape. I need a few minutes to get him over his worst and then we'll head out.”

     Daiki's body was covered in deep wounds, some of them had already begun to heal slightly thanks to his werewolf regeneration, but many were still open. Daiki was still unconscious, his breathing shallow and irregular.

     “Fucking vampires… it has to be them, one hundred percent,” Hikaru growled, his teeth clenched in rage. “I can't explain it otherwise. So quickly and unexpectedly... It could only be them. But why? Why would they attack us and why the hell would they kidnap our kids?!”

     “I don't know, but we'll find them and bring them back!” Kota stood up, his fists clenched, and he had to take a deep breath. The pack had to quickly decide what to do next to save the ones they loved.

     “We have a good regeneration system as werewolves,” Kei muttered to himself as he carefully cleaned wound after wound with an antiseptic solution, “but Daiki is still young, his body has a harder time dealing with it than us adults.”

     Kota looked at Daiki's injury and nodded even though his heart was heavy. “He has to make it, Kei. We need him, we all need to be together.”

     “I'm doing what I can,” Kei replied, though his mind was filled with worry. “But you have to give me time. Some of those wounds are quite deep and still bleed. He needs bandages and we need to keep him warm so he can start healing.”

     Hikaru was pacing nervously, his body tense and full of restlessness. “We can't just sit here and wait!” he growled. “We've got to go after whoever did this and find the pups!”

     Yuya, though he had the same feeling, tried to keep his composure. “We know, Hikaru, but we have to make sure Daiki is okay first. We can't just leave him here, plus we need a plan.”

     Meanwhile, Kei finished disinfecting the wounds and quickly bandaged them. “We have to be careful so we don't do something stupid,” he added as he wrapped the last bandage around Daiki's chest. “But I understand you. I'm also worried about our puppies.”

     Scanning the room, Kota was startled when his eye caught something strange. A bloody piece of paper lay on the ground, among the shards of glass and pools of blood. He quickly picked it up and his heart stopped when he read the crude note.

     “Fuck,” Kota growled, his face turning pale. “Listen to this.”

     Yuya and Hikaru immediately approached him, anxiously waiting to see what Kota found.

     “If you ever want to see your little brats again, come to Faerdham Castle.” Kota read in a voice full of anger and fear.

     “Faerdham Castle,” Hikaru repeated, his voice full of sarcasm. “Of course, where else would the bloody vampires reside but in a castle.”

     “That's far enough that we can't just catch up with them,” Yuya added with a frown. “And pretty well fortified too. Those bastards knew what they were doing.”

     Kota clenched the paper in his fist and looked at the others with determination in his eyes. “This is a clear trap, but we have no choice. We must go and save them.”

     Hikaru stopped on the stop, his body shaking with anger. “If those bastards hurt our pups…”

     “We will find our little ones and return home with them,” Kota interrupted firmly. “But we need to take care of Daiki first.”

     Kei stood up; his hands bloodied from treating Daiki. “I gave him the best treatment I could. Now it's up to him.”

     There was a tense silence in the room. All the wolves stood around Daiki, who was now stabilized and bandaged, but still unconscious. However, Kota, Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei argued over what to do next.

     “We all have to go,” Hikaru growled. “We can't go there half-heartedly! Those vampire bastards will have no mercy and neither will we.”

     “But someone has to stay with Daiki!” Kei countered; his voice sharp as a blade. “We can't leave him here alone in this condition. What if something happens to him?”

     “We have no choice!” Hikaru insisted. “If we divide, we lose power. We need all to be together to have a chance to save the cubs.”

     Kota nodded, though it was hard to say out loud. “Hikaru is right. But we can't just leave him here. We need to know he's going to be okay before we leave.”

     At that moment, Daiki began to move weakly. His body was still crippled with pain, but his mind was slowly coming to its senses. He opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but his body wasn't listening to him like he wanted. “What… what's going on?” he asked softly, his voice weak and hoarse.

     Everyone immediately bowed to him, their faces full of relief, but also new fears. “Daiki!” cried out Kota. “You're awake. Calm down, don't talk. You need to recover.”

     Daiki shook his head, his eyes full of pain but also determination. “No… the pups… you have to save them,” he breathed out. “I'm so sorry… that I couldn't protect them.”

     Kei bent down to Daiki and gently grabbed his hand. “It's not your fault, Daiki. You did what you could. Now we have to see to it that they come back.”

     “Leave me here…” Daiki tried to sit up again, but the pain and Kei's hand stopped him immediately. “Go get them. They need your help. I can handle it here…”

     Kota leaned closer to Daiki and looked into his eyes. “Are you sure you can handle staying here alone? We need you to be safe.”

     “Yeah…” Daiki nodded, though it was only a weak gesture. “Someone just gets me a drink… And then go… save the puppies.”

     Yuya quickly brought a glass of water and helped Daiki drink. Every swallow hurt, but Daiki was determined to do what he could, even if he couldn't do much. “I'll be here… waiting…” he said quietly as he drank his water and leaned back against the pillow Kei quickly placed under his head.

     Kei gave him another quick look to make sure he was stabilized. Then he carefully covered him with a blanket and looked at the others. “He'll make it, but we mustn't waste time. The sooner we get back, the better for him.”

     “We'll get ready and head out,” Kota agreed, his voice firm and determined now. “Daiki, you rest. See you soon.”

     Daiki just nodded weakly; his eyes already half closed. “Bring them back,” he whispered before falling back into a peaceful semi-sleep.

     Hikaru, Yuya, Kota, and Kei made one last check that Daiki was safe, covered, and stable. Then, with heavy hearts but determination in their eyes, they set off from the house towards Faerdham Castle. They knew they had to do everything in their power to save their little werewolves.

     As soon as the pack members left the threshold of the house, their human faces filled with anger and determination, causing them to transform into their true form.

     In one smooth motion, their bodies began to change. Bones stretched, muscles grew, and their faces stretched into wolflike jaws. Kota, Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei were now on all fours, each of them ready to fight, ready to face any danger.

     “Let's go,” Kota growled, his voice deep even though it was now coming from his wolf's mouth. Without another word, he ran towards the forest where Faerdham Castle was hidden in darkness.

     Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei followed him, their bodies moving with incredible speed and agility. They ran through the dense forest, their paws barely making a sound on the soft forest floor.

     The road to the castle was long, but they had no time to linger. Each of them felt that time was running out, and that they must act quickly if they wanted to find the wolf cubs alive.

     As they ran, their minds wandered between memories of the puppies and thoughts of what awaited them at the castle. Each of them was prepared for the fight, for the fact that they might have to give everything they had to save the little lives that fate had entrusted to them.

     The trees around them flashed quickly, branches entwined above their heads, but the werewolves didn't slow down. The knowledge of the forest and their natural abilities allowed them to avoid obstacles and stick to the objective. The closer they got to the castle, the more they felt the inner tension and the growing smell of danger.

     And then, on the horizon, they saw Faerdham Castle. The dark walls of the castle towered against the night sky, radiating menace and a chill that seeped deep into their bones. No light emanated from the castle towers, only silence and darkness, adding to their fears.

     “There it is,” Hikaru growled, his voice full of hatred and desire for revenge.

     “We won't stop until we find them,” Yuya replied solemnly as they stopped in front of the castle and silently looked around.

     “Remember they'll be waiting for us to come,” Kei added, his wolf eyes filled with suspicion. “We have to be careful.”

     Kota, the leader of the pack, raised his head towards the castle and growled in a deep, guttural sound. “We're going inside. Together. We will find them and bring them back. And if they get in our way, they'll regret ever meeting us.”

     The pack quietly and quickly approached the castle gate, which was unexpectedly ajar. It was obvious that the vampires were expecting them. The air was filled with the smells of death and darkness, which only increased their vigilance. The werewolves crouched and moved in the shadows, their fur blending into the dark surroundings of the castle, their eyes alert and ready for any sudden movement.

     They walked slowly and carefully through the open gate and found themselves in the vast courtyard of Faerdham Castle. The stones under their paws were cold and damp from the rain, almost unpleasant to the touch.

     When they reached the center of the courtyard, the atmosphere became even more heavy. The silence was almost palpable, only occasionally broken by the distant rustling of the wind that weaved between the castle towers. It was clear that the vampires were already waiting for them. There was no doubt about that.

     Suddenly, the huge door leading to the main building of the castle creaked open. A figure emerged from them; its silhouette distinct against the dark entrance. A vampire, tall and slender, with pale skin and icy eyes that radiated coldness and contempt, appeared in front of the pack.

     The wolves immediately crouched into fighting stances, their bodies tense and their fur standing on end. Kota, who was very worried about the wolf cubs, took a step forward and growled towards the vampire, “Where are our pups?”

     However, the vampire only smirked, his smile cold and cruel. “Those brats of yours? You're in no position to ask questions here, werewolf,” he replied icily. “Did you think you could just hang around town looking for us and we wouldn't react?”

     Hikaru, feeling his rage grow with every word the vampire said, joined Kota. “Answer us! Where are they?! If you did anything to them, I swear we will tear you all to pieces!”

     The vampire laughed. “Such big words from someone who can't even keep his own offspring safe.” His eyes glinted and he continued with a wry smirk, “They're alive, relatively. For now.”

     At that moment, more vampires began to emerge from the darkness around the courtyard. Some were in human form, while others took the form of bats. The atmosphere was tense to the point of bursting, each of the wolves felt their bodies prepare for battle. There were many, many more than they expected.

     Yuya crouched down, his eyes fiercely following the vampire's every move. “So, this is the reason? Because we were looking for you in town? That made you so mad that you attacked us and kidnapped our pups?”

     “You're a problem for us, werewolves,” one of the vampires growled as he stood beside the first, his voice full of anger. “We tried to live peacefully with you, but you had to come and complicate everything.”

     “Peacefully? Your peaceful life includes murdering innocent people?!” Hikaru snapped, his body shaking with rage, ready to charge forward at the first signal.

     “It's our way of surviving,” the vampire replied with a sigh, still maintaining his cool expression. “But you wanted to find us, didn't you? So here we are. Have you come to judge us for who we are?”

     The wolves knew they were not in an easy situation. They couldn't do much, so they just growled. However, their instincts told them that now was not the time for rash action.

     “You might be wondering how your little brats are doing,” the vampire continued with a smile that was as cold as ice. With these words, the vampires brought out small cages in which the little wolves were locked. The cages were iron, tight, and half-immersed in shadow, which added an even more ominous atmosphere to the whole scene.

     Yuri and Keito were in the first cage. They were scared and dirty but seemed to be okay. Their eyes were wide with fear, but they still moved, their small bodies shaking.

     Kota noticed Keito carefully clinging to Yuri's side as if trying to protect him from danger. “Yuri! Keito!” he called out to them, his voice filled with relief to see that they were alive, even though he knew they were still in danger.

     But when they brought in the second cage, all the relief immediately turned to pure terrifying shock. Ryosuke and Yuto were also caged together, but unlike Yuri and Keito, they didn't move at all. Their little bodies lay motionless on the cold metal floor of the cage, apparently unconscious or worse.

     “Ryosuke! Yuto!” Hikaru yelled, his voice shaking with fear and desperation. He was ready to lunge forward but Kota held him back. He knew that if he attacked, it could mean death for all the little wolves.

     However, the vampire just smiled cynically. “They're still alive if that'll reassure you,” he said, his awkward smile still on his face. “But if you try to do something stupid, I'll make sure it doesn't last long.”

     With these words, the vampire approached the cage, bent down, and roughly grabbed the limp black wolf by the fur on its neck. He lifted it high into the air as blood dripped from its small body, leaving dark stains on the ground.

     “So, what do you say?” asked the vampire, his voice filled with malevolent pleasure as he watched the wolves writhe in rage but unable to do anything.

     All the wolves began to growl dangerously, their bodies tensed to the point of bursting, but no one dared to make the first move.

     Hikaru, unable to bear the sight of Ryosuke's injured body anymore, yelled, “What did you do to him, you fucking bastards?!”

     The vampire looked at him, his smile widening. “This little stinker had the nerve to bite. Well, we calmed him down a bit. But I have to admit, this one has fire in him. I felt kinda sorry for the werewolf. But it didn't help him much.”

     Rage was building up in Hikaru, nearly overwhelming him. “Let him go!” he growled, his eyes filled with hatred. “Or I will fuckin' kill you!”

     The vampire lifted Ryosuke even higher and shook him, his limp body hanging in the air as blood continued to drip onto the ground. “You will kill me, huh?” repeated the vampire mockingly. “You have no idea who you're messing with, werewolf. I hold the fate of your offspring in my hands. And if you do something I don't like, your little scumbags will be the ones who will die here today first.”

     The wolves were trapped, the situation was desperate. They couldn't attack, they couldn't risk the lives of their wolves. But they could not stand idly by what was happening. Each of them felt that this was the greatest test they had ever faced — a test of their courage, patience, and love for those they considered family.

     Kota watched the situation escalate. Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei were on the verge of attacking, their bodies tense and ready for action, but Kota knew that any misstep could result in something they wanted to avoid at all costs. He had to find a way to resolve this without further bloodshed.

     In a slow, controlled movement, he raised his paw and growled at the pack, “Hold! Don't attack!” His voice was authoritative, and respected by the pack. “We have to solve this differently.”

     Hikaru and the other wolves stopped but their eyes remained fixed on the vampires, especially the one still holding Ryosuke in the air.

     Kota stood between his pack and the vampires, his eyes searching for any way to resolve this situation. “Listen,” he began in a calm but firmer voice. “We don't want any more bloodshed. Give us back our wolves and we'll leave you alone. We'll end it here and now.”

     The vampire holding Ryosuke smiled maliciously, but there was also a certain slyness in his eyes. “Leave us alone?” he repeated. “That's more or less what we want, however... We want more. This is not enough for us.”

     Kota felt his stomach clench as he realized that the vampires weren't going to just agree to their terms. “What do you want?” he asked cautiously.

     The vampire leaned into his words with pleasure, as if he was savoring every second of it. “In exchange for the wolf cubs… we want you. We want Alpha.”

     The whole pack froze. Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei gasped, their eyes immediately turning to Kota. It was clear what that meant. To give them Alpha, the leader of the pack, was to sentence him to death. It meant that Kota would have no chance of survival.

     “Fuck you!” Hikaru growled, his claws digging into the cobblestones.

     “Never!” Yuya added, his voice full of anger and despair. “We will not give you Kota! It's a trap!”

     The vampire just smiled, watching the wolves react and feeling the situation getting out of hand. “You decide, werewolves. But every one of you knows that this is the only way to get those little shits back. And the longer you hesitate, the closer they will be to death,” he shrugged. He didn't really care if any of the wolves died. He considered them inferior creatures anyway, and any dead werewolf was a good werewolf.

     Kota felt like he was in a dream that turned into a nightmare. The situation was hopeless. His pack tried to protect him, but he knew that if he didn't react quickly, Ryosuke and Yuto could die right before their eyes.

     He looked at Ryosuke, his small body hanging limply from the vampire's hand, blood still dripping onto the ground. He knew that every second was crucial. They needed urgent help, and if they didn't act, it could be fatal for the wolf cubs.

     “Kota, we can't do that!” Hikaru urged; his voice full of desperation. “We'll find another way!”

     But Kota knew they were running out of time. “We have no choice,” he said quietly but firmly. His eyes met the gaze of each member of his pack before looking back at the vampire. “So, you'll trade the cubs for me?”

     “Kota, no!” Yuya shouted, but Kota ignored him.

     The vampire smiled, this time with a triumphant glint in his eyes. “Exactly,” he said. “Bring me your Alpha and the wolves will be free.”

     The pack was in shock, speechless, just watching their leader prepare for something that could cost him his life. Kota knew that what he was doing was probably the last decision he would ever make, but he also knew that it was the only way to ensure the safety of his little wolves.

     Kota turned to his pack, knowing this was his last moment as their leader. He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the fear that gripped him. He had to stay strong, for them and for himself.

     He slowly turned to Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei, their faces contorted in pain and fear. “Take care of yourself, okay?” he said, his voice as calm as possible, if slightly shaky. “And take care of the little ones, let them grow and develop nicely. See that they learn to read, write, and count, teach them everything you can, and help them. You are their family. The only family they have.”

     Kei tried to say something but his voice gave out, the words lost in his throat. “Kota…” he just whispered, his eyes glistening with tears.

     Kota smiled. “You are a great pack and I am very proud to have had the honor of leading you,” he said with love and pride. “Give my goodbyes to Daiki as well, and may he get well soon and finish reading all the books I shoved under his nose.”

     Yuya, who had always been strong, was now shaking. “Kota, you can't do this… We can't lose you.”

     Kota approached him and placed a paw on his paw. “I have to do this, Yuya. And you all have to take care of the pack. That is your most important task now.”

     He then turned to Hikaru, his closest friend and now successor. “Hikaru,” he began slowly, his eyes meeting Hikaru's, “you're the Alpha now.”

     Hikaru gasped, his body shaking with anger and despair. “B-But…” He tried to protest but knew Kota was right. It was up to him to lead the pack now.

     “No,” Kota interrupted gently but firmly. He didn't doubt for a second that Hikaru should become his successor. “I know you can do it. You will be a great leader. I believe in you.”

     Hikaru tried to say something but the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he nodded, his eyes welling up with tears. “I won't let you down,” he whispered.

     “I know you won't,” Kota replied, looking at each of them. “You have to stick together now, more than ever. Whatever happens, be strong, for each other and for the pups.”

     The pack was silent, each of them feeling the weight of the moment. Kota knew that this was his last moment with them, and even though his heart was filled with love and pride, he also knew that he was about to make the greatest sacrifice of his life.

     Kota stepped closer to Hikaru, Yuya, and Kei, and then they all pressed together, joined in a final gesture of unity and belonging. Their paws gently touched, their bodies pressed together as they said goodbye to Alpha, who was not only their leader, but also a friend, a brother, and a family.

     Soft growls and soft whimpers were their way of letting each other know that they were here for each other, that they would never give up, even if their paths now parted. Kota could feel the warmth of their bodies and it gave him courage for what was to come. They were a pack, they were a family, and nothing, not even death, could break this bond.

     He slowly pulled away from them, his eyes shining with determination but also sadness. He turned to the vampires who were watching them impatiently. “I'm ready,” he said calmly, even though his insides were shaking with fear. “Trade me for cubs.”

     The vampires smiled sinisterly, the head vampire smirked and nodded. “As you wish,” he said icily. “But remember, once you get them back, you're leaving. And you don't want to know what will happen if you break the deal.”

     “Take care of them,” Kota repeated one last time to his pack before walking off to meet his fate. His steps were heavy, but his mind was clear. He did what he had to do. He sacrificed himself for those he loved.

     Still remaining in their wolf forms, Yuya and Kei slowly transformed back into human bodies. They needed to get the wolf cubs back, and they knew they had to do it fast.

     Yuya walked over to the first cage where Yuri and Keito were. His heart sank with relief when he saw that they were relatively okay, if scared. He carefully opened the cage and pulled them out, their little bodies pressed against his chest as he gently caressed them and whispered soothing words to them.

     Kei approached the other cage where Ryosuke and Yuto were. The sight of their injuries struck him deeply. He carefully picked them up, their limp bodies cold and blood still dripping from their wounds. “Hold on,” he whispered to them, “we'll get you back home.”

     Hikaru remained in his wolf form, his body tense and ready to attack at any moment should the vampires break their agreement. His eyes closely followed every movement of his enemies, he was ready to protect his friends at any cost.

     Once Kota saw that Yuya and Kei had the wolf cubs safely in their arms, he slowly turned back to the vampires. It was a difficult moment, but he knew he had to move on now. He strode towards the open castle doors.

     The vampires watched him with satisfaction in their eyes, their plan had come to fruition. Slowly, one by one, they began to turn and follow Kota into the castle while the pack remained standing in the courtyard.

     “Kota!” Hikaru yelled, his voice echoing throughout the castle. “I forbid you to die! As a new Alpha, I forbid you that! Do you understand?!”

     Kota stopped for a moment, his fur quivering, but then continued on. Once he entered the shadows of the castle, he knew there was no turning back. Soon after him, the vampires disappeared as well, their dark silhouettes sinking into the darkness, and the castle doors closed with a soft creak.

     The pack remained standing in the courtyard, holding the wolf cubs in their arms, their hearts filled with sadness and despair. Hikaru, still in his wolf form, raised his head and howled at the night sky, his voice full of pain and anger. It was the last farewell, the last show of love and commitment that Kota gave to his pack.

Chapter Text

     The pack returned home under cover of night. The journey back was filled with silence, their every thought revolving around the wounded wolves who now needed urgent help. When they opened the door to their home, everything seemed empty and quiet except for the soft whining of puppies.

     Kei immediately led the pack into the kitchen where they placed Ryosuke and Yuto on a large wooden table. “Be careful with them,” he muttered, his voice filled with worry and weariness. “We must act quickly.”

     Yuya bent down to Yuto, his face pale and his hands shaking as he began to gently bandage his wounds. “Damn, this little boy has been through hell,” he whispered, fatherly helplessness in his voice.

     Kei was mainly focused on Ryosuke. His condition was serious — much worse than Yuto's. Blood seeped from deep cuts and his breathing was shallow and irregular. “Ryosuke, can you hear me?” Kei murmured softly but received no response or movement as he began disinfecting and cleaning the wounds. “You have to pull through, kid. You have to…”

     Hikaru stood next to the table, his eyes following every move Kei made. “How is he?” he asked, dreading the answer.

     Kei didn't take his eyes off his work, his hands quick and precise as he began to sew up one of the deeper wounds on Ryosuke's side. “It's not good,” he finally replied with a sigh. “He lost a lot of blood, and his body is exhausted. He's got a few broken ribs by touch, and let's just hope he doesn't have any internal injuries... His regeneration isn't working as it should right now.”

     This was exactly what Hikaru didn't want to hear. However, he knew that he needed to not give up and help Ryosuke as much as possible.

     Yuya nodded without taking his eyes off Yuto's injuries. “What about Yuto?” he asked the pack doctor, who everyone now relied on. “I think I've stopped the bleeding, but he has a fever and his breathing is weak.”

     Kei stopped for a moment; his mind focused on what he had to do. “Once I take care of Ryosuke, I'll check on Yuto,” he replied. “They both need help, but Ryosuke is worse off. We must try to stabilize his condition.”

     Daiki, who was lying on the couch in the living room, was conscious, but his body was still weak and exhausted. He tried to sit up, but his muscles protested. “Where… where is Kota?” he asked softly, trying not to fall asleep again.

     Hikaru approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Rest, Daiki. You mustn't strain yourself,” he said, trying to sound encouraging.

     Daiki closed his eyes and nodded. “I was supposed to protect them,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I failed. I didn't... I…”

     “It's not your fault,” Hikaru replied empathetically, caressing Daiki's wet hair.

     Meanwhile, Kei concentrated on tending to the injured puppies. Ryosuke's body was covered in deep cuts and scratches, some of which were still bleeding. Kei knew he had to be quick but careful at the same time. His hands moved with confidence as he disinfected each wound, even as his heart sank at the sight of black fur caked with blood.

     “You have to hold on, Ryosuke,” he whispered as he gently wiped the blood around the wound on his stomach and began to stitch. “Hold on for all of us.”

     Ryosuke didn't respond, he was too weak and his breathing was still shallow. Kei continued, stitching up one wound after another, his mind focused on only one task – keeping him alive. After each stitch, he made sure the wounds were clean and tightly stitched to prevent further bleeding.

     Meanwhile, Yuya, who had finished bandaging Yuto's back wounds, bent over to Kei. “We need to give them something to relieve the pain,” he said softly, his voice laced with concern as Yuto let out a barely audible whimper. “They can't do it if they suffer.”

     Kei nodded and opened another box of medical supplies that Hikaru had brought him from their warehouse. He pulled out a bottle of sedatives. He carefully checked the dosage, then drew the required amount into the injection and gently administered it first to Ryosuke, and then to Yuto. “This should ease their pain and make sure they don't wake up too quickly for us,” he explained to the others as he carefully pushed the needle into Ryosuke's tender skin on his front leg. “They need to sleep to start regenerating.”

     Yuya bent over the largest of the little wolves, his hands still caressing its head. “Sleep, Yuto,” he whispered as his small body began to succumb to the effects of the sedatives. “You have to be strong and rest. We will take care of you.”

     Yuri and Keito who witnessed everything that happened were still in shock. Their eyes were wide with fear, and although they were not physically injured, their small minds were filled with terrifying images. They saw their siblings suffer and felt helplessness and fear.

     Slowly, almost hesitantly, Yuri and Keito approached the couch where Daiki lay. He too was exhausted and still recovering from his own injuries, but seeing them approach him made his eyes fill with love and empathy. He opened his arms and gently pulled them to him.

     “Come here,” Daiki whispered. “Everything will be fine.”

     Yuri and Keito clung to Daiki, their small bodies shaking slightly but his presence calmed them. Daiki gently stroked their heads and whispered soothing words as they pressed closer to him. “Don't worry,” he whispered. “I'm here with you.”

     Kei continued to work on Ryosuke with great care. The wolf face of the little black wolf was destroyed. Four deep gashes stretched from his snout or neck to his ears, as if claws had mercilessly gripped him and dug deep under his skin. Every stitch Kei made was tearing at his heart.

     “God, Ryosuke,” Kei whispered as he began to sew up the first of the wounds on his snout. “You must have suffered terribly.”

     The wound on the snout was particularly bad, blood still oozing out even after Kei had carefully cleaned and disinfected it. Each thrust of the needle was like a stab to his own heart, knowing that Ryosuke had gone through it all fully conscious, without the ability to fight back. Now Ryosuke was unconscious and sedated, but Kei knew that every touch still had to be as gentle as possible so that it wouldn't cause more pain when he woke up.

     Stitching up head wounds was even more difficult. The wounds were deep, some reaching down to the bone, and Kei had to be careful to stitch them together properly to allow the skin to begin to heal. “Hold on, Ryosuke,” he whispered as he carefully stitched each wound. “Stay with us, please.”

     Ryosuke's little paw twitched occasionally as if his body was trying to fight off the pain, but the sedatives slowly calmed him down and his breathing stabilized. Kei knew that now he had to rely on his will to live and his ability to regenerate, which was his only salvation. If he was an ordinary wolf, he would no longer be alive.

     Meanwhile, Yuya was still tending to Yuto, whose injuries were no less worrisome. Yuto had a piece of his ear missing, as if someone had roughly bitten or plucked it off, and his body had scratches similar to Ryosuke's. “Look at this,” Yuya whispered in horror as he gently cleaned the smaller wounds around his ear. “What on earth did they do to them?”

     Kei stopped his work for a moment and looked at Yuto's wounds. “Bastards,” he growled softly, his usually calm voice filled with pent-up rage. “Treating cubs like this… It's unforgivable.”

     Yuya gently bandaged Yuto's scratches, carefully applying the bandages to prevent further bleeding and possible infection. Every injury he saw only confirmed to him that their enemies were cruel and merciless monsters. “We must get them warm and quiet,” he said firmly as he finished his work. “Whatever happens, they just need to rest now.”

     Kei nodded and continued his work on Ryosuke. The stitching of the wounds was almost over, but each layer of stitching was a reminder of what the wolves had been through. “If only we'd arrived sooner,” he sighed as he finished the last stitch on Ryosuke's neck.

     Silence reigned in the house, which was broken only by the quiet breathing of the little wolves and the occasional sigh of the adult wolves. It was a moment when everyone felt that they had done their best, but they also knew that now they had to wait to see if the wolf cubs could come back from the edge of life and death on their own.

     Kei finished sewing up the last wound on Ryosuke's head, his hands still shaking with tension and exhaustion. Ryosuke's small wolf face was now covered in bandages that covered the deep wounds inflicted by the vampires. His body was also bandaged almost entirely – every scratch, every bite was carefully treated and bandaged.

     “We have to keep him warm, as Yuya said,” Kei said quietly as he finished his work. There was weariness in his voice, but also determination. “Hikaru, please pick him up gently. We have to wrap him in a blanket.”

     Hikaru, who had been quietly standing next to the table watching Kei work, nodded. His eyes were full of pain and fear, but he knew he had to stay strong now. He gently approached Ryosuke's motionless body and carefully lifted him into his arms. His little body was light, but at the same time extremely heavy for his most beloved guardian, as if it carried all the pain the vampires had caused him.

     “I got you, baby boy,” Hikaru whispered, his voice breaking with each word. Kei quickly brought a warm blanket and together with Hikaru they carefully wrapped Ryosuke in the soft cloth. Every movement was filled with care and love as if they were trying to fix all the suffering he had been through. The blanket surrounded his small black body and gave him the warmth he needed to start regenerating.

     “That's it,” Kei whispered as he made sure Ryosuke was safely wrapped up. “You must rest now, little wolf. You are safe.”

     Once Ryosuke was taken care of, Kei and Hikaru moved over to Yuto who was still lying motionless on the table. His body was also covered in injuries, though not as severe as Ryosuke's. Kei carefully checked his bandages after Yuya's treatment and gently stroked his head. “You'll be fine, Yuto,” he whispered as Hikaru took care of picking him up.

     Together they wrapped Yuto in another warm blanket, trying to keep him safe and comfortable. Even though he was still sedated, his body was exhausted. “Rest, little one,” Yuya whispered to his little boy.

     Hikaru then carefully moved Ryosuke in the blanket to his small bed which was lined with soft pillows and another small blanket. With slow, gentle movements, he placed him in the bed and then sat down on the floor next to him, keeping him with him at all times. Ryosuke's tiny body, which was almost entirely bandaged, lay quietly in the small dog bed as Hikaru's hands gently caressed his paws.

     Every touch was full of love and desperation. Hikaru felt pain build up in his chest, tears welling up in his eyes, but he tried to stay strong. He had to be a support for Ryosuke and the pack, but he actually felt his heart break at the sight of his injured offspring.

     Slowly, as the minutes ticked by and the silence in the room was broken only by the soft breathing of the wolves, Hikaru couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. His body began to shake as tears silently streamed down his cheeks. “Ryosuke…” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I was supposed to protect you… I was supposed to be there to protect you.”

     Ryosuke's body remained motionless, but Hikaru continued to caress his paws as if he was trying to convey all his love and take away all the black wolf's pain through the touch. Finally, he couldn't go on any longer and wept silently, his tears wetting the fur he was gently stroking.

     “Forgive me… please forgive me,” he whispered into the silence of the room as his body shook from a suppressed sob. “You have to make it… You have to come back to us.”

     Yuya sat next to Yuto, his heart heavy as he gently stroked the wolf's injured head. Yuto's missing piece of ear and the deep scratches on his body were a chilling reminder of the horrors he had been through. Yuya could feel the pain, sadness, and helplessness building up inside him. He tried to be strong, but every touch of Yuto's soft fur reminded him how close they were to losing him. “Please, Yuto, you have to be strong,” he whispered as his hands continued to gently caress his wolf. “We need you.”

     Yuto snorted quietly, the sedative keeping him from the pain, at least for a while. Yuya took a deep breath and held the little wolf closer to him as if to protect him from the world that had hurt him. Even though he knew it wouldn't be that easy, at that moment, it seemed that he could at least provide Yuto with safety for a while.

     Kei, who had been concentrating on treating the wounds and caring for the wolf cubs for so long, finally allowed himself to be overcome by fatigue. Seeing that Yuya and Hikaru had taken care of Yuto and Ryosuke, he felt his body begin to give out. With a slow, heavy movement, he slid to the floor next to the table, leaned his back against the cold wall, and closed his eyes. His body was exhausted, every muscle aching from the strain and stress he had been through.

     “They're going to be very weak for a few days now,” Kei began quietly, though his voice sounded tired. “They've lost quite a bit of blood, especially Ryosuke. They must have round-the-clock supervision; we will take turns with them. We mustn't let them scratch or bite the sutured wounds so that they don't open again. Although they have them covered, the bandage wouldn't be too much of a problem for the wolf fangs,” he explained to the other wolves.

     Hikaru and Yuya nodded. They both knew that now they would have to take care of not only the wounded wolf cubs but also each other.

     Kei was finally able to stand up again after a few minutes of rest and began to collect the dirty squares of gauze from the table, each of them soaked in blood. His movements were slow and exhausted, but his mind was still working. He needed to wash and thoroughly disinfect the tools before he could put them back in the box. Each action, even if routine, seemed demanding, but Kei knew he couldn't put them off for too long if he needed to use them again.

     “He's so defenseless now,” Hikaru lamented, his voice shaking as he looked down at Ryosuke's injured body and stroked his ear gently. Tears streamed softly down his face as little Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief. Even if it was only temporary, at least now he felt no pain.

     Yuya, who was petting his little wolf Yuto, just nodded silently. “It's like they took them from us and returned them broken,” he whispered. “But we have to believe that they will recover. Let it last as long as needed.”

     Kei looked at them, his eyes full of exhaustion but also love for his pack. “We'll do anything for them,” he said quietly. “We have to be strong now. For them, for us, for Kota…”

     Still lying on the sofa with Yuri and Keito pressed together, Daiki watched his friends silently. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he knew he had to be strong now too. For the wolves, for the pack. “We will protect them,” he muttered, though his voice was weak. “We won't let anyone hurt them… again.”

     Hikaru continued to sit next to Ryosuke's bed, where the little wolf was sleeping peacefully under the influence of sedatives. But Hikaru couldn't stay calm. Thoughts of Kota, his best friend who sacrificed himself to save the wolf cubs, kept swirling in his head. How could he sit idly by while their Alpha was in the clutches of vampires?

     “We have to do something,” Hikaru muttered, his voice full of desperation and rage. “We can't leave him there; we have to go and save him.”

     Kei, who was currently leaning against the wall, exhausted both physically and emotionally, looked at him with a hard expression. “Hikaru, you know this is madness,” he said, running a tired hand through his hair. “We're not in a position to save anyone right now...”

     Hikaru turned on him, angry. “So shall we just leave him there?! Shall we do nothing?! Kota sacrificed himself to save the pups and we're just sitting around waiting for… for what?” he trailed off. He didn't want to finish it. He dreaded the words that would follow at the end of his sentence.

     Kei didn't stray from his logic even though he understood Hikaru's frustration. “Daiki needs rest to heal and so do the puppies. We can't let them out of our sight and go on a rescue mission now under any circumstances.”

     “So, what do you suggest?” Hikaru retorted, his body tense as if he was about to go into battle at any moment. “Sitting and doing nothing?”

     “We need to focus on what's most important right now,” Kei replied. “Kota knew what he was doing. He knew that his sacrifice was necessary for the cubs to survive. If you go back now, you'll weaken the pack even more. We just don't have the strength, Hikaru. I'm sorry.”

     Hikaru rubbed his eyes, one hand still holding Ryosuke's little paw. “But what if they kill him, Kei? What if he's suffering somewhere right now while we just sit here and wait?”

     Kei took a deep breath; he knew what he was saying was harsh but it was necessary. “Kota risked his life to make sure we were all safe. And what we must do now is to ensure that his sacrifice is not in vain. Daiki, Ryosuke, and Yuto all need time to heal. If you go away now, you will leave them at the worst possible moment, when they need you the most.”

     Yuya, who was still sitting with Yuto in his arms, turned to them. “Kei is right, Hikaru. I know it's hard, but we have to be reasonable now. We can't risk losing any more pack members.”

     Hikaru paused for a moment, his thoughts fighting between wanting to save Kota and knowing that Kei was right. His body slowly calmed down as he realized the reality of the situation. Kota wouldn't want them to endanger other pack members in a desperate attempt to save him.

     “Damn it,” he finally whispered, his voice full of desperation. “Fuckin' damn it...”

     Kei walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know it hurts, Hikaru. But now we have to be here for those who need us. When we're strong, when the pack is safe again, then we can go back and… and do what needs to be done.”

     Hikaru nodded even though the pain in his heart was almost unbearable. “You're right,” he finally muttered. “But that doesn't mean it stops hurting.”

     Kei nodded and looked at his friends. “None of us will forget him, Hikaru. But now we must take care of those here, and that is the greatest respect we can show Kota.”

     Hikaru tried to hold back a sob, but he couldn't take it anymore. All the emotions that had been building up in him since Kota left were suddenly bubbling to the surface. His body began to shake and the tears he had been holding back began to flow freely down his cheeks. It was too much for him. The pain, the fear, the loss — it all washed over him at once.

     “I can't… I just can't,” he whispered, his voice breaking, and he finally burst into tears, his body shaking with sobs he couldn't stop.

     Yuya and Kei, feeling the same deep pain and helplessness, joined him. Tears began to flow down their faces. It was a silent expression of their own pain and sorrow. None of them wanted it to end this way. None of them were prepared for what happened.

     “It's so unfair,” Yuya sobbed as he hugged Yuto tighter as if it could protect him from all the evil in the world. “How could this happen...”

     Kei, who usually kept his emotions in check, couldn't hold back the stream of tears that flowed down his face when he saw his friends in such a state. “We have to be strong…” he whispered as tears streamed down his cheeks, which he buried in his hands.

     Hikaru, still sobbing, leaned against Yuya who hugged him while Kei joined them and held them all tightly. They were a pack, they were a family, and now, in this moment, they needed each other more than ever.

     Daiki, who was lying on the couch with Yuri and Keito, couldn't help it either, his eyes welling up with tears. Even though he was exhausted and hurt, he felt the pain with them. Clinging to him, Yuri and Keito began to whimper softly as if they felt their world was shaking and that the only place of safety now was their older brother.

     “It's okay,” Daiki whispered, even though he himself knew it wasn't okay. “We are here together. We're all here together.”

     “We have to be here for them,” Hikaru whispered between sobs as he looked at Ryosuke who was quietly squirming in his tiny bed. “We have to be there for our little ones. This is what Kota would want…”

     “That's right,” Kei agreed, though his voice was muffled by tears. “That's what we have to do.”

     Yuya nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but tears were still streaming down his face. “Together we'll get through this,” he said softly, though his voice trembled with pain. “We are a pack. We are family.”

     And so they all sat there, hugging and holding each other as their tears fell silently to the floor. With every hug, with every touch, they reminded each other that they were not alone, that they had each other. Even though their pack was hurt, even though they lost their leader, they knew they had to be strong now. Not just for themselves, but for those who slept peacefully nearby, who needed their love and protection more than ever.

Chapter Text

     It was early in the morning when the first rays of sunlight began to break through the curtains, casting a soft light into the room where the pack spent their last hours in quiet rest. The atmosphere was still tense, but at the same time filled with careful concern and love. The night had been long and hard, full of pain and fear for the wounded wolf cubs, but now that the new day had begun, the pack was slowly adjusting to the new circumstances.

     Ryosuke lay quietly in his little bed, his tiny body still wrapped in the soft blanket they had carefully arranged around him. He was still unconscious, his breathing shallow and regular as his body struggled with the effects of the horrific attack. Although he looked calm, every startle in his sleep was like a stab to Hikaru's heart.

     Hikaru stayed nearby, his eyes constantly following Ryosuke as if he was afraid something would go wrong if he lost sight of him for a moment. He was his silent guardian, hoping that his little wolf would eventually get over it.

     On the other side of the room sat Yuya, who had Yuto gently pressed against him. Yuto was already awake, but his eyes were still half closed and his body was tired. He was a small warrior, but even his young body was exhausted from what he had been through. Yuya gently stroked his back and whispered soothing words as Yuto rested in the safety of his arms.

     Daiki, whose condition had already improved considerably, slowly walked around the room. His body was still weak, but he could move and take care of himself. Even though he was tired, his mind was full of worry for the wolf cubs that were not yet out of danger. Every now and then he stopped by Yuya or Hikaru to make sure they didn't need his help.

     Yuri and Keito, the two young wolves who had come through this whole hell unscathed, were now clinging close to Daiki. They both knew their brothers were hurt, even if they didn't fully understand it yet, their childish minds sensed something was wrong.

     Kei, who was still in the role of main caretaker, tirelessly took care of all the pack members. His hands were constantly busy – one helping Yuya with Yuto, another checking the condition of the bandages on Ryosuke's body, and in between making sure everyone got a drink and something to eat. It was his way of coping with the pain and stress that was weighing on him. He needed to feel like he was doing his best to make sure everyone was okay.

     Kei was standing at the kitchen table where a pile of new medical supplies that Yuya had brought from the town lay in front of him. His eyes focused intently on every detail as he rearranged the bandages, disinfectants, and other necessary items. He knew that every little thing could be decisive for the wounded wolf cubs. He carefully sorted them into their respective boxes and stashed them in places where he would have them at hand when needed.

     Once he had all the supplies in order, he returned to the table where the herbs he had prepared earlier were located. He knew that their werewolf bodies had the ability to regenerate quickly, but he also knew that they needed a little help to speed up the process. Each of those herbs had specific properties that could promote healing, relieve pain, or increase hydration, which was key to their healing.

     Kei carefully picked a few leaves from each plant and began crushing them in a small mortar. His movements were calm and focused, but inside he felt a deep tension. Every blow of the mortar against the herbs reminded him of how fragile their situation was now. He felt like the weight of the world rested on his hands, knowing that the lives of the smallest members of the pack now depended on his abilities.

     As he worked, he thought of Ryosuke and Yuto. Every day they didn't fully wake up or remain weak was like another blow to his heart. He had to do everything in his power to help them recover.

     The herbs slowly disintegrated into a fine powder that began to take on a wonderfully fresh scent. Kei concentrated on getting the mixture right. He knew that some herbs had powerful healing properties, but could also be too strong and irritating if not used properly. So, he was careful to mix them correctly according to the recipe.

     When he had the mixture ready, he poured clean water into a small pot and placed it on the stove. As the water began to heat, he slowly added the crushed herbs, stirring them with a spoon to release their active ingredients into the water. The scent of the tea began wafting throughout the kitchen, filling the room with a soothing aroma that, in addition to its healing effects, was supposed to bring some peace and hope to all who were present.

     “This tea should help them regenerate faster,” Kei mumbled more to himself, but his voice was loud enough for the others to hear. “It will help them rehydrate and reduce possible inflammation.”

     Yuya, who was sitting nearby with Yuto in his arms, nodded and looked at Kei with gratitude in his eyes. “What would we do without you, Kei,” he said softly. “Thank you.”

     Kei just nodded modestly and continued to stir the tea, which was now simmering on a low heat. He knew it was the least he could do to help those he loved.

     Once the tea was ready, he poured it through a fine sieve into two small cups and let it cool a little so he could give the wolves a warm but not too hot drink. This moment was a small victory for him in the fight against the helplessness that had plagued them for the last few days.

     Kei then scooped the tea into a small syringe to administer the drink to Yuto. He knew how important it was for wolf cubs to stay hydrated and receive the necessary nutrients for their regeneration.

     He then approached Yuya with the syringe and offered him a gentle smile that was supposed to calm both Yuya and the little wolf. “Okay, Yuto, now we're going to get you some tea, how about that? It'll help you heal,” Kei whispered as he bent down to Yuto.

     Yuya gently held Yuto in his arms, his hand firmly but lovingly hugging the little wolf. “Try to drink, Yuto. It'll help you, I promise,” he whispered to him as Kei carefully put the syringe into Yuto's mouth.

     The little brown wolf, although still weak, stuck out his tongue and began to drink as soon as he felt the tea on his tongue. His swallowing was slow but regular. Sometimes, he whimpered weakly but managed to get tea in small amounts.

     “That's it, Yuto, good boy,” Kei whispered encouragingly as he slowly pumped the syringe and fed him small sips of warm tea. “A little more, you'll feel better.”

     Keito, who had been nearby the whole time, began to gently lick Yuto's fur as if to give his little brother some extra support. His little paws occasionally touched Yuto's body, but they were tender and full of love. Yuto, even though he was still tired, waved his tail weakly as if to say that he appreciated his attention.

     “See? Keito is here too,” Yuya remarked with a smile. “We all want to see you running and playing again, so drink some more and you'll be fine soon.”

     Strengthened by the love and care he felt from all sides, Yuto continued to drink. Kei patiently served him the tea until Yuto drank the entire contents of the syringe. “That's it, goofball,” he complimented as he put the syringe down and patted Yuto's head gently.

     “Now rest again,” Yuya said as he gently pressed Yuto back to him.

     Yuto burrowed deeper into Yuya's arms, Keito still clinging to him, licking his fur and giving him that extra dose of love and care that was so important at this moment.

     Kei knew that it would be Ryosuke's turn now, and he realized how much more difficult the process would be. While Yuto was able to at least somewhat respond to their care, Ryosuke was still unconscious and his condition was much more serious. Kei took the other syringe, refilled it with tea, and then headed over to Ryosuke's bed where Hikaru was sitting.

     Kei sat down next to Hikaru and paused for a moment to take a deep breath. “Now we have to repeat the same process with Ryosuke,” he said in a low but firmer voice. “It will be a bit more difficult; it would've been better if he started to respond.”

     Hikaru nodded, his eyes never leaving Ryosuke. “What do we have to do?” he asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

     Kei bent down to Ryosuke and gently placed his fingers on his tiny bandaged chest to listen to his heart. “I'll check his heart and breathing first,” he explained as he listened carefully. Ryosuke's heart was beating regularly, but it was weak, making Kei even more cautious. “He's holding on so far, but he's weakened. We need to give him some fluids to keep him hydrated. It's also time to change his bandages.”

     Hikaru looked nervous; his body tensed. “Do you think we can do it? What if… what if we hurt him?” His voice was filled with worry, but he knew he had to do it. They had no choice.

     Kei looked at him with a calmness that was the result of years of practice and responsibility. “It's needed, Hikaru,” he said. “But we can do it. We just have to proceed slowly and with care.”

     Hikaru nodded, fully respecting Kei's decision. “What should I do?” he asked, ready to help as much as he could.

     “Just hold him,” Kei focused on Ryosuke's mouth and slowly tried to pry it open to give him the first dose of tea. But Ryosuke didn't show any reaction, his body was still frozen unconscious. Kei tried again, but the wolf didn't respond. Hikaru looked at him with concern in his eyes.

     “Ryosuke…” Hikaru whispered as if to somehow wake him up or make him react. But nothing happened. Ryosuke's body remained motionless.

     “We have to be patient,” Kei said in a soothing tone, though worry was evident in his eyes. “We may have to give him the tea drop by drop, but most of all, we mustn't give up.”

     Kei tried to pry Ryosuke's mouth open again, this time with even more caution, but still couldn't get him to respond. Hikaru gently supported Ryosuke's head to give him better access. “Come on, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered, his voice soft, full of love and concern. “Try to help us a little, please.”

     Even though Ryosuke still didn't respond, Kei didn't give up. This time, after several tries, he managed to slightly open Ryosuke's tensed jaws. It was only a small gap, but enough for them to start feeding him the tea drop by drop.

     “That's it,” Kei whispered, carefully pushing the first small amount of tea into Ryosuke's mouth. “We have to go really slow on him.”

     Hikaru watched in suspense as the tea slowly entered Ryosuke's mouth. “It's going to be okay,” Hikaru whispered, though he was reassuring himself more than anyone else. “Must be.”

     Hikaru and Kei were still fully focused on serving Ryosuke tea when little Yuri suddenly approached them. His little paws stomped softly on the floor, and when he saw his little brother lying motionless in the dog bed, his little heart filled with worry. He stepped closer and gently bowed his head to Ryosuke. Yuri's large eyes followed every detail of his brother as if trying to understand what exactly was happening to him. Then, with a gentleness that was touching, he began to lick Ryosuke between the bandages with his little tongue, as if trying to wake him up.

     Hikaru and Kei held their breaths, their hearts filled with hope. Yuri continued licking, his touches incredibly gentle. “Ryosuke, come on…” Hikaru whispered.

     To everyone's surprise, Ryosuke's left eye suddenly opened slightly. It was just a tiny wink at first, but it meant the world to everyone present. Hikaru gasped, his eyes widening as he saw Ryosuke's gaze meet his. “Ryosuke…!”

     Ryosuke slowly moved his tongue as he felt the tea in his mouth. It was like a minor miracle when his body, however weakly, began to try to cooperate. Hikaru felt tears of joy and relief pool in his eyes. “That's it, boy,” he encouraged, “just swallow a little bit, you can do it.”

     Every movement was difficult for Ryosuke, every sip required a huge effort. His body was exhausted, but he still tried. He could feel the tea sliding down his throat with each sip, and even though it was extremely difficult for him, he didn't give up. His little tongue was moving again, trying to process the liquid that entered his mouth.

     “Excellent, Ryosuke, excellent!" Kei whispered as he saw the black wolf trying.

     Yuya, still holding Yuto in his arms, watched the whole scene with a wide smile and tears in his eyes. “We knew you wouldn't give up, Ryosuke.”

     Kei carefully handed him another small amount of tea, and even though it was slow, Ryosuke continued to try to swallow. Ryosuke's small body slowly relaxed as the tea began to work, giving him at least some much-needed energy.

     Kei continued to gently serve the tea without rushing. He knew he had to proceed carefully so as not to overwhelm the little werewolf. Hikaru held his head with such gentleness as if it was the most fragile treasure in the world.

     As Ryosuke finished his dose of tea, it was time to focus on the wounds on his weakened body. “Hey, little one,” Hikaru whispered. “We need to bandage your wounds now so you can start to heal properly, okay? Don't worry, I'll be with you, all the time.”

     Ryosuke, though still very tired, clung weakly to Hikaru's hand. His small body was completely covered in bandages, and Hikaru had to try very hard not to accidentally injure him even more. He wanted to pat his head, his soft fur, but every movement reminded him of how hurt Ryosuke was. He finally decided to gently hold his paws, which weren't so badly injured, instead.

     “I'll hold your paws like that, okay?” he smiled at his offspring. “I don't want to hurt you, so I'll just hold them. You know I'm here for you, right?”

     Ryosuke gently licked Hikaru's finger as if to tell him that he trusted him and that he felt safe. It was a silent confirmation of their bond with each other that was stronger than anything else.

     Meanwhile, Kei carefully prepared new bandages and disinfectants on the table. He knew that changing the bandages would be difficult but necessary to prevent any infection and allow for proper healing. He put gloves on his hands.

     “It'll be okay,” Kei said calmly as he finished getting ready. “We have to do it gently, but thoroughly. It is important that the bandages are clean and that the wounds have room to breathe.”

     Hikaru nodded, though still eyeing Ryosuke with concern. “I'll hold him,” he said quietly. “And you do what you need to do.”

     Kei bent down to Ryosuke; his face set in concentration. He was aware of the importance of his every move, his every touch. He needed to be extremely careful not to hurt Ryosuke even more. With a slow and gentle movement, he began to carefully peel off the first bandage that was on the wolf's side.

     Ryosuke winced slightly as soon as he felt the tugging on his skin, but Kei immediately soothed him with soft words. “Shh, it's okay, little one,” he whispered as he carefully peeled off the bandage in small pieces so as not to tear the fur or skin. The bandage was stuck to the fur in places where the blood had dried and glued to the fibers, causing small jerking movements that must have been uncomfortable for Ryosuke.

     Ryosuke, though weak, could feel Hikaru's presence and his warm hands gently holding his paws. This gave him the courage and strength to endure the whole procedure. Hikaru felt his little paws tremble slightly but remained in his firm yet gentle grip.

     When Kei reached the places where the bandage was particularly tightly attached, he took a pair of scissors and very carefully began to cut away the bits of fur. Ryosuke flinched slightly with each gentle cut, but Hikaru held his paws tightly and whispered soothing words in his ear.

     “Hold on, baby boy,” Hikaru reassured him. “It won't be long. Kei will fix you up, and then you'll feel so much better.”

     As soon as Kei removed the first bandage, a deep wound was revealed that needed further treatment. The wound was clean, but its edges were irritated and red. Kei knew he had to act quickly but carefully to avoid any infection.

     “Now I'm going to apply ointment to your wound to help it heal better,” Kei said, opening a small container that was meant to heal werewolf wounds. The ointment had a soothing effect and contained natural antibiotics that helped speed up the regeneration process.

     Kei applied a small amount of it to his fingers and very carefully began to rub it around the edges of the wound. Every movement he made was extremely delicate as if he was afraid that he might hurt Ryosuke with even the slightest pressure. The ointment began to penetrate the wound, and its cooling effect slightly relieved the irritated skin. Ryosuke froze, but Hikaru continued to comfort him, holding his paws tightly.

     “Great job, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered as he saw his little wolf trying to keep his composure. “You're doing great.”

     After Kei finished applying the ointment, he took a clean bandage and carefully prepared it to bind the wound. He gently placed the first piece of cloth against Ryosuke's side and began to wrap it around his body, making sure the bandage wasn't too tight but still strong enough to keep the wound clean and safe.

     “You'll feel so much better this way,” Kei said as he finished the first layer of the bandage and secured it with tiny staples.

     He moved to the other wounds that were on Ryosuke's back and head. He removed each bandage in the same gentle manner, little by little so as not to cause any more pain. If somewhere he came across dried blood that stuck to the bandage or fur, he again took the scissors and carefully cut off the necessary pieces of fur. Sometimes he also had to shave the fur off in certain places to better treat the wounds and keep them clean.

     “It's not easy, but we can do it,” Kei said quietly, more to himself as he reapplied the ointment to one of the deeper wounds on Ryosuke's back. “Ryosuke is strong and we will get him to run again.”

     Little Yuri sat nearby and watched his brother's entire treatment intently. Every time Ryosuke made a soft whimper or moved the slightest bit, Yuri would immediately jump up to him and lovingly lick the fur on his head or around the bandages, as if trying to tell him that he was here with him and wouldn't leave him.

     “Thank you, Yuri,” Hikaru whispered as he saw Yuri tending to Ryosuke. “You're a great little brother.”

     Kei knew that the hardest part was yet to come. Ryosuke's snout and face were one of the most injured places on his body, with several deep wounds that had to be carefully stitched up. These wounds were not only deep but also extremely sensitive, meaning that even the slightest touch could cause pain to the little wolf.

     “Ryosuke, now I have to treat your snout,” Kei whispered respectfully as he bent over the little wolf. His voice was soothing as if he was trying to prepare Ryosuke for what was to come. “It's going to be a little uncomfortable, but we'll do it quickly and carefully, okay?”

     Still holding Ryosuke's paws, Hikaru moved a little closer and gently caressed his wolf's head. “I'm here with you, pup. Everything will be fine,” he said in a soothing voice, trying to convey as much calm as possible to Ryosuke.

     Kei carefully approached Ryosuke's nose. The first thing he had to do was remove the old bandage that covered the stitched wounds. Ryosuke winced slightly as he began to peel off the bandage.

     “It's okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered, his voice full of love and support. “Kei will take care of you, just hold on a little longer.” The little wolf looked at Hikaru, then closed his one open eye as if trying to hide from the pain he was feeling.

     Kei continued again, peeling off the bandage slowly and very carefully. When the bandage was completely removed, it revealed the stitched wounds on Ryosuke's nose, which were deep and reddened. Kei focused on keeping all the stitches clean and the wounds free of infection. He took a gauze and carefully soaked it in the disinfectant solution.

     “Now I have to clean it up for you,” Kei said sweetly as he began to wipe the wounds around the stitches. Ryosuke winced gently again as he felt the cool liquid on his sensitive skin. It was clear that it was uncomfortable, but Kei was doing his best to make it as painless as possible.

     “Shh, it's okay,” Hikaru whispered, gently stroking Ryosuke's paws. “Just hang in there, it'll be done soon.”

     Kei continued to clean the wounds, going very slowly and carefully. Every movement was precisely planned to avoid further injury. After cleaning the wounds, he applied a thin layer of healing ointment to the stitches to soothe the irritated skin and boost healing. Ryosuke winced slightly again, his body reacting to every touch, but Kei was relentless in his care.

     “You're so, so brave, Ryosuke,” Kei said with a smile as he finished applying the ointment. “Now we'll just bandage it and that'll be it.”

     Kei prepared a clean bandage that was specially designed for such sensitive areas as the nose. Again, he worked very carefully, gently placing the bandage around Ryosuke's muzzle, making sure it wasn't too tight. He also made sure the bandage was tight but not suffocating or uncomfortable.

     Once everything was done, Kei could finally relax a bit. “Done,” he said softly, patting Ryosuke's head. “You can rest now. Everything is clean and in order.”

     Hikaru looked at his small wolf, who seemed a little calmer now, though it was clear that the treatment had been tough on him. “You did great, buddy,” he whispered again as he gently held Ryosuke's paws. “Now you can sleep again, everything will be fine.”

     Ryosuke, although exhausted, gently waved his paw as if to confirm that he heard Hikaru's words. Yuri then moved closer to Hikaru and started scratching his little paw on his leg. He asked if he could cuddle with Ryosuke.

     Hikaru smiled as he saw Yuri longing to be with his little brother. “You want to cuddle with him, don't you?” Hikaru said softly, leaning down to the little wolf. Then he carefully picked him up in his arms and carried him to the bed where he placed him next to Ryosuke.

     Yuri immediately snuggled up to the black wolf and carefully licked Ryosuke's fur as if trying to wipe away all the pain his brother was feeling. Ryosuke, though still very weak, moved slightly as if responding to his little brother's presence.

     “You're a cutie,” Hikaru whispered as he watched Yuri take care of Ryosuke. “You're safe now, Ryosuke. You have Yuri here to take care of you.”

     Yuri continued to lick his brother, his small movements full of love and tenderness. He knew that Ryosuke needed to feel him close, and this was his way of letting him know. His little paws gently hugged Ryosuke as if he was trying to protect him from anything bad.

     Hikaru sat down next to the bed and watched them with a sense of calm beginning to wash over him. Even though they were still in the middle of a difficult situation, they were there for each other. “You are my beloved little wolf, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered as he saw Ryosuke slowly relax next to his little brother. “And you, Yuri, are amazing. You're helping him more than you might realize,” he patted the white wolf.

     The pack remained silent, watching as Yuri gently caressed Ryosuke, licking him while whispering soft words to him that might not have been heard but could be felt in his every touch. Ryosuke's breathing slowly calmed as he felt the safety and love surrounding him. They were all here together, as a family, and that was the greatest strength they could pass on to each other.

     It was very early in the morning, when the first faint rays of light barely broke through the curtains, and the whole house was immersed in a silent stillness. All members of the pack were sleeping after long, hard days tending to the injured wolf cubs and trying to nurse them back to health. Hikaru was sleeping on the ground, next to the bed where Ryosuke was lying, as his guardian, not wanting to leave his little offspring even at night.

     Hikaru tried to stay awake as long as possible, but exhaustion always got the better of him in the end. As he slept, he suddenly felt a gentle touch on his cheek. Something wet and warm touched his skin and he slowly began to wake up. He didn't know what it was at first, but when he opened his eyes, he saw little Ryosuke in front of him, gently licking his cheek with his little pink tongue.

     “Ryosuke…?” Hikaru whispered, his voice still clouded by sleep, but his eyes instantly lit up with immense joy as he realized what was happening. He quickly sat up and stared in surprise at Ryosuke who was already awake as well and even sitting up in the bed on his own without help. This was the moment he had been waiting for days, and now that it had happened, a wave of emotion washed over him.

     Ryosuke looked at him with his red eyes that were now more alive and brighter than they had been in a while. He was still bandaged, but he looked much better as if the power of life had reawakened in him. He seemed like he was smiling at Hikaru as if trying to tell him that he was back, that he was here, and that he was going to make it.

     “Ryosuke!” Hikaru couldn't contain his joy and reached out to hug him gently. He tried to be as gentle as possible so as not to hurt him even more. His heart was full of happiness as he felt Ryosuke gently wag his tail and he clung to him, wanting to be as close as possible.

     “You did it,” Hikaru whispered with a smile on his face as he gently stroked Ryosuke's head, trying to avoid the areas where the bandages were still on. “I'm so proud of you, my boy.”

     Sensing Hikaru's love and support, Ryosuke licked his face again as if to let him know that he too was happy to be back with his pack.

     Hikaru took a deep breath to fully realize what had just happened. His little wolf, who had been so close to death, now sat before him, sore but alive. Every lick and every movement of Ryosuke's body was like a gift to him that he treasured deeply. “You have no idea how happy you make me, Ryosuke,” he said softly as he gently held his paws.

     The small black wolf whimpered softly and a muffled bark came from his small throat that sounded incredibly funny considering his injuries and bandages. Hikaru couldn't help but smile. Although Ryosuke was still sore and every movement must have caused him some discomfort, it seemed that his playful and energetic nature was slowly returning.

     “You sound funny,” Hikaru whispered with a smile as he gently caressed Ryosuke's head. “But wait, you want to tell me something, am I right?” At that moment, Hikaru noticed Ryosuke fidgeting nervously and squirming slightly as if trying to make a point.

     “Oh, I see now,” Hikaru said as he realized what was happening. “You need to pee, don't you?” Ryosuke replied with another soft whimper and head movement, trying to confirm Hikaru's assumption.

     “Alright, let's go out, pup,” Hikaru decided as he carefully lifted Ryosuke into his arms. He was still worried about his little wolf, but seeing Ryosuke trying to express his needs on his own was a huge relief.

     With Ryosuke in his arms, Hikaru moved quietly around the house so as not to wake the others who were still sleeping. He quickly and carefully opened the door that led to the garden. The cool morning air refreshed both of their noses and as they stepped outside, Hikaru felt Ryosuke squirm gently in his arms as if he was looking forward to being outside again.

     “This will do,” Hikaru said as they reached the lawn that was covered in morning dew. He slowly and gently set Ryosuke down on the ground. It was the first time since his injury that he was going to stand on his own paws.

     Ryosuke gently got onto all fours, his movements slow and careful. “Slowly, little one. No rush, I'm holding you,” Hikaru whispered as he gently held Ryosuke's hips and belly to help him balance. Ryosuke gradually shifted his weight to his little paws and his body shook a bit, but Hikaru was still with him, ready to hold him if needed.

     Hikaru felt Ryosuke's muscles tense under his touch as he struggled to take his first steps. The little wolf slowly moved a few centimeters before he managed to find his balance. His steps were unsteady and a little clumsy, but he was getting better with each step.

     “That's it, Ryosuke,” Hikaru gently encouraged as he saw his wolf focus on every move. “You're doing amazing, keep going.”

     Ryosuke stopped after a few steps and raised his head to Hikaru as if to ask him if he was doing everything right. Hikaru gave him an encouraging smile and nodded slightly. “You're doing great,” he whispered.

     And so Ryosuke, with Hikaru's quiet encouragement, was finally able to do what he needed to do. His body relaxed as he began to slowly pee, and Hikaru gently stroked his back and held him as he made sure his wolf managed even this small but important step on the road to recovery.

     When Ryosuke finished, he looked up at Hikaru again, a mixture of relief and satisfaction in his eyes. Hikaru smiled at him, his heart filled with pride and joy. “That's it, little one,” he said softly, gently stroking Ryosuke's head.

     “Do you want to try a few more steps or shall we go home?” Hikaru whispered with a smile as he saw Ryosuke slowly looking around in thought. Finally, he decided to try to walk a few inches further, with his guardian constantly watching over him.

     But suddenly, there was a soft creaking of the door from the house and a small white ball rushed out onto the lawn. It was Yuri who seemed to sense something was up and immediately ran outside to see what happened. As soon as he saw Ryosuke standing on his feet next to Hikaru, his little paws immediately ran towards them. His eyes shone with joy and relief to see his little brother standing on his own legs again.

     “Yuri, look who woke up,” Hikaru smiled as Yuri stopped next to them and started hopping around Ryosuke. His enthusiasm was contagious and even though Ryosuke was still very tired, he barked softly when he saw how happy his little brother was.

     Yuri ran around excitedly, occasionally barking softly or scratching the ground with his paws. It was obvious that he was overjoyed to see Ryosuke back on his feet and outside. “I think Yuri is happy to see you too,” Hikaru said softly, stroking Ryosuke's head. “See how we all love you?”

     Ryosuke gently moved his head as if to say that he could feel the love and support around him. Yuri approached him and gently licked his cheek. “You're such a sweetheart, Yuri,” Hikaru smiled as he saw Yuri gently caressing his brother.

     Yuri snuggled up to Ryosuke tenderly, their small bodies pressed together, though Hikaru still held the black wolf. Ryosuke took a deep breath and enjoyed this moment outside with his family.

     As soon as Ryosuke's eyes started to close again, Hikaru took his black wolf back into his arms. “You did great, Ryosuke. Now we're going to put you back in your comfy bed so you can rest, okay?” Hikaru whispered as he turned back to the house. Yuri, who was still hopping around, happily followed them.

     When they walked back into the house, the other wolves were still asleep, so Hikaru cautiously walked over to the small bed where Ryosuke had been resting before. He slowly and gently placed him back in his nest.

     Ryosuke moved slightly as his body touched the soft surface of the bed, but quickly relaxed again as he felt the blanket tighten around him. Hikaru carefully wrapped him in a warm blanket to make him as comfortable as possible.

     “Now try to sleep,” Hikaru whispered as he gently adjusted the blanket around Ryosuke. “You've made tremendous progress today, but now it's time for another rest. If you need to go outside again or are hungry and thirsty, let me know. I will be here with you the whole time.”

     Ryosuke, though still very tired, looked at Hikaru with an expression that was full of gratitude and love. His small body burrowed deeper into the bed as if searching for the right angle where he would feel most comfortable. Hikaru sat next to the bed and gently stroked his head, avoiding the areas where the bandages were still on.

     “I'm so proud of you,” Hikaru whispered as he saw Ryosuke's eyes slowly close as fatigue took over his body again. “We're all here for you, we always will be.”

     Yuri immediately laid down next to Ryosuke so he could be as close to his little brother as possible. He curled gently into a ball, his small body warming next to him. Ryosuke took a deep breath and his breathing gradually slowed as he fell back into sleep.

     Hikaru remained seated beside them, his heart filled with peace and joy. The sight of Ryosuke, who was now sleeping peacefully in the bed, was the greatest gift to him.

     After finally making sure that Ryosuke was comfortably resting, Hikaru quietly laid back down on the ground next to the bed where he planned to stay. He didn't care how tired he was; now all that mattered was one little wolf that he protected and loved with all his heart.

Chapter Text

     There was a new atmosphere in the house as Yuto, Yuri, and Keito were already able to transform into their human forms. They were still small children, but the ability to transform was a huge step forward for each werewolf in their development. Once they mastered this skill, their curiosity and desire to discover new things only increased. It was fascinating for them to learn about a world that was beginning to make more and more sense to them.

     Yuya sat down with them at the large table in the living room where he had simple practice sheets prepared with capital letters. Yuto sat in the middle, his eyes shining with enthusiasm and his small body constantly moving as he was full of energy. “Hey, Dad, what does this letter mean? What about this one? What if I write it like this? I want to write my name!” he bombarded Yuya with questions, not realizing that they hadn't even started yet.

     “Just be a little more patient, Yuto,” Yuya smiled as he tried to keep his attention on one spot. “First, I show you how to write each letter correctly, and then we can try to make words. But we have to go one step at a time, okay?”

     Yuto grimaced but nodded cheerfully even though his hands were already reaching for the pencil as if he wanted to write the entire alphabetical list at once. Next to him sat Yuri and Keito, quieter and more focused, though each of them was in their own world. Keito tried to imitate the movements he saw Yuya make, his tiny hand tightly gripping the pencil while Yuri silently looked at the letters as if he wanted to examine them thoroughly first before even starting to write.

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke weaved his way around them, still remaining in his wolf form. His little wolf body was constantly on the move as he watched his siblings in their efforts. Ryosuke was full of energy, but his wolf instincts naturally gravitated towards playfulness rather than study. Seeing how everyone was engrossed in writing, he whimpered softly and moved closer to Yuto who was closest to him.

     Yuto, who was engrossed in trying to write his name, didn't even notice Ryosuke approach him until he felt a gentle nibble on his leg. “Ryosuke!” he blurted and laughed as he turned to his brother. “Don't bite me, I'm trying to write!”

     Ryosuke didn't stop though, his little wolf tongue touching Yuto's leg as if to get him to put down his pencil and come play with him. He whimpered again, a little louder this time, his red glowing eyes lighting up.

     Yuto turned to Yuya; he couldn't stop laughing. “Dad, Ryosuke is biting me! He probably wants me to go play with him.”

     Yuya smiled and gently patted Ryosuke's head. “Ryosuke, I know you want someone to play with you, but right now we're learning how to write. Maybe you could wait a bit? Then we'll play.”

     Ryosuke stopped for a moment and watched curiously as Yuya explained to Yuto how to hold the pencil properly. But his patience didn't last long, so he moved over to Yuri, who was trying to write his first word. Ryosuke's little wolf snout touched Yuri's little legs and licked it gently as if to tell him that writing wasn't as important as playing. Yuri stopped, raised his head, and looked at his little brother with a slight smile, but then turned his attention back to the paper.

     Keito, who was sitting at the other end of the table, was intently trying to write his name, but his hand was still a little unsteady. Seeing that neither Yuri nor Yuto were going to put their pencils down right now, Ryosuke walked towards Keito, hoping to convince him to go play. But before he could do anything, Keito just shook his head gently and continued to write.

     A little disappointed, Ryosuke moved over to Yuto again and this time gently ran his paw over his leg as if to say that the game was much more fun than writing letters. Yuto laughed again and reached out to pat his little brother's head. “Ryosuke, wait, I have to write my name first!”

     But Yuya, who was concentrating on their kids' studies, couldn't help but smile. “Ryosuke, once we finish writing, we can all play, I promise.”

     Finally, Ryosuke whimpered in resignation and pressed himself against Yuto's legs as if to say, “Okay, I'll wait, but not for too long!” His little wolf head remained resting against Yuto's leg as he watched his little brothers continue their attempts to learn something new.

     Yuya leaned over the table and smiled encouragingly at the three of them. “Alright, boys, you're doing great. Once we're done, we'll go outside and we can all play together. Surely Ryosuke wanted nothing more than to remind you that playing is important too.”

     And so the wolf cubs continued to try to concentrate on their exercises, even though each of them knew that little Ryosuke was already planning how he would talk them into playing together after they finished their learning lesson.

     Yuto suddenly looked up from his exercise sheet and looked at Yuya. His big eyes were full of questions, as always. “Dad, when will Ryosuke finally be able to transform into a human?” he asked with an innocent curiosity typical of his age. “We can do it already, so why can't he?”

     Yuya paused for a moment at his son's question. The question Yuto asked was one that neither he nor any of the others had an answer to. Ryosuke was supposed to start his transformation at the same time as his brothers, but it had already been two months and he was still in the form of a small wolf. Every day they hoped that something would change, but so far without any progress.

     Yuya looked at Ryosuke who was still curled up at Yuto's feet, his little wolf body resting peacefully. The scars Ryosuke had sustained during his encounter with the vampires were still visible as a permanent reminder of that horrific night. There were deep scars on his muzzle that reached all the way to his ears, and even when the wounds healed, they left scars that wouldn't go away. His back was covered in thick fur that hid more scars, and thin lines were still visible on his belly where the skin met the teeth and claws of his attackers.

     Yuya sighed and smiled softly at Yuto, who also had a body covered in many scars from the same encounter, including part of his missing ear. “I don't know, Yuto,” he admitted honestly. He had no reason or desire to hide anything from their cubs. “None of us know why Ryosuke hasn't transformed yet. We all expected it to come at the same time as you, but… for some reason, it hasn't happened yet.”

     Yuto frowned and looked at Ryosuke again. “But why?” he asked again, very concerned. “Is something wrong with Ryosuke? Is he in pain?”

     Yuya shook his head, trying to calm Yuto's growing worry. “No, Yuto, there's nothing wrong with him,” he said quickly. “Ryosuke is fine. It's just... sometimes things turn out differently than we expect them to. It's not his fault, nor anyone else's. It's just… something that happens when the time is right.”

     Yuto looked back at his little brother. “But what if… what if he never transforms?” he whispered, his voice full of childlike worry. “What if he stays a wolf forever?”

     Yuya felt his heart tighten. It was a fear shared by all, but no one admitted it out loud. The thought of Ryosuke never transforming was terrifying, but at the same time, they knew there was nothing they could do about it. It was beyond their control.

     “We have to believe that it will happen,” Yuya said gently as he leaned closer to Yuto to reassure him with a pat on the head. “Ryosuke is a strong boy. He'll handle it when he's ready.”

     Yuto looked at his dad Yuya, then at Ryosuke, and finally nodded, though his face remained thoughtful. “Okay,” he finally said, though there was still a trace of uncertainty in his voice. “I'm already looking forward to his transformation! And when he does, I'll teach him everything I already know. So that he can write and read like us.”

     Yuya smiled and stroked Yuto's hair. “That's right, Yuto. Ryosuke will need a lot of love and patience. And you can help him by being his big brother who will support him in everything he needs.”

     Ryosuke, though still untransformed, raised his head as he sensed that he was being talked about. His eyes met Yuto's and he whimpered as if he wanted to join the conversation even though he couldn't understand exactly what was being said. Yuto smiled and reached out to pat his little brother's head.

     “Don't worry, Ryosuke,” Yuto said with a childlike sincerity that had a soothing power to it. “One day you will transform too. And then we will play and learn together.”

     Ryosuke whimpered again and rested his head on Yuto's hand. Yuya watched the two brothers feeling that this moment was important to them. Even though they didn't have all the answers, he knew that their love and support was what Ryosuke needed most right now.

     Meanwhile, Kei and Daiki were just returning from a nearby village where they had been shopping. Shopping wasn't a common thing for the pack - they were werewolves after all, and they could get most of the things they needed by themselves, but some things, like food, medicine, or various necessities for the wolf cubs, they sometimes had to buy from people.

     “So, what do you think our rascals are doing?” Daiki asked curiously as they approached the house. “I bet Yuto is jumping or hanging upside down somewhere while the others shake their heads over him and Ryosuke runs around.”

     Kei smiled, imagining the exact scene Daiki was talking about. “Yeah, Yuto is unstoppable. I hope Yuya was able to keep their attention on their studies for a while at least,” he replied with a smile, but he knew that this would be more of an exceptional situation.

     When they peeked in through the window, they were immediately taken aback by what they saw. Yuya was sitting at the table and three small human bodies – Yuto, Yuri, and Keito – were writing in concentration. Each of the children held a pencil and worked on the exercise sheets. It was so quiet and peaceful inside that Kei and Daiki stood in amazement for a moment.

     “Well, this is shocking,” Daiki whispered with a small smile as he watched Yuto intently trying to write his name with his tongue sticking out while Yuri and Keito carefully battled with their pencils. “They're sitting by the table. All of them.”

     “I can't believe it!” Kei laughed and shook his head.

     But before they could stealthily sneak into the house through the door, a little black wolf rushed towards them out of nowhere. When he smelled the familiar smell of Kei and Daiki, he immediately excitedly ran towards them. His little paws bounced off the floor quickly until he stopped right at their feet, wagging his tail and barking excitedly to greet them.

     “Hey, little one!” Kei laughed as he bent down to scratch Ryosuke behind the ears. “You haven't really caught on to learning yet, have you?”

     Ryosuke whimpered as if in agreement and then snuggled closer to Kei. His little body was full of excitement at the return of his pack members.

     Daiki knelt down next to Kei and gently stroked Ryosuke's back. “Looks like Yuya somehow managed to keep the rest at the table,” he commented with a smile. “But you obviously had more important things to do, didn't you?”

     Yuya, who couldn't help but notice them after Ryosuke's sprint, raised his head and smiled at them. “Ah, you're back!” he said quietly, so as not to disturb the others' concentration.

     “I'm going to leave for a while and a miracle will happen right here,” Kei laughed as he straightened up again before turning back to the table where his little Keito and Yuri were sitting. “How's it going, guys? Are you doing well?”

     Keito, who was naturally quiet, just nodded and showed his dad his attempt at writing his name. The letters were small and a bit flimsy, but Keito was obviously proud of them.

     “Oh wow! These look great, Keito!” Kei complimented him as he looked at the paper. “You'll be writing like a pro in no time!”

     Yuri, who was sitting next to Keito, also looked up and proudly showed Daiki what he had written. “You're so good at this!” Daiki said with a warm smile.

     Ryosuke, who had been standing at their feet the entire time, was now wagging his tail even more and barking several times to draw attention to himself.

     Kei bent down again and patted Ryosuke's head gently. “We haven't forgotten about you, little one. You're a big helper today, aren't you? You were the first to welcome us.”

     Yuya looked at Ryosuke and then at Kei and Daiki. “He's been a bit too playful today,” he said softly, but his voice was full of hidden concern. “But he still hasn't transformed.”

     Daiki and Kei exchanged glances. It was something that weighed on all of them, but they knew there wasn't much they could do about it anyway. “Ryosuke will choose his time,” said Kei. “Whatever time it is, we'll be there for him when it happens.”

     Ryosuke whimpered and stood on his back paws to lean on Kei's knee as if he felt he was being talked about. Kei patted his back gently and looked at Yuya with an encouraging smile. “Don't worry, he can handle it.”

     Yuya nodded, though his mind was not as calm as it might seem at first glance. It was hard to watch the other wolf cubs develop and mature while Ryosuke remained in the form of a small wolf. But even so, he felt that the pack had done all they could and that all they could do now was to be patient.

     The rest of the pack settled around the table while Ryosuke snuggled up to Keito and Yuri again. He felt that his place was right there, among them. Even though he was still a small wolf, his presence was important to everyone.

     After a long and successful morning of learning, the pack decided it was time to head outside and take a break. The sun slowly climbed the sky, and its rays fell on the garden, which became a place full of laughter and games. The fresh forest air wafted around the fence, giving the wolves a sense of freedom and peace, even though they were still in the safety of their home.

     Yuto, who was full of energy, was the first to run out into the garden and started jumping around, his eyes full of joy and anticipation. “Let's play hide and seek!” he shouted excitedly as he tried to think of the best place to hide.

     “Hide-and-seek?” Yuri repeated though he wasn't too excited about the idea of this game. “But Ryosuke will find us all in no time.”

     Keito scratched his head. “At least he'll practice searching, right?” he suggested as he saw Ryosuke excitedly running around, his little wolf paws bouncing off the soft grass. Yuri shrugged.

     Daiki, who had just walked out behind them, smiled as he saw the children planning their game. “I think Ryosuke will make a great seeker,” he remarked, looking at the little wolf who was wagging his tail as if he understood exactly what was being said. “And I'll help you with that too, what do you say?” he sat on the ground and Ryosuke immediately jumped into his arms.

     “Yeah!” Yuto shouted excitedly and immediately started running around the garden looking for the best place to hide. His laughter carried through the air as he found a bush that seemed like an ideal hiding place.

     Meanwhile, Yuri and Keito were looking around for their own hiding spots. Yuri decided to hide in a tree that grew near the house while Keito found a place behind a large rock where he could curl up and remain invisible.

     Ryosuke, still remaining in his wolf form, was intently focused on watching Daiki as the werewolf made sure the little wolf didn't cheat. His eyes were filled with energy as he realized that he would be the one who would have to find everyone. He whined in pleasure, his body tensing with excitement.

     “Alright, Ryosuke,” Daiki said with a smile as he saw the wolf getting ready. “Now you have to really concentrate and find everyone who hid. Although I don't think Yuto will be hiding for long,” he added with a smirk as Yuto usually had trouble staying still for even a few seconds.

     Ryosuke whimpered and immediately began to circle the garden, his nose close to the ground as he searched for scents that would lead him to the others. His small body moved quickly and with ease as he jumped over clumps of grass and bushes. The first person he found was of course Yuto, who ran out of his hiding place laughing before Ryosuke could reach him. “Oh no, you got me!” he exclaimed as he saw Ryosuke running towards him.

     The black ball wagged its tail, Yuto laughed and circled Ryosuke as if to make him play another game of chase.

     “You still have to find the others,” Daiki reminded with a smile as he saw Ryosuke trying to gently bite Yuto on his shoes.

     After that, Ryosuke immediately refocused on his task. His little nose probed the air and ground, looking for Yuri and Keito's scents. As he approached the tree where Yuri was hiding, he let out a soft whimper and began to sniff around. Staying hidden on a large branch about two meters above the ground, Yuri tried to be as quiet as possible, but Ryosuke's sensitive nose eventually led him right to him as he raised his head to see his smallest sibling.

     “You found me!” Yuri smiled as he looked at Ryosuke who was barking in joy at his success and scraping his claws against the bark of the tree until Yuri jumped up and stroked him behind the ears.

     “Great job, Ryosuke,” Daiki complimented him from a distance as he watched Ryosuke continue his search. “Now all that's left is Keito.”

     Keito, who was hidden behind a large rock, was still trying to be as invisible as possible. But Ryosuke, full of enthusiasm from his previous achievements, did not give up. His little snout was approaching where Keito was hiding and his red eyes shinning when he finally found the last little brother.

     Keito came out of his hiding place and looked at Ryosuke with a smile. “Oh yeah, you're the best,” he said quietly, but with pride that his little brother was able to navigate around so well.

     Ryosuke squealed with joy and began to run around Keito, his tail spinning in circles as he was elated at his success. “Great job, Ryosuke,” Daiki complimented as he joined the children. It was time for another game.

     This time, the adult wolf had something special up his sleeve for Ryosuke. He got up and headed for the house, from where he came out after a while with a small collar on which jingled bells. It was something that Ryosuke had always loved – the sound the bells made absolutely fascinated him.

     “Ryosuke, look what I have for you!” Daiki called as he walked back to the children. His smile was filled with joy as he saw Ryosuke's eyes instantly light up at the sight of the collar. The little wolf whined with excitement and ran to Daiki, wagging his tail so fast that his whole body was shaking with joy.

     Daiki bent down to Ryosuke and gently placed the collar around Ryosuke's neck. “You like the sound, don't you?” he whispered with a smile. The bells jingled softly as the collar touched Ryosuke's fur. Ryosuke immediately started shaking his head back and forth to hear the sound of the bells. His eyes were shining with joy and the way he was wagging his tail was evidence of his excitement.

     “Now we'll attach your scarf,” Daiki continued as he attached the small scarf to the collar. The scarf fluttered loosely as Ryosuke tried to turn to catch a glimpse of it. “Now, Ryosuke, your task is simple. You have to run as fast as you can while the others try to catch you and take this scarf from you.”

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito were immediately ready for a new game. “This is going to be fun!” Yuto shouted, jumping on the spot, his eyes full of competitive spirit. “I'll definitely catch him first!”

     “Not so fast, Yuto,” Daiki laughed as he saw Yuto jumping around. “Remember, Ryosuke is fast and you have to be smart to catch him,” he tapped his temple.

     Yuto nodded, though it was clear that he already saw himself as the winner. Meanwhile, Keito and Yuri concentrated on thinking of the best strategies to get Ryosuke. But Ryosuke didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as he was given permission, he immediately ran across the garden, the bells on his collar tinkling loudly and merrily as if they too were a considerable part of his joy in movement.

     “Run, Ryosuke!” Daiki called as he saw the little wolf taking off. “Don't get caught by those little rascals!”

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito immediately ran after him, each trying to find the best way to catch up to Ryosuke. Ryosuke was fast, his little paws bouncing off the ground with ease as if he was flying over the grass. The sound of the bells jingling with his every move motivated him to run even faster.

     Yuto tried to outrun the others, but Ryosuke was always one step ahead. His every move was filled with the joy of being chased and his enthusiasm was contagious. Yuri and Keito watched him more cautiously, looking for moments to get close and take his scarf.

     Ryosuke deftly meandered through the bushes and trees, stopping occasionally to make sure the others were still following him and to rest before running again. The bells on his collar kept jingling.

     “There he is!” Yuto called as he approached Ryosuke with his hands out to try to grab the scarf. But Ryosuke was too fast, zigzagged, and took off again in a different direction, his bells tinkling happily.

     Meanwhile, Yuri and Keito tried to surround Ryosuke, each from a different side, but the little wolf was too smart to be caught so easily.

     After a few more rounds of chasing, Ryosuke finally stopped in place, too tired to run away from them any further. As soon as he saw his brothers approaching him, he allowed them to surround him.

     Yuto reached him first and with a smile grabbed the scarf hanging from Ryosuke's collar. “I got him!” he shouted triumphantly, but then stopped and patted Ryosuke's head. “You're really fast, Ryosuke.”

     Yuri and Keito joined in, each gently stroking Ryosuke, admiring his speed and agility. Tired but happy, Ryosuke laid back on the grass, his bells still tinkling softly with every movement.

     “You were great,” Daiki complimented as he came over and sat down on the grass with them. “Those jingle bells suit you, little one.”

     Ryosuke whined and his small tongue touched Daiki's hand as if thanking him for the compliment. He was tired, but also completely satisfied.

     The little wolf was lying on his back, his little paws spread out to the sides and his belly exposed to the world. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the attention his brothers and Daiki were giving him. He could feel them scratching his stomach and behind his ears, and each caress made him feel safe. The bells on his collar tinkled gently with each movement, their sound soothing to him.

     Yuto laughed as he saw Ryosuke's little tail flicking back and forth as if to say that this was exactly what he needed. “Look how he likes it!” he exclaimed as he gently ran his hand over his soft belly. “He's our little sweetheart.”

     Yuri and Keito joined him, both laughing and trying to find the best place to scratch Ryosuke. “Here, here!” Yuri yelled as he found the spot just behind the ear where Ryosuke wiggled the most and let out a gleeful whimper. “This is his favorite spot.”

     Keito, who was calmer, concentrated on gently stroking Ryosuke's paws, his fingers gentle and careful. Ryosuke fidgeted as he enjoyed this moment with those he loved.

     Daiki, who watched the whole scene with a smile, decided it was time to reward Ryosuke for his great performance during the game. He turned to pull out something special from his pocket – a piece of dried meat that Ryosuke absolutely adored. It was something he had been saving for special occasions and now he felt the time was right.

     “Ryosuke, I think you deserve something special today,” Daiki said gently as he approached the lying wolf. Ryosuke opened his eyes and immediately smelled the meat, his snout lifted and he whined in excitement and jumped to his feet.

     Daiki smiled and handed Ryosuke a piece of dried meat. “There you go, boy,” he said lovingly. “This is for your hard work and for being such a good boy.”

     Ryosuke's small mouth immediately grabbed the meat he was holding with his paws and began to bite contentedly. You could tell he was enjoying it, his eyes shining with joy as he gently chewed each piece.

     “Look at him,” Yuri said quietly, not wanting to disturb this peaceful moment. “He's so cute and happy.”

     “I love it when he's happy,” Keito added, his voice just as soft. The sight of a satisfied Ryosuke warmed all of their hearts.

     Yuto, who couldn't wait for them to play again, moved closer to Ryosuke with a smile. “You like it, don't you?” he asked with a smile, running a hand down his back as Ryosuke continued to bite his snack.

     Daiki sat next to them, watching Ryosuke enjoy his treat. “He's our little hero,” Daiki said with a smile, patting Ryosuke's head. “And we're proud to have him.”

     Ryosuke, who was already finishing his treat, looked up at his pack. Even though he was still tiny, he felt quite clearly that their love and support were the most important thing he had. When he was done, he happily snuggled up to his brothers, his little wolf paws pressed against them, and he closed his eyes and cooed contentedly.

     It was a moment they all remembered - a moment of peace, joy, and deep love that united them all as a family. And while questions about Ryosuke's transformation still hung in the air, now was not the time to worry. Now was the time for joy and mutual support, and that was what brought them true happiness.

     The black wolf lay there between his brothers, the bells on his collar still jingling gently, and he knew that even though he couldn't transform into human form yet, he was still a loved and full member of the pack. And that meant everything to him.

     Along with the evening came the time for the wolf pack's evening duties. Kei made sure all the kids had their chores and tonight it was Ryosuke's turn to bathe. It was a task that the boys took seriously, but at the same time, they looked forward to it immensely, knowing that bathing Ryosuke was always fun.

     “Alright, guys,” Kei began with a smile as he handed them towels and lavender-scented shampoo. “Your job tonight is to give Ryosuke a proper bath. And that means he has to be clean and fragrant, so no slacking off, do we understand?”

     Yuto immediately nodded, his eyes widening with excitement. “Yeah! We'll make sure he's the cleanest he can be!” he declared confidently, immediately imagining how he'd caress a bathed Ryosuke and make him smell nice.

     “But we have to make sure he doesn't splash water everywhere,” added Yuri, who was already planning how to avoid a total water disaster.

     Keito nodded with a slight smile. “It's going to be fun,” he said quietly, but his eyes showed that he was also looking forward to it.

     Kei watched them all with a smile before leading them to the bathroom where he had already filled the tub with warm water. The water was prepared to be pleasant to Ryosuke's sensitive skin. His old wounds had long since healed, but he still needed a bit more care than a normal baby werewolf.

     Ryosuke, who was wagging his tail and following his brothers, squealed with joy when he saw the tub full of water. He always liked baths – the water was nice and warm, and most importantly, it was another opportunity for him to play.

     “Alright, bro,” Yuto started as he approached the tub and took the little wolf in his arms. “Now we'll give you a nice bath and you'll smell like the most beautiful flower in the world!”

     Ryosuke whined in agreement and wagged his tail happily as Yuto carefully placed him in the water. As soon as his paws touched the surface, he immediately began to wiggle happily, splashing water all around as his little wolf snout dipped into the water.

     Standing at the tub from the other side, Yuri started to smile as he saw the water splash out and splash the floor. “The water, guys!” he warned, even though he already knew that it would be almost impossible to avoid being wet.

     Meanwhile, Keito grabbed a towel and tried to catch the splashing water, but Ryosuke was too fast. “We need to calm him down a bit,” he said, though he couldn't help but laugh himself. Ryosuke's enthusiasm was contagious.

     “I'll wash his head,” Yuto stated firmly, picking up a bottle of shampoo. He gently applied some shampoo to Ryosuke's head and began massaging it, his fingers gently sliding into the wolf's fur. Ryosuke squealed in delight as the shampoo bubbled under his brother's hands

     “Look at his face!” Yuto exclaimed as he struggled to keep his balance on the wet floor. The water that Ryosuke splashed around him had long ago turned the bathroom into a small pond, but the boys laughed and continued to bathe their sibling.

     “But we need to wash him properly,” Keito reminded as he moved closer to Ryosuke and began to gently massage his belly and back. “Don't forget his paws and tail.”

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke tried to escape from his water games and jumped on the spot several times, causing another wave of splashes. Water spilled all over the floor and Yuri tried to mop it up quickly, but it seemed like fighting windmills.

     “Help!” Yuri laughed as the water reached his feet and he was drenched. “We've got a little water tornado here!”

     “We can do it, Yuri!” Yuto laughed as he tried to keep Ryosuke's head above water so he could finish shampooing. “We can handle it!”

     After a while, when Ryosuke's fur was thoroughly washed and lathered, the boys began to carefully rinse him. Ryosuke still continued his splashing and playing, but he was visibly more tired. Once the water in the bathroom had finally stopped splashing all around, the boys got down to the final wash of his paws and tail.

     “Good job, guys,” Kei complimented them as he came over to check on them. Although the bathroom looked like it was after a flood, all three boys were laughing and full of joy. Ryosuke, who was now standing in the tub shaking the water off himself, was clean and smelled of lavender.

     “We need to dry him off now,” Keito said as he picked up a towel and began to gently dry Ryosuke's fur. Yuto and Yuri helped him, each tending to a different part of his body, while Ryosuke snuggled up against the towel and let himself be pampered.

     “Looks like he's enjoying it,” Yuri said quietly as he saw Ryosuke happily burrowing into the towel.

     “That's our clean and fragrant wolf,” Yuto smiled as he carried Ryosuke from the tub to the floor. “We did a good job.”

     “Yeah,” Keito nodded with a smile as he saw Ryosuke settle down contentedly on the towel and let himself dry off. “He's ready for bed now, and so are we.”

     Ryosuke, who was already tired from the whole evening's bathing, let the boys wrap him in a soft towel. Then the three werewolves were ready to carry him to their shared room so he could fall asleep together with them.

     However, on their way to the stairs, they noticed something strange. Through the hallway window, they saw someone sitting outside on the porch. It was almost dark, and the evening air was cool outside, but they still saw a familiar silhouette.

     “It's Hikaru,” Yuri whispered as he looked closer to make sure he wasn't mistaken. “We haven't seen him all day.”

     “What is he doing there alone?” Keito wondered. “He doesn't look like he's in a good mood.”

     Yuto, who was in charge of holding Ryosuke, looked at his brothers and nodded. “Let's go after him,” he suggested in a low voice.

     They slowly opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. The cold air immediately blew over them, but they were all determined to join Hikaru. As they got closer, they saw him sitting on a wooden bench, a tobacco pipe smoldering slowly in his hands, and he seemed to be deep in thought. His eyes were fixed into the distance as if he was watching something that only he could see. Tiredness was visible on his face, but at the same time, there was a kind of calmness that always spread to the other members of the pack in his presence.

     Ryosuke, who was wrapped in a towel and carried by Yuto, immediately wagged his tail and squealed with joy when he saw his dad.

     Hikaru, who had remained lost in his thoughts until then, turned around when he heard approaching footsteps and soft whimpers. As soon as he saw the children and his wolf, his face immediately brightened. “Hey, guys,” he greeted them quietly but with a smile. “What are you up to?”

     “We saw you from the window,” Yuri replied, his voice soft as if he didn't want to disturb Hikaru's peace.

     “And we couldn't leave you here alone,” Keito added as he joined Yuri.

     Meanwhile, Yuto approached with Ryosuke still wagging his tail, his eyes shining with joy to see his daddy. “Look, Hikaru, we bathed Ryosuke,” Yuto said proudly. “Now he smells so nice!”

     Hikaru smiled and let wrapped Ryosuke into his arms and gave him a big hug as the little black wolf licked his cheek happily. He then reached out to stroke Ryosuke's head. “I see you did a great job,” he said with love in his voice. “You smell beautiful, Ryosuke.”

     Ryosuke barked in response, snuggling even closer to the towel and his father. It was clear that he was happy to be with his dad, whom he had missed all along. Hikaru's heart filled with joy and relief to see all the little werewolves, even though only one of them remained in wolf form.

     “I was busy today,” Hikaru explained, though his voice remained vague as if he didn't want to go into detail. It was clear that he didn't want to burden the boys with what was keeping him busy today. “But I'm glad to see you all.”

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito immediately sat around Hikaru, their eyes fixed on him with the admiration and respect they all felt for him. Even when they were small, they understood that Hikaru was their Alpha, their leader, and that his presence meant safety for them.

     “You're amazing,” he said softly as he looked at the three boys and Ryosuke who was now resting contentedly in his arms. “I couldn't be prouder of the way you took care of Ryosuke.”

     “Are you tired, Hikaru?” Yuri asked cautiously as he looked at Hikaru's face. He could tell he had had a long day.

     “A little bit,” Hikaru admitted, but his trademark fang grin remained on his face. “I feel a lot better now that you're here.”

     Always calm and receptive, Keito leaned closer and gently touched Hikaru's hand. “You can rest, we'll take care of Ryosuke,” he offered softly. “You know we'll always take care of him.”

     Hikaru's eyes glinted softly as he realized how much his pack had grown and how strong their bond was. “I know you do,” he replied with pride in his voice, ruffling little Keito's black hair. “Ryosuke must be very happy with you.”

     Hikaru leaned more comfortably against the back of the bench, his hand gently caressing Ryosuke, who was snuggled against his chest, completely wrapped in a towel. The tobacco pipe in his other hand smoldered slowly, a faint wisp of smoke rising into the cool evening air, mingling with the scent of the forest wafting from all sides.

     “So, what have you guys been up to today?” Hikaru asked softly, his voice full of interest and love as he looked at the three little werewolves who had settled down next to him on the porch.

     Yuto, who was always the fastest and chattiest of the three, immediately began to tell him. “We learned how to write in the morning!” he began excitedly as he remembered all the events of the day. “My dad was teaching us how to write our names and I wrote mine the fastest! And Ryosuke was nibbling on us in the meantime.”

     Hikaru smiled and gently stroked Ryosuke's head. “That sounds great, Yuto. What about the others? How did you do?”

     Yuri smiled at Hikaru and replied in a low voice, “I've been trying to write too, but I still have a lot of practice to do. But Yuya said I was doing well.”

     “I enjoyed it too,” added Keito, who was always calmer and more careful. “I learned to write my name correctly, although I had to concentrate a lot.”

     Hikaru nodded, his eyes shining with pride as he listened to his pack learn and grow. “You all did a great job,” he said sincerely. “I'm proud of you. Keep going like that.”

     “And then,” Yuto continued, clearly in the mood for a story, “we played with Ryosuke! He was wearing a collar with bells and we had to catch him and take his scarf. But he's freaking fast! We almost couldn't catch him!”

     Ryosuke whimpered as if he heard he was being talked about and snuggled even closer to Hikaru, his little paw gently touching his hand as if he wanted to feel his warmth.

     “Looks like you had a lot of fun,” Hikaru said with a smile as he looked at Ryosuke who now looked extremely pleased and yawned. “Ryosuke is a speedster, I know that. You also have to be lucky enough to catch him.”

     “Yeah!” Yuto agreed, leaning a little closer to Hikaru. “But we finally caught him when he got tired. And then we bathed him! That was fun, even though everyone was wet. He just likes to splash the water around.”

     “There was water everywhere!” Yuri added as he remembered how the bathroom turned into a small flood. “But we made it in the end.”

     “And now he smells like lavender!” Keito finished with a smile, proud of the result of their efforts today.

     Hikaru laughed, pleased with how his pack was able to work together and take care of little Ryosuke. “I really like how you all worked together,” he said as he looked at Ryosuke, whose fur really smelled like lavender now. “And Ryosuke is definitely the most sweet-smelling wolf in the world right now.”

     Ryosuke whined in satisfaction as if to confirm Hikaru's words. Hikaru was enjoying this peaceful moment as he watched his little wolves take care of each other.

     “What are you planning to do now?” Hikaru asked as the pipe in his hand was slowly dying and he was about to put it away. “Do you have anything else planned for the evening?”

     Yuto thought, then laughed. “Well, we wanted to go to our room and talk before bed,” he said looking at his brothers who nodded in agreement. “But now we're glad to be here with you.”

     “Can we stay here a little longer?” Yuri asked, his voice still quiet and full of respect.

     Hikaru smiled and nodded. “Of course,” he replied with a gentleness in his voice. “We can stay here a little longer and talk.”

     And so they all sat there, huddled together on the porch as the evening sky began to turn to the dark tones of night. Hikaru's hand was still gently caressing Ryosuke who was resting contentedly in his arms as the boys continued to tell him about everything they had experienced during the day.

     Hikaru felt calm and fulfilled, surrounded by those he loved the most. And although he had had a long and hard day, now that he was with his youngest in the pack, he felt that he was in the right place - exactly where he belonged.

     As the night gradually deepened and the cool evening air became even sharper, Hikaru finally decided it was time to send the boys to bed. Ryosuke had long since fallen asleep, wrapped in his towel, his breathing calm and regular. Hikaru gently stroked his little head, gave him a kiss, and then looked at the other little werewolves.

     “It's getting late, boys,” he said quietly, his voice filled with the gentle authority that came naturally to the pack Alpha. “You should go to bed so you can be fresh and learn something new tomorrow.”

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito looked at Hikaru and even though they didn't want to leave, they knew that Hikaru was right. “Okay,” nodded Yuto, who always tried to be the group's spokesperson. “We're going to sleep. Good night.”

     “Goodnight,” Yuri and Keito added quietly as they stood up and carefully picked up the sleeping Ryosuke who was still wrapped in a towel. Yuri carefully took him in his arms to carry him to their room. Ryosuke only stirred slightly in his sleep but continued to nap.

     Hikaru watched them walk back into the house, his eyes smiling softly even as an uneasiness remained inside him. Once the door closed, Hikaru leaned back into the bench and just silently watched the sky for a moment. His mind was filled with thoughts that never let him rest.

     A few minutes later, the door quietly opened again and Kei stepped onto the porch. He knew exactly what was going on in Hikaru's mind. So, he sat down next to him on the bench, took his own tobacco pipe out of his pocket, and lit it with a silent movement.

     They sat next to each other in silence for a while, only the sound of a smoldering pipe disturbing the peace of the night. Kei knew that Hikaru needed a moment of peace before starting a conversation that they had had so many times in the past, but neither of them had ever come to a satisfactory conclusion.

     Finally, Kei broke the silence. “You were there again, huh?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer before he even asked. “You watched the castle.”

     Hikaru slowly exhaled the smoke from his pipe and nodded. “Yeah,” he replied quietly, his eyes still fixed on the sky. “I have to find him, Kei. I know he's in there somewhere. I can feel it.”

     Kei sighed deeply, his heart filled with worry for Hikaru who had spent days and nights watching the vampire castle, trying to find a way to get in, to free Kota, their friend. “Hikaru, it's been months,” Kei said, but his words reflected a reality Hikaru didn't want to hear. “Every day the chance that Kota is still alive decreases. And you know it.”

     Hikaru's face remained calm, but his eyes clouded over. “I don't want to admit it,” he replied with a slight tremor in his voice. “Kota is strong. He wouldn't just give up. And I can't leave him out there somewhere... alone. I can't.”

     “I get it,” Kei nodded, his voice full of empathy but also sadness. “But think about what's happening now. You spend whole days and nights watching that castle. You barely rest, you barely eat. The pack needs you, Hikaru. Your son needs you. And if you keep going like this, eventually you won't make it and you'll end badly.”

     Hikaru looked at Kei. “And what if this is the only chance to save him?” he whispered. “What if he's waiting for me to find him?”

     “And what if he's not there anymore?” Kei replied, his voice remaining soft but firm. “What if… you never find him again? Hikaru, we can't live forever in the past with a hope that is slowly fading away. You need to focus on what you have now. The pack, Ryosuke, the boys. They need you. And I... I need you too. It's not easy when you're just not here for days and nights. We can manage without you, but we miss you here.”

     Hikaru lowered his head, letting out a long breath. He knew Kei was right, but the thought still hurt him. The thought that he should stop looking for Kota, that he should stop hoping that he was still alive, was unbearable for him. “I can't give up, Kei,” he whispered, his voice almost broken. “Not until I know what happened to him. What did they do to him, where did he end up…”

     Kei nodded, his heart sinking at the sight of Hikaru's suffering. “I know, Hikaru. But please, don't forget those who need you here and now. Don't forget us.”

     “I'll never forget you,” he whispered, but his mind was still torn between what was right and what his heart told him to do.

     Kei gently placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder. “We're here for you,” he said quietly. “Whatever you feel, you can share it with us.”

     Hikaru took a slow breath and nodded, even though he knew he wouldn't be able to resolve this fight within himself for a long time. But now, at this moment, with Kei's reassurance, he at least felt some peace. “Thanks, Kei,” he finally whispered. “For being here. And for helping me remember what's important.”

     “I'll always be here,” Kei replied softly, his heart full of family love and loyalty. “Always, Hikaru.”

     Hikaru smiled, sighed deeply, and stared at the smoldering pipe. Thoughts were constantly swirling in his head, not leaving him alone. He was also still haunted by one persistent question.

     “Kei?” he began slowly, his voice quiet as if he was hesitant to even say his question out loud. “I would like to ask you something. What do you think is going on with Ryosuke? Why hasn't he transformed yet? It's been going on for months now. Could you tell me if there is anything we might be overlooking?”

     Kei looked at Hikaru with a slight frown. “Hikaru, I… I don't know,” he admitted honestly, his voice soft but also sounding concerned. “Ryosuke went through something that would break even a full-grown werewolf. It was tight. He fought for his life. Those wounds from the vampires... took a lot of life energy from him. Maybe it slowed down his development. He needs time for his body to recover and for him to find the way to his transformation.”

     Hikaru frowned and looked down. “Do you think it's only a matter of time then?” he asked softly, his voice full of uncertainty he'd never shown before.

     Kei paused for a moment, considering his next words. “I think it is possible. But…” he hesitated, his thoughts turning to something he'd been holding inside for a long time. “There's another option I've been considering. What if Ryosuke… what if he's not like the others?”

     Hikaru raised his head and looked at Kei, confusion and disapproval in his eyes. “What do you mean?”

     Kei sighed and placed his pipe on the bench beside him. “I mean, what if Ryosuke… isn't a werewolf?” His words were quiet as if he himself wasn't sure if he even wanted to share this assumption with Ryosuke's dad. “What if he's just an ordinary wolf? Maybe the original pack found him somewhere out there, his real mother lost him, and they took him in with the other pups. What if he was never meant to be a werewolf?”

     Hikaru's body tensed and his eyes narrowed as he looked at Kei in disbelief. “That can't be true, Kei,” he retorted more sharply than he intended. “I can feel him being a werewolf. He may not have transformed yet, but that doesn't mean he's not one of us.”

     “Hikaru, just think about it,” Kei continued gently, trying to calm him down. “His red eyes, that black fur… this isn't a normal coloring for a werewolf. I've never seen a werewolf that looked like him.”

     Hikaru's expression hardened even more. “It's strange, yes. But he's a werewolf. He may be different, but that doesn't mean he doesn't belong in the pack. I can feel it, Kei. I feel he is like us. And you, with your sensitive nose, can smell it too.”

     “You're right, I smell a werewolf on him, but I also smell something else that I can't identify. There's something else about him that's strange, something that we've been missing for a long time now,” Kei sighed and gently placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder, trying to find a balance between concern and support. “I know you love him like your own son, Hikaru. No matter what he is, you'll always be his dad. But you have to be prepared for the possibility that he could be something else. Something we don't even know about yet.”

     Hikaru took a deep breath, his mind torn between what his heart was telling him and what Kei was trying to explain to him. “I… I don't know, Kei,” he finally admitted. “But I can't accept that Ryosuke isn't a werewolf. He just must be. I feel it in every part of my body. And even if… even if he wasn't like us, I'll still protect him as my son. I will never leave him.”

     Kei looked at him with understanding and compassion. “We agree on that, Hikaru. No matter what happens, Ryosuke is and always will be ours. And we will protect him, whatever he turns out to be.”

     Hikaru smiled slightly, though his heart remained heavy. “Thank you, Kei. That's what I needed to hear.”

     And so they sat there, side by side, while the forest around them began to live its nocturnal life. Hikaru knew there were many unanswered questions ahead of him, but with Kei's reassurance, he felt that at least he wouldn't be alone.

     Whatever Ryosuke really was, the love they felt for him was real and unconditional. And that was all that mattered at the moment.

Chapter Text

     Yuto was sitting on the soft couch in the living room with Ryosuke still in his wolf form playing in front of him. His small, black fur glistened in the dim light of the room, and his red eyes shone with excitement as he wrestled with Yuto for a piece of cloth they had found somewhere in the house. It was one of their favorite games - Ryosuke would hold the cloth in his teeth and Yuto would try to pull it out.

     “I'm sure I'll win today!” Yuto called cheerfully, tugging gently on the fabric. Ryosuke whimpered, his little paws brushing against the couch. He wagged his tail as if to say, “Just try!”

     Although they were playing and laughing together, Yuto felt sad. Looking at Ryosuke who was still only a wolf, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wished his little brother would finally transform into a human. It had been months since he, Yuri, and Keito first transformed into their human forms, but Ryosuke remained a wolf. And although Yuto didn't admit it out loud, it pained him to see Ryosuke being left behind.

     “Ryosuke?” Yuto began softly as his hands gently loosened their grip on the fabric. Ryosuke looked at him with his big, red eyes, still full of energy and enthusiasm for the game. “Why haven't you transformed yet?” Yuto asked, his voice full of childlike concern. “I know you're trying, but… I wish you were like me so we could play and talk more than we do now.”

     Ryosuke whimpered and let go of the cloth, his little nose moving closer to Yuto's hand and licking it gently. It was his way of saying that he understood how Yuto felt, even if he didn't know why he hadn't transformed yet.

     Yuto smiled but his eyes remained a bit sad. “You know, Ryosuke, I like you a lot,” he continued as his hand gently stroked Ryosuke's head. “Whether you are one or another. But sometimes, I wish you were like us. So that you can run, talk, and play just like me, Yuri, and Keito.”

     Ryosuke whimpered again and snuggled closer to Yuto as if to comfort him. His paws rested gently on Yuto's body and his little tongue touched Yuto's hand again as if to tell him that everything was okay, that he was here for him.

     Yuto took a deep breath and tried to suppress the sadness that was building up in his chest. “Maybe one day it will happen,” he said quietly, as if he were giving himself hope. “Maybe one day you'll be like us. But even if you stay like this, I'll still love you, Ryosuke. We'll still be brothers.”

     Ryosuke's response was a soft whimper and then he snuggled even closer to Yuto, his little fur warm and soft to the touch. Yuto smiled, caressing behind his ears and taking the cloth back into his hand. “So what? Do you want to keep playing?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.

     Ryosuke immediately stood up and let out a squeal of joy, meaning he was ready to continue playing. Yuto laughed; his laugh full of childlike joy that overshadowed his sadness at least for a moment. Yuto silently promised himself that he would do everything to make Ryosuke feel loved and happy, no matter what his current form was.

     Yuto smiled excitedly as he saw Ryosuke happily wagging his tail. Without hesitation, he grabbed him under his belly and lifted him into the air. Ryosuke whined, his little paws dangling in the air, his eyes shining with joy. It was as if he was flying – and that was something he enjoyed immensely.

     “Look how high you are, Ryosuke!” Yuto laughed as he gently bobbed Ryosuke in the air. “You're like a bird! Like that big eagle we saw yesterday!”

     Ryosuke squirmed gently, enjoying the feeling of lightness and freedom Yuto gave him. His tail waggled so fast it resembled a small propeller, and his muzzle lit up with joy. Yuto continued laughing and playfully rocked Ryosuke back and forth, mimicking the sounds of the wind as if Ryosuke was actually flying.

     “And now we're landing!” Yuto announced cheerfully as he gently placed Ryosuke back on the couch. Ryosuke immediately recovered and began running around the couch as if imitating the flight he had just experienced. Yuto watched him happily, then sat down next to him, his eyes lighting up with a new idea.

     “You know what, Ryosuke?” Yuto started with excitement in his voice, already planning something big. “After you transform, we can play even more! And I have a great plan for what we could do.”

     Ryosuke looked at him expectantly, his little ears perking up as if he knew exactly that Yuto had something great in mind. Yuto leaned closer and whispered his plan as if it were the biggest secret in the world.

     “Once you transform,” Yuto continued conspiratorially, “then we could go on a secret mission into the town! You know, I've never been there before. But I've heard Dad talk about it and I'd like to check it out. How about that?"

     Ryosuke whined happily, even though he might not have fully understood everything Yuto was saying. Yuto smiled and continued, “We'll go there together, me, you, Yuri, and Keito. Secretly so the dads don't know about it. It will be our secret mission! What are you saying?”

     Ryosuke snuggled up to Yuto, his little paws resting on his knee as if to indicate that he was ready for whatever expedition Yuto came up with. “It's going to be great! But we will have to be careful and hide so that no one sees us. And when we get back, the dads won't even know we were in town!”

     Yuto excitedly imagined how they would run together through the streets of the town, discovering new things and experiencing the adventures that the world beyond their home had to offer. And although the planned trip was full of childhood fantasy, for Yuto it was a thought that brought him joy and a sense of excitement.

     “This will be the best mission suitable for werewolves,” Yuto concluded his plan. “But you must transform first, Ryosuke. And then we will be invincible!”

     Ryosuke whimpered again, his snout gently touching Yuto's hand. The bigger wolf smiled and patted his head gently again. “I'm glad to have you, Ryosuke,” he said quietly. “It wouldn't be the same without you.”

     Even though little Yuto didn't know when Ryosuke would transform, he believed that day would come, and when it did, they would explore the world together even more than ever before. Until then, he will be his little brother, his buddy, and his best friend, whether in wolf form or any other form.

     Yuto smiled as he looked at his excited little brother. “So, what do you say, Ryosuke? Do you want to play some more?” he asked with hope in his voice. He was full of energy and saw Ryosuke's eyes light up when he heard the offer for another game.

     Ryosuke immediately whimpered and started wagging his tail, his joy evident. It was clear he was eager to continue, and Yuto couldn't help but smile widely. “Alright, let's play!” he exclaimed excitedly.

     With that said, Yuto decided to transform into his wolf form. His body changed quickly and smoothly, and thick fur covered his skin and hid his scars. Within seconds, standing in front of Ryosuke was a wolf that was only slightly bigger than him, but just as excited and ready to play.

     As soon as Ryosuke saw Yuto in his wolf form, his joy multiplied. His wagging tail began to move even more, and he began to circle around Yuto. He couldn't wait for them to begin. Yuto whined and made the first move as if to challenge Ryosuke to a chase.

     Full of enthusiasm, Ryosuke immediately accepted the challenge. He jumped up and started chasing Yuto around the room. Yuto was fast, but Ryosuke didn't let himself be embarrassed. They ran around the house together, circling furniture, jumping over carpets, and weaving between tables and chairs.

     Yuto stopped every now and then to let Ryosuke catch up with him and when he was close the two began to playfully fight each other. They pawed at each other, nibbling gently at the fur and rolling on the ground. It was their favorite game, full of joy and friendly competition.

     Ryosuke was relentless, his little wolf paws moving quickly as he tried to grab Yuto and drag him to the ground. Yuto, in turn, fought back, but often deliberately let Ryosuke win to cheer him up and see his joy. When Ryosuke got close enough to Yuto, he knocked him onto his back and started biting his ear gently, something he did every time he felt he had won.

     Yuto whimpered as if he was giving up and then quickly got back to his feet and the two continued their chase. They raced from room to room, their barking filling the house of the wolf pack.

     “Catch me, Ryosuke!” Yuto called over his shoulder as he quickly ran across the kitchen and into the living room. Ryosuke followed him and despite being smaller, he didn't give up and tried to catch up with Yuto.

     When he finally caught up to him, the two collided again and began rolling playfully on the ground. Their bodies were full of joy and energy, and neither of them noticed anything else.

     Ryosuke's puppy barks mixed with Yuto's excited whines as they continued their game. It was as if time had stopped and they were just two young wolves enjoying each other's presence.

     Finally, when they were both tired, Yuto stopped and collapsed onto the ground, his breathing fast and heavy but his eyes shining with joy. “You're so fast, Ryosuke!” he gasped, needing to rest for a moment.

     Ryosuke snuggled up to him, his body resting tiredly next to Yuto's, his little snout nuzzling against Yuto's fur on his neck. “I love you, Ryosuke,” Yuto whispered as he snuggled closer to his little brother. “Whether you're wolf or human, we'll always be together.”

     Ryosuke whimpered, his eyes closing in exhaustion but his paw remaining gently on Yuto's. So, the two wolves lay next to each other, tired but happy to have each other. It was their special bond that nothing in the world could break.

     After a short rest, Ryosuke and Yuto started the chase again. Although their bodies were tired, the energy and joy of the game kept them going. Ryosuke wagged his tail as if telling Yuto to get ready, and then the two set off again, this time straight to the kitchen.

     In the kitchen, Kei was busy preparing dinner. A pot was bubbling on the stove while he busied himself with cutting meat on the cutting board. His mind was full of thoughts on how to make food not only tasty but also nutritious for the whole pack. But before he could finish anything, he felt something small and furry pass by his feet.

     “What the-?” Kei turned quickly to see Ryosuke and Yuto running around the kitchen. Ryosuke just slipped between his legs as Yuto tried to catch him, also reaching past Kei. Kei tried to keep his balance as the two wolves nimbly weaved around his legs, but it wasn't easy.

     “Hey, you two!” Kei laughed as he tried to move out of the way. “Watch out or I'll trample you!”

     However, Ryosuke and Yuto did not make much of Kei's warning. They were completely engrossed in their game, sliding under the table, zigzagging around the chairs, and constantly returning to his legs where they continued to tug and bite each other. Kei had to stop repeatedly to avoid stepping on any of them and almost dropped the knife several times when they suddenly forced him to trip.

     “This is the kitchen, not the playground!” Kei tried to admonish the wolves, but there was a chuckle in his voice that revealed that he found their joyful energy more endearing than annoying. Although he tried to remain serious, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Ryosuke and Yuto relentlessly chasing and playing.

     “Okay, okay,” Kei finally sighed as he saw that their chase was definitely not going to stop. “I think I have something for you to calm you down for a while.” He turned back to the table where a closed jar of small pieces of dried meat was placed. Kei knew the wolves loved them, so he offered them a few of them as a reward for their play.

     “Look what I have here,” he called, holding the pieces of meat up high for the wolves to see. Both Ryosuke and Yuto immediately alerted. Their eyes widened and their tails wagged as if they knew something really good was in store for them.

     “If you stop running under my feet, you'll get these treats,” Kei said with a smile as he watched the wolves stop and stare at the meat in his hand. Ryosuke whined to show that he was ready to do anything just to get the treat.

     “Okay, here you go,” Kei said as he tossed them the first pieces of meat. Ryosuke and Yuto immediately threw themselves on the floor and began enthusiastically munching on their crunchy rewards. Their bodies calmed down a bit as they focused on the food, and Kei was relieved to get back to making dinner.

     “See how easy it is to calm a little wolf?” Kei said with amusement as he watched the two wolves happily munching on their meat. Ryosuke kept on flicking his tail several times to show how happy he was. Yuto felt the same way, holding the bigger pieces with his paws.

     “Now be good boys and let me cook,” Kei smiled as he plunged back into work, this time knowing that he would at least have peace in the kitchen for a while.

     Ryosuke and Yuto sat down on the floor next to the kitchen table after eating their crunchy rewards. Their eyes fixed hopefully on Kei who continued to prepare dinner. They were full of energy, but they would also like to have another bite. They began to whimper softly and wag their tails as if to indicate that they would like a few more pieces of meat.

     “Please, Kei!” Yuto whined with his still very funny wolf voice, his eyes the clear definition of puppy dog eyes. Ryosuke joined him, also whimpering softly as they both begged for another piece of the delicious treat.

     Kei turned away from the stove and looked at the two wolves who were now watching with such enthusiasm and hope that he almost couldn't help but smile. “Come on, you two,” he said with a slight smile but remained adamant. “You have already received your reward. You have to wait for dinner. You can't eat everything at once.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto whined again, their puppy eyes full of pleading, but Kei just shook his head. “No,” he said firmly, yet gently. “Just wait a bit. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

     At that moment, the door opened and Yuya walked in, visibly tired after a long day. His clothes were slightly muddy and his face showed signs of fatigue. “Done,” he mumbled as he walked into the kitchen. “I cut up today's catch in the cellar. I caught a doe. It will be a good supply for a few days.”

     Kei smiled at him and nodded. “That's great, Yuya! That will last us several dinners,” he replied gratefully. “But you look exhausted. You should go rest.”

     Yuya just gave a weary nod and without another word moved to the couch in the living room where he sat down heavily before stretching out on his back. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, feeling his entire body relax after a hard day.

     Kei looked at the wolves still sitting at his feet and then gave them a conspiratorial smile. “How about you go to Yuya and torment him a bit?” he suggested with a soft smile. “I don't think he'd mind a little cuddle with you.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto immediately alerted as soon as they heard Kei's suggestion. Their eyes lit up and their tails wagged with renewed enthusiasm. They both rose to their feet and went towards the living room where Yuya was lying on the couch.

     When they reached him, Yuya opened his eyes and raised his head to look at them. Despite his tiredness, a soft smile appeared on his face when he saw Ryosuke and Yuto excitedly running towards him. “Hey, you two,” he whispered tiredly, but with love in his voice. “How are you doing?”

     Ryosuke whimpered and hopped onto the couch, his little snout gently touching Yuya's hand to welcome him. Yuto followed and snuggled up to Yuya's side, his small body stretched out next to him.

     Yuya took a deep breath and sighed again, but this time it was more of a sense of calmness and satisfaction than tiredness. “Sorry, guys,” he said softly as he gently stroked their heads. “I don't have much energy to play today. But if you want, we can relax together.”

     Ryosuke snuggled closer to Yuya, his little fur rubbing gently against Yuya's hand. Yuto closed his eyes and quietly rolled his head on Yuya's side as if he was looking for the best place to snuggle up to his daddy. It was obvious that even though they wanted to play, they were aware of Yuya's tiredness and preferred to just lie quietly next to him.

     Yuya smiled and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth and closeness of the two wolves. He regretted not having the energy to actively play with them, but their presence filled him with a sense of peace. “I love you, guys,” he whispered as he caressed them gently. “Thank you for being here with me.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto whined in satisfaction to show in return that they were happy to be with their pack member. And while Ryosuke and Yuto snuggled contentedly with Yuya on the couch, suddenly, the door to the living room opened, and in walked Yuri and Keito, both in their human forms. They looked fresh and full of energy as if they had just had some outdoor adventure. However, once Keito saw Ryosuke and Yuto cuddling with Yuya, his eyes lit up and a big smile appeared on his face.

     “Look, Yuri!” Keito exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the group on the couch. “A cuddle pile!”

     Yuri stopped and tilted his head to the side as he saw everyone quietly enjoying each other's company on the couch. His eyes glinted softly, but he stood still as if hesitating on what to do next.

     However, Keito did not hesitate. Without further thought, he decided to transform into his wolf form to join the group. His body quickly changed, fur covering his body, and within seconds, a small wolf with gray fur appeared in front of Yuri and Yuya. Keito, now in wolf form, squealed with joy and quickly jumped onto the couch to snuggle up to his brothers.

     Yuya looked at the newly arrived wolf with a slight smile and gently ran his hand over his fur. “Welcome, Keito,” he said softly, his voice full of love and warmth. “I'm glad you joined us.”

     Keito snuggled up to Yuya and Ryosuke contentedly, his little nose gently touching Yuto's fur. His little body was filled with joy and contentment from being with his family.

     Ryosuke, Yuto, and Keito were now all snuggled up to Yuya as they pressed together, their bodies forming one warm and loving ball. Keito then turned his head and looked at Yuri who was still watching them with mixed feelings.

     Keito barked at him to join them. However, Yuri hesitated for a moment, his human form remained motionless. “I don't know, Keito,” he said softly, as if he was afraid of what was to come. “When I transform, everything hurts. I don't want to transform now…”

     Keito whimpered sadly; his little snout snorted as if encouraging his little brother to join them after all. Yuri frowned, but when he saw how happy his brothers were and how they were all huddled together, he wanted to feel the same.

     Yuya looked at Yuri with understanding and a soft smile. “You don't have to transform if you don't want to, Yuri,” he said softly, but his voice was full of love. He remembered very well how much his whole body hurt after some transformations, so he definitely didn't want to force Yuri into anything. “But if you'd like, I still have room for one little wolf here.”

     Yuri took a deep breath, his eyes meeting Keito's again. Although he was a little afraid of the pain that transformation sometimes brought, he didn't want to be left out. He wanted to be a part of that family moment unfolding in front of him.

     “Okay,” he finally said firmly, though his voice was still a little shaky. He closed his eyes and focused on the transformation, his body began to change, fur spread over his body, and in a moment, a small wolf stood there with beautiful white fur.

     Keito immediately wagged his tail and squealed with joy as he saw that Yuri had transformed and was now joining them. Yuri looked at him and gently barked back as if to say that he had made it and now he wanted to snuggle too.

     Yuri then carefully climbed onto the couch and joined the others, his body pressed gently against Yuya's. You could tell he was a bit tired and that the transformation had cost him some strength, but as he snuggled up to his family, all the tiredness and pain faded into the background.

     Yuya smiled softly and stroked Yuri's head, his hand slowly running through the fur of each of the wolves that were now cuddling around him. “You are amazing,” he said softly, his voice full of love and gratitude. “Thank you for being here with me.”

     All the wolves whined in contentment and snuggled even closer to each other and Yuya as the door opened and Daiki entered the house, his face lit up with a smile after a long but pleasant day outside.

     As soon as he entered the living room, he immediately stopped when he saw the scene in front of him. Lying on the couch was Yuya, obviously tired, and a bunch of wolves around him – Ryosuke, Yuto, Keito, and Yuri, all snuggling up to him. Their little bodies formed one big, furry ball that moved gently as the wolves rested contentedly.

     Daiki started to laugh out loud when he saw how Yuya, who was always ready to take care of the entire pack, was now just lying on the couch surrounded by excited and cuddly wolf cubs. “What do we have here?” Daiki exclaimed as he approached the couch. “Looks like our hero has been completely overcome by love!”

     Yuya opened his eyes and looked tiredly at Daiki, but the smile on his face showed that he was also happy about the situation. “Oh, yeah,” he replied quietly, with a soft smile. “I had no chance of escaping them.”

     Kei, who was still standing in the kitchen stirring something on the stove, also smiled when he heard Daiki's laughter and saw Yuya literally being overwhelmed by puppies. “I tricked them into messing with him a bit, but they took it their own way.”

     Daiki nodded and continued to laugh as he gently caressed Yuri who looked up at him and whimpered. “I think Yuya deserves it,” he said with a smile. “He worked hard all day. And what better reward than to be surrounded by wolf love?”

     Yuya sighed, but his eyes were filled with mild amusement. “Yeah, but I can't even move now,” he said as he tried to move a little, but the wolves immediately pressed closer as if they were afraid he would get away. “Looks like I'll have to settle for staying here until morning,” he added with a light laugh.

     Kei turned to them, wooden spoon in hand. “I guess we won't be playing poker today,” he said with a sigh. “But dinner will be ready in a little while, so you might have to start talking your little friends out of their furry ball.”

     “I guess when it comes to food, no one needs to talk them out of it,” Daiki smiled, leaning slightly towards Yuto, who was fixing his big wolf eyes on him. “What do you think, Yuto?” he asked. “Will you at least let your dad go for a walk?”

     Yuto whimpered but remained tightly pressed against Yuya, his little snout pressing closer to Ryosuke's fur, taking a deep breath. Daiki laughed and patted Yuto's head. “Well, looks like we don't have a chance today,” he said with a smile. “Apparently no one wants to move from the cuddle pile.”

     “And I'm not surprised,” added Kei, who was now preparing a pot full of warm, fragrant soup. “After all, who would want to give up such comfort?”

     Yuya just smiled even though he was tired, his heart was full of love and gratitude for having such an amazing pack around him. “I sure don't,” he whispered softly as he gently caressed Ryosuke's black fur. “This is the best rest I could have asked for.”

     And so the whole house was filled with laughter and joy as Daiki and Kei watched Yuya and the little wolf pups form one big contented ball of love and warmth on the couch. It was a simple but beautiful moment that reminded you of how strong the love they all shared and how important it is to have a family around you who is there for you through the good times and the hard times.

Chapter Text

     Ryosuke was sleeping peacefully in his bed, curled up in a ball with Yuto. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, forming one big, warm, soft ball of fur. They were both tired after a long day of playing and cuddling, so they fell into a deep and restful sleep. Yuto was panting lightly, his little snout moving gently as he breathed, his paws tightly clasped against his body.

     However, a strange feeling began to wake Ryosuke from his sleep. Something was wrong. Even though he was still sleepy and his mind was still foggy, he began to feel restless. Something was happening, something he couldn't ignore. His small body moved restlessly as if to respond to the unknown sensation that was forcing him to stand up.

     He slowly got up from the bed, trying not to wake Yuto, who was still sleeping peacefully next to him. His snout gently touched Yuto's scarred ear as if to make sure his little brother was okay. Seeing that Yuto was still sleeping, Ryosuke carefully pulled away and slowly slipped out of the bed.

     His little paws touched the floor softly as he made his way towards the door. He barely made a sound as his wolf instincts awakened. Ryosuke carefully opened the door with a paw resting gently on it and stepped out into the hallway. His ears strained as he listened for sounds in the house, but all seemed calm. Still, the strange feeling remained, as if something was calling him.

     Ryosuke stopped in front of Hikaru's room door. Something was pulling him there, and he knew he had to find out what was going on. Carefully, almost silently, he opened the door a little and slipped inside. His nose went up when he smelled the familiar scent of Hikaru, but there was something else as well. Something that made him stop and prick up his ears again.

     When he entered the room, he saw Hikaru sitting on the ground under the window. His body was leaning against the wall, and in the dim moonlight that filtered through the window, he could see his shoulders shaking. Ryosuke frowned, his little snout moving as he surveyed the situation. Hikaru cried. Tears slowly rolled down his face, his eyes were closed and his face was contorted with sadness.

     Ryosuke couldn't understand what was happening. He had never seen Hikaru so broken before. Hikaru was always strong; he was always the one who protected and supported everyone. But now he was alone and crying, and that filled Ryosuke with confusion and worry.

     He slowly and silently approached Hikaru. Ryosuke crouched next to him, his little snout gently touching Hikaru's hand. When he felt the coolness of his skin, he whimpered softly as if asking what was going on and how he could help.

     Hikaru lifted his head and looked down, his tear-filled eyes meeting the red ones Ryosuke was staring at him with. There was so much innocence and love in them that it broke Hikaru's heart even more. But he smiled gently, though his smile was full of pain.

     “Oh, Ryosuke,” he whispered, his voice weak and broken. “What are you doing here, little one? Shouldn't you be sleeping?”

     Ryosuke continued to stare at him, his snout gently touching Hikaru's hand again to reassure him that he was there for him and that he wasn't going anywhere until he was okay. He then gently snuggled into Hikaru's side and rested his head on his leg, whimpering softly as if to say, “I'm here, Daddy. You are not alone.”

     Hikaru felt more tears run down his face as he felt Ryosuke's small, warm fur against his side. His heart mixed with pain and gratitude for having such an amazing pack around him, yet he was haunted by memories and feelings that dragged him down.

     “You shouldn't see me like this,” Hikaru whispered as he gently stroked Ryosuke's head. “I'm your dad, I'm supposed to be strong. But now... now I don't know what to do next.”

     Ryosuke stared at him silently, his eyes full of understanding and love even though he couldn't understand all the words. However, his presence brought Hikaru comfort, if only a small one. Hikaru sighed deeply and pulled Ryosuke closer, his hands digging gently into his soft fur.

     “Thank you for being here, Ryosuke,” Hikaru finally whispered, his voice full of gratitude. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

     Sensing the deep sadness radiating from Hikaru, Ryosuke gently pressed himself closer and climbed into his arms. His small body easily squeezed into Hikaru's arms, as if he knew exactly where he belonged right now, next to his daddy, to help him through his pain. Hikaru automatically pulled him closer, his arms gently wrapping around Ryosuke and holding him close as if he found the only solid point in the entire universe in the little wolf.

     Ryosuke felt Hikaru's body tremble and began to gently lick his cheek. His little tongue touched the tears that were still running down Hikaru's face, as if he wanted to wipe them away as if he was trying to remove all the sadness he saw in his dad's eyes.

     Hikaru closed his eyes and let the tears flow freely as he felt Ryosuke gently lick him. He held him even closer, his face buried in the small wolf's soft fur. He just sat there for a moment, holding him in his arms, feeling his presence bring at least a little comfort to the vast emptiness that tormented him.

     Finally, Hikaru raised his head and looked down at Ryosuke. His eyes were still full of tears, but his voice was a little calmer now, though he still sounded broken. “Ryosuke…” he whispered, his voice shaking slightly. “I miss Kota… so much…”

     Ryosuke raised his head and looked at Hikaru with big red eyes that were filled with deep love and willingness to help. He couldn't fully understand the words Hikaru was saying, but he could feel the pain radiating from them.

     “He was… he was my best friend,” Hikaru continued, his voice low and broken. “Not just my leader… but someone I admired, looked up to. And now… now he's gone. And I don't know what to do…”

     Ryosuke whimpered, his little snout touching Hikaru's cheek again as if trying to calm him down. Hikaru smiled softly, even though the sadness in his heart was still heavy. “I know you don't understand, little one,” he whispered. “But your presence… your love… helps me. You remind me why I have to be strong. For you, for the pack… for everyone.”

     Ryosuke snuggled even closer, his little body so warm and comforting. Hikaru closed his eyes and just held him, his hands moving gently over his fur as if he was trying to draw strength from the small creature that now lay in his arms.

     “I thought… I'd never cry again,” Hikaru said softly as he leaned his head against the wall and stared at the ceiling. “But now… now I feel so empty, so helpless. I try to be strong for all of you, but sometimes… sometimes it's so hard.”

     Ryosuke whimpered again as if to say that he understood, that he was here with him, and that he would never leave him. Hikaru looked at him and smiled, though his smile was filled with pain. “Thank you, Ryosuke,” he whispered. “Thank you for being here.”

     Ryosuke's response was a soft lick, his small eyes closing as he snuggled closer to his daddy. However, his little heart started beating faster than usual. He felt something strange inside him, something deep and strong. It was a desire that filled him to bursting - a desire to help Hikaru, to support him, to tell him that he loved him, that he was here for him. But at the same time, he felt frustrated that he couldn't put it into words that Hikaru could hear and understand.

     His mind was fixated on a single thought, “I want to help him… I have to help him.” The desire was so strong that his body began to respond to something deep inside him. Something was awakening within him, something that had previously been hidden beneath the surface of his wolf form.

     Ryosuke suddenly felt a jolt of heat go through his body. His heart began to beat even faster and his breathing quickened. Hikaru, who had Ryosuke tightly pressed against him, noticed immediately. He looked down at the little wolf and noticed that his body was beginning to shake gently. It was more than just the usual shaking that usually came from exhaustion or the cold. It was something Hikaru was very familiar with.

     “Ryosuke?” Hikaru whispered; his voice filled with uncertainty but also hope. He placed his hand on Ryosuke's head and felt his body getting warmer. The high temperature, which was unusual for a wolf, seemed to signal that something was up.

     Ryosuke squirmed in his arms, his little paws moving restlessly and his breathing becoming ragged. He felt like something was throbbing inside him, like something inside him wanted to change, like his body suddenly didn't know how to feel. It was terrifying and confusing to him, but at the same time, it carried with it a kind of natural feeling, as if it was something that should have happened a long time ago.

     Hikaru's heart also started beating faster as he realized what was happening. “You're…” he whispered to himself. “Ryosuke… you're transforming.”

     Ryosuke whimpered, his body undulating again in Hikaru's arms. He felt like his skin was too tight, like something was pushing him from the inside out. Pain began to slowly spread through his body, starting in his joints and spreading into his muscles, as if his body was being forced into something it wasn't quite ready for.

     “It's okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered, though his voice was filled with worry now. “I'm here, I'm with you. Don't be afraid.”

     Ryosuke's eyes closed for a moment as if trying to focus on what was happening to him. His body began to twist slightly as if he was trying to find a position that would relieve the growing pain. He felt his muscles tense as if they were being forced into a new form, something that was both foreign and familiar.

     Hikaru felt Ryosuke's fur begin to change slightly, softening, and his small body started shaking and breathing faster. “That's it, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered softly. “Let it go. Don't fight it. It's okay.”

     Ryosuke whimpered again, louder this time, the pain getting more intense. His body was hot as if something untamed was boiling inside him. Hikaru tried to calm him down, but at the same time, he knew that Ryosuke had to go through this process alone. “Daddy is here, Ryosuke. I'm here, I'm with you,” Hikaru repeated, his hands gently caressing Ryosuke's head and body as if trying to ease the pain the little wolf was feeling.

     Ryosuke's body suddenly tensed and his small paws clenched. His heart was racing and at that moment he felt like his body was going to explode from the inside out. Heat spread from his core to every limb, his muscles tensing and his bones crunching under the pressure of something stronger, something that was forcing him to change.

     Hikaru felt Ryosuke's body begin to lengthen and change in his arms. His paws began to grow, his fur began to thin, and his skin slowly changed. It was like watching a miracle. A miracle that Hikaru had always believed would come, but now that it was happening, he couldn't believe it.

     “Ryosuke, you can do it,” he whispered, his eyes filled with emotion as he watched his little wolf transform for the first time. “I'm here with you, boy.”

     Ryosuke began to change even faster, his body stretching, muscles changing, his bones cracking and shifting as if his entire body was reshaping into a new form. The pain was intense, but Ryosuke felt it was something he had to go through in order to become what he was meant to be.

     Hikaru felt Ryosuke's small body grow larger and his features begin to change. His little paw was slowly turning into a hand, his body lengthening and becoming more human. It was incredible to watch the process and yet Hikaru stayed with him, holding him tight and giving him a sense of safety and support.

     “I'm so proud of you, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered as he watched his little son slowly change. “I'm so proud.”

     Ryosuke gave one last shake, his body tensing once more before suddenly relaxing. His body temperature slowly dropped, his breathing slowed and the pain began to subside. He was exhausted, but he felt something had changed, something that gave him a new sense of strength and identity.

     Hikaru felt Ryosuke's new body relax in his arms. His features were human now, but there was still a hint of his wolf nature. It was the perfect combination of both worlds, and Hikaru knew his son had undergone an incredible transformation. “You did it,” Hikaru whispered with relief and pride in his voice. “I'm so proud of you, Ryosuke.”

     Hikaru watched carefully as Ryosuke's transformation was slowly completed. His body, which had been small and wolf-like just a moment ago, had now transformed into a human form. Ryosuke now had human arms, legs, and body, but it was clear that he retained much of his wolf nature. Hikaru looked at his face, which was still soft and youthful, but now covered in the scars left from the horrific attack by the vampires.

     Ryosuke had short, thick black hair that framed his face. His eyes, which had previously been distinctly red, remained unchanged – still glowing with that intense color that was so unique and special. And even though they were closed now and Ryosuke was exhausted, Hikaru knew that when they opened, they would be the same eyes that had always looked at him with love and incredible strength in his gaze.

     Hikaru couldn't help but notice that Ryosuke's body was left with many scars that were the result of his valiant fight to survive. Most obvious were those on his face - deep, prominent scars that cut across his lips, nose, and forehead. These scars were a testament to what Ryosuke had been through, the pain and suffering he had experienced. But despite everything, when Hikaru looked at his son, he felt nothing but deep fatherly love and pride.

     He was small, maybe as small as Yuri, but Hikaru knew that his strength was not in size. Ryosuke was brave and strong, both physically and mentally, and Hikaru could see it in every part of his transformed body.

     Now that the transformation was complete, Ryosuke lay in Hikaru's arms, exhausted, oblivious to what was happening. His body was relaxed but still shaking slightly from what he had just been through. Hikaru looked at him with infinite tenderness and love before lifting him carefully into his arms.

     “You really did it, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered softly as he wrapped him in a soft blanket to protect him from the cold. “You're amazing.”

     He then carefully carried him over to the bed. His movements were gentle as if he was afraid of hurting his son somehow. He laid Ryosuke on the bed and carefully covered him with more blankets to keep him warm and comfortable. Ryosuke still didn't react, his breathing was regular, but Hikaru knew his body needed rest after such a demanding transformation.

     Hikaru sat on the bed and gently caressed Ryosuke's forehead, running his fingers through his short black hair. “I'm here, Ryosuke,” he whispered. “And I will never leave you. I will always be here.”

     He felt his eyes fill with tears again, but this time they were tears of relief and love. “You're so brave…” he continued quietly. “No matter what happens, you will always be my son. My little wolf.”

     Ryosuke shifted gently in his sleep; he felt that his father was with him. Hikaru smiled and kissed his forehead softly before laying down next to him to watch over him.

     Hikaru knew that this was just the beginning of a new stage in Ryosuke's life, but he was ready to stand by him and help him through whatever was to come. And in that moment, as he watched his son sleep peacefully, he knew that everything was going to be okay. Ryosuke was strong and brave and loved and that was the most important thing.

Chapter Text

     Hikaru quietly returned to his room after having to leave for a moment. The whole house was still immersed in the silence of morning sleep, and when he walked back to Ryosuke's bed, he realized that his little son was already awake. Ryosuke was sitting on the bed, his eyes were wide open but filled with confusion and pain. It was obvious that he had no idea what had happened to him, why everything had changed, and why his body was hurting so much.

     When Ryosuke first saw Hikaru enter the room, his heart clenched in fear. Hikaru's face, although it seemed kind and full of love, was suddenly foreign, unfamiliar to him. Ryosuke felt a chill run through his body and instinctively ducked under the covers, his eyes widening with fear and uncertainty. Who was the person coming to him?

     “Hello, little one,” Hikaru immediately noticed the change in Ryosuke's demeanor. He saw his son suddenly freeze, confusion and fear appearing in his eyes. It pained him to see Ryosuke so scared, especially knowing that he needed a lot of rest right now. But he also knew he had to act fast to let his son know he was safe.

     Hikaru thought for a moment about how he could calm Ryosuke down. And then he remembered something that always pleased Ryosuke – his collar with bells. It was something that Ryosuke had loved since he was a wolf. The sound of the bells always brought him joy and comfort. Hikaru quickly turned and walked out of the room to find the collar.

     In a few moments, he came back into the room, the collar clutched tightly in his hand. As soon as he entered the room, Ryosuke's eyes immediately focused on the object that Hikaru was carrying. Hikaru jingled the bells softly, the sound echoing through the room and bringing with it a sense of calm and familiar security.

     Ryosuke recognized the sound immediately. His fear slowly began to subside as his mind began to focus on something familiar, something that brought him joy. His eyes settled on the bells in Hikaru's hand.

     Hikaru smiled softly and stepped closer to the bed. “Look what I brought you,” he whispered softly as he gently reached out to Ryosuke to show him the collar. “Do you remember? These are your jingle bells. You always loved them.”

     Ryosuke slowly reached out, his movements still cautious and uncertain. But as soon as his fingers touched the collar, the tinkling of the bells instantly calmed him. He pulled his collar closer, his hand gently gripping the bells, and as he jingled them again, his face brightened.

     Hikaru watched as Ryosuke's features gradually changed, as the fear faded from his face and something akin to calm appeared in its place. “That's it,” Hikaru said softly as he saw Ryosuke start to feel better. “You know those sounds, they're your favorite.”

     Ryosuke tinkled his bells; that simple sound brought back memories of when he was a wolf. And now, even though he was in human form, the same sound still pleased and soothed him. “You're safe, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered as he gently sat down next to him. “I'm here with you. Everything will be fine.”

     Now soothed by the familiar sound of the bells, Ryosuke leaned back against his pillow and smiled slowly. Even though he was still confused and unsure, he knew he was with someone he could trust.

     Hikaru sat closer and watched as Ryosuke continued to gently jingle the bells as if they were the most precious thing in the world. He was grateful for that small but important thing that helped his son find peace in the midst of the unknown.

     Ryosuke then shifted slightly, trying to figure out what was actually going on. His body was still very sensitive, and every movement caused him pain that could be seen on his face. Hikaru noticed and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know it hurts now,” Hikaru continued in a calm voice. “What happened to you was something very important. You've transformed, Ryosuke. That's why everything hurts now, your body has gone through a big change.”

     Ryosuke stared at him in confusion, his eyes filled with incomprehension. Hikaru realized that words might not be the best way to explain everything to him right now. He needed to be patient and gentle, he needed to show him what happened.

     He gently took Ryosuke's hands in his and began to raise them in front of his face so he could see his new human hands. “Look, Ryosuke,” he said softly as he guided him to examine his palms and fingers. “This is you. This is your new form.”

     Undistracted by the bells, Ryosuke took a good look at his hands, which were now so different from his previous wolf paws. His eyes narrowed as he tried to understand what that meant. He felt that something was different, but he didn't understand why his body had changed.

     Hikaru followed Ryosuke's every move, noting how his son explored his new body. It was like he had to get to know his own body all over again and learn how to feel comfortable in it. “It's okay,” Hikaru said softly, stroking the boy's hair. “It's normal to feel confused. But don't worry, I'm here with you.”

     Ryosuke looked at Hikaru, his eyes full of questions he couldn't put into words. He wanted to ask, he wanted to know what happened, but he was unable to speak. Hikaru understood and gave him an encouraging smile. “It's okay that you can't talk yet,” he said softly. “We can talk to each other in other ways, you and I. I can hear you even if you don't say a word.”

     The Alpha wolf bared his fangs amiably and stroked his son's disheveled hair. It wasn't unusual for everyone to feel downright miserable upon their first werewolf transformation, Ryosuke was no different. He was cold and his whole body felt like it weighed several tons, with the force of gravity constantly pushing him towards the floor. He felt weak, barely able to move his limbs unless it was to play with the bells. However, every other movement sent pain signals to his brain. He felt as if all his bones and muscles suddenly stretched so violently that they all snapped. Transforming from a wolf to a human for the first time hurts much more than from a human to a wolf.

     “It's nice to finally meet you, Ryosuke,” the proud father smiled at his little son, who transformed into his human form for the first time during the night, which Hikaru was really looking forward to. He was very curious about what his puppy would look like, even though it wasn't his by blood. “Your hair is as black as your fur,” he pointed out, smiling at his boy while making sure he wasn't feeling sick. “Do you know that black fur is very rare between us werewolves?”

     “Ra…?” the black-haired boy with several very prominent facial scars tried to repeat stutteringly. They ran all over his face, slicing his lips into multiple parts, and cutting through his nose and eyebrows. As the pack leader looked at them closely, he couldn't help but remember that horrible day when he saw Ryosuke covered in blood and unable to help him in any way. It was one of the memories that hurt him the most.

     “Exactly! Rare! Black wolves are very rare!” Hikaru successfully wiped the tears from his glistening eyes. He suddenly felt such joy that he could finally meet his son face to face. He could no longer see just the adorable snout and the ever-attention ears, but Ryosuke's whole appearance was cute. He looked like an ordinary six-year-old boy, but to Hikaru, he was so special.

     “And you have your red eyes too, I knew you'd be handsome!” Hikaru continued with his compliments, but then his hard shell cracked and he had to wipe away another two uncontrollable tears. This was such a touching moment for him that he could never have imagined it in his mind. “We, wolves with dark fur, are always the best!” he claimed, he couldn't help himself. His baby boy was so irresistible! And his battle-scarred face didn't change that at all.

     The black-haired boy was still clinging to the blanket, trying to analyze Hikaru's scent with his nose, but he wasn't doing too well. His nose was acting strange, he couldn't sniff as well as before, so he was confused. He knew Hikaru's face, he remembered it, but he couldn't find any memories in his aching head. He didn't remember anything, which wasn't unusual after his first transformation.

     “How are you feeling, Ryosuke?” The young werewolf first had to search even deeper in his brain to find at least some mixture of sounds that at least partially resembled what he was trying to convey.

     “Zzz...?” he mumbled softly, his tiny hands convulsingly clutching the edge of the blanket he was wrapped in.

     “Oh, are you cold? Hold on, I'll get some clothes for you, wait a minute,” Hikaru quickly understood that he should also dress his son, so he promptly jumped to his feet and was already opening the storage box, in which he had several pieces of clothing prepared specifically for Ryosuke. He didn't know exactly how small or how big he would be, but some clothes were better than none. Now the warm wolf fur no longer warms him, so it was necessary to replace it with something.

     Soon, he was returning with several pieces of clothing, which he placed in his lap. “I'll get you dressed, okay?” he tried to keep talking to his cub in a friendly and pleasant manner so that he wouldn't be afraid. “You stick your head in the t-shirt, and then your hands... Just like that,” he commented on each step, while Ryosuke barely blinked and was no longer wearing only a bright white t-shirt, but also a sweatshirt, sweatpants, and warm socks so that his body could heat itself by his own by heat. “Maybe the clothes are a little bigger than they should be, I'll get you more accurate sizes later,” Hikaru explained, but little Ryosuke couldn't understand such a complicated sentence. He just nodded his head slightly before letting his dad tousle his hair again.

     With each passing word and touch, he felt more comfortable and far more secure. He even instinctively pressed himself against Hikaru's chest as if he wanted to snuggle into his wolf fur. Hikaru also acted on his instincts and hugged the boy tightly, holding him close until Ryosuke whimpered in pain.

     “I'm so sorry, are you in pain? It hurts, right?” he understood immediately and loosened his grip, but never let Ryosuke out of his warm arms. “The first transformation is usually terrible, I also remember mine... Everything hurt, bones, muscles, joints... But it went away in a few days, and now the transformations don't hurt at all!” he tried to encourage his son and a warm smile never left his face. “You're going to rest for a while now, okay? No running around like usual! I know you like to run around and run wild, but now it's time to rest, okay?” he ruffled Ryosuke's hair.

     It was clear to Hikaru that the most important thing right now was for his son to feel safe and understand his new situation. And what could be better than starting with something that is essential to him - his name.

     “Ryosuke,” Hikaru began slowly and clearly as he leaned closer to his son. “That's your name. Try saying it, little one.”

     Ryosuke looked at him with incomprehension, but there was also a certain curiosity in his eyes. He had never had to speak before, everything he needed to express he did through his sounds – whimpering or barking. But now it was different. Hikaru knew it would be new and difficult for Ryosuke, but he also knew he was capable of handling it.

     “Look,” Hikaru continued patiently, pointing to himself and saying, “Hikaru.” Then he gently placed his hand on Ryosuke's chest and said again slowly, “Ryosuke.”

     Ryosuke blinked as if trying to understand what Hikaru wanted from him. He could feel the pressure on his throat as he tried to imitate the sound his dad made. His first attempt was uncertain, just a faint mumble that barely resembled a word.

     Hikaru gave him an encouraging smile. “That's it,” he said gently, “try again. Slowly. Ryosuke.”

     Ryosuke opened his mouth and this time focused on how Hikaru was moving his lips. He slowly tried to repeat what he heard. “Rrr…” he began, his voice weak and shaky, but Hikaru could tell he was trying. “R… yo… su… ke.”

     The words came out of his mouth shakily and unintelligibly, but that didn't matter. For Hikaru, any attempt was incredibly important. It was the first step his son took to embrace his new form.

     “That's it, Ryosuke!” Hikaru said excitedly as if he had heard the most beautiful words in the world. “Try again, slowly. Ryosuke.”

     Ryosuke took a deep breath, his breath still ragged, but now he felt a little more confident. He tried to say his name again, a little more firmly this time. “Ryo… suke,” he repeated, his voice sounding faint but clearer than before.

     Hikaru beamed. “Yeah, exactly,” he encouraged. “You are Ryosuke. Great job!”

     Ryosuke smiled weakly, though he was still slightly confused as to what it all meant. But he knew his daddy was proud of him, and that meant everything to him. He tried again; his eyes focused on Hikaru's mouth as he tried to mimic his movements. “Ryo… suke,” he repeated, this time with a little more confidence.

     “Yeah, that's it!” Hikaru patted his head gently, full of pride and love. “You're amazing, Ryosuke.”

     Suddenly, the door opened softly and little Yuri in his human form peeked in. His eyes were curious but also full of worry. He was used to seeing Ryosuke as a small wolf, and now that he knew something had changed, he wanted to check on his friend.

     “Hikaru?” Yuri whispered quietly so as not to disturb Ryosuke. “Is Ryosuke okay?”

     Hikaru smiled softly and nodded. “Hey, Yuri! Are you going to say hello to your brother? He's fine, just tired.”

     Yuri nodded but his eyes focused on Ryosuke who was lying in bed. He slowly approached, but as soon as he got closer, Ryosuke's red eyes looked at him and the former wolf froze for a moment. He saw a human figure in front of him, but something in his head told him it was a stranger, someone he didn't know.

     “It's okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru said calmly as he noticed the change in Ryosuke's expression. “This is Yuri, your little brother.”

     But Ryosuke still looked uncertain and didn't know who the person in front of him was. He felt a sense of shame wash over him and retreated back under the covers to hide.

     Yuri looked at Hikaru a little sadly. “He doesn't want to see me?” he whispered, his voice sad and confused.

     Hikaru smiled at the small boy and gently encouraged him. “He just doesn't remember you yet, Yuri,” he explained quietly.

     Yuri thought about how to proceed. “Hey, bro,” he greeted Ryosuke in his squeaky voice and slowly walked over to the bed where Ryosuke was lying wrapped under the covers and still shaking slightly. Yuri immediately recognized that his friend was not feeling well, he also remembered how much pain he himself was in when he first transformed into a human, so he sat on the edge of the bed and gently took Ryosuke's hand.

     They both looked at each other. Ryosuke barely remembered Yuri's face, but as soon as their hands touched, the red-eyed werewolf immediately knew that he knew this little person and that he was very familiar. In short, he was one hundred percent sure that he did not come to harm him, so he also gently squeezed his palm, even though every single movement hurt him.

     “It'll pass soon, you'll see,” Yuri told him with a shy smile before telling him his name as well, just in case. “I'm your little brother, Yuri, do you remember me?” he asked curiously. Nor did he expect to receive any reaction other than a barely perceptible shake of his buddy's head.

     Hikaru smiled as he watched them both. “You could try transforming into your wolf form, Yuri. Maybe that will help him to remember you.”

     Yuri thought for a moment, then nodded. He moved a little to the side where he had more space and concentrated on his transformation. Within seconds, his human body began to change, white fur hiding his skin and his features re-forming into the familiar form of a small, furry wolf that Ryosuke knew well.

     Yuri jumped up on the bed and slowly approached Ryosuke, whimpering softly to reassure him that he didn't need to be afraid of him. Ryosuke hesitated for a moment but then plucked up the courage to reach out to the wolf, and Yuri gently pressed his snout into his hand. It was like two old friends meeting again after a long time.

     “How about this? Do you recognize me?” he grinned foxily, and within a few seconds Ryosuke was no longer clutching his snout, but his paw. Yuri rested his nose on Ryosuke's chest.

     The black-haired boy couldn't help but recognize this form, so he smiled and stroked Yuri's wolf head with his other hand. He couldn't help but smile happily as he recognized his wolf brother who then playfully licked his cheek. “Yu... ri...” Ryosuke repeated his name and even Hikaru couldn't stop himself from smiling at how all the pain he'd felt up until now had just vanished from Ryosuke.

     “I'll be here with you until you're better, Ryosuke,” came from the little wolf, who wanted to cling to his sibling the same way as when they were drenched and clung to each other in the cave where the pack had discovered them. So, Yuri carefully crawled under Ryosuke's blanket and snuggled up to his left side so that only his head pressed against Ryosuke's shoulder was peeking out from under the blanket. They both felt this close touch comforting as their breathing slowed and Ryosuke's shaking slowly stopped. The little werewolf felt at home in Yuri's close presence.

     Both of them were still snuggled together when another small wolf suddenly burst into the room. It was Yuto who, upon seeing Ryosuke in his new form, literally exploded with joy. His puppy enthusiasm was incredible – jumping, wagging his tail, and making excited noises that carried throughout the room.

     “Ryosuke!” Yuto whined happily as he jumped onto the bed and immediately snuggled up to him. He was so excited that his best friend had finally transformed. “You've really transformed! I can't believe it!”

     Ryosuke gave a small smile and looked up as Yuto jumped at him. He was still a little confused and unsure of what had happened, but Yuto's enthusiasm was contagious. He smiled softly as he let his friend jump around.

     “I've been watching you all along!” Yuto continued quickly without pausing. “I didn't let you out of my sight for a moment! And now you're going to transform while I sleep?! That's so unfair!” Although Yuto spoke as if he was angry, his tail was wagging so fast that it was clear how happy he was.

     Ryosuke was smiling and Yuto immediately started licking his cheek as if to show that he forgave him. “You're human now!” Yuto exclaimed excitedly. “That's so amazing! But you should have woken me up! I wanted to be with you when it happens!”

     Still snuggling up to Ryosuke from the other side, Yuri pulled back a bit to give Yuto space and barked softly at his excited friend.

     At that moment, another little wolf appeared in the doorway – Keito. In his wolf form, he was quiet and calm, as if he wanted to make sure he didn't disturb the joyous moment. But when he saw Ryosuke being petted by Yuto, his eyes lit up and he immediately wanted to join the others.

     Keito slowly walked over to the bed and joined in the cuddling, gently licking Ryosuke's cheek to welcome him to his new form. Surrounded by his brothers, Ryosuke felt a strange peace and joy. Even though he was still tired and his body ached, he knew he wasn't alone.

     Yuto, unable to stop wagging his tail, snuggled up to Ryosuke again. “I can't wait to play with you now that you're human!” he breathed excitedly. “We can do so many new things!” Ryosuke nodded softly.

     Kei and Yuya stood silently in the doorway watching the scene unfold in the room. Their eyes filled with emotion and pride as they saw the entire pack reunited. Surrounded by his brothers, Ryosuke looked happy even though he was still confused and tired from the transformation. All the wolves gathered around him as if to make it clear that he was loved and protected.

     Kei smiled softly and leaned closer to Yuya to share the beautiful moment. “Look at them,” he whispered. “They are so precious. And Ryosuke… he actually did it in the end.”

     Yuya nodded, his eyes glistening with tears of emotion. “It's incredible to see everyone taking such beautiful care of each other,” he said quietly.

     They both stood in the doorway looking at the beautiful scene as if they didn't want to disturb the tender moment. They were so engrossed in watching the wolves that they didn't even notice that Daiki, who had just woken up, was approaching them.

     Hearing the noise and laughter from the room, Daiki ran as fast as he could to find out what was going on. When he reached where Kei and Yuya were standing, he couldn't hold back and thrust between them with such energy that he nearly knocked them both to the ground. Both Kei and Yuya gasped and had to grab onto the door frame to keep their balance.

     “What's going on?! What did I miss?!” Daiki exclaimed with immense enthusiasm, his eyes shining with curiosity and joy. However, when he saw Ryosuke sitting on the bed, surrounded by his brothers, his face lit up even more. “Ryosuke! You've transformed!”

     Ryosuke looked at Daiki, his eyes still slightly confused but also filled with joy at how his family was rejoicing with him. Daiki immediately ran into the room, his steps quick and energetic as he joined the other wolves by the bed.

     “This is just amazing! Oh my! Hello there!” Daiki exclaimed, his voice filled with enthusiasm as he leaned down to Ryosuke and gently caressed his hair. “I'm so glad you made it, and even more glad you're okay!”

     Kei and Yuya looked at each other and both smiled. Kei chuckled softly and shrugged as Yuya leaned back lightly against the door and watched as Daiki joined the celebration with great enthusiasm.

     “Ryosuke,” Daiki continued, his voice full of pride, “you're incredible! We are all so proud of you!” He then turned to Hikaru who was standing by the bed just smiling at the whole thing. “Hikaru, that's just amazing!”

     Hikaru nodded, his eyes full of pride and love. “It is,” he agreed quietly.

     Daiki leaned closer to Ryosuke and hugged him gently as if to express his love and support. “You should have told me this would happen!” he exclaimed with a smile. “I wanted to see you transform!”

     Ryosuke smiled slightly. If he could, he would definitely let him know. Daiki laughed at that and patted his head gently. “Never mind,” Daiki said with a smile. “The main thing is that you're okay. And that now we can all be together, as a pack.”

     Hikaru smiled softly at his loved ones who gathered around Ryosuke. It was a time when everything seemed right, when the world was in balance, thanks to the love that flowed between them all.

     But despite the joy that filled him, Hikaru felt a heavy emptiness in his heart. He sat quietly in his chair, his gaze slowly turning away from the merry gathering on the bed. As the others laughed and rejoiced, his thoughts wandered to someone who wasn't there, but whose presence was still very strong.

     Kota. Hikaru's best friend, his leader, and someone who meant more to him than he could ever express. Every moment, every decision he made now was influenced by the thought of what Kota would do if he was here. But he wasn't here. And that emptiness was now weighing on Hikaru's heart.

     “If only you could be here with us,” Hikaru thought as if speaking directly to Kota who was now far away from them. “This moment would be perfect if you were here with us. Ryosuke transformed… for the first time he was able to transform. But without you... it's not the same.”

     Tears welled up in his eyes, which he quickly wiped away with his sleeve so the others wouldn't see them. He was the leader of the pack now, and he had to be strong. However, the feeling of loneliness that surrounded him was acute. He wished he could turn around and see Kota smiling at him, patting him on the back encouragingly. He wished he could feel the support Kota always gave him when he was in doubt.

     “I wish you were here, Kota,” he said again in his mind. “I feel like I let you down… that we left you there. But we haven't forgotten about you. We will never forget.”

     Hikaru took a deep breath and slowly raised his head. He saw his brothers, his pack supporting and loving each other. And he knew that this was what Kota would want. Seeing his family stick together even when he himself isn't around.

     “I'll take care of them, Kota,” Hikaru promised quietly. “I will do everything I can to make your dream come true. Because that's my dream too.”

     With these thoughts, Hikaru smiled softly, even though the pain in his heart did not go away. He joined the others knowing his mission was clear. He has to be the one to hold the pack together and he will do that no matter what.

     And so, even though Kota was physically gone, his spirit and legacy still lived on in Hikaru's heart and the hearts of the entire pack.

Chapter Text

     “Alright, he's still snoring!” Yuto smirked, whispering the information about the sleeping werewolf in the living room to his brothers who were already waiting in the basement near the tunnel that would allow them to leave their home undetected.

     “Are you sure this is a good idea? Dad's going to be mad!” Keito worried about the reaction of his guardian who was enjoying his afternoon nap while he was supposed to be watching over the young wolves. He hadn't really planned on falling asleep, but he was so tired after the hunt that he just couldn't take it anymore and collapsed on the couch.

     “He'll be fine, he won't even notice we are gone!” Yuto rubbed his hands happily. He couldn't wait to see the town for the first time. The pack kept its puppies either in the house, in the garden, or in the nearby woods, where they learned to hunt together. They had never encountered other supernatural beings or humans before, so the four of them were excited to find out what it was really like outside of their property.

     “Ryosuke, your eyes,” the smallest of the boys reminded his brother, who was only a few centimeters taller, as he noticed that his eyes were still as red as fresh blood.

     “Oh, right! Wait!” Ryosuke realized that his eyes were not common among ordinary mortals. The old wolves said that humans never have red eyes and they know very well that such a distinctive color of the irises is typical for non-human beings. So, everyone would instantly know that he wasn't human when they saw this boy, and they might attack him in fear. At least that's how it was explained to all four cubs.

     “I don't like wearing them, they burn my eyes when I wear them for a long time,” he lamented as he carefully put on his lenses, which would make his eyes dark brown, so not suspicious to those around him.

     “Don't worry, we'll be back fast!” Yuto patted him on the shoulder and was already jumping towards the tunnel, which was covered by a wooden door and locked with a padlock. Of course, the little werewolves borrowed the keys from their caretaker, so they were able to unlock it without any problems.

     They then transformed into their wolf forms and set off towards the town to get there as quickly as possible. They were pretty sure that Kei would sleep through the rest of the day, but they didn't have much time to spare before the rest of their family returned home.

     The boys were blown away by how many living beings were suddenly moving around them. Until now, they were only used to their wolf pack and the surrounding animals, which they either watched from afar or hunted for dinner. It was tremendously new for them, they discovered a whole new world full of new sounds, words, smells, and other sensations. Even in their human forms, they could use their excellent sense of smell, and so the thousands of scents and smells literally overwhelmed their brains, not to mention all the differently dressed people who were rushing somewhere, talking to each other, or just sitting quietly on a bench and enjoying taking their time off.

     It was afternoon, so the local streets were relatively full. The pack still stuck together as if they were glued to each other, which is common with wolf families. They are used to it from hunting, where they must not get too far from each other, so as not to be in danger.

     “Wow! Is there any party here?” Yuto was the most active one who didn't hold back at all. He was constantly jumping around and discovering new things, which he then happily showed his brothers. They were a little more reticent, but the longer they walked down the main street, the more comfortable they felt.

     But Ryosuke didn't feel too comfortable. He was constantly aware of people staring at him. They didn't look at them like four children walking through town, but they looked specifically at him. He could feel their eyes on him, felt them on his scarred face. Everyone who passed by looked at his scars scrutinizingly, some didn't even hide their interest in his face with four scars stretching across his entire face.

     However, the werewolf with short black hair didn't know whether to react or pretend not to see the looks. At first, he didn't even understand why everyone was only focusing on him when Yuto was the one who was jumping around, drawing attention, and who was missing part of his ear and also had a few scars on his face. It didn't occur to him until they stopped in front of a stall, attracted by the wonderful smell of grilled meat.

     “Wow... Where did you get those scars from, boy?” asked a surprised tall man with a mustache and a bald head, who was standing by the grill, making sure the pieces of meat didn't accidentally burn.

     “I was scratched by a dog when I was little,” Ryosuke answered promptly with a shy smile. He had never spoken to anyone but his family before. This was the first time.

     “You're still little!” Yuri playfully elbowed him in the ribs and laughed. He knew very well what reaction these words would cause in his best friend, and he was very much looking forward to it.

     “Hey! Don't be mean, okay?!” Ryosuke scowled and slapped him back, while Yuri just shrugged, already drooling over the grilled meat in front of them.

     “Oh, that must have hurt... Even though the dog didn't bite you and just scratched! It must have been quite a fight between you two!” the vendor did not hide his sympathy for Ryosuke's injury as he continued to turn the slices of meat on the grill.

     “I don't remember much about it, but I guess it was a decent fight, hehe,” Ryosuke chuckled, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. He was too young to remember exactly how he got the scars on his face and elsewhere on his body. The pack itself wasn't very forthcoming about what happened that day, not wanting to burden their pups with it, so they made up a story about a wild dog grabbing and scratching Ryosuke.

     “Why don't you have hair?” Keito suddenly asked out of nowhere after a moment of silence punctuated only by the hiss of the grill.

     “Haha, you four are very curious, aren't you?” the question of probably the quietest member of their group made the man with the mustache laugh. The young wolves nodded their heads in sync. “It runs in the family, neither my father, nor my grandfather, nor his father had much hair until finally, they had none!” he explained with a smile and they listened with bated breath. They were wildly curious about what this stranger could tell them, so they just listened quietly. “But I don't mind, I'm happy! As long as I have my moustache, it's good!”

     “That's so cool…” Yuto didn't hide his surprise; his eyes were literally shining. To him and to others, this old man was very fascinating! After all, it was something very new to finally be talking to someone other than members of their own pack, their dads. Not that they aren't amazing, but something new is something new!

     So, the boys chatted with the mustachioed seller for a while in such a friendly spirit that he even offered them each a slice of meat to taste for free when he saw how they were drooling over there. If they were in their wolf forms, they would definitely be drooling down their chins.

     “Aah! That's the best ice cream I've ever eaten!” the tallest of the young wolves squealed as he ate the vanilla and chocolate-flavored ice cream. His brothers were also enjoying it while sitting on the same bench on the edge of town. They had to take a break from all the human beings that kept passing by them. All the new smells mixing together kept their wolf noses too overwhelmed.

     “Yuto, you've had about two in your entire life,” Keito corrected his brother's statement.

     “And this one is guaranteed to be the best!” the tallest of the wolf cubs nodded happily.

     “Dad's boar ice cream is way better…” Ryosuke frowned at his ice cream cone. Not that these flavors didn't tantalize his taste buds, but they probably didn't dazzle him as much as his brothers.

     “You have a very strange taste, Ryosuke,” Yuri stated with a disgusted look at his best friend who was sitting next to him.

     “You're only saying that because your dad always makes the boar one!” Yuto found the real reason behind Ryosuke's statement, which he definitely wasn't planning to agree with in the slightest. Hikaru, the leader of their pack, prepared his own homemade ice cream for everyone, but he mostly made it from the blood of hunted animals. As such, ice cream was very rich in nutrients for werewolves. These were still very important for the cubs for the proper development of their werewolf bodies.

     “It's not like that! I like this one too, but Dad's is just better!” stated the scarred-faced boy with a loud snort, but that didn't stop him from finishing all the ice cream from the local stand, even though he was the last to eat it.

     “I'd like another ice cream!” Keito tugged at their own treasurer's sleeve. It was ironic that Kei, his dad, was the treasurer of the whole pack, but the smallest of them was taking care of their current wallet. “Yuri, please! One more!”

     “But then we can't have anything else!” Yuri dismissed with a stern look on his tiny face. “I still want to taste something sweet!” he told everyone of his plan. He had the wallet, he was in charge.

     The boys continued to explore the town, even if they had to take a break from all the new sensations at times. But after tasting the ice cream, they decided it was time to try something sweet that they had never had before. It was fascinating to them how different the town was from their home - so many people, so many smells, sounds, and sights that their senses were literally overloaded.

     Yuto proudly led the group towards the other stalls and shops. “Look, guys! They have some cakes or something!” he exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a small stall displaying several types of candies and sweets. His eyes were shining with excitement and it looked like he couldn't stay still for a moment.

     Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito followed him, albeit a little more hesitantly. The town was still a little scary and foreign to them, but Yuto pulled them along with his energy and enthusiasm.

     “Looks good,” Yuri muttered as he looked at the beautiful-looking pastries and sweets that were displayed in various colored glass containers.

     “This looks really weird,” Ryosuke said skeptically as he examined some colorful marzipan cake that looked more like a toy than something to eat. “How can this even taste good?”

     “Don't worry, Ryosuke,” Yuto said, already starting to choose what he wanted to taste first. “Everything must taste very good here! Have you seen those people all around? Everyone eats something!”

     Keito stood next to Yuri and gently tugged on his sleeve. “Yuri, can we buy this? Please?” His eyes turned into puppy eyes as if he was afraid Yuri would reject them. But Yuri just shrugged.

     “Okay, okay,” He agreed, taking the wallet from his pocket. “But just something small. I don't want to spend all the money we have.”

     Yuto immediately chose some colorful cupcakes that were decorated with whipped cream and small chocolate pieces. “I want this one and this one!” he pointed at the different types while the other boys tried to decide what to get.

     Ryosuke finally settled on a simple chocolate cake that looked less complicated than the other items. He liked simplicity and didn't want to risk buying something he didn't like. “I'll take this one,” he said, pointing.

     Yuri and Keito each opted for a small piece of fruit cake which looked light and refreshing. When everyone had chosen, Yuri paid from his wallet, which he held as carefully as if he was afraid someone would steal it away from him.

     “Let's go taste it!” Yuto exclaimed, already trying to tear off the first piece of his cupcake while the others sat down on a bench near the booth.

     There was a moment of silence as the boys began to eat and they concentrated on the taste of the new sweets they had never tasted before. Yuto immediately exploded with enthusiasm. “This is perfect! Really, this is the best thing in the world!”

     Keito nodded his head gently as he enjoyed his piece of cake. “It's very sweet,” he said quietly, but everyone could tell he was enjoying it.

     Yuri nodded and smiled. “Yeah, it's good,” he said with a small smile as he wiped the leftover whipped cream from his face.

     Skeptical at first, Ryosuke eventually admitted that his chocolate cake was pretty good too. “I think I might as well have another one,” he admitted with a small smile, though he still retained a bit of his reserved attitude.

     After spending some time in peace eating sweets, the boys regained their energy to continue exploring the town. There was so much to see and experience that they couldn't even stay in one place for long. “So, what shall we try now?” asked Yuto, his eyes shining with curiosity and eagerness for the next adventure.

     “Let's take a look over there,” Yuri suggested as he pointed to a street that stretched in a direction where colorful stalls and various attractions could be seen.

     With renewed determination and bellies full of sweet treats, the four little werewolves set off on the next part of their secret trip around town.

     When the boys got out of the busy streets, they headed to a park that was a little away and where there weren't that many people. The quiet and peacefulness of the park was a nice contrast to all the hustle and bustle they experienced around, allowing them to take a break from the constant overload of their senses.

     They were walking along the paths between the trees for a while when they saw a group of other children playing with a ball. Yuto immediately lit up and his enthusiasm was unstoppable. “Hey, let's be friends with them!” he exclaimed, running to the children without hesitation.

     Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito stood there for a moment, a little hesitant, but eventually went after Yuto. They had a natural fear of the unknown, and especially of how the children would react to them. But Yuto was always the one who wasn't afraid of anything or anyone, so they followed him. They couldn't leave him alone after all.

     As Yuto ran to the children, he stopped and smiled at them, his eyes shining with excitement. “Hey, can we play with you?” he asked in a friendly manner.

     The children stopped playing and looked up at the newcomers. When they looked at them, their eyes showed something between confusion and hostility. It was obvious that they weren't used to strangers, especially ones like Yuto and his brothers.

     One of the children, a boy slightly older than Yuto, eyed him suspiciously and raised an eyebrow. “What happened to your ear?” he asked mockingly when he saw that a piece of Yuto's ear was missing. His tone was not the least bit friendly.

     Yuto's smile faltered slightly, but he still tried to remain optimistic. “Oh, it's just an old injury. Nothing serious,” he replied calmly, trying not to take it personally.

     Another child, this time a girl with long hair, joined in the taunts. “What about the scars? Who scratched you like that? You look like you got attacked by a bear or something,” she said with a wry smile as she examined him closely.

     Yuto tried to stay calm, but he could feel himself getting uncomfortable. “That's from the dog,” he replied, but it was obvious that he was starting to get annoyed by the questions and comments.

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito walk up to them and stand next to Yuto, trying to support their brother. But Ryosuke immediately caught the gazes that were now focused on him. The children noticed his scarred face and a look of disgust and curiosity mixed together appeared in their eyes.

     “Hey, look at this one,” said one of the boys, pointing at Ryosuke. “This one has even more scars. Aren't you fighting each other by any chance?”

     “You look bad.”

     “Not handsome at all.”

     “Meh, so weird.”

     “Ew, ugly.”

     Ryosuke felt a mixture of shame and anger inside him. He was used to his family and brothers accepting him for who he was, but these sarcastic remarks from strange children hit him differently. He was taken aback and didn't know how to react. He just wanted to run away, to hide somewhere away from those eyes that evaluated and condemned him.

     But Yuto stood closer to Ryosuke, threw his arm over his shoulder, and tried to defend him. “Both of us were scratched by the dog,” he said more harshly than usual, his playfulness and appetite for new friends slowly fading. “And Ryosuke is fine as he is.”

     The kids laughed as if Yuto had said something stupid. “We don't think so,” replied one of them with a sneer. “You all look strange.”

     Yuri, who wasn't usually one to speak up right away, didn't hold back this time. “If you don't want us here, we'll just leave,” he said calmly but firmly. He really didn't care what the kids thought of them.

     Keito snuggled up to Yuri, not feeling comfortable. He would prefer if they could get out of this place as quickly as possible. “Let's go,” he whispered nervously.

     Yuto took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger bubbling up inside him. He turned to Ryosuke and the others, and seeing how they were feeling, decided it was indeed best to leave. “Yeah, let's go,” Yuto finally said, his voice sounding a little sad. “It's not worth it.”

     With these words they turned and slowly walked out of the park, leaving behind a group of children who accompanied them with mocking remarks. Yuto felt a sense of incomprehension and disappointment grow inside him. It was a new experience for him, and not exactly a pleasant one.

     Ryosuke felt ashamed and disappointed as he left. He wanted to be like the others, but he realized that his scars made him different for some reason. “Sorry, Yuto,” Ryosuke muttered as if it was his fault that the attempt at friendship had gone so badly.

     Yuto stopped and turned to Ryosuke. “It's not your fault, Ryosuke,” he said. “They're just not like us. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with us.”

     “Let's find some place where it can be just us,” Yuri suggested, and they all agreed.

     So, they left the park and went looking for a quieter place where they could be alone, away from people who didn't understand them.

     Under the tree where the four young werewolves were resting after their unpleasant encounter with the children in the park, the oppressive feeling slowly began to dissipate. They all sat close together, leaning against an old tree trunk, trying to calm down and feel like a team again, like brothers who stick together no matter what.

     But Ryosuke was still struck by the words that fell upon him. His mind kept going back to those taunts, those hurtful comments. He looked at his brothers sitting next to him, but despite their presence, he felt alone and insecure.

     “Ryosuke…?” Yuri addressed him gently, noticing his sad expression. “Come on... You know that's not true,” he added seeing that his brother was still upset. He tried to comfort him, but he knew that words were often not enough.

     Yuto immediately joined him, trying to add some lightness to the whole situation. “Bro! You're the prettiest of us!” he said with a smile, hoping to cheer Ryosuke up.

     Ryosuke smiled, but it was clear that he didn't believe their words at all. “You're just saying that to make me feel better because I'm your brother,” he replied quietly, hugging his knees into which he buried his head.

     “Brother,” continued Yuto who tapped him on the shoulder, “if you were ugly or I don't know what, I'd tell you that you have things to improve, but what else can I tell you when you're more handsome than me?” His voice was sincere and he wasn't hiding the truth.

     “Exactly!” added Keito, who had been staying a bit out of the way until now. “The scars are kinda sick I think!” he added enthusiastically.

     Ryosuke sighed, still keeping his head down as if he wanted to just push it all out. “Because you don't have them on your face, Keito. That's why they look sick to you...” he mumbled, still consumed by his doubts.

     “My dad has a lot of scars too, even on his face,” Keito argued.

     “But your dad is an adult,” countered Ryosuke. “No one dares to laugh at him like that,” he added sadly. He was convinced that adult werewolves had it easier.

     But Yuto looked at him with a serious expression. “Hey, if you see a werewolf in their wolf form, and they're covered in scars – what will you think of them?” he asked him, his voice calm as if he wanted to explain something important to him.

     Ryosuke thought, but the answer came naturally. “That they've had a lot of fights,” he replied, looking at Yuto with a confused expression.

     Yuto nodded and smiled. “Exactly! It's like... admiration, isn't it? You have such a natural respect for that werewolf! And you would think ‘Oh! This werewolf will probably be pretty tough!’” he continued, watching his words affect Ryosuke.

     Keito joined in as well. “Right, right! I would feel that way too!” he testified, his eyes shining as he looked at his brother.

     Yuto leaned against the tree and sighed. “It's the same with you! Those scars prove what a tough fighter you are!” he said with a smile, but Ryosuke only frowned and opened his mouth to object.

     “But I-“ he started but Yuto didn't let him finish.

     “No, no 'but',” Yuto cut him off firmly. “Look, I know it's not easy. But we know you. We know who you are and what you've been through. And to us, you are the best brother we could ask for.”

     Yuri nodded and carefully hugged Ryosuke. “Exactly,” he added with a smile. “Whatever happens, we're here with you. And you should be proud of those scars because they show what a warrior you are.”

     Ryosuke looked at them and felt his fears slowly melt away. Even though those kids hurt him with their words, he knew he had his family who loved and supported him no matter what outsiders thought of him. “Thanks, guys,” he finally whispered, his voice full of gratitude. “I'm glad to have you.”

     “We're glad to have you,” Yuto replied with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

     As the boys continued to rest under a large old tree that provided them with cool shade and some privacy, they finally began to relax. This place was much quieter than the hustle and bustle of the town and the park, and they could relax for a while.

     It was a moment of peace where all the worries and discomforts they had experienced seemed to be forgotten for a moment. But the peace did not last long.

     From the bushes and trees around them suddenly emerged the group of children who had insulted them earlier in the park. Ryosuke and the others immediately noticed them and froze. They could already sense that this meeting was not going to be pleasant. The children slowly approached, their gazes filled with contempt and hostility.

     “What are you guys anyway?” said the first boy who had insulted Yuto before. His tone was full of contempt as if he viewed them as inferior to themselves.

     “What?” Yuto asked. He didn't want to argue with anyone anymore, but his natural temperament forced him to stand up for his pack.

     “I'm asking where are you from,” the boy repeated, his voice hard and cold. “We haven't seen you here before.”

     Yuto swallowed but remained calm. “We're just visiting,” he answered slowly, trying to keep his voice steady. “We're not from here.”

     “Are you lost?” another boy sneered, this time with a wry grin on his face. “And we want to know what's with your face,” his gaze focused on Ryosuke.

     Ryosuke felt his blood freeze in his veins. The words hit him harder this time than he would like to admit. It was as if the wound his brothers had been trying to heal moments before had reopened. “You're pretty gross, you know that?” the boy continued without any sympathy. “How did this really happen to you?”

     Ryosuke was unable to answer. He just sat stiffly, trying to ignore the insults, but something started to boil inside him. He was confused, scared, but also angry. And then he felt it – as if there was a presence inside him of something else, something dark and evil. It was something unknown that suddenly awoke within him. Ryosuke tried to suppress it, aware that as a werewolf he had to control himself outside of his home.

     As Ryosuke struggled with the strange energy within himself, another of the children approached the group and spoke again. “I think his father did this to him,” he said with a mischievous smile. “Just looking at him makes me want to kinda hit him too.”

     “Ugh,” said a girl standing nearby, disgust in her eyes. “You shouldn't be in public with such a hideous face.”

     “Scarred face,” added the last of them.

     Ryosuke felt the blood pooling in his ears, his heart pounding in his chest, and the dark presence within him growing. His hands began to shake slightly, but he tried to stay calm. It wasn't easy though, because the presence was getting stronger. And then, as if he suddenly understood where the energy was coming from, he looked up and focused on one of the boys - the one who had mocked him first.

     That boy was no ordinary person. Ryosuke didn't know exactly what he was. He could only feel something foreign, something dangerous, which gave him that strange feeling. Ryosuke somehow knew the boy was different from the others.

     Yuto, noticing that Ryosuke was even more scared than before, stood in front of him as if trying to protect him from the children. “Leave him alone!” he shouted at them. “He didn't do anything to you!”

     The boys laughed and began to move even closer to them. “What are you going to do about it, you earwig?” one of them asked while grinning mischievously and pointing a finger at Yuto's ear.

     Yuri stood next to Yuto, ready to support him, though his body proportions certainly didn't make him seem like someone children should be afraid of. “Go away,” he said softly but firmly. “We didn't do anything to you, so leave us alone.”

     But the children did not back down. They started the taunts and insults again, feeling that they had the upper hand over the boys by the tree. Ryosuke could feel the darkness within him tightening its grip on his chest. He felt that if things went on like this, something bad could happen, something he didn't want to happen.

     “Ryosuke,” Yuto whispered as he noticed his brother shaking. “We have to get out of here. Right now.”

     Ryosuke nodded but wasn't sure if he could handle leaving. The dark energy inside him was like a magnet, drawing him in and forcing him to stay to see what would happen. But Yuto grabbed his arm and lifted him to his feet.

     “Eh, what? Are you tucking your tails between your legs yet?”

     “I hope you're not such cowards, come and let's fight!” the children shouted at them mockingly.

     Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and Ryosuke wanted to leave as fast as possible, but as they turned to walk away, they heard quick footsteps behind them. The children did not let them go.

     “You think you're just going to run away?” one of the boys called out, his voice filled with anger as he pulled up his sleeves. “Then you're mistaken!”

     “Leave us alone, dammit,” Yuri begged them. He tried to stay sane, but the situation was quickly spiraling out of control.

     “What if we don't want to?” said the girl with a smirk. “We want to know what you are.”

     And before the werewolves could think of their next steps, one of the boys gave Yuri a hard shove. Yuri staggered and fell to the ground, his eyes filling with tears as shock and pain washed over him.

     Yuto couldn't just let it pass. “You assholes! Leave him be!” he yelled, but before he could do anything, another boy, this time the one Ryosuke felt the unpleasant energy from, walked up to him and punched him in the face without hesitation. Yuto cried out in pain and also fell to the ground next to Yuri.

     Ryosuke watched all of this, and something broke inside him. He felt an unknown power begin to flow through his veins. How the darkness he felt before suddenly flared up like a flame. His heart was racing and his whole world suddenly narrowed down to just that one feeling – anger, burning, uncontrollable anger.

     Before any of the children could react, Ryosuke had transformed. But this time it wasn't his usual wolf form. He was bigger, his fur thicker, black as night, and glowing softly in the darkness under the trees. His eyes glowed red as if an inferno had broken loose inside him. His body radiated heat that could be felt even from a distance. He was a picture of pure malice and power, something none of his brothers had ever seen before.

     Yuto and Yuri, who were still lying on the ground, looked up and stared at their brother in complete shock. “Ryosuke…?” Yuri breathed.

     Most of the children, upon seeing Ryosuke in his new, terrifying form, immediately began to run away. Their fear was so strong that they could not even turn back to see what would happen next. They ran away as fast as they could without looking back.

     The only one left was the hostile boy. He too sensed the threat now, but instead of running away, he transformed into his true form. His body began to grow, turning into stones or hardened clay, becoming a statue with similarly glowing eyes that resembled hot coals. His heavy feet thumped against the ground and his body was covered in tough, stony skin that was nearly indestructible. It was Golem.

     “You think you can intimidate me?” Golem said in a voice that sounded like cracking rocks. “You'll never win against me, you monster!”

     Ryosuke growled in a deep, ominous tone he had never uttered before. His body tensed, ready to attack. It was as if an unknown force had awakened within him, which now had only one goal - to destroy the threat before him.

     And then it happened. The Golem lunged at Ryosuke, its stone hands lashing forward to strike him. But Ryosuke was faster. He launched himself at him with incredible speed, his jaw biting into the Golem's shoulder. He felt his teeth collide with hard stone, but he didn't give up. His power was fueled by something he could neither understand nor control.

     The Golem roared in pain and tried to shake Ryosuke off, but Ryosuke held on. His fur glowed more and more, the heat he radiated was so intense that a wave of heat began to spread around him. Even Golem, with his stony skin, could feel the searing heat.

     Ryosuke's brothers watched the fight with tension and fear. They had never seen Ryosuke like this – neither as a wolf nor as a human. They couldn't understand what was happening.

     The Golem tried to strike Ryosuke in the side, but Ryosuke dodged the blow with incredible agility and jumped onto the Golem's back, where he bit down again, this time on the neck. The Golem roared again, but he was no longer as confident as before. Ryosuke's strength surprised him and he was beginning to realize that he was fighting something that was no ordinary wolf.

     The duel continued to escalate, their forces clashing without either side backing down. But Ryosuke began to gain the upper hand, his newfound strength and anger driving him forward without feeling pain or fatigue, even as the Golem threw him off and smashed him through one of the trees.

     Finally, after several more attacks and defensive maneuvers, Golem began to retreat. Realizing he had no chance, he decided to run away.

     Ryosuke, still in his terrifying and unknown form, charged after the Golem. His body was filled with uncontrollable anger, as if the whole world had turned black and narrowed down to just that one single goal – to stop the Golem, to destroy the threat that was running away from him. He ran through the park, his paws pounding the ground as he pursued his enemy with incredible speed and ferocity.

     The Golem ran as fast as he could, but Ryosuke was faster. He got closer and closer until he finally caught up with the Golem at the edge of the park where there was a small pond. The Golem desperately tried to escape, but Ryosuke jumped on him and knocked him into the pond.

     The Golem's body sank below the surface. Ryosuke stopped on the bank and growled. He wanted to throw himself into the water after him, he wanted to continue the fight, but something stopped him. He stood on the shore, his fur glowing and his eyes glowing red, but he did not step into the water. Something prevented him from doing so as if he knew instinctively that he could not go into that water. He felt that if he did, it would hurt, maybe more than he could have imagined.

     He stood there and waited, snarling at the surface, waiting for Golem to emerge. But the Golem did not appear and the water remained calm. Ryosuke kept growling, his mind still controlled by that dark force that was driving him forward.

     After a while, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito caught up with Ryosuke. They had been chasing him since he ran after the Golem. They saw him standing on the bank of the pond, his figure eerily large and ominous, as if he were no longer their brother, but something else entirely.

     “Ryosuke…?” Yuri whispered, daring to come the closest. His voice was gentle and full of caution. “Shh, take it easy... Just take it easy...”

     Ryosuke turned around, still in his sinister form. He growled, this time towards Yuri.

     “Do you recognize me?” Yuri continued calmly, even though his heart was clenching with fear. He took a step closer, though Ryosuke's gaze bore deep into his soul. “I'm your little brother, Yuri. Do you remember me?”

     Ryosuke hesitated, his growl quieting slightly but still radiating danger. Yuri didn't give up though, he felt that his sibling was still present inside even though he was currently hidden.

     “Don't be afraid, I don't want to hurt you,” Yuri continued, his voice barely audible now as he tried to keep his fear at bay. “You don't want to hurt me either. Then you would be sad if you hurt me. Even your dad Hikaru would be sad.”

     Yuto and Keito stood at a distance, ready to intervene if something went wrong, but giving Yuri space. They were ready to do anything to save their brother, but at the same time, they knew they had to be very careful. This was an unfamiliar situation.

     Ryosuke shuddered, his breathing quickened, but his eyes gradually began to lose that horrible red glow. He slowly made his way back, his mind beginning to clear. He finally recognized Yuri, his words starting to seep into his consciousness.

     “Ryosuke…?” Yuri repeated, this time extending his hand to him. “It's okay, don't worry, I don't want to hurt you… You don't want to hurt me either… Do you remember me? It's me, Yuri. Your brother.”

     Ryosuke's growls slowly died down, his body shrinking back into his usual wolf form. But this time he changed even more – Ryosuke became a small puppy, tiny and defenseless, much smaller than ever. His black fur which had previously glowed and was full of burning energy was now dull and his eyes were closed as if he was exhausted to the core.

     Yuri immediately reacted. As soon as he saw his brother transform into a wolf cub and begin to wobble on his wobbly legs, he quickly jumped up and caught him before the little wolf collapsed to the ground. “I got you,” Yuri whispered as he gently pulled him close and hugged him.

     Ryosuke was hot, his little body so hot and weak, as if the whole transformation and subsequent fight had drained all of his energy. He was so exhausted that he couldn't even stand on his feet without support.

     Yuto and Keito quickly ran over to him and started checking on Ryosuke. Yuto noticed how fired up his little brother was and worry began to cloud his mind. “We have to get him home,” Yuto said. “Right now.”

     Keito, who was still in shock at what had just happened, nodded. “Is he going to be okay?” he asked quietly, but his question went unanswered. No one was sure what actually happened and how it affected Ryosuke's health.

     Holding Ryosuke tightly in his arms, Yuri could feel his little brother breathing heavily, his body shaking. “He'll be fine,” he said firmly as if reassuring not only himself but the others as well. “We just need to get him home quickly.”

     Wasting no time, the three of them ran back home as Yuri carried Ryosuke as carefully as possible, trying to protect him from the bumps as they ran. Yuto and Keito ran at his side, ready to help if needed.

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke was falling into a half-asleep state in Yuri's arms, his body exhausted and hot, but he felt safe. Yuri's firm grip and warm touch comforted him, and even though he didn't know what had just happened to him, he knew that his brothers would do everything in their power to help him.

     “C'mon,” Yuto urged, his voice full of urgency. “It's not far.”

     On the way, various thoughts and fears crept into their heads. What happens when they get home? How will their dads react? And what actually happened to Ryosuke? But they didn't have time to dwell on that now. First, they had to get him to safety and take care of him.

     As they finally approached the house, Yuri felt his own heart calm. He saw their home before him, their sanctuary where he knew they would take care of Ryosuke. And he hoped everything would be okay in the end.

Chapter Text

     The werewolf house was quiet, only the occasional rustling of paper or the sound of breathing disturbed the peace that spread throughout the room. The werewolves were all sitting on the floor in a circle, the light from the fireplace illuminating their faces as they focused on the story that Yuto had just colorfully told.

     Ryosuke, still tiny and exhausted, rested in the dog bed on his daddy Hikaru's lap. Even though he was tired, his eyes were already open and he was listening intently as his brothers described what happened in the park.

     “It was something unbelievable!” Yuto began excitedly, his eyes shining as he thought back to the events that had happened. “At first, we thought it would be cool, we just wanted to walk and look around. But then the kids… well, they started acting weird towards us.”

     Yuri and Keito nodded as they concentrated on their sketches. Keito drew what Ryosuke looked like in his sinister form, with red glowing eyes and glowing fur, while Yuri on his paper captured the Golem's appearance as he remembered it. They tried to convey what they saw as faithfully as possible so that they could show it to their dads.

     “Those kids taunted me and Ryosuke,” Yuto continued, his voice sounding angry as he recalled those moments. “But they said horrible things to him about his scars, and they didn't realize it was something he didn't choose! But then it started to escalate, they started pushing Yuri and one of them punched me in the face!”

     Hikaru frowned at those words as he imagined someone harming his pups. However, he remained silent, letting Yuto continue to speak, though the tension in the pack leader's shoulders could not be missed.

     “And then it happened!” Yuto continued. “Ryosuke just… turned into a wolf!” the young werewolf blurted out, throwing his arms around, which he did almost all the time.

     Yuya, who was trying to keep calm, looked at him a little confused. “Yuto, he's a werewolf just like you. Transforming into your wolf form is normal,” he said calmly, trying to keep a rational outlook on things.

     However, Yuto shook his head, his eyes still wide. “No, no, you don't understand, Dad,” he argued. “This wasn't his typical wolf form, this was something… demonic!”

     Hikaru, Kei, Yuya, and Daiki all frowned, their gazes focused on Yuto. “Demonic…?” Yuya repeated, trying to understand exactly what his son meant.

     “Yeah!” Yuto continued with an urgency that now had the attention of everyone present. “He was a lot bigger than usual, his eyes glowed red, but they really glowed! They were shining! Like flashlights! And there was such an ominous energy around him that it gave me goosebumps! And it was so hot around him that I could feel it right where I was standing! And when I touched his fur, it burned so badly, like it was on fire!” Yuto spoke quickly, words pouring out of his mouth like a waterfall as he tried his best to describe the terrifying scene he had experienced. “And when we tried to talk to him and slow him down, he growled at us! As if he didn't know us at all…”

     Kei's face was drawn in seriousness as he listened to what Yuto was describing. He was trying to process all the incredible details Yuto had just told them. “Yuto, are you sure?” he asked, though it was clear in his voice that he was beginning to understand how serious this was.

     “On my soul, on my wolf's ears! I swear! Ask others! It's true!” he nodded while holding his ears.

     Yuri and Keito, who were sitting next to Yuto drawing, nodded. “It's true,” Yuri confirmed. “We've never seen him like this. It was like it wasn't even him…”

     Keito also nodded in agreement, his face pale as he replayed the terrifying scene in his head. “I was scared,” he admitted quietly. “Ryosuke was acting completely different...”

     However, Keito had finished his sketch and moved it over to his dad, Kei, who was looking at it carefully. It was a dark picture, but very accurate. Kei didn't say anything, just nodded silently and looked at Hikaru who was looking at the picture over his shoulder as he kept watching little Ryosuke in the small bed.

     Yuto continued. “Ryosuke seemed to have gained an awful lot of power! And that Golem... he also transformed and started fighting him, but Ryosuke had the upper hand. It was as if he was suddenly not himself, but something much stronger. And Golem... he didn't stand a chance! Not at all!”

     Meanwhile, Yuri showed his sketch to Yuya, who took it with a serious expression and looked at it. “And that's what he looked like, I guess,” Yuri added quietly, playing with the crayons between his fingers.

     Kei was also studying the Golem drawing, and his gaze was thoughtful. “Young Golem… Golems are strange creatures, maybe there was something about him that really provoked Ryosuke. Not only his vocabulary and behavior but also some strange energy, it's hard to say,” he thought aloud.

     Hikaru nodded, his gaze turning to little Ryosuke who was now resting in the bed. “We need to find out what happened to you,” he mumbled more to himself than to the others.

     The werewolves exchanged glances, their expressions serious and filled with concern. It was obvious that he was trying to understand what exactly happened and what the consequences might be.

     Daiki was also looking at the drawing Yuri had shown them and looked at Yuto who was still full of emotion from what happened. “Yuto, can you tell us one more time how it all started? What actually led to the transformation?” he asked.

     Yuto thought, trying to recall each individual sequence of events. “Well, as I said, the kids started taunting us. It was mainly because of the scars… and then Yuri was pushed and one of them punched me,” Yuto answered, frowning at the memory of that moment. “I was angry, but then I saw how Ryosuke started to change. It wasn't a normal transformation into wolf form, something just broke in him. Like stepping on a branch!”

     Kei, who had been staring intently at the Golem sketch until now, looked up and asked, “You said there was a strange heat around Ryosuke? So did you feel the heat when you were around?”

     Yuto nodded. “Yeah, it was very strange. We can always sense when one of us transforms, but this was like… like he was surrounded by fire that couldn't be seen. I felt it even from a distance.”

     “What about the Golem? Did he say or do anything to provoke Ryosuke to this reaction? Besides being mean to you,” Yuya continued to ask, his voice calm but obviously trying to understand all the details.

     Yuri, who had been nodding until now, now joined the conversation. “The Golem tried to intimidate him, but Ryosuke was already in that sinister form before the Golem transformed into his true form. It was almost as if Ryosuke knew the Golem wasn't an ordinary person even before seeing him at full power,” Yuri explained while fiddling with his pencil.

     Kei thought about what he had heard. “That's strange. Normally, we would expect the Golem to transform first and that would trigger a reaction. But if Ryosuke sensed something beforehand, that means he might have some ability to sense other beings,” he mused aloud.

     “Yeah! It's possible! I guess I think so too!” Yuto nodded and looked towards Ryosuke. “Then in the battle, Ryosuke knocked him into the water, but when we got close to him, he was still… not himself. It was terrifying.”

     “And what happened when the Golem disappeared into that water?” Daiki asked without taking his eyes off the little wolves.

     “Ryosuke was left standing on the bank growling,” Yuto replied. “But he didn't get into the water. It was as if something inside him knew he couldn't go on. But even though the Golem was gone, Ryosuke still looked very angry.”

     Hikaru, who had been silent until now, looked up from Ryosuke's bed where his son was still resting, his tiny paws wrapped around his hand. He thought about all the information that was going through his mind now. Whatever it was that happened, his intuition told him that what had awakened in Ryosuke might not be just a normal werewolf power. But what bothered him the most was the question of whether anything could be done about it, or whether it was a threat to Ryosuke.

     “Well, we're not excited about that,” Yuya said quietly as he looked at the picture and listened to Yuto's narration. “What happened is dangerous, guys. Ryosuke… this transformation of his, it's not something that should be happening.”

     Ryosuke was panting slowly in his bed, his small body still exhausted, but he too felt something had changed. He may not have fully understood it yet, but he knew that something within him had awakened and changed him.

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito thought about what their fathers had said, and while they felt proud of their brother, they realized that the situation was more serious than they first thought.

     Hikaru sighed as he realized that he now had to deal with something other than just what happened with Ryosuke and his unexpected transformation. He looked over all the boys who were sitting on the ground waiting for what he had to say. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm down and remember the advice Kota always gave him. He knew he had to remain calm, even as anger mixed with fear bubbled up inside him.

     Kota had always said that werewolf pups needed more than strictness – they needed understanding and a firm hand, but not yelling or threats. And now that Kota was gone, it was up to him to stick with it. “Never yell at them,” Kota's words echoed in his head, “because if you yell at them, they'll shut themselves and listen to you out of fear instead of respect. And that's not what you want, Hikaru.”

     He finally opened his eyes and looked at the boys. He saw a mixture of guilt, fear, and uncertainty in their faces. Maybe they thought they could get away with it because they were focused on what happened to Ryosuke. But Hikaru knew that he also had to deal with what had brought them to this situation - their decision to go to the town behind Kei's back.

     “Guys,” Hikaru began, his voice calm but firm as he tried to maintain the exact tone Kota had always told him about. “We need to talk. Not just about what happened, but how you got there in the first place. I know you wanted to see the town and I understand your curiosity. But you know you shouldn't have left alone. And you know it wasn't just that - something much worse could have happened.”

     Yuto frowned and looked down; his usual spark of enthusiasm was gone. Yuri bit his lip as he tried to hide his guilt, and Keito, who was always the calmest, looked down at the ground this time.

     “We all know you should have stayed home,” Hikaru continued. “And I know you probably don't want to hear this, but as werewolf pups, you are absolutely indispensable to us. You are our family, our future, and that means your safety comes first. What would happen if someone found you in that town who wanted to harm you?”

     Kei, Yuya, and Daiki looked at their pups in silence, letting Hikaru do the talking. However, their faces showed that they were just as worried as he was.

     “We can't lose you,” he continued. “Not only for us but for yourselves. We can't protect you if you don't realize that all our rules are there for a reason. You may be strong, but you're still young, and you don't have all the powers to protect yourself. Your instinct helps you, but it doesn't always protect you from all dangers.”

     Yuto, who always had a tendency to be bold to the point of being unreasonable, this time looked at Hikaru with a seriousness in his eyes that Hikaru didn't see very often. “It was my idea to go to town. And I know we made a mistake,” Yuto admitted quietly. “We didn't want to disappoint you.”

     “We don't want you to think we're mad at you for wanting to go to town,” Kei continued as he saw his son Keito still not looking anyone in the eye. “We just want you to understand why the rules exist.”

     Hikaru nodded and continued. “We want to teach you how to protect yourselves, but at the same time, we also have to trust you. And I want to trust you, but that means you also have to show us that you are capable of making the right decisions. You go to town behind our backs without telling us, and that can't happen again. I know it was tempting, but it could have been a lot worse. Sadly, people don't like werewolves.”

     Yuto, Yuri, and Keito nodded silently, knowing their dads were right. Ryosuke, who was listening from the bed where he was resting, also felt a pang of guilt, but he was too tired to say anything or react other than licking Hikaru's finger. Still, there was a clear regret in his eyes that he had even been talked into going to town.

     “We don't want to limit you,” Hikaru added after a moment of silence. “We want you to learn how to survive in a world that is full of danger, but that means you must respect our instructions and decisions. When we tell you to stay home, it's not because we want to keep you locked up, it's because we want to protect you.”

     There was silence for a moment, broken only by the crackling fire in the fireplace. Then Yuto spoke softly, “We're really sorry… We won't do it again.”

     Hikaru looked at him, his eyes showing that he was accepting the apology. “I know you have a good heart, Yuto. I know you just wanted to explore the world. But next time, tell us what you're planning, and maybe we can find a way to do it safely. We can go to town or anywhere else together.”

     Yuri and Keito nodded, each of them realizing how close they were to something much worse happening.

     Hikaru looked at everyone present, his gaze lingering on Ryosuke and then on Yuto. He had a hard decision within him, but he knew the time had come to tell them the truth. A truth he had kept hidden until now to protect them, but now he could no longer remain silent. He felt that this was the right time for them to know what had happened and why it was so important for them to be careful.

     “Boys,” Hikaru began softly, patting the black wolf's head gently. “There is something I should have told you a long time ago. Something that happened before you got these scars. Something we kept from you because we wanted to protect you, but now I feel the time is right for you to know.”

     Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and Ryosuke looked at him curiously and confused. It was the first time they heard Hikaru speak with such seriousness and they knew what was coming would be something important.

     Hikaru sighed and looked down at the ground as he tried to find the words to describe the horrific events. “The day you got those scars… it wasn't just some dog attack like we told you. It was a much worse day.”

     The pups looked at each other, their expressions filled with questions, but remained silent as they waited for Hikaru to continue.

     “We were attacked by vampires,” Hikaru continued, his voice shaking slightly as he flashed back. “They ambushed you when most of us were out and you were here alone with Daiki. Not only did they hurt Daiki, but they kidnapped the four of you and we couldn't stop it.”

     Keito and Yuri gasped, shocked at the words. They knew their brothers had battle scars, but they never thought it was from something so serious.

     Hikaru looked at Ryosuke and Yuto, their eyes wide with fear and shock. “You two were… fighting. You defended your brothers and they hurt you like this. You were small, defenseless, and there was nothing we could do to protect you.”

     Ryosuke shook himself and Hikaru promptly pulled him into his arms for a gentle hug. “But the worst part of it all is that we were also helpless. When we found you in their castle, you were on the verge of death. And you know what saved us then?” Hikaru paused for a moment before continuing. “It was Kota.”

     Yuto shivered when he heard Kota's name. “What do you mean?” he asked weakly. “What happened?”

     “Kota… he knew the only way to save you was to sacrifice himself for you,” Hikaru replied, feeling his heart grow heavy. “He made a deal with the vampires that if they let you go, he'll stay with them instead of you. And they agreed. He knew that if he stayed there, we would be able to save you. And so, they let you go. But Kota stayed there and we haven't seen him since. He did it to save you, to make sure you had a chance at life.”

     Hikaru sighed, trying to stay strong. “That's why we're so careful. That's why we tell you to follow the rules to stay safe. Because if something happened to you now, all of Kota's sacrifice would be for nothing,” Hikaru added quietly. “I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but we knew you weren't ready for this yet. Now that you know, I hope you understand why it's so important to us that you stay safe. We love you and want you to live. And that means you have to be careful.”

     Ryosuke's eyes looked at Hikaru sadly and he snuggled closer to his dad. Yuto had the same look of pain and guilt on his face, and Yuri and Keito just stayed silent, staring at the floor as they tried to process everything they had just heard.

     Hikaru sighed, trying to regain control of his voice and expression. He could feel the tension in the room ease, but he knew their conversation was far from over. There was a need to make sure they were safe because, despite all the emotions, it was clear that what had happened could attract unwanted attention.

     “Now we have to think practically,” Hikaru began, his voice firm and focused again. “I want to know if you noticed anything strange while you were in town. Something that would indicate that someone was watching you or paying more attention than they should have.”

     Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and Ryosuke looked at each other and even though they didn't seem to know anything like that, it was clear that they were trying to remember every detail. Yuto finally spoke first.

     “I don't know,” he said with a slightly thoughtful expression. “I don't feel like anyone is watching us. We've been pretty low-profile... except for that fight with those kids.”

     Yuri nodded but his face was a bit uncertain. “I didn't notice that anyone was following us either. But... we don't know who was there and what they could have noticed when Ryosuke transformed. I guess we got a lot of attention there.”

     Keito added, “I didn't see anyone suspicious.”

     Hikaru listened to their words and nodded. While he trusted them that they hadn't really noticed anything suspicious, he knew they had to be careful. “Okay,” he said finally. “But even if you didn't notice anyone following you, we have to be careful. If someone saw you, and if it was someone who recognized what you were, it's possible they'd want to find us.”

     Yuya nodded, his look showing his concern. “We have to prepare for the fact that someone might want to attack us or to get us back into the woods. We cannot take this lightly.”

     Kei looked at Hikaru and nodded in agreement. “We have to be much more careful now. From now on, one of us will always be on watch, day or night. And one will stay with you,” he turned to the wolf cubs. “That means you won't be out on your own, even in the garden, until we're sure everything is okay.”

     “But what if nothing happens?” Yuto asked quietly, playing nervously with his fingers. He didn't want to cause this with his trip to the town.

     “That would be best,” Kei replied softly. “But we can't risk anything. Your safety comes first. So, we'll be careful and we'll be ready for that. And that means none of us will be going anywhere alone from now on.”

     Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and Ryosuke nodded, though they clearly didn't like the idea of being attacked by anyone like that. They were tired and scared from what had happened, but they knew their dads were right and they would listen to them this time.

     “We'll make sure the house is secure,” Yuya continued. “And we'll take turns on patrol. We must remain vigilant until we are sure we are safe.”

     The werewolves in the room nodded and began dividing tasks among themselves. It was clear that each of them knew what was at stake. They couldn't afford any mistakes this time, so Kei once again focused on the black wolf that much of the discussion revolved around.

     Kei pulled Ryosuke's bed closer to examine him again. Still in his small wolf form, Ryosuke didn't fight back when the werewolf picked him up, just curled up calmly in Kei's arms as Kei examined his body. Hikaru sat next to them and watched his son.

     “It's strange,” Kei began thoughtfully as he gently felt Ryosuke's fur and checked his breathing, “that after transforming into such a large and powerful wolf, he's now shrunk to this tiny form. I've never heard of anything like that before.”

     Hikaru nodded, his gaze focused on Ryosuke, who looked fine, but still remained very tired. “Me neither,” Hikaru admitted, his voice sounding a little lost. “I was worried that he would have some injuries, but he seems to be fine otherwise. It's just... he's a little puppy again now.”

     Kei thought for a moment, then continued, “It's like his body used up all the energy it had to turn into that mysterious wolf, and now that he doesn't have that energy, all that's left is this. It's fascinating, but it also means he was under incredible stress. Maybe that's why his body reacted the way it did.”

     “But he's fine, right?” Hikaru asked. “Will he recover?”

     Kei gave him a reassuring look and nodded. “Yeah, I think he'll be fine. His body is tired now and needs to rest, but I suppose once he regains his strength, he will be able to transform back into his normal form. This is probably just a temporary reaction to the transformation.”

     Ryosuke's small body trembled slightly and Kei gently caressed the fur between his ears. “What he needs most now is peace and rest,” Kei added with a soft smile, trying to calm himself as well as Hikaru and the others. “I believe he will be back to normal soon.”

     Hikaru smiled at Ryosuke and patted his head gently. “Rest, boy,” he said softly, “we're here with you and everything will be alright again.”

     Ryosuke looked up at him with his tired red eyes and gave a weak nod. “We'll see how he feels tomorrow,” Kei continued as he slowly placed Ryosuke back into his bed and wrapped him in a warm blanket to make him feel as safe and comfortable as possible. “We'll let him sleep and watch him. But for now, it looks like his body is just exhausted. We have to give him time to recover.”

     Hikaru nodded, grateful for Kei's knowledge and reassuring words. He knew now he had to be patient and let time take its course. But it still bothered him deep down. Ryosuke's strange transformation did not leave him calm, though he tried to stay strong for himself and others. “Sleep, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered as he stroked him gently. “We'll keep an eye on you.”

     Kei and Yuya watched silently as Hikaru finished tending to Ryosuke. Once they were sure that Ryosuke had fallen asleep, they exchanged glances full of unspoken questions. It was clear they needed to talk, but they didn't want to do it in front of the younger wolves.

     “Daiki,” Kei spoke softly to the young werewolf who was keeping an eye on the rest of the pups, drawing with them. “Take care of the boys while we talk.”

     Daiki nodded. “Sure, you can count on me,” he replied firmly, though it was clear that his concern for Ryosuke was still there as well. Still, he knew it was now up to him to take care of the younger members of the pack.

     After Hikaru, Kei, and Yuya made sure that Daiki was reliably guarding the kids, they went into the next room where they could talk in private. It was a room that was partially separated from the main living area, with low light and old furniture.

     “We need to sort this all out,” Hikaru began as he closed the door and sat down on one of the couches. His voice was quieter than usual to keep their conversation private even from the wolf's ears. “We can't just ignore what happened today.”

     “I agree,” Kei nodded, taking a seat across from Hikaru. “Ryosuke's transformation was something we had never seen before. And now he's a little puppy…” Kei paused for a moment as if he needed to clear his own thoughts. “I've never heard of such a thing, not even in old books or from Kota and his notes.”

     Yuya leaned against the wall, his face tense and full of worry. “Do you think it has something to do with his origins?” he asked quietly, but his voice sounded urgent. “We always knew he was different, but this… this was something much stronger.”

     Kei looked at both of his brothers in the pack and nodded. “I think it may be so. We don't know as much about his origins as we'd like. And now something seems to be awakening in him. Something that isn't purely werewolf.”

     “But what does that mean?” Hikaru asked. “If he has something else in him… what does that mean for us? And most importantly, what does it mean for him?”

     Kei thought for a moment before answering. “We can't say for sure right now. But we have to be careful, we have to protect him, but we also have to find out what's going on with him. If his powers are starting to manifest like this... we need to understand it before it gets out of hand. This isn't just about being different. This is something much bigger. Ryosuke is ours, and we won't give him away. But we must know what we are up against.”

     Hikaru took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “But what if there's really nothing strange about him? Ryosuke is an exceptional werewolf, that's true, but he's still just a werewolf,” he said firmly as if trying to convince not only others but himself.

     Kei fiddled with his hands nervously before deciding to speak. “Hikaru, I don't know… I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to it. Ryosuke is not like other boys. He's different, and not just because of those eyes and fur. His abilities, the form the boys say he's transformed into today... I think there's something special about his origins. We've talked about it before.”

     Hikaru looked at him and frowned slightly. “Werewolves are diverse. What happened to him... It could just be a manifestation of his uniqueness. That doesn't necessarily mean he's anything more than a werewolf.”

     Kei also frowned but decided not to protest right away. Instead, he turned to Yuya, who remained leaning against the wall, watching their conversation thoughtfully. “Yuya, what do you think?”

     Yuya ran a hand through his long hair before answering. “Honestly? I don't know. Ryosuke is definitely different, I'm not denying that, but I don't think we should immediately look for answers that may not even exist. Maybe he really is just an exceptional werewolf like Hikaru says, and maybe there's more to it as you think, Kei. But I'm not sure we can judge that now.”

     Kei frowned even more. “So, what do you suggest?”

     “I think we should just let it go,” Yuya said calmly. “We should watch them all carefully, let them continue to develop, and see what happens. If Ryosuke starts manifesting in this or similar ways again, then we'll know there's more to it. But until that happens, there's no point in jumping to conclusions and stressing him or the other cubs.”

     Kei leaned back in his chair; his mind still full of restlessness. “I know we shouldn't rush it, but… what if it means something? What if there is something in his origin that we should know? I don't want to endanger him by ignoring it.”

     Hikaru looked into Kei's eyes. “Kei, I understand your concern. I really do. But I don't want us to get carried away by something that may not be true. Ryosuke needs to feel that he is one of us, that he is a normal werewolf even though he is special. And if more symptoms appear, we'll be ready. But now we shouldn't make him even more uncertain.”

     Yuya nodded. “Let's watch him. Let's watch them all. And if something else happens, we will respond. But for now, let them be what they are – young wolves who need our support and guidance.”

     “Okay,” Kei paused for a moment as if he was thinking about his next words before he took a deep breath and looked at Hikaru and Yuya. His eyes showed the regret and guilt that had been weighing him down since he found out that the little werewolves had fled to the town.

     “There's something else I wanted to tell you,” Kei began quietly, but it was clear that this wasn't easy for him at all. “I'm sorry. I know I should have been more careful. I fell asleep, and all this happened because of me. I should have been more responsible, I should have watched over them…” His voice broke for a moment as the guilt weighed on him. “I know it's my fault.”

     Hikaru who was sitting across from him looked at him with a slight frown. “Kei, what happened was serious, I'm not denying that. And I was upset when I found out they got into town while you were sleeping. But what happened, happened. There's no point in blaming yourself now. We have to learn from it and move on.”

     Kei nodded but regret was still visible in his eyes. “I should have known they wanted to try something like this. I should have been ready.”

     Yuya sat down next to the sad werewolf and sighed as he put his arm around his shoulders. “I understand that you feel guilty, but no one could have predicted this. They may be werewolves, but they are still children. Children who are curious, who want to explore the world. You can't watch them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and not expect them to do something unexpected every now and then.”

     Kei looked up and his eyes met Yuya's. He saw an understanding in them, and that calmed him down a bit, but the guilt didn't go away completely. “I know, but still… I was responsible for them. And they ran away... something could have happened to them, we could have lost them...”

     Hikaru nodded, but there was now a gentleness in his voice. “Yeah, that could happen. And that's why we have to be even more careful now. But Kei, you're not a machine, you're just a human... I mean a werewolf,” he smiled weakly, trying to lighten the situation a bit. “You can't take the blame for everything that happens. What's important is that we now know how determined they are to explore the world around them. And we have to find a way to guide and protect them without tying them down too much.”

     Yuya nodded in agreement. “And we also have to remember that even if they are different, they are still our children. And children make mistakes. Now we've made it and we're learning. And most importantly, nothing happened to them and they are alive. That's the main thing.”

     Kei took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you,” he said quietly, “I know you're right. I just wish I was more careful. But I promise it won't happen again.”

     Hikaru gave him an encouraging smile and then the three of them pulled into each other's embrace. Kei hugged the two werewolves tightly. “I love you, guys. I'm just... glad to have you two by my side.”

     Yuya stroked both of their backs with his long arms. “We are a pack. And the pack sticks together.”

     They knew that challenging times lay ahead, but they were determined to face whatever came. And most of all, they were ready to protect the ones they cared about the most – their wolf pups, who were their future.

Chapter Text

     It was early afternoon and the forest around them was filled with peace and the sounds of nature. The pack gathered on the banks of a large river that flowed deep in the woods, far from human settlements and towns. It was their favorite place where they could devote themselves to training their offspring and, at the same time, take a break from the world that surrounded them.

     Sitting on the bank were four little wolf cubs, all in their wolf forms, their eyes full of curiosity. Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito listened intently as Yuya and Daiki explained the basics of fishing to them. Yuya sat down on the edge of the bank and showed the wolves how to focus on the current of the water, how to follow the movements of the fish, and how to attack quickly and effectively when the fish got close.

     “Fishing is a lot about patience,” Yuya said, his voice calm but firm. “You have to wait for the right moment to attack. It's not just about speed, but above all about accuracy.”

     Daiki who was standing next to him nodded. “When you see a fish, don't jump on it right away. Follow it, and find out where it swims and how it moves. Then when you attack, you'll know where it'll be, and not just where it is now.”

     The wolf cubs sat perfectly focused; their eyes fixed on the surface of the water. You could see their young minds thinking and trying to understand what their older brothers in the pack were explaining to them. Ryosuke was among them, his red eyes filled with determination. He felt himself becoming part of the pack again and was determined to show that he too was a capable wolf who could hunt just like the others.

     “And most importantly,” Yuya continued, “you must be quiet. Fish are sensitive to sounds and vibrations, so any wrong move can scare them and you'll lose them.”

     Yuto, who was guaranteed to be the most energetic of them all, struggled to keep calm and quiet, but he was visibly trying. He wanted to show everyone that he could be a good hunter, even if it cost him a lot of self-control. Yuri and Keito were noticeably calmer, but tension and concentration could be seen in their eyes as well.

     Meanwhile, a short distance from the shore, Hikaru and Kei were busy setting up camp. They were in their human forms and preparing the fireplace for the evening fire where they planned to rest and prepare dinner after the hunt. Hikaru carefully stacked the wood while Kei checked the supplies they had brought with them.

     “What's going on by the river?” Hikaru asked without looking up from the fireplace.

     Kei looked towards the river where he saw Yuya and Daiki patiently explaining the basics of fishing to the young wolves. He turned back to Hikaru with a smile on his face. “They seem to take it seriously. The pups are tense and listening like it's a matter of life and death,” he replied with a small smile. “Yuya and Daiki are doing a good job.”

     Hikaru nodded as he stacked the last pieces of wood on the fire pit. “That's good. They have to learn it. Hunting is not only about strength and speed but also about concentration and calmness. I'm glad the guys are passing it on to them like that.”

     Kei agreed and continued to check the supplies. “It will be a great experience for them. And for us too,” he added with a smile as he remembered the first hunts they went on when they were still younger. “I still find it strange how the roles have turned now. That we suddenly became the ones who lead and teach. I feel old,” he laughed.

     “Oh, yeah,” Hikaru agreed, “but that's part of pack life. We must take care of the younger ones as our parents took care of us. And they will one day take care of the next generation.”

     Kei stopped and looked at Hikaru, his eyes filled with thoughts. “You're right,” he replied thoughtfully. “But sometimes it scares me how fast they grow. It seems like only yesterday when they were little puppies, and now…”

     “They're not just little puppies now,” Hikaru interrupted with a smile, “but young wolves learning to stand on their own feet.”

     Meanwhile, by the river, the young wolves concentrated on their task. Ryosuke, with his eyes fixed on the surface of the water, felt his heart pounding. He was determined to catch his first fish. A quiet energy rippled around him as he absorbed the advice from Yuya and Daiki and tried to apply it as best he could. The water was still, and he felt its every movement, every splash.

     Yuto, the brown wolf who was sitting not far from him, tried to be as patient as possible, but his curiosity kept him looking around, looking for fish in different parts of the river, and sometimes when the water moved, he couldn't resist and immediately jumped, causing a small splash and laughter from Daiki. “Calm down, Yuto,” he admonished him gently, “you still need to wait a while.”

     Ryosuke looked at his brother but didn't pay him much attention. He was fully focused on what was in front of him. He could feel his wolf instincts kicking in. He knew that right now was the deciding moment whether he could catch his first fish. He tried to keep calm and quiet, just like Yuya had taught them.

     Ryosuke tensed, his eyes focused on the movement in the water, and when Yuya whispered that it was time, Ryosuke charged forward in a flash. His paw whizzed through the air and hit the surface of the water, which swirled into bubbles and spray. But when the water calmed down, Ryosuke found his paw empty. The fish escaped him.

     Frustration coursed through his body, but he tried to hide it. He quickly looked at Yuya and Daiki who were smiling encouragingly at him. “It's okay, Ryosuke,” Yuya said. “Fishing is not only about speed but also about patience. You'll make it next time.”

     Ryosuke nodded even though he was disappointed. He felt like he had let himself down, but he decided not to give up. He glanced at his brothers, who were also focused on the river, ready for their own attempt.

     Yuto tried again, but like Ryosuke, he missed. The water splashed again, but the fish disappeared away. “Damn,” Yuto muttered, but quickly recovered and tried once more. His energy and determination were indomitable even when he was not doing well.

     Yuri was no better off. He tried too, but the fish eluded him every time, either because of his lack of accuracy or because he was a little too eager. So far, none of them have caught a fish, but their determination has not wavered.

     Always the most sensitive of them all, Keito stood on the shallows and watched the fish swimming in the river. When one came close, he could easily grab it. But instead of attacking, his paw remained motionless above the water. When the fish moved again, Keito deliberately missed and let it swim through.

     “Keito,” Daiki called to him as he noticed that the young wolf was deliberately leaving the fish alone. “You have to focus. I understand it's hard to hurt them, but that's part of the hunt. It's important.”

     Keito lowered his ears and looked away. “I know,” he muttered. “But… I feel sorry for those fish. I don't want to hurt them.”

     Yuya exchanged a look with Daiki, both understanding that Keito was different from the others. He was more sensitive, had a gentler nature, and while they knew he had to learn to hunt, they also knew it would be difficult for him.

     “It's okay, Keito,” Yuya said soothingly. “Hunting is part of our nature, but it's not just about killing. It's about survival. It's about making sure the pack has something to eat. When we hunt, we do it with respect for nature and those we hunt.”

     Keito nodded slowly, but he still looked bothered. Seeing how upset Keito was, Ryosuke moved closer to him and gently nudged his shoulder with his snout as if to give him courage. Keito smiled at him but was still full of uncertainty.

     “Don't worry, bro,” Ryosuke said encouragingly. “You'll learn it too. And if you want, we can try it together, step by step. No rush.”

     Keito looked at him, gratitude in his eyes. “Thanks, Ryosuke,” he whispered. “I'll try.”

     Yuya and Daiki looked at the wolves with silent understanding. While Ryosuke and the others had the natural instinct of a hunter, Keito was different. However, they knew it was important to let him find his own way to cope with the hunt.

     Yuri focused on the surface of the river, trying to follow all the advice Yuya and Daiki had given them. The water was calm, only occasional movements of fish disturbed its surface. Yuri, with his eyes fixed on the surface, tried to ignore the voices of his brothers and fully concentrate on the hunt.

     And then it happened. Out of nowhere, his paw moved towards the water in a flash without him fully realizing it. The water splashed and at that moment he felt something heavy get caught under his paw.

     “I caught it!” he exclaimed in surprise and joy as he pulled the fluttering fish out of the water with his teeth. His eyes shone with excitement as he stared in disbelief at his catch. He didn't even know how he managed it, but he held the fish firmly in his mouth so that it wouldn't slip away.

     Ryosuke, Yuto, and Keito stared at him with open mouths filled with amazement. “Wow, Yuri!” Yuto exclaimed excitedly. “You're so cool!”

     Keito and Ryosuke barked excitedly, wagging their tails. “That was amazing!” Keito added with a smile, forgetting his own failures. He was happy for his brother and completely excited about what had just happened.

     Yuya and Daiki smiled at each other. “Great job, Yuri,” Yuya complimented him, his voice full of pride. “Now take it to the camp and show it to Kei and Hikaru. They will be happy.”

     Yuri nodded, his eyes still shining with the joy of success. With the fish in his mouth, he made his way towards the camp, his paws lightly rustling the forest floor. His brothers enthusiastically followed him, still elated by his success.

     When Yuri arrived at the camp, Kei and Hikaru were already sitting around the still unlit campfire when they saw Yuri running up proudly carrying his fish.

     “Look! I caught a fish!” Yuri exclaimed proudly as he ran over to Hikaru and Kei and placed the fish in the basket ready for the catches.

     Hikaru smiled at him and nodded. “Aw, Yuri,” he said with pride in his voice. “I see you've been paying close attention to your fishing class!”

     Kei joined him and patted his head. “This is a great start, Yuri. I'm proud of you.”

     Yuri beamed even more, his pride and joy evident. He felt like a real hunter, like a full-fledged member of the pack. It was important to him because he was always trying to prove that he too had the strength and abilities that were expected of him.

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke, Yuto, and Keito also joined him, still unable to believe what had just happened. “Really good job, Yuri,” Ryosuke said with a smile. “I'll catch some fish too, I promise!”

     “And me too!” Yuto added, already beaming with energy again and bouncing on the spot.

     Kei and Hikaru smiled at each other, pleased with the progress their wolf cubs were making. It was just the beginning of their learning, but every such success was important for their development and self-confidence.

     “Alright, guys,” Hikaru said as he saw the pups jumping around. “Will you try to catch more fish for us? You're the ones taking care of dinner tonight!” he smiled and gently patted all four on the heads.

     The wolf cubs nodded and quickly returned to the river, full of new energy and determination. Yuri's success inspired them all and they set a goal that they too could catch their own fish.

     The water gently lapped around their paws as they concentrated on their task. Yuya and Daiki watched over them carefully to ensure they were safe while learning the basics of fishing.

     Yuya stood in the faster part of the river where the water flowed more violently. His position was strategic – he protected the wolf cubs from danger so that a stronger current would not carry them further down the river. The water was almost up to his belly, but he was firmly anchored in place, ready to intervene if needed.

     Meanwhile, Ryosuke and Yuto, full of competitiveness, began arguing over a place in the river where they both wanted to fish. “Hey, this is my spot!” Yuto stated with a slightly annoyed tone as he saw Ryosuke standing exactly where he wanted to hunt.

     Ryosuke frowned at him but then sighed. “I was here first, Yuto,” he said, but his tone was softer, he didn't want to argue. “But… maybe we could try together.”

     Yuto looked at him in surprise. “Together?” he asked, curiosity and hesitation in his voice. After all, they were used to competing, and each of them wanted to catch their own fish.

     “Yeah, together,” Ryosuke nodded, his red eyes shining with excitement at the new idea. “If we both go after the same fish, maybe we have a better chance of catching it. As a team.”

     Yuto thought for a moment, his expression gradually changing from hesitation to enthusiasm. “Sounds like a good idea!” he finally agreed, moving quickly to Ryosuke's side. “Let's do it!”

     The two wolves then readied themselves, their eyes fixed on the water. Focus and determination radiated from their bodies. They were like two hunters, ready to attack. Ryosuke watched for movement in the water while Yuto tried to tune his instincts to the max to catch even the slightest movement.

     Yuya who was watching them smiled at their cooperation. You could see that despite their competitive natures, they could find a common goal and work together when needed. Daiki, who was standing a bit away, also smiled and nodded towards Yuya. It was a sign that their learning was beginning to bear fruit.

     Ryosuke and Yuto stood side by side, tense and ready for action. Suddenly, almost simultaneously, they both saw movement in the water. The water rippled slightly and their instincts immediately responded.

     “Now!” Ryosuke whispered and both wolves jumped forward at the same time. Their paws broke through the surface of the water and hit something heavy and slippery - a fish!

     The fish thrashed wildly, but this time it didn't stand a chance. The two wolves gripped its body tightly as water splashed all around. It was a struggle, but together they made it.

     Ryosuke and Yuto stood side by side, both holding the fish firmly in their mouths, one on each side. It was their joint prey and they wanted to proudly bring it back to camp. The problem was that the fish was heavier and bigger than they expected, and neither of them was prepared for how difficult it would be to carry it together.

     They walked slowly, trying to synchronize their steps so they wouldn't trip or drop their catch. But as they tried to walk side by side, it was more complicated than they first thought. The fish kept thrashing a bit and both wolves occasionally lost their balance, but neither wanted to let go of their part.

     “Hmmmph,” Yuto hummed as he tried to adjust his step, only to pull Ryosuke to the side, causing them both to almost trip over their own paws.

     Ryosuke quickly braced himself to keep from falling, but instead, his paws got tangled in the roots of a tree, and both of them suddenly nearly fell to the ground. “Mmrrr,” Ryosuke grunted as he tried to keep his balance but not let go of the fish.

     The two wolves were now meandering back and forth as they tried to avoid obstacles in their path while not getting in each other's way. It was incredibly comical - two little wolves, each holding tightly to one side of the fish, trying to reach the campsite in perfect harmony. Their bodies lurched sideways as they tried to balance the weight of the catch and not trip over each other.

     Kei and Hikaru who were watching the whole scene couldn't help but smile. “Look at them,” Kei laughed softly. “They're adorable.”

     “This is true teamwork,” Hikaru added with a soft smile on his face. “Albeit a bit clumsy.”

     Yuya and Daiki, who remained in the river, were also amused by the comical struggle of their charges. “Guys, do you need help?” Daiki called out to them, but it was clear that he was enjoying the little wolves trying to handle the task on their own.

     But Ryosuke and Yuto were determined. Despite all the problems and stumbles, they did not give up. It was important for them - to show that even though they are still small, they can handle difficult tasks together.

     Finally, after a few stumbles and jostles, they made it to the campsite. Both wolves sat down heavily on the ground, still holding their prey tightly, but now with victorious smiles in their eyes.

     “We got it!” Yuto howled happily as he released the fish and wagged his tail happily.

     Ryosuke followed him, releasing his side of the fish and taking a deep breath. “We made it together,” he said. They were adorable and their efforts did not go unnoticed.

     “You guys are incredible,” Kei complimented them as he came closer and patted their heads. “This was teamwork at its best.”

     “And it was funny too,” Hikaru added with a smile. The two adult werewolves in the camp smiled at the two small wolves trying to handle a task that was obviously more difficult for them than they had imagined. “You're really smart,” Hikaru said, patting Ryosuke's head. “And from now on you can hunt fish for the pack if you like.”

     “But maybe you should train a little more,” Kei added with a laugh as he saw Ryosuke and Yuto look at each other with their tongues hanging out and barking at each other.

     Yuto, who was barely catching his breath after the effort of carrying the fish, looked at Hikaru with a mischievous smile in his eyes. “Can we play for a while now?” he asked with a hiccup. He was full of energy that he needed to release somehow and he couldn't wait to start playing with Ryosuke again.

     Hikaru glanced at him, then looked at Ryosuke, who was also waiting for an answer with eyes filled with anticipation. “Okay,” Hikaru finally agreed with a soft smile. “But be careful not to drown.”

     Yuto didn't even wait for another word. He immediately jumped into the air and took off towards the river, with Ryosuke immediately taking off after him. It was clear that they were preparing for another of their typical playful battles.

     Yuto jumped into the shallow water and splashed it everywhere while Ryosuke quickly joined him. It was as if all of their energy and enthusiasm suddenly gushed out. Ryosuke tried to jump at Yuto from the side, but Yuto quickly turned and pushed him back into the water. The two wolves rolled in the water, barking and playfully fighting as they tried to overpower each other.

     Meanwhile, a little further away, Yuri decided to try to help Keito with his fishing. He saw how sad his brother was that he hadn't caught any fish yet, and he wanted to give him courage. He crept up to him and quietly sat down beside him on the shallows.

     “Hey, Keito,” Yuri started softly, “how about we try this together? Just like Ryosuke and Yuto.”

     Keito looked at him, uncertainty still in his eyes. “But… I really don't want to hurt any fish,” he admitted quietly. “They didn't do anything to make me have to kill them...”

     Yuri smiled at him and nodded his head. “I know it's hard,” he said, “but if we do this together, maybe you won't feel so alone and you can make it. Plus, if you don't catch anything today, we can make it our mission to try again tomorrow. You just have to try.”

     Keito nodded but still looked uncertain. Although he was determined to at least try, he wasn't sure if he could pull it off. “Alright,” he finally whispered, taking a deep breath. “We'll try.”

     Yuri moved a bit closer, ready to strike if any fish appeared. Keito stood beside him, his body tense but still hesitating.

     When the fish finally appeared to them, Yuri prepared for action and Keito did the same. But at the last moment, when he had a chance to catch the fish, Keito stopped again. Instead of attacking, his paw remained motionless above the water, and the fish swam through without any threat.

     “I… I just can't,” Keito sighed and retreated back to the shore, his ears down, his tail tucked between his legs, his expression filled with sadness. “I'm sorry, Yuri.”

     Yuri sat down next to him and gently nudged him with his head. “It's okay, Keito,” he reassured him. “You don't have to do it if you don't want to. Each of us is different. Maybe your talent is somewhere else.”

     Keito looked at him with gratitude in his eyes. “Thanks, Yuri,” he said quietly. “I'm glad you understand me.”

     While Ryosuke and Yuto continued to frolic in the water, enjoying their game, Yuri remained seated next to Keito on the shore, sensing his disappointment. But suddenly he got an idea. He turned to him with a slight smile and whispered, “Keito, how about we go pick blueberries? Remember how you found that huge bush full of blueberries on the way here? We can have a look there.”

     Keito's eyes lit up. Picking blueberries was something he always enjoyed – it was a calm and peaceful task that gave him a sense of joy without having to hurt anyone. “Yeah, I'd love to,” he nodded enthusiastically, his sad expression suddenly gone.

     Yuri smiled at him and then they both turned to Yuya who was still standing in the water watching over Ryosuke and Yuto fighting and frolicking. “Yuya, can we go pick blueberries?” Yuri called to him.

     Yuya turned to them and saw Keito brighten up as soon as he heard about the blueberries. It was clear to him that fishing was not for Keito and that he needed to do something that brought him joy and peace. He understood without hesitation and nodded. “Of course, guys,” he replied with a smile. “Go pick blueberries. But be careful and don't go too far, okay? Ask someone to go with you.”

     Keito immediately jumped to his feet, full of new energy and enthusiasm. “Thank you, Yuya!” he called and immediately licked Yuri's nose with joy. His tail was wagging from side to side.

     Just then they were joined by Kei in his human form who decided to go with them. “I'll go with you, guys,” he said with a smile, “and help you find that blueberry bush. And we'll have a little chat too, what do you say?”

     Keito nodded, albeit a little nervously. He loved his dad and knew he wanted to talk about why he didn't like hunting, but he was glad Kei understood him. It was his dad and he believed he wouldn't blame him for being different.

     So, the three of them set off towards the forest to look for blueberry bushes. It was a pleasant afternoon, the sun shining through the treetops and the forest filled with the soothing rustle of leaves and birdsong. With each step, Keito felt himself relax and his mind left the thoughts of fishing.

     Kei walked beside his son, giving him a gentle smile every now and then. He finally broke the silence, “You know, Keito, each of us has something we like and something we don't quite like. Fishing comes naturally to us werewolves, but that doesn't mean it has to be for everyone.”

     Keito looked up at him as he walked through the bushes looking for blueberries. “I… I just don't want to hurt anyone,” he admitted quietly, a little sheepishly. “The fish didn't do anything to me, so why should I catch them?”

     Kei stopped and gently placed a hand on his head. “I understand you, son. And it's totally okay to feel that way. Being a werewolf doesn't mean you have to be like everyone else. You are unique and have your own values. And that's something you should be proud of. What I am proud of.”

     Keito looked at his father and whimpered. “Thanks, Dad,” he said quietly but sincerely. “I'm glad you understand me.”

     “I'll always understand you, Keito,” Kei smiled, patting his back. “And if picking blueberries makes you happy, then this is the right way for you to be part of the pack. Each of us has a place, a role to play in the family.”

     Keito nodded and once he found a large bush full of blueberries, his eyes lit up again. "Dad, look! I found them!” he shouted excitedly as he transformed into his human form and pounced on the blueberries, he began to collect in the basket his dad handed him.

     Kei smiled and sat down next to him along with Yuri who had already transformed back into a human, albeit a small human, but still a human. “See? This is your way of hunting, Keito. And it's a great way. Picking blueberries is as important as catching fish.”

     While Kei, Keito, and Yuri picked blueberries in the forest, Yuto and Ryosuke stayed by the river where they continued their wild game. The water still splashed around their paws as they chased and jumped over each other, their playful barks echoing down the river bed.

     Yuto was just charging forward, skipping rocks and sliding along the shore as Ryosuke chased after him with typical determination. His movements were quick and agile as if nothing could stand in his way. Sometimes he playfully attacked Yuto, trying to flip him over, but Yuto was always one step ahead, deftly avoiding him or attacking back himself.

     Ryosuke had definitely returned to his usual form, full of energy and life. It was a huge difference from how weak and exhausted he had been not too long ago. Now he looked like the old Ryosuke everyone knew and loved – playful, determined, and ready for any challenge.

     Yuya and Daiki who were standing nearby watching over them couldn't help but notice how Ryosuke was back to his full strength. It was a relief to them to see him moving again and at his usual size. “Ryosuke is feeling good now,” Yuya said with a smile on his face as he watched Ryosuke and Yuto tirelessly fight and bounce around the river.

     “Yeah,” Daiki nodded, his eyes full of joy. “It's great to see him so happy again. After all we've been through.”

     Yuto, who had just jumped over Ryosuke with a joyful leap, stopped in his tracks and quickly turned around to grab his tail again. But Ryosuke quickly dodged and playfully bit into his paw without injuring him of course. The two then began to roll around on the ground in the water, trying to knock each other over but still barking at each other.

     “Looks like they're not tired at all,” Daiki shook his head with a laugh. “They won't even sleep today,” he stated and then tried to catch some fish himself.

     Yuya just smiled. “They're full of energy, and that's good. Ryosuke needed some time to recover and now he's back.”

     Both adult werewolves watched as Ryosuke and Yuto continued their wild game. They looked like two shadows chasing the shore, jumping into the water, and returning to the shore again. It was clear they were enjoying every moment, and that was exactly what the pack needed - quiet moments filled with joy and laughter.

     “How about we try to catch some fish again?” Yuto suggested, his voice still slightly breathless.

     Ryosuke nodded, the spark of competitiveness in his eyes again. “Yeah, I'll definitely catch it by myself this time!” he said with determination as he stood back in the water where he focused on the current again and waited to spot a fish.

     Daiki and Yuya who were standing nearby still kept an eye on them even as they caught their own fish to give the pack something to eat. However, they were happy that their little wolves had the desire to start hunting again. They moved closer to the shore to help them and at the same time give them some direction.

     “Alright, guys,” Yuya said with an encouraging tone. “Now try to calm down a bit and concentrate on what you're doing. If you're out of breath, you won't catch anything.”

     Yuto and Ryosuke nodded, their gazes focused on the surface of the river. They both knew now that they had to be calm and patient to have any chance of success. With slow and gentle movements, they prepared to hunt while Daiki and Yuya stood nearby, ready to assist them at any moment.

     Ryosuke stood a little further away from Yuto so that everyone could try to catch their own fish. Both immersed themselves in their task, their eyes intently following every movement in the water. They were tense but excited at the same time.

     The water splashed around them as an occasional fish swooped by. Ryosuke stood as still as a statue, his paw and teeth poised for a quick attack, when he suddenly saw movement beneath the surface. His eyes widened as he saw the silvery sheen of the fish's body. This time he was determined not to let it escape.

     “Now!” he shouted in his mind and charged in a flash. His paw broke through the surface of the water and met the hard, slippery body of the fish. This time he was lucky – his strike was accurate and quick. He dug his claws into the fish's body and quickly pulled it to shore with his teeth.

     “Got it!” he said triumphantly as the fish thrashed around in his mouth but had no chance of escape.

     Yuto, who was only a short distance away, watched him in admiration. “Nice one, bro!” he shouted excitedly, and encouraged by his brother's success, he too focused on hunting again.

     Before long, Yuto also had his success when he spotted a fish swimming close to the shore. He was ready and jumped into the water without hesitation, his claws landed squarely and he pulled it ashore next to Ryosuke.

     “I got one too!” Yuto squealed happily as he ran to brag to his brother with a fish in his mouth that he too had succeeded.

     Daiki and Yuya stepped closer and praised the two wolves. “Great job, guys,” Yuya said with pride.

     Daiki nodded his head. “Now we're almost ready for dinner,” he added with a laugh. “Keep going.”

     So Ryosuke and Yuto returned to camp with fish in their mouths, their fur still wet from the water splashed all around them from their wild hunt. They proudly headed to the basket, where there were already several fish that had been caught not only by the wolf cubs but also by Yuya and Daiki. They carefully placed their catches inside and turned towards Hikaru who was watching them with a smile on his face.

     “Well done, kids,” Hikaru complimented them, his voice brimming with pride. “You see, if you try, you can catch a great dinner.”

     Ryosuke and Yuto were excited at his words. Their eyes shone with happiness and joy that they had succeeded in something so important. But as they stood there, they realized they were still completely wet. Yuto gave Ryosuke a mischievous look as if he had a plan in his head.

     And before Hikaru could say anything, the two wolves shook violently, water from their fur spraying in all directions. Hikaru, who was standing just a short distance away from them, was instantly half-wet. The water splashed over his clothes, his face, and even his hair.

     Hikaru looked at them in surprise for a moment, his expression stern. “Really, you two?” he said with a slight rebuke in his voice but his eyes still sparkling with amusement. “I could have expected it...”

     Ryosuke and Yuto looked at him guiltily, trying to hold back their laughter but unable to hide their wolfish giggles.

     However, before Hikaru could add anything else, Daiki, who was also still wet from guarding the wolves in the water, came up to them. Once he reached the campsite, he approached Hikaru and shook happily as well, not realizing that he was standing right in the middle of the camp.

     More water sprayed out of him than from Ryosuke and Yuto combined, and Hikaru, who was now completely drenched, looked at him with an expression of complete disbelief. He tried to look stern for a moment, but the sight of Daiki, who was giggling just like the wolf cubs, made him only growl loudly.

     “Daiki!” Hikaru called out; his voice full of laughter. “You could have done that the moment you came out of the water, not here at camp! I'm completely wet now!”

     Daiki looked at him innocently, as if he didn't understand what had happened, but he knew very well what he was doing. “Um… sorry, Hikaru,” he replied with a smile, gently poking the wolf cubs with his paw. The two of them had to shake their fur once more as Daiki soaked them as well.

     Ryosuke and Yuto then finally stopped trying to hold back their laughter and started laughing out loud. Realizing that he was trying to look stern in vain, Hikaru just shook his head and smiled at them.

     “Okay, okay,” he finally said. “We're all wet now, good work. But just try to dry yourself out of camp next time, okay?” he added with a wink.

     Daiki, Ryosuke, and Yuto smiled at each other and then Daiki turned back to Ryosuke and Yuto. “Seriously, great job with those fish. This is a catch to be proud of.”

     After everyone had calmed down a bit after the water shower they had given each other, they settled down around the fire that was already blazing in the camp. The warm light of the fire warmed them as the soft crackle of burning wood carried through the air. Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito obediently sat in a circle around Hikaru, who was preparing to show them how to properly debone and prepare the fish they had caught.

     “Alright, guys,” Hikaru began with a serious but friendly expression. “Today we will show you how to prepare the fish you caught. That's an important skill you need to be able to cook for yourself when you're older.”

     He took one of the fish brought by Ryosuke and Yuto and placed it on the flat rock in front of him. “First, you need to debone the fish. You have to be careful not to break its flesh, but at the same time, you have to remove all the bones so it's good to eat.”

     The wolves watched his every move carefully. Hikaru took his knife and began deboning the fish with the precision of an experienced hunter. He showed them how to carefully cut the fish open along the spine, and then remove the bones one by one.

     “See?” he said as he removed the first bone. “It is necessary to proceed slowly and concentratedly. If you rush too much, you can damage the meat unnecessarily.”

     Yuto, always the most eager to learn new things, leaned closer to see better. “Hikaru, can I try too?” he asked excitedly.

     Hikaru smiled at him and nodded. “Sure, Yuto. Try it,” he handed him the knife and let him try deboning another fish.

     Yuto was focused and cautious. Hikaru guided him and gently advised him when he saw that he needed help. Even though the fish didn't look as nice as Hikaru's, Yuto tried and deboned the fish quite well.

     “That's it, Yuto,” Hikaru complimented him as he finished his work. “A little more practice and you'll be as good at it as I am.”

     Yuto smiled proudly, satisfied with what he had accomplished. The other boys watched him with admiration and wanted to try the same. Hikaru then showed them how to properly season the fish to make it taste the best.

     “Now we're going to get some salt and herbs,” he explained as he sprinkled the fish with the spice mix they had prepared. “Herbs add flavor to the fish, and the salt helps bring out the flavor of the meat.”

     Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito watched closely as Hikaru worked with the spices, trying to remember all the steps he was showing them. Hikaru then gave them each a small piece of seasoning so they could try seasoning the fish themselves.

     “Now it's up to you, pups,” he said encouragingly. “Try it, and don't worry if it's not perfect the first time. Learning is about making mistakes and learning from them.”

     Each of the little chefs took their part and tried to properly season the fish according to the instructions. They were trying, even though they weren't as skilled as Hikaru.

     “You're doing great,” Hikaru complimented them as he saw their seasoned fish.

     When the fish were ready, Hikaru placed them on flat stones next to the fire to begin roasting. The smell of spiced meat soon began to waft through the camp, and the cubs were excited to approach the fire to watch their catch turn into a delicious dinner.

     “Well, now we'll just wait for the fish to cook nicely,” Hikaru said with a smile as he sat down next to them. “And then we'll all enjoy what you've caught and prepared.”

     Yuto, Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito sat around the fire, eagerly anticipating their dinner while feeling proud of what they had accomplished today. It was another of the many lessons that brought them closer to becoming true werewolves.

     While the fish slowly roasted on the flat stones by the fire, everyone sat around enjoying the warmth of the fire. The pups snuggled closer to each other and the adult werewolves as they waited for dinner. The atmosphere was calm, full of family well-being, and only the crackling of wood in the fire could be heard in the silence of the forest.

     Daiki, who had settled down near the fire and watched the small flames weave between the wood, suddenly had an idea. He knew that stories were a great way to entertain children but also teach them a lesson or share a part of his past. So, he decided to tell them something about himself.

     “When I was as small as you, or maybe even smaller,” he began softly, his voice drawing the attention of all the pups, “my life looked very different than yours. I was also born a wolf, not a human. I only remember bits and pieces of that time, but I know that I was born deep in the woods, in a small pack.”

     Yuto, Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito looked at him curiously, clearly intrigued by what Daiki had begun to tell them. It was hard for them to imagine that Daiki, who they had always known as strong and capable, ever had a hard life.

     “Once, someone found me when I was still very small. I was maybe only a few months old,” Daiki continued, his voice calm but deep with a certain tension. “I don't know who it was, but those people took me from the forest and sold me to some rich family as a pet.”

     Ryosuke who was the closest looked at Daiki with sadness in his red eyes. “As a pet?” he repeated quietly as if he couldn't believe that someone would treat a werewolf like a pet.

     Daiki nodded. “Yeah, like a pet. I was just a wolf pup to them. They didn't know I was a werewolf. They were sure I was just a cute little wolf they could keep like a dog. And so, I lived in that family, I was something like a toy for them.”

     Yuri, who had always seen Daiki as a big brother, asked, “And what happened after that? How did they find out you were a werewolf?”

     Daiki sighed and thought for a moment. “One day, I transformed for the first time,” he answered calmly. “That was my first transformation into human form. I felt very strange and didn't know what was happening, why I was suddenly not a wolf anymore. And the family I was in started to fear me. They saw me as a monster, something they didn't understand at all. And so they just threw me out as soon as they found out what I was.”

     Keito, now moving closer to Daiki, looked a little sad. “And what did you do then?” he asked quietly.

     “I had to fend for myself somehow,” Daiki continued with a sigh. “It was difficult. I couldn't hunt, I couldn't take care of myself. I spent a lot of time just hiding and looking for something to eat. I didn't know how to survive in the wild because I was always dependent on people.”

     Ryosuke looked at him with eyes full of empathy. “That must have been terrible…” he whispered.

     Daiki smiled sadly and nodded his head. “Well, it was difficult. But luckily, I eventually ran into a pack that accepted me,” he smiled at the adult werewolves present. “They taught me to hunt, to defend myself, and to be part of the family that I have with you now. They made me who I am today.”

     Hikaru, Kei, and Yuya were extremely pleased by Daiki's words. They raised him in a similar way to the four little wolf cubs they are raising right now.

     Yuto, who always admired Daiki's courage, nodded. “I'm glad our pack found you,” he said with a smile. “It wouldn't be the same without you.”

     Daiki smiled, moved by the words. “I'm glad I found you too. You are my family. And what I experienced taught me to appreciate what I have. And also, that no matter how hard things are sometimes, you can always find a way back to your family, even if not to the original one.”

     The cubs looked at each other and then gratefully snuggled closer to Daiki, Yuri sitting on his lap. It was a moment that cemented their bond as a pack even more and reminded them how important they were to each other.

     The other werewolves who were sitting around the fire were exchanging glances and it was obvious that memories of the first time they found Daiki were running through their heads. They were mixed memories, full of sadness and joy that they managed to bring him back to life and to the pack.

     Yuya, who was leaning against a rock next to the fire, looked at Daiki and began to talk, “I remember when we found you. It was in the middle of the forest; winter was just beginning. You were wearing only a few scraps of clothing left over from the human family, and you looked like you were going to collapse at any moment. You could barely stand on your feet.”

     Daiki nodded, although he didn't like to talk about those days anymore, he knew it was important that all the pack members knew what he had been through. “Yeah, it was rough,” he admitted quietly. “But thanks to you I made it. You were my support when I needed you most.'”

     Kei thought, then joined the conversation, “When we found you, you were so skinny and weak that we weren't even sure if you were going to make it. We got you to safety right away, but I remember how worried we were that you wouldn't make it.”

     Ryosuke and the others remained silent, intently listening to every detail of the story the adults were now telling them. It was hard for them to imagine Daiki at the edge of his powers and they realized how strong he must have been to overcome all those obstacles.

     “Hikaru,” Yuya began, “remember how you barely moved away from him that first night? You and Kota were still with him to make sure he survived.”

     Hikaru, who had been silent until that moment, smiled sadly. “Yeah, I remember that,” he admitted. “We were scared we were going to lose you, Daiki. We brought you to our hideout, but despite everything we did for you, you were still in such bad shape... I was ready to do anything to keep you alive.”

     Daiki looked at Hikaru, his eyes filled with gratitude. “I know I gave you a hard time then,” he said with a soft smile. “But I'll never forget how you took care of me. I was scared, lost, and alone… And you showed me what it means to be part of a pack.”

     Kei nodded and continued, “While you slept, we cooked you broths to strengthen you and keep you warm all the time. It took weeks for you to start to get a little better. But we never gave up because we knew that the first moment we found you, you became part of our family.”

     “I remember the first time you smiled when you were a little stronger,” Yuya added. “It was a complete miracle and it was also the first time we realized you could do it. That you will survive.”

     Daiki smiled, more relaxed now. “And I made it thanks to all of you. Thanks for not giving up on me when I needed you the most.”

     Yuto, who had surprisingly been listening to the whole story, finally spoke up, “We're glad to have you with us, Daiki. It wouldn't be the same without you.” Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito nodded in agreement.

     Daiki's heart warmed when he heard those words. It was confirmation for him that everything he had ever been through had meaning. He will always be grateful that he found his werewolf family that accepted him for who he was. And he knew that no matter what happened, he would always fight for his pack, just as they fought for him.

     As Daiki finished his story and the other werewolves added their memories of how they first found him, the pups looked at him with a huge amount of love and admiration. It was obvious how the story affected them and how much Daiki meant to them.

     Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito exchanged quick glances, and then, as if pre-arranged, all four rushed at Daiki at once. They surrounded him with enthusiasm and laughter, hugging him from all sides. “We love you, Daiki!” all four called at once, their voices full of sincere love.

     Daiki, who didn't expect such a rush of emotions, tried to keep his balance, but the little ones were full of energy, so they knocked him to the ground. They all ended up in a heap of laughter and glee as the cubs continued to press down on him, giving him no time to recover.

     “Hey, guys, slow down! I'm still stronger than you, ya know?!” Daiki laughed, but it was clear how much this unexpected avalanche of emotions moved him. His laughter mingled with theirs as he tried to gently free himself, but at the same time continued to hug and pat their backs.

     “No, we don't want to let you go!” Yuto exclaimed, literally hanging on to Daiki while Yuri hung onto his neck.

     “I love you so much, all four of you,” Daiki laughed as he tried to get up under them again, but eventually gave up and stayed on the ground, enjoying their honest displays of werewolf love.

     Hikaru, Kei, and Yuya, who were watching the whole thing from behind the fire, couldn't help but laugh as well. They were very moved by this scene. Daiki's story had a huge effect on everyone and only strengthened their bond as a family.

     “Alright, alright, you rascals,” Daiki finally said, still in their embrace. “I think it's time for us to get up and get ready for dinner. Your fish must be done by now.”

     “Just a bit more!” Ryosuke begged, not wanting to break away.

     “Okay, but just a moment,” Daiki nodded, laughing and hugging them all tightly again. “I'm already hungry like a wolf,” he made not only the wolf cubs laugh, but also his brothers.

     The evening slowly turned into night, and as the stars appeared in the sky, the fire continued to crackle, and the pack huddled closer together. They were happy to be with each other and overcome all the obstacles that life threw their way. They knew that nothing in the world was stronger than their bond.

Chapter Text

     Hikaru stood on the wooden porch that was plunged into darkness, only the dim light from his tobacco pipe occasionally illuminating his face. The cool night air was soaked with the scent of pine trees and the moisture that came from the surrounding forests. It was the dead of night, and while the rest of the pack slept, Hikaru tirelessly guarded their home, just as he had done for many months.

     His figure was motionless, almost blending into the darkness of the night, but his eyes were sharp and alert, watching every movement in the forest around him. It was already a habit for him, this night watch that he made his duty. No one forced it on him, no one forced him to do it. But for Hikaru, it was more than just watching; it was an expression of his devotion to the pack, especially to the smallest and most vulnerable ones he had to protect.

     However, deep in his heart, there was something that kept weighing him down, and that was Kota. Even as he tried to stay focused on his task and protect the pack, his mind often returned to thoughts of him. Although a lot of time had passed, Hikaru never stopped hoping that Kota would return one day. Although he didn't go to the castle as much as he used to at the beginning when Kota disappeared, even now he couldn't stop completely. Occasionally, when he had the chance and someone else took over the patrol, he would go to the castle to search again and again for some sign, some clue that Kota was still alive.

     The pipe smoldered softly in his hands and Hikaru took another deep drag before slowly exhaling, the smoke dissipating into the cool night air. Feelings of responsibility, sadness, and hope mingled inside him, constantly driving him forward. He knew he had to stay strong for others, for the wolf cubs who needed him, but also for himself. It was a silent battle he fought every night as he stood on this porch, watching over those closest to him and peering out into the darkness of the woods, hoping one day to see that familiar silhouette return to him.

     And while the silence of the night was broken only by the occasional cracking of wood and rustling of the forest, Hikaru mentally asked himself again how much time would pass before he could once again feel the peace he had been missing for so long.

     As Hikaru was standing on the porch, lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a soft scratching from the inside of the front door. The sound was quiet, but he could hear it clearly in the stillness of the night. His heart raced, but he quickly calmed down again as he realized the scratching was too gentle to be coming from something dangerous.

     He turned towards the door and stood still for a moment before he carefully opened it and looked down. Standing in front of him was little Ryosuke, his fur as dark as night, his red eyes that might have looked terrifying under normal circumstances now looked at Hikaru with an unusual gentleness and sadness.

     Hikaru blinked in surprise. “Ryosuke?” he whispered quietly so as not to wake the others. “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?”

     Ryosuke looked at him and his eyes glistened as if there were tears on the edge. He slowly lowered his head as if ashamed and then whimpered softly. Hikaru knew immediately that something was wrong.

     “Why aren't you sleeping, Ryosuke?” Hikaru asked as he bent down to the little wolf. “What's going on?”

     Ryosuke raised his head and his eyes met Hikaru's gaze. He replied softly, his voice almost inaudible, “Can I be here with you?”

     Hikaru nodded and smiled at Ryosuke before gently picking him up in his arms. “Of course, you can be here with me,” he said kindly, holding the little wolf closer to him. He felt Ryosuke's body relax in his arms and knew this was exactly what he needed.

     He settled down on the porch, this time with Ryosuke wrapped tightly in his arms. The cool night air surrounded them both, but Hikaru shielded the little wolf from the wind with his body. Ryosuke snuggled even closer, his little head resting on Hikaru's shoulder, his fur gently brushing against his face.

     They sat there in silence for a while, only the occasional rustling of the forest disturbing the peace of the night. Hikaru could feel Ryosuke's breathing gradually slow down, but he knew that the sadness he felt wouldn't just go away. But he believed that his presence, his warmth, and the safety he could offer him, was exactly what Ryosuke needed right now.

     “I'm glad you came,” Hikaru whispered into his son's ear. “I'll always be here for you no matter what.”

     Ryosuke didn't respond with a word but whimpered softly and snuggled closer to Hikaru. The Alpha caressed his back gently, his fingers running through his soft fur as he tried to figure out what was bothering his little son. He felt something was wrong and wanted Ryosuke to feel better. He wondered how to begin, but he decided to let Ryosuke speak by himself if he wanted to.

     After a moment, when Ryosuke seemed to relax a bit, he broke the silence. “Daddy…?” the black-furred wolf spoke softly, his voice shaking slightly.

     “Yeah?” Hikaru replied calmly but with interest. He leaned closer so he could hear Ryosuke better.

     Ryosuke remained silent for a moment as if he was wondering if he should really confide before he straightened up and continued, “When we were hanging out with those kids in town, they... They stared at me and then said that I... that I was ugly and disgusting...”

     Hikaru froze. It was exactly what he feared would happen when the pups hit the town. His eyes darkened with anger, but he knew that now he had to focus on Ryosuke's feelings, which he wanted to hear.

     Ryosuke squirmed a little in his arms, not sure if he wanted to continue, but then decided to say more, “And that I shouldn't even be walking around the people with my face...”

     “They told you all that…?” Hikaru's voice was soft now, but there was something in it that indicated he was ready to protect his son at all costs. “Ryosuke, that's not-“

     Ryosuke cut him off, his voice filled with confusion and pain, “Is that why you never wanted to take us to town? Because of… this?” he pointed a paw at his scarred snout.

     Hikaru's heart sank. He was aware of how hard it must have been on Ryosuke. He quickly hugged him even tighter as if to protect him from the whole world. “No, no, no,” he answered quickly, “there's another reason. It has nothing to do with you or the other boys.”

     Ryosuke looked at him, still confused and searching for answers. “Then why?” he nodded softly.

     Hikaru took a deep breath and stroked Ryosuke's back. “The thing is, your transformations are still not stable. We were afraid that one of you would accidentally transform and some of the people would see you, which actually happened...”

     Ryosuke thought about Hikaru's words for a moment, but he still had the feeling that something was wrong. “But we could go to town together, only the two of us… And you never wanted to…” he continued in a low voice, “Are you ashamed of me? For what I look like?” he hung his head.

     Hikaru's heart clenched again, more painfully this time. He didn't expect his son to feel this way. “Ryosuke…” he began, but his voice failed for a moment. He quickly recovered and held the little wolf even closer to him. “It's not like that... I'm never ashamed of you. Gosh, I am so proud that you are my son! So terribly proud!” he gently grabbed his head with both hands.

     Ryosuke looked at him, still a little uncertain, but Hikaru could see the trusting glint in his eyes starting to reappear. Hikaru smiled, ruffling his fur. “Those scars on your face don't make you uglier, absolutely not. You're a handsome little guy even with those scars! I mean it,” he added with a smile that was meant to reassure Ryosuke that these were words he truly meant from his heart.

     Ryosuke, who was a little skeptical at first, felt his heart warm a little. He could hear the sincerity in Hikaru's voice and the love his dad showed him. Even so, he was still a little afraid to believe what he was saying because the words he heard in the town were so painful.

     “But…” he began again, but this time Hikaru cut him off with a gentle nod.

     “Ryosuke, what those kids told you is not true,” he said firmly. “People can be mean when they don't know what to say or when they're afraid of what they don't understand. But that doesn't mean they're right. You are strong, you are brave and you are beautiful just the way you are. And I love you just the way you are.”

     Ryosuke, tears welling up in his eyes again, nodded and snuggled closer to Hikaru. It had been a rough night for him, but now that he was in his dad's arms, he felt a little better. He knew he had someone who loved him and who would always protect him. However, Ryosuke's woes were greater.

     Hikaru sighed as he saw Ryosuke still struggling with the questions running through his mind. He understood how difficult it must have been for him and wanted to help him find peace so he could put those doubts aside.

     Ryosuke looked at him with confused eyes. “But why did they make fun of me because of my scars? I don't understand... Before, one gentleman asked me about my scars, but he told me that I looked cool... So why were they like that?”

     Hikaru hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to explain it. Finally, he decided to be honest and open. “I think I know why,” he began slowly, making sure Ryosuke understood. “You're just a little different from the others, Ryosuke... I'm sorry I couldn't prevent your scars... I'm so sorry...” he gently scratched his belly.

     Ryosuke's eyes widened when he heard Hikaru's words. He had never heard his dad mention anything like that before. “You draw attention to yourself with them,” Hikaru continued. “People look at you more than others and then wonder how it must have happened to you, how much it must have hurt, or who did it to you. But, Ryosuke…” he added, caressing his head again, “Those scars are nothing to be ashamed of. Those scars show everyone what a great fighter you are. You don't wear them on your face for no reason, you fought and that's why you have them.”

     Ryosuke felt his heart warm a little at those words. Hikaru smiled at him, trying to show how much he meant to him. “And I'm incredibly proud of you for fighting from a young age until the last moment you could breathe. You defended your brothers, you protected them, that's why you have those scars. I think to the kids who were mean to you, your scars clearly showed who was far and away the coolest kid around, and that bothered them. That it's you and not them,” Hikaru finished with firm conviction in his voice.

     Ryosuke was quiet for a moment, thinking about what his dad was telling him. He slowly began to understand that what he thought was his weakness could actually be his strength. Those scars that caused him so much pain and suffering were not only the result of a brutal fight but also a testament to how resilient and brave he could be. And even though what the kids said hurt him, Hikaru's words comforted him and gave him a new perspective.

     “You think… You think I'm really that kind of fighter?” Ryosuke asked quietly, still with a certain amount of uncertainty.

     Hikaru smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I think so. And it's not just me, Ryosuke. The whole pack looks at you with admiration. We are all proud of what you did back then. And we'll always stand by you, no matter what happens.”

     Ryosuke's eyes finally sparkled with a small glimmer of hope. Although he still had a long way to go to fully accept himself, Hikaru's words gave him the strength to begin to understand his own self. He nodded slowly and snuggled into Hikaru again, seeking comfort and a sense of security in his arms.

     “Thanks, Dad,” Ryosuke whispered, feeling the heavy sadness that had been haunting him ever since they returned from the town slowly fading away. “But in the town… Even the girls laughed at me…” Ryosuke whispered, lowering his head as if he was ashamed of what he was confiding.

     Hikaru felt anger towards those unknown girls who hurt his son, but at the same time, he knew he had to stay calm and give Ryosuke the support he needed. He patted his head gently and smiled. “Those girls don't know what's good!” he began with a slightly playful tone meant to calm Ryosuke down. “They're not worth your attention at all!”

     Ryosuke looked up at him, still a little sad, but already showing a hint of curiosity, maybe even amusement.

     “Try not to take that kind of talk to your heart too much, okay?” Hikaru continued in a soft but firm voice, caressing the wolf's chest. “I know it's easier said than done, but there really isn't anything wrong with you. I think if every werewolf on the planet had half as handsome a human form as you do, we'd never have to hide from humans again.”

     Ryosuke really laughed this time. It was a soft, shy laugh, but it was clear that his dad's words warmed his heart. Hikaru's heart also relaxed a little at the sound. He could see that his words were helping.

     “I love you, Dad,” Ryosuke said suddenly and sincerely, his voice full of love and gratitude.

     Hikaru smiled, this time wide and with joy that lit up his entire face. “I love you too, Ryosuke. You're my little handsome boy!” he declared with pride.

     But Ryosuke reacted to it immediately, his wolf face frowned. “I'm not little!”

     Hikaru laughed and raised his hands in mock retreat. “Okay, okay, just a little bit little,” he replied, enjoying this little game of theirs.

     “Not even a little bit!” Ryosuke insisted, snorting.

     Hikaru finally gave in and nodded. “Alright, you're my big boy!” he acknowledged, gently stroking his fur.

     Hikaru was still smiling softly as he continued to caress Ryosuke who was feeling better and better in his arms. Hikaru could feel the tension gradually disappear from Ryosuke's body, and when the little wolf snuggled up again, he was no longer as sad and hurt as he had been at the beginning of their conversation. He was even wagging his tail now, which was a clear sign that his mood had improved.

     “So, is it still more comfortable for you to sleep like a wolf?” Hikaru asked after a while with a soft smile.

     Ryosuke thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah,” he replied quietly, but with a smile on his face. “It's nice because I can cuddle all night with the others.”

     Hikaru laughed and patted him gently on the back. “Oh, that's right! It must feel great to be wrapped up in a ball with your bros.”

     Ryosuke nodded, but then a slightly concerned look appeared on his snout. “But… Yuto was snoring loudly in my ear today,” he sighed with a smile. “So, I didn't sleep much.”

     Hikaru had to laugh at that as he found the idea of little Yuto snoring in his brother's ear adorable. “Oh, our Yuto,” he shook his head playfully in disapproval. “Sometimes it's hard with him, isn't it?”

     Ryosuke laughed softly, his tail flicking even more. “Yeah, but I still like him,” he said with a smile that clearly showed how much he loved his brothers despite all the little annoyances.

     Hikaru's heart warmed again when he saw how devoted his son was to his family. He was proud to raise such a loving and sensitive werewolf who was able to value his family despite everything he had been through.

     “I'm glad you're the way you are,” Hikaru said with emotion as he continued to stroke Ryosuke's back. “You and your brothers are the most important thing in the world to me.”

     Ryosuke just cuddled contentedly, enjoying the feeling of safety and love that his dad gave him. And even though he had a rough night, he knew he could always turn to Hikaru, who would be there for him no matter what.

     Hikaru continued to caress Ryosuke's back when a thought occurred to him that he had been pondering for quite some time. He had a strong bond with Ryosuke, so he knew it would be best to talk about it openly with him.

     “Ryosuke?” Hikaru began softly, his voice filled with care but also the gentleness he wanted Ryosuke to feel. “I wanted to ask you something. We've talked about it before, but maybe you can remember something more now. After that transformation in the town... do you feel that something has changed in you? Or how do you perceive it?”

     Ryosuke thought for a moment, his expression becoming a bit thoughtful and frowning as he tried to recall the events of the day. Hikaru's question reminded him of something he had tried to find an answer to several times before but had never been able to articulate exactly.

     “Well…” Ryosuke began cautiously, his voice uncertain. “I still don't remember much about the transformation. All I know is that I was terribly angry and... that I suddenly felt a power that I had never felt before.”

     Hikaru nodded, urging Ryosuke to continue. “And do you feel any different since then?”

     Ryosuke hesitated for a moment as if trying to orient himself. “Yeah, maybe a little,” he finally admitted. “But I can't really explain it. It's like…” he searched for the right words, but every word felt inadequate. “It's like I have something new inside of me. Something that wasn't there before, or that I hadn't seen before. Sometimes, I feel it's something strong, but... I don't know what it is.”

     Hikaru listened with interest and concern at the same time. He knew that Ryosuke was trying to describe something he didn't fully understand himself and that it might be confusing and maybe a little scary for him.

     “It's okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru reassured him as he saw his son becoming uncertain. “You don't have to understand or explain it right away. It's just important that you tell me about it when you feel it. We can figure it out together.”

     Ryosuke nodded, still a bit thoughtful. “But, Dad…” he began again, his voice lower as if he was afraid of what was hiding inside him. “Do you think it means something bad?”

     Hikaru quickly shook his head to calm him down. “No, I don't think so. You are special, Ryosuke. Whatever is going on inside of you, we can definitely handle it. I'm sure everything will be fine.”

     Ryosuke looked at him with trust in his eyes. “Thanks, Dad,” he whispered, then snuggled up again.

     Hikaru hugged him tighter and kissed him between his wolf ears. “I'll always be here for you boy. Whatever happens.”

     Hikaru continued to sit on the porch, gently rocking Ryosuke in his arms as he felt his little wolf slowly fall asleep. Once he was sure Ryosuke was sleeping, Hikaru allowed himself to relax, though his mind still remained awake and focused on the night watch. The surrounding forest hummed with night sounds – the distant hooting of an owl, the rustling of leaves in the breeze, and the occasional crackling of twigs. They were sounds that Hikaru knew well, nothing surprising.

     Time passed and Hikaru remained vigilant. The stars shone brightly above them, and the moon hid between the treetops. A cold wind suddenly blew in, shaking the trees and forcing Hikaru to grip Ryosuke even tighter to protect him from the cold. But Ryosuke began to fidget uneasily, his body twitching as if something had snapped him out of his dreams.

     “Ryosuke?” he whispered softly. “Is everything alright? Did you have a bad dream?”

     Ryosuke was slowly waking up, but his eyes were still restless. He tried to get his bearings, his sense of smell was suddenly sharper and he sensed something that was disturbing him. “Dad,” he whispered after fumbling for a while, “I feel something strange...”

     Hikaru leaned closer; his expression filled with worry. “What do you feel, Ryosuke?” he asked seriously, ready to act immediately.

     Ryosuke tried to find words to describe what he felt, but it was something elusive, something he didn't know. He finally spoke, “I feel pain.”

     Hikaru's worries deepened and his heart raced. “What hurts you, Ryosuke? Where does it hurt?” he asked quickly and started to check if his son was injured in any way.

     But Ryosuke shook his head, his expression confused and a little scared. “No, Dad, it's not my pain,” he answered. “I feel... there's pain around here somewhere. In the forest.”

     Hikaru frowned, wondering what that could mean. He could feel the adrenaline starting to flood his body. Something had to happen. But what could have caused such a feeling in his son? How could Ryosuke feel pain that wasn't his own?

     “Just take it easy, okay?” Hikaru whispered as he felt Ryosuke start to shake.

     Ryosuke pressed closer, his body still sensing the unknown energy. Hikaru began to scan the night around him with his trained wolf senses. There was apparently something that could not be seen but was present. Something that could only be perceived on a subtler level, and Ryosuke somehow picked up on it.

     “I'm here with you. We'll figure it out together,” Hikaru continued quietly, even as his eyes carefully followed every shadow around. “Nothing will happen to us; we are safe here.”

     Ryosuke nodded, his tail moving just slightly as he tried to suppress his fear. Hikaru was determined to protect his pack no matter what. And while he still had no idea what exactly Ryosuke felt, he knew he couldn't take it lightly.

     Naturally, Hikaru noticed Ryosuke starting to fidget again and gently sat him on his lap. Ryosuke immediately settled down, his small body pressed against his father as his red eyes stared into the darkness before them. Tonight was peaceful, but something about it was different. Ryosuke took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he tried to recapture the feeling that had troubled him so much before.

     Hikaru watched him with tense attention, he too tried to focus on his surroundings, on every sound, every hint of anything unusual. But as he strained to grasp something tangible, he felt nothing unusual. It was frustrating. How could his little son feel something he couldn't perceive?

     Ryosuke finally spoke quietly. “Dad… it's not a smell,” he said slowly, trying to find the right words to describe what he felt. “It's more of a feeling. I feel it in me.”

     Hikaru remained silent, listening carefully as Ryosuke continued. He watched as Ryosuke regained his focus, his expression pensive and slightly frowning as he tried to connect back to the unfamiliar feeling.

     Ryosuke's body shuddered slightly as he succeeded. “It's some kind of being or animal,” he whispered. “I feel that… it's suffering. It's afraid… and it's terribly lonely.”

     Hikaru's heart sank when he heard what his son was saying to him. He knew Ryosuke had a more sensitive perception than most werewolves, but this was something new, something deeper. He didn't know exactly what to make of it, but it was clear to him that his son was going through something very intense.

     “Do you think it's close?” Hikaru asked, his voice barely audible so as not to draw anyone's unwanted attention to them.

     Ryosuke thought, then slowly shook his head. “I don't know… But I feel it very strongly, like it's… right in my heart.” His voice sounded uncertain, as even he didn't understand how it was possible to feel such a thing.

     Hikaru's mind was racing, trying to decipher what it could be. Was it some creature from their world? Something magical that came close to their home? Or perhaps something completely different? But most importantly - how come only Ryosuke perceives this?

     “Can you tell where exactly it is?” Hikaru asked after a moment.

     Ryosuke hesitated, his brow furrowed in thought. “I don't know, Dad,” he answered honestly. “It's not something I can track as a smell. It's more like… inside me. As if it was connected to me, but at the same time, it was somewhere out there.”

     Hikaru nodded, trying to understand what Ryosuke was describing to him. “Is this something we should find?” he asked, trying to decide if they should act now or wait for another sign.

     Ryosuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to focus even more. “I'm not sure… But I feel sorry for it. It's suffering a lot,” he said softly, his voice full of genuine sympathy.

     Hikaru paused for a moment, his mind racing. It was clear that Ryosuke felt something very real and strong. Whatever it was, they couldn't ignore it. But he also knew they had to be careful.

     The pack leader sighed deeply and stroked Ryosuke's back as he decided to ask another question that had been bothering him. “Ryosuke,” he began cautiously, “do you think that creature knows about us? That it feels us the way you feel it?”

     Ryosuke hesitated for a moment, thinking about what he felt and trying to discern if there was any connection between him and the unknown being. “I… I don't know,” he answered uncertainly after a moment. “I think maybe not. I don't believe it knows who I am or where I am. But… I feel like it's something close. Something that is connected to something inside of me.”

     Hikaru frowned, his worry deepening, but before he could say anything else, Ryosuke's body suddenly tensed and his little wolf shook violently.

     “What's going on?” Hikaru asked quickly, both hands resting on Ryosuke's tense wolf body.

     Ryosuke stopped for a moment, his eyes widening in fear and confusion. “I smell… blood,” he whispered in a shaky voice. “But not as a smell… as a feeling. It's strong, very strong.”

     Hikaru felt his heart beat faster. Blood? Feeling blood? This was something he had never heard before. His mind quickly shifted to all the possible threats that could be near their home. He didn't know if it was just Ryosuke's imagination or something much more serious.

     “Dad,” Ryosuke whispered, his voice urgent as his red eyes looked into Hikaru's. “We have to go there. We have to see what it is. We can't let it go.”

     Hikaru rolled his eyes and tried to think. He knew that the situation was dangerous and that he could endanger not only Ryosuke but the entire pack if he acted rashly. But at the same time, he couldn't ignore Ryosuke's urgency and what he felt.

     “We'll wake up Kei before we do anything,” Hikaru finally decided, though he wasn't sure if it was the right decision. “We have to do this right; we can't just run out there.”

     Ryosuke nodded, still tense and nervous, but he trusted his dad. Hikaru gently placed him on the ground and together they headed back to the house where Kei was sleeping quietly in the living room on the floor on his favorite blanket in his wolf form.

     Hikaru bent down to Kei and gently woke him up. “Kei, wake up. We need to talk,” he said softly but urgently.

     Kei immediately woke up and sat up, still half asleep but quickly starting to recover when he saw Hikaru's serious expression. “What's going on?” he asked as his eyes immediately focused on Ryosuke who was standing next to Hikaru, his red eyes glowing even more than usual in the darkness.

     Hikaru quickly recounted to him what Ryosuke felt and what made him believe he had to act. “He feels something strong, pain and blood,” he explained. “I think we should look into it, but I wanted to let you know first.”

     Kei nodded, his expression turning thoughtful and focused. “That sounds… serious,” he stated after a while, still sleepy.

     Hikaru nodded. “We'll be back as soon as we find out what it is,” he promised. He then turned to Ryosuke. “I'll transform and we'll go explore.”

     Ryosuke nodded, his eyes full of determination but also fear of what they would find. Hikaru then transformed into his form of a large dark gray wolf.

     Kei watched as Hikaru and Ryosuke prepared to leave, but then his mind realized something. He couldn't let them go alone, not when the situation looked so horrific.

     “Wait,” he spoke firmly but calmly. “I won't let you go alone. I will go with you.”

     Hikaru looked at him, surprised but also understanding flashing in his eyes. “Kei, I know you want to help, but someone has to stay here and watch over the others.”

     Kei shook his head, his expression adamant. “No, Hikaru, you won't talk me out of this. It's too risky and I don't want anything to happen to you. The three of us can go, but I won't let you go alone.”

     Hikaru sighed, knowing Kei was right. In a situation where they were facing something unknown and possibly dangerous, caution was key.

     “Okay,” he finally agreed, even though he knew it meant more potential danger. “But someone has to stay with the cubs.”

     Kei nodded. “I'll wake Yuya up to watch. He can take care of them before we get back.”

     With those words, Kei quickly made his way to the door of the next room where he quietly and carefully woke Yuya up. He explained the situation to him and what was going on, his voice was urgent but at the same time, he tried to remain calm so that Yuya would understand the seriousness of the situation.

     Yuya, still a bit sleepy but instantly alert, nodded. “Okay, I'll take care of them. Be careful and let me know as soon as you find anything out,” he said as he transformed into his human form, ready to take over the patrol.

     Kei then walked back to Hikaru and Ryosuke, who was pacing nervously in place, occasionally shaking. “I'm ready,” Kei said firmly.

     “Okay,” Hikaru agreed, his voice serious. “Here we go. Stay close to me.”

     Together, Hikaru, Kei, and little Ryosuke set off into the night, guided by the vague but strong feeling that Ryosuke felt. Their every step was full of vigilance, their senses on edge, ready to face whatever might be waiting in the darkness ahead.

     Ryosuke led the two adult wolves through the forest, his tiny paws softly touching the damp undergrowth. Hikaru and Kei ran right beside him, eyes and ears straining to pick up the slightest hint of anything out of the ordinary. Ryosuke paused occasionally, his red eyes frowning as he focused on the strange feeling inside him. It was as if he was looking for a direction to go, and once he found the right path, he started running again.

     Hikaru and Kei followed him, their footsteps equally silent as they sank deeper into the dark forest. They were on high alert, every sense on edge and ready for any danger that might await them here.

     Kei looked back at Hikaru after a moment and quietly asked, “What's going on, Hikaru? What exactly is Ryosuke feeling?

     Hikaru paused for a moment, wondering how best to explain this as he kept pace with the small black wolf who blended in perfectly with the darkness. “Ryosuke sensed something very strange,” he began slowly, his voice low but serious. “He told me he felt pain. Suffering. But not his own. He feels it as a feeling inside him as if it is connected to him, but at the same time, somewhere outside.”

     Kei frowned, his mind trying to understand what that meant. “Pain and suffering…” he repeated, trying to grasp the thought. “Any idea what it could be?”

     “I have no clue,” Hikaru admitted, his eyes constantly following Ryosuke in front of them. “But he feels it very intensely. He told me it was some kind of creature or animal. And that it is afraid. And also, that it feels alone.”

     Kei nodded; his expression still thoughtful. “We have to be careful,” he said quietly. “If it's something that only Ryosuke feels, then it might be very unusual or dangerous. But at the same time... we probably can't just ignore it.”

     Hikaru's mind was just as full of worry as Kei's. “That's right. That's why we're here. But we have to be ready for anything. We can't risk being surprised. And if anything happens, we must protect Ryosuke at all costs.”

     Ryosuke paused again for a moment, his small body tensed as he tried to pick up where the feeling was coming from. It was a complicated process because it wasn't just a smell or a trace. It was something deeper, something he felt inside, and he had to focus on it with his whole being.

     After a while, he started running again, this time a little faster, as if he had found the right path. Hikaru and Kei stayed right next to him, carefully watching his movements, ready to react to whatever came their way.

     The forest around them had receded into dense darkness, only occasional rays of moonlight peeking through the branches of the trees. Every sound was amplified, and every rustle of leaves brought a new charge of tension. They were deep in the heart of the forest, far from the safety of their home, and yet they felt that they had to go on, that they had to find out what lay at the end of this road.

     Ryosuke slowed until he finally came to a complete stop in front of a dark cave that suddenly appeared in the trees. His small body was shaking with tension and concentration. Hikaru and Kei stopped beside him, but then Alpha had to intervene, stopping him gently but firmly with his paw before he could take another step forward.

     “Wait,” Hikaru whispered, his voice barely audible yet authoritative. Now even he and Kei could smell it. It was the smell of blood they couldn't ignore. It was sharp, iron, and piercing, filling their noses and sowing a new kind of fear among them.

     “It's inside,” Ryosuke said softly, his voice full of urgency. His red eyes were fixed on the cave entrance and then his father. “It's something that needs our help. It's suffering, Dad, we have to help it!”

     Hikaru and Kei looked at each other briefly, their concern evident in their eyes. They couldn't ignore the fact that Ryosuke's senses were leading them to something unknown and potentially dangerous. They were at a crossroads of decision.

     “Ryosuke,” Kei began slowly, “we know you feel this is important, but we have to be careful. We don't know what's really inside. It could be a trap, or something we're not ready for.”

     “But we can't just let it go,” Ryosuke insisted. His voice was full of determination that made Hikaru think. “It's there alone and... It needs us. It's dying, Dad.”

     Hikaru sighed deeply, still hesitating but knowing that Ryosuke was right. Something inside him, something fatherly, told him he had to act, that he couldn't let his son face this feeling alone.

     “Okay,” Hikaru finally decided. “We'll go in, but we'll do it carefully. I'll go first, Kei will be at the back. You, Ryosuke, will go between us. You will always stay in between us. We will protect you.”

     Ryosuke nodded, his eyes clear with determination and gratitude that his dad and Kei were taking him seriously. Hikaru cautiously approached the cave, his body tense and ready for any reaction. Kei followed him, guarding his back while Ryosuke walked in the middle between them.

     Slowly and carefully, they entered the darkness of the cave. The smell of blood grew stronger, mixing with the smell of damp stone and decaying leaves. The cave was quiet, only the echoes of their footsteps echoing off the walls.

     Ryosuke concentrated, trying to stay in touch with the feeling that had led him here. He felt he was approaching something significant, something he couldn't let go of.

     Hikaru kept looking around, becoming more alert with each step. Kei also focused on his surroundings, ready to react to any movement or sound.

     The path to the cave grew increasingly dark and claustrophobic, but the three wolves continued forward, guided by Ryosuke's unwavering conviction. What was hidden in that cave was still unknown, but they felt that they were nearing their destination.

     A soft rustling echoed through the cave, breaking the tense silence. Hikaru, Kei, and Ryosuke stopped suddenly, their bodies tense and their senses ready for any unexpected event. The sound grew louder and dark shadows suddenly flashed through the air, passing just above their heads. The three of them instinctively backed away, their hearts pounding in fear for a moment.

     “Bats,” Kei whispered as he calmed down. “They're just bats.”

     Hikaru nodded and took a quick deep breath. “Yeah, they're not vampires. They don't smell like that.”

     Ryosuke was shaking with tension, but when he heard his dad and Kei's words, he calmed down a bit. The danger had passed, but he still felt that urgent call within him that drew them further into the depths of the cave.

     They continued on their way, slowly, each step carefully considered. The smell of blood grew more and more intense as they sank deeper into the darkness. It was no longer just in their minds; all three felt it. It was a mixture of fear, suffering, and blood. Hikaru and Kei exchanged worried glances as they sensed they were getting closer to what must have been the source of that smell.

     And then, in a corner of the cave, where the darkness seemed to be deepest, they saw a shadow. It was a pile of bloody fur, the body twisted and pressed against the cold ground. It was a wolf, but in such a desolate state that it was impossible to distinguish its origin at first glance. The fur was matted, dirty, and soaked in blood that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. The body hasn't moved, the breath barely audible but still there, faint but present.

     Ryosuke moved closer, his heart clenching in pain as he felt what this wolf must have been through. It was the creature crying out for help that he felt all along. But the wolf's own scent was so faint, so lost in pain and suffering, that they could barely recognize it.

     Hikaru and Kei joined him, their eyes scanning the bloodied and half-dead figure in front of them. And then Kei's eyes widened in shock as he finally recognized who it was.

     “It can't be…” he whispered, his voice full of disbelief and shock.

     Hikaru bent down to the wolf, his heart pounding as he realized the truth. Although the wolf was dirty, injured, and scrawny, his body was still recognizable. His white fur, even though it was covered in blood and dirt, still had those familiar features.

     It was him.

     His brother.

     Their Alpha.

     Kota.

End of the Part I

Chapter Text

Part II

    The forest was breathing. Its scent was strong and rich, full of pine needles, damp soil, and melting leaves. The sun filtered through the treetops like golden rain falling on the fur of running wolves. Their little paws dug into the moss.

    A black shadow with agile movements, Ryosuke, whizzed past the fallen trunk, followed by three other wolf cubs. Yuri, shining like snow, flickered through the trees so fast he was like a flash. Yuto, with his brown fur, tried to catch up with the laughter in his eyes, while Keito ran more cautiously, but was not far behind.

    Together they rushed forward until they suddenly stopped. Ryosuke braked abruptly, ears cocked back. He lifted his muzzle and sniffed the air.

    The wolves imitated him. They stopped at a large moss-covered rock and sat in a circle. They waited. Just as they were used to. They were small, but not unaware of their surroundings anymore. They already knew what it meant to be a pack.

    Daiki trotted a short distance behind them, his fur casting golden highlights in the sun. His tail was held high, following their trail. When he caught up with them, he circled around them and quickly counted them with his eyes.

    “Four. Okay.” He turned and looked up at the approaching rest of the group.

    A pair of wolves quietly emerged from the forest. Hikaru carried his body tensely, as if he were protecting the wolf beside him with every step.

    Kota kept his eyes closed, his muzzle turned slightly to the ground, and his shoulder pressed against Hikaru's. They both moved slowly but surely.

    Behind them, silent as shadows among the trees, walked Yuya and Kei. They moved to the sides of the group guarding the flanks, as they always did. Their role was clear. Protectors. Observers. They knew that the peace of the forest was a fragile illusion, and things could change very quickly.

    Ryosuke, meanwhile, was looking at Kota. His gaze softened. Though he was still a wolf, there was something deeper in his eyes. Something that had remained between them since he found him. When he felt that feeling of pain again. And he followed it.

    Everybody knew what happened then, but nobody talked about it. Not here. Not in the woods. Not among the branches that hear everything.

    “And now I'm going to get you, Yuri!” Yuto yelled as he jumped into a pile of pine needles, where the snow-white head of the smallest wolf was just peeking out. Yuri jumped so fast that he left only dust and a clump of fur behind him.

    Ryosuke took the opportunity to side-step Yuto. The two of them rolled on the ground, writhing in the dust and pine needles, snarling and gnashing their teeth at each other, but not in a painful way, more like the way young cubs do when they test each other's strength.

    “Hey! That was unfair!” Yuto whined as Ryosuke patted his back and placed a paw on his snout.

    “Nothing is fair in a fight,” Ryosuke boomed, his face serious, but pure joy playing in his eyes.

    Yuri, meanwhile, took advantage of their distraction and gracefully jumped over both his friends like a snow ghost. He escaped them with ease and stood on a large rock, from where he triumphantly declared, “The winner of today's battle tournament is obvious! Thank you for your attention, kids.”

    Yuto straightened up, huffing, and then suddenly his voice skipped in such a funny way as he tried to shout, “That doesn't count!”

    A burst of laughter followed.

    Ryosuke staggered, Yuri rolled off the rock, and started rolling in the moss. Even Keito, who until then had been sitting a little further away, looking intently at a bush with tiny blue-purple berries, began to giggle softly. Yuto stood in the midst of it all, fluffy and offended, his muzzle pouting.

    “You're pouting like a puppy.” Yuri giggled.

    “I am a wolf! Not a puppy!” Yuto snapped, walking away with a tail movement so dramatic that even in wolf form, he resembled an offended princess.

    Meanwhile, Keito carefully sat on his butt next to a bush and touched a few blueberries that were clinging to the thin branches with his front paw. They were tempting, but he wasn't sure yet if they were poisonous or not. “I'll wait for Dad... He'll know.”

    He turned his head and looked around for Kei, who was just walking by, his stride calm, his head low to the ground as he took in every scent, every rustle. When his gaze met Kei's, the boy called to him in a low but distinct voice, “Daddy, can I eat these blueberries?”

    Kei walked over to him, sniffed the berries lightly, and licked them carefully. Then he nodded. “Yeah, those are the good ones. Do you want to pick a few for Kota too? He likes forest fruits.”

    Keito beamed, excited to do something useful. He began to gently pick the berries with his paw, carefully placing them on the large leaf Kei handed him.

    “You won't catch me, Yuto!” Yuri yelled as he ran through the trees again.

    Yuto didn't let him be goaded twice and took off after him, his paws thundering across the forest floor and a happy growl escaping from his mouth. His voice was sounding normal again, but his eyes blazed with determination. Now he will catch his little brother!

    Ryosuke watched their ridiculous race for a while. Yuri zigzagged the course through the trees like a fish in water, Yuto leaping at him from every angle possible, and then Ryosuke took off after them with an amused gasp. His black silhouette disappeared like a shadow between the trunks. Only moments after he peeked out again, he jumped onto Yuto's back, and they both rolled into the moss again.

    “Hey! That was an ambush!” Yuto squeaked, but he was laughing.

    Meanwhile, Keito finished his small collection of blueberries, carefully folding the leaf so he could take it with him. Then he rejoined the others, barking happily.

    And that's when the call came in, “Run! The lawman has come!”

    It was Daiki, a dark orange wolf, much bigger than the wolf cubs, who came out from behind a tree and burst into the scene like the wind. He was jumping, bumping into the younger ones, and trying to “catch” them.

    “You are suspected of being too cute! You have the right to be tickled!” he called, jumping on Yuri, who laughed so hard he stumbled.

    “No, please, no tickling!” yelled Yuto, already imagining the horror. Ryosuke crouched into a defensive stance, his tail taut, but the corners of his mouth twitching with laughter.

    Keito gracefully dodged Daiki's jump at the last moment, hiding behind a log and cheerfully announcing, “I'm not a suspect! I'm just carrying blueberries!”

    Daiki paused, blinked, then cleared his throat theatrically, “No excuses! You don't stand a chance with a weapon this tasty, wolf!”

    Laughing, the whole group started moving again. Children's growls, barks, stomps, and bursts of laughter rang out through the trees. They ran in circles, jumped over logs, and hid behind ferns. And yet... still in the distance, they could hear that familiar, but quieter, slower, rhythmic sound of paws.

    Hikaru walked silently and steadily through the forest. His movements were careful, but sure. Kota walked at his side, his white fur shining through the shadows of the trees. It was obvious that he was tired. But he was walking. And he sensed. Every step, every scent, every sound of the pack before him.

    When Ryosuke heard their approach, he stopped. He raised his head and sucked in air. Then he turned to the rest of the pack, “They're here.”

    Yuto slowed down, Yuri sat down, and checked his fur to make sure it wasn't too matted. Keito went to get his blueberry leaf. The pack was preparing for the arrival of its quietest member.

    After all the flips, jumps, fights, and barking lunges, the wolf cubs finally slumped into the soft pine needles at the edge of the small clearing. Ryosuke lay down first, stretching his paws forward and laying his head on them with a muffled sigh. Yuto collapsed next to him, huffing like he'd just run a marathon, and Yuri folded with grace between them, still slightly shaky with laughter.

    Keito sat a little to the side, the blueberry leaf in front of him, but still so he could see the others clearly.

    Daiki staggered over to them, panting but satisfied. With a slight smile on his mouth, he sat down between them and gradually began to gently and carefully lick their foreheads, paws, and fur, like an older brother who just has to take care of the younger ones. When he found a piece of needle caught behind Yuto's ear, he used his paw to brush it out carefully.

    “Hey, that tickles,” Yuto grumbled, but didn't pull away. Daiki just scowled and continued on.

    Yuri snuggled up to Ryosuke, who put his tail over his back. They all slowed their breathing. The smell of resin and wet earth was everywhere, and from the nearby thicket, the quiet gurgle of a small stream could be heard flowing over the rocks.

    Hikaru and Kota finally came out of the forest.

    “This would do,” Hikaru said as he stopped at the edge of the clearing. His eyes assessed the area – enough light, enough trees, no danger in sight. “If it's all right with you, Kota... we can sit for a while.”

    Kota smiled gently, nodded wearily, and moved his muzzle to confirm that he could indeed smell the cool scent of water. “Yeah... it smells nice in here. And the little ones... they're nearby.” His voice was quiet, but kind.

    Hikaru helped him sit down on a dry spot covered in moss. Kota curled into a half-ball, pulling his front paws together and resting his head on his paw. Though his eyes could not see, his ears and muzzle picked up every movement, every sound.

    The wolves looked at him curiously. Until now, they had known him only by stories from the serious words of the adults, from snippets of conversation they had overheard. About the wolf who was lost. Of a wolf who suffered. And how Ryosuke found him.

    Kota raised his snout and aimed it at them. “Yuto. Yuri. Keito...” He paused, then added with a quiet smile, “And Ryosuke. All four of you... You already have your own voices.”

    Yuri blinked. “You still remember us?”

    Kota nodded. “Your scents... voices. You were so small then. And now you're all... alive. And strong.”

    Yuto grinned a little embarrassed, but then slowly made his way closer. “Would you like some blueberries? Keito picked them.”

    Kota turned his head in that direction in surprise. “Really?”

    Keito stood up and carefully carried the berry leaf to him. Kota greeted him with a calm snout, sniffed, and then touched Keito's mouth gratefully. “Thank you, Keito. You're amazing.”

    The wolves sat closer, not close, but close enough to see him and be close to him. Curious, cautious, but sympathetic. They were beginning to realize that this quiet, white wolf was part of their pack. That he belonged with them, even if they didn't remember him much.

    And Kota, though he couldn't see, felt their presence like a warm circle. He may not have known their faces yet, but his heart remembered.

    Kota licked one of the blueberries Keito had proudly brought him. The delicate flavor spilled over his mouth, but before he could take another soft bite, he lifted his head and turned it towards the group of wolf cubs. “You picked them up. So, you should have some too.”

    Yuto immediately shook his head and sat down resolutely, as if he were guarding the entire leaf. “No. They're for you.”

    “Yeah,” Ryosuke joined in.

    Keito didn't say anything, but he nodded and blushed a little to the tips of his ears.

    Kota smiled the kind of smile you can't see but feel. Like a gust of warm wind. He wanted to say something, maybe say thank you, maybe insist again... but by then, Yuri had walked up to him.

    The little white wolf quietly sat down next to him, so that his side was lightly touching his. He leaned against his paw, his head raised to his unseeing eyes, and said gently, “You must be strong. That's why you should eat the blueberries.”

    Kota stopped moving at that moment. He breathed in the closeness, the familiar smell... and suddenly he felt his throat tighten. “Yuri...” he whispered softly as if the name were a memory and a wish at the same time. He tilted his head and gently touched his ear with his muzzle. “You're not as little as I remembered you.”

    Yuri nodded silently and closed his eyes. At that moment, there were no words between them, just a touch, and that was enough.

    Then Kota straightened up again and pitched a light tone, though his voice was still vibrating slightly, “Okay, you know what? I propose a deal. We'll split the blueberries equally. That way we'll all be strong.”

    Yuto blinked, “Does it even work like that?”

    “Then Yuri might eat an extra one, because he's growing a tooth,” Daiki, who had just rejoined the wolves with a silent sigh, rumbled after a short inspection.

    Yuri looked proud. “I'll take it! The tooth hurts, but at least now I'll fatten it up with blueberries so it grows faster!”

    The group huddled closer as they carefully passed a leaf through their paws, each wolf taking a blueberry each time. Kota participated in the blueberry round until there were no blueberries left.

    When they had finished the last ones, the wolf cubs rolled back into the soft pine needles. Yuto stretched, yawned, and then lazily turned his head towards Kota. “Kota?” he said. “How are you today?”

    Kota lifted his muzzle, turning his head slightly towards the voice. A soft smile spread across his wolfish face. “I'm having a good time today. Thanks to you.”

    “Really?” Yuri chimed in, snuggling up to him again. “Your paws don't hurt too much?”

    “Only a little, when we go downhill. But otherwise... today is one of those better days.”

    Keito lay down beside him on the other side, his nose buried in the moss. “That's good. I thought walking on rocks still hurt you.”

    Kota laughed. “It does, but it gets much better when I have you with me. You're like a bunch of cubs lost in a blueberry patch.”

    “Hey!” Yuto said in a hurt voice. “We're not lost!”

    Ryosuke just added quietly, “Maybe only sometimes... when we go exploring without Daiki.”

    “That's right,” growled Daiki, who sat down nearby and lifted his chin proudly. “Without me, you'd be in the first pit we meet.”

    “And then we'd drop you there too,” Yuri whispered, and the others laughed quietly.

    Kota was smiling. He could feel the warmth around him, the exuberant energy that the little ones radiated. And though he couldn't see their faces, he knew them. He knew which laugh belonged to whom. He knew them by the rhythm of their breathing, the cadence of their steps, the intonation of their voices. They were his pack. His family. His kids.

    A little further on, at the edge of the clearing, Kei suddenly stopped, raised his head, and sniffed the wind.

    “Deer,” he said quietly. “Somewhere over that creek.”

    Yuya, who was walking at his right side, perked up his ears. “Do you think it's hurt?”

    Hikaru looked around with squinted eyes. “Or maybe someone else is hunting?”

    Kei shook his head. “I don't know. But I'll go take a look. If there's a predator here, I don't want to risk it getting close to the little ones.”

    Yuya nodded. “I'm coming with you.”

    “Me too,” Hikaru added, though he looked back at Kota for a moment longer. It was only when he saw that he was comfortably settled, surrounded by the cubs and under Daiki's supervision, that he joined the pair.

    The trio of elderly wolves disappeared silently into the trees, their paws falling noiselessly to the forest floor, their silhouettes soon disappearing behind the bushes.

    Back in the clearing, it was suddenly strangely quiet. Not uncomfortable, but rather quiet. Just the sounds of the brook and the distant singing of birds.

    “You know Yuri wanted to go sniff you the first time you were brought in?” Yuto uttered suddenly, and Yuri straightened up in a flash.

    “That's not true! I... I didn't mean to sniff you. I just... just... wanted to feel you. A little. Because I didn't remember you.”

    Kota laughed softly. “That's all right. I recognized you by smell again, too.”

    “And by the sound of my voice,” Yuri added, leaning against his side with a smile. “You called me by name that time before I even said anything. That was cool.”

    Kota shivered slightly under his fur, but it was the good kind of shiver.

    “You've always been the most curious one,” he replied gently. “I remembered that.”

    Yuto sprawled in the moss for a moment, looking up into the treetops, and then, with his head turned towards Kota, he muttered, “And... do you remember me too?”

    It was a question asked in jest, but Ryosuke, who was sitting a little further away, raised his head. He knew there was more to it. Yuto had always had a need to be seen and to be remembered.

    Kota laughed. It was a low, hearty laugh that rang through the clearing like a soft tinkle. “You? You can't be forgotten, Yuto.”

    Yuto pouted a little, but his eyes glistened at the same time.

    “Even then, you were like an unguided missile in wolf form. You ran around so fast you made me dizzy.” Kota smiled and nodded his head.

    “So... still the same.” Yuto chuckled, dropping to his side, paws in the air, tongue lolling out in a theatrical pose. “That's good. I don't want to be someone else.”

    Kota smiled gently, but then turned a little to the side and directed his gaze to Ryosuke, who was off to the side, his head folded on his front paws. “But Ryosuke... he's different.”

    Ryosuke raised one eyebrow, or more like an ear in his wolf form. “Different?”

    “Quieter.” Kota nodded. “I remember the way you and Yuto used to run around. You'd bite each other over every toy, compete who'd run across the stream, who'd jump up on a rock higher up. But now...”

    Yuto giggled. “That was the time Ryosuke fell in the mud, and then he got everyone dirty with it.”

    “Yeah.” Kota smiled. “You were just as wild as Yuto. But now you seem... different. It's hard to describe. Like you're a little older than you are.”

    Ryosuke didn't answer for a while. Something deeper flickered in his eyes. Something that had already begun to form in those ten years. Sometimes it was just too much. Some of the things he had experienced were hard even for an adult, let alone a wolf cub.

    “Maybe I'm just thinking more,” he finally said quietly. “But I still like to play. I just sometimes... need some quiet time.”

    Kota nodded slowly and understandingly. “That's all right. Silence is important. It doesn't mean you don't play. It means you feel.”

    Keito softly chirped, “Ryosuke will always find us, even if we hide. He's got something... the others don't.”

    Yuto winced and nudged Ryosuke's shoulder. “Oh yeah, our detective. But I'll still catch you later today.”

    “I'd like to see that,” Ryosuke replied calmly, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a smile.

    Yuto rolled lazily onto his side and then swung his paw over Ryosuke's back in another motion until it gently slapped his side. “You may look grown up,” he drawled with a smirk, “but you're still a wolf. And a little wolf.”

    Ryosuke immediately turned his head to him, tilted his ears back, and growled a low, warning growl.

    Yuto just chuckled. “See? Small, but angry.”

    “You're only making fun of him because your voice skips around like a broken flute,” Keito remarked dryly without raising his head. “Ryosuke already has a deeper voice. Almost grown up. His doesn't skip like that anymore.”

    Yuto paused, almost as if he had been caught cheating. “What? My voice is not skipping at all!”

    “You skip all the time,” Yuri joined in, smirking. “Especially when you're yelling or getting angry.”

    “Or when you sing,” Daiki added, smiling.

    Yuto frowned and covered his ears with his paws. “I don't sing!”

    “You sing in your sleep,” Ryosuke muttered, finally smiling.

    Yuto growled something unintelligible and buried his muzzle in the moss. Kota laughed quietly, from the pit of his stomach, like someone who loved these little annoyances because there was so much life in them. So much normalcy. The kind he hadn't had in a long time.

    “The voice is only one part,” Daiki said gently. “Maturity isn't about size. Nor is it about sound. It's... something inside. And Ryosuke carries more inside him than he might think.”

    Ryosuke looked at him, silently. He nodded his head vaguely. He had never been good at receiving praise. But the words hit him.

    “And Yuto carries more than he can hold,” Kota added with a slight smile. “That's why it's jumping out of him in all directions.”

    “Hey!” Yuto snapped, but then he smiled too and kicked the grass. “Okay. I might take that.”

    “Maybe,” Keito added with a mischievous smile, “when your voice grows, you'll seem more mature, too.”

    “Hmmm,” Yuto grumbled, closing his eyes. “No. I'll be young forever. Forever running around. And I'll eat the most blueberries of all.”

    “Nobody's taking that away from you,” Ryosuke said, resting his head on his paw. “At least you'll stay the same.”

    Kota smiled and turned his head to Keito, who was lying with his chin on his paws, watching the little ladybug crawling on the pine needles. “And you, Keito...” he spoke softly, “you've always been a little different than your brothers.”

    Keito looked up. “Different?”

    “I remember you when you were very small. You had little legs like sticks, and you kept tripping when you tried to bite someone,” Kota laughed. “You were never very good at that wolf-fighting thing. You always tended to just stand there and watch the others fight, like you were wondering if there was any point in fighting.”

    Yuto burst out laughing. “That sounds just like Keito!”

    But Keito didn't blush; he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Well... it wasn't fair. Ryosuke and Yuto were always faster. And Yuri was disappearing before I even turned around.”

    “That's true.” Kota nodded. “But you had something else. Even then, you were always sniffing something. You watched bugs, twigs, birds, dewdrops... I remember you lying down in the grass and just looking at the anthill for almost an hour.”

    “That's what I'm still doing.” Keito chuckled.

    “I noticed,” Kota said gently. “You've always been more connected to nature than anyone. You had an eye for things that others overlooked. And that's a gift. You may not have been a brawler, but you kept your eyes open to the beauty around you.”

    It was quiet for a while. A comfortable silence. Just the babbling of the brook and the rustling of the leaves.

    “That's nice,” said Yuri. “Keito is like our natural radar.”

    “And also, he's the best at recognizing edible things,” Yuto added, holding out his paw to the leaf where the blueberries had been just moments ago. “If he says it won't poison me, I'll eat it.”

    “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Keito muttered, but his cheeks turned slightly pink under his fur.

    Kota listened to them, and for a moment, it seemed to him that all the years of pain and darkness were at least somewhat balanced by the fact that he could be here now. With them. In peace. In a circle that welcomed him back.

    Yuri snuggled closer to Kota, put his paw over his front leg, and raised his head to him. “And how was I?” he asked quietly, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

    Kota leaned over and gently licked his forehead. His muzzle brushed against the soft fur between his ears that he knew so well, even though he hadn't seen it in years.

    “You were the smallest. But with the biggest eyes,” he said with a smile. “And you watched us all the time. You wanted to understand everything. I remember one time we were outside playing cards, this old game with pictures that the pack had pulled out of a box... And you climbed right up on the table between us.”

    “On the table?” Yuri chuckled.

    “On the table.” Nodded Daiki, who had moved closer in the meantime and was smiling. “You sat there like you knew what it meant, even if you were still a tiny pipsqueak, staring at every card. And every time someone laid the wrong one, you shook your head.”

    “Exactly.” Kota laughed. “And you couldn't even talk yet, but you growled when someone was cheating. Especially Yuya. He was always up to something.”

    Yuri laughed, a little embarrassed but happy. His eyes were shining. “And did I learn to play it then?”

    “Of course, you did.” Kota nodded. “Actually, you were the first of the wolf cubs to understand the rules, even before some of the adults. And you were also the one who always wanted peace when someone was fighting. You always said, 'Then split it down the middle!'”

    “He still does that.” Yuto chuckled.

    Yuri chuckled and lay back against Kota's side, his muzzle buried in his fur. “I'm glad you remember.”

    “I'm glad you're here,” Kota replied softly, resting his head against Yuri's. “I've missed you all. But you... I missed you the most, Yuri.”

    Yuri didn't answer. He just quietly snuggled closer. And everyone around felt that this sentence belonged not only to him, but also to something deeper, like a bond that had never been broken.

    “What about other stories?” Yuto blurted out excitedly, his voice jumping back into a high-pitched squeak, like the bark of a frightened hedgehog. “Maybe... maybe some funny ones! You must have a lot of sto-rrri-es!”

    Yuri immediately put his paw over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing, but he couldn't. Keito laughed out loud, Daiki rolled onto his side and snorted into pine needles, and even Ryosuke, who was usually more serious, had amused sparks in his eyes.

    “Don't-uh-laugh at me!” Yuto yelped, but again his voice skipped, this time to a deeper note that fell out of his mouth like an old drum.

    Nobody could take it anymore.

    “You sound like a deer in heat,” Daiki cooed between laughs.

    Yuto shot them an offended look, then lowered his ears, turned his back on them, and sat down with a loud snort. His tail was tucked in, paws firmly together, and his muzzle tucked between his shoulders. He whimpered softly, as if the world had collapsed.

    “Come on,” Keito said, still smiling. “Yuto, don't make it worse than it is.”

    But Yuto didn't answer. He just pouted.

    Kota watched the little brown ball with a calm expression. Then he quietly stood up, walked over to him, and gently poked him in the side with his snout.

    Yuto didn't move.

    “Yuto... do you know why your voice is like that?” he said in a low, calm voice.

    Yuto shook his head inaudibly.

    “It means you're growing. It means your body is changing. And that you'll soon be a full-grown wolf.” Kota smiled. “That's what wolves do when they're no longer small. The voice is changing. It gets deeper. It gets harder. It matures.”

    Yuto finally turned his head slowly, and when his eyes met those unseeing but full of understanding, something in him relaxed. “But it sounds... stupid,” he muttered.

    “Maybe. But it will only take a little while. And then no one will ever be able to tell you that you talk like a puppy.”

    “It's just that you're eternally young,” Ryosuke remarked from behind the tree, chuckling.

    Yuto finally grinned. “Well... maybe I'll be young forever. But at least I'll have a voice like a wolf, not a squeak.”

    “So now you've skipped three times,” Yuri remarked with a smile.

    Yuto snorted loudly and groaned again. “But everyone's laughing about it.”

    “Because it's cute, Yuto.” Kota shrugged. “Also, we elders laugh at you because we've forgotten about it. But we've all been through it. Me too. It's beautiful. And funny. But most of all, it's natural.”

    Yuto clucked softly again, but listened intently.

    Kota snuggled up to him and licked his neck. “You should be proud. Your body is telling you that you're changing. That you're growing into a strong wolf. And strong wolves sometimes sound a little like badgers hissing before their voice settles.”

    There was silence. And then Yuto chuckled softly. “So... this is normal?”

    “Absolutely.” Kota nodded. “And before you know it, you'll have a voice so deep that Yuri will suspect you of stealing his echo from the cave.”

    “Hey!” Yuri said from a distance.

    Yuto laughed out loud, for real now, and then reached out to Kota. He didn't say anything more, but the touch spoke volumes. The rest of the wolves watched them silently, respectfully. And then they all regrouped in a circle, hips together, in the safety of their clearing.

    Yuto sat down again, calmer this time, but his eyes still held confusion and unspoken questions. “But how is that possible?” he grumbled. “Ryosuke just woke up one morning and sounded different. And I wake up every day and I sound like... like I'm stuck between two radios.”

    Ryosuke shrugged. “I don't know. It just came.”

    “That's not fair,” Yuto growled. “I still sound like... like... well, like something that's trying to be a wolf but can't.”

    Kota laughed softly. “Every wolf matures differently. Your body is finding its way. Ryosuke has always been a little... special. Quiet. Focused. Maybe he was holding more than one thing in at a time. And when change came, he let it go all at once.”

    “Like… boom?” Yuto blinked.

    “Like boom.” Kota nodded.

    “You've probably got it coming in stages,” joined Daiki, who meanwhile was lying on his stomach, watching Yuto with an amused expression. “One day you sound like a little wolf, the next day like an old grandfather, the third day like a whirlwind. But all in all, it's perfectly normal. Seriously.”

    “My voice was skipping, too,” Kota said. “I just don't remember it as sharply. But I remember I sneezed once, and my pitch was so high that everyone thought it was a bird.”

    Yuto couldn't help laughing. “Really?”

    “Really.” Kota nodded. “And the whole pack laughed at me for a week.”

    “Okay,” Yuto grumbled, chuckling a little. “Maybe it really is normal.”

    “It is,” Daiki confirmed. “But as long as you're going through it, everyone's allowed to laugh at you. That's a rule, too.”

    Yuto threw a moss ball at him, but he just laughed. Ryosuke smiled too and shook his head. Keito, meanwhile, was examining the ladybug again, but he too was smiling.

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment, head folded on his paws, eyes half closed. He seemed to be resting, but his ears turned towards every sound, every word. And then, in the silence between the laughter and the rustling of the wind in the treetops, he lifted his head and directed his gaze to Kota.

    “What about Daiki?” he asked quietly, but with an amused glint in his eyes. “Do you have any funny stories with him?”

    Daiki immediately became alert, lifted his head from the moss, and stretched. “No. He doesn't. There is no embarrassing story.”

    “Eh? Are you sure about that, Daiki?” remarked Kota with a smile. “I guess then you weren't the one who thought those big snowballs were frozen food on our first winter patrol together.”

    “That was a logical assumption!” Daiki blurted out. “The balls looked like baked... something. And I was hungry!”

    The cubs burst out laughing. Yuto rolled on his back, his legs sticking up in the air. Keito had to stop in the middle of exploring the ferns and bit into his own paw to keep from giggling out loud.

    Yuri snuggled up to Kota. “And what did he do with the snowball?”

    “He licked it,” Kota replied amusedly. “And then he tried to take it into our den, thinking he had found a precious supply. But it was just a frozen ball of snow that fell from a tree.”

    “It was heavy!” Daiki defended himself, but he was laughing too. “And I was a wolf cub!”

    “That's right,” Kota added with gentleness. “Daiki hasn't been with us from the very beginning. But he came early enough to experience everything with us. I saw you right away like a little brother. Even if you thought you were an adult at times.”

    “I still think that,” Daiki growled, but his eyes sparkled.

    “And yet you tried to bury the snowball at the roots so no one would find it.”

    “That was a survival strategy!”

    “It was just a lump of ice.” Kota shook his head.

    Yuto was still laughing. “That's the best story I've ever heard. When Dad comes back, we have to tell him!”

    Daiki sighed and buried his nose in the pine needles. “I should have kept my mouth shut when Ryosuke asked.”

    “But then we wouldn't laugh,” Ryosuke replied calmly. “And that would be a shame.”

    Kota smiled in satisfaction as the laughter around Daiki's story finally died down. He lay down more comfortably, stretching his paws out in front of him and resting his head on one of them.

    “Okay... your turn,” he said softly, but with a flicker of curiosity in his voice. “You tell me a funny story. Maybe about Kei... or Hikaru... or Yuya.”

    The cubs looked at each other. There was silence for a few seconds, only their eyes were glittering, and the air got thick with tension.

    Yuto barked out a laugh first. “I got one! Dad will kill me if he ever finds out, but... He once tried to build this clever trap for the cat that was stealing our supplies.”

    “And what happened?” Yuri said with a smile.

    “Well... He eventually… caught himself,” Yuto sputtered, already rolling in the moss laughing again. “He was just going to check it, but he forgot that he set it to trigger when someone stepped on that branch... And then bang! He fell right into the hole nose first!”

    “And you helped him out?” Daiki asked, grinning.

    “Yeah! But first, I had to sit down and stop laughing. I almost peed myself.”

    Kota laughed quietly, but wholeheartedly. “Yuya falling into his own trap... I wouldn't have expected that.”

    “What about Hikaru?” Keito leaned over to Ryosuke, whose corners were twitching. “Got any?”

    Ryosuke stared off into the branches above them. He was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Dad once tried to light a fire in his wolf form when we were practicing carrying sticks. Only his lighter got naughty, or he somehow got it wrong with his paw as he tried to do it quietly, and instead of fire in the wood, it shot flame into his tail.”

    “What?!” Yuto blurted out.

    “Yeah.” Ryosuke nodded. “And he started running around in circles because the tip of his tail was on fire, while yelling something like 'This isn't in the manual!'”

    The wolf cubs burst out laughing.

    “Hikaru looks so stern,” Yuri giggled, “but he's actually the most awkward when he's trying to do things quietly!”

    “Quiet as a storm in a teacup,” Keito remarked.

    Kota nodded, a quiet laugh vibrating in his chest. “And Kei? He must have some embarrassment, too.”

    “He once mixed up medicinal herbs, and instead of making a tea for a cough, he made a tea... for diarrhea,” Keito said in all seriousness.

    “Oh no!” Yuto yelled, laughing so hard his voice skipped again. “Who did he give it to?”

    “He drank it himself,” Keito replied calmly. “He didn't leave the bathroom all day after that. And he doesn't even want to talk about it.”

    “I wouldn't want that either!” Yuto cried laughing.

    “I'd say...” grumbled Yuri between laughs. “... that our dads are sometimes bigger puppies than we are.”

    Kota smiled with his whole muzzle until the fur around his eyes moved. He lowered his head and wiggled his snout softly. “That's quite true,” he uttered in amusement. “Even though we're your dads... sometimes we act like puppies too. Only we're bigger and noisier.”

    The wolves laughed again, and Yuto lay his head on Ryosuke's side and growled contentedly. Yuri was still giggling, and Keito was still fiddling with a small stick that reminded him of an old toy.

    “What about you?” Daiki suddenly turned to Kota. “Were you in some kind of trouble, too? Tell us one.”

    They're all quiet now. They turned to him like a pack leader facing a challenge.

    Kota raised his eyebrows, and the wolfish expression on his face turned into a playful gesture. “Just one?” he muttered. “I could write a whole book. But okay... I'll tell you one. Just one. And you won't tell anyone.”

    “Never!” barked the wolf cubs in unison.

    “It was... Well, I was about the same age as you are now. Maybe a bit older. And I wanted to prove to myself that I could jump off a cliff right into the river like the older wolves did.”

    “That sounds dangerous,” Yuri whispered.

    “It was dangerous. But I was stubborn. Plus... I wanted to impress a she-wolf.” Kota smiled, almost shyly.

    “Oooooh!” Yuto roared, his eyes nearly falling out. “Romanceee!”

    “Shut up, let him finish!” Keito hissed.

    “Well, I jumped,” Kota continued, “but instead of hitting the water... There was a rock.”

    “Oh no!” gasped several voices.

    “It wasn't sharp, but it was big. And flat. And I landed on it with my ass. So, it ended neither bravely nor in style. I just rolled into the water like a pine cone bouncing off a rock.”

    The wolf cubs burst out laughing. Yuto held his paw to his belly, Yuri rolled in the moss, and Keito bit his tongue to keep from sputtering even more.

    “What about her?” Daiki asked between laughs.

    “She laughed so hard she fell in the water too,” Kota admitted.

    “So, romance!” Yuri squealed.

    “Well... maybe a little,” Kota admitted.

    Yuto rolled onto his back. “You're the best!”

    Kota rested his head back on his paw, eyes closed, a smile on his face. “Okay. Now we're all embarrassed. We're really a pack now.”

    Ryosuke lay still, his eyes following the movement of the branches above him as the wind passed through them. His voice, when he finally spoke, was quiet, almost as if he was asking the question more to himself than to the others.

    “Why did you end up together?” He turned to Kota. “You, my dad, Kei, Yuya... How come you're a pack? And... why aren't there any she-wolves? We're actually an awfully small pack, aren't we?”

    The others fell silent. They all perceived the seriousness of the question. Not sad, but rather curious, profound. Childish and adult at the same time.

    Kota raised his head, thinking. His blind eyes looked into the distance as if seeing something the others did not. “That's a good question,” he said softly. “And I don't think there's a simple answer.”

    The wolves were waiting.

    “When we were younger... each of us came from somewhere else. From different packs, different places. But we weren't happy there. Some of us lost our families. Others... weren't accepted for who they were. And some just wanted to start over.”

    “Like Hikaru?” Ryosuke suggested quietly.

    “Yeah. Hikaru... He was alone for a long time. And the first time I met him, he was wild. Shaky as a branch in a storm. But there was something in his heart that drew him to the pack. To safety. He just didn't know how to ask for it.”

    “And my dad?” Keito asked, his eyes curious.

    “Kei... Kei was always different. Calm, quiet, but with a strength that doesn't break things. He's the one who holds us together. He believes in the light, even when it's dark everywhere. He believes in healing, even when everyone is bleeding.”

    “And my dad?” Yuto blurted out, his heart pounding as if he needed to know the answer before it was too late.

    “Yuya joined later. He was looking for a place to live. A place where no one would pressure him, where he could feel comfortable.”

    Yuto lowered his ears, his eyes glazing over.

    Kota sighed long and quietly. “And she-wolves...” he said softly. “Some we knew from our original packs. But they weren't the right paths. Some have gone away. Some... we lost. And some we may yet meet.”

    “So, it's just us left,” Yuri said.

    “Not left,” Kota corrected him with gentleness. “We've grown so together. We're a small pack, but we're strong. And complete. Because we have each other.”

    Ryosuke nodded. Slowly, with weight in every movement. “We have the best pack.”

    Keito sat leaning against a rock, his front paws folded under him, his gaze fixed on the moss-covered ground. He was silent for a long time, but it was obvious that his head was swirling with thoughts. When he finally spoke, it was softly but clearly, like a question that had been inside him for a long time.

    “I wonder what our original pack was like?” he muttered. “The one we were born into.”

    They're all quiet. The air seemed heavier for a moment. Kota didn't move, but others could tell the question had hit him. And yet, he didn't flinch.

    “We don't know,” he answered quietly, truthfully. “None of us knows.”

    Ryosuke raised his head, his eyes squinting. Yuri snuggled closer to Kota, as if he needed to feel the touch. Yuto's ears lowered, but he didn't flinch. He was just waiting to see what else he could learn.

    “We found you in a cave, away from everything,” Kota continued. “You were small. Wet. Almost out of breath. It had been raining for a week, and water was still running down the walls. We thought you were dead.”

    “But we weren't,” Keito said.

    “No.” Kota smiled weakly. “You were on the verge... but you held on. Side by side. Like you promised each other you'd hold on. You just needed someone to keep you warm.”

    “And you've warmed us up,” Yuri said, quiet as a shadow.

    “We found you. But you chose to live,” Kota corrected him. “And when we brought you home, there was no doubt. You were ours.”

    “But why did the original pack leave us?” Yuto asked, his voice heavy with unease. “Why would anyone do that?”

    “We don't know that, Yuto,” Kota repeated. “Maybe something happened to them. Maybe they couldn't go back. And maybe... maybe they weren't wolves who could protect you. Maybe you should have been found.”

    The cubs were silent. They were thinking.

    “Do you think we'd be different if we stayed there?” Ryosuke asked.

    Kota turned to him. “Maybe. But we'll never know. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Because it doesn't matter where you came from. What matters is where you are now. And who you're with.”

    Keito slowly straightened up. “So, we are yours. Even if we... weren't yours.”

    Kota nodded. Without hesitation. “You are ours. From the first moment we saw you. From the moment you first snuggled into our fur. From the first time you growled, whimpered, and got your paws dirty. You're ours. And you always will be.”

    Yuri buried his snout in his neck. Yuto lifted his head and nodded so vigorously that his ears jumped. Keito closed his eyes.

    And Ryosuke... Ryosuke sat quietly, but his eyes glittered with a strange light. One that belonged to more than just a wolf cub. But to someone who knew exactly what it meant to have a home that he was grateful for, despite his age.

    The leaves suddenly trembled slightly, and Kei emerged from the thicket at the edge of the clearing, panting slightly, but with a satisfied look on his face. His fur glistened softly in the sun, and a faint steam rose from his muzzle – it was clear he had run here.

    “We got her!” he exclaimed. “A doe. It's not far away, not far from the creek. Hikaru and Yuya caught it; all it took was a little skill and patience.”

    The wolf cubs jumped up almost immediately.

    “Yeah!” Yuto squealed and began to hop around the others, tail wagging like a pinwheel. “I told you today would be a good day!”

    Yuri laughed and took off right after him, though he didn't follow so fiercely. Ryosuke stood up calmly, but there was joy in his eyes.

    The only one left standing was Keito. He sat, paws folded under him, eyes downcast. There was something about his face that the others immediately sensed.

    Kota bowed his head to him. “You feel sorry for her, don't you?”

    Keito nodded silently. “I know that's how it works. But I always wonder if something could have been done differently.”

    Kota licked him between the ears. “Feeling it makes you a good wolf. You care. And rightly so. But you also need to know that we hunt with respect. We can't forget to say thank you.”

    Keito nodded again, a little more calmly. “I'll thank her.”

    Meanwhile, Kota started to get up. His legs betrayed him a little; he staggered, but Daiki was right there with him. He slid under his side and let him lean on his shoulder. Together they took the first step, then the second, and slowly made their way to the others.

    “Are we going to eat, Grandpa?” poked Yuto over his shoulder with a grin.

    “If you call me Grandpa again, I'll sit on your tail on purpose,” Daiki replied icily, but with the corner of his mouth up.

    “You already did that once!” barked Yuto, already in motion.

    Kei laughed. “Come on, my wolves. Warm meat awaits.”

    The path to the stream led through soft coniferous soil, into which the paws sank without a sound. The sun shone through the branches, drawing golden streaks into the forest, while a light wind stirred the air filled with the scent of pitch, pine needles, and blood.

    Usually, the cubs would have gone ahead. Yuto would usually be first, tongue out and eyes blazing with adventure, Ryosuke close behind, focused and quiet, Yuri running from side to side like a white ghost, and Keito would follow, though a little more cautiously, his muzzle still on the ground.

    But no one was running today. Everyone stayed near Kota, who walked slowly, leaning on Daiki's shoulder. His stride was sure but steady, and the pack around him moved like a circle of protection.

    Yuto bounced around, occasionally bumping into someone from the side, deliberately nudging Ryosuke, who then knocked him into a pile of pine needles with a crushing headbutt. The two of them began to silently push each other over, but still walked side by side with the former Alpha.

    Yuri ran around, lifting his nose to the sky, and then back to the ground, sniffing everything he could, returning to Kota every now and then to make sure his dad was okay.

    Keito walked quietly, close to Kota's other side, occasionally leaning over and whispering something like, “Watch out, there's a root,” or “Step down.” He helped without helping too much, with respect, as only he could.

    Kota smiled several times. He could feel the beating of the little hearts around him, their bodies radiating warmth, their smells and presence. And even though he was tired, he was walking easier than ever.

    Daiki was silent at his side. He bore his weight, but did not look at him as a burden. It was natural. Step by step, side by side.

    As they approached the stream, the smell of blood grew stronger. It was fresh, warm, mingled with the venison that had been breathing only moments before. And yet there was nothing cruel about it. It was the smell of life. And necessity.

    Hikaru was sitting quietly next to the lying deer, eyes fixed on the forest, and Yuya was just wiping his muzzle on the moss, but he raised his head when he saw them.

    “We're here,” Kei announced with a smile.

    The wolves were silent, just for a moment. Kota approached first, raising his head to the doe, which lay still as if asleep. Then he bowed his head deeply and reverently. His muzzle barely touched the ground, and his ears were slightly back. It was a gesture of peace, humility, and gratitude. He remained thus in silence for a moment before speaking in a low but firm voice, “You died so that we might live. We do not forget. And we thank you.”

    Then he turned his head to the wolf cubs and silently challenged them, “Join us.”

    The cubs paused for a moment, but then one by one they came closer, circled the doe in a semicircle, and imitated Kota's movement.

    Yuto fidgeted for a moment, but then looked seriously at the animal and bowed his head as low as he could. Beside him, Yuri folded his paws into the moss and closed his eyes. Keito added his own thanks in a whisper, almost as if it were a prayer between him and the forest alone. And Ryosuke? He was the quietest. He just bowed his head, touched his muzzle to the doe's side, and let the gratitude pass through his body without words.

    Daiki, Hikaru, Kei, and Yuya watched the scene from afar. Without interruption. They knew this wasn't the moment for them. This was their children's moment.

    When the silence was long enough and the air was saturated with awe, Kota raised his head and nodded slightly. “Let's eat.”

    Hikaru was the first to step forward as Alpha of the pack. Cautiously, without rushing, to start as the most experienced. Then he gave a slight nod with his muzzle. And then the others began to join in.

    The wolf cubs kept to the edge at first; they weren't adults yet, and though hungry, they knew this wasn't just about food. It's a ritual. Sharing. Responsibility.

    Yuto finally overcame his shyness first. He bit down on the piece Yuya had released to him and grunted in satisfaction. Yuri sat down next to him, waiting patiently for his turn. Keito started up to the piece Kei handed him in his mouth. Ryosuke stayed by his side, his eyes checking to make sure everything was okay around them before he too took his share.

    And something old and sacred passed between them at that moment. Something that connected their bodies, hearts, and souls. They were a pack. One family.

    And in the silence of the forest, among the drops of blood and the rustling of branches, something deeper than satiation was born. It was belonging. Trust. And an infinite wolf bond.

Chapter Text

    The forest was quiet and still, bathed in light that filtered through the needles. The air smelled of pitch and moss and summer fruit, and the pack was moving through the trees again. But this time, differently.

    Kota and Hikaru stayed home. Kota had tired paws after yesterday, and Hikaru decided to stay with him, just like that, quietly, away from the noise of the forest. The others, however, took advantage of the beautiful weather and set out on their favorite trail.

    Kei walked in the lead, his step sure, his eyes alert, and a small cloth bag hanging on his back. A quartet of wolf cubs hopped alongside him, restless as ever, though some more so than others.

    “Okay.” Kei stopped at a low bush covered in purple berries. “Today's lesson: berries. Some are good. Some will give you... Well, something between vomiting and the dance of death, so let's cover the basics, shall we?”

    Keito immediately rushed forward, stood up straight, raised his paw, and waved it until his ears tinkled. “Me! Me! I know it! Can I say it? Can I?!”

    Kei smiled. “All right, Keito. What's this?” He pointed his muzzle at the twig.

    “This is a wolf elderberry! It can only be eaten a little bit and only when it's very ripe, otherwise it hurts your tummy!” barked Keito with such pride that he could have been a forest diplomat.

    “That's right.” Kei nodded and was about to continue when a brown shadow literally flew over his legs.

    “Ryoooo! Play with me!” Yuto yelled, biting into Ryosuke's neck as gently as he could to still be friendly. Ryosuke tried to keep following Kei, but with Yuto hanging behind his ear, it was hard to do so.

    “Yuto!” admonished Kei without raising his voice. “What's the number one rule when learning about plants?”

    “Not biting anyone's throat?” Yuri echoed from behind, laughing with pleasure.

    “Well... that too.” Kei sighed. “But mostly: focus, or you'll eat something that'll make you puke your teeth.”

    “I have a strong stomach!” Yuto exclaimed proudly, already biting Ryosuke's shoulder again.

    Ryosuke growled, but more playfully than seriously, and knocked him down with his paw. “Stop it, or I'll stuff the wrong berries in your mouth.”

    “Then I'd... get knocked out,” Yuto replied dramatically, then fell onto his back, four paws in the air, tongue out. As always.

    Kei rolled his eyes. Daiki, who was walking around checking the surroundings, chuckled, “I'm glad the lesson is so... consistently taught.”

    “Consistently yes,” Kei muttered. “Just not in the direction I wanted.”

    Yuya quietly appeared from the right side among the trees, looked at the restless wolves, and nodded to Kei, “It's quiet here. Just one rabbit and... a lot of laughter.”

    Kei sighed, but the smile remained on his face. “That's good. But now we need to get to which berries are really dangerous... before Yuto stuffs some up his nose.”

    “That was one bush!” Yuto pouted.

    Ryosuke barked. “And you still have a purple nose from it.”

    “And the bush didn't even have berries, just the color!” said Keito with his front paw up.

    The biggest of the cubs frowned. “It looked delicious!”

    And so, the walk continued. Kei walked slowly ahead, stopping at each major bush or plant, gently touching the leaves with his muzzle and explaining with his own patience. His voice was calm, quiet, but distinct enough to be heard over the rustling of paws and the occasional burst of laughter.

    “This is a willow tree. It helps with a tummy ache, but it must not be dried in direct sunlight,” he explained, while Keito stood close beside him and excitedly lifted his paw at regular intervals.

    “I know, I know! Willow has those fine leaves, doesn't it? And it smells like... like...” he raised his snout and took a deep breath, “... something between grass and honey!”

    “That's right, kiddo.” Kei nodded, obviously pleased. “And what else can we use it for?”

    “For making band aids! And when we cook it, it can be drunk like tea!” barked Keito, his paws dancing in the moss as he tried to keep still.

    Yuri walked close beside him, ears perked, occasionally leaning closer when Kei was pointing something out. “What about the one with the red tips? That one kind of burns the tongue.”

    “It's a wolf nettle,” Kei explained. “It's not poisonous, but if you swallow it raw, you'll talk like a bear with a toothache.”

    Yuri nodded and wrote it down in his silent memory.

    But in the back... Ryosuke and Yuto walked slowly behind the others, but every few steps, they made their own secret mini-battle. At first, they just exchanged a sharp look. Then Ryosuke leaned in slightly and tapped Yuto on the neck.

    Yuto hissed, jumped up, bit into Ryosuke's shoulder, and tried to roll him.

    Kei looked over his shoulder. They both froze instantly.

    Ryosuke stared at the bush, looking deadly intent. “... Are those, uh, blueberries?”

    Yuto, beside him, looked like he was in a scientific trance. “Yes. And there are... blueberries with leaves.”

    Kei squinted his eyes. “That's fern.”

    “Yeah! Exactly! Blueberries and ferns. Tricky.”

    Kei sighed, but said nothing. He turned back to Yuri's question about the lichen.

    No sooner had he turned around than Ryosuke bit Yuto behind the ear again. Yuto rolled over and grabbed his tail.

    And so, the two fronts of one expedition continued. One full of knowledge. And the other... full of teeth and laughter.

    After a moment of bickering, the pack reached a large, thick bush with glossy, dark leaves and tiny black berries that seemed almost inviting. Kei stopped in front of it, looked at it with a serious expression, and sat down, his muzzle just inches from the branches.

    “Now,” he began calmly, “this plant is beautiful... and tricky. It looks harmless, but it's highly poisonous. It's called wolf's nightshade. Just licking a leaf can cause nausea, hallucinations, and in worse cases... even unconsciousness.”

    Yuri and Keito listened to him with tense expressions. Keito spoke again with his paw, nodding as if he wanted to tattoo every word into his brain. Yuri had his head tilted to the side and his eyes squinted in concentration.

    But behind them, Ryosuke nodded his head slightly towards Yuto, his eyes sparkling. In a slow motion, as if he was just changing position, he lightly jabbed his paw into his ribs.

    Yuto jumped, grinned, and rapped him on the ear without hesitation.

    “Ow-!” Ryosuke growled softly but playfully, and in turn tried to roll Yuto over.

    Just then, there was an eloquent clearing of the throat behind them and a distinct heavy silence.

    Yuya stood only a few steps behind them, his muzzle slightly wrinkled, his eyebrows tilted in such a way that it was clear he was watching the whole spectacle. At his side stood Daiki, who was giving them the same calm but stern look that only Daiki could.

    Ryosuke and Yuto froze at the exact moment when their teeth were still locked together. Slowly, they let go. They stood up. They straightened their ears. They fixed their gaze on Kei, who was just telling them about how even though the leaves were drying, their poison wasn't being lost.

    But they both had twitching ears. And the corners of both their mouths twitched. And of course, their eyes kept squinting at each other.

    Yuya silently walked over to Yuto, bent down, and before Yuto could protest, grabbed him gently but firmly by the skin of his neck, lifted him off the ground like a puppy, and carried him a good ten meters away without a word.

    Yuto hung in the air, paws limp, tongue hanging out of his mouth. “You betrayed me, Dad,” he whimpered dramatically.

    Kei turned around and didn't bat an eyelash. “You deserve to be banished from the teaching circle for attempting a duel at the poison bush.”

    Daiki followed Yuya's example and walked over to Ryosuke, who just swallowed dryly but was bravely silent. Like Yuto, he too was grabbed by the skin of his neck and carried to the other side.

    The two wolves then put them on the ground, facing each other, but without the possibility of biting.

    Ryosuke and Yuto both sat down, looking meek. But their eyes were flashing and ears still twitching as they listened tensely... while looking forward to the next time Kei turned his head again for a moment.

    Kei, however, remained calm. He continued his explanation, but his eyes occasionally wandered to the two little wolf cubs, who now sat facing each other in a pattern like two little angels... with eyes full of devils.

    “And now a question for our most attentive students,” he uttered with a sweet smile and his eyes fixed on Ryosuke and Yuto. “What happens when a wolf accidentally eats the berries from a wolf's nightshade?”

    Ryosuke froze. He turned his head towards him slowly, as if he had just been plucked from another world.

    “Um... something's going to happen?” he tried, voice calm but eyes elsewhere.

    Yuto raised his head too, snout a little crooked, tongue lolling out to the side. “Yeah! I know! He's gonna... start spinning?”

    Kei squinted his eyes. Yuri and Keito laughed nearby, but Kei remained in complete zen-like calm. “And who's going to start spinning, Yuto? Shrub?”

    Yuto smiled. “Maybe a wolf? Maybe the world? Maybe the stomach?”

    “All at once, if you're lucky,” Kei muttered, resting his forehead on his paw.

    While Keito continued to chatter about other plants and Yuri focused on detailing the leaves, Ryosuke and Yuto were completely out of it. They may have been sitting quietly, but tension was flowing between them. That familiar wolf banter. The eyes, the tail, the slight twitch of an ear, the twist of a shoulder, the inhale.

    Yuto slowly rose to his starting position, back paws tensed, head bowed, eyes squinted. Ryosuke, across from him, did the same. In half a breath. They waited to see who would go first.

    And then, at the same second, they were about to run at each other, in perfect synchrony... before heavy paws landed on their backs on both sides.

    Both Yuya and Daiki reacted before their paws could even leave the ground. Each of them held one wolf tightly underneath them, their snout pressed against their shoulder, pinning them to the ground like restless balls of fur.

    “You're not going anywhere,” Yuya told his son simply, in a tone that didn't even need an explanation.

    “Nooo!” Yuto whimpered, wagging his tail in a vain attempt to get out.

    “Are you naughty? You're lying down,” Daiki added, and Ryosuke rested his forehead in the moss in resignation.

    Kei turned, surveyed the scene, took a deep breath, then calmly spoke, “There. Now, let's talk about patience. It's one of the few things that doesn't grow in the forest.”

    Kei sat quietly among the bushes and let the silence subside for a while. He looked at the two disarmed balls of wolf energy that now lay tamed beneath Yuya and Daiki's paws, then turned back to the others.

    “Patience,” he began in a calm voice, “is like moss on stone. It grows slowly, but once it takes hold... nothing can move it.”

    Keito nodded enthusiastically. “That's beautiful. Can I write it down?”

    “You've got nowhere to write it, Keito,” remarked Yuri, who meanwhile lay down in the grass and leafed through the leaves with his paw, as if looking for something more interesting than berries. But at the same time, he was attentive. As always.

    Meanwhile, Ryosuke sighed, his head still buried in the moss, and muttered, “I have patience... It's just that with Yuto it's hard to follow...”

    “Hey!” Yuto whined, trying to turn his head towards him even though he still had Yuya's paw firmly on his back. “You're the one who bit my ear first!”

    “And you've been poking me in the ribs all morning!”

    “That was friendly!” Yuto protested.

    Daiki chuckled. “We're keeping you friendly right now.”

    Yuya leaned over Yuto and licked the back of his head. “Stay like that for a few minutes. Maybe your brain will mature in the meantime.”

    “Heeey!” Yuto yelled, but remained lying down even as he fidgeted.

    Meanwhile, Kei kept going, not letting it derail him. “You know, wolves aren't just about strength. We're a pack. Which means we're also about rhythm. We have to feel each other out, adapt. To learn. To endure. Sometimes, you just have to wait for the berries to ripen. Or until someone stops being stupid,” he added, winking at Ryosuke.

    Ryosuke lifted his head and blinked. “That goes for Yuto, right?”

    “Definitely not just for him,” Kei replied with a smile.

    Yuto grumbled, “I'm trying to mature, but someone is holding me down!”

    “Sometimes, you need that too,” Yuya said as if it were a given.

    And so, the wolf cubs lay, laughing, learning, though it seemed they were learning in a very different way than Kei had imagined.

    Yuya and Daiki exchanged a look, that experienced wolf look of silent understanding. They both simultaneously lifted their paws from the bodies of their little rascals and took a step back.

    “Okay,” Yuya grumbled, straightening up, “but only playfully, okay? No rolling in the nettles.”

    Yuto barely touched the ground before he bounced like a spring to his feet. “Okay, okay! I've been playing since birth!”

    Ryosuke got up a little slower, but he had the same sparkle in his eyes. His tail twitched slightly, taut as a string, and he barely had time to count to three before Yuto was on him again. This time, though, it wasn't an attack, more of a deft lunge that ended with both wolves rolling over in the soft moss.

    “Hey!” Ryosuke yelled, but he was laughing. Yuto pounced on him and pawed his snout with his paw.

    “That's teaching with the body!” he exclaimed.

    “Teaching you how I'm going to throw you over the bush!” Ryosuke growled with a smirk, knocking him down again. They began to push each other over, biting gently at paws, necks, and ears, but all in a rhythm of joy and playful enthusiasm.

    Kei sat up, took a deep breath, and looked at the rest of the pack. Keito and Yuri sat nearby and just watched the fight with interest, as if it were part of the lesson.

    “Leave them now,” Daiki said with a smile. “If they don't use all their energy now, they'll be flying around the house all night.”

    “Or flying after me,” Yuya added, shuddering and running a paw over his muzzle as if he were already imagining Yuto jumping across him in bed.

    Kei just nodded and smiled. “Then let them get a restful night's sleep. But if they have thorns in their fur in the morning, they'll pull them out themselves.”

    The laughter and growls of the two balls of fur continued to roll through the bushes while the adults left them alone. They knew this was just their way. The wolf language of friendship. A way to learn, to grow... and to extract energy from each other that would otherwise tear up the carpets.

    After a moment of frolicking, Kei stood up, dusted the moss off his side with his paw, and raised his muzzle to the air. “Okay. Now for a little orientation. We'll go through that tall meadow. I want to see how you'll be able to get your bearings if you can't see around you.”

    Yuto immediately stopped biting Ryosuke's tail. “Orientation! Yeah! I can do that blindfolded!”

    Keito sniffed the grass thoughtfully. “But if we can't see anything, how will we know where you are?”

    “You will use your sense of smell, hearing... and common sense,” Kei replied with a smile.

    The pack entered the tall grass that reached well above the young wolves' ears. Yuri stayed close to Keito, Ryosuke rather forged ahead cautiously and carefully, but Yuto... Yuto immediately thought of a new technique.

    “Hey, look!” he shouted, disappearing into the grass, then leaping into the air, all four paws in a lunge, tongue out, eyes bright. “Boing!” He laughed as he fell back and the grass swallowed him up again.

    It was quiet for a while. And then again, “Boing!” He jumped up again, this time a little farther, his head flying out over the grass like a spring, his ears spread sideways like wings.

    Yuya made a strange sound, something between a gasp and a restrained laugh.

    Daiki laughed out loud. “This is the best orientation approach I've ever seen!”

    Kei had to sit down as he started laughing. “He's like a little deer!”

    “Roe-rabbit!” Yuya added while trying to catch another jump of his son.

    “Boing!” came again, and then again and again, until the rhythm of the jumps became a merry little concert among the rustling stalks.

    Ryosuke stopped, sat down in the grass, but he couldn't be seen. He spoke up, laughing, “All I can see is his head flying back and forth!”

    Yuri giggled. “He looks like a feather with a nose!”

    Yuto responded with an even higher jump, shouting, “Flying wolf landing aaaa-” and sank so deep into the grass that he was lost for a moment.

    Silence.

    And then a whimper, “That was hard...! But epic!”

    The adults laughed, the wolf cubs squealed, and even though it had almost nothing to do with orientation, this was one of those moments that will always be etched in their memories. Not so much for the learning, but for the joy.

    Yuto, meanwhile, continued to hop tirelessly through the tall grass like a mad deer. Every now and then, his brown fur would flash among the greenery, followed by a leap and a cry of joy.

    “Boing! Boing! The orientation winner is here! Aah!”

    Ryosuke watched him with squinted eyes, sitting in the grass with his tongue out and his tail wagging. “Oh, no way...” he muttered, then started forward. “I'll catch you!” he growled at the challenge.

    But he was shorter, and the grass was even higher than for Yuto, so each of his jumps was a bit shorter, and especially not as effective. Plus, he couldn't see anything. All he could hear was Yuto's laughter somewhere in front of him and the occasional flash of fur in the air.

    “Here I am! Boing!” Yuto said from the left.

    Ryosuke turned sharply in that direction and bounced to jump at the same moment as Yuri, who was also trying to jump from the same side.

    The result?

    Bang!

    The two small wolves collided in mid-air, tangled together like two balls in a whirlwind, and roared back into the grass with a loud “Oof!” and lots of laughter.

    Nothing moved for a while.

    Then the grass stirred and two ruffled snouts appeared, Ryosuke with his muzzle glued to Yuri's ear, both of them stunned, and the next moment they started laughing out loud.

    “Sorry!” Ryosuke blurted out.

    “It's fine,” Yuri stammered. “You stuck your nose in my mouth!”

    “Do I taste like grass?” Ryosuke grinned.

    “Like the smallest wolf of the grass!” Yuri barked, throwing him back into the moss.

    On the other side of the meadow, Yuto had just jumped into the air again. But this time with a dramatic twist in the air and a cry of “Three-point landing!” before he landed again.

    Moreover, he almost took Keito with him, who tried to find him by sniffing and just shook his head. “This isn't a walk anymore. This is a safari.”

    Kei, Daiki, and Yuya stood on the edge of the grass, watching the whole scene with the expressions only parents know. The kind of “yes, we love them, but if they break something, we don't know them.”

    And yet... everyone was smiling. Because this was their pack. Their meadow. Their children.

    Eventually, after dozens of jumps, falls, tripping over their own paws, happy laughter, and a few stray rolls in the grass, all the wolf cubs began to slowly retreat back to the adults. Among the last to emerge was Keito, his muzzle lowered to the ground as he sniffed the flowers and moss all the way through the stalks, looking for interesting things to talk about later.

    As soon as he emerged from the grass and his little head appeared among the others, there was a “ping!” and a smack. Something small and fast landed right on his nose and pinched him.

    “Ow!” Keito groaned, backing up quickly, scratching his snout with his paws and rolling his eyes. “Ow, ow, ow! Something stung me! In my nose! Right up my nose!”

    Kei was next to him, quick as ever, and he bent down and began to carefully check his nose with his muzzle. “Relax, Keito, show me... Don't move... Come on, it's okay.”

    Keito stood obediently, but shaking slightly. “I think it was a mosquito. Or a wasp. Or a hornet! Am I going to die? Am I going to die?”

    “Relax, you're not dying,” Kei said calmly, checking the slight redness. “It's just stung, a little swollen, but nothing serious. Good reflex to yell right away.”

    Meanwhile, Yuya walked closer and watched the situation while Daiki held back Yuto, who wanted to rush closer and called out cheerfully, “Where's that insect?! I'll find it! I'm gonna bite it back!”

    Keito snorted, but let his nose be checked by Kei, who blew gently on the reddened spot. “Am I going to have a... crooked nose?”

    “You'll have a hero's nose,” Kei assured him with a smile. “You can tell experience by the scars. But this will only be for tonight. After a while, you won't even know you've been stung.”

    Keito sighed, but looked a little proud already. “Good. But will you check it at home too, Dad?”

    “Twice.” Kei nodded, patting him gently on the back with his paw.

    As Ryosuke, Yuto, and Yuri sat in a circle around them, watching Keito with the seriousness that any brave nose deserved, the forest fell silent again for a while. There was only the rustling of the grass, a quiet snort, and the occasional whimper from Keito as one of the adults licked him sympathetically.

    Little Keito sat quietly in the grass, his little nose resting on his front paws, and every now and then, he sighed. The tip of his little nose was already slightly red and swollen as heat began to gather around the site of the pinch. It wasn't dangerous, but it looked sensitive, and more importantly, Keito looked like the unluckiest puppy in the world.

    Yuri came to him first and gently leaned his hip on his shoulder. “Don't worry, Keito. You still look nice. Just a little... like a blueberry button.”

    Keito weakly gulped. “Is that... an insult or a compliment?”

    Yuri chuckled. “I don't know, but it sounds cute.”

    Ryosuke crept up from the other side, slowly and calmly, and then ran a paw gently over his back as if trying to take his pain away. “I had a swollen snout once, too. When Yuto stepped on my head at night.”

    “Hey!” Yuto protested, but immediately laughed and sat down across from Keito, tilting his head and wiggling his ears. “You want me to lick you? That helps.”

    “That's not scientific,” Keito muttered, but at least he smiled when Yuto licked his forehead lightly.

    Kei, who had been watching them quietly, finally stood up and wagged his tail a little to get their attention.

    “I think we had a beautiful day today... but we only have one snout,” he said with a calm smile. “Let's go home. I'll put some ointment on it, Keito. And then you'll be good as new again tonight. Maybe even smell better.”

    Keito nodded, whimpering a little, but it was clear he was relieved.

    “Scented Keito!” Yuto laughed. “That'll be his new name!”

    “Let's go, fragrance,” Ryosuke added, nudging Keito with his muzzle, very gently.

    The pack got up, slowly made their way home. The grass closed behind them, the wind rustled through the leaves, and though one little nose ached a little, everyone's heart was filled with laughter, warmth, and that unmistakable certainty that nowhere was as safe as among their own.

    On the way back through the woods, the pack walked at a leisurely pace. The sun was already low, painting the trees in golden hues, and the warm evening wind flew through the branches. Keito walked by Kei's side, his head slightly bowed, his muzzle not as red, but still a little swollen. He still held it gingerly with his paw as if that might help it heal faster.

    “Dad...?” he said softly, looking up at him.

    “Yes?” Kei replied, immediately leaning down to give him his full attention.

    “Will I have... a scar?” Keito asked uncertainly, almost in a whisper.

    Kei smiled, gently rubbing his muzzle against his ear. “I don't think so. But even if you had... well, scars aren't bad things.”

    Ryosuke heard it from the other side and came closer. “I have a lot of scars,” he said calmly, turning his head so Keito could see his muzzle clearly. In the direct light, he could see the fine lines and older wounds that Kei had once had to stitch up when they were found after a vampire attack.

    “Do you remember how Kei used to fix me back then?” Ryosuke asked gently. “A few stitches here, a few there. But I'm breathing fine. I'm eating normally. It just seems... a little rougher.”

    Keito examined his snout for a while. “But it doesn't look bad at all... just different.”

    Ryosuke smiled. “That's just it. My dad says that every scar says something. That we've accomplished something. That we survived. That we fought someone!”

    Yuto, who was running around and had just jumped over a stick, immediately joined in. “Hey! I have scars, too!” He turned his head so that everyone could see his ear, which was missing a bit of the tip.

    “This is from the same day. When we were attacked... and then we fought, and my dad thought my whole ear was going to fall off. But look, it's holding! Even though it's a little gnawed!” He laughed.

    “And you have scars on your side, too,” Ryosuke added, looking him over.

    “And you on your shoulders! And on your legs! And under your neck!” Yuto exclaimed happily. “Everywhere!”

    “You and I are like a map.” Ryosuke smiled. “But every scar means we made it.”

    Keito was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then his tail moved, and he smiled a little. “I guess I'd take the scar then. It'd be my first.”

    Kei smiled and ran his paw over his back. “And, hopefully, the last for a long time.”

    “But if he finally got some, it would make him look tough!” Yuto added, howling with joy that they were almost home.

    When the little house loomed in the distance and the road under their paws turned in a familiar direction, the sky suddenly darkened, and the wind picked up. At first, just gentle drops on the fur, then the first strong splash fell from the sky... and then it burst into full force.

    The rain fell like a curtain.

    “Aaaa-!” Yuto exclaimed as the drops hit his muzzle. “It's cold! It's cold!”

    “Let's go!” Kei called, his mane instantly soaked and his paws caked in mud.

    Ryosuke squinted his eyes against the water and ran close behind Yuri, whose fur was already stuck to his body like a little white broom.

    Keito, with his muzzle swollen, just whimpered quietly among the drops, water running down his forehead and back, but he clung to Daiki like a shadow.

    They arrived at the house completely soaked. Every hair was wet, tail heavy as a bucket, and ears hanging under the weight of water.

    Hikaru was already standing in the doorway, and he must have heard them from a distance. He was holding a towel in his hands, and his eyes were bulging like someone who wasn't expecting a tornado.

    “Well, hello,” he grumbled. “You've got to be kidding.”

    Before he could finish, Yuto burst through the door, the water splashing like a tsunami behind him. Hikaru immediately grabbed him, wrapping him in a towel like a burrito until only his ears and the tip of his snout were visible.

    “Into the fireplace with you,” he called, and carried him like a sack of potatoes into the common room, where Kota was already sitting by the fireplace in his human form, wrapped in a blanket and ready to greet the children like a first-class dryer.

    Another wolf rushed through the door – Ryosuke. Drops trickled down his muzzle, and Hikaru didn't even blink, already wrapping him in another towel, this one dark blue.

    “Come on, my little storm warrior.”

    “I've got water up my nose, too,” Ryosuke grumbled under the blanket, sniffling.

    “Not anymore,” Hikaru said, wiping his nose and carrying him over to the fireplace, where he carefully placed him next to Yuto.

    Then came Keito and Yuri. Everyone got their towel, and Hikaru caught each pup before they could wet the floor. Then, even Daiki and Kei brought in the last remnants of wet fur and wolf chaos.

    Yuya was the last to slip in, shaking in the doorway, water splashing out in all directions. “We should have taken the boat,” he remarked.

    Meanwhile, four soaked wolf cubs were drying by the fireplace, wrapped in colorful towels, ears to the side and noses raised to the flames.

    And even though the floor was wet and the air was full of steam from dripping fur... It was warm, laughter, and home.

    The wood crackled by the fireplace, and the firelight drew golden glitter on the wet towels. The wolf cubs sat or lay in soft, colored balls, each wrapped like a present. The only bits that peeked out were usually snouts or ears. They were like four hot, wet potatoes and looked perfectly content.

    Yuto sat closest to the fire, paws tucked under the blanket, muzzle glossy, eyes half-closed. And then it came. “Ah... achooo!”

    He shushed so hard that, for a moment, his whole blanket puffed up like a sail in the wind. Immediately afterwards, his classic, “Ach-huuooa-! My voice!” He whimpered after he sneezed again.

    This time, his voice skipped in such a funny way that he sounded like a squeaky toy and a little bear combined. Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito immediately burst out laughing.

    “You sound like you have a squirrel in your throat,” Ryosuke growled.

    “Squirrel with a cold!” Yuri joined in.

    Yuto curled up in the blanket, but when Kota, sitting next to him, gently placed his palm on his head and began to stroke between his ears, he grunted softly and contentedly.

    “Sneeze as many times as you want,” Kota told him with a calm smile. “Every sneeze is a sign of life.”

    Keito pulled the blanket tighter to his muzzle, quietly enjoying Kota's touches, which were like warm rain, but the inner kind. He stroked them each slowly, through fur, ears, paws, one by one. In his proximity, even the rain seemed to lose its cold power.

    Meanwhile, Hikaru was running vigorously among the larger wolves, covering them with the towels that he pulled from the stack he had prepared in the hallway.

    “Kei, sit down. Stop dripping on the floor.”

    “That's natural,” Kei defended himself, but let himself be wrapped up.

    “And you, Daiki... have a piece of moss in your fur.”

    “It's part of the look.” Daiki laughed, but obediently allowed himself to be brushed off.

    Yuya just sat down next to the others, his long fur still damp, but he let it go. More important now were the little ones, wrapped up, cuddled, and happy.

    “That was a bummer, kids.” Hikaru finally sat down next to them all, panting. He watched them in silence for a moment. Little heads pressed together. Kota, who purred softly and stroked. Everything smelled of rain and fire and home.

    Kei, who finally wiped the last of the water from his fur and returned the towel to the basket, transformed into human form, stretched his back, and headed back to the fireplace. There, a small, silent package named Keito was already waiting for him, wrapped in a dark green blanket with only a swollen muzzle and two curious eyes peeking out.

    “Let's take a look at you, hero.” Kei smiled, taking him gently into his arms. Keito immediately whimpered contentedly and snuggled into his chest.

    Kei pulled the blanket aside a little and examined his nose. The swelling was smaller now, the redness receding, but he could still see where the pinch had been.

    “It's getting better. You're a brave little wolf, Keito,” he murmured gently and began to lightly rub his muzzle with the fine herbal ointment he had brought from his locker a moment ago.

    Keito rested his head on his hand and purred contentedly. “It smells like forest... and mint tea...”

    “That's because it's a forest... and a little mint.” Kei smiled and kissed him between the ears.

    While everything was warming and healing by the fireplace, on the other side of the room, another, slightly less peaceful scene began.

    Yuto subtly, at least in his mind, crept up on Ryosuke, who was lying down calmly wrapped in a blanket like a burrito with his snout by the fire. With a very focused expression, Yuto grabbed the end of his blanket... and began to pull it off.

    “Yuto...” hissed Ryosuke without moving.

    “That's not me...” replied Yuto, but he kept on pulling, bit by bit.

    Ryosuke turned sharply and tried to bite his paw, but Yuto ducked and hid behind a table leg.

    “Ha! I'm winning 1-0!” He laughed, his ears bouncing, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

    “Come here, or I'll tie the blanket to your tail,” Ryosuke growled with a grin, jumping out of the warm cocoon and running after him.

    “Catch me!” Yuto yelled and began to slide across the floor, leaving a trail of water behind him.

    Meanwhile, by the fireplace, Kota just smiled softly as he watched their antics even without his eyes, and Kei held Keito tighter as if he wanted to keep at least one wolf calm. “Wrap them in towels – manageable. Keep wrapped – impossible,” Kei muttered, but there was only love in his voice.

    Hikaru, who had just thought he finally had a few minutes of peace and made his way to the kitchen, turned from the door and saw... two small wet torpedoes fleeing across his living room.

    Ryosuke raced after Yuto, his tail twitching like a wind flag, only a bit of the blanket left dangling on his back, leaving a wet trail underneath like a floating duck.

    Yuto was slipping, laughing, and shouting, “It's not my fault! The towel just let go of me on its own!”

    Hikaru blinked, picked up the last remaining towel in his hand, and with a very slow, menacingly calm tone, said, “You're not dry yet. Not even one of you.”

    Then... he took off.

    “Brother, we have a problem!” Yuto yelled, shooting towards the kitchen.

    “Come on! Come on! To the escape window!” Ryosuke shouted, even though the window was long closed, and too high up for them to jump.

    Hikaru jumped first after Ryosuke, but he deftly dodged and ducked under the couch. Yuto misjudged it, though, and his paw got crushed on the slippery floor.

    Slap! ... And Hikaru had him.

    “Gotcha! You wet fox!” he growled, wrapping him in a towel like a sushi roll with all his might, leaving Yuto whimpering and squirming.

    “You betrayed me!” he whimpered as Hikaru carried him back to the fireplace.

    “Your own paw betrayed you, wet friend,” Hikaru muttered, setting him back down on the soft carpet by the fire.

    “And you...” He turned to Ryosuke, who was still lurking under the couch.

    Ryosuke just backed away slowly, ears down, tail tucked. “I... I'd go back alone,” he tried to claim innocently, but it was too late. Hikaru grabbed the back of his head lightning fast, gently but firmly, and wrapped the second towel around him like a Christmas gift paper.

    “You're not going to dry out if you keep acting like this,” Hikaru muttered to himself as he carried another wolf cub back to the fireplace, where Kei and Keito just watched silently, and Kota and Yuri just shook their heads in disturbance.

    Yuri sat contentedly buried in Kota's arms like a little bright white bundle of peace. His fur was almost dry now, thanks to the fact that he hadn't run around the house, but preferred to stay with his father Kota as soon as he arrived, who had covered him with another warm blanket and was now slowly brushing the fur on his back with his fingertips.

    “I really don't understand,” Yuri said quietly, but with the expression of an older and wiser wolf than he really was, “why you keep running and biting each other when you can stay warm and someone can pet you.”

    Ryosuke and Yuto were lying nearby, both still wrapped up, but already nervously shifting in their blankets, as if contemplating an escape into the wilderness. Ryosuke turned to Yuri, raised an eyebrow, and grinned.

    “Because biting is fun.”

    “And running is an adventure!” Yuto joined in enthusiastically and tried to slip out of the blanket, but Hikaru immediately pierced him with his gaze, so he quickly changed his mind.

    Yuri groaned and buried himself further into Kota's arms. “This is better. I can purr in here... and it's warm. And Daddy's fingers do just that,” he added, grunting as Kota rubbed his ear.

    “That's because you have good taste,” Kota said calmly, gently scratching him between the shoulder blades.

    “You have good taste in cuddles,” Yuto growled, “but you don't have an adventurous soul!”

    “I have a soul for purring,” Yuri replied with his eyes closed.

    “Like a cat.” Ryosuke grinned.

    “Like a cat that survives the rain and can't fly like you two dumbasses,” Yuri replied, snuggling even closer to Kota.

    Kota laughed softly, patted him on the head, and added, “Some prefer peace, some prefer battles. But as long as you're all home, dry, within reason, and together, everything is just the way it should be.”

    “Even with a swollen snout,” Keito added from Kei's lap, looking important.

    “That's an honorable snout!” Yuto exclaimed.

    “Honorable bump,” Ryosuke corrected him.

    Shortly after the laughter and teasing died down, the room was quiet. The wood crackled softly in the fireplace, the firelight reflecting in the glittering eyes of the wolves and in the droplets that still occasionally trickled down the fur of those who were the worst troublemakers.

    Yuri was still lying in Kota's lap, content, breathing in his peaceful scent. Keito was leaning on Kei, who was gently brushing his almost dry fur. Yuto and Ryosuke finally stopped shuffling and crawled into their blankets as well, paws outstretched, noses buried in warmth.

    Yuya, Daiki, Kei, and Hikaru sat or lay around them, each with their own eyes fixed on the little cubs who had turned their lives upside down. And yet, or perhaps because of it, it had filled them with happiness in a way they had never known before.

    They were werewolves. Strong, independent, with their own scars, pasts, and journeys. But now... they were a pack. All of them.

    And these little ones, their sons, their little brothers, their little hearts in their fur, gave them something they could never have imagined before.

    Meaning.

    Not the flashy or the heroic. But the quiet, every day, woven of raindrops, towels, laughter, swollen noses, and battles for the last blanket. A sense that was measured in howls in the night, in paw prints in the dirt, in the warm flesh that clung to them because “I had a bad dream.”

    So, they all were together, warm, safe, at home.

    The wolf cubs slowly fell asleep, wrapped up and smiling, while the adult wolves exchanged silent glances. Fatigue was wearing on them, as was the peace that evening brought.

Chapter Text

    The garden was bathed in afternoon sun, the grass soft and warm underfoot, and the smell of dirt, herbs, and summer air everywhere. The tall trees at the edge cast a shadow in which the adult wolves Yuya, Hikaru, and Kota lounged, but in their human forms. They were sprawled on their sides or with their heads resting on a root. They all looked calm and content.

    Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and Daiki were frolicking on the lawn, all in their wolf forms. They chased each other around the flowerbeds, jumping over the low wooden fence that was supposed to protect the vegetables, and occasionally knocking over a pot or digging up a piece of dirt in the process, but no one was particularly bothered.

    The only one who didn't look happy was Ryosuke.

    He sat near the adult wolves at a small wooden table under the shelter, in human form, pencil in hand, his hair slightly disheveled and falling into his eyes. He was leaning over his notebook, forehead drawn in concentration and frustration. Beside him sat Kei, calm and quiet, elbows propped on the desk.

    “You must practice,” came a soft voice from Kota, who was lying nearby. “It will help you. And you're getting better at it.”

    Ryosuke sighed, drew a line across the page, and muttered, “But they're playing...”

    “You'll be playing soon, too,” Yuya echoed, stretching lazily in the shadows. “But since you made it through the transformation later, you need to catch up on a few things. That's it. It's not a bad thing.”

    Ryosuke frowned, but said nothing. He knew they were right. His transformation into human form came much later than the others, as if his body hadn't known for a long time if it even wanted to transform. When it finally happened, he was happy... but also a little scared. Suddenly, so many things were different a writing was one of them.

    He didn't do badly. He was just slower, and it felt like every line was a struggle. Meanwhile, he could hear the others laughing, hear Yuri yelling because Yuto had dumped the flowerpots under his feet, hear Keito straightening the rows of lettuce behind them because he was 'bothered by the chaos'.

    “Can I take a break?” Ryosuke muttered.

    Kei raised his head and looked at him with his calm gaze. “Let's try to finish that sentence first, okay?”

    Ryosuke took a breath, frowned a little, and started writing again. In block letters, a little skeletal, but focused.

    “My pack is my home.”

    Ryosuke was about to get up when Kei gently placed a hand on his wrist and shook his head. “Just wait a bit more,” he said softly. “I want to show you something.”

    Ryosuke sighed heavily, but sat down again. He was still holding the pencil a little spastically as if he were afraid he'd break it, or that the writing wouldn't be good enough. Kei, meanwhile, moved closer, pulling him into his lap and wrapping his arms loosely around his waist.

    “Don't worry. Just relax your fingers,” he muttered, grabbing the hand holding the pencil.

    Ryosuke froze, but Kei was patient. Guided by his touch, Ryosuke's hand moved lightly over the paper. Kei guided his wrist, his fingers, carefully controlling each movement without forcing him into anything, more like guiding him.

    “There. Softer arc. Now, slower... S,” he whispered.

    The letter that Ryosuke wrote was a little straighter. More balanced. It wasn't perfect, but it was prettier. And it was legible.

    “See?” Kei smiled. “Your hand knows what it's doing. You just have to trust it a little more.”

    Ryosuke remained silent, but something changed in his eyes. Silent admiration replaced the concentration. And perhaps a little pride.

    Kei guided him for a while, showing him the curves, the height of the letters, how to press the lines together, and how to breathe while writing so his hand wouldn't go numb.

    Ryosuke then wrote another sentence himself, this time a little more calmly, “I want to get better.”

    Kei nodded and brushed the hair off his forehead. “And that's exactly what you're doing.”

    Ryosuke sat on Kei's lap, leaning against his chest, tongue lolling out slightly between his lips as he concentrated. The pencil crunched slightly under his fingers, but his strokes were surer now. The sentences were slowly folding into lines. Not perfect, but legible. And mostly his.

    Kei patiently guided him, sometimes just pointing out with his finger where a letter should've ended, where there should be room for another, where there should be a space. They both breathed in a calm rhythm. The sun warmed their backs, and the garden murmured its summer calm around them.

    At that moment, there was the familiar sound of footsteps. Quiet, but heavier, a little more determined than Kei's. Hikaru.

    He came in his human form, his hand buried in his hair, which was as disheveled as ever. He paused at the table, and his gaze immediately fell on the notebook.

    “Well, hello,” he hummed, folding his arms across his chest. “Did my little wolf write this?”

    Ryosuke raised his head, blushing a little, but trying not to let on. He just straightened his back a little. “Yeah... I was writing. A little.”

    Hikaru leaned back against the table and ran his eyes over the writing. He paused for a moment, then a proud, wide smile blossomed on his face. “This is awesome. You're already so good, Ryo.”

    Ryosuke lowered his gaze, but his corners twitched. Before he could say anything, Hikaru reached out and ruffled his hair thoroughly.

    “Hey!” Ryosuke grumbled, trying to move out of the way, but it was obvious he was pleased.

    “If you're going to write like a big wolf, you at least have to look like a forest monster.” Hikaru giggled.

    Kei laughed softly; his hand was still placed over Ryosuke's hip to keep him from rolling off the bench.

    When the little wolf calmed down, something in him wanted to continue. Maybe it was the recognition in Hikaru's voice, or the peace he felt in Kei's presence. Maybe both.

    “Okay... a little more,” he muttered, and Kei handed him a pencil, this time unguided, and let him try a few sentences on his own.

    When Hikaru saw his son trying, he smiled and sat down next to them. He leaned sideways on the table and, without much thought, picked up the other pencil that was lying off to the side.

    “All right,” he said with an edge of seriousness. “Show me how it's done, master of writing. I'll have a go at it, too.”

    Ryosuke shot him a look, suspicious but amused. “Really? You?”

    “Sure. If you want to be Alpha, you must be able to do this.” Hikaru grinned and began to put his large, shaky writing on the paper. Each letter was a different size, some were crooked, others joined together oddly, and occasionally, his pencil drifted off the line.

    “My little wolf is the best.” He wrote proudly.

    Ryosuke watched for a moment, then couldn't contain himself. He stabbed Hikaru's shoulder with a pencil. “Dad,” he said, half amused, half reproachful. “Your handwriting is worse than mine.”

    Hikaru paused, looked at the page, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, yeah. You're right. I write like a bear with my right paw.”

    “Even Yuto would have written it better if he'd held a pencil in his teeth,” Ryosuke added, grinning.

    “Hey!” Hikaru laughed. “Now that's a challenge. But you know what? You're good at writing... But how about drawing?”

    Ryosuke raised his eyebrows a little. “Well... I haven't tried that much.”

    “Let's try.”

    And so, they both took a new paper. Hikaru started to draw what was supposed to be a wolf, but it looked more like an oversized fox with a giant snout and crooked legs. Ryosuke scoffed at first, but then started laughing, and drew first a simple snout, then ears, then a body itself. He drew differently from how he wrote. More fluidly. With more feeling. With more confidence.

    Kei watched them with a smile, leaning back against the table, quietly enjoying the image before him – father and son, arm in arm, laughter, jeers, and lines on paper. And somewhere between those strokes, more than a drawing was slowly taking shape. Something was forming that filled them all with parental love.

    Ryosuke leaned his elbow on the table, his tongue slightly lolling out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the eyes he was drawing. Standing next to his freshly sketched wolf was a strangely shifty beast that Hikaru had proudly named 'a super wolf with secret powers' that Ryosuke thought looked more like a badger in the morning.

    “This is where the moon will be,” Ryosuke muttered, drawing a circle with little stars in the corner.

    Kei laughed softly and sat up tighter to hold Ryosuke closer to him. He picked up another pencil that was lying on the table and slowly, with a care all his own, began to draw the small plant under the wolf that Ryosuke had sketched.

    “Let him have something to eat,” he remarked gently.

    Ryosuke smiled. He felt calm at that moment. Safe.

    And just then, a loud, “Wooooo!” came from behind him, followed by frantic paw stomping.

    Yuto ran out of the greenery and darted straight for the table, tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail wagging happily.

    “Keiiiii-iii!” he howled, his voice jumping from a deep tone to a squeaky shriek that sounded like a child's whistle.

    He began to scratch Kei's thigh with his paw and whimpered, “Let him play with us! Please! Please, please, please, please!”

    Kei laughed, his hand shielding Ryosuke from Yuto's enthusiastic swirling of his fur, and turned down, “Yuto, hold on. He's drawing for a little while longer.”

    “But we have new sticks! And a hiding place! And Yuri wants to be a wolf spirit!” Yuto wailed, his voice jumping so high again that he stopped himself, startled by his own tone.

    Yuri appeared right behind him, jumped gracefully onto the bench next to the table, and rested his paws on the edge, his snout extended over the paper. His eyes sparkled.

    “Wow! That's... that's like a real wolf! Ryosuke, he's really good! Is that what you look like? Or me?”

    “That's you when you're wet.” Ryosuke chuckled.

    Yuri grimaced and nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense!”

    Keito, meanwhile, ran up quietly, spun around a few times, and then, without warning, jumped right onto Hikaru's lap until his eyebrows shot up.

    “Hi,” Keito muttered, curling into a ball and resting his muzzle on Hikaru's hand.

    “Uh... hi.” Hikaru blinked, surprised but not protesting. “Okay. Apparently, I'm a couch today.”

    Ryosuke laughed softly, then put his pencil down. “I think I'd really like to go play,” he uttered with a smile.

    Kei stroked his hair. “Go. You wrote and drew more than you had to today.”

    Ryosuke slid off his lap, and Kei closed his notebook, smoothing the crumpled paper and carefully picking up the scattered pencils. He stowed everything under the bench in the wooden box that held his studying supplies. Respectfully, as if he were storing something important.

    Meanwhile, on the ground, Ryosuke had already closed his eyes, and with a deep, calm exhale, his body began to change. Bones flexed slightly, fur emerged from beneath his skin, arms and legs pulled back into wolf lines, and within seconds, a small, sleek black wolf sat there with bright red eyes.

    Before he could even get up, Yuto jumped on him gleefully from behind and roared, “Gotcha!”

    Ryosuke groaned, but more in amusement than annoyance. Yuto playfully bit his neck with all his might, but only lightly, as wolf cubs do, and then rolled away into the grass.

    Yuri immediately joined in. He raised his head to the sky and howled at the top of his lungs. His howl was clear, light, and joyful, and carried through the garden.

    Ryosuke immediately joined him. His voice was deeper, firm, smooth, like the night wind through the trees.

    Yuto raised his head and howled too, but his howl skipped several times. From a deep tone to a squeaky one, and then back again. It sounded a bit like a flute with holes sealed with wax. The wolves laughed at that, but Yuto just chuckled and howled again, even louder.

    Keito, who was still enjoying the caress from Hikaru, stretched quietly. Hikaru ran his hand over his head one last time and whispered with a smile, “Go ahead, run them out a bit.”

    Keito leapt gracefully from his lap, stretched like a cat, and then ran after the others, joining in the howls. His voice was softer, a little higher-pitched, but precise. Pure as a dewdrop on a straw.

    And so there stood the four young wolves, heads raised to the sky, howling, filling the garden, and from behind the table came the quiet laughter of the adults. For them, there was nothing more beautiful than the sound of wolves laughing... and the wolf's song.

    Kei, his hands buried in the pockets, watched the howling of the wolves for a while. Then he turned and motioned with his head to Hikaru, who was currently yawning lazily and stretching like a big cat.

    “Come on,” he said calmly, “Yuya and Kota look like they would appreciate the company.”

    “As long as Yuya frees up a piece of blanket for me, that's fine,” Hikaru grumbled, but he eventually got up.

    In the garden, under the shade of an old apple tree, Yuya and Kota lay on a soft blanket spread out on the grass. Both of them in their human forms, barefoot, relaxed, with their eyes fixed on the blue sky that moved like the sea among the leaves.

    Yuya had one hand under his head and the other on his stomach, his eyes closed and his breathing slow. Kota was lying on his side, facing the sun, eyes closed, expression as calm as the water in a pool. His blind eyes were protected by dark glasses, but his face was relaxed and pain-free. For the first time in a long time.

    Kei came in quietly so as not to disturb. He knelt down next to the blanket and lightly touched Yuya's hand.

    Yuya opened one eye and smiled. “That was a howl worth remembering,” he said softly.

    “Oh, definitely.” Kei nodded, folding his legs beside him. “Yuto sings like a piano that fell down the stairs.”

    Hikaru chuckled and collapsed next to Kota. “If Yuto is the piano, then Ryosuke is the cello and Yuri is the silver flute.” He then looked at Keito in the distance. “And Keito... Keito is a harp made of leaves.”

    Kota smiled, not opening his eyes, but his voice was clear. “I think you should write a collection of poems.”

    “Maybe someday,” Hikaru grumbled and closed his eyes, throwing an arm over his forehead.

    Yuya took a deep breath. “It's beautiful here.”

    “Yeah,” Kei agreed, looking over to the wolf cubs, who were now running among the bushes, jumping over rocks, and occasionally breaking into a happy howl again.

    “It's quiet. And yet everything is so... full.”

    “It's the pack,” Kota whispered. “This is what our day is supposed to look like.”

    It was quiet for a while. There was only the sound of the wind in the leaves and the distant tramp of paws as the wolf cubs chased each other across the garden. The sun glided across their fur, the sky was clear, and everything seemed so peaceful, as if the whole world had stopped for a moment.

    Kota slowly turned his head towards Kei, though his blind eyes remained hidden behind his dark glasses. “How did he do?” he asked quietly. “Ryosuke.”

    Kei smiled. He turned back to where the black wolf was currently rolling in the grass with Yuri and Yuto on his back.

    “Better than yesterday. And much calmer than a week ago.”

    “He doesn’t try to hide it so much anymore,” Hikaru said. “I think he's stopping feeling... inferior.”

    Yuya quietly reached his side and rested his head on his arm. “He's never been worse. He just transformed later.”

    “He had a late start,” Kei said, “but he's making up for it. And most importantly... he has patience. And when things go wrong, he doesn't throw away his pencil. He just sighs and tries again.”

    “He gets that from me,” Hikaru said with a smirk.

    “You were definitely throwing things every time your pronunciation was off,” Yuya reminded him.

    “Yeah, but then I went for a run, and the next day it went well. It's the results that count,” Hikaru argued, but his tone was playful.

    Kota smiled slightly. “Listening to him today... Hearing him mumble the words out loud... There was something about it. Strength. Like he knew a little better who he was.”

    “He knows.” Kei nodded. “And when the time comes, he'll write everything himself. Without my hand. Just his.”

    They were all silent for a while. Each of them was looking away – into the treetops, into the blue sky, or towards the four wolf cubs laughing happily and biting their tails.

    A light rustling sound came from behind a green bush at the edge of the garden, and soon Daiki, in human form, appeared, carefully carrying a wooden tray on which were several ceramic bowls filled with fresh fruit. His dark hair fell into his forehead, and his lips wore a typical Daiki expression: a slight frown of concentration, but with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

    “Watch out, I'm bringing a vitamin treat,” he announced. “And I don't want to hear any whining that someone doesn't want a peach.”

    The wolf cubs were alert. Yuto immediately raised his head and ran towards him, his muzzle stretched high.

    “Yeah!” he stammered, his voice skipping again. “Can I have the bowl? Can I be first? Please!”

    “You'd be the first even if I said you couldn't.” Daiki chuckled, setting one of the bowls down on the ground beside him. It was filled with sliced peaches, blueberries, and a few pieces of pears.

    Yuri and Keito were also at his side in no time, wagging their tails and circling him, while Ryosuke walked a little more quietly, but with eyes that were also definitely craving some treats.

    “Don't step on my feet or I'll just throw you peels,” Daiki threatened them with a smile, setting the other bowls down in the shade where the wolves could lie down and eat comfortably.

    When the little ones were satiated by the sight and began to munch contentedly, Daiki turned with the second tray and made his way to the blanket where Kota, Kei, Yuya, and Hikaru lay.

    “And now you, royal council,” he said formally, but with obvious irony in his voice, and knelt beside the blanket.

    He handed out bowls to them in turn – Kei got the one with strawberries and blackberries because “he's always into the red ones”, Yuya got apricots, Hikaru got a mix of everything because “he'll eat anything that doesn't try to eat him”, and Kota got a bowl that had pieces of fruit already cut into smaller, easy-to-grasp pieces, carefully following Kei's instructions.

    Kota reached out and gently ran his fingers along the rim of the bowl. “Thanks, Daiki.”

    “Sure.” Daiki smiled and sat down in the grass beside them, his legs stretched out in front of him. “Fruit for the wolves. Freshly washed, personally picked. Should I write that on the sign too, or will a thank you note suffice?”

    “Next time, make us a menu and a price list to go with it,” Hikaru grumbled, his mouth full.

    “I'd do it for free if I didn't have to,” Daiki said calmly.

    And then there was silence for a while, broken only by juicy munching, a contented purr here and there, and the laughter of wolf cubs in the distance. The summer day went on, and the garden smelled of safety, fruit, and friendship.

    Yuya propped himself up on his elbow, took one last bite of the apricot from the bowl, and looked towards the far end of the garden, where the wolf cubs were playing among the trees again. Ryosuke and Keito were currently circling one of the flowerbeds while Yuto tried to push Yuri over a log, laughing so loudly that it drowned out the birdsong.

    Yuya smiled for a moment, but then his expression slowly turned serious. “We should talk about this,” he spoke softly, more to the wind than directly to the others.

    Kei looked at him, slowly and understandingly. Kota turned his head slightly. Hikaru stopped picking at his bowl and raised an eyebrow. “About what?” he asked, though he probably suspected it.

    Yuya sighed. “About... what we keep putting off. About the city.”

    There was silence. Only the wind rustled the leaves. Kei set his empty bowl down beside him, leaned his back against a tree, and looked up at the sky. “Yeah.” He finally nodded. “It's been in the air a long time.”

    Kota sat up, back straight, expression quiet. “It's reasonable. For the wolf cubs.”

    “And for you,” Kei added quietly. “The hospital in the city might be able to help you. Better facilities, better treatment. There's a chance that some of what's holding you back now could be improved.”

    “But it's a city,” Hikaru muttered, sounding almost like a curse word. “Concrete. Metal. The smell of exhaust fumes. The noise.”

    Yuya chuckled slightly. “That doesn't sound very kind, does it?”

    “It's not kind,” Hikaru replied. “Not for us. We are creatures for the forest, for the air. Not for elevators and concrete cages.”

    “But they...” Kei looked at the wolf cubs again. “They might have options there. Schools. Learning. The arts. More than just... a garden and a forest. They're smart. Each of them excels at something. And the city would give them tools.”

    Kota remained silent. He ran his fingers over the blanket. “I'm scared,” he finally admitted. “That we'll lose what makes us... us. In the city.”

    “We won't lose that,” Kei said confidently. “If there's anything stronger than the city, it's the pack. Wherever we are, we'll be together.”

    Yuya nodded. “I'm not saying we should move in there tomorrow. Not even a week from now. But one day, we'll have to. For them.”

    Kei paused for a moment, but then took a deep breath. He had that look that went further than the edge of the garden. The look that went to the possibilities for their children.

    “You know... we talk about it like it's just for them,” he said quietly but with emphasis. “But what if it's not just about the cubs? What if it's time for us, too? For our dreams?”

    Hikaru raised an eyebrow. “Our dreams? What am I supposed to do in the city? Lecturing on how to survive in the forest without socks?”

    Kei laughed. “No. But how about... a bar? You've always talked about something like that. You've just never said it out loud quite seriously.”

    Hikaru frowned, but something flashed in his eyes. “That was a long time ago. Just an idea. In the evenings. When we... well. Believed there would be something more someday.”

    “Then why not now?” Yuya asked, half sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees. “Why can't it be right now? Your own bar. Not some ridiculous dive. An honest establishment. Food, drink, music... A place where you could be yourself.”

    Kota tilted his head. “A bar run by werewolves. That could be a rarity.”

    “Yeah. Bloody Mary on the menu, no kidding.” Hikaru chuckled.

    Kei lightly taps him on the shoulder. “Imagine this: building, bar downstairs. Music, evenings, good energy. And upstairs? Our home. The whole pack together.”

    Yuya smiled. “The children would have their own rooms. Without losing nature, because we can always go out on weekends. But we'd have a base. A home. Safety and an open door to the world.”

    Hikaru pondered. Long. Then he put his hands behind his head and stared into the branches above him. “The bar could be called... Moon Den. Or The Pack.”

    “The Howl,” Yuya suggested.

    “Runaways,” Kei whispered. “Because we were all running from something before we found each other.”

    They were all quiet. The words hit them like a stone to the surface. And it stirred something deeper than a plan.

    Kota smiled. He didn't see the future bar or the building. But he heard them. Their voices, the hope in them, and the laughter that sounded genuine. And that was enough. “Maybe... It's time.”

    Kei fiddled with the empty bowl between his fingers for a moment, turning it gently around, as if considering each word before letting it out. Finally, he looked at Kota, his gaze soft but firm.

    “You know I'm not one to push anyone,” he began softly, “but... I can't help thinking about it. About what could change if you were in the right care.”

    Kota was silent, his head slightly bowed, but he listened.

    “There are experts in town. People who understand our biology. If you get a chance... They could remove the shrapnel. That silver poison that's still in your blood and keeps you from healing. Maybe you could... see again.”

    Both Yuya and Hikaru stopped moving, their gazes shifting to Kota.

    Kei continued. “I think about it all the time. As we help you step by step as you get up, feeling your way with your ears, your nose, and your paws. And you're doing great. But still... I'd like to see you run. Not gently. Not with support. But really run. Freely. With the wind in your fur. With the cubs by your side. Carrying them through the world as we once did.”

    Kota parted his lips, but said nothing. Kei leaned closer to him, placing a hand on his knee.

    “Imagine that. That you would see colors again. Faces. Not light through shadow, but real faces. Your son when he laughs. The kids frolicking. Me. Us.”

    Kota took a deep breath. Long. And then he said softly, “Sometimes, I don't even remember what you look like.”

    Kei squeezed his knee, smiling slightly even as his eyes glittered. “I remember how you laughed when you rolled over in the grass so hard that you fell into the creek. The way you looked when you fought with Hikaru over the last apple. And maybe someday, we'll remember that again. Together.”

    Yuya nodded. “You're not a lesser werewolf just because you can't see. But you deserve a chance. And the city has that chance.”

    Hikaru frowned, but then took a deep breath. “And if someone doesn't want to help you there, I'll personally break down the door to the first clinic that has a problem.”

    Kota smiled. Gently, sadly, but also gratefully. “So, you want the bar... and I get the eyes.”

    Kei looked at him with gentleness and whispered, “We want you healthy. And at home. Wherever that home may be.”

    Yuya rubbed his temples and looked again at the wolf cubs, who were just doing somersaults down the small slope at the edge of the garden. Ryosuke ended up upside down in the grass, Yuto fell on top of him, Keito's paws slipped, and Yuri bumped his snout on a rock, but they all laughed so loudly their bellies shook.

    “I'm also thinking about what the city could give them,” Yuya said quietly. “Schools. Teachers. Libraries. Opportunities to develop what they have in them.”

    “They could walk among the other children.” Kei nodded. “Meet other werewolves, other packs. Magical creatures. People who can live in peace with us. Not just our forest and our garden, but the whole world out there.”

    Kota considered his words. He felt sincerity in them, and more than that, care. It wasn't just about the future. It was about not missing anything. “It's easy to protect them here,” he spoke slowly. “We know what's going on here. Who we are. What to expect. But... It's true that sometimes, I worry that the more we protect them, the less we allow them to grow.”

    “This isn't a world where you just need to know how to run through the woods and avoid traps,” Yuya said. “They'll have to learn more. To be around people. Among beings who think differently than we do. And if they don't learn that now, they'll be afraid later.”

    “They need more than just security,” Kei said. “They need new horizons.”

    Hikaru put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. “It's weird to talk about it, but... I'm actually interested too. Seeing what all there is. Not as an escape. Like a new beginning.”

    “You're right.” Kota smiled. “We've managed to survive everything the world has thrown at us. Maybe it's time to stop just surviving.”

    “And start living,” Kei added.

    They were silent for a while. In the distance, the wolf cubs began howling again – four howls, each different, each free. Not out of duty. But out of joy. And slowly but surely, an important decision was emerging among the adult wolves.

    Daiki, who sat with his legs stretched out in the grass and his fingers playing with a long straw, just listened to them for a while. His head was slightly lowered, but his eyes darted between each of them. He didn't want to jump into their conversation now, nor was that his style. But when he heard the last word, the decision, he straightened slightly.

    “It's a beautiful idea,” he said quietly, “but... the city has its shadows.”

    They all looked at him. He did not speak reproachfully. Just with the realistic weight that often came through in his voice when something important was at stake.

    “There are many beings out there. And not all of them have good intentions. In the forest, we know who we are. Who's around. But in the city?” He shrugged. “There are hundreds, thousands of people and creatures. You might meet a wise wizard one day and someone who'd rather make a trophy out of you the next.”

    Hikaru snorted softly. “That's right. You don't know who's watching you in the city.”

    Kei nodded. “Yes. The risk is there. But there is also an opportunity. We just have to be smart. Teach the wolf cubs to be careful. Don't let them run blind. But let them run.”

    Yuya scratched the back of his neck and spoke calmly, “Maybe it's just about how we go there. Whether we try to fit in... or create our own space. A bar, a home, a safe haven. Something where we'll be us, but more open.”

    Daiki nodded slowly. “I agree. I just... don't want us to overlook reality. If something happens here, we all know it in a second. In the city, you can disappear between the streets without anyone noticing.”

    Kota leaned towards him slightly. “Daiki is right. We'll have to be vigilant. But we always have been. And if we do it our way... if we stick together, we can handle the city.”

    Kei looked off into the distance where Ryosuke was currently climbing Yuto like a tree, Yuri was laughing so hard his white fur was shaking, and Keito was using his paws to tidy up the flower bed after them.

    Daiki smiled, and then sighed deeply, leaning back more comfortably in the grass, and added with quiet irony, “But if anyone touches one of the little ones, I swear I'll turn into the biggest bear in werewolf history.”

    The laughter burst out as naturally as if it had come to them from the forest itself. Hikaru chuckled out loud, Yuya clutched his stomach, and Kei just leaned against the tree, laughing softly but with that familiar, kind glint in his eyes.

    “Bear! Yeah!” Hikaru hooted. “I completely forgot about that!”

    Daiki ran a hand over his face and rolled his eyes. “I don't. Because I'm the one who had Ryosuke in his mouth.”

    Kota smiled as he remembered the scene. “He was so small, but totally convinced that he would be the one to beat the bear.”

    “And yet, he had fear in his eyes from the moment he saw his shadow,” Kei added, shaking his head. “But he ran there. With all his heart.”

    “Yeah, a whole two and a half kilograms of black courage,” Yuya added, wrinkling his nose.

    “And then you,” Kei nodded at Daiki, “just walked up, grabbed him in your mouth like a kitten, and turned on your paws.”

    “And he ran like a storm,” Hikaru added.

    “And you all followed me as if I were carrying a king,” Daiki remarked, but he laughed too.

    “Well, I...” echoed Kota, amusement and a little pride in his voice, “I didn't forget to take Yuto's squeaky toy.”

    “The blue bone!” Hikaru blurted out. “The one that kept whistling! When Yuto chewed it, we couldn't sleep for three nights because of it!”

    “That was his first real toy.” Yuya smiled tenderly. “He carried it everywhere. He held it between his teeth like a treasure. He fought with Ryosuke over it all the time.”

    “And you took it with you when you ran away,” Kei repeated softly, looking at Kota with gratitude. “That's... exactly you.”

    “I had a choice – either Ryosuke or the squeaky bone,” Kota said amusedly. “But Ryosuke was already in Daiki's mouth, so I was free to squeak.”

    While the adults were still laughing at the squeaky toys and old stories, at the other end of the garden, four little wolves gathered under a large tree. All were surrounded by that familiar energy that jumps between friends like sparks. Tension, anticipation, competition.

    And of course, Yuto started it all.

    He stood with his front paws propped up against a massive trunk, looking up into the branches where the leaves glistened in the sunlight. His tail wagged with excitement.

    “Hey.” He turned to the others, eyes glittering. “How about we have a contest to see who can climb the highest?”

    Yuri immediately perked up his ears. “You can climb trees?”

    “Um... no,” Yuto admitted, but without a hint of shame. “But that's just it! Now we'll learn!”

    Ryosuke sat up and leaned back slightly, his black fur gleaming in the sunlight. “This is stupid. We don't have claws like cats.”

    “But we have paws. And strength!” Yuto exclaimed, jumping up, grabbing the bark between his teeth... and sliding right back down to the ground. He roared into the moss, his tail tangled in the twigs.

    Keito lay down in the grass and rested his head on his front paws. “We can try. But I might suggest... climbing up on that old log over there. It's lower. And it has branches.”

    “It's not a tree, that's a fallen stump!” Yuto stammered.

    “It's a stump tree,” Keito said dryly, with an expression of perfect logic.

    Yuri ran to the tree and tried to climb it first. He jumped and scratched at the trunk, but didn't get more than a meter up before his paws slipped and he landed on his butt.

    “Aah!” he groaned, but immediately burst out laughing. “Tougher than I expected!”

    Ryosuke looked at the situation carefully. Then he slowly walked around the tree, looking at the place where the trunk had protruding bumps and rough bark. He crouched down. “Okay. I'll give it a try.”

    He jumped up briskly, rested his paws on the trunk, and began to scramble up. He grabbed at every protrusion, his body tensed, ears back, tongue lolling out in concentration. He scrambled up about half a meter higher than Yuri, but then his hind paw gave out and he slid back down right on top of Yuto.

    “Hey!” Yuto roared, now completely under Ryosuke.

    “Now you show yourself,” Ryosuke muttered, huffing and staying on top of him.

    Yuto stammered, but then laughed. “Alright! I'm on it! And you'll admire me when I climb like a squirrel!”

    The other three sat in the archway and prepared for the show.

    Yuto started running, jumped, caught his paws on a trunk... and immediately bounced, swinging his paws in the air and falling backwards straight into the bushes.

    Silence.

    Then... “Squeak!” came from underneath him.

    “My bone!” Yuto cheered, pulling it out from under his belly, his eyes bright as if he had just found a lost treasure.

    “So, no mountain hike, but the find of the century,” Keito noted.

    “Yeah, so the winner is clear,” Yuri added with a smile.

    “Bone,” they all said at once. And then they laughed so hard that it could be heard by the adults.

    When the laughter died down and Yuto proudly placed the bone on the moss beside him as a trophy, the wolf cubs looked up at the tree again. The challenge had not yet been met, and that meant only one thing – attempt number two.

    “I can do it!” Yuri said decisively, wagging his tail and jumping twice. His white fur glistened in the sun, and his eyes blazed with determination.

    “Yuri, you're the smallest, you'll slide more than us,” Ryosuke warned him, but he already had that quiet smile on his face that indicated he was excited to see where his smaller brother would get to.

    “I'm just the lightest!” Yuri said and ran to the trunk. This time, he didn't pick a smooth spot, but noticed the raised spots and knots in the old bark like Ryosuke had done a moment ago. His paws scrambled upward quickly, his tiny white body stretching, his hind legs bouncing off every crevice, and he advanced higher than anyone expected.

    Keito gasped. “He really...”

    “He's climbing!” Yuto gasped, completely fascinated.

    Yuri climbed up to the first branch. Not too thick, but wide enough to pull himself up carefully. He pressed himself against it, claws clenched into the bark, tongue lolling out. His tail hung down, quivering.

    “Wow,” Ryosuke muttered. “He really did it.”

    “I am the king of the tree!” Yuri exclaimed proudly, but no sooner had he finished saying it than the branch beneath him cracked slightly, and Yuri immediately crouched lower, paws spread to the side.

    Silence. Then a weak, strained, “Um... and now how do I get down?”

    Yuto lay down in the grass and rolled over onto his back. “You can come down like leaves!”

    “That's not funny, Yuto!” Yuri whined, his voice leaping to a thin, desperate tone. “It's too high!”

    Keito stood under the tree and looked up. “Well, you could jump... but you'd probably roll all the way to the creek.”

    “I don't want to roll!” Yuri groaned.

    Ryosuke stood up, shook out his fur, and stood next to Keito. “Wait there. I'll come out and get you.”

    “But you didn't do it the first time!” Yuto objected.

    “Now I have a reason to make it!” Ryosuke replied and started climbing again, this time more slowly, more surely. This time it wasn't a competition, but a rescue mission.

    And so one big tree became a playground for all four wolf cubs at once – one white one high in the branches, one black one climbing up, and two below, watching with chattering ears, ready at any moment to rush out to rescue both, though they weren't sure exactly how they would do it.

    Ryosuke climbed with intense concentration, his black paws gripping tightly onto the protruding pieces of bark, his eyes fixed upwards at Yuri, who meanwhile was clinging to the branch like the tiniest wolf knot of fear.

    “Just a little more...” muttered Ryosuke, more to himself than to the others. The sound of pounding blood, tension, and the occasional whimper from above rang in his ears, “Take your time, don't rush it!”

    He was almost there, perhaps two paws under the branch, when his hind paw suddenly slipped on the smoother part of the bark. He tried to catch it with his claws for a second, tried to work it with his front paws, but the bark came loose, and then he fell.

    The ground approached quickly. Keito and Yuto both screamed. And at the same second, a human body flashed over the side.

    Yuya, in his human form, with his arms stretched forward. He ran under the tree at the last moment, and with the grace he had gained from years of experience, he caught Ryosuke in his arms like a bag of feathers.

    “Gotcha, buddy!” he breathed, staggering a little, but keeping his balance.

    “Ow...” Ryosuke grunted softly. “That was a close one.”

    Yuya stood more firmly, holding him around the waist with one hand and raking the fur between his ears with the other. “Close?” he repeated, his eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to break your legs or something? Yours, mine, all of them?”

    “Sorry...” muttered Ryosuke guiltily, groaning.

    Meanwhile, Yuto barked, “That was drama! Ryosuke flew! Like the leaves I said!”

    Yuya rolled his eyes, set Ryosuke on his feet, and cocked his head. “And you up there, little tree spirit, hang on, I'll take you down,” he called.

    Yuri made only a faint whimpering sound, his paws spread out in all directions like a starfish.

    Yuya gracefully jumped up, grabbed onto the branch Yuri was lying on, pulled himself up, and in one skilled motion, swung the white wolf into his arms like a soft backpack. Yuri whimpered and his tail wagged happily, though he still looked scared.

    “There, and down without protest,” Yuya muttered, sliding down along the trunk like a skilled climber.

    As soon as he landed with a soft impact on the grass, he put Yuri on all fours, who immediately ducked under Keito like an umbrella.

    “So... no more climbing trees unsupervised, okay?” Yuya looked around at all of them, one by one.

    Yuto hissed cheerfully, “Sure!”

    Ryosuke just cleared his throat and hid his gaze in the grass. And Yuri? He still kept his ears down, but muttered from under Keito, “But I got really high.”

    Yuya slowly straightened up, dusted off his hands, and then turned his gaze to Yuto, who was trying to back up behind Keito unobtrusively, as far away from any suspicion as possible. Only Yuto's tail was wagging so furiously that he could hear it rustling through the grass.

    “And you...” Yuya held out his hands. “Come here, you squirrel.”

    Yuto squealed and tried to run away, but Yuya was faster. He grabbed him by the belly, lifted him up in his arms, and flipped him up with his paws, so that Yuto was now hanging like an overgrown puppy with his paws in the air, tongue out, and an expression of absolute amusement.

    “Come on,” Yuya said, his eyes narrowed but the corners of his mouth twitching, “was that your idea, Yuto?”

    Yuto whimpered, a proud glint in his eyes, and then he barked loudly, which of course skipped to a squeaky tone. Then he stuck his tongue out and licked his dad's chin.

    “Was that an admitted triumph?” Yuya asked amusedly, but he didn't let go. Instead, he pulled him closer and kissed him gently between the ears, right where the fur was softest.

    Yuto grunted blissfully and twirled his paws in the air.

    “Competition is fine,” Yuya muttered calmly, “but climbing trees... Not exactly the best strategy for wolves. We don't have claws like cats, you know? We have strength, but not sticky pads.”

    Yuto squinted into his eyes and whimpered softly as if to say, “I know, but it was really fun.”

    “Then at least promise me,” Yuya said quietly, “that next time you'll call me first. Or at least wait for me to set up a mattress under the tree.”

    Yuto growled and tried to lick him again, this time on the nose.

    “I'll take that as a yes.” Yuya laughed, then placed his son carefully back in the grass.

    Yuto stretched and shook himself. His tail swirled through the air, and his eyes sparkled because even though he couldn't reach the branch like Yuri, he was still the one who thought of everything.

    As soon as Yuya put Yuto back down, the wolf cubs immediately began to gather around him like bees around honey. Ryosuke sat down first, just in front of him, straight and serious as ever, but with that quiet, pleading gleam in his eyes. Yuri sat down next to him, tail wrapped around his paws, head tilted slightly, and ears lowered as he always did when he wanted something and wanted it now.

    Keito sat down on the other side, calmly but with that subtly hopeful look he always had when science class or dinner was coming up.

    And Yuto? He stood right in front of Yuya's feet, lifted his front paws and put them on Yuya's thighs, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his eyes lit up like two stars.

    All four of them at once, in perfect, synchronized pack unity, lowered their ears, tilted their heads, and... began to whine.

    “Yuuuyaaa...” pulled Yuri, dragging out the name like a melusine.

    “Come with ussss...” joined Yuto, his voice jumping twice in one sentence.

    “We've been playing by ourselves for a long time,” Keito added emphatically, “and you haven't chased us yet today.”

    Ryosuke didn't say anything, just sat quietly and stared at Yuya with those big red wolf eyes. Eyes that could break any “no” into a thousand pieces.

    Yuya sighed, but his lips were already smiling. “This is a conspiracy,” he grumbled, running his gaze over their four wolf faces, each different but equally hopeful.

    “Just a little one,” Yuri piped up.

    “And well organized,” Yuto added proudly.

    Yuya sighed once more, theatrically, and then rolled to his knees, transforming into a wolf in one fluid wave of fur and movement. His fur shone with every color, glistening beautifully under the sun. Once he was on all fours, he stretched, shook his head, and growled.

    “All right...” he growled in a wolfish voice. “But get ready. First one I catch... gets a hundred wolf tickles!”

    The wolves squealed and scattered in every direction like a flock of birds.

    And Yuya? With the expression of a predator in heart and soul, he rushed after them.

Chapter Text

    A rope taut as a string. A wolf at each end. One black as night, the other brown as the bark of a tree.

    Ryosuke gritted his teeth, paws firmly planted on the carpet, and tugged with a low growl.

    On the other side, Yuto was snorting, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his tail wagging through the air like a metronome.

    “I won't let go!” Ryosuke growled.

    “Me neither!” Yuto shot back, his voice skipping with each pull. “That's my rope!”

    “That was our rope!”

    “Yeah, but I took it first!”

    The toothy silent war continued, the rope straining, wailing between teeth and paws, but neither wanted to give up. Tiny hairs flew through the air, and here and there, a piece of blanket.

    On the other side of the room, on the soft cushioned windowsill by the window, Yuri and Keito sat quietly.

    Yuri had his head leaning against the window frame, his ears slightly lowered, his eyes half closed. “It's snowing...” he muttered softly.

    Keito nodded and snuggled into his side. “I love it when it snows. It's so beautiful!”

    Behind the glass, the landscape was slowly turning white, the first real snowfall of the winter. Each flake fell gently, in a dance that was only for those who really wanted to watch.

    In the next room, there was muffled laughter and the voices of adult wolves who were currently enjoying warm drinks and planning what the next few days would bring.

    Home breathed. The fire crackled softly in the fireplace. And in between it all was one big tug-of-war and two little souls at the window, watching the flakes fall outside.

    Ryosuke clasped his paws tighter, his teeth clenching the rope so hard that a piece of the knot was sticking out of his mouth. His tail wagged jerkily, and his eyes were squinted with an expression that said he was going to win this battle even if he had to dig a tunnel under Yuto.

    Yuto, on the other hand, made a guttural sound that was half a threatening growl and half an amused laugh. “You won't beat me! You won't beat meaaa-!” he groaned as his voice skipped mid-stroke.

    “You're getting weaker,” Ryosuke growled back with a laugh.

    There was another twitch, another slide across the wooden floor, and a muffled “boom” as Yuto rolled over onto his back, but still holding the rope with his teeth like a true warrior.

    Meanwhile, at the window, Yuri smiled softly, his eyes fixed on the world shrouded in its first blanket of snow. “I'd like to get out,” he said suddenly, quietly but firmly. “To feel the snow crunching under my paws.”

    Keito nodded. “And how the air is cold but pleasant.”

    “Shall we go?” Yuri turned to him, hope in his eyes.

    “Let's go.”

    They both rose at once, synchronously, silently, and with joy in their movements.

    “Hey!” came from Yuto, who had just seen the movement from the window and let go of the rope just enough to speak. “Where are you going?!”

    “Out,” Yuri replied. “Into the snow.”

    Ryosuke let go of the rope and stood up. “I want to go, too!”

    “I'm coming with you!” Yuto stood up immediately as if he hadn't been lying on his back for a minute and didn't care about the rope at all.

    But Keito stopped at the door. “We have to ask others first. It's already evening.”

    “And cold,” Yuri added, “but not too cold. Just enough for a little while.”

    Ryosuke and Yuto looked at each other. Then they simultaneously headed for the door of the next room, where Kei, Hikaru, Yuya, Kota, and Daiki were talking.

    The door to the next room opened quietly. Just a tiny gap. Like the wind moving a curtain. But instead of wind, it was four wolves with the most innocent looks they could wring out of themselves.

    Ryosuke peeked in first. Just a peep. Followed by Yuto, who had his ears flattened and a “I'm fine, I'm just breathing” expression. Yuri stood behind them with a stony face full of dignity, and Keito was already slowly entering the room as if he were doing it in his sleep.

    Sitting at the table were their dads and Daiki, who were currently chatting over warm mugs. They all fell silent and turned their heads.

    Silence.

    And then Ryosuke quietly said, “We... uh... need to get out...”

    Yuto immediately caught on, “Yeah, necessarily! To... pee.”

    “Yeah! Me too,” Yuri quickly joined in.

    “I... I can hardly stand it anymore,” Keito added very convincingly.

    Hikaru raised an eyebrow and rested his chin on his hand. “All four of you? At the same time?”

    “Isn't that a little suspicious?” Yuya muttered, looking directly at Yuto, who immediately shifted his gaze and made a face as if he had just witnessed the greatest physiological despair in werewolf history.

    “It's the strawberries this afternoon,” Keito suggested.

    “And the tea,” Ryosuke added.

    “And water after dinner,” Yuri added.

    Kota could not see them, but he could perceive the tones of their voices very well. He knew immediately what they were up to. “Go on, then,” he said slowly, “but only for a few minutes. And... no running. Just peeing.”

    “Yeah! Promised! Just pee!” came the chorus.

    And as soon as they had finished, the wolf cubs vanished so quickly that only a trace of air and a suspiciously joyful howl remained around the corner.

    Daiki laughed and sipped from his mug. “I bet they'll be out in the snow jumping like reindeer in a minute.”

    Kei just shook his head. “Good attempt. But did they really have to play it off with the peeing?”

    “It sounds more credible than 'let's go bowling',” Kota noted.

    As soon as the door closed behind them, the wolf cubs burst into a silent explosion of joy.

    “Quickly! Before they change their mind!” Ryosuke growled softly and was the first to take off into the snow. His small black wolf figure instantly blended into the evening gloom.

    Behind him, almost simultaneously, Yuto, Keito, and Yuri ran across the wooden porch, paws clicking on the wet wood, breaths forming puffs of steam and flakes catching in their fur. The snow crunched under their paws like candy flakes.

    “Yeah! But the first footprint belongs to me!” Yuto howled and immediately began rolling around in the snow like a ball.

    “Someone said just pee,” Ryosuke remarked with a smirk in his voice before he too started to run and slide down the slope.

    Keito kept close to the edge, his head raised to catch the falling flakes on his snout. Yuri ran in small circles, paws raised comically high as he tried to dig in as little as possible.

    Suddenly, there was a click from the door, and Daiki in his wolf form came out. He was bigger, stronger, with dark rust-colored fur and a look that said he knew it.

    “Where do you think you're going?” he echoed with a low growl.

    The wolves immediately froze. Yuto just had a snout full of snow. Keito was sitting with a snowflake on his nose. Yuri had a chunk of ice in his mouth. And Ryosuke was in the middle of straining to jump.

    “We're... um... checking... the snow,” Ryosuke muttered.

    “Yeah! Security check!” Yuto quickly joined in.

    Daiki sighed, but walked closer and sat down on the edge of the snow. “Okay. But only for a little while. And I'll keep an eye on things. Otherwise, I'm going to tell your dads that peeing has turned into a wolf rodeo.”

    The wolf cubs looked at him... and a few seconds later, in the porch light, four little wolves were running, jumping, and rejoicing as if nothing more important than the first snow was happening in the world.

    And Daiki just smiled softly. Because even if he wouldn't admit it out loud to them, he loved the way the snow crunched under his paws as much as they did.

    Yuto flew in and out of the snowdrift until the snow splashed behind his head like a white geyser. Ryosuke bounced around him, trying to jump onto his back, but each time he misjudged the direction and instead rolled on in a somersault.

    “Catch me if you can!” Yuto shouted between bounces, his voice skipping and sounding like a laughing wind.

    Meanwhile, Yuri, with a perfectly calm expression, was building a small pile of snow with his paw, but soon Keito ran into it with a yelp and smacked it with his muzzle until it was covered in white powder.

    “Hey!” Yuri exclaimed, grinning at him, and they began to roll side by side, laughing until their noses were steaming.

    Daiki, sitting nearby, watched them with a wagging tail, calm yet ready to intervene if the wolf cubs got too far away or to the fence. But they kept close, as if they themselves felt that this night belonged to their little world.

    There was a chill in the air, some smoke from the fireplace, and most of all, laughter. The purest, wolfish, childlike, happy laughter.

    The fun in the snow took a new turn the moment Yuto, with a snout full of snow and eyes full of sparks, hissed conspiratorially towards the others, “Hey... how about we ambush Daiki?”

    Ryosuke immediately raised his head, ears perked. Yuri and Keito turned to him and exchanged glances.

    Daiki, unsuspecting and sprawled like a majestic wolf guardian, sat a little to the side, calmly cleaning his front paw. If he'd been wearing glasses, he'd surely have moved them to his muzzle with delicacy by now.

    The wolf cubs split up. Silent movement on the sides, like little shadows between the flakes. And then... a leap.

    “Now!” Yuto yelled.

    All four of them flew into Daiki's hips at once. One jumped on his back, another under his belly, a third by his tail, and a fourth hung from his ear.

    “What the-?!” Daiki growled playfully, but the pure joy could already be heard in his voice. He collapsed into the snow like a defeated hero and began to roll from side to side, as if he were in a fight for his life with them.

    “No! Help! I'm being attacked! Three... no! Four wolf demons!”

    Ryosuke sat on his back and tried to 'hold' him, but he was laughing so hard he couldn't hold back. Yuto jumped on his stomach and tried to 'bite' through his fur. Keito covered his muzzle with snow, and Yuri tugged on his ear, exclaiming with a serious face, “Surrender, Mr. Daiki! You're surrounded!”

    Daiki laughed and started rolling around on the ground, with wolf cubs hanging on every inch of his body, getting beaten joyfully. Occasionally, he would lightly knock them into the snow, only to have them pounce on him again.

    “Okay, okay! I surrender! Just please don't bother me with those tiny paws anymore! This is worse than vampires!” He burst out laughing.

    The wolf cubs were rolling in the snow around him, panting, laughing, but with eyes as bright as wolf eyes can be. And Daiki, lying in the middle of their triumphant huddle, thought only one thing, “This is what happiness looks like.”

    Behind the fogged glass in the kitchen, four wolves in their human forms stood leaning against the windowsill, mugs of hot tea warming their palms and smiles softening the corners of their lips.

    Hikaru had his damp hair pulled into a short knot, his shoulder resting against the window frame. Kei stood next to him, carefully wiping the mist off the window pane with a piece of cloth so they could get a better view. Yuya sat on the windowsill, one foot lightly kicking the wood, cup held with both hands. And beside him, in the blanket, Kota, eyes closed but ears receptive. He sat quietly, but his smile suggested he could hear more than anyone could tell.

    “Oh yeah,” Hikaru hummed in amusement, “Yuto's already hanging onto his stomach.”

    “Ryosuke is trying to climb his back. It's like Daiki has a few extra pounds,” Kei added, chuckling slightly. “And Yuri... Yuri looks like he's arresting him.”

    “And Keito's sprinkling snow on his snout,” Yuya added, his voice vibrating with muffled laughter. “Daiki's pretending to give up now. And falling dramatically! Oh no, defeated by the wolves!”

    Kota was smiling, quiet, calm, but there was a tenderness in his expression that extended beyond the window. “Just as I thought... no peeing.”

    “Not at all,” Hikaru confirmed. “They swooped down on Daiki like vultures on ice cream.”

    “And he enjoys it more than they do,” Kei added, taking a sip of his tea.

    “Keep describing what's going on,” Kota asked quietly, his head now resting on Yuya's shoulder. “I want to see them through your eyes.”

    Yuya smiled and began to speak calmly, clearly, almost as if he were telling a story. “Yuto is running around. He's covered in snow, his tongue hanging out of his mouth; he looks like a snowball with a tail. Ryosuke tries to catch him, but his paw slips and he splashes in the snow. Keito immediately jumps on his back. Meanwhile, Yuri is lying on top of Daiki, pretending to be the king of the pack.”

    “And now they ambushed Daiki again, but he got his back leg up and rolled the whole bunch over on his side,” Kei followed up. “They all went flying like slingshots.”

    Kota chuckled slightly, tilting his head towards the happy barking that came to him from the open window, eyes still closed. “Sounds like the most wonderful evening. We knew they weren't going out to pee, but... We let them out anyway.”

    “Because how could you forbid such things,” Hikaru muttered, “when the world outside your window is white and freedom tastes like snow on your tongue.”

    “It would be nice... to take them to town one day,” Kota suddenly spoke, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful, but carrying a spark of hope. “To show them the snowy streets. The lights. The shop windows. Everything they can't even imagine.”

    Hikaru turned away from the window, surprised, but then his eyes sparkled. “Hm... The wolf cubs in the town. All four of them. In human form. An adrenaline-filled fantasy.”

    Kei laughed, but nodded. “Especially when they'll be scattering in ten different directions at once and everyone will want a different hot drink.”

    Yuya smiled and ran his finger along the edge of the mug. “But Kota's right. It would be a great thing for them. Something they'll remember. And snow in the town has its charms.”

    “Imagine them by the decorated tree in the square,” Kota continued, his eyes still closed as if he had actually seen the picture. “As they look at the lights, they hear live music from the street for the first time. Maybe even hot chocolate from a mobile stand. Or just walking on the snow-covered sidewalk where everything glitters.”

    “And Yuto will eat eight snow cones before we tell him they're not edible,” Hikaru remarked dryly.

    “Ryosuke will pretend to be on top of things, but he'll walk five meters behind and watch everything,” Kei added with a smile.

    “Keito will want to pick up every twig, and Yuri will definitely get lost among the lanterns as he watches the snowflakes fall,” Yuya concluded.

    Laughter and smiles. But then caution was quietly thrown into the air.

    “We have to be careful,” Kei said more seriously. “Not every town is used to... us. And not every town welcomes children who can't watch their ears or tail when they're upset.”

    “We'll be in human forms.” Hikaru nodded. “All the time. And we'll remain inconspicuous. No wolf reflexes, no trips to the roof, no howling.”

    “And no racing across the road,” Yuya joined in, though there was an amused undertone in his voice.

    Kota nodded. “I can hold them together. And the rest of you... You know them. We'll each take one. Unobtrusively.”

    “How about we take them to the lake downtown, too?” Kei suggested. “When it freezes, people skate there. They can just sit on a bench and watch. From a distance. But there will be lights, laughter, the town in winter.”

    Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Yuya picked up the cup. “Here's to our first winter trip to the town.”

    Hikaru chuckled and tapped his mug against his. “And for bringing them all home safely afterwards.”

    Kota smiled.

    And outside the window... flakes continued to fall. And the four little wolves continued to write their story in the snow. Unaware yet that they might be about to embark on their first great adventure in the human world.

Chapter Text

    The pavement beneath their boots crunched with a fine layer of ice and snow as the pack reached the edge of town. The street ahead of them glittered with the glow of lamps, the shops smelled of chocolate, cinnamon, and roasted chestnuts, and the air was filled with the muffled voices of people, laughter, bells, and the echo of life.

    They were all in human form, wrapped in warm coats and scarves, with hats pushed low into their foreheads. Kei walked first, waving a map marking the park where they planned to start their walk. Yuya held Yuto's hand, though he bounced as if he had springs built into him. Daiki walked with Yuri, both huddled in long jackets that came almost to their knees, and Keito followed between them, eyes lit up like two moons.

    But Ryosuke held back. His black jacket reached below his hips, his hat was pulled down almost to his eyes, and his scarf was wrapped so high around his neck that his nose barely peeked out.

    He kept his head down, his eyes darting from the pavement to the feet of passers-by. The quiet rustle of city shoes and the sound of children laughing somewhere farther away hurt him more than he'd like to admit. The memory of their first trip into town, which he'd made with only his brothers, was still sharp.

    Laughter. Finger pointing. “What happened to you? Scarred face.”

    He didn't want to hear the words again. He didn't want to feel like something else again.

    Just then, Hikaru stopped beside him. Without a word, he squatted down next to him to be at the same height, resting his hands on his knees. “Ryo,” he said softly, but his voice was firm. He didn't want to force him; he was just there for him. “I see you hiding.”

    Ryosuke lowered his gaze even more, but Hikaru gently lifted his chin with a finger. “You don't have to hide, son. You don't look different to any of us. You're ours. And you're strong.”

    Ryosuke continued to nervously roll the end of his scarf between his fingers.

    Hikaru smiled. “You know what I see when I look at you?”

    Ryosuke didn't answer, but his eyes briefly lifted.

    “I see a boy who survived. Who protected his brothers. Who never ran away, even though he had every reason to. And if anyone turns at you in town today... It's because they see someone special.”

    It was quiet for a while. Just their breath and steam in the cold air. Then Ryosuke nodded slowly.

    Hikaru reached out and took his hand. “Come on. The town awaits. And we have a lot to explore.”

    And so, they got up. And though Ryosuke's scarf was still high, his step was a little surer because he wasn't alone. Never.

    The town streets embraced them like another world. The jingle of bells on shop doors, the twinkling lights, people laughing as they walked from cafes into Christmas-decorated passages, and every shop window was like a fairy tale from another universe.

    The pack walked together, side by side, with a slight caution, but also with an enthusiasm that could almost be heard in the air.

    Kota, wrapped in a long dark coat and wearing gloves, walked with his head held high. His eyes may not have followed the lights around him, but his heart heard everything.

    To his right, Yuri was now leaning into him with a tiny hand slipped into his that was still warm, trusting, and firm. On the other side, Yuya guided him calmly, surely, with gentle pressure on his arm, not to give him direction, but to watch him.

    Kota was smiling. Because he could hear his little wolves laughing. He could hear Yuto running excitedly forward a few steps again before Kei silently admonished him not to run away from them. Keito excitedly describing the snow decorations, even though it was the eighth time he'd heard it. Ryosuke's muffled voice, deeper and calmer, but with a hint of curiosity as he asks what that smell is or why the trees are decorated like that.

    And Yuri's... Yuri's breath. A quiet exhalation, a quiet rapture that didn't need to be spoken. His fingers were squeezing Kota's hand harder at times, as if he were saying, “Dad, this is the best day ever!”

    “Can you feel their blood boiling?” Kota smiled softly and leaned towards Yuya.

    Yuya nodded beside him, though he knew he didn't need to. “They're happy. Awfully happy.”

    “It's like... When they're asleep and everyone's whispering, but you can tell they're having a nice dream,” Kota muttered. “That's what it looks like around me now.”

    The bustle of the town did not dazzle him, but he felt all the joy, excitement, playfulness, and love with such force that he thought he could see more than everyone else.

    And when Yuri stretched out his hand and pointed somewhere in the distance, maybe to a sugar ornament, maybe to a big tree with a star on top, Kota leaned towards him and said with a smile, “Describe it to me, sweetheart.”

    Yuri beamed and started talking. Slowly, carefully, with a childlike consistency. And his voice was like the center of the universe to Kota.

    Then Yuri paused at one of the shop windows, his eyes lighting up like a newly lit light. On the other side of the glass was a large artificial tree, all covered with tiny lanterns and glass ornaments in the shape of stars, snowflakes, and miniature animals. Beneath it lay presents in shiny paper, all arranged like a scene from a child's dream.

    “Dad,” he squeaked, gripping Kota's hand tighter and pressing into his side, “that tree has a gold star on the top! And there's a teddy bear with a hat at the bottom! And behind it is a little car that lights up and looks like it's really going to go!”

    Kota leaned in closer, taking in his breathing and his shaky voice. He was smiling.

    “And behind the tree is a wooden rabbit. He's wearing a scarf! And there's a snowman next to him, and he's got a scarf and a hat too! I guess it's too cold even for decorations,” Yuri continued, his voice bouncing with excitement.

    “So, three friends. A bear, a rabbit, and a snowman,” Kota repeated as if he were imagining it in his mind.

    “Exactly!” Yuri nodded, and though Kota couldn't see it, the joy in his tone was so clear he didn't even need to see it to enjoy it fully.

    Meanwhile, Yuto didn't stop at any storefronts. His nose turned up, picking up the same scent as back home in the forest, only instead of the smells of game, he picked up the sweet scent of chocolate and whipped cream.

    “Dad!” he groaned, taking Yuya by the hand and pulling him towards a row of stalls across the road, where the smells of cinnamon, roasted chestnuts, and hot drinks wafted. “Hot chocolate! With foam! And marshmallows!”

    Yuya laughed, barely managing to catch his hat in his hand, which had slipped off Yuto as he bounced on the cobblestones. “Come on, you wolf candy.” He laughed, letting himself be pulled towards the booth. “But no jumping into the cauldron!”

    “Or you'll boil in it like a chocolate Yuto!” Keito called after him, who had meanwhile also caught up with the stalls and was already scanning the menu with his eyes, but mostly looking for the world's most colorful cookies.

    The window of the hot chocolate and sweets stand shone like a treasure. Behind the glass were large jars of marshmallows, colorful mugs full of steam, whipped cream piled up like a puff, and chocolate bars piped into cups.

    Yuto, Keito, Ryosuke, and Yuri were glued to the window in a second, their noses almost pressed against the glass, their eyes as big as moons.

    “There's a white chocolate one with a heart on top!” Yuto pointed, nearly knocking over the wooden sign. “I want that one. It chose me!”

    “I'd like the one with the blue cup and the cinnamon glaze,” Keito said with deep conviction as if it were his life's decision.

    Ryosuke didn't say anything, but his gaze lingered on the simple mug of dark chocolate and just one small marshmallow. He stood at the window as the quietest one.

    Yuri mumbled the names of all the things he saw quietly to himself, as if he wanted to remember everything, and then pointed to one mug that had a reindeer antler-shaped handle.

    At that moment, Hikaru walked up to them, winked at the huddle of children by the glass, and then laughed. “Oh, yeah. You'd be good at that. Isn't jumping on Daiki in the snow enough for you? Now you're jumping at the sight of sugar?”

    And before they could say anything, he bent down and in one swift motion took both Ryosuke and Yuri in his arms, one in each hand, pulled them close, and turned them back to the window.

    “So, guys. Now, pick carefully, so we don't miss it.”

    Yuri pressed his palms against the glass with a smile. Ryosuke staggered a little in his arms, but then leaned back against his father's chest and let himself be held. He was calm, focused, but his gaze was gentle. After all, being held like this was a feeling that didn't lose its power even as he grew.

    Daiki stood a little further away, arms crossed, one scratching his chin. “Hm... chocolate with whipped cream or caramel syrup... or both? How about I take a kid's portion? ... No, that would make it feel like a fraud,” he muttered to himself, brooding like a wolfish philosopher before a sweet choice.

    Beside him, Kei was already smartly pulling out his wallet, his eyes counting the children, the orders, and the exchange rates that applied in the town's kiosk system. “Okay, sweethearts. One wave of sweet joy, please! And no jumping behind the counter, Yuto.”

    Soon, each of them was holding their own mug, be it with antlers or stars or marshmallows, but each warming their palms like a little personal treasure.

    Yuto sat down first and immediately buried his nose in the pile of whipped cream that covered his snout and lip. “Mmmm, Dad, this is the best thing in the world!” he murmured, his eyes lighting up with euphoria. Yuya just nodded and adjusted his scarf so he wouldn't get cream on it.

    Ryosuke sat next to him, his simple mug clutched tightly in his hands, the scars on his cheeks glistening in the warmth of the light, but no one noticed them. He was quiet, but the corners of his lips lifted slightly as he sipped. And Hikaru saw that, and patted his back softly.

    Yuri sat between Kota and Kei, treating the mug with almost sacred caution, as if it had a potion from a fairy tale inside. “It's got reindeer ears... I'm holding reindeer ears...” he muttered to himself with excitement.

    Keito had his cup placed in front of him and was carefully stirring the whipped cream with a small spoon as if he were conducting a precise experiment. Daiki was sitting next to him, enjoying his large portion while making sure none of the kids slipped out of their chairs or started fighting over the last marshmallow.

    The table they were sitting at was against the wall of the heated café, covered on three sides, with lights overhead and a canopy covered with snow. They were warm, even though it was cold all around.

    Kei had his hands around his mug, his eyes calm and content. Yuya beside him, with Yuto leaning against his thigh, the boy already halfway through his whipped cream.

    And Kota leaned back on the bench, listening to the quiet sipping, the muffled laughter, the quiet rustling of paper napkins, and the clinking of spoons. “This is better than any celebration,” he said softly, a smile lighting up his face.

    “It's a pack festival,” Kei added, touching his hand.

    And between the steam from the mugs, the lights of the town, and the snow falling silently around, time stood still. At least for a while. They were together. They were safe. And every sip tasted like home, even when they were away from it.

    For a while, they just sat and enjoyed the silence. The hot chocolate warmed not only their hands, but also the inside of their werewolf bodies, even Ryosuke, who was slowly relaxing since they were sitting together.

    He sat huddled between Hikaru and Yuto, his hat still pulled down to his forehead, but the scarf had loosened a bit. His hands were wrapped around the mug, his fingers slowly running over the hot ceramic. He could feel the steam warming his cheeks and making him feel protected.

    And then, quietly, but with the calm tone that belonged to him, he said: “This is fine...”

    Hikaru tilted his head towards him, smiling slightly. “Yeah?”

    Ryosuke nodded, and without looking up, he added, “When we're all together... It's different. It's not so scary here. In town.”

    Yuto, meanwhile, buried his marshmallow in the rest of the chocolate and grunted in amusement, “Of course! The pack will always protect you. Maybe if someone stares at you too long, I'll lick them! Or bite them! Depending on my mood.”

    Yuri and Keito laughed, and Keito remarked, “Or we'll explain to them that scars are like medals. It means you're strong.”

    Ryosuke smiled briefly and finally raised his eyes to the table. “Yeah... Maybe so.”

    Hikaru wrapped one arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. “You know, you don't have to explain anything to anyone. You know who you are. We know it too. And anyone who doesn't want to see it... isn't important.”

    “We're your pack,” added Daiki, who was just wiping chocolate off Keito's chin. “And in this pack, everyone with a scar is more beautiful.”

    Ryosuke laughed a little, not too loudly, but for the first time without a hint of strain. “Good.” He nodded. “Then I guess I deserve an extra marshmallow today.”

    “Yeah!” Yuto exclaimed, popping his last, slightly melted but still marshmallow, into his mouth.

    And so, they sat there, continued drinking, telling each other stories about what they wanted to see in the town, and planning their next stop together.

    And Ryosuke, though shadows might still linger in his mind, was already leaning against the light. Because he had his dad, his brothers, and his pack beside him.

    After a moment of rest, the pack rose from the table and set off again through the town. All in human form, huddled in coats and scarves, their faces red from the cold, but with sparks in their eyes. Kei led the group from the front this time, with Yuya walking right behind him with Kota firmly hooked into his arm. Daiki held Keito's hand as he tended to keep stopping and eyeing every ornament.

    The streets were full of people, but the wolf cubs were so interested in everything around them that they didn't pay much attention to them, and the people didn't pay much attention to the wolf cubs. None of them knew that this bunch of boys with sparks in their eyes had the sharp teeth and hearts of wolves.

    “This way to the right,” Kei said with a smile, “we're almost there.”

    And then, when they emerged from a side street into a large open square, they were treated to a breathtaking view.

    In the middle of the square stood a huge Christmas tree, taller than any house in the area, festooned with thousands of lights. Its branches bent only slightly under the snow, and each one of them was covered with ornaments, ribbons, and glitter that sparkled like stars in the light of the lamps. At the top of the tree shone a large silver star that slowly rotated.

    The wolves were silent.

    “Wooooow...” gasped Yuri.

    Yuto immediately ran closer, but Kei grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back. “Just watch, little wolf. Don't get in there.”

    Ryosuke stood nearby, next to Hikaru, and raised his head. His red eyes glistened in the glare. There were still traces of the old worry on his face, but there was also a childlike joy in that look, the kind that every little wolf should feel.

    Kota paused, leaned lightly against Yuya, and whispered, “Describe it to me.”

    Yuya smiled. “The tree is huge. Green, with branches like outstretched arms. A ball hangs from each one. Red, gold, silver... There are stars and angels and lights that blink slowly, like someone breathing. And at the tip... there's a star. It shines like the moon is hanging there.”

    Kota silently stored the image in his soul and nodded. “I can feel it. It's strong.”

    The wolves stood in a line, hand in hand. Keito, Yuri, Ryosuke, and Yuto had their eyes widened in amazement, their heads held high. They were like four little wanderers in the middle of the human world, but not lost. Never. Because the pack was with them, watching over them.

    However, the silence lasted only for a moment before Yuto broke it. “When's that dinner people keep talking about?” He turned to Yuya, tugging at his coat.

    “And what is Christmas anyway?” Yuri joined in, his emphasis a little odd, but no one minded. “Is it some magician's birthday?”

    “Or is it a wolf?” Keito suggested, frowning as if it were a very serious possibility.

    “And why do people give gifts? And who does it all belong to?” Ryosuke joined in with a slightly thoughtful expression as he looked at the packages under the tree.

    The adult wolves laughed, each with that gentle look on their faces.

    “All right,” began Kei, who liked to take on the role of teacher these days, “Christmas is an old human holiday. Something between a celebration of light, the birth of an important person, and... Well, family comfort. Today it's all about people trying to be together, making each other happy and... being kind.”

    “And eating candy,” Hikaru added, meanwhile pulling out cookies from his pocket, which he discreetly placed in Keito's hands.

    “And hugging and giving each other presents,” Yuya said, smiling at Yuto, who immediately hung around his neck.

    “And presents are for everyone,” Daiki continued, “because when you like someone, you want to make them happy. Even if it's just a little thing. Or by being with them. Or by thinking about them.”

    The wolves were soaking up every word. Yuri clung to Kota, and his eyes were fixed on the lights. Keito stored everything in his head as he always did. Yuto was already figuring out what gift he was going to make for whom out of a pine cone, and Ryosuke just nodded silently, still staring at the luminous tree.

    “So, Christmas is about being together... and having each other,” he said quietly.

    Hikaru looked at him and just nodded. “Exactly, Ryo.”

    From the Christmas Square, the pack moved on through the streets of the town to the edge of the frozen lake, where lanterns were lit around the shores and paper and wood stars swung on strings between them. The lake glittered like a mirror under the stars, and people skated on it in pairs, families, or small groups. Here and there, someone laughed, another fell and picked themselves up with a laughing face.

    The pack settled on wooden benches by the shore with paper bags of sweets Kei had bought from one of the stalls. Roasted chestnuts, soft fudge, and hot, crunchy nuts.

    Keito was sitting between Daiki and Kota, holding a chestnut in his gloved hands and blowing on it. Yuri's mouth was covered in caramel, but his eyes shone brighter than the ornaments on the tree. Ryosuke was leaning against Hikaru's side, content and calm, and Yuto... Well, he didn't last more than half a minute in the same spot.

    He watched as a boy about their age took off down the ice, laughing and spinning around. At that moment, Yuto's eyes lit up.

    “Can we go there too?” he blurted out, jumping to his feet and nearly dropping the rest of the caramel snack. “Can we slide too? I can run on ice! Even without... those... metal things on my feet!” He spread his arms out as if to demonstrate it right away.

    Yuya grabbed him by the hood and pulled him back. “Relax, little wolf. We don't have skates. And there are a lot of people out there.”

    “But that's exactly why!” begged Yuto, straddling his knees and pleading with a look like a professional.

    Kei smiled and slowly chewed the nut. “If it wasn't so slippery and if you could stop... maybe.”

    “I can stop on Ryosuke!” Yuto chimed in, and all the adults laughed out loud.

    Ryosuke just rolled his eyes and bit into the chestnut. “Ha-ha. We'd both fly into the snow.”

    “That's exactly the plan!” Yuto exclaimed.

    “I'd love to slide too... But only if we all fall at the same time,” Yuri said, snuggling up to Kota.

    Kota laughed, leaned over, and nodded. “Then we'd be a dangerously sweet avalanche by now.”

    Daiki raised his eyebrows and waved his hand at them. “Let's take a closer look. But no jumping on the ice without permission, okay?”

    The ice crunched gently under their boots as the pack stepped onto the frozen lake, surrounded by the glow of lanterns and children's laughter. They were still in their human forms, warmly dressed, but it didn't stop them from enjoying their moments on the ice.

    Kota remained on the shore, sitting next to Kei, who held him around the shoulders. Together they watched as their pack glided merrily across the ice. Uncertain, unsteady, but with enthusiasm in every movement.

    “Describe it to me,” Kota asked in a low voice.

    Kei smiled. “Yuto just took off like a chamois on the run. Ryosuke tried to stop him, but I guess he forgot that if you don't have skates, physics doesn't like you very much.”

    “And then...?” Kota asked with a smile in his voice.

    “Well, they're both on the ground now. And they're fighting on the ice. But it's more like they're just sliding on their asses and laughing.”

    Kota laughed a muffled laugh, while Kei added softly, “Ryosuke isn't hiding at all anymore. He may be covered in snow, but he looks happy.”

    On the ice, meanwhile, Yuto tried to scramble back to his feet, but his boots slipped, and before he could get up, Ryosuke grabbed him and pulled him back down. Both boys hit the snow on the ice and started laughing until they were clutching their stomachs.

    Yuri glided near them with his arms outstretched as if he were some snowy bird trying to take flight. Keito held onto Daiki, who was supporting him and teaching him how to slide properly step by step.

    “Slowly. Weight forward, never backward. And when you fall, you better accept your fate,” Daiki advised with a smile.

    Yuya held onto Yuto's jacket to help him up while Hikaru tried to convince Ryosuke to slide slower. But Ryosuke instead grabbed him by his coat and pulled him down to the ice with him as well. Hikaru, amused, wasn't angry at all. On the contrary.

    On the shore, Kota leaned against Kei's shoulder and whispered, “This is... exactly it.”

    Kei nodded. “Yeah. This is all we ever wanted.”

    The ice surface turned into a playground full of laughter, sliding, and falling within a few minutes, but that was just the warm-up. Once Yuto scooped the first handful of snow into his palms, it was clear what was going to happen next.

    “War!” he yelled as he formed the first ball and threw it with all his strength at Yuya, who was just picking him up off the ground. The ball hit him square in the chest.

    Yuya stood with his mouth open, dramatically clutching his coat as if he had been shot. “Treason!” he shouted, ducking down and immediately making his own balls. And within seconds, snow was flying through the air.

    Hikaru took one right between the shoulder blades from Ryosuke, and commented, “Is this how you treat your own father?!” and ran after him, laughing, with a slippery stride, ball raised above his head.

    Daiki, who had been standing innocently to the side up until that point, took a ball to the shoulder from Keito, who looked like an angel. Daiki just draped his scarf over his shoulder, formed a perfect, solid ball, and said with a slight grin, “You're going to pay for this, little man.”

    Yuri, meanwhile, hid behind a bench by the shore and, with the help of a small snow bank, began a silent counterattack. Keito joined him, and the two whispered strategies like little generals.

    “How many balls has Yuto managed to make?” Kota asked amusedly.

    “At least twenty. And he managed to eat another twenty.” Kei laughed. “And Ryosuke's lost count of how many times he's fallen.”

    Kota smiled, his head tilted slightly to the sounds around him. He was aware of every laugh, every scream, every muffled thump in the snow. And each of those sounds was like the heartbeat of their pack, their family.

    And when Ryosuke collapsed to the ground, laughing, barely panting, and Yuto fell beside him, his cheeks all red, there was nothing more to say. That evening belonged to them alone. And the snow would remember their footsteps long after they were gone.

    Amid laughter, flying balls, and loud frolicking on the ice, four little tired wolves in human form suddenly exchanged glances. No one said anything, but as if they all felt the same way, it was time to return back.

    Ryosuke lifted his head off the ice, blew some wet hair off his forehead, and stood up. Yuto got up right behind him, and though he had a small look of defiance on his face, as if he was afraid of missing another round of bowling, he didn't resist. Yuri and Keito followed, and together, all four of them, they made their way back across the ice to the shore.

    Nobody sent them. Nobody told them to go. They went by themselves.

    When they reached the bench, Yuri immediately slipped under Kota's arm and pressed himself against his side. Keito sat at his feet and leaned against his knee.

    Ryosuke sat down on the bench next to him, his red eyes full of quiet attention. And Yuto, who usually could barely sit for a few seconds, squatted down next to Kota with great effort, resting his head on his shoulder. “You're not alone,” he muttered. “We're here with you.”

    Kota froze for a split second. A silent wave of emotion coursed through his body until his eyes welled up with moisture he made no effort to hide. He could feel every touch, every beat of their hearts, every breath. Small, warm hands. Smiles, even when he couldn't see them. Trust.

    He stroked Yuri's hair, Keito's shoulder, gently squeezed Ryosuke's hand, and rested his chin on Yuto's head. “You are my light,” he whispered. “All of you. And thank you for not forgetting me, even when I can't play like the others.”

    “But you're playing with us too,” Yuri said seriously. “Just... in a different way.”

    “With your heart,” Keito added quietly.

    Ryosuke didn't say anything, just leaned his hip against his arm, firmly, as he was wont to do when he really felt something. And Yuto? He'd managed to sit there for two whole minutes, even while fidgeting and still holding onto Kota's hand.

    But in those two minutes, that was it. Love. Trust. The pack.

    A short distance away on the ice, Hikaru was wiping snow off his sleeve when out of the corner of his eye, he saw their four little ones retreat from the battlefield and head back to Kota.

    He was startled. He watched as one by one they snuggled, as even Yuto settled down without command, without protest, as they all pressed up against the former Alpha of the pack.

    “Look,” he hollered at Yuya, who was just helping Daiki up after a fall when his ankle buckled.

    Yuya turned around, and when he saw the wolves by the bench, his expression changed completely. The laughter subsided, only to be replaced by a deep sigh. “Oh, wow,” he whispered. “Look at them...”

    Daiki finally stood up with a handful of snow still in his palm. When he noticed what they were looking at, he stood still and just smiled. “This is... The most beautiful thing I've seen today.”

    Kei remained seated nearby, though he moved away a bit to give the wolf cubs and Kota some space. He barely moved. His hands were in his pockets, his breath coming out in small puffs, his eyes wide open as Hikaru, Yuya, and Daiki appeared beside him as well. “I love them,” he said simply, softly, with a tenderness that tightened his throat. “I love them all so much.”

    Hikaru smiled, his heart pounding in his ears. “And you say I'm not poetic.”

    “You're not,” Kei replied without blinking, and the adult wolves laughed.

    And so, they slowly spread out around them. Not to disturb them, not to take over, just to be there. To show that the bench by the shore wasn't just a place for those left behind, but the heart of the pack.

    Hikaru sat down next to Ryosuke, put his hand on his back, and kissed his hair over the warm hat. Yuya knelt down behind Yuto, who didn't even turn around, just leaned back more. Daiki sat behind Keito and placed his palm on his shoulder. And Kei leaned over to Kota, whispering softly, “See that?”

    Kota smiled and held Yuri tighter to him. “Yeah. I see it everywhere.” He sat quietly, surrounded by those he loved most in the world.

    Little hands held him, soft voices chattered around him, laughing and sometimes just breathing softly into his scarf. Every touch, every gasp, every breath... He could feel it all to the core of his aching bones.

    And at this moment, in the middle of the winter evening, under the light of lanterns and in the embrace of his pack, tears ran down Kota's cheeks. Not violently, not loudly. Just like silent silver marks that he wiped away with his fingertips, as if he didn't want to apologize for them, just give them space. They were tears of happiness.

    He shivered, but not with cold. It was what he hadn't dared hope to experience one day. The laughter of his kids. The warmth of their bodies. The love that surrounded him on all sides.

    And then, in his mind, in a low, firm voice, with a heart that beat with certainty, he said to himself, “Someday... someday I will see them again. Their eyes. Their smiles. Everything I feel, I'll remember again with a look. Because for them... for them I will go to the ends of the Earth.”

    And at that moment, Kei gripped his hand. He didn't have to say anything. Kota knew that Kei knew. That everyone knew. This family, this pack, wasn't just a home. It was a force that kept him going.

    The snow kept falling from the sky around them. Not to keep them cold. But to cover their love like a soft, white, eternal blanket.

    And with that in mind, they got up, slowly, calmly, and hand in hand, made their way back home. Not just to the house. But to where they were together. Where the hearts of wolves beat as one. To each other.

Chapter Text

    It was the kind of day when even the sun didn't feel like rising up. The grey clouds hung low over the landscape, the rain drummed softly on the windows, and inside the wolf pack's house, the mood was sleepy.

    Four small wolves, curled up in soft beds, lay in a warm corner by the fireplace, each in his wolf form. Their fur was ruffled, their tails were wrapped around their sides, and their eyes were closed just enough to see if anything was wrong.

    But nothing happened. And that was exactly what they wanted today.

    Yuto lay on his back, legs sticking up in the air, tongue lolling out, occasionally grunting and rolling over for no reason at all. Ryosuke kept his muzzle buried in the pillow, only his ears occasionally moving when the wind blew outside. Yuri licked his paw slowly, but only because it felt cold. And Keito had his muzzle buried in the fluffy blanket, with only his ears peeking out from underneath it and his tail wagging lazily with each breath.

    The living room was warm, smelling of tea and baked apples, the adult wolves were somewhere in the house quietly cleaning or resting, but the wolf cubs remained as four fluffy piles of stillness.

    “I don't want to do anything,” Yuto muttered, lazily rolling over Ryosuke's tail.

    “Then don't do anything,” Ryosuke growled sleepily without opening his eyes.

    “Not even pee,” Yuri joined in.

    “I could probably survive without peeing until tomorrow,” Keito replied, which seemed like a perfectly realistic plan to him.

    And no one thought it was weird. It was a day when the pack just... was.

    The door creaked open softly, and Daiki slipped in, his hood still dripping with rainwater and a basket in one hand. “Hello? I'm home...” he called softly, his voice sounding expectant of his four little brothers running up to him, but nothing happened.

    He stood in the hallway for a while, listening. No quick paws, no cheerful greetings, no barking. Not a single wolf came running to jump at his feet.

    Slowly, he walked into the living room, and there he saw them. Four flattened piles of fur and tails, all together by the fireplace, each in a different position of utter passivity.

    Daiki paused in the doorway, the basket dropping in his hand. “Hey...” he began cautiously. “What's up?” He walked over and knelt down. “No one coming to say hi to me? No one biting my legs? No barking that my scarf is sticking out?”

    Yuto lifted his head a few inches, looked at him with one eye, then yawned and put it back down. Ryosuke flicked his ears, but otherwise didn't move. Yuri just whimpered lightly and rolled closer to Keito. Keito poked his snout out from under the blanket. “Lazy day...” he mumbled so softly that it was almost lost in the sound of the rain outside the window.

    Daiki sat down on the floor and placed the basket beside him. His eyes softened a little, though he tried to look stern. “Did I really spoil you that much? A few drops of rain and you're done with life?”

    Yuto groaned. “It's a lazy day. My body doesn't want to move.”

    “Not even the tongue,” Yuri joined in.

    “Not even the nerves,” Ryosuke added. “So when someone comes in and starts making noise, it hurts my soul.”

    Daiki sighed and melted completely. “Okay, a lazy day... But at least one of you can come tell me you like me, right?”

    There was silence. And then Keito slowly got up, walked over to Daiki, put his muzzle in his lap, and sighed softly. “We love you, Daiki. But that's all I can say. Not today.”

    Daiki laughed, gently stroked his head, and wordlessly watched as Keito snuggled back into his bed. He honestly couldn't believe his eyes. Especially with Yuto, this whole situation seemed awfully strange, as it was very rare that he would stay in place for even a minute.

    Daiki sighed loudly as he looked at the wolf cubs. He shook his head at the four furry, melted lumps that looked more like pillows than wolves. “No, no, no,” he muttered. “I don't believe in lazy days. This is the beginning of the end. First day you lie down, second day they cover you with a blanket forever.”

    The wolves didn't respond.

    “Nobody told me we were having a voluntary slow death of the pack today,” he continued dramatically, already unbuttoning his wet coat. “Are we just supposed to lie around, breathe, and wait for another day? That's the plan?”

    Ryosuke raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't say anything, just slowly closed his eyes.

    Yuto just grunted something like “no movement until the world warms up.”

    Daiki went out into the hallway, remaining only with a low snort, and returned a moment later in warm clothes, wearing knitted socks with a wolf paw motif. He stood in front of them, hands on his hips. “Okay. First one up gets a cookie.”

    No response.

    “And whoever gets up second... gets a second cookie.”

    Yuri raised his head slightly, but then put it back down. “Can I eat it in my sleep?”

    Keito groaned and pulled his blanket closer.

    “Okay,” Daiki huffed, sitting down between them with a big sigh, causing a flurry of paws and tails to rearrange themselves. “Okay. I'll get you back to your old life then.”

    “That sounds dangerous,” Ryosuke grumbled.

    “It is.” Daiki smiled dangerously sweetly. “Get ready. Lazy day... over.”

    And even as the wolves continued to lounge, a cautious sparkle flickered in their eyes, because when Daiki plans something, it usually doesn't stop at words. However, every attempt at provocation he made, every nudge with his elbow or remark about how “maybe the mosses are growing out of their sides now” was met with a sleepy wink or complete ignoring.

    “Hey, Ryo... are you sure you're still breathing?” Ryosuke slowly raised his tail without opening his eyes, then lowered it again.

    “Yuri... have you become a pillow?” A low grumbling sound. Maybe a laugh. Maybe disgust.

    “Yuto. My last hope. Why don't you stand on one paw?” Yuto yawned and turned his tail to the wall.

    Daiki sighed, but his eyes flashed. He picked up the basket he'd brought from outside and slid it close in front of him. “Okay, okay. Fine. Let's try this another way,” he muttered, and began slowly, very deliberately, pulling things out of the basket. “What we have here... a fragrant apple pie with nuts... still warm...”

    Quiet. Just the gentle rustling of ears.

    “And here... vanilla cookies. Homemade. Crispy. Smells like a dream.”

    Yuto whimpered slightly, but didn't look up.

    Daiki took out a piece of cookie and slowly, very slowly, brought it to Yuto's muzzle. Yuto sniffed. He moved his snout. He opened his mouth... and stayed lying down. Mouth open. Eyes closed. The clear message: feed me.

    Daiki narrowed his eyes. “Well, no. We're not in an infirmary here. I'm not putting anything in your mouth until you at least get up.”

    Yuto didn't close his mouth. He just stuck his tongue out. Ryosuke growled. “I might eat it. But in my head. Mental cookie.”

    “This is the laziest squad I've ever seen,” Daiki breathed, but his voice was full of amused love. “I swear, next time, I'll just put broccoli in that basket and make you eat it.”

    The wolves didn't even blink. But... something in their tails moved.

    Daiki eyed them suspiciously for a moment longer, then blinked, tucked the cookie back into the bag, rested his hands on his knees, and exhaled. “Okay... okay. Guess we'll have to go by force then.”

    Slowly, he stretched his arms out towards Ryosuke, who lay closest, still with his muzzle buried in the bed, but his ears slightly to the side as if sensing danger approaching.

    “Ryo... buddy... bro... Get up and I'll give you two cookies.”

    Nothing.

    Daiki leaned closer, pressed his palms against his side, and began to gently pull him out of the bed.

    And that's when Ryosuke lifted his head, slowly, very slowly, bared his teeth and growled so deep it almost rang in the floor. Not loud, not out of anger, it was just a pure, lazy threat. Like he was saying: “Try to pull me out a millimeter further and I'll stop being a wolf. I'll turn into a hedgehog. With spikes.”

    Daiki froze. Eyes on Ryosuke's teeth. One eyebrow raised. Complete silence.

    Yuto beside him chuckled through his closed mouth. Yuri rolled onto his back and whimpered in amusement. Keito pulled the blanket over his head.

    “Wow...” muttered Daiki, his hands immediately pulling back. “So much for my attempt to save the wolves' lives.”

    Ryosuke collapsed into his bed again, but his tail twitched contentedly.

    “Right,” Daiki continued with an edge of dignity as he slowly rose to his feet. “Noted: attempt to pull a wolf demon out of his bed number one – unsuccessful. Risk rating: extreme. Recommendation: do not try again without protective armor.”

    And though he continued to grumble, his eyes were smiling. Because in that growl, in those teeth, there was joy. And that was the beginning of the end of a lazy day.

    Daiki dusted off his hands, straightened up, and looked at the remaining piles of fur. “Okay, Demon number one resisted,” he muttered, “but maybe Demons number two and three will be softened up.”

    Slowly, he walked over to Yuri, who was lying with his paws spread like a little snow angel, and Yuto, who had his tongue out and occasionally flicked his tail lazily like “Yeah, I'm alive, but don't bother.”

    Daiki sat down next to them and suddenly tucked his hands under both of their hips, lifted their hind legs, and began to move them out of their beds in slow strokes, like he was pulling a sack of potatoes with fur and an opinion.

    “Heeee...” muttered Yuri without opening his eyes. “It's my inner peace you're pulling.”

    “Leave me alone... I'm a snow statue...” stammered Yuto, but his snout was already twitching.

    And then, as soon as Daiki pulled a hair more, Yuto opened his eyes, growled purely for effect, and suddenly bit down on Daiki's arm. Not hard. Not dangerously. Just enough to make it clear, “Enough.”

    Daiki rolled his eyes. “Ouch...!” He laughed, but he wasn't angry in the slightest. “Did you really bite me?”

    Yuto let go of his sleeve, then brushed his tongue against the spot where he had bitten as if to apologize, and whimpered with a perfectly innocent expression that said, “That wasn't an attack, that was… I let my emotions get the better of me,” he muttered, rolling onto his side and stroking Yuri's back with his tail.

    Daiki collapsed on the ground beside them, hands under his head, and exhaled. “You're the worst army ever. If it attacks you, it's more likely to lick your face, and if it bites you, it makes you feel sorry for it.”

    Yuri growled, “But we're a cute army.”

    “And soft,” Keito added from under the blanket.

    Ryosuke didn't move, but his tail twitched slightly with laughter. And Daiki realized that he would have to find another way to make them jump to their own paws.

    The door to the kitchen opened softly, and Kei entered the living room, wrapped in a long sweater, hair disheveled and eyes half-closed like someone who had just woken up... or at least was trying to pretend he was still asleep.

    With a slow, lazy step, he headed straight for the kitchen counter and turned on the kettle without noticing anyone. Only when Daiki snorted in resignation did he pause and look up.

    Daiki was lying on the ground in front of him, surrounded by the little ones, and he was still trying to get out of the den.

    Kei blinked. “You must have eaten the sun today or something,” he muttered, pouring himself a cup of coffee and leaning sideways against the counter.

    Daiki threw him a disheveled smile. “No, I just refused to fall into a death blanket.”

    “What's wrong with a death blanket?” Yuri said. “It's soft. Warm. And it can't talk.”

    “And it's not pulling your tail,” Ryosuke added lazily.

    Kei sighed, took his first sip of coffee, and leaned down to stroke Keito's head.

    “I really don't understand where you're getting the energy for this. I got up about three times today... but I changed my mind each time.”

    Daiki laughed with his hands folded behind his head. “Maybe I just didn't want to put up with not being greeted at the door today. I felt like an abandoned sock dog.”

    Yuto lazily rolled over and barked towards Kei, “Tell him we love him. But I'm not getting out of my bed.”

    Kei shrugged and sat down by the fireplace. “Daiki, you heard that. They love you. But today, you have to beat your love out of a mud snowman.”

    Daiki propped himself up on his elbow and looked at the wolf cubs. “So all I have to do is curl up between you and wait for you to take me up on your mercy?”

    Keito just yawned lazily. “Exactly. But there's a spot next to me. And pretty warm.”

    Kei nodded, smiled, coffee in hand, and added, “You know, Daiki... Maybe you've just finally earned permission to share your laziness. That's quite an honor. You're not an intruder anymore. You're an official pack pillow.”

    And as much as Daiki didn't want to admit it under any circumstances, in this house full of silence, warmth, and blankets, this still, breathing pile of snugglers was all they needed to be today.

    Daiki lay motionless for a moment between the little ones, his arms folded under his head as if he had finally given up. But his eyes glittered with suspicious calm.

    Kei noticed it first. He narrowed his eyes at the coffee mug. “Daiki... What are you up to again?”

    Daiki quietly reached over to the basket that still stood by the fireplace. And then, without a word, he pulled out a small, carefully wrapped bag containing slices of fragrant smoked meat.

    That morning, all the laziness in the air came crashing down. It was not interrupted. But disturbed. Yuto was the first to move. He lifted his snout, took in the scent, and... moved forward five centimeters. He was still lying down. But he was sliding. Like a snow caterpillar.

    “That smells like... like dreams,” he stammered dramatically and continued to crawl, tongue lolling out, eyes in a dreamy trance.

    Daiki took a bite of his own and munched theatrically. “Mmm. Juicy. Soft. Lightly salted.”

    Yuto has picked up the pace. The problem was that Ryosuke was lying between him and Daiki. A black wolf who wasn't going to move because of the weather or the threats.

    And so, without warning, Yuto literally sprawled on Ryosuke's back, tongue still extended towards Daiki's hand.

    Ryosuke let out a deep 'oof' and lifted his head, eyes squinted. “What the hell?” he growled, completely unwilling to be anyone's landing pad.

    “Smoked meat,” Yuto breathed happily, his tongue licking Ryosuke's ear. “Daiki has smoked meat. Can you smell it?”

    Ryosuke sighed, not moving. “Rolled over somewhere else. I'm not playing mountains and avalanches today.”

    Both Yuri and Keito raised their heads at the same time, noses outstretched and twitching.

    Smoked meat. Unquestionable wolf weakness.

    Daiki, meanwhile, held a small piece over the candle flame with a perfectly calm expression to make it smell even more. “Those who stand up and ask politely might get it. Maybe.”

    Meanwhile, Yuto was lying on top of Ryosuke, still not wanting to get up. He had another plan. “Ryo. Be my pillow. I have to go get the meat.”

    Ryosuke stared silently ahead, his expression resigned to his fate, and Daiki knew he had won. By a scented trap.

    Yuto was still sprawled across Ryosuke's back, legs dangling at his sides, tongue lolling out, snout fixed on the smoked meat that dangled ominously in Daiki's hand as a reward for those who had overcome laziness.

    “Ryo... come on... get up. I'll lead you. We'll be like... a two-headed sausage machine,” Yuto grumbled lazily without moving.

    Ryosuke just sighed deeply, as if he had just carried the weight of the entire forest, even if it was only his larger sibling. “Try to climb down. You've got the legs. Four. That's two more than you need.”

    “But I'm already on top of you, it'd be a waste of energy if I went down now.” Yuto whimpered and licked his neck, causing Ryosuke to growl and jerk his head.

    “This is an assault on my dignity,” Ryosuke hissed, turning his ear to him. “And you're heavy. You're bigger than me. How is it possible that you're so much bigger?!”

    Yuto just grunted in satisfaction, “I have more fur. And more joy.”

    “You've got more meat,” Ryosuke grunted, but slowly, very reluctantly, theatrically slowly, he began to rise. First one paw went, then the other. Then the hind legs... And finally, he lifted himself up all the way, with Yuto on his back, stretching his paws triumphantly in the air.

    “Gooooo!” Yuto howled in a low voice, which was skipping twice so as not to disturb the sacred silence of a lazy day.

    Ryosuke stood, trembling a little with effort and, more importantly, patience. Yuto wrapped his paws around his neck, his tongue sticking to his fur.

    There was a chuckle from the side. Yuri covered his muzzle with his paw so he wouldn't be seen laughing. Keito poked his head out from under the blanket and whispered, “This is like a teddy bear sitting on a squirrel.”

    Daiki, meanwhile, was gracefully moving the smoked meat a short distance from them. “Wow, this deserves two servings,” he laughed, “one for performance, one for creativity.”

    And Ryosuke, with Yuto still on his back, stepped forward. Slowly. Firmly. Like a hero who knows the journey to the smoked meat is long, but worth it.

    Ryosuke walked up to Daiki with all the dignity that a wolf with a bigger wolf on his back might have, paws raised carefully, proudly, and showing with every step that he had truly earned his way to the smoked meat.

    As he stood in front of Daiki, he bowed his head and slowly opened his mouth, tongue lolling out gently, eyes squinted in anticipation of the salty reward of heroism.

    Daiki held up a piece of meat. “So, who's first?” he asked with an amused smile.

    “Me!” Yuto stammered, who at that moment stretched his neck over Ryosuke's head, his mouth agape as he tried to bite right out of Daiki's hand.

    Ryosuke froze. And then, in one smooth, decisive sequence, he sputtered, growled, twitched his hips, and simply shook Yuto off like an unwelcome snowdrift.

    Yuto fell into the soft cushion, yelped in surprise, his tail flew into the air, and his paws scattered. Ryosuke leaned over him, his eyes sparkling. “You're kidding, right?! Who carried you halfway across the room?! Who dragged himself like a mule just so you wouldn't have to lift a paw?!”

    Yuto opened his mouth, closed it... and then closed his eyes. “You were my vehicle, that doesn't count.”

    “I was the hero. And you were the cargo. Cargo isn't entitled to the first bite,” Ryosuke growled, turning his mouth to Daiki again, this time with more emphasis.

    Daiki laughed so hard his shoulders shook, and finally placed a piece of smoked meat directly into Ryosuke's mouth. “There you have it, master. The first bite belongs to you.”

    Ryosuke bit down slowly, eyes closed as if in a ceremony, and hissed in satisfaction.

    Meanwhile, Yuto rolled back onto his stomach and grumbled, “It was all my idea anyway.”

    “An idea without action is just a lazy idea,” Ryosuke growled, his mouth full.

    Meanwhile, Yuri and Keito were laughing from their beds, Keito already crawling over to Daiki while Yuri went to sit next to Yuto and whispered to him, “At least you got a ride.”

    As Ryosuke enjoyed his well-deserved bite, Daiki laughed and handed each wolf a slice of smoked meat in turn. Exactly one.

    Yuto, despite his theatrical snorting, accepted his bit and ate it in two bites. Yuri placed it between his paws and first sniffed it as if he wanted to remember the moment forever, then licked it with delight. Keito was quiet, but his tail wagged so furiously that he almost knocked the blanket off.

    As soon as the last bit disappeared into the mouth, there was silence for a second. And then... The four snouts slowly turned back to Daiki. Big eyes, almost suspiciously innocent. Ears drooping. Little mouths slightly open as if to say they wanted more.

    Daiki remained sitting cross-legged, the bag of smoked meat pressed against his chest. “Ah. So, this is how it's going to be? One piece isn't enough, huh?”

    The wolves were silent. But their hungry looks said it all.

    “Yeah, right,” Daiki continued, sighing theatrically. “So, we're having a lazy day, but you could eat kilos of smoked meat. That's interesting. When you need to get up – nothing. But when I pull out the meat – suddenly the wolf powers miraculously return.”

    Yuto growled almost affectionately. “It's not a miracle. It's smoked meat, Daiki.”

    Ryosuke sat up straighter, his eyes squinting. “So, what do you want? Should we dance for you?”

    Keito suggested in a whisper, “We can do something nice... like roll over. On command.”

    Yuri didn't say anything; he just slowly extended his paws and put them on his pink snout to look cuter.

    Daiki watched them for a moment, both amused and impressed, then held up a finger. “No, wolf cubs. More pieces are only given out on merit. That means... no lazy bodies. No rolling around. I want to see action.”

    The wolves froze.

    Yuto lowered his ears. “What action?”

    “Whatever,” Daiki replied. “But something that will convince the Meat Master that you deserve it.”

    Kei, who still sipped his coffee, raised his eyebrows and muttered, “Meat Master?”

    Daiki scowled at him. “We all have our titles.”

    And the four little wolves remained seated, wondering how to outwit the Meat Master... and get to the next bite. They sat in a semicircle in front of Daiki, who now rested his chin triumphantly on his palm and placed the bag of smoked meat on his knee like a royal crown. Four pairs of eyes stared at him, but their heads were blank. Total brain fog.

    Yuto sat with his tongue out as if someone had just erased his memory. Ryosuke tried to look thoughtful, but instead, he looked more like his head was buzzing. Yuri leaned over to Keito and whispered, “What's the simplest thing there is?”

    Keito just whispered, “Lie down.”

    “But we've already done that.”

    Kei, who had been watching the whole scene out of the corner of his eye, flipped a page in the newspaper, sipped his coffee, and said in a calm voice over the rim of his cup, “Try singing to him. Or... howl. A pack duet. That might work.”

    The wolf cubs slowly turned to look at him, like one giant furry radar moving.

    Yuto blinked. “Like... are we really supposed to sing?”

    Kei nodded, his eyes still on the newspaper. “Exactly. Howl nicely. With feeling. At the top of your lungs. And ideally, make it sound like you love him.”

    Daiki folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “I'd consider that a credit worthy of a slice of smoked meat on the snout.”

    Ryosuke took a loud breath. “Okay... but you won't laugh at me, okay?”

    “We? Never.” Yuto chuckled, but he was already straightening his stance as if he were about to take the stage. Yuri sat up straight, tail around his paws, pink muzzle slightly raised. Keito squatted down next to him and checked his tone.

    And then, after a moment of nervous silence, the four wolf voices started. Not quite evenly. Not quite clear. But with great enthusiasm, throat, and most of all, heart.

    One loud howl, which slowly turned into a second, then into a third, then a fourth... And the whole thing sounded like a very strange but extremely cute Christmas concert for one spectator and one smoked meat.

    Daiki pressed his lips together, his eyes glistening with laughter, and then he praised them loudly. “Good! Nice! That was awesome!” And he tossed each wolf cub one more fragrant slice of smoked meat, as if he were handing out medals.

    Yuto leapt into the air, Yuri howled once more, Keito placed the slice between his paws like a treasure, and Ryosuke just bit down contentedly.

    Kei turned a page in the newspaper. “Next time, we'll try the choir. And then maybe choreography.”

    And in the living room, there was laughter, the smell of smoked meat, and howls. The purest howl known only to a pack that loves each other.

    Daiki wiped the laughter from the corners of his eyes, took a deep breath, and stretched his back as if preparing for another spectacular performance. Then he looked around seriously at the little ones, who were now sitting with their mouths chewing contentedly and tails wagging in rhythm of satisfaction.

    “Well,” he said in a tone of mock importance, “now that you have sung me such a moving hymn, you deserve something no one else will give you.”

    The wolves froze. They were waiting for another smoked meat. Instead, advice came. “I'll teach you how to howl properly,” Daiki announced solemnly, “so that you won't sing like four frozen coyotes, but like a real pack. In the same tone. With your heart.”

    Yuto winced. “I can howl!”

    “Yeah, howl yeah. But did you hear yourself? You sounded like a broken mug in the wind,” Ryosuke remarked dryly.

    “I sounded beautifully dramatic!”

    But Daiki raised his hand. “Shh. Now for the master demonstration.”

    And that's when his body began to change. His bones elongated, the hair on his back bristled, his fingers turned into paws, and his eyes darkened to a deeper shade. In a second, a wolf sat before them, his fur glistening in the warmth of the fireplace.

    Daiki sat up straight, lifted his head, and howled at the top of his lungs. It was a clear, long tone, with a deep undertone that resonated through the house. It was an exclamation, a challenge, a song, a memory, and a heart all rolled into one. Just the kind of howl that wolf cubs used to hear in their dreams when they were little.

    When he finished singing, there was silence. Only the fireplace crackled, Keito blinked, Yuri's ears perked, Yuto pretended it was the beginning of a fairy tale, and Ryosuke... moved first. He lifted his head, took a deep breath, and howled. Short, but clear.

    Yuri joined in right after him, half a note higher, like a gentle echo. Yuto stretched his neck and lowered his 'mug in the wind', but with passion. Keito took one last lick of his smoked and joined in last. Quietly, but precisely.

    And a new song came through the living room. The singing of a small pack. Playful. Unbalanced. Cute.

    But in the eyes of Daiki's wolf form, it was perfect. And when he howled again, all four followed him, one by one. Some of them a bit out of tone. Others too high. One at the wrong moment. But it was their howl. Their song. Their voice.

    And Daiki thought in his mind, “This is what home sounds like.”

    In the midst of that mixed but beautiful wolf concert, with four young voices trying to match Daiki's deep, experienced howl, something unexpected suddenly happened.

    Yuto, who's howling up until that moment had been more like a whistling teapot or a squeaky hinge, had just taken on another tone... And halfway through the howl, his voice suddenly broke. It squeaked, skipped, and then groaned. There was a deep tone. Unexpected. Full. Mature.

    The whole living room went silent.

    Keito raised his head. Yuri blinked. Ryosuke turned and looked at Yuto with utter shock.

    Yuto froze, his mouth still open, as if he couldn't believe the sound had come from him. And then, in an instant, he shot into a lunge, paws skidding across the floor, tail flapping like the wind in a gale. “Was that... Was that me?!” he barked, and even his speaking voice was noticeably lower now. Thicker. Not quite an adult yet, but he wasn't the squeaky little pup whose voice skipped every other word.

    “Did you hear that?! That was... deep! Deeper than water! Deeper than Ryo, haha!”

    Ryosuke poked him in the shoulder with his paw. “Oh wait, my voice is still deeper than yours!”

    Yuto, meanwhile, was running in circles around Daiki, jumping and trying to stumble again. And indeed, his voice was a notch lower now, sounding firmer, more masculine, though it still wavered slightly here and there.

    Daiki dropped out of his serious wolf impression and whimpered happily. “Yuto, you just got promoted! Congratulations! You're officially at the 'little adult with a big mouth' stage.”

    Kei looked up from his coffee, amused, and exclaimed, “Well done! Now your voice finally stops skipping when you ask for a third dinner!”

    Yuto was literally glowing. His eyes were sparkling, his teeth set in the widest smile he could muster. “This is the best day of my life! I knew that smoked meat would push me! I knew it!”

    And then he raised his head once more and howled. Beautifully. In a little weird tone. But manly.

    And everybody else joined in again, because that night the singing was not just for joy, but for celebration. Yuto sounded different. But it was still Yuto. Their little brother. Their heart. Their voice.

    The biggest of the wolf cubs was charged with energy like lightning in his fur. His newly grown voice rumbled in his throat like a new musical instrument, and he intended to use it to the fullest. With every step he took, he felt his paws stomp harder. Bigger. Stronger. Almost an adult.

    He was euphoric. His tail swished behind him like a wind rose, his paws slid on the floor, and with every jump, he let out either a deep bark or a joyful yelp. His new voice enchanted him. And he knew exactly who he wanted to share it with first.

    He dashed out of the living room, flew down the hallway, narrowly missing several pieces of furniture, turned a corner, and a familiar smell hit his nose.

    Dad. In the bed. Lazily curled up like a giant wolf roll, breathing slowly, but... no longer asleep. He was resting in a warm den in the corner of the bedroom, where he'd been snoozing lazily. Well... trying. Of course, their pack howls had long since awakened him. He really tried to ignore the dramatic howling, but... Well, when the whole living room pack starts howling, even a big wolf doesn't take a nap.

    With his ears slightly drooped and his tail over his muzzle, he was waiting out the “concert” when the bedroom door flew open and a fluffy tornado rushed in.

    Yuto. Yuto everywhere. Paws, tongue, eyes like lamps. And a voice. The voice. “Daaaaaaaaaaad!” It sounded like an adult wolf crawling into a piano.

    Yuya literally jumped, his fur flying out in all directions. His tail flew up into the air, his muzzle slammed into the bed, and shock in his eyes, “That's not Yuto. Who is that? Why does he sound like an adult, but jump like my puppy?!”

    Yuto immediately jumped on his back, paws slapping his sides, and began to bark, jump, howl, and talk around him happily.

    “Did you hear me?! Dad, did you hear me?! I have a voice! Over here! Right here in my throat! Listen to me, it's like a bear growling! I'm an adult! With a voice! Well, say something! Come on! Do you hear that rumble? Do you hear it?”

    Yuya rose to his front legs in confusion, then sniffed Yuto suspiciously, as if he needed to verify that it wasn't someone disguised as his son.

    And then... He laughed. Really, in a wolfish way. He exhaled softly, his eyes brightening, his tail wagging to the rhythm of joy. “My boy,” he murmured in a low growl, “here we go. A grown-up voice. We must celebrate this.”

    Yuto whirled around, tongue lolling out, paws stomping, tail wagging like the wind. “I know! I told you! I knew it! And you're going to listen to me more now, aren't you? Because I have a deeper voice! And I'm not a squeaky squeak anymore! And-”

    Yuya kissed him between the ears and held him close in a warm wolf hug. “Even if you sound like an accordion, you'll still be my little boy.”

    Yuto paused. For a second. Then he growled, but with a smile, “A little boy with a deep voice. So, show me some respect, Dad. Respect me.”

    And then he ran into the hall again, barking, howling, prancing like a cross between joy and lightning. And Yuya just watched him with a smile, his eyes full of pride and his heart full. Because sometimes... adulthood comes in just one note. And it changes the whole concert of the pack forever.

Chapter Text

    The sun was slowly rising above the treetops, spreading its warm light over the moss, over the pine cones, over the tall grass that waved gently in the breeze. The forest breathed spring calm, but the air was also full of quiet electric energy and anticipation.

    Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito darted through the trees like shadows, their paws just rustling the ground as laughter and barks flew through the air. They were like sparks in the dry grass – wild, free, and excited.

    “You know we're supposed to have an elevator?!” Yuto shouted, leaping over roots and turning to the others as he ran. “Just click a button! And you're going up! And down! And again! Up! Down!”

    “And a real bathroom!” Yuri joined in with his pink snout covered in dirt, “with a shower and hot water, not just a stream!”

    “And a store just around the corner!” exclaimed Keito, who normally didn't run first, but now he was ahead of everyone, waving his tail like a flag. “And the library! With lots of books!”

    Ryosuke ran silently beside them, but his red eyes were shining. He didn't say as much as the others, but it was obvious he was enjoying himself too. Especially for things he couldn't quite name yet. The sounds of the city, the lights, the opportunities, the new beginnings. But also... He would occasionally look behind him, back into the forest, as if he wanted to memorize each tree.

    Nearby, among the trees, Kota, Kei, Yuya, Daiki, and Hikaru walked at a leisurely pace. All in their wolf forms. Kota was leaning on Kei. Though his condition had improved in recent weeks, his eyesight had not yet returned, and the forest paths were still full of pitfalls for him.

    Hikaru looked up into the treetops and said in a low voice, “It's strange... knowing that we'll be leaving all of this soon. That this is the last time we'll be here like this as a pack.”

    “Not the last time,” Kei said calmly, “just the last time before the city. The forest will be here always. And so will we.”

    “But it won't be the same,” Daiki muttered.

    Yuya walked by his side and remained silent. No, it won't be the same. But that didn't necessarily mean it would be worse.

    “The cubs are enjoying themselves,” Kota said softly. “I haven't heard a trace of doubt in them.”

    “That's good.” Kei nodded. “It means we've raised them not to be afraid of change.”

    “And to welcome it,” Yuya said.

    From behind the trees came the challenge, “Race to the stone!”

    And then the four wolf shadows lunged towards a large boulder in the middle of the clearing, all at once, snouts forward, paws blurring with speed.

    The forest watched their laughter, and the pack ran through this forest as their home for the last time.

    Kota now walked calmly at Hikaru's side in his wolf form, gently leaning his shoulder against him as if he were an extension of his balance. Despite his handicap, he walked proudly, his stride slow but sure, his snout taking in the familiar scents. The damp bark, the resin, the moss... and especially the scents of the four little messes that now swirled around him like restless mosquitoes.

    Yuto occasionally poked his snout into his leg, and then promptly rolled into the pine needles, paws up, tongue out, barked, and jumped up again.

    Yuri flew past his tail like white lightning, tripped over a stump, whimpered, and stayed flat on his back next to Yuto.

    Keito lay down right in front of Kota's paws, his face buried in the moss, only his ears peeking out.

    And Ryosuke, the calmest of the brothers today, just subtly walked over from the other side and gently brushed against Kota's fur as if to tell him he was there. But then, without warning, he jumped into the shallow nest of needles and stirred it up so that tiny brown needles flew in all directions.

    “Hey!” Kei said, walking a few steps behind them and immediately picking up speed. “I'm really not going to wash you tonight! This is worse than mud! It'll leave pine needles everywhere!”

    “Noooo!” Yuto exclaimed, his voice skipping a tiny bit. “Leave us alone, we have pine armor!”

    “And camouflage!” Yuri added, completely wrapped in pine needles that made him look like a living broom.

    “And therapeutic rolling!” Keito remarked from the moss.

    Ryosuke didn't say anything, he just lay down quietly in the pile of pine needles and raised his eyes at Kei with an expression that clearly said he won't stop rolling in it.

    Kei sighed in a way that sounded like a day's weariness mixed with resignation and love. “I'm going to have to comb you out piece by piece tonight. Like a ball of thistles.”

    Yuya beside him just smiled. “It's their last day in the forest. Let them wallow while they can.”

    Guided by the gentle touches of Hikaru's hip, Kota lowered his head to Ryosuke and gently licked his ear with his tongue.

    “Kei's going to brush you off anyway,” he whispered in a wolfish voice.

    Ryosuke groaned. And then he buried himself deeper in the pine needles. Just like a small, naughty wolf would do.

    The pack walked slowly through the woods, side by side, their fur warmed by the sun, their paws rustling in the grass and pine needles. They felt the landscape around them say a silent goodbye, as if the forest wanted to creep under their skin one last time, to stay in their fur, in their memory.

    Daiki walked in the middle, his body close to Kei and Yuya, his head tilted slightly to the side. He had been thinking for a long time, but now he raised his snout and spoke. “Why don't we go see... where we found them the other day?”

    They stopped. Even the wolf cubs slowed down, as if their ears had picked up something important. Yuto turned around, his muzzle cocked. “Where did you find us?” he asked in surprise.

    Kei looked at Daiki, then at Kota, who shivered slightly. “I think it's time,” he said softly. “They should know.”

    Hikaru nodded and ran his head over Ryosuke, who was standing next to him quietly and curiously. “Don't let your soul crumble,” he added, but his voice sounded different than usual. Softer, quieter.

    Yuya smiled at Yuto, who wagged his tail. “That's a part of our pack, Yuto. Your story. Your beginning.”

    Kota, still in wolf form, just nodded his head. “If you lead me, Hikaru, I want to go there too.”

    And so, the whole pack went in a different direction. The path was more overgrown, with slowly growing moss and low bushes, but their paws remembered the way without words. They all walked in silence, but not sadly, more with reverence.

    The wolf cubs, initially confused, now quieted as they perceived that this part of the expedition was different from playing under the trees. They stayed close to the adults. Yuto rubbed up against Yuya, Ryosuke walked quietly beside Hikaru, Yuri with Kota, and Keito beside Daiki, as if he didn't want to let him go last.

    And the forest around them rustled as if whispering, “This is where it began.”

    The path led them through trees that leaned closer together, as if protecting one particular spot from the world. The grass was taller under the wolf's paws, the bushes thicker, and when the pack rounded the last bend, they found themselves before a low rock overhang, covered with ferns and moss.

    Cave.

    It was smaller than anyone remembered, more overgrown, its entrance now almost hidden under branches and climbing plants. But they recognized it immediately. All the adults fell silent as if time had stopped.

    The wolves approached slowly, one by one, eyes wide and ears straining.

    “Here?” Yuri whispered, quieter than ever.

    Kei stopped just a short distance from the entrance and lowered his muzzle to the ground. “This is where I smelled you. It was just a fleeting whiff. I felt like I was dreaming... but I kept walking. And then I found you.”

    Hikaru stood next to him with his eyes squinted. “You were in a little cranny, in the back. You were pressed together so tightly that it was as if you were one creature.”

    Daiki nodded. “You were dirty. Muddy. Hungry. You could barely breathe.”

    Yuya stepped closer, pawing away the ferns covering the entrance. “It rained that day for the fifth day in a row. It was a thick, cold rain that soaked down to the bone. And you didn't...” His voice broke for a moment. “You didn't cry, didn't whimper. You just lay there. No movement. It was the quietest desperation I've ever felt.”

    The wolves stood stiffly as if they were not breathing.

    Ryosuke lowered his head and stared at the cave entrance as if he could see his own shadows there.

    Keito slowly sat up and leaned against Kota, who was trembling. Not with cold, but with memories.

    “Then you took us home?” Yuto asked quietly.

    Kota nodded. “We took you home, wrapped you in blankets, warmed you by the fire. Each of you was given a name... and a home. And we never let go of you again.”

    Kei smiled softly as he sat down next to the cave, his tail wrapped around his paws. “You were... so weak. So fragile. We had to dose you all carefully, slowly. And the porridge... God.”

    Yuya laughed until his chest heaved. “Getting you to eat something was like coaxing four little rocks to sing.”

    “But then Yuto ate everything,” Hikaru remarked dryly. “But only if it was from a bowl that wasn't his.”

    Yuto groaned. “That's not true!”

    “It's absolutely true,” Kei assured him with a laugh. “And Yuri spit out every morsel for the first three days. Then we tried putting a drop of honey in his porridge, and suddenly he was a hungry dragon.”

    “Sounds like me,” Yuri remarked proudly, licking his pink snout and sitting up straighter.

    The biggest of the wolf cubs looked at Yuya, who was sitting a short distance away, and thought. “And... how did you know who belongs to whom, anyway? Like... why is Yuya my dad and not, say... Hikaru?”

    There was a brief silence. The wolf cubs looked at the adults, all of them curiously.

    Kota smiled. “That's a good question.”

    Kei shook his head and grunted in amusement. “You were four little balls. Wet, brown, white, gray, black. Hairs everywhere. So, we divided you up by size and fur.”

    “I picked first,” Hikaru admitted, licking Ryosuke's ear. “And I chose the black wolf because I have dark fur too. Not as beautifully black as yours, but I felt we could be close.”

    Ryosuke gently shifted his weight onto his front paws. “I'm glad you chose me.” And earned another lick.

    Kota chuckled and leaned down to Yuri, pressing his muzzle to his ear. “And you were a white knot I grabbed for the same reason. Our fur is similar, except I don't have such a cute little pink muzzle and paws.”

    Yuri barked. “I'm just special! White and pink!”

    Yuya nodded. “I chose the biggest one. A small tank with dark spots and endless amounts of energy, though I didn't know it at the time.”

    Yuto barked. “That's me!” His tail was bouncing to the rhythm of joy.

    Kei smiled at Keito, who was lying next to him. “And I took the one that was left, who had his eyes closed for a few days longer than the others, but sniffed all the leaves around him as soon as he woke up.”

    Keito barked softly. “I think we're a good match, Dad.”

    Daiki smiled at the sight of their children. “And I was supervising! Because there were no wolf cubs left for me!”

    All the wolves laughed, and they truly realized that what they called family did not come about by accident. It was created by a decision. And love.

    While the pack was still discussing stories from the first few days, Ryosuke quietly moved aside. No one noticed right away. He moved silently as he was used to. His black fur blended with the shadows of the cave and the rustling of the grass.

    He stopped at the back wall, at a small, almost invisible niche between the stones, where the moss grew thicker, protected by branches. As soon as he pressed his paws against it, his heart thumped violently. This was the place. He didn't have to remember it consciously. His body remembered for him.

    It was the coolness, the silence, the natural curve in the rock where they huddled together, panting and waiting... for nothing. Or for a miracle.

    Ryosuke sat up, folding his ears back and pulling his tail around him like he used to do when he was unsure. He stared at the spot in front of him as if the four puppies were still there. But one of them was different. And that was him.

    He couldn't say why he felt that way. But deep down... he felt that they had abandoned them because of him. That he was the reason. The strange one, the one they feared. That something was wrong even then, and that's why the original pack had left them to the forest.

    He was snapped out of his thoughts by a subtle movement. Hikaru settled down next to him without a word. He left that familiar bit of space between them. Enough that Ryosuke didn't have to speak, but he could feel his dad against him.

    After a moment, Hikaru turned to him. His voice was quiet, calm. “Everything all right, kid?”

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. But not quite.

    Hikaru didn't move. He just waited.

    And then it fell out of Ryosuke. Quietly, almost inaudibly. “I think... they left us then because of me.”

    Hikaru froze. He wasn't shocked or scared. More like in pain.

    Ryosuke looked at the ground. “I don't know why. But I can feel it. It's like... They knew there was something wrong with me. That I'm... different.”

    “Ryo...” began Hikaru, but Ryosuke just shook his head.

    “This place... is my oldest memory. In the flesh. And my body is shaking. Every hair knows it all ended and began here.”

    Hikaru moved his paws closer to his. His muzzle lightly touched Ryosuke's ear, so gently that it was more of a caress from the wind than a touch. “Maybe you're different,” he said softly. “But you're never a bad one. Never.”

    And then they just sat quietly. Two shadows in the cave, one older, one younger. Both connected by a bond that needed no words.

    For a moment, Hikaru just stared ahead of him, into the darkness of the alcove where four defenseless puppies had been huddled. Then he slowly lowered his head to Ryosuke, his voice muffled, calm, as if he were speaking to a sleeping wolf cub.

    “Ryo... how do you know?” he asked cautiously. “Why do you think it was because of you?”

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. Then he lifted his snout and stared at his own paws, as if searching for an answer in their tracks.

    “I don't know... for sure,” he muttered. “But when I got here, I felt it right away. It was like... my body recognized the place where it hurt. But not just the pain. Even something like... guilt?”

    Hikaru tilted his head. Ryosuke spoke in a low voice, his breath skipping occasionally. But it wasn't sadness, it was uncertainty. And a deep, inward searching.

    “When we got here,” Ryosuke continued, “I felt something strange. It was like the place kept whispering that... that something was wrong. That they were afraid of something. Not us. Just me.”

    He raised his eyes to Hikaru. They were deep and full of questions he couldn't even articulate yet.

    “I don't know why I know. But I know that when I was born, something was different. I've felt it all my life. And here...” he shuddered, “... here it is strongest.”

    Hikaru was silent, but his expression remained calm. He lowered his head even lower and gently, very slowly, touched his muzzle to Ryosuke's forehead.

    “What you feel,” he whispered, “is the truth of your heart. And I believe you. But even if they were afraid... We weren't afraid of you for a second. And we never will. I loved you since the moment I held you in my arms.”

    Ryosuke nodded, and in the shadows of the cave where hope had once ended, a young wolf now sat. Not abandoned. But understood. And loved.

    The little red-eyed wolf sat quietly, his ears folded back as if trying to be as small as possible. His black fur blended with the stone behind him, his tail pulled close to his body, wrapped around his front paws as if he wanted to wrap himself in it and disappear.

    Beside him, Hikaru snorted softly through his nose, trying to think of something. He leaned over, poked him in the neck with his muzzle, gently, playfully, and then nudged him in the side.

    “You know what they say about black wolves?” he growled in amusement. “That they can't be trusted because they're invisible at night and will steal your pillow.”

    Ryosuke lowered his head just a little, the corners of his mouth moving. Not into a smile, but it was clear he'd at least heard it. He didn't answer. He just pressed himself even closer to the ground as the sound of footsteps in the moss broke the moment of silence.

    Kota arrived at a leisurely pace, his stride quiet, guided by snout and instinct. He stopped next to them, and without a word, he settled on the other side of Ryosuke, putting him between himself and Hikaru now. He didn't say anything at first. He was just there. And that in itself carried a lot of weight.

    Then, in a soft, deep voice, he spoke, “You know, Ryo... I sometimes wonder, too, if those who left you abandoned you because you were weird... or because you were special. And they just couldn't understand it.”

    Ryosuke twitched an ear. He kept looking at the rocks. But he was listening.

    “Humans, wolves, anyone... they fear what they don't understand. And sometimes it's easier to run away than to stay and accept something they can't explain or understand.”

    Hikaru remained silent, but nodded slightly in agreement.

    Kota continued, “But we accepted you, Ryosuke. From the first moment. Not because you're normal. But because you are you. And sometimes... Sometimes it's the ones who doubt themselves the most who carry something that may one day save the world.”

    Ryosuke blinked, glancing at Kota's profile out of the corner of his eye. At his calm, blank stare ahead, at the way he sat upright even though he couldn't see. How he looked so strong, even though life had broken him into little pieces that he couldn't even put back together yet.

    “But what if it was true?” Ryosuke whispered. “What if it was because of me?”

    Kota smiled, leaned over, and gently rubbed his muzzle against his side. “Then we should be thanking them. Because their stupidity gave us you and your brothers.”

    And Ryosuke relaxed a little for the first time. He didn't smile. But his tail moved a bit. Yet, there was still something emanating from him that the wolves present couldn't fully grasp.

    Kota slowly slumped down into the moss beside Ryosuke with a low groan. His body stretched into a still position, his head resting right next to Ryosuke's, so close that their muzzles were almost touching. He could feel the pent-up confusion radiating from the young wolf, an emotion that Ryosuke couldn't even explain to himself.

    It was quiet for a while. Only the forest wind whispered through the branches.

    Then Kota spoke again, his voice deep, slow, filled with calm, “Ryosuke... Tell me, what if it really was because of you?”

    Ryosuke stiffened a little, his ears pulling back slightly again. But he didn't look away.

    “What would change?” Kota continued quietly. “Would it mean you did something wrong? Or that you were different? Maybe. But we know you're a bit different even now.”

    Pause. Kota took a breath.

    “And even if that were true...” he reached one paw closer and touched it lightly to Ryosuke's, “... Would that mean we shouldn't want you? That you wouldn't deserve to be loved?”

    Ryosuke remained silent, but his gaze softened a little. The depth of pain that was in him seemed to subside for a moment.

    “Do you know what we found back then?” Kota asked. “Four little wolf cubs. Frozen, dirty, scared. But full of a strength the world has never known. We gained you. And Yuri. And Yuto. And Keito.”

    He closed his eyes, took in the forest air. “So, what if someone left you here because of fear, because of stupidity... or because of you? It doesn't matter today. Because that's why we have you. And that... that's the best thing that ever happened to us.”

    Ryosuke slowly moved his muzzle closer to him. His fur shivered, not with cold, but with emotions that could no longer be held beneath the surface. He stared at Kota, silently, for a long moment... and then pressed himself against him. Not hardly, just gently. The way wolves do when they need to know someone is nearby.

    Hikaru watched them calmly the entire time. And even though it looked like a deep conversation between Kota and Ryosuke, he didn't want to interrupt it. He was just next to them, like a silent protector. Like a father.

    But now that Ryosuke's body had relaxed, now that he was pressed against Kota and there was no longer darkness in his eyes, but a soft forest calm, Hikaru quietly rose and leaned towards him.

    In one fluid motion, he licked his forehead. Carefully, until he fluffed the fur between his ears. “That was a beautiful speech,” he murmured softly towards Kota. “I say you've always been better with words...”

    Kota opened one eye slightly and chuckled.

    Ryosuke turned his head to Hikaru and squinted his eyes. “Well, you're good too...” he muttered, then added, with the most innocent expression in the world, “Just a little dumber sometimes.”

    There was silence.

    Hikaru blinked. Then he slowly tilted his head as if his pride had just been shattered into pieces. “Me?! Dumber?!” he growled theatrically, leaning over to Ryosuke and began to 'angrily' prod him in the side with his muzzle. “You little rascal! Talking about your own father like that!”

    Ryosuke instantly laughed, and a whimpered laugh slipped out of his mouth as he tried to dodge Hikaru's muzzle.

    Kota, still stretched, just shook his head silently, but the corners of his mouth spread into a satisfied smile. “Yeah, well, Hika… If not with words, at least with that dumbness, you can get to the heart.”

    Ryosuke continued to laugh, his eyes shining, his tail finally relaxing and wagging slightly. He pressed one hip against Kota and the other against Hikaru, who clutched him from both sides like two solid rocks he could always lean on.

    It was perhaps the place where the world once left them. But now... It was the place where they found them again.

    From the hillside above the cave came an enthusiastic squeal and the choking of paws. Keito rushed down the hill like a little avalanche wind, ears taut, tail fanned like a victory flag. As soon as he spotted Ryosuke, he immediately changed direction, running straight towards him and leaping at him with a playful growl until they both tumbled over in the pine needles.

    “Ryosukeee!” he blurted out with a sparkle in his eyes. “Come with me! I found the whole field! A whole field of strawberries! They're everywhere! Red, sweet, soft!”

    His paws bounced in place, claws lightly scratching the moss as he was full of restless excitement. His tail was wagging so fast it looked like he was going to take off at any moment.

    Ryosuke laughed, a little taken aback by the attack, but satisfied. He rolled back to his feet and shook the pine needles from his neck. “A whole field?” he asked as if he needed confirmation that this wasn't a dream.

    “Yes! Huge!” Keito exclaimed. “And there's a second one a little behind it! And maybe a third! Maybe more!”

    There was a stomp behind them as Yuto and Yuri approached, naturally attracted by Keito's yelling.

    “Strawberries?!” Yuto squeaked, his voice immediately jumping to a high pitch even though his voice was now a lot deeper than before. “I'm going first! I have the biggest snout!”

    “I'm white, I can see them better!” Yuri laughed and was already skipping stones towards the field, not knowing where he was actually running to at all.

    Laughter and barking filled the space in front of the cave like sunbeams.

    Ryosuke stood up, but paused for a moment. He turned his head and stared back at the cave. Long time. Calmly. It was a quiet gaze that held neither fear nor heaviness. Just a deep, silent goodbye.

    Hikaru stopped beside him, took a few steps back, but said nothing. He didn't stand next to him, didn't intrude on his thoughts. He was just there. Just like he was before.

    Ryosuke inhaled until the wind filled his lungs with the scent of the forest, then smiled. It was a small, almost imperceptible smile, but it was a genuine one. It was almost as if he was embracing the place with his gaze. And then he turned back to his pack, already heading into the forest for the red scent of adventure.

    And he ran.

Chapter Text

    Outside the wolf pack's house, a white Colorado pickup truck was parked on the gravel road, its open trunk stuffed with boxes, bedspreads, blankets, and one huge bag marked “bedding – DO NOT PUT DOWN!!!”. The car's lid was wide open, and Hikaru, his face flushed from repeatedly hauling heavy things, was just trying to fit the last box between his backpack and Kei's herb kit, which had its own special box labeled “Fragile. Do not touch. DO NOT SNIFF!!!”

    Inside the house, however, things didn't look the least bit peaceful.

    Yuto was just in his wolf form, put into sniffing frenzy mode. He ran from room to room, his paws sliding across the floor while his nose was all the way to the ground. “We can't leave the green cube! And neither can that chewed-up bear!” he barked, ran under the couch, stuck his snout in the dust, sneezed, and immediately moved under the closet.

    Keito and Yuri watched him with expressions of utter resignation. They had both looked through the house several times, but Yuto felt that he was the only one with a nose for the really important things.

    “Yuto, that bear has no legs. Do you really need it?”

    “Yeah! He has my scent identity! I wouldn't be whole in Chicago without him!”

    Ryosuke, meanwhile, watched his brothers silently, running a paw over the door frame, right where he had once dug his claw into it during his first chase with Yuri.

    It was the end of an era. And the beginning of a new one.

    “Yuto, you've sniffed around here five times,” Kei remarked as he walked through the house with a checklist, washing down the stress with chamomile tea.

    “Yeah, but what if a new dimension of lost toys arises under the couch in the meantime?” Yuto replied, roaring back under the bed.

    Yuya, who had just appeared with another crate of food, just crossed the wolf's tail and continued without comment.

    Daiki was in the process of trying to dig out an old lamp from the closet, which someone had apparently hidden there three years ago and now claimed was “part of the family legacy.”

    “If this lamp could talk, it would beg to be left here,” he growled, pulling it out along with a few cobwebs, which he immediately tangled himself in.

    Meanwhile, Kota's deep voice echoed in the background, “Do you have everything? You haven't forgotten anything?” he spoke slowly, leaning against the door frame, wearing a sweatshirt. And even though he was looking at the wolves with his blind eyes, he could smell them just by their scent and sounds.

    Yuto emerged from under the seat with a clump of dust and a stuffed rabbit in his teeth. “No, I have everything now. Chicago, get ready! Here comes the toy arsenal!”

    Hikaru was just outside, wiping his forehead on his shirt. “Thank you, werewolf ancestor gods...” Then he shouted into the house, “Guys! Everyone who wants to go has to be in the car in ten minutes, or they're stuck with a spider and one very angry bear!”

    Despite the fact that the adult wolves were running back and forth, packing up the last of their belongings and making sure no one forgot the toilet brush or Kei's precious teas, inside the house, a different battle was brewing. One that didn't involve lists or plans. But pure fur, paws, and victorious howls.

    Yuto flew into the living room with a clear plan. “The last wolf battle in the house by the forest!” he yelled, despite his newly deeper voice adding to the drama. “Whoever loses is officially a pillow in Chicago!”

    Ryosuke immediately got up from behind the boxes, squinting his eyes. “Sounds like a challenge.”

    Keito, who wasn't really into fights between brothers, still wanted to get involved. “I'm in. But only if I don't get bitten on the snout.”

    “We can't promise.” Yuri piped up, already deflecting Yuto's attack at that point.

    And there it was.

    In an instant, a fierce wolf fight broke out between the cleared furniture and the last of the boxes. No injuries, no anger, but a lot of commitment.

    Yuto lunged for Ryosuke, but he ducked and tripped him with his tail. Keito rolled with Yuri under the table, where he was momentarily lost in a clump of fur and growls.

    Yuri climbed out first and howled solemnly, which immediately triggered counter-shouts from the other three cubs.

    Blankets were flying, tails were hitting the floor, and laughter was mixed with playful growls. And above it all... shone something quiet and precious.

    A memory.

    This last wolf battle between the walls of their home was not just a game. It was a farewell. And though they couldn't say it out loud yet, all four of them felt that this house would always be a part of their story.

    “Okay, over, over!” Kei finally called from the doorway, where he was already standing with his backpack and suitcase. “If you don't show up at the car in three minutes, I'll be walking you on a leash in Chicago!”

    The wolves froze.

    “No. Never. Never a leash,” Ryosuke whispered dramatically, barking.

    Yuto stood up and spoke, “Wolves don't move on a leash. Wolves move in style. We'll stare out the window the whole way!” He bounced on the spot.

    The wolves were still panting from the last battle, tongues lolling out, fur ruffled, tails wagging with excitement. They stood in the hallway, among the last of the boxes and empty beds from which they had just risen, and neither wanted to change back.

    Yuto took a few steps forward, his tail bouncing happily, and then glanced towards Kota, who stood by the door, ready, but as usual with a calm uncertainty in his eyes that they couldn't see.

    “Can we stay like this?” Yuto whimpered, his voice now slightly gruffer, but his tone still that of a child. “Like wolves?”

    Yuri stood beside him, his paws precisely aligned as if awaiting an order. Keito sat and squinted into the light while cleaning his paw. Ryosuke was silent, but his gaze said clearly the same thing: that they wanted to travel in wolf form.

    Kota bowed his head and pricked up his ears. “Yuya? How are we doing with the space in the car?”

    Yuya, who was just closing the back door of the pickup and tightening the last straps, turned around, smiled at the sight of the four furry piles in the hallway, and nodded. “Honestly? If they stayed like that, we might all fit in the car a little better.”

    Kota smiled. “Then you can. But you can't jump on the seats with mud on your paws, okay?”

    Yuto cheered, shrieked until his voice skipped a beat, and ran towards the car. “I'll be at the window! And I'll be looking at all the trees! And the houses! And the cars! And the birds! And-”

    “Steady your tail, fool,” Ryosuke growled, nudging him lightly in the side as the wolves stopped by the pick-up so Kei could clean their paws. “You'll break your voice again before we even get there.”

    Yuri pushed between them, all excited. “I want to sit between you. And I'll sing all the way!”

    Keito just smiled softly while his father held his paw and wiped it with a cloth. “We can sing together!”

    “Just don't overdo it with the singing, some of us would like to sleep during the ride,” Kei commented, scratching Keito and Yuri behind the ears.

    Daiki, who had just brought the last bag of supplies, raised an eyebrow when he saw the smallest members of the pack ready in wolf form by the car. “Okay, furries. First one to hop in the car without breaking a muzzle gets an extra piece of smoked meat when we arrive.”

    The wolves took off. One over the other until neither of them could get into the car. But in the end, they finally piled into the pick-up like living pillows with tails, and enthusiastically occupied the back of the cab, where a blanket and a few soft pillows from home were spread out. The adults, meanwhile, stood by the open door and began to argue.

    Yuya was already sitting behind the wheel, calm as ever, hands on the wheel, seatbelt on, the engine already humming softly in the background. “So... who's going to ride in the front with me?” he asked with a smile that already suggested this wasn't going to be easy.

    Hikaru, Kei, and Daiki looked at each other. “I want to,” Hikaru announced immediately. “I don't want to chew on a tail while I'm trying to sleep.”

    “I want to be at the front too,” Kei said. “It's a trap in the back. One minute, the wolf can still handle it, but the next minute, you're being stepped on.”

    “Hey, I claim the front too,” Daiki joined in, folding his arms. “After lugging boxes around all morning, I deserve a break. Not a wolf rib massage every five minutes.”

    Kota, leaning against the side of the car, just shook his head and smiled. “I'll go in the back. I want to be with them. Hear them huffing and fighting over the blanket.”

    “Of course,” Hikaru grumbled. “You have the advantage of not knowing what's coming at you.”

    “But that makes it all the worse,” Kei remarked. “He can't see who's climbing on his head right now.”

    Yuto, meanwhile, stuck his nose between the front seats. “What? You don't want to ride in the back with us? But we're so cute!”

    Yuri immediately joined him. “We won't slap you with our tails! And we'll take the teeth off! Maybe...”

    Keito grunted from the corner, “That's a shame. I was going to tell Daiki what I thought about how little smoked meat he gave us.”

    Ryosuke stretched and rested his muzzle on the back of the chair. “We'll sleep the whole way. We won't be jumping at all... I guess.”

    Hikaru looked back at the wolf cubs, then at the others. “Good. In that case... rock, paper, scissors. Whoever wins goes to the front.”

    “No cheating,” Kei warned. “Last time you put the scissors in, but your fingers looked like a rock.”

    “That was a weapon. A fighting combo.” Hikaru laughed.

    The three of them stood in a circle. “Three – two – one – now!”

    Hikaru: Scissors. Kei: stone. Daiki: paper.

    They all paused, and the wolf cubs exploded in laughter. Yuto rolled in the blanket, and Yuri barked, “Again! Again!”

    Ryosuke just rolled his eyes, and Keito calmly remarked, “If you do this three times, we'll be in Chicago before you decide.”

    Yuya finally turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Hey... Someone either deserves that seat in the front... or they sit in the back and face the consequences.”

    Kota was already settling down in the back among the wolf cubs, who immediately pressed up against him like a pack pillow. In the end, after the second round of the war, Daiki won. “Yeah! A place with no teeth and no fur in my ears!” he exclaimed triumphantly.

    Hikaru and Kei just sighed... and opened the back door. Yuto rushed them first. “Come on! Give me someone to make my bed on!”

    “And I'll make sure you don't fall asleep too hard,” Yuri added.

    “I'll take care of you,” Keito added, his tone completely innocent.

    Hikaru turned to Kei. “This is going to be a long journey.”

    Kei smiled. “Worst case scenario... We'll stuff their mouths with something.”

    Inside the cabin, it was like a jigsaw puzzle of living pillows, tails and legs, but after a bit of shuffling, huffing and poking, everyone somehow pieced themselves together.

    Kota was sitting in the middle of the back, as quiet as ever, with his legs folded and a blanket thrown over his knees. His head was turned slightly towards the front window, listening to every sound, both the engine and the breaths around him.

    Hikaru sat on his left, and as soon as he pulled the belt across his chest, Yuto and Ryosuke jumped onto his lap. They didn't even wait for a cue; they just piled on top of each other like a double wolf sandwich.

    Yuto stretched as close to the window as he could, muzzle pressed against the glass, eyes bright. “I'll watch all the way,” he huffed. “I don't want to miss any house, any animal, any bird, any plane, any billboard, any sign...”

    Ryosuke just sat quietly, his front paws folded and his head resting on Hikaru's arm. “I can only stand to watch for ten minutes at most,” he muttered. “But then I'll watch you really try.”

    On the right side, Kei barely got there and already had Yuri and Keito on his lap. They were both pressed against each other, paws folded on the sill, noses pressed against the glass until they fogged up part of the window.

    “Dad...” Yuri turned quietly to Kota, who sat between them like the calm center of the universe. “When there are no more houses and animals, and there's only the forest and the long road... Can you hold my place for me? I want to make my bed on you later.”

    Kota smiled, gently leaned towards him, and Yuri pressed his muzzle into his palm. “Of course. I'll always save you a seat.”

    Keito, meanwhile, looked at Kei, who was having a bit of a problem with the fact that he had two excited, heavy balls of fur on his lap. “You're lucky we're not adult wolves yet, Dad. You'd have thighs like Yuto's chewing bone.”

    Kei sighed, rested his head on the armrest, and smiled. “I'm sure I'll feel it even now by the fifth kilometer.”

    Yuya, in the driver's seat, looked in the rearview mirror. There he saw Kota surrounded by wolves, Hikaru covered in fur, and Kei, whom he no longer saw at all. “So? Everyone ready?”

    The rear of the car responded with a chorus of muffled howls.

    As the white pick-up started up and turned away from the familiar gravel road, the house slowly began to disappear out the back windows.

    A house where they ran, grew, growled, learned, and laughed. A house where they slept curled up in their beds. The house where they formed their first pack.

    The wolf cubs, although crowding the windows and originally planning to watch the scenery with enthusiasm, were now silent. Their breathing fogged the back glass a bit, but they were watching. For a long time. Quietly. With their ears slightly drooping.

    Yuri groaned first, only briefly. Keito didn't move, but his breathing was slower than usual. Ryosuke had his head leaning against the glass, his eyes half closed, as if he wanted to carve every branch, every plank of the house into his memory with every glance. And Yuto first snorted, then opened his mouth, then rolled over Hikaru's thigh and made a sound that was half sigh, half gasp of anticipation.

    Kota, sitting quietly in the middle, turned his head towards them. “Are you sad?” he asked quietly.

    Yuri nodded, his paw still on the glass. “A little...”

    Keito nodded with a flick of his tail. Ryosuke was without a word.

    “It's kind of like you're leaving your own story,” Keito finally said quietly. “Even though you know another one is just beginning.”

    Yuto straightened up, his fur a little ruffled, his eyes bright. “Yeah, I know! But I'm also... I'm really excited too! Too much! So much that my paws are tingling! And my mouth! And... tail! And everything!” And to demonstrate, he began to fidget, bouncing on Hikaru's knees and trying to swing back towards the window and forward at the same time.

    Hikaru braced his palm against the ceiling of the car. “Yuto! Stop jumping. I'm not a trampoline with a backrest.”

    Yuto turned to him, all lit up with joy, licked his hand with his tongue, and whispered, “But you're my security system! When I fall, I always end up on you.”

    Hikaru grunted in amusement. “Yeah, but if you step on my stomach again, you'll end up on the roof of the car.”

    Yuya laughed from the steering wheel. “Well, just make sure we get this done before they start building a bed on the dashboard.”

    The wolves smiled. Though each one differently. Sadness was still felt inside their little bodies, but joy grew beside it. The joy of the journey. Of the unknown. The joy of being together. And that even though the house stays behind, the pack goes on. Always.

    The scenery outside the windows was slowly passing by. Forests turned into fields, and then, in the distance, they saw the silhouettes of the first towns. The wolf cubs sat at the windows, packed so tightly that they fogged almost all the glass. All four, meanwhile, still had their paws folded on the windowsills, ears straining, eyes large and breathing in every detail of the world that passed by them.

    Yuto watched each bird tensely. Every billboard. Every traffic cone. Sometimes he barked when he saw a tractor, or whimpered at an overpass. Beside him, Yuri whispered the names of things he knew and made-up names for those he didn't. Keito grumbled softly to himself, describing what he saw, and occasionally tilted his muzzle toward Ryosuke, who, though he looked the most peaceful, was devouring every silhouette, every car, every patch of grass with his eyes.

    And while their world passed by in the images outside the window, the adults sitting in the front talked quietly among themselves. “Remember the night Yuto stuffed three of his toys in the oven because he wanted to see if they would turn into toast?” Kei laughed, now very carefully sipping his second coffee of the day while his other hand stroked Keito's back.

    “And then he cried that it smelled like a sick squirrel,” added Yuya, holding the steering wheel with one hand and propping his chin with the other.

    The back of the car shook with laughter and growls. As soon as the wolf cubs began to sense what the adults were talking about, their ears strained, paws flicked away from the windows, and their gazes turned to each other, expressions utterly scandalized.

    Yuto pushed himself off the glass, rolled over Ryosuke's tail, and snapped, “That was a science experiment! I wanted to find out how to make meat that smells like home!”

    Yuya turned over his shoulder, with icy calm, “Smell of home it was then. These toys had your spit roasted on them.”

    “And then we couldn't use the oven for a month because everyone said it 'smelled like a sweaty bear',” Kei added.

    Yuto huffed and rolled on the seat, or rather on Hikaru. “So what? A bear is a forest animal, too. Maybe that was the intention.”

    “That was fun,” Hikaru joined in. “My favorite is when Ryosuke accidentally destroyed the shelf because he wanted to hang by the blanket with his teeth like a bat. And the blanket was... tied to the shelf.”

    Ryosuke, still leaning against the glass, just muttered, “That shelf was a piece of crap! It didn't hold at all! I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

    Kei turned to him. “Ryosuke, that shelf was solid wood.”

    Ryosuke raised one eyebrow. “And it lasted nothing!” snorted the black wolf.

    Daiki, from the passenger seat, turned back and grinned over his shoulder. “What about that situation where Yuri claimed to hear ghosts in the washing machine, so he hid all his toys in it because he said it protected him from evil forces?”

    “Yeah! And then we couldn't do laundry for a week before we got all the toys out,” Kei grumbled. “That was a wet week.”

    Yuri, meanwhile, turned directly to Kota, who was sitting calmly between them. “Dad, they're twisting the truth. The washing machine was bad. It was making noises. Like 'whizzy' and 'boom', and then one day out of nowhere it said 'clack'! It's NEVER said that before!”

    Daiki chuckled, “That was because one of you little guys hid a duck in there... behind the drum.”

    Kota was smiling, his head resting on the armrest. “I keep thinking about the time Keito brought a hedgehog into the house. He was as proud as a lion. He didn't understand why we were panicking when it wasn't a flower, but a spiky animal.”

    “And then the little animal peed in his bed,” Yuya added dryly.

    Keito, who had been quiet until now, straightened up next to Kota and squinted his eyes. “I saved his life! No one told me that the defense mechanism involves a stinging ass and a pee attack.”

    Kei shook his head with a laugh. “Yeah, because every kid would logically bring home a round, silent, prickly thing and leave it in the den.”

    Keito replied calmly, “I had a plan! His name should have been Donut.”

    Laughter filled the cabin. It was quiet, sincere, and full of heart. The wolves wagged their tails happily.

    They were memories of the house that was left behind. Of when they were little. When they were just learning what it meant to be a pack, and in that laughter, in those stories, the house was still alive. And it will live on – in them.

    As the car lurched lazily down the road and the laughter gradually died down, Yuto pushed his way to his seat by the window again, but then paused, his eyes widening and his muzzle turning to the older wolves with a jerk. “Wait... wait... I... are you sure I packed my squeaky bone?” he breathed dramatically.

    Hikaru immediately rolled his eyes. “Yuto... this is the sixth time today.”

    “But what if I didn't?! What if I packed the one that doesn't whistle instead?! The fake one! The one that only looks like a squeaky one but has no soul!” Yuto was already running his eyes over all the pack members, his tongue weaving over his teeth.

    Yuya, with a glance in the mirror, added in a calm voice, “It's in your backpack, kid. By the hat and those three chewed-up socks you claimed as 'spare pets'.”

    Yuto let out a huge sigh of relief and was silent for a full two seconds. But then he turned abruptly to Ryosuke, who was still dozing with his head by the window. “What about you?! Got your jingle bells?!” Ryosuke opened one eye. Slowly. With a look that said it all. But Yuto continued, “I... I don't think I saw them when we were packing. What if... Are you sure you have them, little brother?”

    Before he could finish, Ryosuke straightened up, opened his mouth, and gently bit Yuto's ear. Not hard, just like a little wolf-love admonishment.

    Yuto whimpered softly and immediately pressed closer.

    “I have them. They're hidden. Safely. I haven't lost them once, even if you've already jumped down the stairs on me eight times today.” Ryosuke's voice was calm, deep. His eyes were closed, but clear.

    Yuto sighed, folding his paw against his side and whispered, “Good. Okay. Just as long as they keep tinkling when it's quiet.”

    Kota murmured softly between them, “It's never quiet when you two are clinking and whistling.”

    Yuri yawned from the other side, “And yet it's the most beautiful silence in the world.”

    And so, there was another lull in the car. The certainty that everything important was with them. And that even as they drove into a new world, everything that made their pack what it was stayed with them. Whistling. Jingle bells. Bites. And love.

    The road was quiet and stretched like a grey snake between fields and forests that were slowly turning into suburban landscapes. The sun was sinking lower now, the soft light bathing the nature in a warm glow, and there was a rare quiet stillness inside the pick-up.

    Yuto slept soundly in Hikaru's arms, folded like a flattened pile of fur, his front paw hanging down and tongue lolling out to the side, which Hikaru watched with an amused but tender expression. Every now and then, he'd tidy up an ear or stroke his fur, casually, as if he couldn't help it.

    Ryosuke and Yuri were curled in a tight ball on Kota's lap, their bodies pressed together, breathing regularly, paws folded over each other. Kota held them tightly, his hands resting calmly on their sides as a protective wall that didn't give way even in sleep. Whenever either of them moved, Kota automatically moved them back without having to see. He could feel them.

    Keito was sleeping, leaning against Kei, his nose buried in his sweater. Kei ran one hand gently through his fur between his ears.

    Yuya drove with a slight smile. He had one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the window. He knew that four small wolves were sleeping behind him, and that everything they loved was in the car with them. That was enough for him.

    Hikaru looked at Kei and muttered softly, “This is better than any music. Just the silence with them.”

    Kei nodded without looking up from Keito. “Too quiet. It's suspicious. But nice.”

    Daiki, who was sitting next to Yuya and holding a map they didn't need anyway, just smiled. “If this is the calm before the storm, I'll take it with all four paws.”

    Kota, his arms full of puppies, took a deep breath, then let it out. “Whatever lies ahead, we are together. That's all we need.”

    The cab of the pick-up continued to purr softly with the engine, while the four wolf cubs slept curled up in warm balls on the laps of those they trusted most in the world. The slow breathing, the occasional paw twitch in their sleep, the muffled panting... everything indicated that they felt safe.

    The adults whispered quietly among themselves, their voices barely audible, just so as not to wake the wolf pack that had found the safest place in the world in their arms.

    “Do you know what you'd like to do in Chicago once we're settled in?” Yuya asked quietly, eyes still on the road but tone relaxed. “I mean like... besides making new beds and buying a ton of food for our hungry rascals.”

    Kei looked up from Keito, who was gently straightening the bushy fur on his neck. “I thought you were going to ask what all the arrangements would need to be made for these four Tasmanian devils.” He smiled. “But... yeah. It might be worth it to make a wish for yourself, too.”

    Hikaru stretched slightly, careful not to wake Yuto, who still had his tongue comically lolling out, and then whispered softly, “I thought I'd start hitting the bars. Just to... have a look around. Know what's hot, what's not. And maybe get a little inspired, you know? If we ever really get it going, I want to get an idea of how other places do it.” He stroked Yuto, who staggered a little in his arms. “Maybe I'll find the feeling my own bar should have. If I ever open one, that is.”

    “Your bar will have the best music and the worst menu,” Daiki whispered from the passenger seat.

    “So, Daiki, you'll definitely be the first one I make a drink called 'Wet Wolf' for,” Hikaru grumbled.

    Kei nodded. “I'm looking forward to the bar. You're going to make me a special table in the corner. With tea. And there'll be four little wolves running around me that aren't allowed behind the bar, where they'll be crying for smoked meat.”

    Yuya, who was driving calmly and without interruption, glanced briefly in the rearview mirror before saying softly, “And I think I'll check out some car dealerships. I'm not saying I'm going to buy anything right away, but you know how it is... Just looking. Maybe I'll get into cars again, at least a little. I enjoyed it when I had the time. And there might be an opportunity to try new things. It's a little dream, since we're starting over.” He smiled.

    “You take the wolf cubs to the car dealership and within the hour, one furball will eat your handbrake,” Kei echoed without stopping to pet Keito. “But I support this idea. Anything that makes you happy makes the pack happy.”

    Daiki nodded. “What about you, architect?” Yuya smiled towards him, patting his knee.

    Daiki, stretched out comfortably in the seat next to him, tucked a hand under his chin and nodded. “I'd like to walk around the city and look at the houses. The facades. Gardens. How the entrances are made. Maybe I'll start drawing. Or take pictures. I've gotten really into architecture in the last few months... Probably because we've had to deal with all the things that are cracking at home.” He chuckled softly. “Maybe I'd like to walk through some old neighborhoods... or just learn how to navigate the world. I also really like the idea of getting an older house and remodeling it to suit ourselves. I can't wait!”

    Kota responded with a low growl of agreement. “I like it too, Daiki. An old house with a soul. And filled with new voices, or rather, beautiful barks and growls.” He wrapped his arms around Yuri and Ryosuke, feeling the warmth of their bodies, their breath. “I guess I just... want them to feel comfortable there myself,” he finally said softly. “But maybe I'd like to go to the library someday. A big one. And sit there, even if I can't see anything. Just be surrounded by that peace. That atmosphere of knowledge.”

    And then Kei, almost inaudibly, said, “It would be enough for me if the place were safe. And that they had a place to grow. And a place to dream big, even if they're still our little kids.”

    “And where the bells are jingling,” Hikaru added softly as he stroked Ryosuke's head.

    And then... There was only silence again. But dreams big and small hung in the air. And they all belonged to the pack and its little ones.

    The car smoothly passed the first signs of civilization – wider roads, more cars, more billboards, lights on the horizon. But even though they were approaching a new city, inside the car, it was quiet. Warm, subdued. The wolf cubs continued to sleep, curled trustingly in the arms of those closest to them.

    And among the adults, in the quiet gloom of the late afternoon, the conversation continued. “There's going to be a lot of arranging to do, though,” Daiki interjected, glancing at the calmly breathing Keito, then looking up to the rearview mirror, where he caught a glimpse of the others. “We have to sign them up for school. And not just sign up... but more importantly, pick the right one.”

    Yuya nodded. “I would like them to have the opportunity to meet other beings. Different species, different perspectives. They should have friends who aren't just wolves. It might help them.”

    “Yeah,” muttered Hikaru, who scratched his neck and pulled Yuto slightly closer to him. “But I also wouldn't want them to be the only wolves in the class. You know how that can turn out. Different kids, different habits. Sometimes they're too inquisitive. Sometimes too cruel.”

    Kei, still stroking Keito between the ears, added softly, “Maybe a mixed school with groups by species would be worth talking about. Where they can learn together, but also have space to be among their own when they need to. Something with a good balance.”

    Kota bowed his head, then whispered, “I don't want them to ever feel... different. Lonely. I want them to learn to understand others, but not be forced to change themselves because of their surroundings.”

    “We'll find something,” Yuya finally said. Sure, calmly, with faith. “We'll keep looking until it's the right place for them.”

    “And we will stand by them,” Daiki added. “Even if they have to play with a harpy that screams for an hour or a dragon that has three school bags.”

    Hikaru laughed. “Yuto would steal one from him. Just out of curiosity.”

    Kei smiled and added, “And then Keito would apologize for the whole pack. He'd get out the tea and make up new rules for living together.”

    And between words, smiles, and planning, something bigger began to be born. A new life. A new home. And a new space where the pack could continue to grow.

    The road had long since gone from a quiet landscape to an urban thoroughfare, where lampposts alternated with billboards, and high-rise buildings began to rise from the horizon like the teeth of some concrete giant. There was more noise in the air, more smells, more electricity.

    Chicago.

    Inside the car, it was still quiet, that is, until a fluffy brown ball named Yuto wobbled in Hikaru's arms.

    At first, he just purred, then he wiggled his ears, opened one eye, and raised his little nose. He yawned. He blinked. And then, half asleep, he murmured, “Are we there yet?”

    Hikaru smiled lightly, patting him on the back and whispering, “Almost. Just a little longer. But if the little brown wolf opens his eyes wide, he might see the city.”

    That worked immediately.

    Yuto blinked faster, stretched his neck, and suddenly, like the light of a lamp being turned on, a spark flared in his eyes. He rolled over, leaping onto Hikaru's lap, his legs still slightly sleepy, but Hikaru caught him, catching sight of the first large building. Glass towers, lights here and there, cars in three lanes.

    His eyes lit up. His tail wagged like a propeller. “We're here!!!” he roared, his voice echoing through the cabin like an explosion of joy.

    All the other wolf cubs woke up immediately, disheveled, sleepy, with their eyes thrown in all directions.

    Yuri groaned and squinted, “Wha-what's wrong? Is there a fire?”

    Keito blinked, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, “Are we there yet?”

    Ryosuke opened his expressionless eyes and growled, “If we're not in Chicago yet, I'll bite you. And not gently.”

    But then they saw the lights. The street. Big houses. High-rise buildings.

    Yuto was already stuck with his nose to the window. “Why didn't you wake us up?! This is treason! We were supposed to do a welcoming howl! A chorus! We almost missed it!”

    Hikaru wiped away Yuto's saliva that was running down his arm. “You looked more like you were planning a snoring chorus.”

    Yuri has squeezed into the seat next to Yuto. Keito slowly rolled over and scrambled over Kei to the other window. Ryosuke stayed out of the way, but only because he stood up and calmly crawled to the glass next to Keito, who he knew wouldn't bite his ear with sheer enthusiasm.

    The car drove smoothly through the first streets of Chicago, the lights of the traffic lights reflecting, the city energy all around. Cars honked, people crossed roads, the smells of street stalls mingled with the smell of concrete, exhaust fumes, and... life.

    The wolves were literally glued to the windows. Every single one of them had their snout pressed to the glass, eyes bulging, tail whipping anyone unlucky enough to sit too close.

    Yuto was all over the back like a stampeding puppy on caffeine. “Can you roll down the window? Just a little! I need to suck in that air! I need it! All of Chicago! Into my lungs!”

    Hikaru looked at him with a look that clearly said he really didn't want to open it for him. “No. Because I know you. Before I can catch you, you'll be out at a traffic light delivering pizza to a stranger just because it sounds like an adventure to you.”

    Yuto wrinkled his nose. “But I promise I won't jump out! Maybe.”

    From the other side, Kei grunted in amusement, “When he says 'maybe', he usually means 'probably'.”

    Finally, Hikaru exhaled, held the button, and opened the window a tiny crack. “Fine. But as soon as a single hair flies out, I'm closing it.”

    The wolf cubs reacted immediately.

    Yuto, Yuri, Keito, and finally Ryosuke took turns poking their snouts at the open gap, each sucking in air as if they had just discovered a new purpose in life.

    And then it came. A wave of smells. Not like in the woods. Not fresh pine needles and a deer somewhere in the distance.

    No. This was the city.

    Grilled meat from a stand on the corner. The smell of human perfume. Another smell from the exhaust fumes. The smell of wet asphalt. Burning oil. Coffee. Dogs. Cats. Rats. People. And other creatures they smelled for the first time. And someone with an extra-strong onion.

    The wolves froze.

    Yuri backed away, his eyes a little bulging. “What the... What was that?”

    Keito sat down and rubbed his snout. “Someone down there had a fish in their pocket. And it wasn't fresh.”

    Ryosuke blinked. “I can feel twenty beings at once. Some too close. Some too noisy. And some of them definitely have a cheese roll. But probably an old one.”

    Yuto... was smiling. He was the only one. His eyes were shining. “That's amazing! It's like... It's like when your snout explodes! I want it again!” And he stuffed himself against the window again, tongue out, shaking with excitement.

    Hikaru raised his hand to the button. “I'll count to five. If you start acting like you're thinking about running away, I'm closing it.”

    Yuto barked angrily. “Relax, I'm just sniffing! I'm just sniffing!”

    Kota laughed softly. “This city will be hard on your senses... But maybe that's exactly what you need.”

    And the wolf cubs continued to stare out the window, sniffing, pulling away, staring, sniffing again, wondering again. Because the city smelled different from what they were used to.

    Yuri, who had had his nose pressed to the glass for a good ten minutes, suddenly pulled away, blinked gently, and whimpered softly towards Kota. “Dad... and when will we arrive there? Is our new home still far away?”

    Kota leaned towards him, rubbed his palm against his ear, and with a calm voice replied, “We are close, sweetheart. Just a few blocks... and then we'll be home. I can feel it.”

    Yuri nodded silently, but continued to watch the city around him. It was at that moment that Yuto, who had been jumping up to the window and falling back onto Hikaru's lap, had a spectacular idea.

    He spread his paws to the side, braced himself on the edge of the seat, and climbed up the edge between the front seats. He pushed through the gap like a brown tail missile and then suddenly, boom, he was sitting right on Daiki's lap. “I want to see everything! Even up front! Even sideways! All at once!” he exclaimed excitedly, and immediately stuck his snout on the windshield. His eyes shone like searchlights.

    Daiki, who was just leaning back comfortably, jerked as if a mouse had been thrown under his feet. “What?! Why-?! What- Yuto?! No! I'm sitting in the front so no one jumps on me! That was the whole point of my existence today!”

    Yuto sat up happily, his tail flicking against Daiki's stomach. “But here's the best part! I can even see the traffic lights! And that sausage stand! And that bus over there! And that guy over there is eating pizza, and he doesn't even know I'm smelling him!”

    Before Daiki could get any more excited, another wolf's body began to snake through the same gap. Ryosuke, his face completely calm, stretched over Kota's legs like a pro and sat down next to Yuto, also at Daiki's lap, with a mild expression. “I'm entitled to a front view. Up until now, I've only been looking to the side.”

    “And now I can't see anything through you!” Daiki wailed.

    “Daiki, don't poke me!” Ryosuke growled at him as he tried to get more comfortable.

    “I'm not poking you! It's the bone from yesterday! Stop it! Can't you sit down like normal werewolves?” The young werewolf retorted to the two restless wolf cubs.

    Yuya choked on his laughter behind the wheel. Kei didn't even turn around, just remarked, “You said nothing would surprise you up front. That was cute.”

    Daiki slowly lowered himself into a half-resigned expression while supporting the two furry bodies on his thighs. “I wanted peace. Just peace. A little space. But no. Of course. They're all sitting on me in the end.”

    Yuto reached out, his paws on the dashboard, and barked happily, “I see the city! I see everything!”

    And Ryosuke, with his calm, quiet voice, just added, “This is a good spot. Your thigh is soft, Daiki.”

    Daiki closed his eyes. “You know what? I'm going to go live on the balcony when we get there. Alone.” But despite his whining, the corners of his mouth lifted. So even though he continued to sigh theatrically, muttering something every now and then about how he “wasn't what he used to be” and that “his thighs weren't a vehicle for wolves,” his hands had long since been on autopilot.

    One of his hands was resting lightly in front of Yuto, his palm gently holding his chest in case Yuya decided to brake unexpectedly. And his other arm instinctively draped across Ryosuke's chest, like a parent restraining a child who leans too far forward.

    Yuto didn't pay attention. He was completely absorbed in the city, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his breath fogging the windshield. “This is the best day of my life! It smells like baked goods over there! And there are flowers over there! And over there... someone has something in their bag and I need to know what it is!”

    Daiki's hand held him silently, but did not restrain him. Just protecting. And even though he didn't say it out loud, he had that familiar look in his eyes that was a mixture of worry and love that only those who feel it most can hide.

    Ryosuke, meanwhile, sat quietly, half pressed against the glass, but he was smaller than Yuto. Still lean and muscular under his fur from all the constant running and eating, but he couldn't see as much as he wanted to from this angle. He straightened himself up, but swayed.

    Daiki noticed without a word. With one motion of his hand, he pulled him closer, tucking him into his arms and propping his belly up so he could see over Yuto's head.

    Ryosuke gave a satisfied snort and let himself be held. It meant something between a 'thank you' and a 'why didn't you pick me up sooner'.

    Yuto turned around, saw Ryosuke higher than himself, and immediately shouted, “Hey! Why is he taller?! That's an unfair view! His snout is in the VIP area!”

    Daiki replied wearily, but with amused calm, “Because Ryosuke can hold still. While you're trying to climb over the dashboard every five seconds.”

    Yuto puffed out his muzzle and huffed, “I'd be able to stay still too if I didn't have to move because I'm always interested in everything!”

    Hikaru growled softly from behind. “If you try to climb over the windshield, I swear I'll strap you to the seat like a stuffed animal.”

    Kei, without opening his eyes, added, “You'll be the first wolf in history to get a belt across the snout.”

    And so, Yuto stayed put. He was having fun. Bouncing. But he didn't climb any further. And Ryosuke, quiet and still in Daiki's arms, watched the new, unfamiliar city full of lights.

    And Daiki? He continued to hold both of them. Carefully, quietly, with an unspoken certainty that even though they were on a journey through an unfamiliar landscape, the wolf cubs in his hands would not make a single misstep.

    While Yuto and Ryosuke occupied Daiki's lap like two living sentinels of the view, the rest of the pack remained a little quieter, but certainly no less attentive, in the back.

    Yuri, who had been enjoying the free space on Hikaru's lap, suddenly raised his head and stretched his neck towards the window. His eyes lit up, and his ears perked up. “Over there! I see a big luminous sign! It's all over the roof! What's that? What does it say?” He noticed a flashing billboard with a giant smiley face and the text “Smile! Coffee is waiting for you!”

    Kota smiled and gently placed a hand on his back. “That's probably an advertisement, Yuri. People put them everywhere so others know what they can buy. Like tea, maybe. Or donuts. Or... watermelon-flavored toothpaste.”

    Yuri wrinkled his nose. “Toothpaste can be eaten?”

    Kei muttered from the other side, “Just once, Yuri. Just once.”

    Keito, in Kei's arms, was also taking in his surroundings. He looked at the concrete, the asphalt, and the metal structures for a moment, and then became sad. “There's... very few trees here.”

    Yuya smiled over his shoulder. “That's right, Keito. You don't see many of them in the city. Mostly just in the parks. And there's not much grass either. Just a bit here and there between the sidewalks, so it's not completely gray.”

    Keito nodded, still looking out the window. “It's strange. Kind of like... If everything smelled a little the same. No dirt. Just asphalt and walls.”

    Kei gently squeezed his paw. “We'll find some places with greenery. I promise you that. There will be trees. And if not, we'll plant them.”

    Yuri, meanwhile, was still watching the lights of the city and snuggled up to Hikaru. “And are we going to school? And will we meet other wolves? And will we hear new sounds?”

    Kota nodded. “All of it. And more.”

    And so, the wolf cubs, though each in a different way, watched the new city. Yuto breathed in the energy. Ryosuke watched the shape. Yuri the lights. And Keito was... listening for what was missing.

    As their car weaved through the city and turned onto a quieter street between buildings made of brick and glass, Yuya slowed down a bit and reached forward without taking his eyes off the road. “Look over there, pack. See that building? That's it. That's our new house.”

    The wolves reacted immediately. Four snouts simultaneously pressed against the windows, and four pairs of eyes darted out in all directions. Yuri held his breath, Keito pressed his body closer to the window, Ryosuke tensed up quietly, and squinted his eyes as if he was already imagining where the best view was.

    And Yuto, how else, half standing, half lying across Ryosuke's back, paw pressed against his side just so he could see an inch more. “That's it?!” he breathed excitedly, his tail thumping against Daiki's thigh. “That's the one with all the balconies?! Is that our house?! All of it?!”

    In front of them rose a red brick building, ringed with steel balconies, some of which already had overgrown planters or light chains. Large windows reflected the sky, and though it looked like a classic townhouse from the front, the wolves knew that their own space was hidden behind the walls. A large courtyard and garage, protected from the outside world. A place where they could run, train, play... be wolves.

    Yuya slowly stopped in front of the building. The engine fell silent, and the whole car with it. The wolves didn't even breathe. The silence was as heavy as the snow on the branches. Only Yuto howled softly, completely silent, to himself.

    Hikaru smiled, placing a hand on Yuri's back. “Here we are, little ones.”

    Kota listened. He felt the moment. The quiet wave of anticipation, nervousness, and joy. He slowly stroked Yuri and Keito's backs. “Home,” he whispered. “Our new home.”

    The car hadn't even had time to completely turn off the lights and unlock the doors before Yuto was already wiggling, lifting his butt and bouncing in place as if ready to run straight into the city. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, his eyes were glowing, and his tail was swishing behind him like an uncontrollable scourge of excitement. “Out! Out! Can we go now? I want to jump out! I want to sniff it! I want to see it! I want to run over there and over there and over there!”

    Ryosuke, whose back Yuto had once again climbed over, made a deep growling sound, something between “don't you dare” and “one more time and I'll bite you in the leg.”

    Hikaru leaned between the front seats and gently grabbed the skin on the back of Yuto's neck to hold him gently. His expression was completely serious, and when he spoke, his voice was calm, deep, and authoritative. “Listen to me well now, everyone,” he began, his gaze sweeping over the other wolves who were also already straining their noses for the door. “Once we open the door, no one will be running out. No one. Okay? It's not like in the woods in here. There are cars here. Roads. People who don't look underfoot. If you run anywhere, you could get lost before we know it.”

    Yuto flinched but didn't protest, for now. Yuri looked slightly startled and moved closer to Kota. Keito nodded slowly, but it was obvious he was wondering how many steps he could actually take before someone caught him. Ryosuke just wagged his tail, but listened intently.

    Hikaru continued, his tone softer now, “When we open the door, you'll sit nicely next to the car. On the sidewalk. And you'll stay there. You don't climb anywhere, you don't sniff anything or anyone, you don't leave the pack. Okay? We give you space, we give you freedom. Inside. And soon, outside. But until we're all out and ready, nobody's going anywhere. Everybody understand?”

    The wolves looked at each other. Then, at Hikaru. Then at each other again. And then they nodded in turn. Yuto even pressed his ears together and whispered, “Okay... but I'll just jump a little. In my mind.”

    “You can bounce around in your thoughts,” Hikaru replied calmly, scratching him between the ears, “but keep your feet on the concrete.”

    And when Yuya finally unlocked the door, the wolf cubs tensed their muscles. And though they had looked forward to every sniff, every look, every step... They knew this was different. And that obeying meant protecting themselves and the pack.

    The door of the pick-up opened with a soft click, and the first wolves started to get out. Yuya got out first, not letting out any wolves so he could calmly check the situation around him. Then Kei stepped out with his backpack over his shoulder, followed closely by Hikaru, who was keeping a close eye on which paw was stepping where.

    And when the moment came... The wolves finally ran out of the car. But not like four uncontrollable storms, more like four well-trained, yet excited, enthusiastic missiles that knew exactly where to go.

    Yuto hit the pavement first, paws outstretched, eyes on the stalk. Ryosuke slipped after him until his tail wagged slightly. Keito hopped down from the car gracefully and with surprising seriousness, along with Yuri, sitting up immediately.

    But Yuto... His snout was already in the air, he caught the smell of food from a nearby stall and took a step towards the intersection...

    “No, no, no!” Ryosuke immediately reacted, jumping up, grabbing Yuto by the tail, and pulling him back like a boat to the pier.

    Yuto turned around with a growl that said, “I'm just sniffing, calm down!”

    But the black wolf didn't even flinch. Ryosuke was already gently pushing him back to the car. “Dad said we should sit. So, we're sitting, Yuto. We look like obedient statues!”

    Yuto grunted, but eventually sat up. In a slow, demonstrative manner. Keito was already sitting next to him, as straight and calm as a future city council member, Yuri with his ears taut but his paws carefully folded. And Ryosuke, who was looking out for Yuto more than anything else, was already seated as well.

    Hikaru, when he came to check on them, looked at them with suspicious pride in his eyes. “Wow. You really listened. Except for the tail incident.”

    Yuto frowned, tongue lolling out, paws constantly pawing the pavement as if he couldn't wait to get going.

    Kota laughed softly as he joined them, and Yuri immediately snuggled against his leg. Kei set his backpack down and scratched behind Keito's ear, who rested his head against his ankle for a second.

    So, there they were, waiting in the middle of a brick city street, on a concrete sidewalk, in the shadow of their new building.

    The wolf cubs sat in a row like four statues that were just becoming a new urban legend. And above them stood those who led them. Adult wolves who shared every step of the journey with them.

    They were ready. For a new home. For a new life. For all that awaited them.

    Yuya glanced at the pack, now sitting obediently on the sidewalk next to the car. He turned to them with a calm smile and spoke, “Stay here with the others, okay? I'll just drive the car into the yard, and then I'll meet you inside. It's all ready.”

    Yuto immediately perked up his ears. “I wanna see where the yard is! Is it really ours? The place where we can run around?”

    “Yeah,” Yuya replied. “You'll see that one soon, kid.” He patted Yuto's constantly moving head.

    Yuto was about to add something else, but Hikaru reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys. One of the larger ones jingled between them, a copper one with a small wolf etched into the metal. The key that would open whatever awaited them.

    The wolf cubs immediately got up, again obediently but with tense energy.

    “How many rooms are there?” asked Yuri, who had reached the entrance and leaned his paws on the first step. “If there are many, maybe we'll each have our own!”

    “I want a room with a view of the food,” Yuto said importantly.

    “I would like to have a room that smells like grass,” Keito added softly, still keeping close to Kei.

    Ryosuke remained silent, but when everyone looked at him, he just shrugged and muttered, “I'll be fine even in the closet. As long as you're in there with me.”

    Yuri smiled and wagged his tail, “Anyways... We'll sleep together. In one big ball. Just like we always do.”

    Yuto nodded and nudged Ryosuke's side lightly with his snout. “Even if I had the king's room... I wouldn't sleep without my bro. I can fit in the closet with you!”

    Hikaru, meanwhile, was unlocking the door to the house, but out of the corner of his eye, he watched his wolf cubs talking, Keito subtly snuggling up to Kei, Yuri reaching his head out to Kota, and Ryosuke settling himself next to Daiki's boot, ever ready to pounce on Yuto if he decided to run off somewhere.

    As the key clicked in the lock and the heavy door slowly opened, a gust of old air rushed out from inside. Not stale, but rather the kind that smelled of abandoned wood, empty shelves, and space waiting for new life.

    The wolves couldn't wait. Not that anyone was deliberately holding them back, but as soon as the gap between the frames was wide enough for two paws, they were in. Like an avalanche of fur and paws, with sparkling eyes and ears set in every corner.

    “Wooooow...” gasped Yuto first, stopping in the middle of the entrance, his snout circling in the air. “That's... HUGE!!!”

    Ryosuke ran past him, his paws clacking on the wooden floor, which whistled softly under his weight. Yuri twirled a column of coat hangers around, while Keito immediately sat down and began to examine the imprinted trails of dust on the tile floor.

    In front of them was one huge open and airy room, lined with brick walls and a high ceiling with massive wooden beams set into it. On the opposite side was a huge stone fireplace, currently cold and silent, but with great potential to become the heart of the pack.

    There was a long bar with a worn countertop against the wall to the left of the entrance, a few old stools set askew, and a rusty “OPEN” sign in the corner that had long since gone unlit.

    Hikaru, who was the last to enter, paused on the threshold. Although he had seen this area a few weeks ago, it looked completely different now that the pack was here. His eyes slid over the cracks in the walls, the scratched plaster, the cloudy window, and the cables hanging loose. It was unkempt. Old. Tired. But at the same time...

    “This is where the pub will be,” he said quietly. Sure. No doubt. “A fireplace, tables... There might be a counter over there with tea for Kei. And over there... seats. And maybe a stage here... or a place to howl.”

    Kei walked over to him, nodding his head. “It has a soul. It needs care. But I can hear it breathing.”

    Daiki, leading Kota by the arm, walked past them and knocked on the frame of the door leading further to the back. “Sounds solid. Structurally, it's fine. Just a few walls need a new coat.”

    Kota, with Daiki's help, then slowly walked over to the fireplace, his fingers running lightly over the stone. Yuri followed suit, standing next to him and resting his muzzle against his leg. “Is this going to be our home?” he asked quietly.

    Kota smiled. “No, sweetheart... It already is.”

    While the adult wolves walked around the space and exchanged quiet ideas about renovations, lights, and a possible bar area, the wolf cubs, meanwhile, launched their own “exploration operation”. And with typical vigor and energy.

    Yuto and Ryosuke have completely left the admiring phase and have entered the warring phase. With enthusiastic growls, hisses, and the occasional muffled howl, they raced around the pillar, under the bar, and then straight across the room. With snouts to the ground, tails in the air, and back paws sliding across the dusty floor.

    Ryosuke dodged deftly, but eventually tripped over a rug that had long since disintegrated into memories, and with a silent “ugh!” he rolled into a corner where there was so little light that he suddenly disappeared.

    For a moment, nothing could be seen... And then, out of the darkness, only two sharp, shiny, red eyes emerged. They shone out of the dust like embers.

    “The spirit of the cellar!” Yuto yelled, dashing headlong after him, only to disappear right there, too, in a curtain of dust that rose like mist over the forest clearing. The two of them started rolling and rolling, biting, squealing, and most importantly, completely forgetting that they were now officially in the city and not the forest.

    Ryosuke's otherwise smooth black fur was now covered in a grey coating, making him look more like a pillow than a wolf. Yuto, who had brown fur, looked more like an old carpet with smudges. They were both snorting and choking with laughter, but it was definitely worth it.

    Just then, Yuya, who was returning from the courtyard, entered the room. He walked in with calm grace, crossed the threshold with a smile... And the very next second, he took a step back, eyes wide, hand instinctively ready to grab the first thing at hand.

    Before him stood two things.

    One black with red eyes that looked rather demonic in the shadows, the other speckled like a rusty cat, tongue hanging out and eyes wide open.

    Yuya paused. Half a second of silence. “What the hell-?!” Then he squinted his eyes. “... Yuto? Ryosuke?!”

    The two “phantoms” stopped moving and slowly turned towards him. Two dusty ghosts, their snouts grey, their fur full of cobwebs and speckles that looked like moss.

    Yuto barked triumphantly, “We've mutated! We're an urban species!”

    Ryosuke laughed in a deep, muffled sound. “A special kind of dust werewolf.”

    Yuya rubbed his forehead. “You two look like you were dug up from the floor of the third century.”

    Yuri and Keito, who had been sticking closer to the adults, now just shook their heads. Keito quietly remarked, “We haven't even put the blanket down yet, and they're already lying in the dust like it's a bathroom.”

    Yuri tilted his head to the side as he thought. “Maybe they were trying to blend into the atmosphere. Maybe it's a ritual.”

    Yuya smiled, tiredly but lovingly. “So, you ritual phantoms... Don't you want to see the courtyard? Before you break down the walls here?”

    Yuto immediately jumped up. “Courtyard! Ours! I wanna see!” And off he went... Dragging a trail of dust behind him like a comet.

    As soon as the back door opened and the wolf cubs ran into the yard, their excitement exploded like a spring thunderstorm. Yuto and Ryosuke took off first, still encased in dust, leaving grey trails swirling behind them like two ghosts from an abandoned warehouse.

    The courtyard was mostly covered with asphalt, wide and enclosed by a brick wall with a high fence that perfectly protected them from the outside world. But even though most of the area was a flat, hard surface suitable for running and fooling around, there were soft and fragrant strips of grass near the wall, with a few bushes and even some protruding rocks in places that immediately drew Keito's attention.

    Keito ran to them first, put his paws in the green, and took a deep breath. “The city smells different here... a little more like life,” he remarked, more to himself, but Yuri, who was beside him, nodded.

    “At least it's a place to lie down. And sniff. And maybe even sleep.”

    While Keito began to examine what was growing around him and what was just surviving grass from another era, Yuto was already trotting laps around the yard, circling the garages, occasionally hopping on the back legs just to get a better view. Ryosuke followed him, but with more dignity, meaning less bouncing.

    Yuya let them run, then walked over to one of the garage doors and turned to the adults and the wolf cubs, who retreated curiously towards him. “Here,” he said, tapping the metal. “This is where I'd like to set up shop. I've got a bunch of stuff I brought. Tools, parts... When I get it ready, I'll fix cars and maybe some motorcycles here.”

    Yuto immediately clung to his legs. “Are you going to fix cars? And can we be helpers?! I want to pull the keys! And then drive! And then be your boss, Dad!”

    Yuya chuckled and leaned down to pat him between his ears as Yuto rested his paws on his thighs. “First, you learn to tell the difference between a number ten wrench and a spaghetti fork, and then we'll see, okay?”

    Yuri leaned against Keito's side and whispered, “I hope we don't have to wear helmets... My ears are too small for a helmet.”

    Ryosuke just walked past Yuya and said thoughtfully, “Just make sure this place smells more like oil than asphalt. That's a better smell.”

    Yuya looked at the place with a quiet, calm smile. It was a hard space. Raw. But it was theirs. And like the house, this yard was already breathing new life.

    They were running. Sniffing. Watching. Feeling. And they were beginning to belong here.

    Laughter, barking, and the muffled stamping of four pairs of paws that had just sprinted for time between the garage, the lawn, and Yuto's new discovery – an empty plastic bottle that made the best sound in the world when chewed on.

    But then, from the top floor of the building, through an open window, came Kei's voice, “Wolves! Come back inside! Let's show you the rest of the house before you become street legends!”

    Yuto immediately paused, dropped the bottle, and looked up. “Yeah, I want to see everything! I'm gonna check every nook and cranny! Shall we make it a race?”

    Ryosuke ran past and poked him in the side. “More like a mugging. But within the law.”

    They all grouped up at the back entrance and went back inside to the staircase. There, next to the stone steps, was an old metal elevator set into a brick wall. Its doors had a heavy grille and creaked so loudly with every movement that it sounded like they were moaning.

    Yuto saw the elevator first, and his eyes lit up. “This! It's a machine! That's a portal! I want to ride it up!”

    Yuri immediately joined him. “All of us! A joint expedition! Elevator expedition! I'll be in charge!”

    Keito approached skeptically, sniffed the metal, and muttered, “It smells like... dust, old oil, and maybe a mouse. No, two mice.”

    But before they could start pulling on the handle, Hikaru walked in behind them, swinging his backpack over his back and raising his hand in the air in warning. “Stop! Don't even touch it.”

    The wolves turned to him with a look of utter betrayal.

    Yuto whimpered, “But... But... the elevator!”

    Hikaru ran a critical eye over the elevator and growled, “The elevator didn't even start before we bought it. Until it's fixed, no one will get in it. If it gets stuck, you'll be the first werewolves to end up in the firefighter's notebook under the heading 'too enthusiastic for vertical movement'.”

    Yuri sat down, folded his ears, and muttered softly, “But I wanted to be the first to howl from the elevator...”

    Ryosuke, meanwhile, was already trotting towards the stairs.

    Yuto sighed, then ran after him. “When it gets fixed, I'm sleeping in it for the first night! Might as well get stuck!”

    The pack of wolf cubs made their way up the staircase. Yuya followed behind them, smiling as Kota carefully placed his feet on step after step, Yuri keeping close to him and whispering softly to him how many steps remained.

    By the time they reached the first floor, Daiki's voice could already be heard. “There are quite a few of these apartments,” he announced to everyone, “but only this one is habitable right now. The rest are awaiting renovation. Electricity, floors, water... Nothing too bad, but it'll take a while.”

    Yuto, who outran Ryosuke and swatted him with his paw, had clearly already made his choice. “I'll take the one with the best view!”

    Ryosuke, trailing behind him, growled and gently bit his tail. “You take the view, I'll take the peace from you.”

    Yuto scowled at him and smacked him with his paw again, as if that statement touched him deeply at his wolf heart.

    Yuri also shared his preferences, which earned him a pat between the ears from Kota. “I'll take the one closest to Dad.”

    “I don't care what the room is like. As long as there's light and plants... and a quiet wall,” Keito muttered as he sniffed around.

    The staircase led to the first floor with an old wooden handrail that creaked softly at every touch. The door to the only functional apartment was ajar, and the smell of freshly swept dust mingled with the hint of old wood.

    Hikaru held the door for the others. “Here,” he said, turning to the wolf cubs who were already pacing excitedly in place, “this is where we'll all be staying for now. It's our shared apartment until we get the other ones done.”

    The inside of the apartment was much better preserved than the ground floor. The large main room served as a living room with a kitchen. It was an open space with old but functional kitchen cabinets and sink on one side and a wider space under the windows on the other, perfect for a dining table or, as the wolves immediately identified it, a den area.

    Along the main room, doors led to three other rooms. One room had a balcony, the second had a large window looking out into the courtyard, and the third was smaller but cozy.

    Yuto burst into the apartment first, then stopped abruptly in the middle and circled around like a tornado. “That's huge! Like really huge! You could have a bed-flipping contest in here!”

    Yuri entered more slowly, but his eyes were suspiciously large and shiny for his small body. “This is all just for us? Really?”

    “For starters, yeah,” Hikaru replied, swinging his backpack onto a chair against the wall. “We could split up more when we fix the other apartments, but this will be our base. All of us together. Warm. Safe.”

    Meanwhile, Ryosuke walked over to the window and leaned his paws on the glass. “I can see the courtyard from here. I can lurk and growl at anyone who comes by.”

    “And I'll be at the door looking dangerous!” Yuto joined in, leaping up to where the couch had once been.

    Keito walked silently across the room, breathing, listening, and then came to the corner by the window. “This will be a good place for plants... and a bed.”

    “Beds!” Yuto barked excitedly and ran to the middle of the room. “We have to decide the seating plan! I want to be on the left! To the left of the fireplace! Well, I mean... until there's a fireplace, I'll just be left of... of... the scratch here!”

    Yuri snuggled up to his dad, Kota. “I want to be close to you. Even if I have my own room, I'll still sleep here.”

    Ryosuke finally settled on the threshold of one of the rooms, tail curled gracefully, and spoke softly, “It doesn't matter where anyone sleeps. As long as it's quiet, warm... and us.”

    Kei leaned against the door, watching them and smiling. “I don't think this room will ever be empty now.” And it wasn't. Not since the pack had taken up residence here. With their paws, their laughter, their plans, and their pile of bedding.

    Hikaru stood in the middle of the room, where the wolf energy was already so thick it could be sliced. His hands were folded on his chest, but his expression was gentle, understanding. He watched the wolf cubs darting from one place to another with sparkling eyes. To one sniffing the wooden floor, another examining the skirting board against the wall, a third silently wondering where to hide... and the fourth running around.

    He took a deep breath and struck a tone that was half fatherly and half amused, “Okay, guys... You can transform now. You need to get your backpacks, bedrolls, and stuff in here and clean up a bit. And that's before anyone becomes part of the floor.”

    The wolf cubs immediately stopped. Four pairs of ears perked up. Four gazes clashed. A moment of silence. And then... the sound of paws on the stairs.

    “But we have to explore the roof first!”

    “And the cellar!”

    “And to check if there isn't a magic room!”

    “And we need to see if the bathroom has hot water!”

    And they were gone. In a mass of laughter, fur, and stomping, they disappeared up the staircase so fast that it looked like they were part of a whirlwind.

    Hikaru stood, arms still folded, but his smile had long since fought against any seriousness. He slowly turned to the rest of the adults. “That went well. I bet if I tell them to go to bed, they'll head out to the garage to play football with the fire extinguisher.”

    “More like with the plastic bottle.” Yuya laughed, stretching his shoulder. “But they're home. What do you expect? That they're going to sit on their tails? Our boys?”

    Kota just shook his head softly with a smile. “Maybe they'll actually help clean up on the way back. Maybe. In theory.”

    Kei rested his hand on the door frame and shook his head. “Just don't let them find the elevator shaft. It's not covered yet.”

    Daiki, who was standing leaning against the wall, immediately raised his head. “I'd better go to find them.” Raising his hand, he waved and sighed. “Someone has to make sure they don't disappear into our floor.” And he quickly took off after them, determined to catch the cubs before they became 'part of the infrastructure'.

    The other adults in the room laughed again because it was exactly what they expected. And exactly what they loved.

    When the last shadow of the furry tail disappeared along with Daiki and the muffled panting of paws died down on the upper floor, the room was quiet. The kind that lingers after a storm, even though everyone knows another one is on its way, but there are still a few minutes of calm left.

    Yuya folded his arms on his chest and leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. “So,” he uttered with a smile, “shall we get started? I think we could at least get this base a little more cultured before the little ones get involved in another adventure.”

    Kei sighed and flexed his fingers, then folded them into his palms in front of him. “I agree. First goal – bathroom and bedroom. If they're going to sleep in a comfy ball tonight, we should make it a ball on a clean floor, not a layer of hundred-year-old dust. Ideally, that dust shouldn't be stuck to the four tornadoes.”

    “It's probably too late for that, Kei.” Hikaru squatted down next to one of the boxes and opened it. It was filled with cleaning supplies, old rags, and two buckets. “Let's split it up, then. Who's cleaning, who's sweeping, who's picking up all the crumbs from the floor that haven't even gotten here yet, and who's going to hold Yuto when he finds out he needs to take a bath?”

    Kota, leaning against the frame of the kitchen alcove, smiled. “I'll take the last assignment. I could handle that.”

    They all laughed a quiet, tired but full laugh. The kind of laughter that only belongs to those who have long ago decided to stay together, no matter what lies ahead.

    Kei took off his sweater, rolled up his sleeves, and reached for a rag. “Here we go. Give them a place to lay their heads. A clean head and a dry snout.”

    Yuya put his jacket down, took over the broom. “And then we'll get them some hot water. And a proper bath. Even if I have to heat buckets on the stove.”

    Hikaru, meanwhile, pulled out a bucket and mop and chuckled, “And then, when everyone is clean, happy, and curled up in a ball, we'll do the same for ourselves.”

    Kota nodded with a calm expression. “And then... We'll know we've made it through the first day. That the first night is theirs. And that this house will never be empty again.”

    And so, they got to work. Together, side by side. One mop, one broom, one rag. And the big heart of the pack.

Chapter Text

    There was the usual lunchtime bustle in the school cafeteria. Children were talking at the tables, paper bags rustled, cups were opened, and now and then someone dropped a lid or a plastic spoon. It was all quite loud, quite lively and quite ordinary... but for some it was still a bit of a new world.

    Sitting at a table in the corner were three wolf boys in human form – Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito. Each had a box of snacks in front of them, lovingly prepared by Hikaru that morning.

    Ryosuke had a piece of toast with ham and cheese, cut exactly in half and folded into a napkin with a little paw drawn in the corner. Yuri was enjoying a sweet roll and an apple that he had already half eaten. Keito was eating the cold pasta salad, slowly and carefully, as if he was examining each bite to see what exactly Hikaru had secretly added to it.

    But Ryosuke was only half-eating. He had food in front of him; he even ate one piece already. But his gaze kept darting towards the entrance of the dining room. His shoulders were tense, his fingers folded around his napkin, and his eyes focused. He wasn't watching anyone in particular. But he was looking for someone.

    Yuri noticed it first. While he was munching on the apple, he glanced sideways at Ryosuke and after a moment, said softly, “He's on his way. He knows where we're sitting.”

    Ryosuke didn't answer right away. His eyes lingered for a moment on the clock on the wall, then the counter, then the door again. Finally, he muttered, “He already went there ten minutes ago. And it usually doesn't take him this long.”

    Keito looked up from his salad. “Maybe he was chattering at the sink. Or maybe he's sniffing the soap again. He's having a period now where he smells things more than he talks.”

    Yuri smiled, but Ryosuke didn't smile back. Instead, he glanced at the door again and stomped his foot lightly under the table. It was clear that even though he knew Yuto was probably okay, part of his heart was still searching for him.

    Ryosuke finally quietly bit into the other half of his toast, but it was clear that the food was only sliding down his throat out of obligation. He chewed slowly, his eyes still moving towards the door. Under the table, his foot stomped nervously on the floor. Not forcefully, but enough for Keito and Yuri to hear.

    Meanwhile, Yuri, with a sparkle in his eyes, continued talking to Keito, who was half overwhelmed with questions. “And you really think we have that moon phase assignment tomorrow? I thought we were supposed to finish the runes first... They keep getting mixed up.”

    Keito looked up, rested his elbow on the table, and replied with calm confidence, “The runes are on Friday. The moon is tomorrow. And the teacher said to draw our own diagram, even with the shadow. If you want, I can show you how to do it tonight. I was pretty good at it.”

    Yuri smiled and shook his head. “Yeah, I'd like that. My nova always gets bigger instead of darker... And then it looks like a pudding ball.”

    Keito shrugged, “You might get an extra point for pudding magic.”

    Ryosuke remained silent while they talked. He had almost finished his toast, but his eyes were on the door, and his foot didn't stop under the table. He felt a quiet tension that only those who were used to protecting knew.

    After a moment, without another word, Ryosuke lifted his hand and gently popped the lid of the snack box and placed it back in his backpack, zipped it up, draped the straps over his shoulders, and slowly rose from his chair.

    Both Yuri and Keito turned to him at the same time, and although they didn't say anything right away, their gazes spoke clearly. They knew Ryosuke had to find Yuto.

    Ryosuke stood straight, a little turned away, his eyes still fixed on the door that led to the hallway. His hands were clasped around the straps of his backpack. Finally, without eye contact but with a firm voice, he said, “I'm going to take a look. He's been there too long.”

    Yuri sighed, putting the apple back on the napkin. “We all know you're worried about him, but he's probably just playing with the water. Or... sniffing the soap, like Keito said.”

    Keito smiled slightly, but immediately added, “Or he's talking to someone. You know him.”

    Ryosuke finally turned to face them, looking at them. There was no fear in his eyes. There was that familiar, quiet kind of unease. The kind that came whenever Yuto was out of his sight for longer than was natural.

    “I'll just check on him. I don't want anyone to come in with their ear in their pocket.”

    Yuri rubbed his forehead. “Okay, go. But if he's just standing there staring in the mirror, bring him back to us. Now. And in one piece.”

    Ryosuke nodded, briefly, and stepped towards the dining room door. His step was calm, quiet, but the purpose in it was clear: find Yuto, make sure the world was still right, or set it straight if it wasn't.

    The young werewolf entered the quiet corridor, where the muffled sound of running water and the sound of a dripping tap rumbled behind the white door of the school toilets. Slowly opening the door, he stepped inside, but could already tell on the threshold that Yuto wasn't there.

    None of his familiar noises, no mumbling to himself, no jumping in front of the mirror, no barking into the soap. But his smell was there. Faint, but recognizable. And it was coming not from the door, but from the window, which was wide open. And since it was Yuto, there was no doubt.

    Ryosuke approached, resting his hands on the frame and leaning out. Below the window was the schoolyard. It was a small, fenced area with trees, grass, benches, and a few bushes. And the wind that swept through it made the scent far more distinct.

    Yuto. And fresh dirt. And curiosity.

    Ryosuke didn't hesitate for a moment. He slipped into the window, swung himself over the sill, and landed in the grass with an ease that suggested this was definitely not his first time through.

    The smell of Yuto hit his nose immediately. Ryosuke pricked up his ears, crouched down a bit, and followed his trail, which he would have recognized among hundreds of others even with his eyes closed.

    He walked past a bench, along a low fence, and between two trees where the scent was becoming stronger. And then, behind the bushes, under one of the larger trees near the back of the yard, he finally spotted him.

    Yuto was in his wolf form. His dark brown fur was a little ruffled, but shiny, and his front paws were buried in the dirt. Digging. Purposefully. His hind legs were tucked in, his tail wagging slightly to the side, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his eyes focused on something that was definitely not ordinary.

    Ryosuke stood in silence for a moment. He just watched him. There was neither mockery nor sternness in his gaze. Just a quiet concern. And curiosity. Because when Yuto disappeared, it was never for no reason.

    Yuto was so focused that the world around him didn't even seem to exist. His paws were planted in the dirt, his eyes squinted, his breathing quickened like a hunting dog that has picked up a scent that doesn't belong in the ordinary world.

    Beside him was a backpack, carelessly dropped, with a piece of napkin sticking out of its pocket and a box with the rest of the snacks that obviously had to wait.

    Ryosuke approached silently, but Yuto twitched until he jumped, his hind paw slipping in the loose dirt and his whole body jerking aside. He turned his head, eyes wide, ears taut.

    “You're scary, you know that?” he blurted out, but then immediately took a deep breath and turned back to the hole. “I almost lost track.”

    Ryosuke stood a little further away, in a calm stance, arms folded, eyebrows slightly raised. “What are you doing here? Looking for treasure?”

    Yuto kept digging. He didn't answer right away. Then he slowed down, pressed his muzzle to the dirt, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. “Sniff...” he muttered softly. “Transform, and you'll smell it too! There's something here. Something that's... not supposed to be here. But it's important.”

    Ryosuke nodded silently and put down his backpack. He took a step back, took a breath, and in a silent moment, he transformed. His body stretched, his bones changed, his fur spilled over his back until he stood on all fours like a black wolf with deep red eyes.

    He walked slowly to the hole, lowered his head, and pressed his nose to the ground. And then he smelled it.

    Not the smell of food. Not the dirt. Something older. Alien. Not exactly hostile, but heavy. Like the smell of a forgotten memory someone hid in the dirt and hoped no one would find it. There was wet stone in it. Lost time. And maybe a little... magic?

    Ryosuke lifted his head, glancing at Yuto. “You're right. There's something here.” And then they both looked at the ground again. Where something lay quietly, waiting to be found.

    Ryosuke slowly walked around the messy hole he'd already fit into, and fixed his gaze on Yuto, who had his muzzle covered in dirt, ears bent in concentration, and paws already stained to the elbows.

    “How deep do you think it is?” he asked quietly, his muzzle still pointed down, though a subtle shadow of impatience flashed in his eyes.

    Yuto paused for a split second, then dug again, the dirt flying aside. “I don't know. I don't feel the end. I just... have to keep digging. It's there. I know it. When I dig it up, I'll know what it is.”

    Ryosuke straightened, his tail wagging slightly and his tone sounding a little firmer. “Yuto... we have class in a little while. We should get back.”

    Yuto growled, but not at his brother, more desperately into the dirt. “I know... I know! But I can't leave. Not now. It's close. I have to find it. Otherwise, it'll disappear. Really...” He raised his dark eyes to Ryosuke. “Please. Just a little longer. I'll run to the class then. I swear.”

    Ryosuke stared at him for a moment. He was breathing slowly, thinking.

    Yuto continued to dig frantically, his paws alternately flying off the ground, dirt catching between his pads, and small mounds of scratched dirt forming around him. The hole was already deep enough for an entire wolf to disappear into it, which Yuto was currently demonstrating.

    Ryosuke stood off to the side, tail drooping, expression half worried, half annoyed. His muzzle twitched as he picked up the strange scent, but he still couldn't forgive himself one criticism. “And you know we shouldn't be poking around here at all, right?” He snorted. “This is a schoolyard. If anyone sees this, we'll get banned from here until graduation.”

    Yuto lifted his head out of the hole, his fur coated in dirt, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “I know...” he sputtered. “But this isn't just like that. It's not like I'm sniffing under the trees. It's like it's calling me. Like... like it's important. Really.”

    Ryosuke remained silent. He was thinking. About the words, about the smell, about Yuto, who looked half wolf and half prophet. And then Yuto looked up again, more firmly this time.

    “Look... if you help me, we'll dig it out faster. Two wolves, four paws, snouts like radar. And we'll be back before the teacher finds out we've disappeared.”

    Ryosuke hesitated for a moment. He looked once more at the hole, then at Yuto, then again at the grass around him. Then he sighed softly, walked over to him... and dug his paws into the dirt. “If I end up with a yard cleanup punishment because of you, you'll be my personal broom.”

    Yuto gave a quiet yelp of delight and immediately moved to stand next to him. Two wolves. Four paws. And one secret that was just waiting to be discovered.

    Gradually, a crater began to grow out of the dirt. No longer a shallow hole, no longer a small hole. Now it was a real wolf hole, and one that would make a wild badger happy.

    Yuto and Ryosuke dug side by side, rhythmically, with a concentration so deep that the world around them narrowed to the smell of soil, the mysterious smell and sound of falling dirt. Their paws dug deeper and deeper, the ground beneath them loosening. They could feel how damp and cold it was.

    Yuto's muzzle was covered in dirt, his tongue hanging out of his side, his tail swishing to the rhythm of each movement.

    Ryosuke was more focused, more systematic, but even he had dirt sticking in his fur, though he didn't seem to notice.

    And then... they both paused for a moment. They raised their heads, looked at each other. They were up to their shoulders in the hole. Yuto winced, breathing fast. “This is the best hole we've ever dug.”

    Ryosuke blinked, then turned and surveyed their work so far. “We should have brought snacks.”

    Yuto happily jumped over to him, stood next to him, and gleefully twirled in place, throwing even more dirt in Ryosuke's face. “It's almost done now. I can feel it a lot more. We're close...” He sniffed until his ears twitched. “It's really here.”

    Ryosuke was half laughing, half coughing up dirt. “If we find so much as a chicken bone, I'll personally bury you there.”

    But neither of them stopped digging. Because there was more to what they were doing than just wolf fun.

    It was a call.

    The rhythm of the digging gradually slowed, but did not stop. It was more focused now, punctuated by shuffling, snuffling, and the gentle peeling back of the last layers of dirt. Yuto stopped first. His paw hit something hard and smooth. He lifted his head, eyes widening, tail swishing so violently he almost fell over to the side. “Ryo! There's something here! It's hard! And not like a root, more like... a rock? Can you feel it?”

    Ryosuke immediately moved next to him, his snout scouring the ground, and then he too felt the impact. Hard, smooth, and... a little rounded. They began to dig more carefully, one by one scooping up the rest of the dirt until the silhouette of something long and bent slowly began to emerge in the dark dirt.

    A bone.

    But not an ordinary one. It was huge. Bigger than Yuto. As long as both of them if they stretched out. Thick as their thigh. Dark, almost gray, with a porous surface and a dull energy that radiated from it.

    It was quiet for a while. Only the wind rustled the treetops. Yuto bent down and bit one end without a word. He shook his head. Then again. And then he paused. He stepped back and frowned.

    “This one... doesn't squeak...” His voice was completely disappointed. His tail dropped sadly, his ears too.

    Ryosuke raised an eyebrow. “What?”

    Yuto lowered his head and tapped his paw against the bone. “It's a giant bone. And... nothing. Not even a squeak. Not a peep. Just... silence. I thought all bones whistled. That's a basic thing! Right?”

    Ryosuke sat down next to him, still with some dirt on his muzzle, and remarked with complete calm, “No, those are just yours. The ones your dad gives you. The ones that are made of rubber and smell like chicken. This is...” He frowned, looking at the shape. “This is something else, bro.”

    Yuto raised his head. His eyes were full of curiosity, even with a piece of leaf hanging from his ear. “So… this isn't a toy?”

    Ryosuke shook his head. “This looks like... a real bone. Big. Older than this school. Maybe even bigger than the whole town.”

    Yuto turned back to the hole, rolled his eyes, and said with a sigh, “So we dug up something mysterious again instead of a thing to play with. Typical!” Still, as he sat there, a sparkle flared in his eyes again. Because this bone... was more than just a simple find.

    Ryosuke stared at the first huge bone, then slowly stood up, shaking off the dirt and turning slightly away. “Guess this one isn't the only one, though,” he muttered.

    His muzzle vibrated, his nostrils flared, and then he dug his front paws in a little further, at the edge of the original hole. He began to dig again. More carefully this time, not as fiercely as Yuto, but with precision. He twitched once. Then a second time. And there was a hollow knock. He hit the bone again.

    Meanwhile, Yuto, still excited and covered in dirt from snout to tail, started digging on the other side of the hole. His style was more “I'll play the soil by force of will” than “I'm uncovering an archaeological relic”, but it worked.

    And within minutes... they had both paws buried in more dirt. Hard. Porous. Curved. Another bone. And then another.

    Ryosuke pulled the soil off the other, slightly thinner, long bone. Yuto, meanwhile, found a piece that looked like a curved claw or part of a joint.

    They watched it all for a while. The hole was now almost like a blast pit, widened into a triangle, with bones sticking out of the ground on different sides.

    Yuto suddenly lit up, jumped up on all fours, his back paws fell off, and he almost sat on his own tail. Then he shouted, in a voice so excited it must have carried all the way back to the school cafeteria, “Ryo! We... We dug up a dinosaur!”

    Ryosuke grunted, staggered, and folded his paws in front of him. A tiny arc of dust slid across his black muzzle. He took a long look at it. “Or it could be... a horse. Or a big dog. Or... I don't know what.”

    Yuto huffed, but his eyes sparkled. “No! This is definitely a dinosaur! One of the secret ones. Like... a Sniffasaurus! Yeah! That would fit! And instead of teeth, it had extra nostrils in its nose! And-”

    Ryosuke leaned over and lightly poked his muzzle. “Yuto.”

    Yuto fell silent. Ryosuke smiled. “Maybe it's a dinosaur. But if it turns out to be a fake one, I'll be disappointed before you can say triceratops.”

    Yuto frowned. “I can't say tricevaratpropsttops.” Pause. “But this one... Sniffasaurus... it exists. And we just found it!”

    The two wolf boys, buried up to their ears in the pit, now surrounded by bones of various shapes and sizes, looked more like members of some long-lost expedition than schoolchildren.

    The soil was everywhere. In their fur, between the pads of their paws, behind their ears, and Yuto even had dirt in his eyebrows, which he had never even noticed he had before.

    Ryosuke had just unwrapped another piece of the bone arch and ran his paw thoughtfully over its surface when a voice suddenly sounded behind them. Sharp. Higher. Strained like a snapped string wrench. “What the hell are you doing?!”

    Yuto stood up from the hole, his head peeking out like a flower from a flower bed, his eyes bright. “Ms. Ilywen, we dug up a dinosaur! Maybe a Sniffasaurus! Maybe something secret! And maybe... buried treasure!”

    Behind him stood a slight figure just tall enough, but wrapped in a fairy's luminous cloak, with wings folded behind her back, and an expression of utter disinterest. It was the Fae history teacher, Mistress Ilywen. Usually kind. Today, completely expressionless. “This is... not a school project. And the schoolyard is especially not your artifact digging grounds!”

    Ryosuke emerged next to Yuto, muzzle covered in dirt, fur full of dust, eyes calm but a little rebellious. “We felt it. It was underground. We couldn't let it go.”

    Ilywen was about to breathe another sentence when suddenly there was a thunderous, heavy step.

    The ground beneath them trembled slightly. A tall, massive silhouette with horns appeared around the corner. A physical education teacher. Minotaur. His name was Mr. Morgh.

    “What's... going on here?” he grumbled, his voice like the scraping of a boulder against a rock. When he saw the pit and the two wolves half-submerged in the ground, he paused. “This... this is... completely against the rules!”

    Yuto jumped until a chunk of dirt flew off his back. “But sir! Those are bones! Giant! Bigger than me! It's a Sniffasaurus!”

    “What?” Morgh asked in confusion

    Ilywen just closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Whatever. Stop right now. We'll call the warden. Or... an archaeologist. Or-”

    Ryosuke didn't move. He slowly turned back to the hole, his muzzle touching another bone, feeling it again. The energy. The presence. He couldn't leave. Not yet.

    And Yuto, of course, was already back with his paws in the dirt. “But we have to finish this! It's stronger than the school rules!”

    The minotaur seemed unsure whether to be furious or impressed. Ilywen looked like she was growing a migraine. And the two little wolves continued to dig, because it wasn't just curiosity. It was instinct.

    As Mr. Morgh stood on the edge of the pit with the look of a confused but slightly amused bull, and Fairy Ilywen desperately searched for her mobile phone between the three inside pockets of her cloak with a look of “here we go again”, the rapid tapping of sneakers came from the school building.

    Yuri and Keito, both in human form, had their hair disheveled and their cheeks pink from running. They emerged in the yard, slowed down sharply, and when they saw the giant pit and the two wolves half buried in it, their eyes immediately popped out of their sockets.

    “What the...?!” Yuri gasped and ran to the edge of the hole, leaning so dangerously that Keito instinctively grabbed the sleeve of his sweatshirt to keep from getting his nose broken by falling in headfirst.

    “Is that... a skeleton?!” Keito exclaimed when he saw the gray outline of bones. “It's really a skeleton! And huge one!”

    Yuto stuck his muzzle out of the dirt, all dirty, his fur glued together, but with eyes so bright they could shine on a night journey through the forest. “We found a dinosaur!” He howled with joy as the birds in the trees took flight. “Maybe a dragon! But more likely a Sniffasaurus!”

    Yuri laughed, Keito concentrating on trying to make out the shapes of the bone Ryosuke was currently cleaning with his muzzle and paw. They were both completely fascinated.

    Meanwhile, as the children screeched and dug, Fairy Ilywen finally pulled out a tiny, shiny device with a mushroom-shaped pendant and two antennae that lit up as she pressed the speed dial. A number with the name “H. YAOTOME” and a note stored in it: “wolf dad (problematic but decent)” began to ring.

    “There we go again...” muttered Ilywen, closing her eyes as if counting to ten in some old Elvish language. “And here I thought we'd survive a week without incident this time.”

    Mr. Morgh chuckled and remarked in a deep voice, “At least they are consistent. And enthusiastic. That has to be acknowledged.”

    But Ryosuke and Yuto didn't notice at all. They dug on, muzzles almost in the ground, breathing fast, eyes fixed on the goal. They were immersed in something that was more than a game, more than a school. It was a challenge. A discovery. The feeling that something lay beneath the layers of dirt that they were about to be shown. And they wanted to find it.

    Eventually, Mr. Morgh, his massive arms crossed over his chest and his expression one of school authority, wanting calm more than an outburst of chaos, advanced closer to the hole. He shook his head, looked at the wolves in the trench, then at the lit eyes of Yuri and Keito, and finally spoke in a deep, rumbling voice that sounded like it came from a cave. “Hey, guys... this looks serious. If this is what I think it is, you should stop digging. We'll call in the experts. Archaeologists. Magical preservation. Someone who knows.”

    Ryosuke paused. Slowly he stopped digging, lifted his head, his eyes sliding over the outline of the bones, and then glanced at Yuto, who was still scratching around one of the larger bone fragments with his paw.

    Yuto got up slowly. Paws dirty, muzzle brown with dirt, ears flattened to his head. The childlike spark of excitement had vanished from his eyes, replaced by a mixture of unease and defensive stubbornness. “But what if...” he began quietly. “What if, when we leave, someone steals it? Or they bury it back? Or... they say we made it up? That no Sniffasaurus ever existed?”

    Ryosuke looked at him with a slight frown, but his eyes showed understanding. And Yuto suddenly took a step back. Then he sat down right in front of the pile of bones. His butt was buried in the dirt, his paws clasped tightly together, and his back straight. And then he got all dramatically angry. His fur bristled along his back, his tail swished like a string, his ears pricked up, and his muzzle stiffened. “I'm... watching this. No one's going to take it. I'll stay here. Even if a whole council of elders comes. Even if they send a lizard after me. I'm gonna sit here. And I'll keep watch. It's our treasure.”

    Yuri and Keito both looked a little confused, a little touched. Ryosuke sat down next to him and gently pressed his side against him. He was calmer, but remained alert. Ready to stand by his brother's side.

    The Minotaur rubbed his eyes and grunted, “Well... this might be one for a longer break.”

    Ilywen finally put the phone to her ear. There was a click on the other end of the line, and then a familiar voice. Tired, a little frazzled, and resigned to more school werewolf trouble, but with that typical sparkle that signified that it was the Alpha wolf speaking, who had been through a lot, “This is Yaotome. What happened? Did someone get bit again?”

    Ilywen sighed as she checked the action in the yard with one eye, where Yuto was currently dusting his tail proudly and Ryosuke was sitting calmly beside him like a statue. “Not this time. No one is being bitten. So far.”

    There was silence on the other side for a while. “So far?”

    “They dug.”

    Hikaru paused. “Dug?”

    “In the schoolyard.”

    “What do you mean…? That they smelled dirt?”

    “No. They were digging in the dirt. With their paws. And their heads. They made a hole. Quite deep. And they dug up some bones.”

    More silence. And then Hikaru breathed a sigh of relief, though his voice remained sarcastically wary.

    “Ugh. Okay. So… no blood? Just... dirt? And bones, I hope they're not the legs of a teacher from last time or something.”

    “No. Not this time. But they found something. They really did. They dug up some big bones.” Pause. “And they say it's a dinosaur.”

    “Sure, what else?”

    “A ‘Sniffasaurus’, to be exact.”

    Hikaru laughed in amusement. “That's Yuto's idea again, isn't it?”

    “Yes. And he enforces it with a tenacity that could bend the laws of physics.”

    “Ms. Ilywen, you know we told them that they could only dig in the woods. Not on school grounds. Right?”

    The fairy, still with her eyes fixed on Yuto, who was currently sitting right on the biggest bone with the expression of a werewolf treasure guardian, sighed. “I've heard it from you several times. Every time they crawled into the classroom covered in dirt because they were digging a new hole.” Ilywen sighed into the phone. “Even though they broke school rules again, their find looks... strange. The skeleton looks complete, old, maybe even magically preserved. There really is something there. And your children refuse to leave. They're sitting in front of it. They're protecting it. Eyes like a night watchman. Yuto's angry, won't move.”

    Hikaru ran a hand over his face, sighed, and replied as anyone who knew their pack would expect, “Alright. I'll come then. I'm going to put on my shoes that aren't afraid of mud. And I'll get some wet wipes, too. Yuto's got dirt in his ears too, right?”

    Ilywen just added quietly, “And in the nose.”

    “Excellent. I'll be there in ten minutes. Hopefully, they won't dig up the Atlantis before then.”

    When the line went silent, the sun was already shining on the schoolyard into the loose dirt, where the outlines of the bones seemed almost mystical in the afternoon light.

    Two dirty wolves sat like living statues in front of the digging site. Ryosuke was calm and careful, while Yuto was flustered and alert, tail wrapped around his legs, fur matted.

    At the edge of the pit sat Yuri and Keito, still in human forms, knees pulled to their chests, backpacks next to each other, their eyes sparkling as they watched each piece that emerged from the ground. Both brothers were full of questions.

    “But how did you even find it?” Yuri asked quietly. “You look like two badgers at the portal to Hell now.”

    Ryosuke took a breath to reply, but Yuto beat him to it, his muzzle jutting out proudly as if he were just beginning the lecture of the century. “It was like this,” he began dramatically. “I went to pee.”

    Keito blinked. “Fascinating start.”

    Yuto didn't let himself get distracted and continued. “And when I came out... it hit me. In the snout. But not like the smell of pizza or soap. This was... strange. Like... smelling something that shouldn't be there. But it belongs there. Just... It's old. And a little... sad? Hungry, maybe?”

    Yuri moved closer. “So… you just started digging?”

    “I sniffed for a while at first. But then I was drawn to it. So, I went and put my backpack down, started digging, and boom. Ryosuke came over, transformed, sniffed too... and we were both digging. Because it wasn't just a coincidence. It was... a call! Destiny!”

    Ryosuke nodded silently. “It wasn't like finding a lost toy. It was... like something recognizing you before you recognized it. You know?”

    Yuri and Keito fell silent. And suddenly, the skeleton beneath them didn't just look like a paleontological discovery, but rather like something that was really meant to be found.

    And just then they heard new footsteps on the grass. Footsteps that belonged neither to teachers nor to curious classmates. Two more adults were coming. And they seemed... important.

    The principal of the school was a tall figure in a dark cloak, her eyes sparkling like glass in the mist, an elf. Her body moved fluidly, almost inaudibly.

    The deputy followed her. A shorter, burly man with one eye and bronze skin, a cyclops. They both stopped at the edge of the hole.

    The principal squinted her eyes, watching the boys and the bones. Then she spoke slowly, elegantly, “This... is definitely not a normal lunch program.”

    The man just grunted, “I came up with the idea of introducing meditation breaks. Obviously, we are behind and need breaks for digging too.”

    Yuto stood up, still in wolf form, tail up but stance respectful. “Please, Madam Principal, we know we've been digging where we shouldn't. But we felt it. We felt we had to. And this isn't just a coincidence. This... is big!”

    The principal looked at the skeleton for a long moment, then looked at Ryosuke. “And you felt it too?”

    Ryosuke nodded. “It was like... an echo. Underground. A call that couldn't be overheard.”

    The principal didn't say anything for a while. Then she held out her hand, let the deputy support her, and gingerly knelt on the edge of the pit. She looked more carefully at the preserved bones the young werewolves had dug up. “Call the city archaeologist,” she said quietly to the deputy. “An expert should take a look at this.”

    And while the principal continued to quietly contemplate the discovery and her deputy pulled out his phone with a serious face to contact the relevant experts, the boys in the hole exchanged silent glances full of energy, but also the first signs of fatigue.

    Yuto yawned, and when the dirt peeled off his muzzle in a tiny arc, he licked his muzzle tiredly. Ryosuke snorted softly, his paws buried in the dirt, his body now slightly tense, as if ready to fight at a moment's notice if the bones suddenly came to life.

    Keito, who had been watching them silently from the edge for some time, smiled softly. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a silver bottle with a rubber sucker on the cap. Just like the kind their dads used to buy with quiet understanding of their transformations. No plastic caps, no screwing – just tilt and suck. Resistant even to wolf fangs.

    He carefully reached over the edge of the hole, held onto the grass with one hand, and lowered the bottle down with the other. “Hey, guys,” he spoke softly, but with that caring tone that was Keito's own. “I know you're brave miracle diggers, but you look like you've been chewed up by a mammoth. Here, have a drink.”

    Yuto immediately raised his muzzle, his eyes lit up, and he whimpered in appreciation. He slowly walked over to the edge of the pit, resting his front paws on the raised edge, and pressed his muzzle against the rubber with a slightly clumsy effort. He began to suck with gusto, water trickling down the corners of his mouth, his tongue occasionally tapping against the plastic, but it was clear that the water was helping to stave off his fatigue.

    Ryosuke watched for a moment, then stood up, walked quietly over to Yuto, and once he stepped away, moved over to the bottle. He wasn't drinking furiously. He took a short, deep drink. He closed his eyes. And then he just rubbed his muzzle lightly against his paw.

    Keito watched them, and though he was silent, there was satisfaction in his eyes. They were dirty, tired, disheveled... but alive. And happy. And they were his brothers.

    Yuri sat next to him with his arms folded, his eyes still fixed on the pit. “You are such diggers,” he said quietly. “But diggers with a drinking regimen. I approve.”

    And as they waited there in the middle of their trench, among the bones, next to the principal and the teachers, surrounded by mystery... They were still just boys. Wolf boys, to be exact, with dirty paws and a sucker bottle.

    Meanwhile, the schoolyard had quieted down a bit. At least as much as was possible in a situation where four wolf cubs sit around a giant skeleton, the teaching staff is dealing with an archaeological find, and part of the school lawn resembles a battlefield between dirt and enthusiasm.

    The principal was just leaning back to look at the bones again, talking in a muffled voice on the phone to some academic from the city's university, and the deputy, hands on hips, was figuring out how to deny access without Yuto having to be carried away by crane.

    And then footsteps sounded. Firm, fast and tense, but with confidence in every step. The second slower, but focused, accompanied by muffled breathing and a certain type of calm that works even without full sight.

    Hikaru and Kota. Two werewolves, two dads. Alpha and his wise voice.

    Hikaru had an expression that already said 'this is going to be a long day', but his eyes twitched in amusement when he saw the two dirty wolf silhouettes in the pit. Ryosuke with his grubby paw pressed to the bone, and Yuto sitting like a sphinx, covered in dirt but proud as a king after a victorious battle.

    Next to them sat Yuri and Keito, in human form, with their backpacks in their laps and the expression “we didn't dig anything, but we are spiritual support”.

    Kota, leaning against Hikaru's arm, was wearing a blindfold over his left eye, but with his right, the one that was fresh from the healing procedure, he was already slowly watching the blurry scenery in front of him. He paused. And smiled.

    Yuto had already jumped out of the hole and was running to meet them. Well, he was running the way one runs when he has a muzzle covered in mud, a tail full of twigs, and a tongue hanging out like a flag. He stopped in front of Hikaru, braked hard, raised his front paws, and rested them on his legs. “Hikaru! We found something!”

    “I heard you've been digging again?” Hikaru chuckled while stroking between his dusty ears.

    “Yeah! And I found a bone! A big one! And maybe it's a dinosaur! Or an ancient Sniffasaurus! And Ryosuke helped me! And it's probably something serious, because the Sniffasaurus smells like it's waiting for... us. And the principal hasn't forbidden us yet. And neither has the minotaur! And-”

    Hikaru placed a hand on his head, gently but firmly. “Breathe. Don't swallow the dirt. And... yeah. You look like you're happy, kid.”

    Yuto grimaced, his paws sliding down and twisting in place with joy.

    Kota, meanwhile, had walked down closer to the pit, and Yuri offered him a hand so he could squat more securely at the edge. The former Alpha of the pack could still see very blurry, but the bones were still unmistakable in the dark dirt. Then he said softly, “It's no coincidence that you felt that. As you grow up, your senses become keener.”

    Hikaru stood beside him, hands in his pockets, eyes lowered to the hole where Ryosuke, whom Yuto had nearly crushed when he returned to the hole, was keeping watch. He sighed slowly. “Well... I guess this is how legendary diggers start out.”

    As the wolf cubs sat by the hole, one of them occasionally leaning over to sniff again or brush a bit of dirt away with a paw, the adults stood a few feet away in a circle where tension mixed with awe and a bit of helplessness.

    Hikaru, arms folded across his chest, watched the principal and deputy with the expression of one who knew a rebuke was coming but wasn't about to let it go unspoken. Kota stood calmly at his side, half facing the children, half listening.

    The principal spoke first, her tone calm but firm, like a gently ringing bell. “Mr. Yaotome... Your wolves may have just discovered an important historical find. Perhaps something extraordinary. And for that they are to be commended.” She paused briefly, looking up at him over her fine silver glasses. “But at the same time, we can't have them just digging around in the schoolyard. Or anywhere else. Not without permission. Not without supervision.”

    The minotaur beside her nodded and huffed. “At this rate, they'll be digging under the gym tomorrow because they'll smell something else there.”

    Hikaru sighed, unzipped his jacket, then shrugged. “I understand you. I really do. And I understand it from your point of view. But... they're not like other kids.” He glanced towards the pit where Yuto had just poked a bone with his snout, and raised his head with the expression of a portal guard. “They're wolves. And wolves... they just don't work like that.”

    Ilywen, still present, raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Hikaru continued, “I know that sounds like an excuse. But it isn't. When they smell something, especially Yuto, it's not just curiosity. It's not a whim. It's... a need. Instinct. The kid's got a snout more accurate than most energy-detecting mages. And Ryosuke... My boy... he would never dig without a reason. When he went to Yuto, he knew it wasn't a game. They sensed something, so they just dug.”

    Morgh frowned. “Are you saying we should just accept that your kids will dig where they smell something? What if they break the foundation of the school next time?”

    Hikaru held up his hands in a calm gesture. “I'm not saying they have to dig all the way to Hell. But I am saying that this is their nature. That they can't just be forbidden to do that. They need it to function... but safely.”

    Kota finally spoke up. His voice was low but firm, and though he had one eye covered by a blindfold, his gaze was sure. “They're wolf cubs, yes. But they're also students. They have responsibilities. But they also need freedom for what they are.” He motioned with his head towards the pit. “And today... they felt it right.”

    There was silence for a while. All that could be heard was the rustling of grass and the dirt Ryosuke blew from his snout.

    The principal finally nodded. “I understand. But they need some rules. And supervision. And the school staff won't be happy about another pit.”

    Hikaru smiled. “I'll be happy to clean it up myself. Even if I have to fill every pot in the building with dirt.” He then turned towards the pack and called out, “But next time, you rascals, before you start digging, at least let me know! Or the teachers! Okay?”

    Yuto lifted his head, groaned, and nodded in all seriousness. But then he turned back to the skeleton, because as he had said before, this was more important than anything else.

    A deep, resonant sound came from the school gate, like someone dragging a heavy suitcase along the ground, followed by the rhythmic clacking of boots on the cobblestones. Everyone turned around. The principal looked behind her, the deputy instinctively straightened his vest, and the wolf cubs raised their heads like a herd of deer that had heard the quiet snap of a branch.

    A man had reached them. Well... something like a man. He was tall, slender, but his skin resembled hardened clay riddled with fine cracks, and his eyes were like two shiny amber lenses that glittered briefly when seen in the light. Instead of hair, he had some kind of beads or stone scales that slid down his temples like ornaments. On his back, he carried a large bag full of scrolls, instruments, and folding tools that clinked with every step.

    An archaeologist, but no ordinary one. Half-golem, half-earthly being and half-ancient connected to the stone and memory of the earth itself.

    He stopped a few paces from the hole, took a slow, deep breath, and his amber eyes widened as if he had just inhaled history.

    “Yes... yes, yes... that's it,” he whispered in admiration, stepping closer. “I haven't felt this since we uncovered the artifacts in Milwaukee. The magic... the imprint...” He jumped gingerly into the pit between the two wolves and placed his palm, covered in a fine texture of dust and stone, on the largest bone. He closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. And then… he smiled deeply.

    “This skeleton... it's old. Very old. And it's no ordinary creature. This was no dragon. Or an ordinary predator. This creature... carried a memory. It was a wanderer. Perhaps even a guide. Something between a creature and a guardian.”

    Yuto, who sat proudly by the bone again like a sphinx with dirt behind his ears, blinked. “So... a Sniffasaurus?”

    The archaeologist laughed a deep sound that sounded like when you overwhelm a boulder with laughter. “Maybe. If it had a nose like yours... then sure.”

    Then he turned to the wolves, straightened up, and said with a soft smile, “You two were digging it out?” He nodded to Ryosuke and Yuto, who nodded in sync, Yuto tapping his paws against the dirt excitedly. “You have an incredible gift. This... this... this is probably something no detection mage and no device could find. Your snout found it. And your heart. And that's something that can't be taught. It's a gift of nature, little wolves.”

    Keito blushed slightly, even as he stood to the side. Yuri blinked and stroked Ryosuke's muzzle, who nudged his hand lightly. Yuto sat upright, chest puffed out, his tail wagging slowly to the side, brushing away dirt and dust.

    Hikaru folded his arms and smiled at the teaching staff, who didn't look all that enthusiastic. Kota just nodded his head.

    The archaeologist was just carefully running his fingers, with the texture of ancient clay, over a long-curved bone when Hikaru approached him, hands in his pockets, eyes half skeptical, half quietly hopeful. “Well?” he asked quietly, just for him. “Did they really find something cool, or just an old beef shank?”

    The man gave a slight smile, looked up, and an amber sparkle danced in his eyes.

    “This... is not normal. These bones aren't in any records I know. They don't match any known magical fauna, nor common species, nor prehistoric creatures. The shape of the pelvis, the curvature of the joints, the strange porous texture, as if formed on the borderline of flesh and magic…”

    Yuto, who approached them from the edge of the hole with mud on his muzzle and excitement in all his limbs, immediately barked, “So... it's a Sniffasaurus?!”

    Ryosuke shook his head beside him, but didn't even try to protest anymore. He just waited silently to see what would come out of it.

    The archaeologist laughed, soft and gentle, like thunder on a summer evening. He looked at the two wolves, knelt down, and stroked each of them between the ears. Yuto flapped in bliss. Ryosuke flicked his ears but remained calm.

    “You may have given your find a name before science does. And you know what?” Leaning closer, he added confidentially, “Maybe it'll keep the name.”

    Meanwhile, the principal, who folded her arms, approached and spoke sternly but with a hint of amusement, “I understand you're excited, but the kids should get out of the pit. They're not trained archaeologists. And... I'm sure they're in your way.”

    Yuto raised his snout, about to say something, but the archaeologist raised his hand faster. “Please,” he turned to her, “let's leave them for a little while longer. Not only have they found this skeleton, but they're reacting to it. They can feel where it continues. This creature isn't whole yet. Something is missing. And maybe... just maybe their noses can complete it.” Then he turned to the wolves and nodded encouragingly. “Try it carefully. Slowly. You can keep going. Just with the feeling in your guts. And together.”

    Ryosuke looked at Yuto, Yuto at Ryosuke. They both nodded. And then, with a care they rarely displayed, they dug their paws into the dirt again. Slower. More carefully. But with all the more reverence. There was silence all around. And the whole yard was now breathing to the rhythm of paws searching for what waited underground.

    The afternoon sun was beginning to set, and the light fell on the schoolyard in soft golden strokes. The air was still, smelling of earth and freshly uncovered history. A small pack of werewolves now sat in what had been an ordinary corner of the school grounds just a few hours ago, working with such finesse that it felt like a sacred ritual.

    Yuto and Ryosuke continued to dig. Not so wildly anymore, but systematically. Every paw movement was deliberate, every bit of dirt brushed away with reverence. Bones slowly surfaced, one by one. New pieces of vertebrae, part of a jaw, and something that might have belonged to a mouth.

    At the edge of the hole, amongst a few bare tufts of grass, sat Hikaru. Beside him, Kota leaned against the stone edge, one eye hidden under his blindfold, the other silently watching the boys. Yuri sat half in Kota's arms, legs curled under him, head resting on his shoulder. Keito beside Hikaru, knees to his chin, both hands resting on his backpack, as still as a summer's evening.

    No one spoke. And there was no need to. There was more to it than just digging. There was pride in it. And neither of the adult werewolves cared that they were digging where they shouldn't have. Because this... was exactly who they were.

    Hikaru reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it up and pointing the lens down for a moment.

    Click.

    The display left a picture of Yuto with his snout just above the ground with Ryosuke beside him, both covered in dirt. Behind them, a pile of exposed bones and four or three shadows at the edge. Kota, Hikaru, Keito, and Yuri.

    Hikaru opened the group chat of their wolf dad team. “They found some skeleton of a magical creature in the schoolyard. Yuto claims it's a Sniffasaurus. The archaeologist says it may be a new species. I say they deserve a pizza tonight. Yeah, and Yuto has dirt on the inside of his ear. All according to plan.”

    After a moment, three dots flashed, and Hikaru smiled. Because even with all the confusion, the dirt, and the admonishment... It was a day when their little wolves were exactly what they were supposed to be.

    Just as the sun began to sink lower over the rooftops of the school, another flurry of footsteps echoed from the gate.

    Three familiar silhouettes, each different, each utterly unique, and all carrying that irreplaceable scent of safety, home, and... fatherly presence.

    Yuya, his bag slung over his shoulder and his hair pulled back into a ponytail, walked with a slight smile, his eyes full of curiosity and amusement. Beside him walked Kei, a cup of coffee in one hand, a sweatshirt in the other, and that soft expression on his face that he used when their little wolves were somewhere they shouldn't be, but didn't really mind.

    And Daiki... Daiki had a backpack on his back, his work vest casually unbuttoned, and a face that said, “I didn't get half the message, but if someone dug up a magic dinosaur, I want to see it for myself.”

    As soon as Yuto lifted his snout and caught the familiar scent, he flew out of the hole like a slingshot. His tail immediately wagged so violently that it could have functioned as a fan, his paws clattered on the ground, his tongue hung out of his mouth, and his eyes lit up like two full moons.

    “Daddy!” He barked until everyone turned behind him, and Yuri spontaneously crouched as his ears pricked up.

    Yuya barely had time to set his bag down before Yuto slammed his muzzle straight into his stomach, wrapped his paws around him, buried his face in his legs, and immediately began firing words like a machine gun, “Dad, we found a skeleton! Not an ordinary one! A magical one! Maybe a Sniffasaurus! But a really old one! And it smells so weird, and Ryosuke helped me dig, and everyone says we have a gift, and the archaeologist let us go on, and I really tried not to dig too deep, but then I had to because it was there! And they say I found it! I did! And that maybe it'll stay named after me! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Dad, can you hear me?! It's a Sniffasaurus!”

    Yuya just smiled, crouched down, and stroked between Yuto's ears, then gently ran his fingers over his dirty muzzle. “I can hear you. The whole city can hear you, my clay rocket. I'm proud of you.”

    Yuto took a deep breath at that, and shook his head so hard his ears slapped against his head.

    Kei, meanwhile, walked over to Keito and crouched down quietly beside him, reaching out and stroking his head. “You didn't want to dig?”

    Keito shook his head and smiled. “No. I was just carrying water. And paying attention. But... I felt it, too. Just differently.”

    “Then you were just as important as the ones who did,” Kei replied gently, sliding his sweatshirt over so he had something to sit on.

    Daiki was the last to arrive and immediately stared down the hole next to Hikaru. “So... Which one of them has an archaeology license this time?” He squatted, reaching down and giving the black wolf a good pat on the side, to which Ryosuke responded with a whine. “Good job, little guy. Good job.”

    Hikaru chuckled until his distinctive wolf fangs were visible, remaining even in his human form as well. “Probably both, but Yuto sniffed first.”

    Daiki chuckled, then snorted. “This is going to be our nightly story for the next ten years.” Then he added, more quietly, “And I'll tell it proudly to everyone.”

    Yuto, still beaming from his welcome with his father, turned back to the pit, as if suddenly remembering again that the greatest discovery of his life awaited him there.

    With his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his fur glued to the dirt, he went back to work with enthusiasm, Ryosuke right next to him, quieter but just as focused.

    As they slowly and carefully dug further, millimeters by millimeters, a full silhouette began to take shape beneath them. Bone by bone. The creature they had discovered was no ordinary animal. The body was elongated, curved like a coiled snake, but at first glance it was clear that it was no reptile.

    It had four long and slender limbs, ending in jointed bones that resembled a sort of mix between claws and fingers. The spine was reinforced with dozens of vertebrae, on which were tiny growths, perhaps protrusions of muscle tendons or remnants of reinforcing armor.

    And the skull... When they finally reached the skull, everyone held their breath. It was unusual, elongated, with a high frontal lobe, two cavities where the nostrils might have been, but unnaturally widened to the sides. The snout seemed deep, drawn forward, as if the skull itself were built around the sense of smell.

    The teeth were thin, needle-like, densely arranged, but not thick; it was not a predator, rather a gatherer or herbivore. There were tiny holes at the top of the skull, as if fine growths, bristles, or antennae had once grown there.

    The entire skeleton was about three meters long, but its height was low, no more than a meter at the withers. It had a lithe, graceful appearance, like a creature adapted for movement in dense forest or wetland terrain.

    What made it special was its long, flexible tail, with stiffened links that wound around its hind legs and ended in a spreading fan of bony prominences. Like a sensory organ. Or a stabilizing structure.

    Yuto stood over the creature, all dirty, eyes wide open. “That's him... that's him...” he whispered. “A Sniffasaurus...”

    And for the first time, no one laughed at him. Because suddenly, the name... made perfect sense.

    The archaeologist walked slowly to the edge, squatted down, and without a word, bowed slightly and respectfully. “It's whole. And preserved. And unique. And I think you two just rewrote the textbooks on magical faunal history.”

    After the last layer of dirt was peeled away and the entire skeleton lay before them like an exposed memory of the earth, the wolves finally stopped. Their breathing was rapid, their fur caked with dust, and their paws were tired, but their eyes... Their eyes shone so brightly they could have glowed after dark.

    Ryosuke sat down next to Yuto, quietly, with a hint of pride in his eyes. Yuto looked at him, ran his tongue over his brother's snout, and then just whispered, “Thanks for digging with me.”

    Ryosuke nodded, sidling closer to Yuto and licking his dirty snout. “Always.”

    The older wolves gradually gathered around them. Hikaru sat down and placed a hand on the top of Ryosuke's head. He shook his fur gently and said with a quiet smile, “You did amazing, pup. Calm, focused... and with a good nose and handy paws.” Ryosuke just closed his eyes and leaned back into his palm lightly, purring like a cat.

    Kota was sitting next to Yuri, and though neither he nor Keito were actually digging in, their calm presence and support of their two naughtier brothers was felt all day.

    Yuya, meanwhile, leaned over to Yuto, who was still sitting by the skeleton as if guarding it even now that there was nothing left to uncover. He put both hands on his muzzle, wiped a little of the dirt off, though it didn't have much effect, and then just pulled him into a tight hug. “My uncontrolled puppy... What would I do without you? I'm so, so proud of you, Yuto.”

    Yuto laughed and inhaled his father's scent like a little wolf he was, his tail thumping against the ground like a drum of joy as he did so.

    And so, there they were. Little wolves that dug because they smelled something. And brothers and dads who knew they were digging the right way, even if they broke a few rules in the process.

    Whether it was the skeleton of a Sniffasaurus or an ancient creature lost to history, one thing was certain – they had found it. And no one was going to take that away from them.

Chapter Text

    The sun was already setting behind the tall buildings of Chicago, and the city was slowly sinking into a golden twilight as the werewolf pack gathered at the back entrance of the courtyard after their grand archaeological adventure.

    The smell of dirt, dust, and spring evening was all around, and the two little wolf cubs, wrapped in dirt from ears to tails, looked as if they had returned from an expedition into a volcanic crater, not a schoolyard dig.

    Ryosuke sat up, his expression completely calm, as if the whole situation didn't concern him. His paws and fur were dirty, a dried clump of grass hanging by one ear, but he showed no sign of shame.

    Yuto, on the other hand, was hopping around with unbridled enthusiasm, his muzzle covered in dust and sand, his tongue out of his mouth and his tail smashing anything that came near. The trash can, the wall, Hikaru's leg.

    “Okay,” Hikaru said, folding his arms across his chest. “None of us is taking them home like this. Otherwise, we'll be running after them with a mop for the next three days, and the beds will raise clouds of dust every time they yawn.”

    “Yeah, we can't leave them like this,” Kei joined in calmly but firmly. “They'd stain the ceiling, too.”

    Daiki sighed and shook his head, hands in his pockets. “They need a bath. No excuses today. But who's bathing who? I'm definitely not taking Yuto. Last time, he tried to jump in the tub before there was water. Head first. Then he climbed out when I turned around for a second and started chasing his own tail around the living room.”

    Yuya made a face like someone who had just remembered a minor trauma. “That was... energetic.”

    Hikaru squinted his eyes, pulling his hand out and clenching his fist. “Rock-paper-scissors?”

    Kei, Yuya, and Daiki all nodded. And the four werewolf hands went up.

    “One... two... three...”

    The palms flew into the air, and then... Silence.

    “Come on,” Daiki grumbled. “Not again! You must be cheating!”

    Kei smiled and looked at both Daiki and Yuya, who sighed wearily. “Looks like you two are getting Yuto.”

    Yuya immediately took half a step back, already feeling defeated without the bathing even starting.

    Kei rubbed his palms together excitedly. “So, I'll take Ryosuke.”

    Hikaru nodded. “Me too. Or I might as well do it myself. He won't get his ears wet unless I give him the right look.”

    Kei just leaned against the door frame contentedly. “All right then. I'll make sure they don't escape, then. Teamwork.”

    Meanwhile, Ryosuke raised an eyebrow and remarked with a slight smirk, “So… which one of you is cleaning my paws?”

    And Yuto squealed with delight, “I want bubbles! And foam! And those colored balls that pop! And the duck! But only if you don't ban it again because of what I did last time.”

    Yuya squinted his eyes. “What did you do last time?”

    Yuto grimaced. “I don't remember exactly. But it was fun!” He wagged his tail in all directions, his paws bouncing as if he hadn't dug in the dirt at all for three hours today.

    So, the wolf cubs were home, but they weren't allowed inside yet. Not with the way those two looked.

    Hikaru stood with his hands on his hips, looking the two wolves over again. “Alright,” Hikaru muttered. “The next question is, do we bathe both at once or one by one?”

    “If they're together, it'll be like bathing two tornadoes at once,” said Daiki, who had just stretched his back, preparing himself for the upcoming water challenge.

    Kei shrugged. “But if we split it up, the other one will make a mess in the meantime. I bet Yuto would try to dismantle the dishwasher or something. Again.”

    Yuya mused. “We can bathe them both, but in the shower, not the tub. And with no ducks.”

    Yuto made a face like he'd just been told Christmas was cancelled.

    And by the time the adults were immersed in a strategic debate about the merits of having two shower heads and making a line of defense against water spray, Yuto was already crouched conspiratorially next to Yuri, who was sitting on the stairs with his backpack at his feet, calmly flipping through a notebook.

    “Heehee, Yuri,” Yuto whispered sweetly, his tail slowly sliding along the ground behind him.

    Yuri didn't look up, but his lips moved in a silent laugh. “What do you need again?”

    “You're going to write me this homework, right? Just this one! From runology! I really can't do it anymore, I'm falling apart. I'm tired. My paws hurt. My snout's almost torn off. I need sleep. And a hero's award. And-”

    Yuri slowly turned around. His eyes were closed. “You were bouncing around Yuya like a squeaky ball on a spring just a minute ago.”

    Yuto paused. “That was...” A pause. “That was reflexive. The body was moving. The soul is asleep. Get it?”

    Yuri sighed, slammed his notebook shut, and looked into his eyes. “I'll write one question down for you. But then you'll be bringing me apples from lunch for a week.”

    Yuto grimaced. “Deal. And I'll throw in a carrot. As long as you write my herbology homework, too.”

    “Yuto,” Hikaru suddenly spoke up sharply.

    Yuto immediately jumped up. “I'm fine! I'm just breathing! I'm just... breathing with intent!”

    “To the shower,” Hikaru announced uncompromisingly. “Right now. Before you break any more contracts with the rest of the family.”

    The brown wolf glanced back at Yuri, then at Hikaru, and then just spoke softly, “But if anyone tries to scrub my ears today... They'll get bitten,” he warned, growling lightly, but more likely making Hikaru laugh.

    So, once the decision was made, the entire pack moved to the entrance of the building. This time, however, not to the stairs as they had been used to until recently, but to the elevator, which, thanks to Kei's divine patience and a few exchanges with the technicians, was finally fully functional.

    “No mud on the stairs today,” Kei declared with a triumphant expression, “the elevator is easier to wipe down.”

    Yuto instantly snuggled up to him with an expression of excitement, as if he'd just been invited on a trip to an amusement park. “Let's go! Let's go!”

    “Sure,” Daiki growled, “and I just hope it's not like the last time you went full howl because you claimed our elevator had a soul and wanted to hear the pack sing.”

    “But it sure liked it!” Yuto laughed, already making his way inside.

    The door opened with a soft click and in they went, first Kei and Daiki and Kota, followed by Yuya with Yuto constantly squirming underfoot, Yuri and Keito, and finally Hikaru, who had his son by his side. Ryosuke didn't protest at all. He slowly settled down beside Hikaru's leg, quiet and dignified.

    His fur was matted, his stomach dirty, his tongue lolling out to the side like a tired hunting dog that had finally arrived home. But his red eyes were calm, filled. He sat with his nose turned slightly to the ground, his paws firmly together, and he radiated a quiet pride throughout. Like someone who had accomplished something great... and was now waiting to fall into his bed.

    Hikaru looked up at him and placed a hand on his head without a word. Only lightly, but with the kind of gesture he understands without words.

    The elevator slowly moved, whirring softly, the light on the panel flickering, and the digits began to rise. Yuto bounced in place, his tail thumping against the legs of everyone around him, trying to sniff the control panel, then wondering if the doors could be opened during the ride, but the adults wouldn't let him try.

    Daiki also held him quietly by the back of the neck. “Just once, try to take a breath like you did before letting out a howl. Once. And I'll tickle you all night.”

    Yuto just smiled with an innocent look and started to move his paws on the spot, ready to run away any second.

    The elevator doors opened with a soft beep, and the familiar hallway of their floor spread out before the pack. The apartment with the door open, the smell of home, the beds in place, the pillows scattered as they had left them in the morning, and the soft gloom of early evening light streaming in from the windows. But before anyone could say anything... Yuto tried to shoot like an arrow.

    “Let go of me! Just for a minute! I have to do something! I'll just check to see if that little bone in the bed is still squeaking! And if my blanket-”

    “No,” Daiki said dryly, gripping Yuto under his belly. “We go to the bathroom.”

    Yuya was already standing ready at the door, towel slung over his shoulder with the look of a father who knows a battle is coming. Kei opened the door, turned on the water, adjusted the temperature, and placed a soft pad on the floor.

    And Yuto? Yuto... howled. Pitifully. Betrayed. Like a wolf that's been forbidden to enter paradise.

    “That's not fair!” he whined. “I just... just wanted to snuggle up to my bone! And into the bed! And to hug a duck! And then I'd go! I swear! Maybe. Maybe I would...”

    “No, Yuto,” Yuya replied patiently. “First the bath, then the chaos.”

    And then he and Daiki dragged the crying wolf into the bathroom, where moments later there were a splash of water, whimpers, sniffles, and an unidentifiable monologue about how “bathing is only really interesting if you can turn around three times and then jump out of the tub, which I was forbidden to do, so what's the point?”

    At the other end of the corridor, quietly and calmly, Ryosuke stepped out. He didn't need to be pulled; he didn't speak. He just walked. Next to Hikaru, who was gently scratching behind his ear with one hand, the other now holding a towel.

    There was silence between them. One that didn't need to be filled with words. Just one step at a time, the smell of shampoo and a quiet evening.

    At the other door, meanwhile, Yuri and Keito made their way towards the table in the living room. Each of them carried a notebook and a bottle of water. Behind them, Kota walked slowly, still wearing his eye patch, but with that kind smile that said even if he couldn't see very well, he was still happy to help them with their homework.

    Yuri sat down first, straightening his papers. Keito sat down next to him, opening his notebook right on the page with the neat title. And they both started writing.

    By the time the water was ready in both bathrooms, what could be called two completely different principles of wolf hygiene had begun. On one side, bathroom number one, there the fight raged.

    Daiki stood straddled beside the tub, his hands clasped under the front paws of a defiant Yuto, who had latched onto the edge like a cat resisting a toothbrush. Yuya stood behind him, sleeves rolled up, brow dewy, eyes focused like a surgeon.

    “On three.” Daiki hissed.

    “Wait, wait, wait! I don't want to!” Yuto whined.

    “One, two, three!”

    Yuto howled. “Be-tra-yal-!”

    And something brown, furry, and with a tail that smeared water on the mirror flickered through the air.

    The sound of splashing was followed by a volley of laughter, water squirting, and Yuto's loud, “It's too warm! No, it's too cold! No- I don't want ears! Not the ears! I don't want soap on my snout!”

    Daiki held him in the “half-managed carp” position, and Yuya, with absolutely angelic patience, began to apply the shampoo. In the bathtub, it looked like he was on a special ops mission.

    On the other side, however, there was calm. Almost sacred.

    Ryosuke walked in, shook the few remaining bits of clay off his paws, and then sat quietly in the middle of the tiles like a statue. Head tilted slightly, tongue barely out, fur damp from the steam rising from the shower.

    Hikaru leaned back against the wall, hands folded behind his back, and with a theatrical sigh, uttered aloud, quite deliberately so that it could be heard across the hall, “Wow, what an amazing wolf we have! He's waiting so nicely for his daddy to set the right temperature! He's not even barking, or screaming, or fighting for his life! What a grown and sensible wolf, isn't he?”

    Ryosuke didn't even blink, but the corners of his mouth turned up a little.

    A little further away, Kei appeared in the doorway, just standing there with a glass of water in his hand. Leaning against the door, he raised an eyebrow and grumbled with a mischievous laugh, “I haven't heard such demonstrative praise since we caught Yuto closing the fridge on his own.” Then he lowered his voice to an amused tone, “You love it when Ryosuke does things without a fight, huh?”

    Hikaru smiled and shrugged. “It's just... if I don't have one wolf turn into a geyser every time he sees water, I want to have a good time.”

    Then he turned on the shower, checked the temperature, and prepared the eucalyptus-scented shampoo. At that moment, Ryosuke calmly stood up, stepped under the stream of water, and closed his eyes.

    At that moment, a voice came from the other bathroom, “Nooooooo, the foam is getting up my nose!” And the next scream was apparently Yuto's attempt to escape... and failing.

    Kei chuckled happily and cocked his head. “Okay. For one, the moon is shining calmly... For the other, it looks more like a full moon in the wolf version of a circus.”

     In the quieter shower, the soft murmur of warm water running over the tiles was almost meditative, accompanied by the muffled gurgle of shampoo and the rhythmic sound of wolf paws moving lightly across the damp tile.

    Hikaru leaned back on one knee and carefully, with the natural confidence of a father who had done this a hundred times before, massaged the shampoo into Ryosuke's fur. His fingers glided over his neck, back, and sides carefully and evenly, neither too fast nor too slow.

    Ryosuke stood perfectly still. Head slightly bowed, eyes half-closed, tongue lolling out just the tip, his fur glistened under the stream of water, and as the foam formed, his entire body resembled a soft sculpture of black velvet covered in bubbles.

    Hikaru smiled as the foam slid down to the tip of his tail, and was reaching up to his snout when Ryosuke suddenly gave a soft whimper. Almost inaudibly. But enough for Hikaru to notice it immediately.

    Stopping his movement, he leaned down and lightly touched the snout again, this time with just the edge of his fingers.

    It was scuffed. Not much, but visibly sensitive, pink from constant poking at dirt, twigs, and rocks.

    “Ouch,” Hikaru muttered softly. Then he held up one of his front paws. It too was scuffed, scraped in places. The other was similar. “You've given yourself quite a hard time today, haven't you?” he said gently, without remorse. More like a laugh in his voice.

    “But it was worth it, Dad,” he barked softly. Hikaru patted him gently between the ears.

    At that moment, the familiar silhouette of Kei appeared in the doorway once more, leaning against the frame, a clean towel and a small bottle of ointment in his hand. “I heard the squeak. Let me see how bad it is.”

    Hikaru showed him his son's muzzle and paws. Kei walked closer, took a look, and just nodded. “I'll treat him after the bath. These are just irritated, but they deserve some care tonight. We have a new healing ointment that smells like calendula. And it works really well.”

    Hikaru chuckled. “It smells like calendula? Oh well. He's going to be a spa guest yet.” His hand began to gently lather Ryosuke's fur again, this time leaving out the sensitive parts of the little wolf's body. He gently brushed a wet sponge over him so lightly that it was more of a touch than a wash.

    Kei stood there a moment longer and just watched, a quiet smile in his eyes. “You know he trusts you completely? That he'll let you wash him, even if it hurts. He only does that with you. When I bathed him, he was always complaining about something.”

    Hikaru looked at him briefly, stroking Ryosuke's wet head. “Oh yeah,” he whispered. “He's my boy, let me tell you.”

    Ryosuke stood still under the stream of warm water, eyes half-closed, lather running down his sides, the shampoo smelling faintly of herbs and forest air.

    Hikaru was just gently running a sponge over his shoulder blades, carefully rinsing away the bubbles that had gotten caught in the thicker fur near his tail when Ryosuke spoke. Quietly, but with that soft, sincere tone that wasn't exactly common with him. “I like it.”

    Hikaru paused slightly, slowing his movement and leaning closer. “Hm?”

    Ryosuke didn't open his eyes. He just added quietly, “When you bathe me. It's... nice. It calms me down.”

    Hikaru's heart completely expanded at that moment. He smiled so widely that it surprised himself, and his hand lingered for a moment in a calm caress on Ryosuke's wet back.

    “I'm so glad to hear that, Ryosuke. Very much indeed. Because I like it, too. And even if you're twice as dirty... I'm always happy to wash you.”

    There was an extremely dramatic howl from behind the door, followed by a splash and a desperate cry, “Noooo, it's cold! You're doing this to me on purpose! This is water torture! Call the wolf police! I have a sensitive nose!”

    Kei, still leaning against the door, laughed out loud. “Oh yeah,” he snorted in amusement, “that kid should get an acting award for every bath. Another minute and he'll start saying the water's cursed.”

    Hikaru chuckled and shook his head. “He was born with a flair for the dramatic and an aversion to soap. A lethal combination.”

    Ryosuke, despite his closed eyes and gently curled tail, couldn't help a wolfish grin either.

    Hikaru carefully directed the shower to wash the last of the shampoo from Ryosuke's fur. When the black wolf was all rinsed off, the water ran off him in glistening rivulets, forming tiny reflections on his dark fur. Hikaru turned off the water and picked up a towel. A soft, dark one, just the kind Ryosuke liked.

    “That's a good boy,” he said softly, throwing the towel over Ryosuke's back. He began to gently dry him, first his head, then his neck, then the back and hips. Ryosuke didn't resist, just occasionally flicked his ears or stretched as Hikaru attended to the spots between his paws.

    “Should I blow dry you?” Hikaru asked when the towel was soaked, and Ryosuke was just a little damp.

    “Yeah,” Ryosuke replied softly. “I like the sound of it... and the way it warms.”

    Hikaru smiled and reached for the hair dryer, plugging it in and turning it down to a tolerable temperature for a wolf. The hair dryer began to hum softly, a nice warm stream spilling into the bathroom, and Ryosuke closed his eyes as the warm air brushed through his fur.

    Hikaru was slowly drying him. He moved the hair dryer around, his other hand stroking and fluffing his fur to make sure everything dried evenly.

    Kei was still standing around, leaning sideways, watching the whole family ritual with amusement. He tilted his head and uttered with a laugh, “Blow drying, huh? Yuto definitely couldn't stand that. He's already fighting furiously for his freedom. I think he's pretending to drown right now.”

    As if on cue, a voice came from the bathroom next door, “My tail is broken! And wet! And I don't want it to smell like flowers!”

    Kei burst out laughing and almost collapsed on the floor. “Yeah. Okay. I got it confirmed. Yuto's a hurricane and hypersensitive to shampoo to boot. A blow dryer would make him a plush apocalypse.”

    Smiling, Hikaru continued to blow dry Ryosuke, who now lay contentedly on his side, his fur slowly drying and fluffing in the warm stream. He didn't whine, growl, or bark. He was just enjoying the care of his daddy.

    Once Ryosuke was perfectly dry and brushed, his fur fluffy and soft and smelling of forest herbs, Hikaru turned off the hair dryer and set it aside. Ryosuke slowly stood up, stretched his back, let out a long yawn, and shook his entire body lightly until his fur fluffed up even more. He looked like a freshly washed and brushed wolf from a dog shampoo commercial.

    Hikaru opened the door for him. “Here. You're free to go. Clean. And luxuriously scented.”

    But Ryosuke didn't make a move. He remained standing by the door, then sat down, tail wrapped around his paws, and watched calmly as Hikaru and Kei gathered towels, emptied the hair from the sink, and mopped the floor. Something in his stance said he wanted to stay. Granted, his dad wouldn't let him do the cleaning, but at least this way he was supervising.

    Kei turned to him and chuckled. “Wow. An elegant wolf, and a disciplined one at that. What's up, Ryosuke? No wet paw stomping around the living room today?”

    Ryosuke smiled out of the corner of his mouth. “My paws are dry.”

    But at that moment, there was a dramatic splash from the other side of the apartment. Followed by a sharp, horrified exclamation, “What?! Are you done?! Already?!”

    Ryosuke slowly turned his head towards the door of the adjoining bathroom, where Yuto was still locked in with Daiki and Yuya, surrounded by bubbles, foam, and the aftermath of his troubled soul. The tub splashed again, and Yuto's voice carried through the apartment like a wolfish reproach, “That's not fair! You teleported! Or did they dry you with magic?! You cheated! I'm suffering here and you're already done?!”

    Ryosuke just slowly, completely unmoved, opened his mouth and calmly, in one breath, barked, “I just held on. I didn't go to the moon like you.”

    Kei held back a laugh behind his back, but to no avail. He sputtered and nearly dropped his basket of towels. Hikaru leaned back against the wall, ducked his head, and laughed out loud.

    And all that came from the bathroom next door was a desperate, “Be-tra-yal! Even my brother is against me!” And then a gurgling. And a splash. And an apparent attempt to disappear beneath the surface of the foam in protest.

    Ryosuke only stretched slightly, then stood up, took one more look at the tidy bathroom, and only now, with a quiet, graceful step, made his way back to the living room. Like a wolf who knows the day has been long, but good. And most importantly, he was clean and could rest now.

    Ryosuke returned to the living room calmly, but with the lightness in his paws that only those who have just bathed, been complimented, dried, and have their entire body smelling of shampoo have. He looked around the room without a word, then looked for his favorite couch. The one that was a little sunken in the corner where he always lay, and with one graceful movement, he jumped onto it.

    With his paws folded under him and his tail curled around his hips, he looked like a picture out of a textbook about a happy wolf.

    Kei, who had followed him with a small ointment and a clean cloth, walked over and sat on the edge of the couch. He gently lifted Ryosuke's chin with his hand and examined the snout carefully. It was dry now, but still slightly red and sensitive, especially where it had scraped against branches and rocks while digging.

    “Your small nose is a little irritated here,” he said quietly, pulling out a small box of natural ointment. “But we'll fix that. It doesn't sting, I promise.”

    Ryosuke just nodded slightly. Then he lay down on his side himself, stretched out his front paws, and set his muzzle. Kei smiled, gently dabbed his muzzle with a soft cloth, then carefully applied the ointment.

    Then he picked up the first paw, lifted it, and checked it. It was only scuffed in a few places, but it was obvious that Ryosuke had given it a hard time today. The second paw was in a similar state. Kei wiped them both gently, drying off the remaining moisture, and applied the ointment in a thin layer, massaging it gently between the pads.

    “There. Done,” he said with a smile, closing the cup. Then he held up a finger in warning. “But don't lick it off. Not the snout, not the paws. Otherwise, I'll have to do it again. And again. And I'll keep an eye on it.”

    Ryosuke threw him a light, incredulous look, but then he just lay his head back on the pillow, stared up at the ceiling, and sighed softly. Tired, but content. And he kept his tongue well in his mouth this time.

    The silence and stillness that had momentarily spread across the living room like a soft blanket was suddenly broken by the thunderous thumping of paws, the slamming of a door, and a scream of joy that could not be compared to anything other than Yuto's triumphant return from a bathroom fight.

    “I'm clean!” he yelled at that moment at the top of his lungs. And the next moment, Yuto came running in, still a little wet, the fur on his back standing up in all directions, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, and his eyes as bright as if he'd won the bath survival trophy.

    And then... he jumped. Right at Ryosuke.

    “Broooo!” he squealed before he landed like a pile of wool, shampoo, and love.

    Ryosuke lifted his head just an inch, squinted his eyes, and sighed deeply, like someone who knows that resignation is sometimes the highest form of wisdom. “You're cold,” he growled softly. “And stuffed with foam.”

    Yuto grimaced, snuggling up and sprawling across half the couch like a wolf pillow. Kei turned from the table where he'd just placed the ointment and towel and immediately raised an eyebrow. “Come here, you naughty one. I still need to check on you.”

    Yuto tried to crawl behind the pillows, but Kei was quicker. In one graceful motion, he grabbed the skin on his neck and pulled him back like a restless toddler teddy bear. “Sit down. Paws here. Snout too.”

    Yuto sat down with the air of a martyr, but his eyes sparkled. Kei gently rubbed his front paws, which bore the marks of scrapes from digging, and then his muzzle, which was still pink. “Done. And no licking, you hear?”

    “Suuuure,” Yuto replied with absolute conviction. And no sooner had Kei turned around than he shoved his entire paw into his mouth and began licking it with the enthusiasm of a dog who'd just discovered butter.

    Kei didn't even have to turn around. “Yuto.”

    “I'm not doing it!”

    “I swear, if you lick it, I'll treat it again. But this time, you'll get a dog muzzle on your snout.”

    Yuto paused. He stared at the ceiling like a statue. “I'm not licking it. I'm just... chilling.”

    Just then, Daiki and Yuya entered the room. Hair disheveled. Clothes soaked, eyes tired, hands scratched from naughty wolf claws. Both had the look of men who had just survived a flood, an explosion, and a rough training camp all rolled into one.

    Yuya slumped down on the couch and buried his face in the pillow. “I... will never underestimate bathing a wolf again.”

    Daiki slumped down next to him, closing his eyes and adding, “No more of this. Never.” Then he turned to Ryosuke, who still lay beside him, tail curled, eyes half-open. “You... you're sweet.”

    Ryosuke just nodded and casually stretched. Beside him, Yuto wiggled contentedly into his side, and though he still occasionally licked his paw, just out of habit, it was clear that the calm was slowly returning.

    Yuya sighed. He lay sprawled out on the couch like a wolf that had just been run over by a steamroller shaped like his own son. His face buried in the pillow, his arms resting limply along his body, lying somewhere between the armrest and Yuto's paw.

    Beside him, Daiki, similarly collapsed, with only one eye open, as if checking to see if someone was making him get up again to go clean the bathroom.

    “Next time... Next time, we'll bathe Ryosuke,” Yuya hissed.

    “No question,” Daiki added hoarsely.

    “You take the hair dryer. I'm holding the towel. No one's jumping anywhere. No one's crying. No one claims the water is alive.”

    Hikaru, who had just spread the blanket over his knees, stretched his back and replied with complete calm, “Oh, come on. Yuto is pure joy. And an energetic experience. And... a minor natural disaster.”

    Kei chuckled, this time with a glass of tea. “Ryosuke was like being in a spa. Calm, peaceful, a few quiet nods. I could meditate to that.”

    Yuto, who was curled up between Ryosuke and the pillows, just rolled onto his back contentedly and yawned, “I'm just... authentic.”

    Yuya didn't move, but raised his hand and muttered, “Next time... you're Hikaru's problem. I'll take the silent model. Even if I have to pay for the reservation in advance.”

    A short distance away in the living room, where a large table stood by the window, the atmosphere was calm and focused, illuminated by the warm light of the lamp. Yuri and Keito sat side by side, notebooks open, pens gliding over the pages. Kota sat across from them, leaning slightly against the back of the chair, one eye closed, the other, the recovering one, watching their work with quiet admiration.

    “You got the runes right,” Kota complimented Keito, stroking his hair. “And Yuri... beautiful writing. Even an elven archivist would envy that.”

    Yuri smiled, but it was obvious that it warmed his heart. “Dad, would you rather maybe go sit with them? We're going to write for a while.”

    He nodded his head towards the couch, where another of Yuto's yawns had just come from, followed by “And can I have a cookie for my bravery?”

    Kota laughed. He always had a warm, relaxed laugh. Placing his hand on the table, he gently ran his fingers along the edge of Yuri's notebook and softly uttered, “No, no... I'm fine here. It's a pleasure to see you grow. And over there...” He turned his head towards the couch, where Yuto was trying to pull the blanket over his head while Ryosuke pointedly ignored him. “There, I see the pack is alive. And laughing. But I'd prefer quieter company today.”

    And so, while one corner of the apartment was laughing, another was doing homework, and a third was almost asleep, Kota sat between them like the heart of the pack, knowing that everything was exactly as it should be.

    Yuya barely had time to close his eyes and relax a little when suddenly a brown, furry projectile came at him from above, or rather from the side.

    Yuto landed with a soft thud right on his stomach, his back paws sliding across the blanket, his front paws flattening across his chest, his tail curling around his legs, and his muzzle immediately buried into his dad's sweatshirt.

    “Oof!” Yuya snapped, now suddenly carrying an extra fifteen kilograms of wolf. “Yuto! You just poked me in the ribs!”

    Yuto just grunted softly and curled up comfortably on top of him, tongue hanging out to the side, ears perked. “I'm just going to make my bed here... just for a minute... because I'm completely... done...”

    Silence.

    And then one of Yuto’s eyes opened. “Daddy, can you scratch between my ears?”

    Yuya sighed and began to stroke him lightly, his fingers running through the fur on his head, gently scratching the back of his neck. It was one of those moments where he exactly knew that it was a trap. And he'd walked into it willingly anyway.

    But then, like a good dad, he tried to do his school duty. “Hey... what about homework, kid?”

    At that second, Yuto moved. He spread his paws on his sides, buried his muzzle deeper, and whimpered, “Me? I'm completely... destroyed. I can't do anything. I'm going to fall asleep. Really.” Dramatic pause. “Maybe for a week. Maybe until the holidays.”

    Yuya tried to shift, but Yuto covered him like a blanket against reality. Then he began tactfully licking his father's chin, then cheek, then neck, already a diversion in top form.

    “Daddy, you're the best... You're soft... and awfully comfortable... And I know you wouldn't rush your tired little wolf to do his homework when he's in such a state that he has to lick you or he'll fall asleep.”

    Yuya sighed, patting his back and turning his eyes to the ceiling. “This... This is what they teach you in the drama club? Because this is already a graduation performance.”

    Laughter echoed from the next table. Yuri just chuckled lightly without looking up from his notebook.

    Keito turned to Kota and quietly remarked, “Simulation number 17. Classic.”

    Kota laughed softly. It was indeed a classic Yuto's favorite strategy.

    The evening was slowly moving into that phase where everything slows down. The window panes reflected the warm light of the lamps, the muted gloom hugged the walls, and the pack gathered in the living room like a herd after a long day.

    On the couch, under the blankets and pillows, there was a peaceful calm, broken only by the occasional bark, yawn, or clink of a mug on the table.

    Kota had just closed Keito's notebook, stroked his hair, and asked with a smile, “So, boys? How are you enjoying school so far? Confess so we know who to buy cake for and who to get a brain massage for.”

    Keito smiled, leaning back a little. “I like it. It's cool. I like the library... and the science teacher has a stuffed groundhog in their office.”

    Yuri nodded. “It's okay. We have a friend in art who draws everything blue. And our class teacher showed me the old werewolf pack journals that the students before us kept. It's funny.” Then he chuckled. “Someone wrote in there, 'all days outside of the full moon are just waiting'.”

    Kota smiled, pride playing in his eyes. “Glad to hear it.” Then he turned to Yuto, who was still clinging to Yuya like a sloth with suction cups. “What about you, Yuto? How do you see it?”

    Yuto rose only halfway up, rested his chin on his father's chest, and announced with a dramatic sigh, “School is hell. A trap!”

    Everyone laughed. Yuya patted Yuto on the head, but he wasn't surprised. “Oh, come on. It's not that bad, right?”

    Yuto straightened up, eyes wide open. “Last time! I just wanted to run around a bit. Just a lap. Two. And the teacher... locked the classroom! He said 'Running on the ceiling is not active learning'.” Then he turned to Kei. “And yet it was scientific! I was studying gravity!”

    Kei laughed. “And what did you find out?”

    “That gravity always wins...” cackled Yuto, snorting loudly into his dad's chest.

    Ryosuke hadn't spoken yet. He lay curled in a ball between Hikaru and Daiki, half on one, half on the other, their hands sliding down his back in a rhythm of soothing caresses. His head was resting on his front paws, eyes half-closed, but his perked ears betrayed that he was listening.

    He was taking in every word, every tone. He didn't need to speak. It was enough for him to be there. Among those who loved him. Among those who were his home.

    Yuto burrowed into Yuya again, snout buried in his chest as if trying to hide from the world. He no longer laughed, no longer barked. His paws only shook gently, and his tail lay motionless along his side. “I don't want to go in there...” he muttered, almost inaudibly. “I don't want to be where they don't want me.”

    Yuya paused in the middle of the motion he had just been using to stroke behind his ear, and looked at him with sudden seriousness. “Yuto... what do you mean?”

    Yuto pulled his front paws over his face and whimpered into the fabric of his dad's sweatshirt. “That... no one wants me there. That I'm interrupting. That I'm... too much.” Then after a moment, he added in an even quieter voice, “And that I just don't belong there.”

    Silence fell on the couch. Not the uncomfortable kind, but the focused one, like a whole pack lifting their heads and straining their ears. Hikaru, who had been petting Ryosuke, stopped and turned around. Daiki straightened up. Kei put his mug down. Kota sat closer to the table, arms folded, eyes concerned.

    “Yuto...” Daiki spoke first, softly but clearly. “It's not your fault that you're energetic and imaginative. That's a gift. But the school... sometimes doesn't know how to work with such gifts.”

    “Especially when it's running on the ceiling,” Hikaru added with a weak smile, but a quiet seriousness in his eyes. “Still, that doesn't mean you don't belong there. That they don't want you there. Or that you're too much. You're our Yuto. And you're exactly what you're supposed to be.”

    Yuto shifted, rubbing his snout a little against Yuya's, and murmured, “But they don't understand. Teachers are always complaining that I'm interrupting. That I'm not concentrating. But how am I supposed to concentrate when I can smell every smell, every rustle, every print on the desk?” His voice broke, just for a second. “And no one laughs at my jokes.”

    Yuya pulled him even closer, his hand running lightly over the back of his head. “I'm sorry about that, Yuto. But you know what? Just because it doesn't work somewhere right away doesn't mean you don't belong there. Maybe you just... need a little different approach. And we'll help you find it.”

    Kei pulled his chair closer and added softly, “Some schools have aides for kids who feel more. Those who perceive the world differently. We can see if we can find someone to help you when you feel like you're too much. But we know you're not. You're just enough.”

    Kota nodded. “And you know what, Yuto? You're not the problem. You're just a challenge. Like with the bathing today. And sometimes, it's just the point of view that makes the difference.”

    Yuto slowly straightened up, his eyes sweeping over all the adults. Then he whispered softly, “You really think I'm not weird?”

    Ryosuke, still lying quietly between Hikaru and Daiki, finally opened his eyes and uttered with complete calm, “If you were weird... You wouldn't be ours.”

    And in that moment, it was clear. Because even if the world sometimes doesn't understand, the pack always does.

    Moments after Ryosuke spoke, there was a quiet emotion in the room that no one needed to disturb with words. Ryosuke remained lying there for a few more seconds, just breathing, listening, and then, as if driven only by the need of his heart, he rose up without a word.

    He said nothing. He just stood up, stretched like a cat, and walked in silent, slow strides across his father to Yuto.

    The brown wolf was still lying on top of Yuya, ears flattened back and eyes fixed on the blanket. Even though he was feeling better, there was still something tight inside him.

    And then he felt something soft and warm land on his back.

    Ryosuke.

    A slow, heavy, but steady wolf touch. He snuggled up to him from behind, paws wrapped around his hips, muzzle resting behind his neck. No talking. No excuses.

    Yuya, who now had two wolves on his chest, flushed red in the face and began wheezing in Yuto's ear, “Guys... I really love you... But I need oxygen too. A little. Just a little.”

    Yuto frowned, Ryosuke snorted softly, and then came that gentle push away. First with his left arm, then his right, until Ryosuke slid off Yuto's back with a small “hmpf” and rolled over him like a blanket.

    Now Ryosuke lay down right next to Yuto, belly to belly, his head resting on his brother's shoulder, his paw touching him gently.

    Yuya sighed in the meantime, but immediately moved to his side so he could hug Yuto from behind. Now they have become the most peaceful little ball. Three bodies, one rhythm of breath, one heart of the pack.

    And then Ryosuke finally spoke. In the quiet, velvet voice he only saved for the closest moments, “But I laugh at your jokes. Always. Because they're yours, little brother.”

    Yuto fell silent. He just snuggled closer. His tail only moved once. But even that was enough. Because no more words were needed.

    After a moment, when the wolf cubs lay snuggled together and the world was momentarily reduced to warmth and stillness and muffled breathing, a deeper, calmer voice spoke from the other side of the room. The voice of someone who had been thinking about all this all along.

    Hikaru.

    He was still sitting on the couch, one elbow propped on the armrest, a mug in his hand that had long since gone cold. He looked at them with a soft expression in his eyes. And even though he joked almost all the time, he was serious now. “Yuto?”

    The wolf lifted an ear, shifting a little, but stayed snuggled. “Hm?”

    “I'll try to talk to the principal tomorrow. See if anything can be done. That maybe you could spend more time outside. Run when you need to. Maybe in class. Or during breaks. Because...” Hikaru paused, glancing at Kota, Kei, Daiki, and Yuya. They all nodded. “... Putting werewolves in an enclosed room with no movement for six hours a day just doesn't make sense. That's not restlessness. That's nature. And if the school doesn't understand that, we need to remind them.”

    Yuto opened his eyes, slowly turning his muzzle to Ryosuke, who still had his eyes closed, but his tail moved in soft agreement. Then he turned more onto his back, looked at Hikaru, and just muttered softly, “Would you really do that?”

    Hikaru nodded. “No question.”

    Yuya gently ruffled the fur between his ears and added, “All of us would. Even if you have to run around three times a day, we'll make it happen. Sometimes, a school has to understand that all students aren't the same. And that what's normal for you isn't a problem, it's exceptional.”

    Yuto fell silent. For a moment. Then he pressed a paw to Yuya's side, the other to Ryosuke's. “Thanks...”

    And in that short word was everything. Relief. Gratitude. And the feeling that even if the world sometimes didn't make sense... the pack was always there for him.

    The room was completely silent after that. Just the distant hum of the city outside, the muffled rustle of the wind between the windows, and the deep, slow breathing of the pack finally settling down.

    Yuya had his arm draped over Yuto's back, his fingers sliding rhythmically over his fur. His eyes were gliding, though he still occasionally blinked in Hikaru's or Kota's direction, as if to confirm that everything was in place.

    Ryosuke lay next to Yuto, his muzzle close to his cheek, eyes half-closed but still alert. He was aware of his little brother's every breath, every twitch of his paw, every little movement of his ears.

    And then, completely silently, without any words... he licked his ear. Gently, carefully, with that special wolfish tenderness that no one had taught him, but was in him for a long time.

    Yuto didn't respond with words. He just shifted slightly, snuggling in tighter, and let out a long, contented sigh that only belonged to those who knew they were loved. That they are safe. And that they are not too much.

    Ryosuke closed his eyes. Yuto did, too, a moment later. And while their dads sat quietly around them, watchful, alert, and calm, the two little wolves slowly slipped into sleep, curled into a ball, paws in paws. And the night embraced them like a forest.

Chapter Text

    It was nearing the end of one of the many classes at the School for Magical Creatures in downtown Chicago. The air in the classroom was already overloaded with energy. Fairies were beginning to levitate slightly on some desks, a few vampire students were boredly drawing blood in their notebooks, and by the back window... There sat Yuto and Ryosuke.

    Yuto had a pen in his mouth, despite being in human form, and his legs were constantly shaking. One of his knees rhythmically bounced off the wooden desk so vehemently that it sounded like the ticking of a homemade bomb. His chest heaved in rapid breaths. His body was in motion. His soul was already in the schoolyard. Only his hand remained somehow in touch with reality as he tried to copy a sentence from the board that he had read about five times but had yet to finish.

    Ryosuke sat next to him, silent as a shadow. He held the pencil steady, his handwriting regular, his head tilted slightly. But even he had already raised his eyes to the clock.

    Behind them, inconspicuously against the back wall of the classroom, Dr. Liram Veil sat in a chair out of the action. He was a tall man with a calm expression, eyes the color of moss, and fine lines around the corners of his eyes. He wore a dark grey coat, a shirt with a pattern that looked like delicate twigs, and held a notebook made of forest paper, on which he wrote something here and there in a strange green ink.

    Yuto kept glancing anxiously at the clock. Then at the window again. Then to the door. And then... to the four legs of the table.

    “Ryo...” he whispered towards his brother. “It's supposed to be break time, right? Don't you feel it too? You feel it's... time to run?”

    Ryosuke didn't answer right away. He slowly finished the last word of his sentence before lowering his eyelids and turning to face him. “Yuto... relax. Two more minutes.”

    Yuto made a sound that resembled a low howl and began to play with the rubber, which he turned into an impromptu slingshot. He hid it under the desk right afterwards when the teacher turned to look at him.

    Liram smiled weakly. He wasn't judging. He was just taking notes. And watched as Yuto, the runner before the thought, tried to sit in a world that was never designed for legs to move before the body even understood why.

    And Ryosuke? He was his silent anchor point. And that was why Liram looked at both of them for a moment. Not separately, but as a pair of two brothers in chaos and calm. Yin and yang. Predation and calm in the wolf's body.

    And then finally... It rang.

    The bell hadn't even had time to finish ringing when a wolf explosion went off at the back.

    Yuto snapped his body forward like a catapult until it squeaked the legs of the chair against the floor, and in a single motion, he raked the entire contents of his desk with his hands straight into his backpack. He slung it over his back, still unfastened, the straps hanging limply, and was halfway to the door, almost on the rebound to a sprint.

    “Yuto!” came a stern voice.

    The teacher, a burly man with sharp glasses and a severely geometric haircut who never blinked when he spoke, stood at the blackboard, arms crossed. “Class ends when I say it. The bell is just for an orientation.”

    Yuto stopped abruptly, turning on his heel, his backpack sliding over his shoulder to his side and nearly dropping his notebook. He squinted his eyes. If he had his wolf tail right now, he'd be banging the floor.

    “But... but... It's ringing because it's supposed to end! Right? Like... that's the signal! Like with the wolves! When you howl, you move on! It's natural! Now the bell has rung, so I'm moving on! Naturally!”

    The teacher sighed. “I don't care about your naturalness if you disrupt the flow of the lesson. Sit down. Until I tell you that you can leave.”

    Yuto hunched his shoulders, but didn't give up. “But I... I really need this. I need to get out. I've got movement in me that won't fit anymore. If I sit here for ten more seconds, my snout will explode. Or my inner ear. Or something else important…”

    The class giggled softly. Some classmates watched him in amusement, others just shook their heads as if they already knew he would say that. But Liram Veil, leaning against the wall with his hand on his chin, just smiled slightly and wrote in his notebook.

    The teacher straightened his posture. “Yuto, this isn't a negotiation. Sit down. Or we'll talk to the principal. Again.”

    Yuto glanced at Ryosuke, who was still sitting quietly, but already with his backpack ready. And Ryosuke just nodded slightly.

    Though Yuto made a face like a puppy who'd just had a toy taken away, he sat down again with a quiet sigh, or rather collapsed back into his chair, backpack half hanging, feet tapping the floor again.

    The wolf was tamed... for a moment. But the sparkle in his eyes continued. And Liram saw it and understood it.

    Yuto sat in his chair like a taut wire. His leg twitched in regular pulses, as if someone had poured too much electricity into it, and his hands were planted on the desk, but his fingers drummed spontaneously against the wood. An inner cry rippled through his body. It was stronger than boredom. It was instinct. A desire to run. To get out. To feel the air in his lungs, the ground beneath his paws.

    But the teacher kept talking. “... And by tomorrow, you will have read the first three chapters of Magical Integration in Urban Structures, written by Lerius Nendri. I recommend underlining...”

    Yuto was beginning to gently lean to the side, his back twisting as if he was about to crawl out of his own skin. At that moment, he felt a firm, steady tap on his shoulder blade. A hand. Ryosuke.

    He didn't even look up. He just patted him gently on the back. Briefly. Yuto turned around, and though he didn't make a sound, his breathing slowed for a moment.

    From the desk in front of them, two heads turned almost in sync. Yuri, his gaze calm, his brow lowered, and his hand still resting on his notebook, whispered back, “Just a little longer.”

    And Keito, who barely blinked, added, “Ten seconds. You can do it.”

    Yuto nodded. His throat was tight, but his eyes suddenly calmer. He rested his forehead on his hand, as if trying to hold back the pressure building in his chest.

    Only the teacher... kept on talking. “And as an additional assignment, you will choose one of these topics: the effect of cultural differences on magical adaptation, or structured rituals as a form of social stabilization...”

    But Yuto wasn't paying attention anymore. His body might still be sitting there, but his soul was already running outside. Through the forest. Through the meadow. Through the city courtyard. On the roof. Anywhere he could be who he really was.

    But for now, thanks to Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito... He was still there. For a while. For a little while longer. Even though he was all crouched down by the desk like a beast ready to leap, he only perceived one single instruction.

    “You may go.”

    In that second, the energy that had been bubbling inside him all morning exploded. Yuto shot out of the desk like a rocket, and the desk was inadvertently pushed, his notebook fell out, his backpack slung over one shoulder, and all that rang in his ears was a free, “Yeaah!”

    Within two seconds, he was at the door; within three, he was out of the classroom. All he left behind was a swirl of air and the crumbs from his snack.

    Ryosuke followed behind him with a quick but silent stride. Not so frantically. Not so dramatically. But he was walking fast. Because where Yuto went, Ryosuke usually followed. Because that was just the way it was.

    Yuri and Keito stayed in the classroom. They were taking their time packing their folded notebooks, their carefully arranged supplies, and their water bottles. Both were calm, used to their two brothers being more hurricane than students.

    But at that moment, a teacher approached them. His face was grave, his glasses pushed up to the bridge of his nose, and the tone of his voice was one used for reprimands.

    “Boys,” he began, “I think it is up to you to explain to your brother what it means to respect the teaching. Next time, he'll get a note for it. And if it happens again, I will ask the management for disciplinary action. It's happening every class.”

    Yuri slowly raised his head, and the look he gave him was not hurtful, but coldly precise. His voice was calm, but crisp. “So… It's up to us to explain to Yuto how to be less what he is? Because you're tired of him being different? That he has too much energy? That he sees the world differently than you do? He's really trying! And all you notice is what doesn't fit!”

    The teacher took a breath to answer, but at that moment, the silence was broken. Dr. Liram Veil approached the group. “Excuse me, Mr. Lehren,” he said, with a soft tone that nevertheless carried the weight of authority, “may I ask a moment for a private conversation?”

    The teacher paused, but nodded. Yuri and Keito stood to one side, but their eyes had a strange gleam of quiet triumph.

    Liram looked at them, not saying a word. He just gave them a brief nod, and then he and Lehren moved away out the door.

    In the courtyard behind the school, there was a hint of spring in the air. The flower beds weren't quite blooming yet, but the grass was already lush and smelled of sun and mud. The wind ruffled the branches of the trees that lined the edge of the grounds, and somewhere in the distance, birds chirped.

    The door flew open. Yuto took off like a shot. Ryosuke followed half a second behind him, his stride light and sure, but unhurried. Two school bags ended up on a small clearing under a mature tree right away, the taller of the brothers literally tossing his through the air.

    And then came the change. The familiar, natural, wolfish one. Without a word. No magic. Just movement, breath, and decision.

    Yuto's body shimmered, rearranged, stretched. Paws hit the dirt, tail lifted, and immediately shook in a joyous motion.

    Ryosuke followed. His transformation was quieter, smoother, like water flowing from one form to another. And then... they were wolves.

    Suddenly, the world changed. Not that they themselves changed, but rather the way they perceived everything around them. The grass was greener. The air was faster. And Yuto... Yuto was home.

    With gritted teeth and a happy howl, he ran. With his first leap, he jumped over a stump, with his second, he bounced off a slanted rock, and with his third, he tried to surprise Ryosuke from the side.

    Ryosuke had been expecting this. With a smile in his eyes, he jumped, crouched, and took off in the opposite direction. And then their game began.

    It was a chase, but not the one the kids knew. It was a dance. It was a speech without words. It was a discharge of the energy that bubbled like a hot spring in Yuto, and which the school could never understand.

    When he ran, he was happy. When he ran, everything made sense. The world was simple – four paws, one ground, one direction. And most importantly, Ryosuke breathing down his back. His brother never let him run alone.

    Yuto turned, crouched, and barked. Ryosuke responded with a low growl, a graceful leap over a boulder, and the next moment, they were side by side again. They ran because they could. They ran because it was them.

    The grass bent under their paws, and the wind played with the branches as Yuto and Ryosuke continued to run around the biggest tree in the yard. They were both in their elements. Yuto, with his tongue lolling out to the side, a joyful expression on his face, and a tail that waved like a flag. Ryosuke as agile and silent as a shadow that never stayed far from him.

    At times, they clung to each other sideways, occasionally one would hide behind a tree trunk and dart forward at just the right moment to surprise the other. It was a dance, chaos, and gentle play all at once.

    And then... Yuri and Keito appeared in the distance. They were walking slowly along the path through the bushes, still unbuttoning their jackets and chatting casually, when suddenly, there was a heavy stomping and rustling of leaves from the side.

    “Uh oh...” Keito managed to say before Yuto swept past them in one brisk arc. And right behind him was Ryosuke. Then Yuto again. Even closer. Then Ryosuke. And again.

    The two black and brown lightning bolts began to run in circles around their brothers. Once from the right, once from the left, once between them, until it became an uncontrolled swirl of wolf bodies and swirling grass.

    “Hey! Hey! Hey!” Yuri laughed, ducking his head and spinning around as he tried to keep track of who was where. “Is this... some new type of attack or something?”

    Keito raised his hands in the air and backed away, but it was too late. Yuto ran so close to the tops of his boots that it nearly put him on his ass.

    “I- ow! That was close!” Keito yelped, having to quickly keep his balance.

Yuto chuckled happily as he ran in that typical wolf way of his – mouth open and ears back, all excited about his own idea.

    “Of course it's an attack!” The brown wolf whined as he stopped at Keito and lightly poked him in the side with his snout. “It's a challenge to join the swarm!”

    Yuri just shook his head and chuckled. “At this rate, they'll stomp a circle into the ground in our schoolyard... and a new Stonehenge will be created.” But he still smiled, because these were their brothers. And right now, they were happy.

    So, after a moment of laughter, Keito and Yuri decided that running from hyperactive wolves with backpacks on their backs was really hard, so they took both bags off and placed them next to the others under a tree in a small pile that resembled the unwritten rule of the pack: here's the base.

    Yuto, meanwhile, kept running around. This time, not around the tree, but around his brothers. He spun, accelerated, braked hard, jumped over roots, and started off again. His paws clacked on the dirt, his tongue lolled out, and his tail undulated like a ribbon in a race of joy.

    “Come chasing me! Or be chased!” He barked, turning on his own axis so fast that he wobbled and almost sat on his butt.

    Ryosuke finally came to a stop and, with a deep exhale, he folded himself into a sitting position. His tail was wrapped around his paws, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his chest rising in a fast rhythm. “I'm going to take a break...” he panted, but the sparkle still lingered in his eyes.

    Yuri, who was in the process of stretching his back and running his gaze over his surroundings, suggested, “Hey, how about we go play wolfball? There's a nice new rubber ball in the gym...”

    He hadn't even finished speaking when Keito turned around and dryly said, “No one will lend us the ball anymore. Not one. Not the teachers, not the principal, not the janitor. Someone will always chew through it. By accident.”

    Yuto stopped mid-run and swished his tail. “Once! Only once did I bite too much...”

    Ryosuke shook his head and remarked without moving, “No. Twice. And the third one you dragged into the bush, and no one found it again.”

    Yuto took mock offense and folded dramatically onto his back in the grass, legs in the air, paws splayed. “So, what do we have to play with? We can't just keep running in circles...”

    “Are you complaining?” Yuri grinned. “You, who would run even in an elevator?”

    Keito smiled, sitting down in the grass next to Ryosuke and looking at the others. “We can make something. A piece of cloth, tie it up, stuff it with grass... If it doesn't look like a ball, maybe they'll let us.”

    Yuto was already getting up again, his eyes lighting up. “Yeah! Yeah! Let's make a wolf ball! Ours! And we'll hide it from the teachers, and only we'll have it, and-”

    Ryosuke raised his snout. “And then you'll bite through it anyway.”

    Yuto laughed, and so did the others. “I'm not going to bite through it! I'll watch my fangs!” He bared them to Ryosuke.

    The black wolf snorted, but then a movement in the distance caught his attention. Slowly, he turned his head and gazed towards the benches at the edge of the schoolyard where students usually snacked or took notes in the fresh air.

    On one of the benches sat Dr. Liram Veil. His coat was unbuttoned, his sleeves rolled up, and he held his special notebook in his hand. Its pages rustled softly in the wind as he turned them, his pen gliding across the paper. Occasionally, he would glance at the wolves again and then jot something down. His expression was calm, gentle, and focused.

    Ryosuke watched him silently for a moment before speaking. “That gentleman... from the classroom. He's sitting over there.” He pointed his muzzle towards the bench. “And he's writing something down. All the time.”

    Keito, who was sitting leaning against a tree trunk, picked up a fallen twig from the ground and rolled it thoughtfully between his fingers. “Maybe he needs air, too, like us. But he said something to the teacher in the classroom earlier. Quietly. He seemed to be... explaining something to him.”

    Yuri, who had just been standing and brushing pine needles off his sleeve, turned to them. “I saw him, too. But you know what? I thought he was more of an advocate for us. The teacher looked angry, but this one was calm.”

    Yuto, who had just rolled onto his back again and kicked his feet in the air, rolled onto his side and squinted towards the bench. “Is that the one with the calm snout? The one who always pretends to know something we don't?”

    “Yeah, that's the one.” Ryosuke nodded. “But I don't smell anything bad coming from him.”

    Yuri sat down next to him, his hands folded in his lap. “It seems to me that he knows we're... different. But instead of wanting to change us because of it, he's trying to understand. And that's... rare.”

    Keito shook his head and added, “If it's someone who can help make the school understand us more... maybe it's good that he's watching us.”

    And as Liram Veil continued to calmly take notes on the bench, the wolf cubs under the tree looked in silent agreement in his direction, feeling for the first time that maybe they weren't just being watched... but finally being truly seen by someone.

    Yuto stared for a moment in the direction of the bench where Dr. Veil continued to sit quietly and take notes, but the restless energy in his body was already bubbling to the surface again. His paws twitched, his tail flicked from side to side, and his eyes lit up with that familiar sparkle that meant only one thing – it was time to do something.

    He turned lightning fast to the others and jumped into a sitting position. “Come on! Come on! Please!” He squealed, leaping between Yuri and Keito so fast their hair flew. “Transform too! I want to play! I want our whole mini pack! We haven't all been chasing each other since Monday!”

    Ryosuke snorted. “Yuto, it's Tuesday.”

    Yuto squirmed in place, then jumped on his brother's back and licked his ear. “That's an awfully long time since the last chase!”

    Keito looked at him in silence for a moment, and then looked at Yuri. “Well... what do you think?”

    Yuri shrugged, then smiled. “We can. We're still free. Yuto's already blown up anyways.”

    “I've almost exploded twice!” Yuto howled and started bouncing around until they both came to their senses, or rather, let the wolf take the reins.

    The air vibrated slightly, and within seconds, two wolves were sitting there instead of the two boys – one white as freshly fallen snow, the other with gray fur.

    Keito shook his head, Yuri yawned slightly... and Yuto immediately jumped on them.

    “Boys!” he yelled in wolf-speak, rolling onto his back. “And now we're rolling! Because we're free and I've decided that!”

    And so, they rolled. Not wildly, not by breaking branches and stomping on flower beds. But the way only they could. Like young wolves who trusted each other, who knew each other's every move, and knew when to allow themselves to bite, and when to just lightly paw at the side.

    Yuto collapsed on top of Yuri, Yuri rolled over and pulled him close, Keito joined them, lightly nuzzled them, and began licking their ears.

    For a while, it was just a flurry of fur, laughter, and muffled barks, and then they broke up into four separate bodies lying in the grass under the sun.

    Ryosuke at first just lay in the shade, watching the others and sighing softly. But it wasn't long before the desire to be with the pack overcame even his usual calm. Rolling to his side, he jumped up and with a few quick jumps, blended into the rippling huddle full of his brothers.

    But even as he played, even with his paws buried in the soft grass and his muzzle in Keito's fur, his eyes still wandered to the bench every so often. To the spot where the man sat. The one who wasn't talking in the classroom. The one who looked different from the others.

    And then, out of nowhere, Yuto froze in mid-motion. He lifted his head, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his eyes lit up like he had a good idea. “I'll go after him!” he howled happily. “What if he has the keys to the gym?! What if he gives us the ball?!”

    His enthusiasm was so contagious that Yuri didn't even have time to say “Wait!” before Yuto was trotting towards the bench, tail up.

    The other three looked at each other, and like a proper mini pack, they followed him. Ryosuke was right on his paws, his red eyes still a little wary but loyal. Yuri and Keito kept a slight distance, as if leaving themselves room to escape if Yuto accidentally bit someone.

    When Yuto reached the bench, he slowed down, but only a little. He stopped right in front of Dr. Veil, paws uncrossing themselves in a happy stance, tongue lolling, eyes shining with that irresistible sincerity of his.

    Then he sat down. Or rather... sat down in Yuto-style. His front paws were close together, but he kept moving them. Slightly, nervously, as if he were running in place. As if he might be jerked into another sprint at any moment.

    He lifted his head and cleft his throat in the kindest wolf-speak he knew, “Hello! I'm Yuto! And I was wondering if... If you have the keys to the gym? We wanted to borrow a ball! Some we can't bite through right away! Maybe one that's... stronger! Maybe a magically protected one!”

    Behind him, three other wolves were already standing silently, each in a different position. Ryosuke beside him as his silent shadow, Yuri sitting with a raised eyebrow, Keito a little off to the side.

    And Liram Veil smiled slowly at them. Like someone who already knew exactly what he was going to answer.

    Yuto sat in front of the bench with an expression as if another sentence might come out of him at any moment. His paws were still moving restlessly, as if his body refused to stay still even when he spoke.

    “I promise!” He barked excitedly. “I promise we won't bite through it this time! And we'll bring it back! All of it! Not like last time!”

    Ryosuke rolled his eyes slightly beside him, but said nothing. He just scooted a little closer and sat up more firmly. Behind them, Yuri was already smiling, and Keito put a paw to his muzzle as if he had an inkling of what was to come.

    Dr. Liram Veil put down his pen, slammed his notebook shut, leaned back more comfortably against the bench, and asked kindly, eyebrows slightly raised, “And how many balls have you... bitten through?”

    There was no remorse in his voice. Nor sternness. Just an amused curiosity, like someone who'd just heard a cute story and wanted to know the rest.

    Yuto's expression was completely innocent. “Eh... a couple.”

    “A couple?” the doctor repeated with a soft smile.

    Yuto fidgeted. His tail twitched to the side. “Oh, well. The first one was red. And it was a little soft. And I thought that was my squeaky little bone, the one I can bite as hard as I want! But it wasn't. So, I bit it. And... it didn't jump much after that.”

    “I see...” Liram nodded. “And the next one?”

    “The other one was rubber. Hard! Kind of orange. That one was Ryosuke's. And he kicked it too far, and I wanted to bring it back. But I choked it a little in the bush. And then... uh... we never found it. Maybe the squirrel got it.”

    Ryosuke looked innocent, but Yuri tapped him gently with a paw. “It wasn't mine. It was from school.”

    Yuto frowned. “Yeah! That was the school one! And the third one was an inflatable one with a picture of a cat. But we really just wanted to sniff that one. Only Yuri hit it with his paw, and it... flew away... and then landed in the water... and then got lost in the canal.”

    Yuri frowned. “You're the one who pushed it into the canal. I just tapped it.”

    Yuto stuck out his tongue and laughed. “Maybe.”

    Liram smiled. His eyes sparkled at the corners. “So… three?”

    Yuto blinked. “Four. The fifth... er... was a ball as well, but it wasn't ours. And it wasn't quite whole when we found it. So that one doesn't count.”

    Liram laughed softly. Not mockingly, but sincerely. It was the kind, soft chuckle of someone who knows he can hear small mischief... but also feel a wolf's heart full of joy.

    “You might need to arrange for some practice balls. Durable. To test a werewolf's enthusiasm.” And as he finished, Yuto's eyes lit up in a way that made it look like someone had just proclaimed him king of the court.

    Immediately, at the doctor's words, he straightened up and moved a little closer, his paws flattened together, his tongue hanging out to the side, and his eyes lit up like stars. He looked like a little wolf who would have sworn an oath to the pack and the moonstone just to get the ball now.

    “Please, Mr. Teacher!” He howled sweetly, his voice skipping over like a small puppy. “We'll be careful! Really! Just for a minute! Just one ball! The strongest one! The one that can't be bitten through! We're just gonna sniff it!”

    Dr. Veil smiled, looking Yuto over carefully. Not as someone evaluating him, but as someone who was just discovering something beautiful in its natural form. Then he sighed slowly and shook his head, but not dismissively, more with that gentle amusement that only those who understood wolves knew.

    “Well... first of all, Yuto, I'm not a teacher.”

    Yuto blinked and cocked his head. “No?”

    “No.” Liram smiled. “I'm Dr. Veil. But...” He looked at the four wolves sitting in various poses in front of him. “... But I don't see why you couldn't play with one ball for a while. If you promise to give it a chance to survive.”

    Yuto barked enthusiastically, spinning around on his own axis until his tail was over Ryosuke's snout, and headed straight for the school building. “Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!”

    Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito got up as well, though not as quickly. Dr. Veil got up from the bench, folded his notebook into the inside pocket of his coat, and slowly made his way after them. The wolves trotted in rhythm, each a little different, but together as a pack.

    The gym was quiet and cool, the light from the tall windows drawing long rectangles on the wooden floor. Everything smelled of wax, dust, and a mild wizarding protection spell that shielded the equipment from random magical blasts, at least most of the time.

    The moment Dr. Veil opened the door, the wolf cubs piled in with excited paw stomps and a sparkle in their eyes that would have given away an entire lamp.

    Yuto immediately jumped up onto his hind legs, resting his paws on the edge of the locker and devouring the array of balls in different colors, sizes, and materials with his gaze. His eyes darted back and forth, and his snout kept tapping one ball after another.

    The orange one, boing!

    The blue one, thump!

    The purple one with gold stripes, beep! This immediately upset him, but Ryosuke stopped him from biting the ball.

    “Not that one,” Ryosuke growled softly but authoritatively. “That's the therapeutic one. If you took that one out, the support teacher would faint.”

    Yuto just walked excitedly around him and stuck his snout into another ball. “But this one doesn't bounce very well. This one's too light. And this one...” He turned his head to Ryosuke. “You're only up against the ones with colors!”

    “No, I'm against the ones that whistle and attract demon seagulls.”

    While the two tornadoes debated, Keito was in the corner looking at the balls according to his own system. “This one's a nice green... This one has nice red seams... This one's... oh, shiny!” He didn't address bounce, weight, or durability. Color was the only important point for him.

    Yuri, meanwhile, sat calmly by the bench and watched the whole mad scramble. Doctor Veil stood a short distance away, hands in his coat pockets, and watched with a soft, amused smile as Yuto and Ryosuke began to argue with increasing vigor, each of them with a paw on a different ball. Yuto was already bouncing again. Ryosuke grumbled.

    Keito presented them with a yellow one with pink polka dots, which they all ignored.

    And then Yuri stood up, walked over to the closet without a word, pulled out a medium-sized dark blue ball made of thick rubber with a protective rune pattern, tried to drop it once on the floor, where it bounced with a satisfying 'dut', and then picked it up in his paws.

    “This one,” he said. And at that moment, all was quiet.

    Yuto and Ryosuke turned to look at him, both frozen in motion, and then, after a second of silence, Yuto snapped, “Yeah! That one is awesome! It's the most medium one!”

    “Reasonable.” Ryosuke nodded.

    Keito sighed softly, but acknowledged, “Well, the dark blue one is nice.”

    Doctor Veil laughed softly. Here, in a room full of balls, wood, and wolf chaos, he saw exactly what he needed to see. Harmony. Childishness. Differences. Balance.

    Yuto started playing with the ball as soon as he picked it up, like a puppy that had just found a treasure. He lowered his head, pawed it, and then gently rolled it towards the door with his snout. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, his tail swishing from side to side, and his eyes focused like the biggest athlete in the pack.

    Behind him walked Ryosuke, who was calmer, but with the same gleam in his eyes, Yuri with a calm elegance, and Keito, who kept muttering to himself that he might paint over the ball to make it happier.

    Doctor Veil stopped at the door, watching with a slight smile as the ball came up to his feet, then stopped it gently with his foot. Without a word, he threw the door wide open, not breaking the stream of joy that radiated from the wolves.

    Yuto ran through first, nudging the ball forward with his muzzle, already imagining them tossing it around like they were playing a wolf version of aerial ping-pong.

    Ryosuke passed behind him, and then Yuri. Keito turned to the doctor before he walked out. “Thank you for letting us in,” he said simply, cordially. Then he trotted off after the others.

    The ball hit the ground with a muffled thump, bounced against the school wall, and Yuto took off after it like an arrow. He jumped, lifting it up with his snout and letting it fall.

    Ryosuke immediately picked it up, gently bouncing it back with his head, and so their game began.

    Not kicking. Not a normal ball game. It was a sort of wolf 'volleyball', but without nets, without rules, and with perfect coordination. The ball moved through the air, with the tips of their snouts bouncing it back up.

    Keito and Yuri joined in right away, and each had their own way of playing. Yuri bounced the ball with his head, with grace and precision, while Keito tried to dial the ball up spectacularly, commenting loudly on each attempt. “Hey, that was almost like an asterisk! Did you see that curve?”

    “That was a chaos curve,” Ryosuke remarked. “Yours has the biggest deviation.”

    “But it's beautiful!” Keito replied proudly.

    Doctor Veil, meanwhile, walked back to the bench. He didn't open his notebook. He did not reach for his pen. He just sat down, rested his hands on his knees, and watched in silence. His eyes slid over the wolves, over the ball, over their dynamic with each other. The jumps, the hits, the light barks. The joy. For freedom.

    And for the first time since Kei had asked for his help, Liram wasn't analyzing. He wasn't watching. He didn't observe. He was just with them. Like someone who understood that sometimes, the best writing is the one that can't be written down, but must be experienced.

    The ball had been flying through the air for a good ten minutes now, and even though it occasionally rolled out of bounds between bounces or hit someone unexpectedly in the snout, the wolf cubs laughed and ran on with inexhaustible enthusiasm.

    And then, as it tends to happen when Yuto feels a sudden idea, he suddenly stopped, looked around, and then turned directly to the bench.

    Dr. Veil sat motionless, leaning against the armrest, smiling slightly, his hands clasped in front of him. He observed. But Yuto had a different plan.

    In a few leaps, he was there. His little paws trembled with restlessness and excitement, his tail swirled in the air, and another pulse of joy glittered in his eyes.

    “Doctor! Doctor!” He growled in playful wolf-speak, which translated meant 'I have a brilliant idea you can't refuse.'

    “Won't you play wolfball with us? Like... just a little! Just stand there and play! Really! No big deal!”

    Liram Veil laughed a low, amused laugh, tilted his head, and shrugged. “I don't want to spoil your game, Yuto. I'm not exactly the... movement type. Not as much as you are. I don't want to get in your way.”

    Yuto stood sharply on his hind paws, his tail thumping his hips, his paws twitching like springs, his eyes shining with excitement. “But you don't have to run! You really don't! You just... stand still and we'll pass the ball to you. And you'll ping it back at us! And I know you'll enjoy it! I can feel it! Like, really strongly! Like here!” And he thumped his chest with his paw. “I can feel it inside me!”

    Liram looked at him for a moment, and then he sighed slowly, but the way one sighs when one knows one has succumbed to something good.

    He rose from the bench, straightened his coat, and nodded his head with a gentle smile. “Very well. But only for a while.”

    Yuto whirled around, barking with glee, and ran back to the pack. “Boys, we're playing with the doctor too!” he yelled, making Yuri startle and jump in place.

    The wolf cubs looked a little surprised, but when Doctor Veil reached them and stood at the edge of the 'playground', slightly embarrassed, they all slowed down and stepped back a little to give him space.

    Yuto threw him the ball with unexpected accuracy. The ball landed just in front of Liram's feet, bouncing slightly, and the doctor poked it back with his palm. The ball flew a little clumsily, but still.

    Yuto caught up to it, picked it up with his muzzle, and sent it back again. And so, a new game began. Not between wolves. But between a pack... and one human who joined in for a while. No talk. No notebook. Just a smile and a ball.

    And Yuto? He was beaming. Because he knew that right now... he'd made the watcher one of them.

    Liram Veil stood at the edge of the circle, surrounded by four young wolves who laughed, whined, barked, and sent him the ball with such genuine joy that it would make even the coldest day brighten into summer.

    There was nothing complicated about it. Just movement. Just a game. Just the pure, undisguised energy of beings who were not yet tamed by what was “supposed” to be, but were still who they were.

    And yet, for him, that was all it was.

    When Yuto sent the ball so hard to him for the third time with a delighted pop that he had to duck and nearly fell on the ground, he laughed out loud. Honestly.

    Then he sent the ball back and watched as Ryosuke head-butted it, Keito nudged it with his paw, and Yuri pointed it back in his direction with the grace of a dancer.

    It was then that Liram realized something deeper. No questionnaire could describe Yuto's energy. No chart could capture Ryosuke's loyalty. No doctor could express the quiet understanding in Yuri's eyes. Nor any note that captures the colorfulness of Keito's soul.

    He could feel his breath slowly changing. How his shoulders relaxed. As the tiny distance he kept as a doctor disappeared. But he wasn't a doctor now. Now he was a member of this little wolf pack that had accepted him into their midst without prejudice or expectation.

    He made a single mental note, “They don't need to be tamed. They need a space where they can run. Together.” He smiled.

    And when Yuto sent him the ball again, this time with a bit of a shimmy, but with eyes full of hope, Liram reached out, caught it, and responded with an overly theatrical bounce.

    Yuto burst out laughing right then, and the others joined in. And Dr. Liram Veil didn't need to write anything in his notebook anymore, because he knew that everything important had already been said... between all the bounces.

Chapter Text

    The school corridor was filled with muffled noise, the rustling of notebooks, laughter, and the crashing of tin lunch boxes. A break time. That resting zone between classes when time slowed down, bodies relaxed, and the world allowed you to be who you wanted to be for a while.

    Yuri and Keito sat on the bench by the window. They both had snack boxes in their hands, knees covered, backs straight, and there was a quiet, comfortable silence between them.

    Yuri ate the carefully cut slices of fruit that Kota prepared for him every morning, and from time to time, he looked out the window where clouds trailed lazily across the sky.

    Keito had a roll with something that called itself cheese spread on it, and he nibbled on it with the expression of a thoughtful wolf cub wondering when he would be able to see the school garden again.

    Against the back wall, under a bulletin board full of school rules that already had Yuto's paw prints in several places, a different form of teaching was going on. It was much livelier there.

    Yuto and Ryosuke, two wolves in human form but with their souls still on all fours, were there developing the art of flight.

    A paper swallow, carefully folded from a scrap of Yuto's worksheet, hovered in the air between them.

    Yuto tossed it with theatrical poses, always turning half his body to add style. Ryosuke caught it calmly, sometimes deliberately letting it fly just past his face so Yuto would think he missed.

    “That was a death dart!” Yuto exclaimed on one throw that ended with the swallow hitting the light.

    “More like a laughing fit dart,” Ryosuke uttered dryly.

    Around them, the other children were engaged in their favorite activities. Some were drawing, others were laughing at cards, a pair of fairies were whispering, and in the back, two young trolls were showing each other something in an alchemy notebook.

    And in the chaos, the natural bustle of a child's break... Yuto was running, Ryosuke was catching, Yuri was biting into a peach, and Keito was wondering if a paper swallow could be painted to draw a rainbow as it flew.

    Everything was as it should be. That is, until the swallow took off again.

    Ryosuke tossed it with a light but precise motion that looked so casual that even an origami master would envy it. The paper twirled in the air, catching the air current between the middle desks and whizzing right over the heads of the other classmates.

    Yuto reacted instantly. He jumped up, held out his arms, and ran after the flying swallow, eyes wide with excitement. He didn't see the desks; he didn't even see his classmates. He was only aware of the movement and the target.

    And then came the unwanted contact. As he turned sharply for the paper, his shoulder bumped into one of his classmates.

    He was a tall, burly boy with antlers and an expression that hadn't looked friendly at all. Yuto's impact threw him a little off balance and knocked his notebook off his desk.

    “Hey!” The boy growled, turning sharply. “Watch where you're running, you-” He stopped just short of adding something that was already beyond the rules of school rules.

    Yuto stiffened and raised his hands. “Sorry!” he barked quickly, truly sincere. “I really didn't mean to push you; it was just a swallow! I didn't mean to knock you down, I really didn't!”

    But the deer boy's ears were already red, his antlers had spread slightly, and his eyes were whipping with an anger that had more than one bump in it. “Yeah, the werewolf's doing whatever he wants again!”

    And then came the second impulse. Not from Yuto, but from another classmate who was watching the whole scene from afar. It was a boy with glowing sleeves and a sharp mouth. He walked closer... and pushed Yuto from behind. Not violently, but enough to hurt.

    And at that point, Ryosuke was already on the move. His eyes flashed more sinisterly, and his face remained relatively calm at first glance, but his body moved with the pure, instinctive rage of a protector.

    In three strides, he flew across the space between them, and before anyone could say anything, he pushed back. Harder.

    The boy staggered and slammed his back into the desk. The class fell silent. So did the kids playing cards, the fairies by the window, and the trolls in the corner.

    Meanwhile, the paper swallow flew to the ground and landed with a soft rustle. No one noticed it now. Now, two boys and a wolf stood opposite each other.

    Ryosuke's eyes were firmly fixed on both of his classmates. There was no anger in them, but something else. There was a boundary in them. A boundary that someone had just crossed and that Ryosuke wasn't going to let go unnoticed.

    The tension in the classroom was thickening. The air was suddenly heavier, as if time had stopped for a moment. Everyone was watching.

    Yuto took a step back. His eyes held first surprise, then sadness, and finally, a sharply suppressed shame. He didn't want to fight. He just wanted to play. He just wanted to run. He wanted to be who he was, and now he was the center of attention he didn't exactly want.

    But Ryosuke stood perfectly still. He was considerably smaller than the two boys across from him, much quieter, and yet... His presence was stronger than theirs. “No one touches Yuto anymore,” he said calmly, but in a tone that didn't need to be loud to shake the floor. “If you do, I'll handle it.”

    Deer boy chuckled. Sarcastically, mockingly. “And what are you going to do? You're so small. You look like a puppy. What do you think you can do?”

    A second joined in from the side, “Yeah. You and your minion think you can do anything because you're werewolves. But we're not in the woods here. This is where the rules are followed.”

    Yuto wanted to join in, to say something, but Ryosuke just raised his hand a little in a gesture that held him back. Not as an order, but as a protective circle. His gaze remained firmly focused on the boy with the antlers.

    “I don't think I can do anything,” Ryosuke replied softly. “But I can do enough to show you that my brothers aren't to be touched.”

    And that was enough. The two boys across from him moved closer. Ryosuke didn't flinch. Yuto stood close behind him, again with uneasiness in his body, but this time not out of joy, but out of defense.

    The tension snapped. Someone took the first step. Someone held out a hand. And the next shove was harder. A shoulder to the chest. A knee to the thigh.

    Ryosuke responded with equal force, but precisely, purposefully, without explosion. Everything in him was controlled. Like ice that only moves when it's too heavy.

    It was one moment. One movement. One mistake. And then the words were gone. It was as if the whole world in the room suddenly changed. It was as if all the colors turned gray, the sounds became silent, and everything was reduced to raw impulses like defense, anger, instinct.

    Ryosuke felt the first blow from the side. He didn't make a sound. He spun, his body hitting his opponent hard with his shoulder, but by then, he was pinned. Two guys from the right, a third from the front. Pressure. Elbow to the ribs. Someone pushed him into the desk.

    But he held on. He fought with precision, as still as ice water flowing beneath the surface. But he was smaller. Much smaller.

    “Ryosuke!” Yuto shouted. And it was like a dam breaking. The taller of the werewolves no longer hesitated. He lunged right between them, nose first, hands balled into fists, eyes fierce.

    He hit the first one holding his brother with his shoulder. He pushed the next one away with his fist. He didn't know when to stop. All he felt was heat, pain, and an overwhelming desire to protect.

    He screamed. He staggered. He fought.

    “Stop!” one of his classmates shouted. Others just stared. Others pulled away.

    And then even Yuri and Keito couldn't stand idly by.

    “Hey!” Yuri shouted, running over to his brothers. Keito only stood still for a second, but then he too took off.

    They both tried to get closer, to break the circle. But one of the boys, who was not only tall but also increasingly angry, reacted immediately and hit Keito in the shoulder with his fist.

    Keito screamed, fell to the ground, and began to cry. Not loudly. Not out of pain. But from the fact that it had come at all. That this had to be. That their pack was hurt.

    Yuri stopped at that moment. He looked at Keito. And then... he didn't wait any longer. He jumped. Not like a human. Like a wolf in human skin. Push, hit, push away. Not because he wanted to hurt, but because he couldn't just stand still.

    And then the whole room was chaos. Chairs and desks overturned, papers in the air. Screaming. Breathing. Blows.

    And yet... in the midst of it all, in the midst of the pain, the turmoil, and the screaming, one thing was clear to the brothers. They were not alone in this. None of them.

    The classroom, however, had long since lost its face as a place of learning. It was now a disorganized and chaotic battlefield, filled with fear and rage.

    Ryosuke was everywhere. He didn't seem big, and he wasn't. But his body was like a trained spring. He dodged, he backed up, he defended, he protected his space and his brother with every move.

    A fist landed on his side, but he didn't back down. His elbow drove into the other boy's chest. When he turned, he faced another. And even though blood was gushing from the corner of his mouth and one eye was swollen shut, he didn't back down. He was like a dark energy, silent and fierce at the same time.

    Yuto fought differently. Unrestrained. Wildly. With an instinct that screamed he was trying to protect himself and stay with the pack. His fists may not have been accurate, but they were strong. And more importantly, they were fast.

    When one of his enemies got too close to Ryosuke, Yuto didn't hesitate. He shoved him with such force that the boy fell over the desk.

    When Ryosuke lost his balance and was knocked hard to the floor, one of the boys, grinning and purple-eyed, lifted his leg, ready to kick him.

    And at that moment, Yuto was there. He lunged forward with his whole body. He hit him with his hip, his shoulder, and his entire weight.

    The boy screamed and crashed into the table. Yuto fell next to him, but he got right back up. His pulse pounded in his ears. He couldn't sense anything else. Just Ryosuke, still on the ground.

    Yuri stayed close, but didn't fully engage. He didn't attack. He just pushed anyone who came near one of his brothers away hard. He was like a protective circle, a shield of sorts between the fight and those who just wanted to watch.

    Keito sat against the wall, his hands on his knees, his eyes blurred with tears. Not because he was in pain from any wound, but because this was all bound to come. His brothers were fighting, and there was nothing he could do to help them. Just cry.

    The other kids, the ones who weren't part of the fight, were already at the door. Some were running down the hall, calling out to their teachers. Others stood horrified in the corners of the classroom, huddled against the walls. No one dared come between them. This wasn't a boy thing anymore. This wasn't just a fight. It was an outburst, and the long-suppressed pressure was finally released.

    The door to the classroom burst open with a violent slam until it rang through the walls. And in the next instant, several teachers of different builds, different beings, had run into the room.

    The first was a minotaur in a dark green uniform, huge and massive, his footsteps shaking the floor. Behind him walked a stern fairy with narrow lips and a sharp light of authority in her eyes, and the third was an elderly man with stone skin, who immediately held out his hands and formed a weak shield of magic around himself.

    “Enough!” The minotaur exclaimed. His voice was as deep as the earth itself, and many of the students' knees buckled just from that tone.

    But in the midst of the battle, where more punches were landing, where Yuto had just pushed away a boy who had tried to touch Ryosuke again, and where Ryosuke, on his knees, was delivering the last of his strength, that voice wasn't enough.

    The teachers had to act. And fast.

    The Minotaur pushed his way to the middle and, with a single, powerful arm movement, pulled Yuto away from one of his classmates. Yuto jerked, kicking backwards furiously, but stopped when he realized he was being held by a teacher.

    “Let go of me! I had to! He- he was going to kick Ryosuke!” He gasped between sobs and anger, but he was already pulled back.

    The other teacher, a fairy, walked over to Ryosuke and tried to pick him up, but he had his teeth bared and his body tense. Only when he recognized who was holding him did he freeze. Not because he had stopped fighting, but because he knew it was over.

    Meanwhile, the third teacher had conjured a barrier between the rest of the brawlers. Several semi-transparent walls of magic spread out between the main players, keeping those who already had bruises, blood, or just rage in their eyes from approaching again.

    “Back off! Everyone back!” The fairy's voice rang out. “Stand back! Now!”

    Yuri held onto Keito as if trying to keep him from being pushed over the barrier as well. His palms were shaking as he was still in battle mode.

    The wolves' gazes still met those on the other side. The blows no longer flew. But the tension... could be cut.

    And so, in a classroom full of ruined furniture, torn papers, and breaths that sounded like the exhalations after a battle, Ryosuke and Yuto were led in different directions each, but they kept their eyes to themselves. The pack split up for a moment, but the bond between them remained the same.

    The barriers between them were almost translucent, but strong enough to bring anyone who tried to pass through them to a painful halt. They were walls that divided not only space, but emotion. And pain.

    Ryosuke sat on the floor, his back against the wall where his teacher had led him. His left eye was swollen shut; he could barely open it. His lip was torn, blood oozing under his nose and down his chin. The knuckles of both hands were red and cracked, with small bloody welts here and there as he tried to defend or attack.

    A few meters away, separated by another barrier, sat Yuto. He was kneeling, bent over, his hands resting on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. His shoulder was bruised, his left arm hanging a little loose, as if in pain. There was a gash on his forehead, and a black eye was already beginning to form above his eye. And yet... yet he kept looking in the direction where he could feel Ryosuke.

    Yuri was near Keito, who was pressed up against him, shivering. Yuri was already starting to darken around his eye, where someone had hit him in the cheekbone. His sleeves were torn, and his breathing was rapid. But he wasn't crying. He just kept quiet. And he held his brother.

    There were others on the other side of the classroom. The ones who started it. The deer boy had a split lip and a bloody gash across his cheek. One of his buddies had a nose that was crooked sideways. Another was holding his side where he'd been hit hard. None of them was talking. They were just breathing heavily.

    The Minotaur studied each of the participants with a serious expression. The fairy walked among them, taking names, checking the wounds. A stone-skinned elderly teacher stood in the middle, holding a magical barrier.

    “This... will have consequences,” the fairy said softly but clearly. And her words fell like a stone into the silence.

    No one answered. Everyone just sat. Silent. Wounded. Exhausted.

    There was an organized silence in the classroom. The teachers went round the wounded, checking their condition, dividing up who had to go to the infirmary immediately and who could wait. There were crumpled leaves on the floor, fallen desks, and drops of blood visible on the floor. But amidst it all, a quiet, subtle division began to form.

    They got to the deer boy first. Then to the other two, one holding his side, the other with a swollen hand. “Take these now,” the fairy said firmly. “These ones need to go to the infirmary immediately.”

    Ryosuke? He was sitting against the wall, one eye completely closed, blood on his neck, his mouth smashed open, with a twinge in his side.

    Yuto? He was shaking, his hands were scraped, a lot of bruises were already appearing on his body, and the blood on his face was drying.

    Yuri? He stayed by his brother's side, black eye, stiff as an ice sculpture.

    Keito? He staggered silently, his shoulder bumped, shaken.

    And then came the sentence. “Werewolves can wait,” the fairy uttered without hesitation as she took notes. “They have regeneration. Plus... they've gotten used to it. They already know.”

    The other teacher nodded. “Yeah, those ones again... still trouble. It's best if they wait it out the rest of the day.”

    It was said in a half whisper, but loud enough. And you couldn't overhear the disdain. The numbness that wasn't just disinterest, but prejudice.

    And just at that moment, there was a quick, decisive step in the corridor. The classroom door opened again.

    Dr. Liram Veil.

    Hair ruffled by the wind, coat open, expression fixed. His eyes held exactly the kind of disapproval that didn't need shouting. It was enough to look.

    “Excuse me?” he asked quietly, and the class fell even more silent. “Repeat that, please. Who can wait? Who's used to it?”

    The fairy paused. “Mr. Veil... We're dealing with an acute injury. We are prioritizing by-”

    “I wasn't asking about your system,” he interrupted her calmly. “I asked who you think can wait when they're covered in blood and have injuries to their faces and hands.”

    He walked over to Keito, who was still sitting against the wall, shaking, and then to Ryosuke, whose hand was already catching a slight tremor. “Is regeneration a reason for neglect of these children?”

    No one answered.

    And then Liram spoke again, softly but relentlessly, “The wolves you ignore were just protecting their sibling. In a situation that you, by your inaction, have allowed to grow over their heads. And now? Now you're going to let them know that even their pain is less painful?”

    The fairy blushed. The minotaur cleared his throat, looking up from the list.

    But Liram was already bowing to Ryosuke. “Don't worry, boy. I'll take care of it.” Then he turned to Yuto and held out his hand, “You too. You don't deserve this. And I won't allow it.”

    Yuto stared at him, eyes wide and nose quivering with unease. But then he nodded. Quietly. And for the first time since the fight, he straightened up. Because he knew someone was coming. Someone who had seen, who had really felt them.

    The classroom remained silent. All that could be heard was the crackle of magic slowly withdrawing from the air, and a few puzzled looks among the teachers.

    Doctor Liram Veil stood among the wolves, his expression not one that begged for permission, but one that took responsibility into his own hands. “I'll take care of them,” he spoke clearly and distinctly, for everyone in the class to hear. “All four of them.”

    Then he gently took Ryosuke's forearm, not forcing him to stand, just offering him support. Ryosuke looked up briefly, one eye swollen shut, the other full of pain.

    Liram lifted him up with an almost imperceptible tug, and Ryosuke rose with him. He leaned against him lightly. On the other side, he did the same with Yuto. The latter was reluctant for a moment, but then he moved closer, and the doctor's palm rested on his back, stroking him.

    “Slowly,” he said in a low voice. “Let's get some air together, okay? I'll check you outside, in peace.”

    Yuri and Keito didn't hesitate for a second. Yuri grabbed Keito around the shoulders, and together they walked to the door. They didn't look back. They didn't have to. They were together. And that was all they needed at that moment.

    Dr. Veil led the boys down a long hallway, then out several doors, into the back schoolyard. None of the teachers tried to say anything else, and no one stopped him. They all knew it wasn't in their hands now.

    Liram opened the door, and fresh air and a gentle breeze came in from the outside world. Finally, out of sight, out of prejudice, out of punishment. At last, they could breathe again.

    “Don't worry,” he said softly. “It's all over now. You are safe now. No one will hurt you anymore.”

    Once they stepped onto the grass, the air seemed a little lighter. The doctor led them slowly under their favorite tree. “Here.” He gently led both Ryosuke and Yuto into the shade.

    Ryosuke was leaning against it more now, pale, his body shaking slightly underneath. Yuto did look more alive, but his breathing was rapid, his eyes glossy, and his hands still clenched in tension. Yuri sat Keito down on the grass and knelt beside him. Neither of them spoke.

    “Stay here,” Liram told them calmly. “I'll be right back.” And without further explanation, he went towards the school parking lot.

    It didn't take long. Maybe a minute. And then he was back, brown backpack in hand, kneeling in the grass beside them without a word.

    He opened the backpack and began pulling out bandages, disinfectant, cool packs, and a soft towel. Only then, when he had everything ready, did he look up at them.

    “I want to know what hurts you,” he said quietly. “Tell me everything. Nothing is a banality.”

    Yuto blinked, ran his tongue over his busted lip, and replied quietly, “Shoulder. Side. And head a little.”

    Yuri just nodded towards his own cheek. Keito held his arm, but said nothing.

    And Ryosuke? He was sitting under a tree, leaning his back against the trunk. His left eye was completely closed, the dark shadow of a bruise dripping from underneath it. His lip was cracked, his knuckles red and bleeding. He was shaking. But he said nothing. He just looked down, breathing through his nose, pressing his hands to his body.

    Liram just looked at him for a moment. No pressure. No questions. Then he took one of the cool bags, wrapped it carefully in the cloth, and with the gentlest of movements, moved over to him. He didn't touch his face yet. “You don't have to talk, Ryosuke,” he whispered. “But let me help you. You have the right to do so. And no one's going to take it away from you.”

    Dr. Veil took a deep breath as he reached out with a soft cooling pillow and gently placed the bag over Ryosuke's swollen eye.

    Ryosuke flinched slightly as the cold touch hit his sore skin, but didn't make a sound. His fingers lifted themselves, snapping the bag into place, and the doctor stepped back a little. He said nothing. He just let him have control.

    Then he attended to the others. One bag for Yuri's cheek, another for Yuto's shoulder, a small one for Keito, who pressed it against his bruised arm while Yuri held his hand.

    All the while, Liram spoke quietly, without insistence, with an easy calm that might have comforted a wounded creature. Perhaps it was because these wolves were wounded creatures. But few take the trouble to listen to them.

    After a moment, the doctor returned to Ryosuke. He knelt down across from him, hands folded in his lap, and just looked at him for a moment. “Any headache?” he asked quietly. “Or your ribs? Shoulders? Your wrists? Do you feel any pressure in your body that pulls you in?”

    Ryosuke looked at him with his right eye, the healthy one. He was pale, his eye darker than usual, his lips pursed. And even now, he was trying to play the part of the one who could handle it. Someone who keeps quiet because it's easier. But his fingers were still trembling, and micro flashes of pain ran through his body.

    “No... nothing serious,” he muttered. “Just... a bit of a headache. And my ribs. But... not too much.” His voice was quiet, as if he had to pull every word out from under his paws.

    And then Yuto moved up to him. He rested his body against his shoulder, and in a voice that was still a little shaky but honest and firm, he whispered, “Please... tell him. Tell him what hurts you. Not for yourself. For me. I don't want you to bottle it up again. Not if it hurts you...”

    Ryosuke looked at him, and the look that passed between them was brief, but it was all there. Sibling love, pain, gratitude, loyalty.

    And then Ryosuke closed his eye and relaxed his jaw a little. In a voice that sounded like frozen breath, he finally said, “My head hurts... Quite a bit. And my ribs... here on the side when I breathe. And my left wrist, I think I bumped it on the desk...”

    Dr. Liram nodded, pressed his lips together briefly, and moved closer, slowly and calmly, as if approaching a wild animal that, while trusting him, was still on edge. Ryosuke looked at his hands, not because he was afraid, but because he was having a hard time getting used to being cared for. That someone outside of his pack actually sees him.

    “Can I see your wrist?” The doctor asked quietly. Ryosuke nodded without a word.

    Liram gently took his hand in his hands. Not by gripping it, but in a way that Ryosuke could flinch at any time. He traced the outline of the knuckles with his thumb and forefinger, then ran his finger lightly over the underside of the wrist. Ryosuke winced as he pushed a little harder. But he didn't flinch.

    “Nothing broken,” Liram stated with relief. “A bumped knuckle. It'll be a bruise tomorrow. And it's going to hurt. But you'll make it.” Then he bandaged his wrist, first with a cooling gel, then with a soft bandage that didn't even resemble a school first aid kit. It was soft, smelling of pine and herbs.

    Then he moved on to the ribs. “Now... here.” Ryosuke turned slightly, lifting his shirt as Yuri held Keito, who clung to his brother again at the sight of the bruises.

    Liram gingerly felt the left side of his chest. Each touch was gentle, gliding over his ribs, feeling the muscle tone and reaction to the pressure.

    Ryosuke's expression was pained, but he didn't flinch. He just hissed softly as the doctor pressed right under one of his ribs.

    “Again... nothing broken,” he finally said, with a quiet sigh. “But you're very bruised.” He pressed the cool bag Yuto had handed him there, letting it lie between his shirt and his body. Then he looked into Ryosuke's eye. “Breathe slowly. No running. No jumping over walls. And no throwing Yuto over your shoulder, even if he begs you to.”

    Yuto winced. “But only for today, right?”

    Liram smiled. “Today. And tomorrow. And maybe even the day after tomorrow.” The doctor finally reached for a sterile tampon and a small packet of healing cream. With the care of an experienced doctor, he wiped the dried blood from Ryosuke's chin and treated his split lip. It was cooling. It stung a little, but it was tender. Ryosuke didn't flinch this time either. He just closed his eyes and breathed calmly.

    “You have a good regeneration,” Liram said as he put down his tools and looked around at all of them. “But others often think that means you're not in pain. That you'll tear up a bit, and it'll be fixed right away. But it doesn't. You're still young. Your bodies haven't had the quick recovery that adult werewolves have. Besides, pain is pain. Even if it goes away faster, it's still there.”

    Yuto sat beside him, nodding his head as if repeating this to himself. Keito leaned against Yuri and whispered, “I feel that way too... Sometimes it hurts... even when it seems to be gone.”

    And Yuri put his palm on his shoulder and nodded. “That's normal. But you can handle it, Keito...”

    When Ryosuke was finally treated, Doctor Veil slowly moved over to Yuto. The latter was already waiting for him. His body was tense, but his eyes were restless and, as usual, full of words that needed to come out, even if he wasn't asked.

    The doctor didn't sit down right away. He just knelt down in the grass across from him, pulled out his first aid kit, and opened the package of band-aids without a single question. But Yuto couldn't take it anymore.

    “I didn't mean to push him,” he started out of the blue without looking up. “The deer. That was... just a stupid bump. I was running for the paper swallow, didn't see him, turned around and... I bumped into him.”

    Liram didn't interrupt him. He began to dab at the gash on his forehead with a cleansing swab, very gently, and just nodded. Not as an approval. But as acceptance of what Yuto was saying.

    “He got angry right away. And then the other one... The kid with the lights, he pushed me from behind. And then Ryosuke... he defended me. But they...” Yuto took a deep breath. “... There were three of them. And they were really hitting Ryosuke. And I couldn't... I couldn't just watch.”

    His voice was losing strength, turning into a whisper that was accompanied by a shadow of shame, but not from the fact that he was fighting. More from the fact that it had even started. That he hadn't been able to stop it sooner. That he'd hurt someone, even unintentionally.

    “I didn't mean for it to turn into such a fight,” he said. “I really didn't. I... I just wanted to play. With a swallow.” He bit his lip where he'd already gotten one wound. “I really didn't want it to be like this.”

    Meanwhile, Dr. Veil carefully pulled down his sleeve and checked his shoulder. It was scraped and starting to turn red, definitely forming a future bruise. Then he gently lifted his shirt to check his side. He found one scratch that he just washed with water. And all the while, he never once interrupted Yuto.

    Only when everything was taken care of did he nod and speak, “You're telling me all this even though I didn't ask you. Do you know why?”

    Yuto looked up at him, eyes glossy and brows drawn together in concern. He shrugged. “I don't know... because... I needed to tell you?”

    Liram smiled. “Exactly. And you know what? I'm here to listen to you. Because what you're saying is important. And even if sometimes a mistake is made, even if something goes wrong... The fact that you're sorry means you're still the wolf who knows what's right.”

    Yuto looked him in the eyes quietly. “Do you think... It'll get fixed? That they'll... ever stop thinking that? That we're... just a problem?”

    Liram reached out and carefully flattened his cooling pad. “I'm sure they'll start to understand once they see you have a voice. And that you have a pack to back you up.”

    Yuto didn't respond with words. He just moved a little closer to Ryosuke and nodded.

    Then silence reigned under the treetop. Not an oppressive one. More like calm, like when the earth finally quieted down.

    Yuto remained leaning against his brother's shoulder, his eyes closed, his breathing calmer. Ryosuke held the cooling pad on his eye with one hand while the other was folded in his lap. Keito lay curled up next to Yuri, who was just having the doctor check his cheek. He worked quietly, intently, with the gentleness of a man who knows that a touch can sometimes be more than a word.

    No one said anything for a while. Only the wind ruffled the leaves, and the muffled ringing of the bell could be heard in the distance as the school called the children back to their classes. But here, under this tree, time seemed to have lost its power. And then a quiet voice broke the silence.

    Ryosuke spoke quietly, but clearly, and his eyes were still downcast. “I felt... good.” His words settled into the space like a feather. “When I ran there. And pushed him away. The one who touched Yuto.” He looked up, not to the doctor, but to his brothers. “It was probably wrong. But I didn't feel bad. It felt right. No one is going to threaten my brothers.”

    The silence returned, but this time, it was filled with something new.

    Liram looked at him slowly, his eyes soft but focused at the same time. He sat a little closer, resting his arm on his knee, but not leaning in. He wasn't touching them. He didn't want to disrupt the flow that Ryosuke dared to let out.

    “You know...” began Liram softly. “What you felt isn't wrong. The instinct to protect your pack, your family, your brothers is deep within you. In every wolf. In you, perhaps even more strongly. And it's not a bad thing.”

    Ryosuke stared at him wide-eyed. Uncomprehending, wary. And Liram continued. “What was wrong wasn't the feeling. But the situation. You were forced to use force because no one else intervened. And your body, your inner wolf, did exactly what he was supposed to.”

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. Then he whispered, “But if I had pushed him harder... I could have hurt him.”

    “Yes.” The doctor nodded. “And just realizing that is what makes you who you are. That awareness... that balance between strength and responsibility... That's not weakness, Ryosuke. It's your strength.”

    Yuto slowly looked up and nodded. “I felt good, too. That you were there.”

    And Yuri, without a word, reached out and touched Ryosuke's arm. Lightly. Keito said nothing. He just snuggled closer.

    After Ryosuke's words and the silent nods of the pack, a strange calm fell under the tree. Not the silence after the storm, but the one that comes when it's finally safe. When there's nothing left to defend. When the question arises, because there is no longer a threat of attack.

    Dr. Liram just watched them for a moment, sitting quietly in the grass, his bag at his side, his hands resting on his knees. He was in no hurry. He didn't indicate that it was time to go or that he had a plan in place. He was just there. And that was what changed everything for the wolf cubs.

    “Would any of you like to talk about this some more?” he asked then, quietly. No pressure. No “you have to.” Just an offer. Space. “Something on your mind?”

    Yuri shrugged. “I... I got mad when I saw someone shove Keito. Actually, it kind of freaked me out. Not the fact that they were fighting. But that Keito... was just standing there. And they hit him.”

    Keito looked at him and nodded slowly. “I was scared of that, too. Not of the fight, but of the fact that we were... the outsiders again.”

    Yuto, still with the bandage on his hand and a small scratch on his forehead, looked at the grass. “I just... when someone went off on Ryosuke, I couldn't let it go. I don't know if it was the right thing to do. But it was necessary.” He then looked up and added, “Maybe we fought too much. But they... they wanted to humiliate us. Like they always do.”

    Liram didn't interrupt. He didn't nod unnecessarily. He didn't try to lead them on. He just listened. And then, with a slight edge to his voice, he spoke, “When I talked to the teachers, a lot of them told me that werewolf children are hard to communicate with. That you can't be stopped, that you don't listen, that you're not like the others.” He looked up at them. Slowly. “And yet... here we sit. And you're talking to me perfectly normally. Much more openly, in fact, than most of the kids I know and have worked with.”

    Ryosuke fixed one good eye on him while the cool bag on the other slid silently down to his cheek. “That's because…” he said, “… You talk to us normally.”

    Yuto nodded. “Yeah. You're not sending us into a corner to calm down. You... hear us.”

    Yuri added, “And you don't look at us like we're the problem."

    Keito sputtered, “You're looking at us... like a dad, not a guard.”

    Liram was silent for a moment. His throat growled slightly. Then, with a slight smile, he answered, “Because I don't see you as a problem. I see you as a pack. And anyone who understands what that means will never want to change you again. They just need to get to know you.”

    And under that tree, in that shelter from words that hurt and rules that don't fit, they talked on. About pain. About what triggers it. About how it builds up inside them when they're locked between four walls.

    And Dr. Liram? He didn't take notes. He listened. And because of that, he earned the most precious thing they could offer him – their trust.

    The leaves above them rustled gently, and the sun between the branches painted soft golden circles on the ground, swaying in time with the breeze. Though their wounds still ached, and their bodies were tired, there was finally peace around the wolf cubs.

    They sat in a loose circle, legs stretched out in the grass, and occasionally exchanged a glance or a light touch between them. Ryosuke leaned against a tree, Yuri stroked Keito's back, and Yuto spoke slowly but earnestly to Doctor Liram again.

    “Will you play some more wolfball with us?” he said suddenly. “You were the first teacher- Or doctor, I mean, who... really played with us. Not just... stood by and supervised. You played. You threw the ball. You laughed.”

    Liram looked at him and just smiled slightly. “I did.”

    Yuto nodded and added, “So that's why you're our friend. Because you played with us. Teachers never want to play with us.” He bit his lip and lowered his gaze to the grass. “Neither do my classmates...” There was a sentence in there that hurt more than the bruise. It wasn't a complaint, just a simple statement. As a fact. Like the weather. Like the fact that they were still outside the circle at this school.

    Liram remained silent for a moment, but his eyes never lost their gentleness. Then he slowly moved closer, placing his hands on his knees and looking into Yuto's eyes. “Playing with someone means you take them seriously. That you want to be with them, not over them.” He shifted his gaze to the others. “And you deserve exactly that. Not to be watched. Not to be judged. But to be... teammates.”

    Ryosuke nodded, quietly but firmly. “We don't want to hurt anyone. But we want to move. To play. We're not naughty. We're just... wolves.”

    Keito added quietly, “And sometimes, we feel like the others don't get it.”

    “They really don't get it,” Yuri replied. “That we talk like that... By moving. By playing. By howling. That we're not being naughty... That's what we are. We're just... a little different.”

    Liram took a deep breath. “I hear you,” he said finally. “And I promise I'll do what I can to make sure others can hear you, too.”

    And Yuto, his eyes fixed on the doctor, nodded. And then, with childlike simplicity but wolfish pride, he uttered, “That's good. Because you're our friend. And our pack trusts you. You… you belong in our pack.”

    Doctor Veil smiled. Not the formal smile of an adult, but a real one. One that was gentle, slightly surprised, and touched at the same time. He felt that he had just been given the kind of trust one couldn't force... only truly earn.

    “Thank you,” he said softly. “I appreciate it. I really do. It's... an honor to be part of your pack as your friend.”

    For a moment, there was a quiet, contented silence. Keito was curled up in Yuri's arms, Ryosuke's head resting against a tree trunk, the cool pad sliding silently down his cheek. Yuto kept looking at the doctor as if he was waiting for more words from him, and Liram had them.

    “By the way,” he began cautiously, but with a sparkle in his eye, “I was wondering... if I could give you a ride home. I don't want you wandering around alone right now. You like to run, I know, but you've done enough running for today.” He raised one eyebrow. “Besides, you deserve a comfortable ride. So, what do you say?”

    Yuto didn't have to think about it for a second. “Can we go in the car?!” he exclaimed excitedly, until his tail, if he'd had one in human form, almost spun. “Your car is new, right? I haven't ridden in it yet! Have you got those buttons with the cute light on them? And those cup holders? And those seats that move when-” At one point, his tongue seemed to get tangled up in excitement.

    Ryosuke smiled slightly and muttered, “I think the answer is yes.”

    Keito recovered from his silent position and whispered, “I'd like to sit by the window...”

    Yuri looked at the doctor and nodded seriously. “That would be nice of you. Really.”

    Liram slowly stood up, brushed off his pants, and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Let's go, pack. You deserve a safe return. And most of all, peace.”

    Yuto jumped up first, though he limped a bit, and started forward. “Let's take our places! I'll be in the back by the lights! Ryosuke, you'll be with me, right?”

    Ryosuke got up more slowly, but nodded. And the rest of the pack took off after them.

    And as they walked away from under the crown of their favorite tree, they left behind not only footprints in the grass, but the first step towards the world hearing what the wolves have been saying for a long time. Only in a different language.

Chapter Text

     The floor beneath Hikaru's boots creaked softly as he ran his mop over the last remnants of water and droplets left over from last night's closing. The bar smelled of wood, citrus, and the subtle hint of tobacco from the aromatic candle he used to light every morning before he opened.

    Kota sat on one of the bar stools, leaning comfortably against the armrest, a tall glass of water in his hand. His head tilted slightly to the side, listening to the sounds around him, especially the clinking of glasses, the shuffling of chairs, and the rhythm of Hikaru's footsteps.

    “The place was packed until midnight last night,” Hikaru remarked without looking up. “If someone had told me that a month ago, I wouldn't have believed it.” He put the mop in the bucket and straightened up, wiping his brow. “And we've only just opened for... what? Thirty days?”

    Kota took a sip of water. “Thirty-two,” he corrected him calmly. “And you've already got regulars coming back anyway. I recognize some of them by their voice. One of them sits down at the jukebox table every night and puts on the same song every time. It gives me a toothache.” He grinned. “But at least he's loyal.”

    Hikaru chuckled and threw a towel over his shoulder. “That's the one with the fur jacket, right?”

    “I don't know, I can't see him properly.” The former Alpha chuckled.

    “Oh yeah, I'm stupid.” Hikaru slapped his palm across his forehead. “But it'll probably be him. He told me he feels at home here. I guess we did something right.”

    Kota shook his head, then leaned back against the bar and added, “It's strange, isn't it? How quickly it changed. Just a few months ago, we were living among the trees, making sure Yuto didn't eat the poisonous berries. And now you're a bar owner in Chicago.”

    “And you're sitting at the counter as the most stylish regular in history.” Hikaru chuckled. “And you know what? I'm enjoying it. Really.” He glanced towards the door. “We got lucky. A lot of work, but lucky. And honestly... It's so much better than I expected.”

    Kota raised his glass in agreement, though his eyes remained still, clouded by the fog of sight that had so far only slowly returned. But there was certainty in his voice. “That's not luck. This is your doing, Hikaru. And maybe... Maybe this is the first time you've been able to do it the way you want. Just by yourself.”

    And Hikaru, suddenly silent as he thought about the whole idea, then nodded slowly. But with a smile, because he knew Kota was right. Then he set the towel back down on the counter and stared for a moment at the wooden countertop he wiped down every night, as if there was more to it than just drink stains. A light shadow settled on his face, but not a dark one, more a quiet, nostalgic one.

    “But do you know...” he began slowly, “that I miss the forest?” He raised his eyes to Kota. “A lot, actually. I miss the smell. The wet dirt after the rain. The pine needles crunching under my paws. The cool depths of the night where everything was simple... You either run or you don't.”

    Kota listened to him without interruption. Not as someone who had to answer, but as someone who understood him. And maybe that was why he didn't say anything. Not right away.

    Hikaru sighed and flopped down on the stool next to him. “I know we did it for the cubs. And I don't regret it. But... I can feel it in my bones. Every day. That it's calling me back.” He blinked. “And I'm not alone. I know they miss it, too.”

    Kota shook his head, pulling his glass closer and touching the rim with his fingertips. “Yuri mentioned it last week. That he had a dream about the forest. Keito thinks about it often, but doesn't say it out loud. And Ryosuke... He's like ice now. He's locked up. But as soon as he feels the dirt under his feet, he relaxes. And Yuto? He talks about the forest all the time. He's just... still hoping we'll go back there. At least sometimes.”

    Hikaru laughed, quietly, with pride. “Yuto would run on the ceiling if he could.” Then he paused. “But you know what, even if I had this bar full every night... It'll never be the same as running with the pack. Like feeling the night wind in your fur coat. Like having Ryosuke's bell jingle in your ear and no people around. Just trees and the moon.”

    Kota turned his face to him. “Then let's take a trip,” he said simply. “When there's time. We'll take them all. We'll turn off the phones. And we'll go back for a few days. Just as a reminder that we still know where we came from.”

    And Hikaru looked at him, and this time, his smile returned. Genuinely.

Because he knew that even though they were far from the woods, the wolf's heart would never forget the journey home.

    Hikaru leaned his elbows on the bar, his hands folded under his chin, and his gaze wandered to the window beyond which the city shimmered between the houses. It was lively, but never truly quiet. “Maybe we should really do this. Properly. Not a one-off. Like... regularly. Every weekend. Or at least two or three times a month. Turn it all off, pack our bags and just... disappear into the woods with the little ones.”

    Kota turned his head in his direction, though his eyes were still covered by the fog. He smiled. “Sounds like a plan that would save our boys from going completely insane.”

    Hikaru nodded and laughed, though something in the laughter stung. “And us with them. Really. I keep wondering how they're doing at school. They don't talk about it much. But I know it's not quite the same.” He ran a hand over the back of his head. “I feel it especially with Ryosuke. Every time he comes back, he's always stiff, silent... like he's carrying everything inside him.”

    Kota took a sip of water and said slowly, “And Keito has nightmares sometimes. He doesn't talk about them, but I can hear him tossing and turning in his sleep. Yuri keeps it in because he tries to be the calm one. But even he's changed since we moved.” Then he paused and added quietly, “And we still don't know what's going on today. I'm kind of nervous, I don't even know why.”

    Hikaru pressed his palm to his chest, as if he could feel in his bones that something wasn't right, but he couldn't name it yet. “Maybe that's what they're missing. Running. Howling. The mud between their paws. The night outside when you can feel every tree around you. No walls. No school desks. Just the woods, the cold, and the pack.”

    Kota nodded. “We could take a tent... or sleep in a cave, like we used to do sometimes. Burrow into the leaves, keep watch over each other. Not for romance, but because we need it. We all do.”

    “Not for romance, huh? That's kind of hurt me right now.” Hikaru replayed his immense pain, but when Kota punched him playfully in the shoulder, he chuckled.

    Then Hikaru rose from his stool as if something inside him had jumped. “I'll plan it for the weekend. We'll make it our tradition. Wolf expeditions. No signal, no people, just us. Every trip will be different. But it'll be ours.”

    Kota smiled. “The wolves will love it. You'll see how they'll howl once you tell them.”

    Hikaru laughed, and something like a light finally shone in his eyes. “And you know what?”

    “What?”

    “Maybe the howling will be heard all the way over here.”

    The bell above the front door suddenly rang with a muffled clang, a sound Hikaru had heard hundreds of times in the last month. Automatically, he straightened up, tossed the towel thrown over his shoulder into his hand, and headed for the door with the routine of a man expecting a box of soda or a box of napkins.

    “Must be the syrups,” he muttered over his shoulder to Kota. He just nodded and took another sip from his glass.

    Hikaru opened the door and froze. It definitely wasn't anything for the pub. Standing behind the threshold were Ryosuke, Yuto, Yuri, and Keito. All four of them bruised, dirty, and occasionally covered in blood. Standing next to them was Dr. Liram Veil.

    Hikaru took a breath, but the words stuck in his throat. His gaze flicked over his wolf, Ryosuke, with a swollen eye, bandaged wrists, and blood dried on his lip. Then Yuto, with a black eye and a crushed sleeve, but still with his gaze fixed on his brother. Yuri held his brother around the shoulders, and Keito...

    Keito literally fell into his arms the next moment. He burrowed into him like the whole world had lost its shape, and only that touch held him together. And he cried. Not wildly. Not desperately. But softly, long, hard. As only a wolf who'd held on all the way can cry, but now he didn't have to.

    Hikaru immediately hugged him, his hands covering his back and pressing him close, as if to protect him from the whole world outside. “What happened...? What the... hell happened?” he breathed, pulling Keito even closer.

    His gaze flicked over the others. Ryosuke's gaze avoided his. Yuto stood nearby with eyes downcast. Yuri was looking right at him. He was calm, but tired.

    Liram raised his hands in a reassuring gesture. “Everyone is physically fine. I have treated them. But... there was an incident at the school.”

    Kota had already risen from his stool, his body turning towards the sound, though his eyes still couldn't focus. “What incident?”

    Liram stepped closer. “A brawl. Started over an argument. Yuto inadvertently shoved a classmate, who didn't take kindly to it. Ryosuke defended Yuto. Then it escalated. Yuri and Keito got involved... because they're just brothers. Because they'll never leave their siblings alone.”

    Hikaru's hands were still on Keito, who clung to him like a wolf cub to its mother in the winter. His muffled cries could be felt in Hikaru's every breath, and his eyes were a mixture of fear, pain, and anger.

    “They're safe,” the doctor repeated softly. “But they should be home. With the pack. That's why I brought them.”

    Hikaru stroked Keito's hair, and when his breathing calmed at least a little, he stepped aside and gestured for everyone to come inside. “Come... come in.” He gulped, his voice still rasping in his throat. His gaze swept over the four of them, and as they walked past him, he took in every bruise, every movement, every lingering glance out of the corner of his eye.

    Kota, who remained standing leaning against the bar, tensed his muscles as he heard the children's footsteps again and strained his hearing. “Why did the fight exactly happen?” he asked calmly but sharply. Not reproachfully, but like a former Alpha wanting to know the extent of his pack's injuries.

    Liram answered him calmly, yet carefully. “Yuto accidentally shoved a classmate while running after a paper swallow. The group of other students reacted aggressively to him. Ryosuke defended him. And then Yuri and Keito joined in. They were outnumbered. And they took it hard. But they made it through. Nothing's broken, but they're bruised, battered. And also... exhausted.”

    As the doctor spoke, the wolves slowly made their way to the center of the bar. It was dark, with a pleasant chill and a familiar smell. Wood, spices, and a trace of the herbal tea Kota drank every day. It all surrounded them like a blanket.

    Hikaru walked over to them, kneeling in front of Ryosuke and quietly lifting his chin to check his lip and the swelling near his eye again. Ryosuke avoided his gaze but allowed his dad to check on him.

    Yuri helped Keito sit down on the couch. Yuto stood off to the side, arms folded. “I'm sorry...” he mumbled suddenly, his voice trying to be calm but heavy. “I'm really sorry, Hikaru.” He looked at the current Alpha. “I didn't... we didn't mean to fight.”

    Yuri sat down next to Keito and added, “There were a lot of them. And they were bigger and stronger. It wasn't fair. We didn't want to provoke it... But when it started, we couldn't do nothing.” He spoke slowly, respectful but also proud that he hadn't put his tail between his legs.

    Kota sat down next to his son and stroked his hair. “It's all right. You're wolves. You're defending the pack. That's not wrong.” And then a little quieter, more to himself, “What's wrong is that you were pushed into this in the first place.”

    Hikaru walked over to Yuto and gently ran his palm over his head, pushing his messy hair back. “I understand, Yuto. But you're home now, okay? And that's what matters now.”

    Liram stepped back a little, leaning against the wall and giving them space. He watched as the children retreated to their fathers, sitting down silently, snuggling, or just sitting nearby.

    Hikaru made sure that all the wolf cubs were okay and that Ryosuke had a cool compress on his eye again before straightening up and turning to the doctor. His expression wasn't accusatory, but tense. It was the look of a father who needed to know more.

    “Were you there, doctor?” he asked quietly but directly. “Did you see what happened?”

    Liram didn't flinch or take offense. He nodded slightly, then shook his head. “No. I didn't make it in time for the very beginning. I was in the hallway, by another class. By the time I got in, teachers were just pulling them apart.” He walked slowly closer, his voice calm but serious. “I didn't want them to go to the infirmary with the ones who attacked them. So, I took them out. Under a tree, where they know it. I treated them and... we talked.” He paused for a moment, then added more quietly, “They talked. About everything. About what they felt, what they'd been through, what was bothering them.”

    Hikaru blinked, his shoulders relaxing a little. “And did they really let you just… talk to them? I mean… Teachers sometimes said our children don't want to communicate with them much... Especially after fights with other kids.”

    Liram smiled. “Not right away, they needed a moment to breathe. But then they started talking, because I didn't evaluate them. I didn't try to rank them in some sort of charts. I sat in the grass with them and listened. And you know what? They talked much more openly than most adults.”

    At that point, Kota quietly uttered, “That's because you saw them as wolves. Not as a problem. Am I right?”

    The doctor looked at him and just nodded. “Exactly.”

    Liram was silent for a moment, his eyes sliding over the wolves that were now safely resting. Yuto rested his head on the table, his face pressed against the wood, while Ryosuke sat next to him, unmoving but still, his eyes closed. Yuri had his hand placed over Keito's back, who was now just breathing softly, but still holding on to him.

    The doctor looked at Hikaru again, then at Kota, and his voice dropped to a private tone. “I'd like to have a word with you and also with the rest of the pack. Without the children. Not because you've done anything wrong, not at all. But because I already have enough information to suggest some specific steps that might help. And I think you deserve to hear it directly. As parents. As wolves.”

    Hikaru nodded immediately, without hesitation. “Right. I understand. I'll go call Kei and Daiki. Yuya's in the workshop next door right now.”

    Before he finished speaking, Kota was already slowly getting up. Even though he still couldn't see, he seemed to naturally know exactly where to go. “I'll go get Yuya,” he said calmly. “He's probably got the compressor running and can't hear anything around here.”

    Hikaru went to the bar to pull out his phone. Liram remained standing at the counter, but his eyes were still on the kids. They were calm. Tired. And yet strong. Which was why he knew it was time to act. Not because of them, but for them.

    The door opened again, but this time it was the back door. Yuya walked in, his hands covered in oil, his overalls with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Kota walked beside him, silent, but with a calmness that suggested he'd explained everything along the way.

    As soon as Yuya registered the children, he froze. His gaze immediately rested on Yuto, who sat at the table, his head leaning against the wood, shoulders slumped. Despite the pain and fatigue, they looked like a pack sticking together, but it still wasn't enough for a father. Too many blows, too much silence, too much of what had happened without him.

    “Yuto...” he whispered, and there was a mixture of relief and worry in the name.

    Yuto lifted his head, his eyes filling with tears, but before he could say anything, he was getting up and walking towards him. He stopped a short distance in front of his dad, hesitated for a second, and then literally bumped into him as he threw himself into his arms.

    Yuya gripped him tightly, both arms around his back, and pulled him close to his chest until Yuto's breath was lost in the fabric of his shirt.

    They didn't say anything for a long time. They just stood there. And they hugged. Yuto clung to him like a small, drenched wolf, and yet that was all there was to it. Everything he couldn't explain at school. Everything he'd repressed from the doctor. Now... he didn't have to say anything. He was home. In Dad's embrace.

    Yuya stroked his back with his fingers, gently, rhythmically. “I'm here. You're safe now.” He rested his chin on the top of his head and closed his eyes. “Everything's okay, Yuto.”

    The others just watched quietly. This moment belonged to them now. There was more healing in that silent embrace between the two wolves than anything the human world could bring.

    Meanwhile, in the back room, Hikaru finished his short phone call. By the time he returned to the main area of the bar, his expression was more focused, calmer, though worry still burned in his eyes.

    “I've called Kei and Daiki,” he said towards Liram. “They're both just down the road. They said they'd be here in fifteen minutes. Will you wait?”

    Dr. Veil, still standing nearby, nodded without hesitation. “Of course. I'll be happy to wait.”

    Hikaru smiled, a little tiredly but sincerely. He walked behind the bar, opened the cooler, and asked, “Would you like something to drink? I have some homemade lemonade... lemon balm, raspberry, elderflower... all alcohol free, don't worry.”

    “Lemonade sounds great,” the doctor replied, sitting down on one of the bar stools Hikaru had been polishing just a moment ago with a slight nod. “I think peace and quiet are exactly what we need right now.”

    Hikaru poured the lemonade into a glass, added ice, and handed it to Liram. Then he looked around the room, his gaze locking on Ryosuke, who sat leaning against the side of the couch, still a little off to the side, a cool pad on his face and an expression that betrayed nothing that only he didn't know.

    He walked slowly over to him, squatting down beside him and speaking softly, but in a way that only he could hear. “Hey, champ... How you doing?”

    Ryosuke opened an eye, the healthy one, and looked at him. Briefly, but with a hint of relaxation. “Almost everything...” He paused, but then added honestly, “... hurts me... But I'm okay, Dad.”

    Hikaru nodded. He carefully pulled the pad away from his face and looked at the swollen area again. He gently touched the edge of the wound, then slid his fingers down to his knuckles. “Your wrist still hurts?”

    Ryosuke nodded.

    “Ribs too?”

    “Yeah... but not as much. Not when I breathe slowly like the doctor told me to.”

    Hikaru stared into space for a moment. Then he put his palm on his shoulder. “Thanks for defending Yuto. And for not letting yourself break.”

    Ryosuke averted his gaze, but nodded, very slightly. And that was enough. Hikaru understood and stayed with him for a moment, because sometimes, he was more into silence than questions. And he knew Ryosuke had probably talked enough for today.

    With a calm step, Kota moved over to the couch where Yuri was still sitting with Keito pressed against his side. His movement was quiet and sure, though his vision was obscured by the gloom that hadn't completely disappeared.

    He stopped just short, and when Yuri registered him, he shifted himself slightly to make space for him.

    Kota sat down slowly, careful not to disturb them, and then reached out to both of them. Yuri slipped into his arms without hesitation. Keito snuggled against him with a quiet sigh, almost like a kitten that had finally found warmth.

    Kota hugged them both. Not tightly. Gently. Just enough to let them know he was there. And that was enough. His presence was like a soft blanket to both young werewolves. Calm, slow, protective. He didn't try to say anything. He didn't need to. He just held them.

    Doctor Veil, meanwhile, sat at the bar, sipping his lemonade and quietly observing the scene. And something inside him stirred. Something deep. Something he rarely sees in his profession.

    He was used to seeing werewolf packs as hard, unyielding units. Fathers who teach their sons to survive, but rarely allow them to feel. Alphas who put strength above tenderness. Adult wolves who tell their pups not to show pain because it's dangerous to look vulnerable.

    But here? In this pack?

    Here were fathers who hugged. Who asked what hurt. Who knelt when their children sat on the floor. Here, the wolf protected the cubs not only with his body, but with his voice, his hands, his silence. Here was love. Quiet, patient, natural. Not the exception. Not a miracle. Normal and ordinary.

    Liram smiled gently, and though he didn't speak further, there was an answer in his eyes. Yes. This pack is different. And that's exactly how it should be.

    The air in the bar was heavier than usual. Not because of the tension, but because of the depth that hung between four fathers and one man who decided to really get to know their children.

    The table where they usually drank soft drinks or dealt with the usual concerns was now occupied by all those who cared the most about the wolf cubs: Hikaru, Kota, Yuya, and Kei.

    On the table were a glass of water, two sodas, a mug of tea, and a silence that no one interrupted unnecessarily.

    Dr. Veil sat across from them, his hands resting on the table, his eyes calm but focused.

    Muffled laughter could be heard a short distance away as Daiki took the children upstairs to entertain them, distract them, and hopefully get them thinking about something else. He did it like few others could, naturally, lovingly, and with a wit that was never mocking. Downstairs, however, there was silence for the adults. For the fathers. For decision-making.

    Liram took a deep breath and spoke, “Before I begin, I want to thank you. All of you. For letting me meet your sons.”

    The fathers were silent, listening. Their faces reflected different reactions. Hikaru was leaning slightly forward, his eyes focused; Kota was calm and quiet, but his face was tense; Yuya had his palms joined, his eyes fixed on the table; Kei had his index finger moving, occasionally tapping the edge of the wood. Each different, but united.

    “From the moment Kei approached me,” Liram continued, “I started watching your children. Not as a supervisor, not as a controller. But as an observer, looking for patterns. I've watched them in class, during breaks, outside in the schoolyard, and inside between the desks. And not just them. I talked to teachers and their classmates as well.” He glanced at each of them. “I talked to you, too. Each of you gave me time, openness, and stories. About yourself. About your son. About life before and after the city. And even your children... They told me more than you might think.”

    Hikaru folded his arms across his chest, but not defensively. More like someone preparing to listen. Yuya looked at Kota and patted him gently on the back. Kei swallowed and nodded silently.

    “I want to present my findings to you now. Not the results. Not verdicts. But suggestions. Paths. Because this is not about evaluation. It's about the future of four young wolves who have more strength than this school can hold and more heart than most teachers can believe.”

    Short pause. Then Liram leaned back in his chair. His voice remained calm, but it was the voice of the man he had come to protect. “Now... let's talk about your sons. One at a time.”

    Doctor Veil sighed slightly and pulled a thin leather notebook from the bag he had laid beside him. He opened it only fleetingly, as a reminder, but he didn't need to read from it. It was all in his head. Everything he needed to say, he'd already carried with him.

    “I'll start with Keito,” he spoke softly, his gaze sliding to Kei, who stiffened a little more but nodded at the same time, ready to listen. “Keito is special in the most beautiful way. I know he's not your biological son, but the way he mimics you, the way he looks at you, the way he feels about you – it makes him part of your soul. And the same goes for you, Kei.” Kei looked into his eyes, no smile, but a slight quiver at the corners of his lips.

    Liram continued, “He's quiet at school. He doesn't draw attention to himself; he's more the kind of kid who sits in the back desk and watches everyone, but when he gets his space, he says something that takes everyone's breath away. He has a tenderness about him that is sometimes overlooked because he's not loud. But his classmates... and especially the three brothers around him... see him as an anchor. Once Keito stays calm, they tend to calm down too. They don't realize it, but they react to him.”

    The doctor looked briefly at Yuya, then at Hikaru and Kota. “Keito is gentle, sensitive, and cries easily. But that's not a weakness. On the contrary. His empathy is deep. He hears the emotions around him more than others, and yet he can function in a classroom, listen, and focus. In the moments when others rise, he stays. And he loves the outdoors... It's obvious at first glance. I know he'd rather be running in the grass somewhere watching ladybugs than sitting over homework, but he still handles school well.”

    Kei nodded silently, his eyes moistening but not moving. He knew that. But to hear it like that... from a stranger who had seen what was behind his son's silent gaze, was something else.

    “He's very introverted, but open to what he likes. When they have science, there's no one better in that class. They all turn to him when the teacher doesn't know how to answer. And he answers. Gently, respectfully. Not because he wants to show off, but because he just enjoys it.”

    Liram rested his palm on the table. “In that little four-man wolf pack, Keito is like a quiet heart. Not the one who leads, not the one who protects the teeth, but the one who balances. When one is too wild, he calms him down. When the other is too quiet, he soothes him with his presence. While the others bump up against the boundaries, Keito bends them. And that is a gift.”

    He paused briefly to let the words reverberate within them. “Keito doesn't have a problem at school. But we have to be careful not to let him get swallowed up by an atmosphere that is not friendly to those who are quiet. He remembers everything. Even the things that others miss.”

    The doctor leaned back more comfortably against the back of his chair, his fingers slowly turning the page in his notebook, though he still read nothing from it. Rather, the motion concentrated him, searching for the right words. When he spoke, his voice remained calm, but there was genuine concern and deep respect in it.

    “Yuri,” he began, glancing at Kota as he did so, who sat quietly with his hands on the table, as if preparing himself for the name. “He's different from Keito, yet he shares one important quality with him. Outwardly, he seems quiet, unassuming. But beneath the surface... beneath that is a power that is deliberate, controlled, and precise.”

    Kota smiled, as if the doctor had accurately captured what he had known about Yuri all along.

    “Yuri is very smart,” Liram continued. “And I don't just mean that in the sense of school stuff. Of course, he's mastered the classes, he understands the context, he's got good grades. But what's fascinating about him is the way he thinks. Everything he does has a reason. Every gesture, every word, every step. He doesn't act on impulse. Never.” He glanced at Hikaru, then at Kei and Yuya, making sure they too understood what he was saying.

    “When it comes to making a decision, Yuri takes it apart in a second. He thinks it through and then acts. He behaves well at school, and he's responsible, though you can tell he'd rather be out running around. But not like Yuto, not recklessly. Yuri would run if he knew he was pursuing something. That there's a purpose to it. He's not one to need chaos. There's a natural order to him.”

    Kota listened without moving, but his eyes were glossy, and despite his outward calm, it was clear how deeply the words affected him.

    “And even if he doesn't interfere, when someone threatens his brothers... or the pack,” Liram continued more quietly, “that's where he shifts into another form. He transforms not into a warrior on the offensive, but into a protector. He is one who stands up to the lesser, who puts his hands or body between the threat and those he loves. Gritting his teeth. He sticks out his claws. But always at the moment when it's clear that defense is necessary. Not before.”

    Then he leaned his elbows on the table, his gaze firm, calm, and compassionate at the same time. “Yuri is a calm force. One that doesn't attract attention... until it's needed. And then it cannot be overlooked. I don't think every teacher can appreciate that. But in terms of the pack, he's the one who balances instinct and reason. And that's a rare combination.”

    The Doctor took a short sip of his lemonade, as if he needed to moisten his throat before a subject that would require more than calm observation. His expression remained gentle but focused, and as his gaze slid to Yuya, understanding was clear in his eyes.

    “Yuto,” he began, and immediately a slight, almost unconscious smile appeared on his lips. “Yuto is... a tornado. There's no other word that describes him so accurately and yet so lovingly.”

    Yuya smiled in response and nodded slightly, as if he was replaying hundreds of scenes in his head that confirmed the word perfectly.

    “He's everywhere. He must be everywhere. Everything he must see, smell it, taste it, lick it, kick it, jump on it, run away from it, and then come back again. He's like the wind, letting himself be absorbed by every stimulus in the environment – sound, movement, smells. Every new sensation, every change, every reaction in the classroom is an invitation for him to interact. His brain cannot filter what is important and what is not. He perceives all and everything at the same time.”

    Liram glanced at the rest of the fathers to make sure they were aware of what he was about to say. It wasn't a bad thing, but it needed to be said accurately.

    “His body reacts before his brain does. If something excites him, pleases him, or disturbs him, he reacts immediately. He doesn't wait, he doesn't think, he doesn't evaluate. And that's not his fault. It's just the way he works. It's not disobedience. It's not defiance. It's a natural neurological pattern that's typical of the werewolf form of ADHD.”

    Kei raised his eyebrows a little. Yuya tensed, not out of annoyance, but out of concentration. Kota folded his fingers in front of his mouth. Hikaru frowned, but was more worried than dismissive.

    “I'm not the type who likes to throw around diagnoses,” Liram continued. “Especially not with children who are still growing and learning, and finding themselves. But with Yuto... It's obvious. He's a prime example. Werewolf ADHD is different from human ADHD. Your brain is naturally wired for senses, instinct, quick decision-making, and restlessness. But in him, it's all magnified. There are no filters. And that means that a normal school environment, like a fixed desk, a quiet classroom, or a static environment, is almost like a prison for him.”

    He let the words reverberate for a moment before adding more softly, “But this isn't a disease. It's not wrong. It's just different. It's a sign that Yuto needs a different approach, a different pace, a different way of teaching. He needs to move, to learn by touch, by play, by natural interaction. And most importantly, he needs others around him to not expect him to be like everyone else. Because he won't be. But that doesn't mean he's inferior. It just means he's very special.”

    Yuya had a gleam in his eye. He clenched his hands into fists on the table slightly, but his face remained calm. “And what can we do to make it better for him?” he asked softly, almost in a whisper.

    Liram didn't answer Yuya's question at first. Instead, he rubbed his chin and stared into space for a moment, as if straightening his thoughts. Then he looked up at the four fathers, and his voice grew slightly heavier.

    “I spoke to the school. Repeatedly,” he began slowly. “With several teachers, with the administration. Officially, they present themselves as an inclusive institution open to all beings, magical and human. And in many ways, they are. But...”

    He paused for a moment, his gaze wandering to the upper floor, where the muffled laughter of children came from. When he spoke again, it was more firmly, with a slight undertone of frustration, “But when it comes to werewolves, especially young ones, with highly sensitive instincts and strong pack bonds, they are not prepared. Not mentally. Not methodically. And certainly not pedagogically.”

    Yuya slowly nodded his head without taking his eyes off the table. Kei sighed, and Hikaru frowned.

    “They have scripts, scenarios, lists of procedures. But they have no understanding of what it means to be a wolf. And certainly not for a wolf like Yuto.” The doctor turned to Yuya. “I have a plan. I'll be happy to present it to you in a moment. But before I get to that, I want you to understand that this is not your son's failure. It's a failure of a system not designed for someone like him.”

    There was a silence on the table that didn't disturb; it just held the weight of the whole truth.

    “Yuto...” continued Liram with a soft chuckle, “likes the attention. Yes. But not because he wants to be the center of attention in a negative sense. He craves connection. He needs to be in motion; he needs to respond. He needs to know he exists in the eyes of others. That he is heard, that he is seen, that he is not alone.”

    He looked at Yuya again. “He doesn't disturb to disturb. He disturbs because everything vibrates inside him, everything flows. His brain is constantly throwing new stimuli at him. A new sound, a new movement, a new smell. And he has to react to it. Otherwise, it's like sitting on needles and pretending he's not being pricked.”

    Everyone was silent, tense, but no one resisted. Liram was precise. He didn't embellish, but he didn't judge either.

    “And when it comes to conflicts,” he continued calmly, “he doesn't usually start them. If something is going on, he tries to resolve it with words, with a joke, sometimes with avoidance. But as soon as someone in his pack is threatened, instinct takes over. He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't consider. He just protects. And that's what he did today. He tried to figure it out first. He talked. But when that wasn't enough... he fought back. And he fought back with all his might.”

    Liram paused for a moment. All four fathers stared at the table, at the void, or at him, each according to his own nature. And yet, in that moment, they were closer than ever. They had a tornado at home named Yuto. And they finally heard that it wasn't a mistake. That it was a gift. They just needed the world to be able to accept it.

    Yuya remained quiet for a moment. Unlike other fathers, he rarely asked things about parenting so openly – mostly he listened, perceived, analyzed, and then responded gently and with feeling. This time, however, he looked up and put his hands on the table, palms down, as if he needed something solid to lean on.

    “How can I manage his energy better?” he asked calmly but honestly. There was no panic in his voice, only concern. The deep kind that builds up when you don't know if you're doing enough. “We're giving him freedom. We're playing with him. We're trying to give him space, to be outside with him, to listen to him. But sometimes... Sometimes I don't know if it's enough. If he's not unhappy inside. Sometimes… I think he laughs all the time... but not always because he wants to.”

    Liram looked at him with the same seriousness with which Yuya spoke. And then he smiled. “Yuto is always happy with the pack,” he replied in a low voice, but with absolute certainty. “He trusts you four and Daiki without doubt. And that's incredibly important in a child with his temper. He feels safe with you. He's loved. He's felt. And that's the foundation of everything.”

    He looked around at everyone again, but continued talking mostly to Yuya, “What you're doing is helping him more than you realize. But yes, Yuto needs even more ways to vent his energy. His laughter is sometimes genuine and sometimes defensive. And the more opportunities you give him to be in action with you, the less he'll have to convert that energy into restlessness.”

    Hikaru frowned thoughtfully, Kei nodded, and Kota listened quietly while Liram continued, “I would recommend more pack activities. Not in the 'let's sit and talk' style, but physical activities. Sports, games, challenges. Anything where he can go wild, but not alone, with you. With the whole pack.”

    Then he looked at all four of them. “Make a tradition of it. Make up your own wolf game. Or pick something from human sports and adapt it to your own. And most importantly – let him be there to run, to scream, to howl, to fall, to pick himself up. Let him know that his body and his energy are not a problem, but a gift. Because he doesn't quite feel it yet. But you can show him that it is.”

    Yuya smiled. This time, there was something calmer in his expression. “That's what we're good at. At howling and falling.”

    Hikaru snorted a laugh. “And we're good at lifting, too.”

    And Kei added with a smile, “So… let's invent our own pack sport. Something like Wolfball two zero.”

    They all smiled. The atmosphere remained serious, but warmer, because at that moment, they knew they weren't clueless. They were just on their way. And the road was passable if they walked it together.

    After a moment of thoughtful silence, Hikaru leaned on his forearm and slowly, with some hesitation, spoke, “What about Ryosuke?” His voice was a little quieter, more personal. There was a mixture of worry, love, and uncertainty in his eyes. His face was etched with the kind of look a parent gets when they know their child is struggling with something they can't name.

    Dr. Liram stared at him. This time, he didn't smile. Not out of ill feeling, but out of respect. He didn't answer for a moment. He ran his fingers slowly along the edge of his notebook before speaking softly, “Ryosuke is... still a bit of a closed book.”

    The other fathers fell silent. Even Yuya, who was still thinking about Yuto a moment ago, turned to the doctor with tension in his eyes. Kei stopped tapping his fingers on the table. Kota didn't move an eyebrow, but his body leaned forward slightly.

    “He's strange. But in the best way,” Liram continued. “He's different from the others. Not by being slower or less perceptive, but just the opposite. He has a quietness about him that listens. And at the same time, he analyzes. When in class, he doesn't talk much. But he knows exactly what's going on around him. He observes everything. And he thinks about it. More than anyone else.”

    Hikaru smiled slightly, bittersweet. “Sounds like him.”

    The doctor nodded. “He's quiet in most situations, rather withdrawn. But that's not a weakness. It's the way he filters the world. He hides more than he says out loud. Maybe even more than he realizes. But when it comes to the pack...” He paused again, staring at the table. “Today, when there was a conflict... when someone pushed Yuto... Ryosuke ran in first. And returned it. Twice. Not hesitantly. Not angrily. But without thinking. At that moment, it wasn't a student, it wasn't a child. He was a protector. Instinctive. He didn't overreact because he would be violent. He overreacted because he had to. Because something commanded it in him.”

    Hikaru pursed his lips. His eyes remained firm, but his cheeks paled a little.

    “Ryosuke isn't aggressive,” Liram added, “but if someone threatens his pack, it triggers something in him that can't be easily shut off. He fights like his life is on the line. And not for himself, but for others. He has the strongest protective instinct of the four.”

    “Isn't that instinct… too strong?” Kei asked quietly.

    The doctor shook his head. “No. But sometimes it is dangerously repressed. Because he tries to be calm, quiet, and obedient. He tries to be exactly the kind of wolf the school and the world expect him to be. But he carries a fire inside him. And that fire burns for his brothers.”

    The room was suddenly silent, vibrating. And Hikaru no longer kept his eyes on the table. He was looking directly at the doctor. There was a gleam in his eyes that looked like pride, but underneath was pain. Because he understood how much Ryosuke carried and how little of it he let on.

    Liram paused for a moment, as if mentally replaying the next chapter of his observational experience. Then he leaned back against the table, a little closer to Hikaru, but still speaking to the group.

    “Ryosuke... he could handle school. In terms of focus, discipline, and ability to absorb the classes, no problem there. He doesn't interrupt, he doesn't talk back, he listens. But,” he added quietly, fixing his gaze on Hikaru, “most of the time, he's focused on Yuto rather than school.”

    Yuya raised an eyebrow slightly. Kota bowed his head. And Hikaru froze. Not in surprise, but in recognition that the doctor saw it so clearly.

    “He's watching him. He's taking care of him. And when Yuto disappears from his sight for a moment, Ryosuke gets nervous. He's not looking for a textbook. He's looking for him. And as soon as he sees him again, something in him relaxes. He calms down.” Liram smiled, gently. “The bond between them is... special. It's like they're not complete without each other. Not in the sense of dependence, but in the sense of a deep connection. Ryosuke naturally takes on the rhythm of Yuto's energy. He adapts to it. When Yuto is playful, he plays with him. When he wants to transform, Ryosuke transforms with him. When Yuto runs, Ryosuke runs after him. Not because he has to. But because he wants to. Because he sees him as his own half.”

    Yuya looked at the table silently, breathlessly. And Kei had a gleam in his eye. Hikaru just bowed his head, as if a knot in it had loosened for a moment.

    “That bond is not common,” Liram said. “I rarely see something so strong between kids. Maybe it's pack intuition, maybe it's something deeper. But with these two... when they're together, the world exists differently for them. Clearer. Calmer. Even if it looks like chaos on the outside.” He turned to Hikaru again, “Ryosuke sees Yuto not only as a brother, but as someone he has to keep together. And yet... it is Yuto who holds him together. Each of them is half storm and half calm. But together... they're balanced.”

    It was quiet, deep. Everybody felt it. And in that moment, all the fathers realized that maybe the two wolf cubs weren't just brothers. They were each other's soul.

    The doctor closed his eyes for a moment, as if recalling specific images. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, focused, but also laced with a slight smile.

    “I noticed one more thing,” he said, his gaze lingering on Yuya and Hikaru at the same time. “Whenever Yuto does something at school... whenever he interrupts, runs away from his desk, discovers new corners of the school, or starts some unplanned research...” He paused, the corner of his mouth twitching. “... Ryosuke is always with him. Always.”

    Both Hikaru and Yuya looked at each other. The same expression flickered in their eyes – an unspoken 'yes, we know'. Kei chuckled softly, and Kota smiled as well.

    “Not because he was egging him on or pushing him into anything. On the contrary. He wants to be there when it's happening. He wants to protect him. To be there. And be a part of it. Two wolves. Not separate. But as one. Always together, whether it's a little mischief or something bigger.”

    Liram sighed, then added with amused tenderness, “The best example is the Sniffasaurus. Their... digging adventure.” He raised an eyebrow, as if the word carried everything. “Yuto sensed 'something underground'. And Ryosuke? He didn't hesitate. Not for a second. He didn't question it, didn't ask why. He transformed. And started digging with him. Side by side. And in half an hour, the hole was bigger than most archaeological sites I've ever seen. And most importantly, there was real joy in it. Excitement. The interplay. It wasn't a riot. It was about trust.”

    He paused for a moment, then looked at everyone present, “They're like two sides of the same coin. Yin and yang. One is movement, the other is stability. One is impulse, the other reflex. One is laughter, the other silence. But one without the other... they make no sense.”

    The Doctor's words sounded like a cross between an observation and a poem. It wasn't empty praise, but a deep understanding of a dynamic that didn't come from a textbook or a recorded conversation. It was a pack. And these two, the storm and the silence, were its heart.

    Hikaru leaned forward slightly, hands interlaced. There was a tense thoughtfulness in his eyes, one he only wore when it came to Ryosuke. He didn't radiate panic, but a deep desire to understand every layer of the little wolf he'd raised since his earliest days.

    “And what can I do about it?” he asked quietly. “I feel like I let Ryosuke down too much sometimes. Other times, I push him to say something. But he... mostly stays silent. I don't want to force him. But I also don't want him to carry everything around in his head. I'm probably doing it wrong, I just don't know when to back off and when to push.”

    The doctor listened carefully. He didn't interrupt him. And when Hikaru finished, he nodded slightly, as if he had heard the same question many times before, but each time he took it completely seriously.

    “You're doing it right,” he replied. “It just hurts because Ryosuke isn't easy. He's a kid with a depth that would scare any adult. And his silence... It's not denial. It's the way he protects himself. How he sorts through information, emotions, experiences.”

    Liram thought for a moment, then continued, “Ryosuke doesn't speak because he doesn't know what to say. But because he has too much to say and doesn't know where to start. And most importantly: he's uncomfortable being the center of attention, unless it's because he's doing something for others. When he defends Yuto, when he helps Keito, or keeps Yuri safe, that's where he feels natural. But when he has to talk about himself? He shuts down.”

    Hikaru sighed. “And I'm supposed to wait for him? Or try to pull him out of it?”

    “Wait,” Liram replied without hesitation. “But stay with him. Always. Physically. Not in the sense of interrogation, but presence. He doesn't need questions. He needs a stable body next to him. The key with Ryosuke is that he doesn't have to talk to you to know you love him. Likewise, if he dares to speak, he needs to hear that you hear him without you giving him advice or correcting him. Just to hear. Just be around.”

    Hikaru nodded silently. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if writing everything down deep in his memory. Then he asked again, in a quieter voice, “And the fights? Should I tell him he's… overreacting sometimes? That he needs to slow down?”

    The doctor thought about it. “You don't have to tell him. He knows. And yet, he'll do it again if he has to. Because his boundaries for 'danger to the pack' are set very sensitively. What you can do is give him reassurance that you understand. That you know he's not doing it on impulse, but out of loyalty. And teach him that defense doesn't always mean counterattack. But that will come in time. His inner wolf is growing. And with it, discipline. But the foundation – he's got it. He's a pure protector. From a young age. That's not a thing you get out of him. Nor should you.”

    And Hikaru, his eyes buried deep in the table, just nodded slowly. This time in a silence that was not about uncertainty, but understanding. And that he was prepared to be by his son's side for as long as he needed to be.

    Kota listened quietly to the whole conversation, alternately keeping his hands folded on the table and occasionally touching the wood with them, as if seeking peace in it. He didn't interfere with the talk of Ryosuke, leaving space for the others, but once it was clear that the doctor was finishing his analysis, he straightened up and asked the question he'd had prepared for quite some time.

    “And what do you think would be best?” he asked bluntly, with the quiet authority of a former Alpha, but with the softness that only those closest to him knew. “For all four of them. Do you have a plan? A specific suggestion?”

    Dr. Veil nodded, as if he'd been waiting for that very question. “Yes,” he said calmly, without hesitation. “I have a suggestion. But it's not a simple one. And it requires courage.”

    He paused for a moment, looked at all four fathers, then placed his hands on the table, palms up, openly, as a gesture of sincerity.

    “Yuto... he can't stay at this school. Not without serious consequences. His energy, his neurology, his wolf instincts – they all suffer there. And the more they force him to fit in, the more he'll crumble from the inside. And he'll start to believe he's bad. And we can't let that happen.”

    Yuya lowered his gaze, pursed his lips, but said nothing. The words stung him. But they were true.

    “I have a contact at a school where they actually know how to work with werewolf children,” the doctor continued. “It's not some prestigious high school. It's a small school on the edge of town. Purely werewolf. The teaching is set up differently – small groups, individuals, no pushing to be competitive. A lot of the teaching is outdoors – in the woods, in the field, on the move. Minimal time at the desk and whiteboard. Lots of practice, lots of teamwork. It's an environment that understands what it means to be a young wolf.”

    Hikaru mused, Kei straightened slightly and looked at Liram with a hopeful look that dared not yet be loud.

    “It would be ideal for Yuto,” the doctor said. “He could breathe there. Literally. But...” he held up a finger, “if you decide to move Yuto, you can't leave the other three at the old school. That would disrupt their dynamic. That bond. The pack. They're not just four individuals. They're like one organism. It's either everybody goes or nobody goes.”

    Kota nodded. “That makes sense. But... will it be suitable for everyone?”

    Liram leaned back and added, “And that's the rub. It may not be ideal for Keito. He can handle this school. He's got calmness, stability, rhythm. And maybe moving to a new school, with more emphasis on movement and pack pace, would detract from him rather than add.”

    Kei fell silent. That was a thought he would have to live with for a while.

    The doctor took a short sip of his lemonade, letting the words ripen in the space between them for a moment, then spoke again. His voice was soft but sure, like the careful placing of the final piece to an important puzzle.

    “That's why it might be a little more complicated with Keito,” he began, his gaze lingering on Kei, who sat across from him, thinking in silence. “It's true that he's handling the current school without too much trouble. He's thriving, he understands the system, he likes the structure. But the new school...” He paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his next words. “... It's not all running and howling. Quite the opposite. The woods, the terrain, the connectedness to nature – that's something Keito might deeply enjoy. This school doesn't just specialize in a werewolf's physical pace, but also the natural plane of their being. An appreciation of the ecosystem, a deep understanding of animals, plants, and the rhythms of the seasons. It's not just a school. It's a place where young werewolves learn that the world is a whole to which they belong.”

    Kei slowly straightened up as if he had just heard something that touched his heart. And yet he remained alert, wondering if the transition would hurt Keito.

    “Keito might not suffer there,” the doctor continued. “He has a kindness about him, a calmness. And while he's not the type to need to run ten kilometers every day, he's not averse to it. He doesn't refuse to move. He just prefers a space where there is peace and harmony. And that's where he finds it. I think he could handle it. On the contrary. I believe he could do it very well. Just differently than the other three.”

    Then he looked again at all the fathers. “But that's why... You should talk to him about it. Calmly. Without pressure. He knows how he feels. He just needs to know he can talk. And that his decision will be respected. Whether he chooses to go with his brothers or stay where he knows it, the only thing that matters is that he knows the pack is holding together. That it stays the same. And that his choice does not separate him. But it defines him as a full member.”

    Yuya nodded slowly. Kota placed his hand on the table so that it touched Hikaru's. Kei stared into space for a moment, then nodded. It was a decision that hadn't been made yet, but everyone already knew the path to it was ready. And that they would ask Keito. Together. Without fear.

    Kei just rubbed his thumb against the edge of the table for a moment after the doctor's words before speaking. There was something deeper than concern in his voice. There was something personal in it too, as if he himself carried a piece of the sadness he used to see in his son.

    “Keito has been sad a lot lately,” he said quietly. “Especially when he and his brothers were playing. They're running, tugging, jumping all over each other... and he's always trying to go with them, but he can't. He can't fight like they do. He's cautious, weaker, quiet. He never complained. But I know it bothered him. That he felt that he... wasn't enough.”

    The silence in the room grew heavy. Kota leaned back in a slight, sad nod. Hikaru stiffened, and Yuya looked towards the door as if expecting to hear the boys from the stairs at any moment.

    Dr. Veil smiled slightly, more gently this time, with a warmth that could not be faked. He rested his elbow on the table, his gaze gentle and filled with genuine respect.

    “It's true that Keito has a different rhythm. He's not one to jump headfirst into every fight. But his brothers know that. They sense him. And they don't push him away because of it. On the contrary.”

    He looked up at Kei. “I had the pleasure of playing wolfball with them recently. Or their version of what they call it – a ball they hit in the air with their noses. Keito wasn't the fastest. He wasn't even the most accurate. But he was part of it. Not as a pendant. As a player. And when he failed, no one laughed at him. They cheered him on. They praised him. They helped him find the right angle.” He smiled a little more and added, “And most importantly? They were happy he was there. They love playing with him, even though he's different. They don't see him as weaker. They see him as Keito. Their Keito. And he... when he felt accepted, he blossomed. His movements calmed down. His eyes lit up. And he was there with them. Not as someone trying to be enough, but as part of it. A full part.”

    Kei suddenly had a gleam in his eye. There was no need for tears. Just a deep release, like a parent hearing that their child was loved, even if they weren't sure of it at times.

    And the rest of the fathers looked different, too. With a mute acknowledgement that being a wolf didn't mean being wild. Sometimes, it means being quiet, calm... and yet irreplaceable.

    Kei remained silent for a moment, as if he needed to process everything he had just heard. Then he moved back a few inches and stared into the glass of water in front of him. His voice was soft, but there was a concern in his question that he'd been carrying around for quite some time.

    “And do you think... that the lack of a maternal element in our pack has any effect on them?” He looked up at everyone else. “We're four dads here. And Daiki is their big brother. We're strong, stable, we love them... but there are no moms. No she-wolf. And I don't know if they miss it more than we're letting on.”

    Silence fell over the room, but it wasn't heavy. It was full of attention. Kota lowered his head, Yuya laced his fingers together, and Hikaru clenched his jaw not because he wanted to say anything, but because the question touched him deeply.

    Dr. Veil folded his hands on the table and nodded slowly, as if accepting the importance of the question. It was not an easy question. But the answer wasn't meant to sound like a reproach, but more like a guiding light.

    “Mothers play an important role in werewolf packs. I won't deny that. Their influence is different. They are often emotionally softer, creating a safe framework through which the wolf cubs understand that vulnerability has its place. That cuddling is not a weakness. That fear can be embraced. They have a different energy from the fathers. More subtle, sometimes more intuitive.”

    But then he smiled with real tenderness. “But you know what? All that I just described... I've seen it here, too. I've seen you gently brushing your sons' fur. How you stroke their heads when you think no one is looking. How you hold them when they're upset. How you tell them out loud that you love them. I saw Kota's hand on Yuri, speaking without words. Hikaru's silent presence telling Ryosuke more than a thousand sentences. Kei's endless hugging of Keito, no matter how old he is. Yuya's playing with Yuto, which has so much love in it. Daiki's banter that made even the quiet Ryosuke laugh.”

    He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping the table. “Yes, biologically, they lack the maternal element. But emotionally? You've managed to replace it in a way most packs haven't. And maybe... maybe that's why your sons are so strong. Because they're learning from you that a man can be both strong and weak. Wise and playful. And that wolf love is not unisex. It only has depth.”

    Kei looked away, his eyes glittering slightly. Yuya put a hand on his shoulder. And Hikaru leaned closer to the table, as if he wanted to be closer to it all. And even though no one said anything... There was one big thank you in the silence.

    Hikaru rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the table, where the dim light from the tap reflected. He wasn't the type to like to talk out loud about tender things, but just because he did, it was clear that he was completely serious.

    “We were talking with Kota today,” he began, glancing briefly back at his friend, who nodded silently. “We've felt for some time that... They've been missing something. And not just because of school. But in general. The city's energy is strong. The concrete, the noise, the rules, the walls. Everything that's supposed to keep us in a system. But wolves... wolves need to run.” He looked up at the doctor, his gaze honest, strong. “So, we thought we'd take the whole pack into the wild every weekend, or as often as we can. Into the woods. To transform, to run. Be for the night in burrows, by rivers, under the stars. To hunt, to play, to howl. No boundaries. No schedules. Just... be wolves.”

    Yuya nodded with a weak smile. “Yuto would go right away, too. He'd already be shaking just by hearing that.”

    Kei chuckled, “Keito would take the herbarium with him and want to analyze every kind of moss, but he would go.”

    Kota added quietly, “Yuri would prepare a map and a route plan. And Ryosuke... he'd go in silence, but he'd be the first to run into the water.”

    Dr. Veil watched them with a slight smile and then simply said, “I approve. Not as a psychologist. But as someone who saw your children in the woods. Who has seen how all they need is three seconds in the trees and everything in them changes.” He leaned closer to the table. “They need it. Not as an escape, but as a return. They need to connect back to who they are, because they've been learning all week to be something they're not. This weekend ritual could be just the stable point that gives them the strength to handle the rest. What's more, it will make you stronger. The whole pack. Each other.”

    There was silence for a while, but this time it was pleasant. There was joy in it. Relief. And anticipation. Because everyone at that table knew that this idea... wasn't just a plan. It was the future.

    Yuya leaned closer to the table and looked at the doctor with a curious yet serious look. “And... is there any way to know where life will lead these wolves of ours?” he asked quietly. “After school? If you already have any idea what might fit them one day, where would they find their place? So that it's not just a job... but something that gives them purpose.”

    Hikaru nodded. “Exactly. We don't want to raise them to be wolves that get lost in the system. We want them to be happy. To find themselves. But a wolf always wonders if there's something to be known at that age. Or is it all too soon?”

    Liram leaned back in his chair, folded his hands in front of him, and was silent for a moment. He was not surprised. It was only natural that this was what the parents were interested in. Not just what was bothering them now, but what lay ahead. What could be. Who they could be.

    “I can guess something,” he replied calmly. “With a great deal of reserve, of course, because everything can change, and they still have time. But some patterns of behavior, natural tendencies, where they're being pulled... they can already be discerned.”

    He looked at Kei and began, “Keito's the easiest.”

    Kei straightened, a little nervously, but also curiously.

    “Keito has a deep sensitivity to nature. I don't know if you realize it, but he sees more than just the beauty of the forest or what is blooming. He understands rhythm. He watches when things change. How things build on each other. When we were outside, he noticed a different kind of caterpillar sitting on a leaf than was usually found on that tree, and within ten seconds, he was telling me that it had probably lost its orientation because of the temperature change in the last few days. And then he asked me if he could take it in a cup and observe its behavior. To make sure it's okay and doesn't need his help.”

    Yuya smiled. “Sounds like Keito.”

    The doctor nodded. “Exactly. This isn't just an interest. This is a natural bond. His place will be where he can live with nature, not just observe it from afar. A gardener. A researcher. A naturalist. A botanist. Maybe even a park ranger. Anything where he can be with greenery, with soil, with plants, with insects. Where he can protect, understand, and grow with the environment. If no one stops him, he'll grow up to be a wolf who not only respects nature but blends in naturally. This is very rare.”

    Kei smiled. And that smile wasn't just happy, it was touching. It was the future he wished for little Keito, even if he had never admitted it out loud to himself. And to hear that it was really in him, that someone could see it... that was a relief. And hope.

    The doctor smiled and closed the notebook, as if to indicate that he would not read from it again, that he was now speaking purely from his heart and experience. Then he looked at Yuya.

    “With Yuto... It's more complicated,” he admitted. “Because Yuto is a whirlwind now. A storm that runs, barks, digs, and explores. He's inquisitive, unrestrained, always on the move. But... what he'll be in a few years, there's no telling for sure. It's possible that his hyperactivity will calm with age, that his mind will learn to better sort through stimuli, and that he'll develop the tools to keep himself balanced. And then he'll function like, say, a 'regular werewolf'. But it's also possible that he'll forever need space to just be Yuto. And both of those paths are fine.”

    Yuya nodded silently. He knew it was true. He saw it. And yet, to hear it from someone else with such calm and acceptance had its own weight.

    “But I know one thing for sure,” Liram continued. “Yuto will only be happy where he can move. Where he won't be enclosed between four walls. Where he will be able to react, decide, watch, and be part of the action. He needs a dynamic environment. And ideally something where he not only watches, but helps lead, supervises. He has a natural sense of observation, even if it may seem chaotic on the outside. He knows what's going on around him. And he has an instinct to help.”

    He paused, then added quietly, “If I had to guess anything about him, I can see him in the police force. But not in the office, certainly not. In the field. On the street. At a crime scene. On the team. I could see him helping out with training. Not just because of the physical activity, but because he can perceive the behavior of others. He can sense when someone is failing, when they need encouragement, when they need a push. And above all... There is also a natural protector in him.”

    Hikaru smiled. “Sounds like him. Helping, protecting, and chewing up three bottles lying too close together in the process.”

    The doctor chuckled, but immediately added, “And even if he does something else someday, he'll need a job where he's relevant. Where he doesn't feel like a cog. Yuto's the type that needs to feel like he's doing something important. Otherwise, he loses direction.”

    Yuya smiled softly and a little melancholy. He put his hand on the table, as if he were leaning on that image of his son, who might one day, not just be the wild boy, but the wolf who had found direction, meaning, and purpose.

    The Doctor was silent for a moment, as if he was replaying in his head the entire file he had put together on Ryosuke over the past weeks. A mosaic of observations, silences, gestures, looks, reactions, and even the unspoken. His hand ran gently over the spine of the closed notebook before he took another breath and spoke.

    “Then there's Ryosuke,” he began quietly, but with a seriousness that immediately drew the attention of everyone at the table.

    Hikaru straightened up and looked at him intently, as if waiting for every next word with bated breath.

    “With him... It's a bit harder. Because he doesn't show any of it outwardly. But there's so much going on beneath the surface that it would take two lifetimes to decipher it all.” Liram smiled slightly.

    He took a deep breath and continued, “Ryosuke has an extremely developed attention to detail. It's not just about noticing, it's about deep, structured analysis of situations, people, and environments. He notices what's missing, what's overabundant, what doesn't fit. He doesn't say it out loud, but his eyes register it. He's like a silent observer who stores everything. And then he puts it together into a whole that others miss.”

    Kota nodded almost imperceptibly. Kei held his breath.

    “And on top of that, he has an absolutely uncompromising sense of justice. He's not loud. But when he senses that someone is threatened or that an injustice is happening, a mechanism is triggered in him that cannot be stopped. It's deeply ingrained. It's not a learned behavior. It's at his core.”

    The doctor looked at Hikaru. “If you ask me where Ryosuke might one day go... I'll answer without hesitation: he'd be an exceptional detective. Quiet. Systematic. With an incredible talent for observation and a strong inner compass. And if he's ever pulled in that direction, I could see him working undercover as well. Not in the style of a movie agent, but as a true professional. Someone who unravels things that are complex, dangerous, hidden.”

    Hikaru took a breath, his eyes moist but firm. He didn't laugh, but there was a pride in his expression that needed no words.

    Liram added more quietly, understanding, “He'll have to work on his self-control. Especially in emotionally tense situations. That's where his protective instinct sometimes kicks in too sharply. But that can be trained. And Ryosuke learns quickly when he knows it makes sense. And here... it would make sense. Huge sense.”

    There was silence for a moment. But this time, it wasn't tense. It was a silence filled with the image of a boy who doesn't stand out, yet sees everything. And who might one day be the one to find the truth where others miss it.

    Hikaru was silent as well, as if replaying in his mind every situation where Ryosuke flew out like a puppy. Mostly because of Yuto, but not always. He remembered the clenched jaws, the raised fur, the times he'd had to catch him and literally carry him away to calm him down. And how Ryosuke always looked guilty afterwards. As he closed in, he pulled his tail close to his body and said nothing, just sat off to the side and breathed deeply.

    “And... can anything be done about it?” he finally asked. “With... how quickly he reacts. If there's anything I can do to help him. Teach him how to stop before he flies off. If there's any tricks, methods... Something to help him be able to hold himself better in those situations.”

    Liram nodded, this time with a slight smile, but a very serious tone. “Yes, definitely. And it's good that you're asking. Because with Ryosuke, it won't be about giving him a rule and him blindly following it. He needs to understand why something works. How it fits into his world. And most importantly... he needs to experience it when he's calm, not when he's stressed.”

    He put his hands on the table and continued, “There are techniques for regulating emotions that can be adapted to werewolf neurology. It's nothing miraculous, but they work. Breath exercises, anchoring the senses, and physical restraint through the body. Basically, give the brain time to catch up with instinct.”

    “Give it time...” repeated Hikaru thoughtfully.

    “Yes.” The doctor nodded. “When his adrenaline starts to spike, all it takes is a few simple formulas. Like: stop, press all four paws firmly to the ground, take three deep breaths in through the nose, out through the muzzle. Or concentrate on five things he can feel by touch, smell, hearing... Anything that will pull him back to himself.”

    Hikaru soaked up every word like a sponge. Kei, Yuya, and Kota listened in silence, knowing that Ryosuke wasn't the only one who would benefit from this.

    “But the important thing,” Liram added, “is that they have to practice it with you. Calmly, not when something is happening. It can even be a game. It can be a ritual that turns him into a wolf that chooses when to transform, when to engage, and when to retreat. If you do it as a pack, he'll naturally take to it. And when the real situation comes, he'll have it in him. Like a second wind.”

    Hikaru nodded. “Okay... let's give it a try. We can make a game out of it.”

    Liram smiled. “And he'll be good at it. He already is. He just doesn't know it yet.” The Doctor thought for a moment, his eyes fixed on nothing as an image composed itself in his mind. Then he smiled, a little more playfully this time, and nodded as if the last piece had just fallen into place.

    “You know what?” he uttered with a hint of excitement. “I've got an idea for a game the whole pack could try. And it'll work not only on Ryosuke, but on Yuto as well. Everyone will get something different out of it. One calming down, the other discipline. And it'll be fun for the others.”

    All the fathers became alert as soon as the doctor went into specifics. He managed to impress even when he talked about therapy, because it never sounded like a lecture, but a part of the wolves' lives.

    “Let's call it Pack Balance, for example,” he began, his fingers tracing the air as if he were describing a map. “You're all going to transform – the kids and you. And then you'll split up into pairs or trios. At the beginning, everyone stands in a circle and each person has to watch their breathing, paws on the ground, sniffing the air around them. That's the 'zero level'. Relax. Like in the woods before a storm.”

    Hikaru smiled. “That almost sounds like meditation.”

    “Exactly.” Liram nodded. “But a wolf one. Then one of you, maybe Yuya, because Yuto listens to him the most, starts a subtle game: one wolf has to stay calm while the other runs around him, provoking, trying to unsettle him. He can jump around him, make grimaces, lightly nudge him... nothing hurtful, just playful teasing. And the first one's job is to stay calm. Breathe. Don't jump right away. Hold on. Concentrate.”

    Kei raised an eyebrow. “That's going to make Ryosuke scream internally.”

    “Maybe the first time,” the doctor said with a laugh. “But he will learn to recognize the line between impulse and action. He'll learn that he has a brake in him. And with Yuto? He, on the other hand, will train his empathy. He'll see that his actions have an impact. He'll learn to put the brakes on himself when he knows he's had too much.”

    “And the others?” Kota asked.

    “You can vary it. The next round, on the other hand, may be about who can move quietly, stealthily, and pass through the group without being noticed. Perfect for Yuri. Or who can find someone in the pack who's nervous and manage to calm them down, again, that's a role for Keito.”

    All the fathers looked at the doctor with a new expression. It was as if he had just shown them before their eyes that even in quiet play, one can learn the most important things – to manage oneself, to be sensitive to others, and at the same time, to remain a pack.

    “Besides,” he added with a smile, “when you learn it properly... You can try it in human form. Just don't call me when someone smashes their knee on the table while holding back a laugh.”

    All the werewolves in the room laughed, already thinking about when they could try this game for the first time with their boys.

    Kota had maintained his usual calm throughout the conversation, but now, as the debate began to turn to their children's broader relationships, he leaned in closer. There was a cautious curiosity in his voice, but also a certain concern that he had been holding in for some time.

    “What about their relationships with others?” he asked quietly. “We've been hinted at several times at school... that our boys live in their own bubble. That they only have themselves and don't let anyone else in. And we know their bond is strong, but... we don't want them to close themselves off. We want them to explore other beings, other cultures, other worlds. To be able to open up outside the pack. It's just... we feel like it's not as easy as it should be.”

    Liram nodded, as if he'd been expecting the question. His look was sympathetic, but not pitying. He was completely sincere. “What you describe is common in heavily pack-bonded werewolf pups. But with your sons, it's not reluctance. They don't ignore others. They don't deliberately shut themselves off. On the contrary. They're trying. It's just... they don't always succeed.”

    He glanced at each of them, but then returned his gaze to Kota. “Yuto in particular has been amazingly open about this. He goes to the others. With the ball, with questions, with a grin from ear to ear. He wants to. He wants to play, he wants to have fun, he wants to share. But not every being is ready for Yuto's intensity. Sometimes, they find him too noisy. Too close. Too intrusive. Even though he doesn't mean it that way.”

    Kei sighed as Yuya lowered his gaze, his eyes darkening for a moment.

    “And when that happens more than once...” the doctor continued gently, “when that energy meets disinterest, ridicule, or just avoidance... They begin to shut down. Not as a defense mechanism, but as a form of protection. They say to themselves, 'We have ourselves.' And in a sense, that's true. They have a strong bond. And that's a huge advantage. But it's also a risk. Because the world is wider than the pack. And they... sometimes it's very hard to remind themselves of that.”

    The doctor smiled then, his eyes sliding away as if he remembered something. “They got along really well with me. Not because I was special, but because I gave them space. I gave them time. I responded to them, but I didn't slow their pace. I remember Yuto running up to me on the first day and asking if I had a wiffle ball in my backpack. And when I didn't have one, he offered to lend it to me when he found one, so I wouldn't feel left out.” He laughed lightly, as did the other fathers. “And the others? They accepted me. Because Yuto said I was fine. And then Ryosuke watched me all day before confirming it. And it was done.”

    Kota nodded, slowly, understandingly. “So, it's not that they don't want to spend time with anyone else. They're just... bumping.”

    “Exactly.” The doctor nodded. “And your job, our job, is to leave the door open for them. And at the same time, teach them that some relationships are slower to form. But when they do... they can be as strong as the bond between brothers.”

    The doctor paused for a moment, took a sip of lemonade, and his eyes showed that his thoughts were moving to the fourth member of the pack. Then he looked at Kota with a soft smile and spoke calmly, but with a certainty that sounded not like a supposition but an observation that had been confirmed many times over.

    “And finally, Yuri, lest we forget,” he began. “It's different again with him. He's smaller. Quieter. Not as physically imposing as Yuto or Ryosuke. But what he has inside him... is an incredible brain. He's smart, but not spectacularly so. He's not a kid who's gonna report back with every answer. But when he says something, it makes sense. And it often has another dimension that others don't get.”

    Kota smiled slightly, but said nothing. He didn't have to.

    “Yuri is thoughtful, perceptive, and has a sense of logic. He can read between the lines. His ability to analyze a situation is quiet but precise. And most interestingly... He has a need to find meaning. If something doesn't have a deeper meaning, he's not interested. But when something interests him, he dives in.”

    “Do you think... a similar path to Ryosuke's would suit him?” Kota asked thoughtfully.

    The doctor nodded. “Maybe. But from a different angle. Ryosuke is more intuitive, following his instincts and a strong moral compass. Yuri... could easily be a detective, but more on the analytical level. I see him as someone who analyzes data, puts together patterns, and designs strategies. He could be a researcher, an analyst, but he could also be in security, profiling, looking for connections. He's the type to innovate. Someone who thinks beyond the scope of conventional interpretation.”

    Kei suddenly laughed, lightly, with nostalgia in his voice. “When he was little, and he couldn't even talk properly yet, when we were playing cards with Hikaru and Daiki, he would crawl up on the table, his little paws still clumsy... and look at us. And then he started taking the cards out of our hands and stacking them in piles by color. He didn't understand the rules, but he wanted to understand them. And then he sat down in the middle of the table like a referee and watched us, as if he was deciphering the whole game.”

    The doctor smiled. “That doesn't sound at all surprising. Yuri needs an environment where he can ask 'why?' Where he won't be put off by the 'because that's the way it is' answer. If he's given space, he can be the one to find solutions to things others have given up on. Not because of power. But because of his head. And heart.”

    Kota nodded, his eyes glittering more than his expression showed.

Yuri's future might not be written anywhere yet, but the outline of it was already clear. And it was strong. In his own way.

    Dr. Veil sat up a little straighter again, folded his hands on the table, and looked at the four men at the table. His gaze held not the authority of a doctor, but the understanding of someone who had spent enough time with their children to know what he was saying, and who really cared.

    “I'll be happy to write a recommendation for all four of them,” he said quietly but firmly. “For the school we talked about. I know the environment there, I know the people who work with the kids, and I know they'd find the conditions there easier to breathe.”

    There was a momentary silent acquiescence, but it was obvious that he was about to say something else of substance. And he did.

    “But before I do, I want you to hear one thing fully – all of you.” He looked each of them in the eye, one by one. “This is not a failure. Not on your part. Nor theirs. They're not leaving because they can't handle it. They're leaving because there's a place where they can be more themselves, where what's special about them is not only tolerated, but nurtured. It's not an escape. It's a shift. It's from an environment that tried to trim their edges to an environment that conforms to their shape.”

    Kei clasped his hands in a loose intertwining of fingers. Hikaru nodded, his gaze buried in the table. Yuya raised his eyes to the ceiling, as if mentally counting the number of times he repeated that sentence in his head to keep it from breaking his heart. And Kota... He just breathed calmly, but his face held pride.

    The doctor continued softly but with emphasis, “Your sons are not the problem. They are a gift. They just need an environment that doesn't tell them what they can't be, but shows them what they can be. And you give them that at home every day. It's time for them to have that where they spend half their lives.”

    He didn't say more. He didn't have to. They all understood. And they all knew that this decision, as hard as it was, was the right one. For their wolf cubs and for the pack.

    Hikaru sat in silence for a moment, his fingers slowly running over the back of his hand as if mentally comparing every word the doctor had just said. His expression was serious, but there was a slight glint in his eyes. Not sadness, more like emotion, a suppressed gratitude that was finding its way out.

    Finally, he straightened up, rested his forearms on the table, and fixed his gaze squarely on Dr. Veil. It was the look that the Alpha spoke with. Not the voice of authority, but the force of responsibility for his pack.

    “I want to thank you,” he said quietly but clearly. His voice was deeper, calm, without any gestures, but all the more sincere. “For giving us your time. For not watching our wolf cubs as a case, but getting to know them as individuals. For devoting yourself to them... so deeply.”

    He raised his hand and rubbed his jaw lightly. “I know you didn't have to stay with us that long. That you could have limited yourself to a few notes on the form and sent us on our way. But you didn't leave. Instead, you played with them, talked to them, understood them... and most importantly, you didn't evaluate them. And that means...” he paused and took a deep breath, “... that means a lot to us.”

    Kei nodded slowly, his eyes were downcast, but the corners of his mouth showing emotion. Yuya touched his forearm lightly. Kota remained silent, but watched Hikaru's words with respect as something that spoke for the pack all by itself.

    “We all appreciate it very much,” Hikaru added. “Whatever their next journey may be... You helped us see it at all. And for that, we thank you.”

    Dr Veil nodded silently, his gaze fixed on the table, but something flashed in his eyes. Perhaps it was relief. Maybe it was pride. Or maybe just the quiet knowledge that this pack was not ordinary, and that being part of it, even for a moment, was a privilege.

    Liram remained silent for a moment, then ran his hand over his notebook as if brushing invisible dust from it. His gaze was soft, calm, and yet there was something more in it. Something personal that he had kept to himself until now.

    “I should be thanking you all,” he said after a moment with a quiet smile, his eyes fixed on theirs. “I've had fun with you. With them. Even though today was hard. Maybe that's why. Because even though we've had some hard moments, there was something real in them. Raw. Something you don't see every day in this world.” He paused, then continued in a quieter voice, “This isn't just another case. These weren't just four little wolves with challenges for me. They were four guys with huge hearts, each in a different way. And a pack that holds them together with a strength I rarely see even among adults. Being there... it wasn't work for me. It was an honor.”

    Yuya thanked him with a slight nod, Kota bowed his head in silent acknowledgement, Kei smiled in gratitude, and Hikaru straightened up a little, as if he was giving back the very honor the doctor spoke of.

    Outside, it was already starting to get dark. The shadows of the city fell softly, almost protectively, on the building of their home. And in those shadows, everyone in the room knew that something had moved forward.

    It may have been just another chapter in their young wolves' lives, but it was an extremely important one. Because every end of a school day, even a difficult one full of black eyes, scratches, and questions, can be the beginning of something better. Especially if you have your loving wolf pack by your side.

Chapter Text

    The pick-up's engine hummed softly as the vehicle made its way along the winding road lined with dense forest. Daiki was driving in the cab up front, his fingers resting lightly on the steering wheel as a slow, relaxing tune played over the speakers. Beside him sat Kota, leaning back comfortably with his head turned to the window, and behind him was Kei, who occasionally stared at the screen of his phone, but most of the time just silently watched the passing scenery.

    In the back of the car was another world. Windy, looser, rawer, yet safe. Hikaru sat leaning against one of the sides, legs stretched out and arms folded, one eye constantly on his wolf crew. Yuya sat across from him, his back against the front wall, hair blowing in the wind, one hand resting on Yuri, who had his head resting on his thigh.

    All four little wolves were lying or sitting on the hull, but each in a different way. Keito was curled up in a ball, his back against Hikaru's leg, his breathing calm, his eyes wide and fixed on the sky where the clouds rolled slowly like waves. Yuri lay next to him with his front paws outstretched. Occasionally, his ears would twitch when he heard a distant sound.

    Yuto stood attached by a strong strap to the hook. His front paws were clamped on the edge of the hull, his ears were raised, and his tail was in a slight quiver. He watched everything. Every leaf, every movement, every change in the air. He looked like a small guard wolf, ready to leap at the slightest movement, if it weren't for the safety vest that made it impossible, and that he had tested for strength several times today.

    Next to him, quieter but just as alert, sat Ryosuke. Front paws folded in front of him, ears slightly back, eyes fixed on nowhere, or maybe just on everything too. He wasn't watching the scenery as frantically as Yuto was. He was taking it in. He breathed it. He was in it. They were both strapped in, but while Yuto struggled against the rope that held him from jumping out, Ryosuke was calm, as if he didn't even care.

    Yuto's front paws kept moving along the edge of the hull, as if he were testing whether the rules of gravity might apply differently today. As soon as he spotted an interesting movement in the bushes by the edge of the path, perhaps a rabbit, perhaps a leaf, he immediately stretched his neck, ears flicking up and hind paws straining as he tried to get as close to the edge as possible. His tail wagged like a small fan, poking at Ryosuke, who was sitting right next to him, but he responded calmly, almost as always.

    “Did you see that?” barked Yuto, barely audible over the wind, his tone a mixture of excitement and fascination.

    Ryosuke didn't even blink, just nodded his head, his eyes still fixed forward. “Leaf. But it looked like a rabbit.”

    Yuto groaned in disappointment. “You thought so too, huh?”

    “Yeah.”

    The other wolves on the hull watched all this with alternating interest. Keito didn't move, his calm breathing betraying that he was watching the world as intently as Yuto, just without the movement. Yuri, who had his head resting on Yuya's legs, would occasionally raise an ear or glance over at Yuto when he barked louder. But he was used to his brother by now.

    Meanwhile, Yuya was discreetly extending his hand to Yuto's harness. At first, he was just checking that the vest was tight enough and that the carabiner was holding. Then he checked for the second time, and for the third.

    Yuto shot him a look over his shoulder, tongue lolling out, eyes squinted. “Dad...”

    “I know, I know.” Yuya smiled, and instead of checking further, he simply put his hand on his harness from behind and gently grabbed it. Not firmly. Just enough for Yuto to feel it. To feel the warmth of his palm and the firmness of the contact. No pulling. No restraint. It was just a reminder that he was there. That he was holding him in case his body decided to jump without his brain even processing it first.

    Yuto sighed, but then remained standing. His tail wagged for a while longer, but not as furiously. He could feel the hand that held him through the leather of the harness to his heart. And even though he had a whole world in front of him that he wanted to jump into, he stayed. Because that hand was saying, 'It's all right. I'm here. And you stay with me, okay?'

    The wind was against the sides of the moving car, rustling the fur, but there was a strange calm on the hull despite its strength. Both Yuri and Keito lay quietly and snuggled up to the older werewolves. Only Yuto didn't give in. His movement was never wasted; it was more like a stream that you could never stop, you could just direct it a little.

    Yuya leaned closer to Hikaru, who had his eyes closed, his face tired but content. “So, what do you think?” Yuya asked quietly so only the two of them could hear. “Are we finally going to run around like old times?”

    Hikaru smiled, not even opening his eyes. “As long as my knees don't fall apart on the first run, I'll take it easy.”

    Yuya chuckled. “That's exactly the spirit we needed to pass on to the next generation.”

    Ryosuke, though he seemed focused forward, turned his ear slightly towards the conversation. Yuri also opened one eye, and Keito wagged his tail weakly. They listened. Their world was in motion, but their minds were set like a fine wolf net, catching every note.

    “Speaking of generation,” Yuya added, “do you think they'll make it today? Sleep in the woods, out of their beds, without cell phones and tablets?”

    “Yuto for sure,” Hikaru replied, “unless someone forbids him to dig a burrow the size of a garage.”

    “And Ryosuke?”

    “He'll stay with him. He'll always stay with him.”

    At the sound of Yuto's name, it was not surprising that he immediately moved, head turned over his shoulder, tail wagging.

    “Are we there yet?” he barked, with an impatience that had a touch of hope in it. “And what are we going to do? Run? Rake? Hunt? Can we hunt something? What if there's a bear? I want a bear!”

    Ryosuke shook his head, but said nothing. He just leaned more into Yuto, causing him to sit up more quietly.

    Yuya reached over and scratched behind Yuto's ears with a smile in his eyes. “We're going to the woods north of Chicago. Dense woods, no houses, no people. We'll be there all weekend. Sleep under the trees, run, eat blueberries, and roll in the pine needles.”

    “And the bear?”

    “If there is one, it'll scare you more than the other way around. But we can smell it from a distance.”

    Yuto jumped excitedly in his sitting position. “I'll take that! But only if you let me dig.”

    Hikaru huffed. “You can dig. As long as you don't dig to Canada, that is.”

    Keito snorted with laughter, Yuri smiled, and Ryosuke just quietly closed his eyes. But his tail twitched. They were enjoying themselves. All of them. Because in the forest, that's where they were themselves.

    Ryosuke was silent, but as the wind whistled past and the silhouettes of even deeper woods began to appear in the distance between the trees, his voice finally cut through the silence. He spoke softly, more thoughtful than curious, but his eyes remained unchanged. They were still fixed forward, still calm.

    “What is Canada like?” he asked. “I've heard it has the densest forests. The kind where you could get lost and never be found again.” His voice sounded almost dreamy, not scary. As if the idea of getting lost in something so wild and deep was somehow appealing to him.

    Hikaru opened one eye and stared at him. Then he rubbed his chin and murmured, “Canada is... green. It's huge. It has forests that smell like a hundred-year-old moss and water from the mountains. And it's quiet. A silence so deep that when you howl, you think the whole country can hear you.”

    Yuto, of course, immediately joined in. “And there are bears, right?!”

    Yuya smiled. “Yeah, and moose. The kind that lifts the wind out of the hair on your back when they pass by.”

    “I want to go to Canada!” Yuto barked, his tail beginning to thump against Ryosuke's side.

    Ryosuke smiled, but his mind was already somewhere far away. Maybe among those dark pines, where the light only penetrated through the cracks in the needles. “I'd probably feel at ease there,” he spoke softly, almost in a whisper, but they heard him nonetheless.

    Hikaru looked at him with a strange softness in his eyes. “You'd definitely get lost there, but only a little. The way you like it. And we would have found you anyway. Because the pack never gets lost for good.”

    Ryosuke nodded. And though he didn't answer out loud, his quiet, barely noticeable smile was answer enough.

    Keito, who until now had only been silently riding between the wind and the calm, suddenly raised his head. His muzzle twitched in the air, as if he could already smell the scent of damp moss and sun-warmed berries.

    “The last time we were in the woods,” he began, “I found blueberries that were almost the color of the night sky. Not like the ones from the supermarket, but really dark, all the way to black. And they were sweet, almost like honey.” He shuddered and squinted. “If I find more, I'll pick them. Then we can make forest porridge. Or put them in water to make it smell good.”

    Yuto immediately barked. “But I'll eat them first! And then I'll go looking for raspberries! And I'll also dig around to see where there might be hiding places for-”

    “The squeaky bone,” Ryosuke interrupted dryly.

    “Yeah!”

    Meanwhile, Yuri looked thoughtfully at the swaying tree tops in the distance. His voice was softer, like he was asking into the wind rather than to someone in particular. “And... do any creatures live in these woods?”

    “You mean like bears?” Yuto muttered.

    Yuri shook his head. “No. Like... forest creatures. The ones that don't show themselves to humans.”

    Yuya smiled at the question and looked just where the road plunged into the deeper forest, as if he too was wondering if someone was watching them right there. Then he turned to Yuri. “They're here,” he replied quietly. “But they rarely show themselves. Not because they are afraid. But because they're watching. They are the guardians of the forest. Old creatures. Some look like animals, others like branches and shadows. Some talk to the wind. Others are just... silent.”

    All the wolves were listening to him now. Even Yuto had stopped moving. Ryosuke raised his head, and Keito rested his paw on Hikaru's leg.

    “It is said that if you treat the forest with respect, they will give you their blessing. And that if you get lost, the guardians can lead you back. But only if you're clean inside. Not clean as in washed, but in a way that you don't hurt others. That you love the forest. That you listen.”

    Yuri nodded silently. “I'd like to meet a guardian like that. But only from a distance. To let him know I respect him.”

    Yuya smiled and lightly stroked his back. “I think they'll see you, even before you see them. And they'll know what's in your heart.”

    Yuto immediately barked, “And if I meet them, I'll give them blueberries!”

    Keito nodded seriously. “That's a good idea. Dad said that forest creatures like simple gifts. And especially ones that smell good.”

    Yuri rose from the ball at Yuya's feet, folding his paws beside him and gazing into the forest that passed behind the car. His eyes were inquisitive, but cautious at the same time. After a moment, he turned to Yuya, his voice quiet but strained with the question he had been carrying for a while. “Can we... meet another pack?”

    Everyone fell silent. Not suddenly, more naturally. It was as if even the wind slowed to hear the answer.

    Yuya looked at him. There was no surprise in his expression, only deliberation. “We might.” He nodded. “But we don't have to. These woods are big. Some packs live farther away from humans. Others come here only occasionally. But most guard their own territory. They're like us – they have their pups, their homes, their boundaries. And when someone approaches, they watch from a distance at first.”

    “Are they dangerous?” Keito asked quietly.

    Hikaru, who had his eyes closed and was dozing against the edge of the hull, huffed. “Only if you give them a reason. Packs get to know each other. They can smell where you're from. And if you're calm, respectful, and stick with your pack... then most just watch you. Like shadows. Maybe you feel them, maybe you just see them. But they won't attack. Not without reason.”

    Yuto tensed up so fast he strained his harness. “So, we'll see them? Can we feel them? I want to sniff them out! Maybe they'll want to chase us!”

    Ryosuke just looked at Yuto briefly and shook his head, but there was something like amused understanding in his eyes.

    “Not every pack wants to chase, Yuto. Some watch from a distance because they're protecting their young. Like us,” Yuya explained to his son.

    Yuri laid his head back on his paws, but his eyes remained open. “I'd like to get to know them. But only if they want to, too.”

    Yuya looked at him and nodded. “That's right, Yuri. A pack is not only known by its strength. But also by respect. And by knowing when to be close... and when to leave space.”

    Meanwhile, the car continued on, the trees parting, the air quieter and deeper. And somewhere, maybe far away... maybe close... another pack may have just turned its muzzle towards the passing wolves and sniffed briefly. And then it returned to the shadows again. To watch. Safely.

    Hikaru opened his eyes just as Yuto excitedly jerked his harness towards the forest that was unfolding before them like a soft green carpet. Straightening slightly, he rested his elbow on the edge of the hull and spoke in a voice that was calm but filled with the kind of emphasis that every wolf had subconsciously written deep into their bones.

    “Don't forget,” he began, his gaze sweeping over all four wolves, but stopping longest at Yuto. “The forest is beautiful. Strong. And ours. But... It's not just for us. It's not a playground. It's home. For us, for the animals, for the creatures we can't see. And some of them... don't want us to get under their paws.”

    Yuri lifted his head and listened intently. Keito snuggled closer to Hikaru's knee, as if to say he wasn't going anywhere yet. Ryosuke didn't move a hair; only his eyes were more attentive, the movement of his eyelids slower.

    But Yuto... Yuto, who already had three trees in mind to jump under and two holes he'd like to dig, paused as soon as Hikaru rested his gaze on him for more than a second.

    “That's why it's important,” Hikaru continued slowly, “to stay in the middle of the pack. The way we've been training. Not to run away. Not to outrun. And definitely not to leave without a word.”

    Yuya smiled at Hikaru, but didn't interfere. That was the Alpha's voice. A wise, patient one, and one that was not to be resisted.

    Yuto lowered his ears and whimpered. Not offended, but like someone who was really trying and knew that sometimes, those paws just moved on their own. He dug his snout into the gap between the hull plates and sighed.

    “I'll try,” he muttered. “But what if I smell something? Something strange?”

    Hikaru leaned towards him slightly. “Then you'll stop. You raise your snout. You let the pack know. And you'll come with us.”

    Ryosuke added quietly, “Like a wolf. Not like a cannon shot.”

    Yuto grinned at him, but only in his eyes. Then he nodded silently.

    Hikaru looked at him for a moment longer, then leaned back, satisfied. “Because when you're alone in the woods, you're lost. But when you stick with a pack... There's nothing that can beat you.”

    And in the silence that followed, no one answered. Because there was no need. Soon, when the engine died and the hull opened, there would be nothing to hold them. Only their pack. And the forest.

    When the car finally slowed, the gravel under the wheels quieted to a quiet crunch, and the trees around opened up into a small expanse of forest. It was an old clearing, surrounded by pines and mature spruces, where the sun danced in golden streams through the branches. The air was cool, clean, piercingly crisp, and smelled of moss and resin.

    Daiki braked and guided the car between two massive trunks where there was a flat surface, then turned off the engine. In the meantime, things were getting busy in the back.

    Hikaru and Yuya, experienced as two watchdogs on a hunting trip, immediately set about unbuckling the straps. Every movement was precise, but also careful, not because they didn't trust their wolf cubs, but because they knew what could happen if everything was made too quickly.

    “Hold on, Ryosuke... good,” Hikaru muttered, more to himself than to the black wolf, who didn't move, just nodding his head as his father pulled his harness off.

    Yuya was loosening the straps on Yuto while he was already fidgeting impatiently. “Not yet, wait... Hold on. Fine. Got it. But no jumping. No flips, you hear?”

    When the harnesses were taken off and placed in the compartment, Hikaru straightened his back, dusted his hands, and said in a voice that resonated through the forest, “Line up by the car like good little wolves. Not like a pack of squirrels.”

    Yuto exploded at that moment. He leapt out of the back with such vigor that his paws nearly slipped on the pine needles, circled the entire car with a look of euphoria, tail like the wind, tongue lolling out, and then scrambled to sit next to Ryosuke, who was already standing ready next to the tire.

    Yuto swayed side to side, his paws twitching as if fighting the urge to run again every second.

    Keito jumped carefully, landed softly, and immediately headed for the designated spot. Yuri followed him confidently, as if he had already reserved a spot there. And so, there were four wolves in a row. Each different, but all taut as strings, ready to go.

    Hikaru hopped down, stretching his shoulder until his knuckle crunched, and sucked in a deep breath of air. “God, this is the life,” he grumbled.

    Kei, who had exited the cabin with Kota, stretched with a similar sigh. “Fresh air. Pine needles. And only one chance that Yuto doesn't make it to Japan.”

    Yuya closed the door and straightened up. “It smells like the beginning. A proper start to the weekend.”

    Daiki stretched his back, slammed the door, and yawned. “Here we go, pack.”

    While the four wolf cubs obediently kept in line, even as Yuto fell out of rhythm with every other twitch, the adult werewolves set about unloading the car. The back of the pick-up opened, and carefully packed items, some already bruised from the werewolf paws, began to come out from under the tarps and blankets.

    Each of the adults had their own backpack, adapted for carrying in both wolf and human form. They were sturdy pieces of equipment, with adjustable straps and pockets exactly where they were needed. Each held a different imprint of the wearer's personality: Kei had herbs and a small first aid kit in one pocket, Yuya had two emergency chocolate bars and spare socks for Yuto, Daiki had a pack of jerky and a collapsible bowl, Kota had a map and spare keys, and Hikaru? He had a small bottle of whiskey in addition to a spare shirt that he didn't show anyone. Just for emergencies.

    Once everything was spread out in a circle, Hikaru stood in front of the young wolves, clasping his hands behind his back and nodding his head like a general before a briefing.

    “Pack,” he addressed them seriously. “You have an important task ahead of you. Sleeping in the woods isn't just about rolling in moss and sniffing blueberries. Every wolf is responsible for something. And you need equipment for that.” Then he nodded to Kei, who began pulling out smaller harnesses. Each one was black, sturdy, equipped with pouches on the sides and a tiny water bottle with a sucker strapped to the side.

    “You'll get your pouches,” Hikaru announced, and at that moment, Yuto lunged forward with his muzzle, his tail flapping like a flag in the wind.

    “Yeah!” he barked excitedly. “Pouches! Pouches!”

    “Shh, soldier.” Hikaru stopped him, holding up a finger. “You need to stand up straight before you get your gear.”

    Yuto immediately straightened up, but his tail kept thumping against the ground, his paws bouncing as if he were simulating running even at a standstill.

    Keito, meanwhile, calmly approached and had his harness fastened. He was used to it. He liked to wear it outside and packed one pouch himself. He had two cookies, a small folded herbarium, and a mini towel with a bear embroidery on it.

    Yuri joined him right after, checking carefully to make sure his harness was tightened properly, and Ryosuke, as always, stood still and without protest, his head bowed while Hikaru fastened the harness and adjusted the straps across his chest.

    Then it was Yuto's turn. Yuya buckled him in with a laugh in his eyes and the care of a surgeon. “Can you not move?”

    “Yeah!”

    “Put your foot down.”

    “Yeah!”

    “And the tail... uh, Yuto, keep the tail still or I'll pin it in your buckle.”

    “Sorry! I'm sorry! It's just... I'm a K9! I can feel it in my bones!”

    Once he had his police vest, as he called it, he stood dramatically in a stance, muzzle raised, paws spread. “Ready for action!”

    Ryosuke growled softly behind him. “This is the third mission you've been ready for action, but last time you bit into your own bottle.”

    “That was strategy,” Yuto sputtered.

    And so, they stood. Four wolf cubs, each strapped into their vests, ready to head into the woods together with their little treasures they had carefully packed at home.

    Then, when everyone was ready, the adult wolves checked their gear one last time. Kei buckled the last buckle on his backpack, Yuya slung the small bag of emergency gear over his back, and Daiki walked over to the car, leaning over to the driver's door and locking the pick-up before stashing the keys in a hidden internal pouch in the harness on the back. He glanced over his shoulder at the others and nodded.

    Then one by one, they began to shift into their wolf forms. It was a natural transformation, quiet and dignified. Their fur came out in graceful waves, their bodies lengthened, and their eyes turned wolfish.

    When the last of them had turned, they remained standing, each strong, each different. Hikaru was the most expressive of them, with an attitude that spoke clearly, even without words.

    Alpha.

    All of the adults approached the wolf cubs, who had now also perked up their ears and remained standing in a line, vests ready, bottles swaying lightly at their sides. They waited with their paws alert and bodies tense. They were waiting for Hikaru. They knew what was coming.

    Hikaru took a few steps in front of them and stopped. His dark eyes swept over all four wolves, one by one. Keito stood silently, proudly, Yuri beside him, leaning into the soft grass, Ryosuke in quiet strength... And then there was Yuto.

    Yuto was barely holding still. His body vibrated with the urge to run, his ears alternately rotating like antennae, and his front paws twitching nervously against the pine needles.

    When Hikaru laid eyes on him, he immediately perked his ears, and his tail swirled like a pinwheel. He was so excited he couldn't even sit up. His tail began to whack Ryosuke right across the side.

    Ryosuke didn't move; he just snorted and, without anger, he gently nudged Yuto's side. He was used to this.

    And that's when Hikaru stopped. His gaze was longer, softer than usual. He raised his head a little higher, then spoke to the entire pack in a deep, strong voice.

    “Maybe I don't have to start today,” he said slowly. “Maybe today... Someone else can lead us.” Hikaru turned his gaze back to the shakiest tail in the forest. “Yuto...”

    Yuto nearly fell into a sleeping position.

    “What if you were the Alpha today? Just for starters. You're going to lead us into the forest. We'll follow you. But...” He raised a paw. “Slowly. So that the pack sticks together.”

    Yuto remained silent for about two seconds, which felt like an eternity for him. He didn't move at first. His body tensed up like a bow, his eyes widened, and his tail was in full swing.

    Everyone expected him to lunge forward, but he just stayed put. Then, like an overstressed spring being released, he shot off the ground in a violent leap and immediately began to spin in a circle. Once. Twice. Three times. His paws slipped on the moss, but he didn't care. His joy was raw and uncontrolled, as only he can be.

    “I?! I CAN BE ALPHA?! Really?! Are you serious? Like, for real? Not just for a second? Am I really gonna lead everyone? Even you?!” He stopped right in front of Hikaru, eyes bulging, tongue out. Staring at him like he'd just won the forest Olympics. “Like you... Alpha Hikaru... are going to listen to me?!” It came out with a combination of utter amazement, mild shock, and a bit of that typically childlike need for confirmation of something that sounded almost unreal.

    Hikaru, now clearly amused, bowed his head and nodded very seriously. “Today, yes. But only if you remember what a real Alpha does.”

    Yuto blinked. “Is he running fast?”

    “No. He keeps the pack together. Slows down when he needs to. He waits. He keeps an eye out. And he points everyone else in the direction.”

    Yuto stared at him for another few seconds, then nodded. Seriously. As seriously as he could manage.

    And then he turned to the rest of the pack and barked, “Let's go, pack! Stick together and don't look back too far, because I'm leading!” And with that, he took off. With pride in every step, tail held high, and eyes constantly checking to see if everyone was really following him.

    And they followed. Even the adults. With a slight smile in their eyes, because their little wild Alpha had a pack that would always have his back.

    Behind Yuto's burst of joy, the whole pack spread out like a stream of water spilling out of a trough, but they held their course. Keito walked as calmly as ever, tongue lolling out slightly, already searching for blueberries, and Yuri kept close to him, head gently brushing against his side.

    Yuto tried to walk calmly, but every second of his pace looked like he was struggling not to run. When he was finally in the lead, he took a moment to jump into the moss, raising his paws higher than necessary, looking around proudly, and making sure everyone was really following him. That knowledge warmed him more than the sun on his fur.

    Kota, who followed him with ease, yet still cautious as his body remembered the pain all too well, called out to him in a calm tone, but clearly enough, “Yuto... if you run too fast, you'll leave me behind. And an Alpha never leaves anyone behind.”

    Yuto stopped mid-step, almost staggering as he turned sharply, and immediately returned to Kota in a few quick but controlled steps.

    Once he reached him, he pressed his hip against his leg, his front paws trembling with the desire to continue, but he didn't move. Instead, he straightened on his hind paws and licked Kota's neck.

    “I won't run fast,” he promised, breathless but serious. “I don't know how I'll do it yet... but I'll be slow. Just follow me, okay?”

    Kota's eyes softened, and he lifted a paw to gently stroke the pup between his ears. “Thank you, Alpha,” he said softly.

    Yuto returned to the ground, eyes shining, and actually slowed his steps. His fur still twitched with tension, but he stayed close, not running anywhere. He led the way.

    Some distance away, on an elevated spot among the moss and roots of an old beech tree, Hikaru sat down in the shade, where only a few patches of sunlight fell. Ryosuke walked slowly, but when he noticed that his father remained behind, he curled up beside him without a word.

    They were there. Just the two of them. They were sitting. Listening to the wind.

    After a moment, Ryosuke lowered his ears, raised his head, and calmly said, “Yuto is... awfully excited. It's nice to see him like this.” His voice was quiet, but sincere.

    Hikaru didn't look at him, just nodded gently. “Yeah... he is. Every wolf should experience that kind of excitement at least once.”

    From behind them came Yuya, who walked calmly from the other side, taking a seat next to them. He smiled at Hikaru, this time with a slight, amused reproach in his eyes. “You didn't tell me you were planning it this way. I thought you were going to let him run ahead, not... make him an Alpha.”

    Hikaru grinned slightly. “Well, it was a surprise. And honestly... it only occurred to me the moment I saw him nearly bursting with joy. So, I figured – why not give it to him?”

    Yuya chuckled and shook his head. “Well... It'll probably be a weekend he'll never forget.”

    Ryosuke smiled. “Neither will we.”

    And then the three of them continued to watch as their little Alpha tried to walk calmly, stopping every few meters and reminding himself that the leader was waiting for the others. And he was leading them. As tentatively as only a wolf with a big heart could, and yet genuinely.

    Yuto tried to do his job as best he could. Proudly, upright, yet with a slight tension in every movement. It wasn't the wild energy that normally blasted out of him like pressurized steam. It was different. It was the kind that came when it really mattered. When you feel the responsibility, but you don't yet know how to carry it. And so, you carry it with the best you've got: your heart.

    Every other step, Yuto turned slightly until his ears flicked to the side, looking around. He sniffed. His nose was still close to the ground, but then he lifted it, like he'd seen Hikaru do when he was checking something.

    He got wind of it. Once. Twice. And he smiled. They were all there. He could feel them. Ryosuke right behind him. Quiet, but present. The one he could rely on without words.

    Yuri, who occasionally wandered off to the side, but always stayed within a radius of safety.

    Keito, his calmest brother, smelling of moss and something faintly sweet that reminded Yuto of blueberries.

    The adults followed them. He felt them one by one. Yuya, the closest, as always. He could smell that familiar, warm scent that always calmed him. Kota was still quiet, but strong. Kei, who smelled of forest herbs and fresh water. Hikaru, his Alpha, but now his shadow. And Daiki, who had a heart so calm that Yuto could always tell where he was just by the throbbing rhythm of his presence.

    And then he counted them. One paw, second paw. Two, three brothers. One... two... three... four, five dads. He counted by nose, eyes, and ears. And when they were too far, he slowed down for a moment to give them enough time to catch up. His paws trembled slightly with the urge to speed up, but he resisted.

    Ryosuke gave him a sideways glance with a small smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew what Yuto had just done. It was in his stride, in his exhale, in the tiny movement of his tail.

    He was leading.

    But not alone. He led, knowing that if he turned around, there would never be a void. Just a pack. His pack.

    Yuto walked ahead and just had his snout plunged between two bushes, one of which was dotted with moss clumps and the other hiding a trail that caught his eye. The scent was fresh, but not dangerous, more like curious. Maybe a squirrel, maybe a fox, maybe something else... His muzzle vibrated, his ears flicked from side to side, and his tail slowly circled in the air.

    At that moment, Yuya appeared beside him. He slowly came in from the side, quietly, as was his habit, so as not to disturb Yuto when he was concentrating on his “work”. He just walked up to him and stood side by side in the way adult wolves used to do when they wanted to share space quietly.

    “Hey, Alpha,” he uttered with a smile in his voice, slightly muffled as if he didn't want to affect his concentration. “Have you picked your Beta wolf yet?”

    Yuto lifted his head until a pine leaf settled on his nose, which he had inadvertently dragged there with his snout. He blinked. “Beta?”

    Yuya nodded. “Second place in the pack. The wolf standing next to Alpha. He's helping him. Keeps order while Alpha concentrates on leadership. He knows the pack almost as well as Alpha, but he doesn't lead – he supports. And when needed... he can take the lead.”

    Yuto stared at him, mouth agape, tongue lolling out slightly to the side, completely absorbed in the new information. “And... does that really exist? It's not like... some made-up title?”

    Yuya laughed softly and stroked his head with his paw, right between his ears. “No. It's totally real. In wild packs, Beta is the most important member next to the Alpha. And he's often the one who holds the pack together when the Alpha gets lost. Or when he's tired. The Beta isn't just a stand-in. He's a support.”

    Yuto lowered his ears, but not sadly, more thoughtfully. He turned his muzzle to the forest, looking off into the distance for a moment, where his brothers were moving forward but keeping close together.

    Keito walked more slowly, his head low, perhaps examining the mushrooms. Yuri just lifted his snout and rubbed against a tree. And Ryosuke? Ryosuke was following close behind, as always. Quiet. Steady. Always where he was supposed to be.

    Yuto looked at Yuya again, slowly. “What if... what if I already have him?”

    Yuya smiled, nodding slightly. “Then it's time to tell him.”

    Yuto stood up straighter and wagged his tail. But this time not as furiously as before. This time with a purpose, and a clear idea of what he wanted to say, and who he wanted to be with. Then he ran back to his brother, who followed him as always.

    To Ryosuke.

    Because every Alpha needs someone who follows quietly behind him... And who is never far away.

    Yuto's brown fur glistened, his pouches swung at his hips, and his small water bottle clinked against the buckle as he stopped abruptly just a few feet away from Ryosuke.

    “Ryosuke!” he barked happily, almost solemnly. He wagged his tail sideways so hard that he nearly knocked moss off a nearby stump. “Ryosuke! I'm an Alpha, you already know that, but NOW... now I'm picking a Beta wolf! And I'm picking you!”

    Ryosuke stopped mid-step. He slowly turned his head, ears perked up, eyes squinted as he tried to figure out if Yuto was just doing another one of his wild ideas... or if he was serious.

    He blinked. And then he said slowly, almost cautiously, “You can pick whoever you want. You don't have to choose... me. Maybe Yuri would be good. Or Keito. We're all a pack, you don't have to-”

    “But I want you,” Yuto interrupted without hesitation. Though his voice sounded playful as usual, there was something solid underneath. “You're always watching me. You always stop me when I overreact. And when I'm lost, or just... confused, you find me. Not anyone else. You. So... if that's what you want... you're my Beta wolf.”

    Ryosuke stood for a moment. His eyes remained calm, but something changed in his expression. He seemed to soften a little for a moment, then nodded. Gently, barely perceptibly. But it was all there. “All right,” he said. And though it sounded like a simple answer, Yuto felt it.

    He accepted it. There were two of them. Alpha and Beta. Brothers. They always were. Now they just got a slightly different name.

    Yuto took a step closer and stuck his snout under Ryosuke's chin. “This is the best day ever.”

    Ryosuke chuckled softly. “We haven't even started a proper expedition yet.”

    “Exactly. And it's already the best!”

    Behind them, the forest rippled quietly. And far back, in the shadows of the trees, Yuya and Hikaru watched silently as their sons became a team that not even a storm wind could separate.

    The pack had come quite far, the pace was getting slower, the breathing calming, and the wolves' paws occasionally digging deeper into the moss as they began to grow a little tired. But no one complained, because the silence of the forest and the presence of the pack were like fuel in themselves.

    Yuto was still walking ahead, this time at a slower pace, his head low, sniffing around the trees, occasionally circling something on the scent map in his head. And then, suddenly, he froze. Ears went forward, tail rising to a position of curious tension, and he turned sharply to Ryosuke, who was only a few steps behind him.

    “Hey, Ryosuke!” he barked in a muffled but excited voice. “Here! Come here! We need to sniff this out!”

    Ryosuke walked over to him without hesitation. Yuto, meanwhile, bent the branches to reveal a small clearing that stretched only a few meters beyond the dense undergrowth. In the middle was mossy grass, soft and flat, perfect for lying on. A rock overhang loomed to one side. It wasn't very high, but it was wide enough for a few wolves to fit under. It was dry, covered with lichen, and hidden on one side by pine trees. The perfect place if it started to rain. And Yuto knew that well.

    “Do you think this might be the place?” he asked Ryosuke quietly, almost as if he didn't want to disturb the forest. “For resting. And also... for Kota to lie down. He wouldn't have to go any further. It would be fine here, right?”

    Ryosuke didn't say anything, just walked forward, running his muzzle over the edge of the clearing, heading for the rock wall and pressing his nose to the ground. Slowly, he shifted, raising his head, then lowering it again, scanning the scents, checking to make sure the place wasn't too close to other animals, or even other creatures. He sniffed at the overhang for a moment as well, then went back to Yuto.

    “It's a good place.” He nodded. “There's no foreign trail. The ground is dry. The smells here are peaceful. And do you hear that little brook?”

    Yuto twisted his ears. “Yeah! Right! On the right! So, we have water here, too? This is the best place in the world!”

    Ryosuke smiled briefly. “Good job, Alpha.”

    Yuto lifted his head proudly, his paws wobbling again, but he held on. He looked around, then gave a short howl to summon the pack. “Here! I've got the spot! With no rain, with moss, with water, and with the smell of blueberries! And most of all, a place to rest!”

    The forest answered only with the rustling of branches. But in a moment, the others were coming, led by the short, firm voice of their little Alpha.

    Yuto stood in the middle of the clearing, his tail held up like a flag, his head high, and his paws firmly on the ground, as if he had just announced a new wolf home.

    By the time the others began to scout the clearing, Yuto was waiting proudly, Ryosuke at his side, calm and quiet as a proper Beta. Keito ran through the moss with a soft whine of excitement, and Yuri joined a little later, carefully avoiding the muddier spots, or at least trying to.

    Once everyone had gathered, Yuto straightened up as dignified as he could, and took a deep breath before he started, “So... here. This is where I and Ryosuke- I mean Beta Ryosuke, sniffed it out,” he clarified with pride in his voice. “There's a rock wall here, so if it rains, we can take cover. There's moss here, soft as a pillow. And over there,” he pointed with his muzzle, “a stream, clear water! And over there... blueberry bushes! We think... It's a good place to rest.”

    It was quiet for a while, just the wind playing with the dry leaves and their skins.

    Then Kota, with a soft smile, said, “It looks beautiful. Well done, Alpha.”

    Yuya nodded, “We'll stay here. It's a place chosen by the heart.”

    Hikaru just snorted and shook his head. “Damn good choice.”

    And Daiki? He was already trying to fold his backpack under the overhang and assessed it with a single nod. “A place of dreams.”

    At that moment, Keito took off like a shot towards the bushes. “They're here! There are blueberries!” he barked gleefully. And he immediately set about picking them gently with his nose, carefully, with respect for nature, just as Kei had taught him.

    Yuri, meanwhile, huffed and sat down discontentedly next to a large root. “My paws...” he whimpered tragically. “My pretty pink paws... They're all dirty!” He picked one up and showed it to the others. The pads, normally pink and soft, were covered in mud. “They look like a boar's!”

    The whole pack laughed, and even Ryosuke smiled amusedly next to Yuto.

    Kei chuckled. “Then you'll have to get a toothbrush for your paws.”

    Hikaru added, “And a cream for your delicate pads.”

    Yuto walked over to Yuri and gently tapped his side with his muzzle. “Hey, don't worry! There's a stream over there, right? I'm sure our little stream can work wonders. You'll have paws like new!”

    Yuri sighed, but with a smile. “Oh, I like that.”

    And while Keito continued to sniff the blueberries, Yuri went to carefully dip into the stream with his ears down, and Yuto ran around like a personal assistant for paw wellness, the pack finally settled in the heart of the forest. In the place that their Alpha and his Beta had chosen.

    The pack began to spread out smoothly, like a drop of water spilling into soft sand. The adult wolves put their gear away, stowing their packs under the overhang where it was dry and there was plenty of room for a wolf den. Kota was already lounging there, his hind legs stretched out, his muzzle resting on his paws, and his eyes closed in contentment.

    But Yuto? Yuto wasn't sitting. His newly acquired alpha position was both a source of pride and chaos.

    “Yuri! Yuri, go lie down over there! There's more moss! And not the wet kind! Ryosuke, can you help Daiki with the backpack? Keito! Do you have a blueberry pouch? No? Then prepare it in case you need to pick more! And...” He looked around. “Dads! We need firewood! Well, maybe. Later. But it should be ready!”

    He ran amongst everyone, his tail wagging in rhythm with his orders, his snout pointing at all sorts of things, and though his plans lacked any chronology, his enthusiasm was so contagious that no one even had the heart to stop him.

    Ryosuke followed silently behind him, now and then salvaging a torn plan or catching things Yuto knocked over while running. Yuri finally settled on the exact opposite of what Yuto had told him, but because he adjusted the moss underneath him so precisely with his snout, Yuto just stopped and tilted his head in acknowledgement. “Fine. This looks good. Like... an 8 out of 10. But you can stay there, bro.”

    Meanwhile, Keito continued to pick blueberries quietly, sorting them by size. When Yuto came running up behind him and began to enthusiastically say that a “system” would need to be prepared, Keito just nodded. “Okay. But only if it's a peaceful system.”

    The adult wolves, spread out by the overhang, watched all this with amusement and a deep inner peace. “We have our own general,” Kei remarked quietly, holding out his paws.

    Yuya chuckled, “Well... At least he's not digging trenches yet.”

    “Give him time and he'll start,” Hikaru said dryly.

    Still, no one corrected Yuto. Everyone let him do things the way he wanted, because his chaos is never a mess. It's joy. Movement. Responsibility made into a childlike form. And even if now and then he mistakes right for left, moss for leaves, and silence for barking, his heart beats for the pack. And they all feel it.

    As the sun slowly sank lower and the golden light began to turn to a warm orange, the pack finally settled down. Not literally, each member still shifted here and there, stretching or rearranging their moss bed, but the main thing was clear: they were home. The woods around them welcomed them, the clearing smelled of peace and laughter, and the wind brought only the distant rustle of leaves.

    At the overhang, where it was dry and there was plenty of room, the dads set about preparing a fire pit. Hikaru took up the stones, carrying them one by one and stacking them in a circle, while Daiki selected branches suitable for lighting. First, the dry and thin ones, then the thicker ones. Kei, meanwhile, was pulling a pad of containers out of his backpack, where they had the sausages from home safely wrapped in aluminum foil, ready for just such a moment.

    Yuto stood in the midst of all the activity like a self-appointed commander of the fire, energetic and happy, his tail circling in the air like a propeller. “We're going to roast the sausages today!” he announced solemnly, as if he had just invented the whole concept of fire.

    “Pack! The ones from Kei that have the good herbs in them! Everybody take one. I mean, whoever wants more can have two! But we have to do it properly, yeah! And tomorrow-” dramatic pause, eyes widened, snout lifted skyward. “Tomorrow... we'll go hunting! Something real. Like a rabbit! Or a duck! Or a bear!” he shouted the last word with such vigor that Keito, who was just arranging his blueberries in a row, jumped. “I mean... maybe not a bear. But something big!” Yuto added quickly.

    While the dads were getting the fireplace ready, Yuto was circling one pack member after another. When he ran up to Yuri, he gently nudged him with his snout. “Don't you need more moss under your paws? Does this feel like a good cushion?”

    Yuri grinned. “I'm fine. But thanks, Alpha.”

    Then Yuto handed Keito a twig with his snout. “For blueberries, if you want to stick a needle in the smaller ones!”

    “Uh... thanks?” Keito replied, taking it gently.

    After that, Yuto ran over to Kota, who was lying quietly leaning against the wall of the overhang, watching the whole pack with a gentle, watchful expression.

    “Kotaaa... all good? Do you need some tea? Or a blanket? Or wrap in moss like a burrito?”

    Kota laughed. It was a deep, quiet laugh that only he had. “I'm perfectly fine, Alpha. It's enough for me that you are here, Yuto. And that you care.”

    Yuto beamed, then turned to his dad. “Dad, should I get you some twigs? Should I sniff some out? I can find scented ones too! Or I'll get some pebbles! Big ones! Small ones! Like salt and pepper!”

    Yuya laughed. “Just stay by the fire. And then you'll sing us the wolf roasting anthem.”

    Yuto winked. “That exists?”

    “As of now, yes.”

    When the fire finally started, slowly but surely, it began to get dark. The fire slowly grew stronger as Hikaru placed a few dry branches on the hot embers.

    The flames danced again, illuminating the faces and fur of the wolves in warm shades of orange and gold. Smoke rose lazily into the treetops, and a hush spread around the overhang. The sausages were still roasting, turning slowly over the flames, and the whole pack sat in a circle around the fire. Their paws were under them, snouts raised to the scent, eyes half-lidded as they enjoyed the warmth and silence.

    Yuto, who had been pacing restlessly back and forth, suddenly stopped. His tail froze in one position, his eyes lit up, and his whole head tilted back so dramatically that it almost looked like he was going to faint. “I... would like to sing now,” he said solemnly.

    And before anyone could reply, he raised his snout to the sky and began to howl. It wasn't the focused, drawn-out tone that usually came from an adult wolf's throat. It was a high-pitched, slightly skipping, but full of enthusiasm, heart, and joy. And as if on cue, others began to join in.

    The first was Ryosuke, whose voice was slightly deeper and more precise, who picked up Yuto's tone beautifully and pulled it into harmony. Then Yuri, with a thin but steady voice that weaved between them like a thread. Keito joined in cautiously but surely. His howl had the purity of a spring.

    And then the adults joined in. Hikaru, with the deep, resonant voice of Alpha; Kei, calm and graceful as the night breeze; Daiki, firm as the earth; Kota, soft yet strong; and finally, Yuya, who twisted his howl into a more melodic wave, as if adding the rhythm of a beating heart to the whole song.

    Their voices joined over the clearing, filled the space between the branches, entered the night sky, and returned, echoing off the rocks and trees. It was a song without words, but full of meaning. It was the song of wolves who belonged together. Who had found each other. Who know each other, even if they don't say a word.

    And as they sang, their eyes closed, their heads lifted, their paws rooted in the moss... They forgot everything else. It was just them. A pack. By the fire. Under the stars.

    And when their voices slowly faded, they were left in silence. A silence that didn't hurt. A silence that caressed.

    Yuto opened one eye and chuckled breathlessly. “That was the best singing ever in this forest!” And no one was talking back to him. Because he was right.

    After the last reverberations of the howl, a soft silence fell over the clearing, not the awkward or heavy one, but the warm one that lingers after something beautiful. A silence they all kept to themselves, not wanting to overwhelm it with more words right away.

    Yuto buried his face in the moss, uncharacteristically calm, but his eyes radiated an excitement that couldn't be hidden. His tail flicked at his sides, and even though he still had a piece of sausage stuck to his paw, it looked like he had just experienced something he would remember for a lifetime.

    “That was... that was just awesome!” he exclaimed suddenly, making Yuri jump and Keito chuckle. “I would sing like that every night! A wolf concert. A wolf opera! Hey, we could do that! Have a forest concert!” He began to roll around in the moss, waving his paws in the air as his thoughts went faster than his tongue. “We'd have tickets, and Keito would collect them because he's decent. And Yuri would be the lead singer! And Ryosuke would be like... the one who keeps watch, and organizes everything. The tough one! And I'd sing the most, because I love singing!”

    And then he just tried again. It was one long, cheerful skipping note that was lost among the trees like a happy cry from the bottom of his heart.

    Ryosuke smiled, stretched out beside him, and shook his head. “Maybe we should have this concert only like once a week... so the forest can get a break from us too.”

    “But it gives me energy!” Yuto protested, sitting up, ears straining. “Really. Like... like when you're singing and everyone's singing along, it's like you're suddenly bigger. Stronger. Like you're connected to them.” He was silent for a moment, surprised by his own description. “That's... nice,” he murmured. “I guess that's how I really feel.”

    Yuya, sitting behind him, leaned forward and tapped the back of his head gently with his muzzle. “That's called a pack call, Yuto. It's not just a howl. It's a reminder that we're together. That we're here. And that when one of us gets lost, we can always find our way back by following those voices.”

    Yuto stared into the flames, his eyes suddenly quiet, and then he pressed himself gently against Ryosuke. “I'm going to sing all the time, so no one gets lost.”

    Ryosuke smiled. “Fine. But then you don't get lost among the fake tones.”

    “Never!” Yuto giggled. “As long as you howl with me.”

    And Ryosuke just nodded, like it was probably inevitable. And then, to confirm it, he raised his snout to the sky and made one low, short tone. Yuto immediately joined in, along with the others.

    After singing together, the pack sat in a circle around the fire in various positions, exactly according to their natures. Kei was sitting up straight and had the skewer with the sausage aligned at a precise angle. Daiki, beside him, had already eaten almost half of it, with the sausage leaning too close to the fire until the edge was blackened. Kota was leaning against a soft bundle of moss, and the sausage lay beside him as if he enjoyed the presence more than the food. Hikaru sat across from him with eyes squinted and quietly content.

    And the wolf cubs? Yuto was sitting too. Technically. But his paws kept moving. One tapped the ground. The other was drumming on a rock. His tail clinked against the ankle of Ryosuke, who was sitting next to him. And yet, as was customary with Yuto, he had a stick with a sausage in his mouth, which he guarded like a treasure.

    “Here it's cooked more than I want it to, but less than it should,” he muttered with dramatic concern, his eyes fixed on the sausage, which was glistening slightly.

    Ryosuke just said quietly, “That means it's just right.”

    Yuto nodded his head like a general on inspection. “Yeah. That's what I wanted to hear.”

    Keito sat calmly on the other side, next to Yuri, with his sausage already carefully roasted and placed on a leaf. “When you put blueberries on it, it's weird, but not bad,” he remarked seriously, tasting another bite.

    Yuri snorted. “Save the blueberries for the sweet stuff, Keito...” He wiped his paws on the grass. “And next time, please don't leave the moss I'm sitting in wet.”

    Meanwhile, Yuto kept looking around at everyone. “Hey, does anyone have two skewers? What if I eat this sausage too fast, and then I don't have anything to put the other one on? And, Dad, how many did we even bring? And can we have another one? And where are we going to sleep? And can we do patrols at night? I'll be on first watch!”

    Yuya, who was watching him with an affectionate smile, handed Yuto a second skewer and calmly said, “Breathe, Alpha. We'll get everything done. Even the second sausage, or even the third. And the patrol. But first, one good bite.”

    Yuto bit immediately. He whimpered in satisfaction. “This is the best night ever! And the best sausage!”

    And the others just smiled. Slowly but surely, the night wore on. And when the fire crackles around you, when your heart and your hands are hot, when the smells of smoke, ash, and pine needles meld into one perfect moment, you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

    Yuto sat by the fire, tongue lolling out, his paws still fidgeting, and his voice, like his thoughts, running smoothly, without pause, with an enthusiasm that infected anyone who would listen. He was discussing the theory that they might find some secret treasure in the woods because “it just smells like adventure in here!” and everyone was smiling, though few had time to jump into his speech.

    No one noticed that Ryosuke quietly stood up and walked away from the circle without attracting any attention. It was his way not out of escape, but out of a need for silence. The fire was warm, but he wanted to feel a different kind of heat. The kind that came from the sunset, the distant colors, and the last light of day.

    But Hikaru noticed. He lifted his head and followed him with just his eyes. It wasn't a concern, more like understanding. He knew his son all too well. After a moment, he stood up, with a quiet creak of his knees, and without a word, started in the same direction, unhurried, respectful of his space. He walked silently like a shadow, not wanting to disturb him, just to be nearby.

    Ryosuke, meanwhile, sat down on an elevated moss-covered rock, overlooking an open valley where the trees parted and the horizon stretched in soft lines. The sun was just licking the mountains in the distance, and its light was barely visible.

    Hikaru stopped a few feet behind him, not wanting to intrude, but Ryosuke, without turning around, snorted. Loudly, briefly. It was a clear signal that he knew about his dad coming.

    So, Hikaru walked over, slowly, and sat down next to him. Not tightly, but just enough to give him space, but being close at the same time. They both sat in their wolf forms, fur softly colored in the last amber hues of the sun, paws folded under their bodies, heads held high.

    They didn't speak for a long time. Ryosuke just watched. And Hikaru with him. No advice, no questions. Just the sunset as it swallowed the forest into the warmth of the evening.

    And though they could hear laughter in the distance, shouts, the crackling of fire, and Yuto's disparate attempts to sing the wolf anthem, there was a different harmony here, in this small place amidst the silence. Deeper. Quieter. Indescribable.

    Ryosuke took a breath after a moment and said simply, “I like the world to be quiet. It's like everything is in its place.”

    Hikaru just smiled slightly. “There it is.”

    And they kept looking. Two shadows against the sky. Father and son. Wolves, in the place where the day ends, so that the night can begin.

    Hikaru stared silently into the setting sun for a moment, letting the last orange streaks slide across his fur. The silence between him and Ryosuke was comfortable, like a well-known song where no one needed to sing out loud to understand it.

    Then, without taking his gaze from the horizon, he spoke, “What do you think of Yuto... as an Alpha?”

    Ryosuke didn't answer right away. His eyes were squinted, watching as the sun touched the horizon, as the shadows lengthened and the world around him changed from color to dark blue.

    Finally, he tilted his head to one side, thoughtfully, and said softly, “It suits him. He looks like he was born for it. He's wild, but he knows what he wants. And... he listens with his heart. Sometimes before his head, but... still right.” Pause. Then he added, “And when he does something, he does it with his whole body. Even if sometimes that just means running in circles for him.”

    Hikaru laughed a deep, casual laugh that sounded more like a growl from a satisfied belly than a genuine outburst. He shook his head, his eyes softening. “Yuto...” he murmured with a grin. “He looks like he was born for everything.” He glanced at Ryosuke and winked at him. “Even for trouble.”

    Ryosuke just nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “But the kind you want to be in. Even if you know you'll end up muddy, scratched, or in jail.”

    “Sounds like personal experience, little one.”

    “At least twenty times, Dad.”

    Hikaru glanced back at his son. There was no jealous hesitation in Ryosuke, no trace of regret that Yuto was the one leading the pack. Just genuine pride. And calm. As if he'd known from the start. That wherever Yuto ran, Ryosuke would be behind him. And where Yuto speaks up, Ryosuke will listen.

    Hikaru leaned against his side, his head lightly touching his shoulder. Just for a moment. “I have a feeling we're going to experience a lot more adventures than we can even imagine right now.”

    Ryosuke nodded. “I can feel it, too. But... I think we're ready.”

    Hikaru just sat there for a moment, as still as a rock that even the wind doesn't try to knock down. His eyes continued to follow the last glimmers of light on the horizon, but his thoughts went deeper into the silence beside him, into the presence of his son, into the words that had yet to be spoken.

    After a moment, he spoke. Slowly, as if weighing each word before letting it out. “And you... have you ever thought about being an Alpha?”

    Ryosuke tilted his head a little. Not surprised, but more like the question had simply never crossed his mind.

    He shook his head until his black fur blew lightly in the wind. “Not really,” he admitted quietly. “It never occurred to me. I always... just went along. Helped. Watched. Protected. But to lead?” He paused. “I don't think I'd be good at it.”

    Hikaru turned his gaze to him. Not sharply, not suspiciously. Just calm. With that deep, quiet strength that only an Alpha who could listen more than he could speak had. “And what makes you think that?”

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. His eyes were still fixed ahead of him, on the silence of the forest, where there wasn't even a sunset anymore, just the deep darkness and the shadows that stretched between the branches. “I'm not as loud as Yuto. Nor as brave. I don't want to stand in front. I don't want to decide where to go, what to say, what to do. I like to know someone is in charge. And I... that I can be the one looking out for him. Who watches his back.”

    Hikaru remained silent. He was aware of every note, every little strain in his voice, every word Ryosuke didn't say but could still be heard. And then, very gently, he spoke. “You know... some wolves are born to lead. Others are born to guard the pack from behind. But... even one who is quiet... can be an Alpha. In the way he thinks. How he feels. How he protects others, even when no one asks. The Alpha isn't always the one who's the loudest, Ryo.”

    Ryosuke turned to him. His red eyes looked darker than usual in the darkness, but they were calm.

    Hikaru smiled. “There's power in you. A different silence. But the power is there. Maybe... you won't want to be Alpha. And that's okay. But if the day ever comes when you have to be one... I'd know the pack is safe in your paws.”

    And Ryosuke just lowered his eyes slightly. And then, very slowly, he nodded. And even though he said nothing, there was a silent thank you in his heartbeat, in his muffled breathing, in the movement of his tail moving gently next to Hikaru's fur.

    Hikaru remained seated without a word, just taking in the silence that hung between them like mist over a lake. There was no need for words at that moment. Just the knowledge that his son was sitting next to him was enough. Not for advice, not for command, not for protection. But simply because he wanted to.

    Ryosuke moved slightly after a moment. Not abruptly, not awkwardly, he just moved a little closer, his hip touching Hikaru's. Lightly, like a wolf quietly choosing a place to rest where he felt safe.

    “You know...” he began softly, almost in a whisper. “I was just a pup when the Alpha was still Kota. I remember him more as a father, not a leader. And I don't have anything to compare it to, I guess... But...” He took a deep breath, lowering his muzzle just a little. “But I think you're a good Alpha, Dad. Really good.”

    Hikaru didn't move. But his chest suddenly rose a little differently. Heavily. Deep. As if the words had hit something under his fur. Where even the strongest wolves become vulnerable. Something between pride and something that isn't said out loud because Alphas aren't moved. But now... he was.

    “Thank you, buddy,” he breathed softly, his voice catching slightly in his throat. And he didn't even have to look at Ryosuke because he could feel it. The connection. That trust. That ultimate affirmation of leadership, that your own son sees you as someone he'd want to follow, even if he doesn't have to.

    He moved his paw gently to Ryosuke's and placed it over his forelimb. It wasn't an Alpha gesture. It was the gesture of a father. And Ryosuke didn't hesitate to accept it. He just pressed his muzzle to his side and closed his eyes.

    And in that moment, Hikaru may have been an Alpha, but he was also something much more – he was a dad to a wonderful little wolf pup with black fur and beautiful red eyes.

    For a moment, they just sat there, one leaning against the other, breathing slowly and quietly, as if everything around them slowed down for a moment just for the two of them. Hikaru kept his muzzle turned to the horizon, but he was aware of every movement beside him, every breath, every twitch of fur.

    Then he moved. Just a little. And his voice, when he spoke, was deeper than ever. It was full of something Ryosuke had never heard so fully. Something fatherly in its purest form. “I'm so proud of you, Ryo,” he said softly but surely.

    Ryosuke remained calm, but his ears twitched as each word seemed to slide over his fur like a warm stream of water.

    Hikaru continued, “No matter who you want to be in life... No matter where you go... No matter what path you choose... I will always be behind you. And I will always support you. Because you are my son. And you are exactly what you're meant to be.”

    Then he leaned closer, rested his muzzle against his ear, and licked it gently and slowly. In the exact way he used to do when Ryosuke was little, hiding under his paw when he heard the first thunderstorm.

    Ryosuke didn't move. His eyes just closed slightly, and his breathing slowed. It was all he needed to hear. That exact tone, that exact touch, that feeling that he belonged here... He would carry that with him forever.

    However, the stillness at the stone where Hikaru and Ryosuke still sat was broken by the soft padding of paws and excited panting. Keito came running out of the blueberry bush, all smiles and overly important as he stopped in front of them, tail held high like a torch.

    “Uhm!” He cleared his throat. “I've just been assigned a very important mission by our Alpha Yuto!” He puffed out his chest proudly until the pouch on his harness lifted. “I'm supposed to get you to the den. It's time for a cuddle pile.”

    Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, or at least made that tiny wolf-like movement, and looked first at Keito, then at Hikaru. “And why didn't he come for me himself?” he asked. “When he wants to cuddle, he usually comes in person... and quite urgently.”

    Keito laughed and shook his head until his ears jumped. “Yeah... Well, you should probably see him. You'd better come. Then you'll understand.”

    And with that, they stood up. Ryosuke rubbed his dad's side one last time, and he and Keito made their way back to the overhang. Slowly, unhurriedly, with muffled footsteps that disappeared into the moss.

    And when they arrived... Yuto was lying there on his side in the grass, in the middle of the fire-heated space, his legs stretched ridiculously to the side, tongue hanging out of his mouth, and tail twitching slightly, though he otherwise didn't seem capable of movement.

    Ryosuke stopped and cocked his head, as if trying to figure out if it was a skit or real. “What happened to you? Are you okay?” he asked dryly.

    Yuto moved only partially, his paw rising about five centimeters before dropping. “I gorged myself on... sausages,” he muttered in a muffled voice, like he'd just run a marathon. “So many sausages... no one should have so many sausages.”

    “How many did you have?”

    “I don't know... But the last three should have taken a break...”

    Hikaru snorted, but was rather amused. Ryosuke turned to Keito and nodded. “Mission accomplished. Alpha is out of commission.”

    Keito nodded proudly, as if he had just led the entire unit safely out of battle, and then ran into the moss by the overhang, where Yuri was already preparing the area for the cuddle pile.

    And when Ryosuke sat down next to Yuto and rubbed his side against him, Yuto just turned and reached over his legs with a whimper. “Please... If you can't carry me anymore, at least cover me.”

    “I'll cover you with my own fur,” Ryosuke grumbled, but he was already starting to wrap his paws around him, and then the others joined in.

    The overhang quickly turned into a warm den, where the smell of wood, smoke, and soft moss mingled with the muffled breathing of the wolves and the soft crackle of the fire that was now just quietly burning out. The adult werewolves, watching the scene in the middle of the clearing, stood off to the side, tails wagging in the air. Not out of nervousness, but that strange kind of joy that isn't spoken aloud, just felt deep in the chest.

    “He's gorged himself like a bear in autumn.” Daiki chuckled, his fur still lightly dusted with ash, and stretched his neck to get a better view of Yuto sprawled out on his back, legs in all directions, looking like a happy, stuffed bag of sausages.

    Kei chuckled softly as well, as if he didn't want to disturb the nighttime peace of the forest. “That was like watching a burst of energy... and then the sudden collapse of the system.”

    Kota, still leaning under the overhang, smiled contentedly, eyes already half-closed, aware only of the gentle vibrations of the pack and the beating of hearts around him.

    Then, one by one, the adult werewolves moved closer. Needless to say, it was clear what they had to do. To curl up in one big wolf ball and just be together.

    And so, a large cuddle pile began to take shape around the four wolf cubs, who had already begun to form a compact ball, with Ryosuke lying on his side, Yuri curled up in a C, and Keito with his muzzle buried in Yuto's fur.

    Hikaru lay down first, directly behind Ryosuke, his tail gently draped over his back. Kei curled up next to Keito, pressed against his side. Daiki put his muzzle on his paws at the back line, near the fire pit. And Kota found his way precisely to the center.

    Yuya stood a moment longer. He watched them, every movement of fur, every slight intake of breath. His eyes glowed softly even in the night light, and when Hikaru saw him, he raised his head. “Will you join us?”

    Yuya shook his head, but smiled. “I'll stay on guard. Someone needs to protect the last remaining sausage.”

    There were a few quiet grunts, but more laughter than protest, and then it was quiet. Except for one “Grrrk... pooof...”

    Ryosuke shifted slightly, lifting his head and looking at Yuto, who was snoring innocently and totally relaxed right in his ear. Ryosuke's ear twitched, and he tried to brush it away with a paw, but to no avail. “Really? This close?” he grumbled.

    Yuri let out a muffled laugh. “It's his victory sleep. He's entitled to it.”

    “Especially since it's the Alpha's sleep,” Kei added.

    “Or rather, a Sausage-Alpha,” Daiki added with a suppressed laugh.

    But even Ryosuke finally smiled, pulling his tail closer and snuggling back into Yuto. Because even if he snorted in his ear for the rest of eternity, he'd still be his brother.

    And so, under the starry sky, under the protection of the forest and the shadow of the overhang, the ball closed. Breathing, warm, even snoring loudly. And Yuya, quietly alert, sat nearby and listened to the night.

Chapter Text

    Ryosuke slept deeply, in close proximity to the other wolves. The fur on his hips periodically raised a sigh. He was at peace, but only until something changed.

    It was as if restlessness began to creep into his dream. Just a shadow at first, a flicker in the darkness. Then there was a smell. Sharp. Cold. Unfamiliar, but not entirely foreign. Something rancid, like burnt ice. It didn't smell like fire, not like blood, but like... something that shouldn't exist.

    Ryosuke's brow furrowed. His paw twitched. He rolled onto his side. The smell was stronger. It was impossible to ignore. It teased his sensitive nostrils, seeping in like a poisonous mist and taking up residence in his lungs. It was as if someone had hooked a piece of corrupted metal under his snout and forced him to breathe.

    He shook his head. And then it happened. His eyes opened violently. His bright, glowing red irises sliced through the darkness like two knife wounds.

    There was silence. Too deep. Too absolute.

    He lay... but where? He couldn't feel the moss under his paws. Or the warmth of the pack. Just cold stone. Smooth. And there was only darkness before him. Not the darkness of the forest. Not the night under the stars. This was the darkness that swallowed everything in its path.

    He took another breath. This time with more effort, but the air was heavy, raw, as if he had passed through the cavity of something dead.

    He scraped his claws on the ground, but the sound was lost as soon as it hit. There was no echo. No response.

    He turned his head. He waited for the silhouettes of his brothers, maybe the glow of fire in the distance.

    Nothing. Just darkness. Just him. And his breath, which seemed to be the only living thing in the silence.

    His red eyes closed. They focused on the darkness. And Ryosuke realized something was wrong. That there was something wrong with him, it just hadn't shown itself yet. It was still waiting. Like a smell. Like a shadow. Like the beginning of a nightmare, just deciding what form it would take.

    Ryosuke remained seated in the still space, his breathing shallow and rapid even though he wasn't moving. His red eyes shone into the void, but now his gaze turned down to his own paws. As soon as he saw them, he gasped.

    They were bigger. Not a little, but a lot bigger. As if they didn't belong to his body, as if someone had replaced his limbs with something heavier, more massive. The fur on them was blackish and dull, and cracks shone through between his fingers like red veins of hot coal. Every touch with the ground burned. It was as if molten metal glowed beneath his pads.

    Instinctively, he lifted them. But the pain rose with them. He didn't dodge it. He just accepted it. As if he knew he belonged to what was coming.

    He raised his head again. This time, he no longer saw black, but colors. Not the ones he knew from the forest. These were shades of hell. Red, like blood running down stone. Orange, like smoke over a battle. Dark, leaden clouds circled above him like slow phantoms. The air was thick. Hot. Every breath stung his nose and throat. He could feel the fur on his back prickle slightly. Like it was drying out. Like this place hated life. And he had to ask, “Is this really… me?”

    He stood on the ground, which resembled smooth, black stone. No cracks, no moss, not a single sign of life. Just a burning silence. And in front of him...

    Three gates.

    They stood there like three courts. Huge, silent, motionless, and yet they radiated something alive. Each one different. Each of a different terror.

    The first gate was made of bones. They were thin and massive, animal and human. They were woven into an arc that seemed to breathe. Something invisible creaked between the holes. As Ryosuke approached, he heard a sound that made his stomach clench.

    A child's wail. Wolf cubs. Desperate cries, gasping for breath, begging for help that wasn't coming. But they weren't calling his name. They were calling for someone else. And yet he knew that the one who was supposed to protect them was him.

    He backed off.

    The other gate smoldered. It wasn't made of stone, it wasn't made of metal, but it was made of fire. But not one that danced and warmed. Not the one that roasts sausages and protects the pack. This fire was silent, red, heavy. It smoldered like a lung full of smoke and hissed like the tongue of a snake.

    As soon as he took a step towards it, he felt the fur on his back crackle. His eyes burned. His paws were warming up again. And somewhere in the heat, something whispered words he'd never spoken. He felt only heat. And pain. And remorse.

    He stopped. He couldn't go on.

    The third gate was different. Mirrored. Thousands of tiny mirrors that moved as if they were breathing. And yet... he couldn't see himself in any of them. It was empty.

    When he took another step, the mirrors transformed, and he saw his pack. They were standing there. All of them. Yuto, Yuri, Keito... Daiki, Kei, Yuya, Kota, and Dad. But they were looking right through him. They didn't recognize him. They didn't smile. They didn't wag their tails. They just stood there. Behind the glass. In the shadows.

    They howled. He wanted them to hear him. He wanted them to know it was him. But as soon as his howl rang through the room, the pack turned their backs. Without a word. Without hesitation. As if... he wasn't here. Like he wasn't theirs anymore.

    Ryosuke froze. Every breath he took hurt. And then, something began to emerge from beneath his paws. From the black stone. From his own body. Chains. Not tied, not tethered to him, but growing out of him. From beneath the scars. From the silent sobs beneath the skin. From places where words he never said hurt. From wounds he never showed.

    The chains rose up, clanked against the stone, and weighed more than death itself. Each one was a pain he carried. And every rustle in the silence was a reminder that this wasn't a nightmare.

    This is him.

    And then... There was a voice behind him. Deep. Heavy. Like the crackle of breaking rock. Like an inner shadow with nowhere to retreat.

    “It's time. Open the gate.”

    Ryosuke froze. His whole body tensed to bursting. His eyes glowed like never before. He didn't know which gate he should open because each one screamed a different kind of pain inside him. And yet... he knew he probably had to pick one.

    But Ryosuke's heart suddenly ran like a stampeding herd. The beat echoed in his temples, in his chest, until he felt like it would break his ribs from the inside. Every chain that rose from his body was like a hot hook, stuck deep under his skin, under his fur, under his bones. They weren't hanging on him; they were off him, and every twitch, every attempt to move them, only pulled him back, painfully, brutally.

    “No...” he breathed, but his voice was lost in the stuffy space.

    He dug his paws into the stone, tried to move them. He pushed with all his weight, lifted his body, and tensed his muscles. The chains rattled. They clacked. They retracted. But they didn't move.

    Panic began to spread through his body like poison. He felt his body stiffen, his breath shorten. His jaws clenched, teeth grinding together, red sparks in his eyes.

    “No, no, no... I don't want to be here. I don't want to be tied up.”

    But the more he tried to escape, the more the chains wrapped around his hips, his legs, and his paws, until he felt not only his body but his mind suffocating.

    And then... The voice again. Not like a whisper. Not like a command. But like the ground cracking. Like a crack inside him.

    “It's time. Open the gate.”

    It sounded closer and louder. It sounded like someone who knew him. But not in the way the pack knows you. Not in a loving way. It knew him through the pain. Through the wounds. Through things Ryosuke never told anyone.

    “I don't want to,” Ryosuke breathed, but even he wasn't sure which gate he was speaking to.

    The voice didn't respond. It just repeated, “Open the gate.”

    The chains moved on their own. They shuddered as if alive. They pulled him forward. As if it wasn't his will, but theirs.

    “Stop!” he growled, but his voice broke in mid-word. He was breathing so heavily now that he felt his body would fall apart.

    And the gates... the gates were still standing. They were silent. Waiting. And somewhere inside him, something snapped. Like a lock. Like a seal. And something... began to awaken.

    The chains pulled him on, as if they could feel him hesitating, on edge. But Ryosuke suddenly denied himself. His hind paws dug into the stone, claws scraping against the hard surface, black ash covering his belly and paws as he fought against whatever was about to devour him. His body was larger than usual, his wolf form massive and dark, his eyes glowing ever redder, and his quickened breath escaping his mouth in short gasps. He was a wolf. But at the same time, he wasn't.

    “I don't want...” he stammered. And then more quietly, more desperately, “I don't want to be here... I don't want to be alone...!”

    He strained with all his strength. He thrust into the chains, but the pain shot through his sides like lightning. He whimpered and slid backwards on the ground, his snout scraping against the stone. Tears welled in his eyes. Not from the injury, but from the terror and fear he felt.

    “D-Dad?” He whimpered, rolling onto his side. His heart pounded against his ribs like a stampede.

    “Yuto?” His voice was breaking apart, cracking inside him like ice that couldn't hold its own weight. “Yuri, Keito... where are you?” He shook his head. “Please... someone...”

    No one answered in the pitch-black darkness. Only the ground beneath him was breathing. And the chains tightened around his body like a snake's embrace.

    “I don't want to... be alone... I... I just want to go home...” he whispered.

    And the voice came again. Dark, inhuman, ancient. As if it knew. As if it made its living from it.

    “They don't recognize you anymore. You're not one of them.”

    Ryosuke closed his eyes. He tried to shake the sentence off. Bury it in his memories. The look on Yuto's face as he laughed. Keito's paws playing with the pebbles. Yuri's white fur as he carefully brushes it. The warmth of Hikaru's body as he stroked his head and whispered to him that he was a smart wolf.

    “You're lying!” he growled, harsher this time, through his tears.

    Still, the voice replied, “Then open the gate. And prove me otherwise.”

    And Ryosuke shuddered. Because he didn't know which one. Because each one hurt differently. Because his heart was telling him to go, but the chains were making him do something else.

    Ryosuke clenched his jaw, his eyes glowing under the onslaught of anger and helplessness as his body twitched under the pressure of the chains. Everything ached. His skin, his fur, his very insides, as if they wanted to break out of his body.

    The chains tensed and vibrated with each breath, each twinge of pain seeming to give them more strength.

    But Ryosuke resisted. With all his might. His paws dug into the stone until the ground cracked beneath his claws. His breathing was heavy and ragged.

    “I don't want any gates!” he screamed into the void, his voice breaking. “I want to see my dad! Can you hear me? I want my daddy!”

    He could smell Hikaru. His smell, his voice, his safe body that always protected. He wanted to curl up next to him. Just that. Just to be next to him. He wanted to feel him lick him between the ears like he used to do when he was having a bad day.

    “Daddy... Daddy, I don't want to be here, please...” All that was left of his voice were the sobs he was choking between. His head shook until his legs buckled. He collapsed onto his side again, exhausted by his own resistance. But still, even in that position, even in that pain, he did not give up.

    And then the voice came again, deeper, darker, like an avalanche of rocks in the bowels of a mountain, 'Your father will not see you. Because you're different now. The darkness has changed you.”

    Ryosuke bowed his head, teeth clenched, eyes closed. Through his clenched jaw, he barked, “No, I'm not! I'm a wolf! I am his wolf! I'm theirs!”

    Faint smoke began to rise from his wounds, from where the chains had grown through the fur. It wasn't blood that rushed from his body, but shadows. Slow, fleeting, but they seemed to recede. He was breathing heavily. But he fought on.

    “I don't want the gates... I want to go home...” he whispered with the last of his strength. “Please...”

    The dark voice behind him seemed to whisper from all sides at once. It was unstoppable, silent and all-consuming, crawling through every crevice between his ribs, every fold of his mind.

    “You're home here. This is where you were made. This is your place. This is where you will be protected. And here you will open the gate.”

    Ryosuke froze. His red eyes slowly opened, still clouded with tears, but full of incomprehension and disgust. He didn't believe it. He couldn't. This wasn't... this wasn't his home. This was nothing. There was no light here. It wasn't his pack.

    “No...” he whispered softly at first, as if afraid that even the thought of resistance would crush what little he had left. “No... I don't understand. I don't want to understand!”

    He raised his head, his eyes sweeping over the gates. Bony, smoldering, mirrored. Each one was like a twisted dream. There was no home in any of them. In none of them was Dad. There was no Yuto. There was no one.

    “I want to get away... I want to see my dad... He's waiting for me, he has to...” His voice broke, and another wave of despair swept through his body. He tried to get up again, but his legs buckled and he landed on the hard, cracked stone again.

    “Your father will not see you. Not the man you have become. You're not like them anymore.”

    “You're lying!” he blurted, his voice as sharp as viciously cracked ice. His teeth gleamed in the light of the smoldering gate as he snapped his jaw. “I'm not yours! I'm not cut out for this! My home is where the pine smells, where my dad bathes me, where Yuto bites his tail and laughs! That's my home!”

    The chains jerked again. One of them, the thinnest one, snapped with a quiet sound. It was almost inaudible, but Ryosuke felt it. And even though he was scared... suddenly a spark ignited inside him.

    “I won't let you hurt my pack! I'll never let you...!” he bellowed, staring off into the darkness where the voice was coming from. “Because I know who I am! And this isn't me! I'm a wolf!”

    “I'm your pack,” the voice uttered, this time echoing dangerously close behind him.

    Ryosuke suddenly froze as he finally dared to turn his head. And that's when he saw it.

    A silhouette larger than any animal, than any shadow he had ever seen at the edge of the forest. A creature that didn't stand on the ground, but seemed to be a part of it. A blackness so deep that it swallowed up even itself, an outline so blurred that it seemed as if the world around it was warped just by standing there. Three pairs of glowing red eyes stared at him from beneath the shadows. Not blinking. Not alive. Burning.

    For a split second, Ryosuke forgot to breathe. The fur on the back of his neck stood on end, and his heart nearly stopped. He didn't know what it was. But he knew it was waiting for him. It was watching him. It was talking to him.

    But he didn't want to listen anymore.

    With unexpected strength, a force of desperation, pride, and unwavering loyalty to his pack, he tensed his entire body. The chains groaned, strained to a cry of pain, and then... With a sharp, piercing snap, they loosened. One by one, they crumbled into dust as if they had never been. Ryosuke gave a short howl of defiance and took off.

    He ran. Without looking back. Breathless. Not to choose a gate, but to get away from this nightmare, from the shadows and voices and red eyes. His paws skidded on the smooth stone, dust rising in a swirl behind him, but he ran on and on and on until, suddenly, it was all gone.

    Silence.

    Then a sharp chill.

    Ryosuke yelped, inhaling sharply and gasping for air. Water ran over his head, trickling into his eyes, into his mouth, cold, violent, and in that confused moment, he realized he wasn't moving. Someone was holding him.

    Hikaru.

    Dad.

    He was in his arms. A cool stream of clear water flowed through his body, his feet in the creek, his belly submerged, and Hikaru's hand gently held his muzzle while he supported his back paws to keep him from slipping under the surface.

    “I'm here,” his father whispered softly. “I'm here, Ryosuke.”

    Ryosuke nuzzled against his neck, his heart racing, and a low, shaky whimper escaped his mouth. Only now did he realize he was shaking. That he was completely wet. And that... he was back. Safe.

    He was home.

    But Ryosuke was also disoriented. Echoes of a dream that felt all too real echoed in his head. The red eyes... the voice. He felt his whole body shiver, but when he lifted his head, he felt warmth. Not the burning, searing one from the dream, but another – calm, soothing. Hikaru's arms were strong and loving, encircling him as if trying to protect him from all harm.

    “You're okay, Ryosuke,” Hikaru whispered calmly to him, over and over again. “It was just a bad dream, just a bad dream. It's gone now. I'm here. We're all here.”

    Ryosuke snuggled closer to him, burying his snout in his shirt and taking a deep breath. He needed to feel his scent, his presence. Anything to keep him here and not take him back to that blackness.

    Hikaru stroked his head and stayed still, breathing with him in the same rhythm as if to remind his wolf pup of what the real world was like.

    Then Ryosuke heard a soft splash. He opened one eye. There were others beside the creek.

    Kota sat nearby, his eyes calm and focused. Yuya's paws were wet; apparently, he was among the first to run into the water. Daiki carefully held Keito, who looked worried. Yuri stood quietly, but when Ryosuke opened his eyes, he took a small step closer.

    Yuto stood sleepily on the shore, but then made his way closer. His paws slipped on the damp grass, and when he stepped into the current, he staggered so awkwardly that the current almost took him with it. Yuya instinctively reached out a paw, but Yuto had time to recover, just splashing around a bit before he was fully focused again. Slowly, with his tongue out and his expression still half asleep, he shuffled over to Ryosuke.

    The water was almost up to his belly, gently lapping at his fur. But he didn't feel the cold or the wet. He padded over to Ryosuke, laid his snout next to his on the wet stone, and snuggled in.

    “I'm here, little brother,” he whispered softly, until the fur on his forehead shivered with cold. “With you.”

    And that was all Ryosuke needed. The words. The tone. That little nose bump against his. The dream still reverberated inside him, the emptiness, the pain... But here, here was Yuto. Wet, disheveled, paws spread to the side, but real.

    Ryosuke moved and lifted a paw, draping it over Yuto's neck and pulling him closer to him. He didn't want to let go of him.

    And Yuto didn't move. He let himself be held. He was breathing calmly, and Ryosuke's breathing slowly began to match his. The world didn't seem so dark anymore. Not with his brother by his side.

    The kind and ever attentive Kei walked over to him and gently ran his hand between his ears. “You had a fever,” he explained in a low but soothing tone. “Really high. You were scared. You talked in your sleep. That's why we put you in the water. We needed to cool you down.”

    Ryosuke blinked. Everything made more sense to him now. The dream. The pain. And the heat. But it was gone. Really gone. And all that was left was wet fur, rapid breathing, and a pack that gathered around him as if they were forming a wall against all the demons in the world.

    Kei silently placed the back of his hand against Ryosuke's forehead and under his jaw. While Hikaru still held him in his arms and supported his body, Kei concentrated on every hint of residual heat, every movement. The water had obviously worked. The fever had broken. Kei smiled gently and nodded. “It's better. Temperature's almost back to normal.”

    Yuri, meanwhile, stumbled back with a fluffy cloth blanket in his mouth, half-wet from grass and dew, but still warm and familiar. It was the one Ryosuke sometimes slept in at night. The white wolf laid it at Kei's feet, who immediately began to unfold it, and he and Hikaru gently wrapped Ryosuke up to protect him from the wind that had begun to pick up.

    Hikaru's clothes were soaked with water, but he held Ryosuke in his arms like a treasure. His damp fur was now covered by a soft cloth, and he was warm between the blanket and his father's chest.

    Kei gingerly stood up, and the whole pack slowly began to walk back to where they had been sleeping earlier.

    Once they were settled, Ryosuke slowly opened his eyes. He moved his muzzle slightly as if he needed to say something, but the words were getting mixed up. “I have dust... in my mouth...” he muttered softly. Kei leaned closer while Hikaru released the blanket from his muzzle so he could check his mouth. He carefully lifted his upper lip, looking at his tongue, his gums.

    “No, your mouth is clean... no dust, dirt, or anything else,” he uttered softly. “It's probably just a feeling left over from the dream.” He stroked his head.

    Hikaru reached for the small bottle with a soft sucker he had tied to his equipment. He squeezed it gently to get the water to flow out and brought it to the corner of Ryosuke's mouth. “Drink up, sweetheart. It'll help you.”

    Ryosuke was puzzled at first, but as soon as he touched the sucker, he took a sip. Gently, but with relief, small sips.

    Everyone around him sat in silence. Even Yuto, who was always fidgeting and running, was now lying quietly nearby, constantly watching his brother. They were all waiting. Patiently. And with love.

    Yuri and Keito sat as close as the space between the blankets and Hikaru's arms would allow. Even though Ryosuke was wrapped up and protected, their natural need to be close, to share warmth and comfort their little brother, was stronger than the fear of perhaps accidentally overwhelming him. Keito leaned against Kei's thigh, but his eyes were only on Ryosuke. His face was worried, his ears drooping a little.

    Yuri spoke first. His voice was quiet, almost reverent, as if he were talking about something serious and important. “You started shaking badly,” he said, “and you were whimpering in your sleep. At first, we thought you were just having a bad dream, but then you started foaming at the muzzle, and Yuto started licking you...” He paused for a moment and lowered his eyes. “But it didn't help. You were hot as a furnace. So, we told dads right away.”

    Keito nodded. “I ran to my dad. I tripped at first, but then I called out that Ryosuke was on fire. And Yuto...” he turned his gaze to his little brother, “... he was trying to hold you so you wouldn't move and get hurt. He kept licking your ears, your neck, your side... but I guess it didn't help...”

    Yuto, who had been lying quietly until that moment, lifted his head and moved a little closer again until his paws were resting on Hikaru's thigh and his muzzle was almost at Ryosuke's blanket. His eyes were oddly calm, deep. “I'm here, little brother,” he whispered. “It's okay. We're watching over you.”

    Ryosuke shifted a little under the blanket. His body hadn't yet regained all of its strength, but his eyes slid over his brothers' faces again. He could hear it all. Every word. And every one of them was quietly, subtly, but absolutely truly healing his soul.

    Keito staggered a little, hesitating for a moment before asking. He didn't want to hurt him or remind him of something terrible, but at the same time, he felt that maybe it would be a good idea to talk about it if Ryosuke could handle it. “Ryo...” he addressed him gently, “... can you tell us what you dreamed about? Just if you want to...”

    Ryosuke lay still, but his eyes watched the world around him as if it were still not quite real. He didn't respond at all for a few seconds. He just breathed shallowly, short breaths, as if his lungs were still clenched. “It was dark,” he began softly, as if each word weighed a ton. “Black... thick darkness. It was hard to breathe...”

    He staggered a bit, and Hikaru instinctively pulled the blanket tighter around his hips to keep him warm. Ryosuke continued. “I was standing... but not like me. I was bigger. Heavier. My paws burned like I was standing on coals. But there was no fire... just... black earth. Hard, like stone.”

    Yuri leaned closer, eyes widened with both sympathy and curiosity. Keito didn't move, just narrowed his eyes.

    “There were three gates before me,” Ryosuke whispered. “One was made of bones. The other was made of fire... but the fire only glowed. It didn't burn like flames, but... it smothered. And the third was covered in mirrors. But I couldn't see myself in them.”

    Ryosuke's voice trailed off for a moment, almost as if he'd lost his breath. Then it caught in his throat. “Behind the first one, I heard... wolf cubs. Howling. By the second one... I felt like my fur was on fire. And the last one... I saw you.” He opened his eyes and looked at Yuto, Yuri, and Keito. “You were standing behind those mirrors. But you didn't recognize me. When I growled at you, you backed away. When I howled... You turned around.”

    Yuto let out a breath that almost sounded like a whimper. His eyes glistened. “B-But… I would always howl back at you…”

    “Then...” continued Ryosuke, “chains began to grow from my body. Not around me. Out of me. It was as if everything... bound me. I couldn't get away.” He paused briefly. “And then I saw him.”

    “Who?” Yuri asked in a whisper.

    “That... creature. I don't know what it was. Black as the night. Bigger than everything. And it had three pairs of eyes... red, like glowing embers.” Ryosuke shuddered. “He said it was time to open the gate. But I didn't want to. I... wanted to come to you. I called for you. But no one came. And he said... this is my home.”

    That's when his voice failed him. All that was left was a shuddering breath, a silent shake of his head, as if trying to chase away a memory.

    “And then?” Yuto asked, barely breathing.

    “Then I saw him. Just an outline. And I ran away. I broke the chains. Running away... it was all I could do.”

    Ryosuke's body trembled slightly, and a low, desperate whimper escaped his chest as he clung to Hikaru again. His dad didn't wait for anything and gently ran his hand between his ears. “It's over, Ryo,” he whispered to him. “It was just a bad dream. You're back. You're safe. Here with us.”

    Yuto cautiously snuggled in from the other side, his gaze fixed on Ryosuke's muzzle. His eyes were wide open as he watched his every reaction, looking for any indication that the evil had truly gone away.

    As the pack kept to themselves, Kei exchanged a silent glance with Kota and nodded slightly to the side. Kota immediately understood and stood up without a word.

    Together they walked a little further into the trees, where only the soft rustling of leaves and the muffled splashing of the stream could be heard. Kei didn't even turn around, just lowered his voice in a calm but serious tone, “A dream this intense that literally pierces your body... that's not normal. Not even for a werewolf.”

    Kota remained silent, just nodding. There was something unsettling in his gaze. “I agree,” he replied softly. “I've known nightmares. I've seen what they can do. But this... Ryosuke was acting like he was in a whole other world. Not like someone who just woke up from a scary dream. He looked like he'd just escaped from that place.”

    Kei clenched his hands into fists and looked up at the darkening sky. “It's not just a dream, Kota. Something's going on. And I've been thinking that for a while now. It's in his eyes. In his fur when he shakes. The way he sometimes freezes when he feels something we don't.”

    Kota squinted his eyes. “Do you think it's... something more?”

    “I'm convinced of it,” Kei admitted. “And I'm beginning to get the feeling that something is dormant inside him that shouldn't be there. And we need to figure out what before it stops slumbering... and starts waking up.”

    Kota sat down quietly on a flat, moss-covered rock and motioned for Kei to sit down. “You know...” began Kota after a moment of silence, “Ryosuke's always been a little different. Quiet, thoughtful, independent. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Some wolves are like fire. Others are like stone. And Ryosuke is... something in between. Just because he's different doesn't mean there's anything wrong with him.”

    Kei nodded, but his gaze remained serious, almost pained. “I'm not saying there's anything wrong with him. Nor that he's dangerous, or that we should be afraid of him.” He rested his elbows on his knees and interlaced his fingers. “But truthfully... I've been noticing little things for a while now. Things I couldn't explain before. Now that I put it all together – his eyes, those moments when he freezes completely, when he stares into space and looks like he's hearing something we're not. Strange dreams. Quiet murmurs in his sleep. And tonight... tonight was more than a nightmare. Kota, he looked like he had come back from the darkness with something on his back. Like something was really holding him tight. Like he'd come back from Hell.”

    Kota pursed his lips and rested his chin on his palm. He took in Kei's every word. “Do you think he's carrying something? Something we haven't wanted to admit until now?”

    “Maybe,” Kei admitted quietly. “Or... something that sleeps inside him. Something old. Something that's slowly awakening. And I don't want to paint devils on the wall. I don't want to see him as a threat. But I do know this – we should be prepared. Not because we don't love him. But precisely because we do love him.” Something gentle, loving, and painful at the same time, glimmered in his eyes.

    Kota turned to Kei, his gaze growing heavy. There was a worry in his eyes that he hadn't yet admitted out loud. He knew Kei had a strong gift in intuition. If he voiced something, it wasn't just a random guess. It was a hunch, springing from deep observation. “Do you think... that was really a dream about Hell?” he asked softly, as if the mere utterance of the word might summon something they'd rather let sleep.

    Kei nodded, slowly, without undue drama, but with the heaviness of a man who knows more than he wishes he did. “I think it was. I'm not sure. But if he was dreaming of gates... and not ordinary gates, but ones with power... a gate of bones. A gate of fire. A gate of mirrors that don't reflect... and what he heard, the voice...” He swallowed blankly and stared at the flashes of moonlight reflecting off the dewdrops. “I know it sounds crazy. But that's how the legends describe the entrances to Hell. Dimensions that aren't ours. And from what he described, this was no ordinary dream. It was a touch. Something... beyond the gates. Something that knows him.”

    Kota was silent for a long time. Then he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. “But why would it do that? Why Ryosuke, of all werewolves? I mean, he's just a kid. He's a pup...”

    “Maybe that's why,” Kei said. “Maybe it's always been in him. Something waiting for him to grow up. And now it might have triggered something. That's why he got stressed, had a fever, a weakened mind... Maybe it took advantage of the moment and started to show. Calling him.”

    Kota clenched his jaws, his wolf instincts thinking around the idea that something from hell might be touching one of his children. “And if he has some connection to Hell... What does that mean?”

    Kei answered slowly, as if weighing each word. “It means he's not a werewolf like the rest of us. That his origins may be... more complicated. And that what's stirring inside him may be older than anything we know. Maybe something of hellblood. Or dark magic. Or... something we've only heard about in stories but never encountered.”

    Kota looked in the direction where their pack lay under the overhang. He could hear muffled whispers, the soft rustling of fur, the quiet snorting. “If that's what it is... If he has something like that in him... We need to protect him even more. Not just from the world. But also, from himself.”

    Kei nodded. “And at the same time, give him the love that reminds him of who he is. Not what may be sleeping inside him. But who he wants to be. Who he is now.”

    Kota stretched. “Then let's start looking into it more. Stealthily. But thoroughly. Anything about the gates. Hell. Ancient entities. We'll ask anyone who might know more. Ryosuke won't be alone. Not even a single step.”

    “We'll be with him.” Kei nodded. “Always.”

    Ryosuke still lay in the soft blanket, wrapped between the adult wolves and his brothers, but he was slowly calming down. His breathing was more even, his body no longer vibrating with such terror, and yet, there was still a shadow of what he had experienced in his eyes. He knew it had been a dream... but it wasn't like the others. It was deeper. More real. Too physical, too alien, too... real.

    Yuya leaned in and gently tapped his snout against his. It was a gentle touch, almost like a caress, telling him he was here and that he was safe. Ryosuke just closed his eyes and whimpered softly, as if relieved. Yuya smiled, looking at Hikaru briefly, then stood up quietly. “I'll go keep watch,” he said without raising his voice. No one had to ask him. They all knew that if Yuya patrolled, nothing bad could happen to them.

    Daiki, meanwhile, sat down right next to the wolf cubs, patted Keito on the back with his paw, and then began to tell how he had once run from a deer in the woods because he was frightened by the sound of it, and in the process, had fallen into a puddle so big that everyone thought he had discovered a new lake.

    Yuto laughed, albeit sleepily, and Keito rolled onto his side to get a better view, his fur sticking out in all directions like dandelion fluff.

    “And then,” Daiki continued, his tone theatrical, “I found out that the deer was just a twig swaying in the wind. So, I made a hero story out of it. I tell everyone that I saved three mice and one frog.”

    Yuri rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched. He pressed his hip against Yuto's, paw over his back, and stared at Ryosuke. “Don't worry. Even if a dragon chases you, I'll catch up and bite its tail.”

    Ryosuke smiled. For the first time since he woke up. Daiki talked some more, the wolves listened, and now and then someone yawned.

    Ryosuke rested his muzzle against Hikaru's chest, still wrapped in the soft blanket. Even though his body was no longer burning with fever and his breathing had slowed, shadows still lingered in his eyes. They didn't speak. They were just looking. They were as silent as ashes, but suffocating, and threatened to return with every close of his eyelids. The images of those three gates, that voice, those eyes... They were imprinted deep into his body. Heavy and sticky like blood that can't be washed away.

    But something moved beside him. And in a moment, he could hear a muffled grunt as Yuto crossed over the others and scrambled into Hikaru's arms. His sleepy body had only one goal at the moment, and that was to get closer to Ryosuke.

    Hikaru steadied him firmly so he wouldn't fall, and held him as best he could, gently moving them closer to create that natural, familiar circle of protection between them that they had always known. And it was in that circle that Yuto reached out to Ryosuke, pressed his side against him, and began to lick his neck. Very gently, slowly, carefully, as if to cleanse his fur of bad dreams and otherworldly remnants.

    Ryosuke narrowed his eyes a little. His brother's tongue was warm, moist, and repetitive in regular, familiar motions. Each touch pulled him back into their pack. To reality. To safety.

    “Thank you,” he hissed between his teeth, not realizing he'd said it out loud. Maybe it wasn't even clear if it belonged to Yuto, Hikaru, or his entire pack. But at this point, it didn't matter. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. And he... he was still breathing. He was with them. He was here. Right now.

Chapter Text

     The morning was just beginning to spread across the forest like mist across the land. The sun's rays were making their way through the treetops, their branches still swaying lazily in the breeze as if they themselves were not fully awake. The smell of damp earth and cool moss mingled with the smoke from the remnants of the night's fire. Silence was everywhere, broken only by the occasional bird from a branch high above the camp.

    Ryosuke sat by the dying fire. His wolf paws were folded under him, his tail curled around his body to keep out the cold. His eyes, now lost in the red heat of his own thoughts, were fixed on the smoldering embers. Every now and then, one of them crackled softly, shattering the silence, but even that did not break him from his deep thought.

    He had not slept much. After he awoke from his terrible dream, he had not had the courage to fall asleep again. The voice, the chains, the eyes... It was all still with him. The image of three gates remained in his mind, each speaking to him in a different language of pain. And though he knew it was only a dream, he could feel their presence like scars in his mind. He didn't believe it was an ordinary dream.

    He looked towards the pack, where the wolves were still sleeping in a ball of warmth and safety, wrapped in blankets and their own furs. Yuto slept snuggled against Hikaru, tongue out, breathing calmly as if all was right with the world. Keito had slept curled up next to Daiki a few moments ago, before heading off to the clearing next door, accompanied by his father, and Yuri lay close to Kota. Everyone was safe. But Ryosuke suddenly felt like he wasn't part of that peace anymore. Not because he'd been singled out. But because he had begun to pull himself away. Something inside him had changed, and he could feel it.

    He jerked an ear quickly as a branch crackled nearby. He instinctively lifted his head, but it was only the wind. He felt uneasy anyway. The strange, quiet energy in his bones didn't leave him at ease. And yet, he remained seated. Because here, by the remnants of the fire that had joined them the previous evening, he felt at least a glimmer of what he had missed the night before.

    That he was not alone. That he was still fighting. That he still belonged here. He just needed to find out who he really was.

    After a while, the first movements of bodies began to stir in the soft morning light as the pack stretched lazily and sleepily in their bed of moss and blankets. At first, it was just a blink, a turn on the other side, a slow yawn, and a quiet whimper. But then, with a stifled gasp, Yuto stirred.

    His eyes widened, and he immediately looked around. His tail flicked to the side a few times as he realized someone was missing.

    Ryosuke.

    His paws instantly tensed up, and like a shot arrow, he jumped out of the huddle. Blankets and fur flew through the air, and those who were still stretching came to full wake with a jerk. “Yuto...!” Someone muttered in confusion, but he was already long gone.

    Ryosuke turned around just a split second before Yuto reached him. And the next moment, he had a sleepy but excited puppy on top of him, who immediately snuggled into his side and buried his snout in his fur. He began to lick him eagerly on his neck, muzzle, and forehead with his tongue, panting as if he had just returned from a long journey.

    “I thought you left! That you were lost! Where did you go?” he mumbled between licks, and then clung to him with his whole body. He was still a little stiff and sleepy, but that didn't stop him from wrapping himself around Ryosuke's neck like a wet towel.

    Ryosuke shook slightly under his energy, but didn't push him away in any way. He just closed his eyes, letting him do whatever he wanted, and took a deep breath.

    This was his world. Not dark dreams, not gates, not voices. This was his pack. His brothers. His Yuto. And though his head was still full of shadows, here they were silent for a moment.

    Yuto pulled back a little after his eager licking, squinting his eyes and fluffing his muzzle as only a wolf could. “And why didn't you wake me up? I'm the Alpha!” he stammered, offended, though his tone remained mostly playful. He sat down right next to Ryosuke, tail tapping nervously against the pine needles and pebbles behind him, waiting to see what Ryosuke would say.

    The latter just exhaled deeply through his nose until he blew in Yuto's face, and replied slowly, sleepily, and dryly, “You snored in my ear.”

    Yuto's ears strained. “Me?! I never snore!” The brown pup defended immediately, stretching his neck so he could look Ryosuke in the eye. “It must have been someone else! Maybe... Kei! Kei always snores!” He waved his paw in the direction of the sleeping adults, even though he knew he was lying.

    Ryosuke didn't answer, just looked at him tiredly, but he relaxed a little when Yuto slipped closer again and gently licked his snout.

    That alone was enough to put any further crankiness out of Yuto's mind, and with a sudden cry of joy, he ran towards the others. “Time to get up! The sausages won't last forever!” he howled into the glowing forest.

    While Yuto ran around the huddle, poking sleeping bodies with his snout, Ryosuke stayed by the smoldering fire. His paws warmed slightly against the heat from the ash covered coals. In the silence that had momentarily reigned after Yuto's departure, he felt soft footfalls beside him. Keito approached him cautiously, holding a broad leaf in his mouth on which rested a small pile of fresh wild strawberries.

    Placing it gently in front of Ryosuke, he chirped with a slight smile, “Here.” Then he quietly reached out, folding his paws under him and tilting his head a little to get a better view of Ryosuke. His voice was soft and calm, like the morning breeze through the trees, barely audible over the quiet crackle of embers in the fireplace. “How did you sleep?” he asked cautiously, as if he suspected the answer but wanted Ryosuke to say it himself.

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment, his red eyes gazing into the burning ashes where a faint spark from the last embers glowed here and there. “I didn't sleep much,” he finally admitted quietly, not even looking Keito in the eye.

    Keito nodded slightly, but didn't flinch. He wasn't surprised. His own sensitivity told him that Ryosuke was weighed down by more than just fatigue. He leaned a little closer and rested his muzzle against his shoulder without touching. “And now? Are you feeling even a little better, little brother?” he asked, not with pressure, but with a tenderness that only Keito possessed.

    Ryosuke glanced at him briefly, out of the corner of his eye, then lowered his head. “A little,” he murmured, this time with a tiny hint of relief in his voice. “Since you're all here.” And even if he said nothing else, Keito heard him and understood.

    Then Keito lifted himself up slightly, moving a hair closer and tapping Ryosuke's side gently with his muzzle. It was just a slight touch, almost like the nudge of a twig in the wind. His eyes lit up as he reached out a paw and carefully moved a large green leaf even closer, upon which lay several berries, bright red and flecked with morning dew. They looked as if the forest itself had just picked them.

    “Have some,” he urged him quietly, sticking out his tongue. “They're fresh. I picked them just after I woke up. Strawberries always make a wolf feel better. Everyone knows that,” he added with a soft, playful smile that was only Keito's own.

    Ryosuke lowered his gaze to the shiny berries. The smell of strawberries was soft, sweet, and reminded him of summer, of safety... and of Keito. He shook his head, but not dismissively, more guiltily. “I'm not really hungry,” he muttered, as if it were his fault for not being able to appreciate Keito's efforts.

    But Keito didn't give in. He reached out his snout, took one strawberry in his mouth, placed it right in front of Ryosuke's paws, and added, “At least one. For luck. For me.”

    Ryosuke finally smiled. Faintly, but still. He looked into Keito's eyes, then at the strawberry. And finally, he took it. He bit into it slowly, as if it were the greatest gift of all. The sweetness of the fruit filled his mouth, and the little bit of darkness inside him seemed to melt away. Not that it disappeared. But enough to come back to himself. And to those who loved him.

    Keito, meanwhile, wagged his tail contentedly once he saw that Ryosuke had eaten that one strawberry. He watched him for a moment longer with a soft smile and then lay down next to him, his muzzle resting on his paws, quietly enjoying the moment of having his little brother next to him. These were such small but precious wins for Keito when he could be near and help someone, even if only for a little while.

    As the morning light hovered over the forest, another member of the pack certainly wasn't planning on staying still. Yuto was already fully awake, full of energy, and determined to make the most of the morning.

    He ran past Daiki with such speed that the wind from his movement lifted his fur. But even that wasn't enough for Yuto, and with absolutely no hesitation, he grabbed Daiki's tail, clawing at it and hanging onto it like some kind of wild pendant, even though Daiki was already on his feet.

    “Yuto!” Daiki growled as he tried to throw him off, but to no avail. “You must have tapped yourself into an electrical outlet overnight!”

    Yuto laughed and bounced away, only to jump on his side and try to pull on Kota's tail as well. The latter just amusedly avoided him and instead poked his belly with his snout, causing Yuto to roll onto his back, where he remained lying with his legs comically thrown up in the air. “Ambush failed,” Kota informed him.

    “Good thing you didn't wake us all up earlier, Yuto,” Yuya remarked tiredly as he stretched, trying to recover from his early morning awakening.

    “But we're all awake! So, success!” Yuto exclaimed triumphantly, prancing around the fireplace as if he had won a marathon.

    Hikaru just sighed and turned to Daiki, who was scratching his fur with his paw and muttering something about having to find a shelter to go make his bed in peace before Yuto attacked him again. “Yeah,” he grumbled, “this little wolf is a terminator. But with fur.”

    The pack was finally coming fully awake, sleepy yawns mingling with quiet laughter and ruffled fur. But they were all together. And even though Yuto was everywhere he could look, no one was changing him. Because this was their pack. As it should be.

    “Okay! Now let's go hunting!” Yuto bellowed proudly, standing on the tallest root that protruded from the ground and raising his snout proudly in the air as if he were leading a giant army into battle. His tail wagged merrily from side to side, obviously expecting the pack to immediately line up as he commanded.

    The adult wolves, meanwhile, stretching and wondering what to have for breakfast, looked at each other with smiles. Kei pulled his backpack closer to him and pitched in, “And what exactly are you planning on hunting, Alpha Yuto?”

    Yuto turned to him with the most serious expression he could produce, which meant his muzzle came forward, ears at attention, and eyes wide. “Of course... Something wild!” he announced solemnly. “Like... a forest mammoth! Or... or a giant blueberry with legs!”

    Yuya, who had just checked that everyone had bottled water, cleared his throat to cover his laughter. “You mean we'll go looking for something to eat, right? Some berries, roots, or maybe hunt some rabbits?”

    “Yeah! That too!” Yuto shook his head as if he had it all perfectly planned from the start. “Of course, that's what I was thinking. We'll follow the tracks, we'll sniff the footprints, we'll rustle in the grass, and then... Then we'll find something! And maybe it'll be a mammoth. A small one.”

    “Little mammoth?” Kota repeated after him, amused.

    “Yeah, like a... rasp-mammoth. A berry-mammoth,” Yuto filled in, shaking his head with an expression that said he had just invented something really profound.

    “I'd like to see that,” Daiki remarked as he slowly stretched his back. “But okay. If you're an Alpha, lead the pack. We'll follow you.”

    Yuto immediately turned to Ryosuke and whispered, “I have no idea what I'm doing.”

    Ryosuke just snorted and replied in a whisper, “I don't think any Alpha knows that to begin with. Dad said so.”

    Yuto smiled as if Ryosuke had just given him the greatest wisdom in the entire wolf world. Then he stretched, tail high, and growled, “Let's go, pack! Search for berry-mammoth!”

    And so, they all rose, adults and young alike, filled with laughter and joy, and set off after their little Alpha, who had no idea what he was doing... but led them with his heart.

    The pack moved through the forest at a leisurely pace, even as their little leader pranced before them, full of determination. Yuto ran from one tree to the next, shouting and warning each pack member to keep formation, though his own route was more like a zigzag than any sort of meaningful path.

    “Right here!” he shouted, tail swishing, but before he could finish the next instruction, he was sniffing elsewhere where he'd spotted the squirrel. “No, actually left! There will be more tracks!”

    Yuya walked beside him, smiling softly, making sure Yuto didn't go somewhere completely out of the pack again. He leaned towards him and spoke calmly, “You know, when you go hunting, you have to be quiet. You smell the wind. You follow the tracks in the moss. You look for scratches in the trees, paw prints, broken twigs. Hunting is not about shouting, it's about perception.”

    Yuto listened intently, though his paws occasionally went sideways as he caught a glimpse of movement in the brush.

    Suddenly, however, the entire group slowed down. Kei, who had been walking a little to the side, remained standing as if transfixed. His body tensed, his muzzle was near the ground, and the back of his fur rose. He growled very softly. Not warningly, but with tension.

    “Can you feel it?” he uttered in a deep voice. “Blood.”

    The whole pack fell silent. The young wolves immediately strained their ears, their muzzles returning to the ground. Even Yuto, who a moment ago had been arguing with Daiki about whether there were definitely berry-mammooths living here, fell silent and cautiously stretched his neck.

    “He's right.” Kota nodded and came closer to Kei in the meantime. “It's close. Fresh. Not much, but enough to interest even predators.”

    “A wounded animal?” Yuya asked, peering into the forest in front of him, where the trees were thickening.

    “Maybe. Or just a body. But it doesn't smell of rot. It's fresh,” Kei replied.

    Ryosuke stood close to Yuto, his eyes glowing with a slight wariness but curiosity at the same time. They were all sniffing, taking in every gust of wind, every incongruous smell. Even Keito, who wasn't usually a big fan of hunting, kept his muzzle close to the ground, his forehead drawn in concentration.

    “What do we do, Alpha?” Yuya turned to Yuto with a suppressed smile, but full seriousness in his voice.

    Yuto swallowed. It was his moment to decide. His first expedition, his first serious decision. And even though his paws were shaking a little and his tail wasn't wagging as enthusiastically, he straightened up proudly. He sniffed for a moment, then looked at the pack.

    “Let's go see,” he said. “But be careful. Can I be in the front? But we'll be careful! I don't want anyone to get lost.” And suddenly, he didn't look like a joking puppy. He looked like an Alpha.

    And so, the brown wolf was ready to charge forward like a true leader, when Yuya quietly and surely stepped into his path. The wolf's body shimmered like a shadow in the grass and stopped right in front of him.

    “You'll stay behind me, Alpha,” he said gently, but firmly enough that Yuto immediately understood it wasn't a suggestion. “Even an Alpha is someone the pack is supposed to protect. If something were to happen to you, who would we have left?”

    Yuto's ears drooped slightly, and his eyes slid to the ground for a moment. It wasn't because he was ashamed, but because in that moment, he understood the weight of what he was being told. The adult wolf before him was not only his father, but someone who had taught him what it meant to lead.

    “Okay.” He nodded, and his voice, though quieter, never lost its determination. “I'll follow you, Dad.”

    Yuya gently tapped him on the shoulder with his muzzle, then stepped forward, paws padding softly over the forest moss. Yuto moved in close behind him, and Ryosuke immediately took up position at his side as naturally as if he'd always belonged there. Without a word, without a single instruction. A glance between them was all it took for them to line up in a familiar formation.

    The rest of the pack spread out around them. Hikaru walked to the right, eyes sharply following every movement through the trees. Kota and Kei kept to the left, while Daiki quietly closed the back line with Yuri and Keito solemnly. Even the younger wolves, though this wasn't a real hunt, sensed that something more serious was going on, so they stayed close.

    They were all aware of the scent. The smell of blood that wasn't foreign, and yet was different. Sharp, raw, and growing stronger with each step.

    So, the pack plunged deeper into the forest, where even the birds could no longer be heard. Yuto felt his chest tighten, but Ryosuke beside him was a reassurance. And Yuya, in front of him, was a shield. With each step, however, the tension grew. There was no doubt, they were getting closer. But to what, none of them knew yet.

    After a while, something large flickered through the trees, and the light that slipped through the leaves revealed the silhouette of a huge body lying in the moss.

    A moose.

    Massive, with broad antlers that sank into the grass like dead branches. It was a stunning sight, not only in its size, but in how silent the image was. And yet, the smell of blood said it all. It was fresh. And it wasn't the only scent burning their nostrils.

    Before anyone got close, they caught another scent. Slightly pungent, full of power and movement.  

    Werewolves.

    And not just one. It was a whole pack, and from the direction of the wind, they were aware that the pack already knew about them.

    Yuya paused. His chest tensed, and his tail stiffened in a wary stance. Behind him, Yuto also paused, his muzzle stretched into the air, then turned to the others. “Is that... another pack?” he asked, his voice full of excitement.

    “Yeah,” Hikaru replied quietly, his eyes scanning the distant outline through the trees. “And they know about us.”

    The tension in Ryosuke's stance was palpable. He stood close to Yuto, never taking his eyes off the area around the moose, as if expecting someone to emerge from the shadows at any moment. His body was ready not to jump, but to protect.

    “What now?” Kota whispered, standing next to Hikaru. “If these wolves are territorial... We have wolf pups here.”

    Yuto glanced back at his pack and looked forward again. “Maybe we could meet up. Find out who they are. Maybe they're nice.”

    “That's a nice thought, Alpha,” Kei spoke calmly, “but we're in the wilderness. And in packs that aren't ours, we don't know what to expect. Our cubs are small. And if these werewolves have no reason to trust outsiders...”

    “It could be dangerous,” Daiki added, his voice softer than usual. He put his paw on Keito's back, who stood uneasily beside him, sniffing the air.

    “But I don't want to just hide,” Yuto whispered. “What if they're like us?”

    “What if they're not?” Yuri answered him quietly but firmly this time.

    There was silence for a moment. Everyone looked at the leader of the expedition, young though he was. Yuto. And though his heart burned with excitement, there was an experience and responsibility in the eyes of the adult werewolves that went beyond the desire to meet new faces. Their job was to protect. And sometimes, that meant stepping back.

    It wasn't a decision that came easily. But they knew they would have to face it together.

    Yuto thought for a moment, but then, as if a spring had snapped, he whined, wagged his tail, stood on his back paws, and jumped again, as if trying to get the excess of restless energy out of his system. “Come on! What if they're cool? What if they want to play with us?”

    Hikaru watched him silently for a moment, but then slowly turned his head to Kota. Their gazes met, and even without words, they said a lot to each other. Caution. Responsibility. Children. Then he nodded and took a deep breath. “We have to make the right decision,” he muttered.

    Yuto stopped at their feet and climbed up on the back paws again. His muzzle was barely at Hikaru's hip, and his whole body tensed with anticipation. “So? Shall we go? Please!”

    Hikaru looked at the wolves around him, at the pack that now stood in the shade of the tall trees, tense as a string. Then he shifted his gaze to Ryosuke. He was sitting a little further away, but his eyes were still watching the area around the moose, calm and focused. There was a kind of quiet strength about him that Hikaru often observed with a special respect.

    “Ryosuke,” he addressed him, “do you feel anything? Something... wrong?”

    Ryosuke raised his head and hesitated for a moment before slowly standing up. He cautiously walked closer with his eyes squinted. Then he lowered his muzzle to the ground, took a breath, took a few steps to the edge of the clearing, sniffed again... and then again. His whole body tensed, but his red eyes remained calm. Returning to the others, he shook his head slowly.

    “I smell a pack,” he said softly. “I smell blood. But no anger. No fear. No hunger. Nothing that's... wrong.”

    Hikaru sized him up in silence for a moment. Then he nodded. “Good. If anyone can sense a threat, it's you.” And then he looked at Yuto. “But it will be with caution. We'll go slowly, together, no one backing down. And Yuto... no heroics, okay?”

    Yuto beamed like a full moon. “Right! I'll be the most careful Alpha in the world!” he barked excitedly, wagging his tail so violently that he nearly knocked over Keito, who was standing next to him.

    The pack was about to move, but Hikaru raised his paw and stopped them before they even took a step. “Wait,” he whispered with an authority that didn't waver. His stance was firm, his eyes narrowed, and his muzzle turned towards the scent of the strange werewolves. “Be quiet.”

    Everyone froze. Paws on the pine needles, breathing hushed, hearts pounding in suspense. Yuto stopped in mid-motion and sat up obediently, his tail wrapped around his constantly moving paws, but his eyes shone like two lights as he watched tensely to see what Hikaru would do.

    And then Hikaru raised his head to the sky, gazing up into the treetops as if the answer hung there among the branches. Slowly, he opened his mouth... and howled. It was a long, deep sound that carried through the forest like the whispers of ancient memories. It wasn't just a simple cry into the void; it was a cry with meaning, with a message. A wolf's tongue in which the words sounded different. It sang of peace. A wish to meet. Of not wanting to compete for prey. That their pack was just passing through, that they were curious. Open, but cautious.

    And all the other wolves fell silent. Not a leaf moved. The muffled rustling of forest life seemed distant, as if it too was waiting for an answer. Even Yuto, eternally restless, sat perfectly still, unless you counted his little paws. His eyes glittered. He looked at Hikaru with a mixture of admiration and amazement, as if he had just watched the greatest heroic act of his life. He moved slightly closer to Keito and whispered, “That was awfully cool, wasn't it?”

    Keito just nodded slowly with his eyes wide.

    Yuri and Ryosuke were silent, both fascinated. Ryosuke watched as Hikaru's chest rose and fell, his wolfish figure looming sharply against the light filtering through the trees. And in that moment, he realized why his dad had always been an Alpha. It wasn't just the strength, but the inner calm and courage in every movement.

    The forest was waiting. And they with it.

    They waited. Long minutes that seemed like hours. They sat tense, as if even the trees around them held their breath. Everything was suddenly impossibly quiet. The birds were silent. The wind didn't blow. Even the brook in the distance seemed more subdued, as if it too did not want to disturb them.

    Yuto sat completely still, which was a miracle in itself. Only his paws clacked in restless rhythm against the soft moss beneath him. Not loud enough to disturb anyone, but just loud enough to remind them that he, too, was full of emotion and tension. His large eyes were fixed on Hikaru, then the forest, then back again.

    Ryosuke remained silent. He sat quietly, watching the space between the trees where the answer might come from. And then... In that silence, as if guided by something deeper than words, than logic... He slowly raised his head.

    He didn't know exactly why he was doing it. He felt no direction. Just... an inner urge. Something inside him whispered that he should continue. That it wasn't just Hikaru's call. That he had something to offer as well.

    His mouth opened, and a young but unexpectedly clear howl echoed through the forest. It wasn't as deep as Hikaru's; it wasn't as resonant, but it was as clear as mountain water. Friendly, welcoming. Ryosuke didn't sing with power, but he sang with his heart. And the tone, though soft, held a power he may not have realized himself.

    The other wolves looked at him. Hikaru slowly lowered his head, as if acknowledging his contribution to the call. Yuto stared at him with utter fascination, tail twitching, but still holding on and not running anywhere. Keito smiled and nudged him lightly with his muzzle. And Yuri? He just nodded quietly, as if he heard something more in the singing than the others.

    And then, from a distance... barely audible, like an echo from another world... someone howled back.

    It wasn't threatening. Or triumphant. It was... an answer.

    And the whole pack froze, ears up. Their hearts beat faster. The forest was no longer silent. The forest began to breathe.

    Another howl came soon after the first. Softer, thinner, younger. It sounded like the cub was trying to mimic what it had just heard from Ryosuke. A little uncertain, perhaps, but determined. And while the tone wasn't perfect, at that moment, it was the most beautiful howl the pack could imagine. There was curiosity in it, hope... and most of all, the desire to meet.

    Ryosuke lowered his ears and bowed his head slightly, as if responding to the distant cub in a non-verbal, grateful way. He didn't smile. His whole face just relaxed for a moment. For all he had experienced last night, for all the shadows and heat that haunted his dreams, this howl was like a ray of sunlight through the thick branches. 

    “That's a friendly tone,” Kota, who was standing right next to Hikaru, assessed quietly. Both adult werewolves remained wary, but it was clear that a stone had been dropped from their hearts as well.

    “And the other one... was a pup,” Kei added, looking in the direction the answer came from. “It matched Ryosuke.”

    Yuto immediately shot a glance towards Ryosuke. “See! They want to get to know us! Even the little wolf puppy! It wants to make friends!” His tail wagged so fast that he nearly fell on his own butt. “We have to go in there. Now. Ryosuke! They heard you! You summoned them!”

    Ryosuke looked at Yuto. In his eyes, in his enthusiasm, in his soul that always shone like a torch. And then he nodded.

    Hikaru took a deep breath and glanced briefly at Kota, then at Kei, Daiki, and Yuya. A brief eye communication, no words. It was clear.

    “We'll go slowly,” Hikaru decided quietly but clearly. “Me, Ryosuke, Yuto, Kota, and Kei will be at the front. The rest of you stay behind us, and if anything changes-”

    “We'll turn back,” Yuri added, and despite his quiet tone, it was clear that he liked the suggestion.

    And with that, their wolf pack moved forward. Yuto hopped around like a monkey, Ryosuke walked calmly, but he could feel his heart pounding.

    The adult wolves formed the outer defenses while the four young wolves stayed in the middle, surrounded by the love and protection of their fathers. Hikaru walked in front, focused, eyes squinted, ears perked. He led the pack with the calmness of a true Alpha.

    And then they saw them.

    Just a slight movement through the trees at first. Then silhouettes. Four adult wolves, each a different color. One was dark gray with a white breastplate, another was dark rust, the third also had rusty fur with a black back, and the fourth was a noble silver wolf with a calm, deep gaze.

    Behind them were four little wolf cubs. Roughly the same size and age as their own pups. They were curious, perceptive, and their eyes glittered with the same eagerness to know the new wolves. And yet, they stayed close to their adults, just as their pack had practiced.

    The Alpha of the other group moved forward. She was the dark rusty wolf with the black back with golden highlights. Her posture was relaxed but proud, moving calmly and respectfully. She stood in a frontal stance towards Hikaru, stopping a few feet in front of him and bowing her head slightly. Not in submission, but as a sign of peace.

    Hikaru did the same. Then he took a few steps closer, leaving enough space between them, and bowed his head in the same manner. It was a silent acceptance. No words for now. Just two Alphas who knew they now held the safety of their families in their paws. Behind them, their packs stood, and the eyes of both sides scanned each other warily.

    Yuto leaned against Ryosuke shakily, all excited. “Is that them?” he whispered, though no one was speaking at the moment. “The ones that sang?” His little nose was already twitching as he wanted to run off and go play. But for now, he listened. He respected the moment.

    Ryosuke gave him a gentle nudge with his snout, telling him to hold on. But he watched too. And his eyes met briefly with those of one of the wolves across the room. The dark brown wolf returned its gaze. It didn't move. And even wagged its tail. The meeting had just begun.

    The Alpha wolf slowly took a step closer and stopped, head still slightly bowed. She lifted her eyes to Hikaru and gave a gentle wag of her tail, a gesture not of playfulness in this context, but of peace. Her voice when she spoke was deeper than he would have expected from a female, but velvety and firm.

    “My name is Seraya,” she said. “We lead our pack from the northern border to here. We're not looking for a fight.” Her gaze flicked slowly over the wolves behind Hikaru's back, and for a moment, her eyes rested on the wolf cubs, who stood in a circle of adults, curious and tense. “We have young ones, too,” she added. “And... It would be nice if they got to know other wolves. They've only been with us since birth.”

    Hikaru bowed his head, a little deeper this time, and took another step forward. “I'm Hikaru. This is my pack. We travel here from the south. We came for a weekend in the woods where our young can play and learn what it means to be a wolf. We don't want to endanger anyone.” Then he smiled, at least as much as a wolf can. “And if it were up to our little Alpha on training...” he turned to Yuto, who stood leaning against Ryosuke, eyes bugging out, with a grin, “... he'd be running around your wolf cubs, offering them to go dig another Sniffasaurus.”

    That broke the tension. The corners of Seraya's mouth twitched. She stepped a little closer, then sat down, a definite gesture of trust. “In that case, I'd like to offer the same. My pack is here to breathe freedom. Not to fight over territory.”

    Hikaru sat down as well. Behind them, the quiet tension of the pack eased as they realized this moment was peaceful. Mirroring, almost like an unwritten script, the other three adult she-wolves that belonged to Seraya's pack did the same.

    “Maybe...” said Seraya then, “... our children could play for a while. Under supervision, of course.” Her gaze rested on her pack again. And the small dark brown wolf that had made eye contact with Ryosuke earlier now took a tentative step forward. But her mother held her back with her tail.

    “If you guys agree,” Seraya added softly, “we'll let them meet.”

    Hikaru glanced at Kota, then at Kei, Yuya, and Daiki. His eyes met those of the young wolves as well, some of whom were already moving excitedly in place.

    “We agree,” he said with a nod. And their two packs, so different, yet similar in many ways, took the first step towards joining together in one evening circle.

    Seraya bowed her head slightly and motioned in the direction from which the smell of blood and flesh came from the forest. “The moose we have hunted is yours, if you are hungry. Our cubs have already eaten, and it will be their pleasure to share. There is no reason to be stingy in nature.” Her voice was calm and sincere, without any hint of coercion.

    Hikaru looked around at his pack. Some of the adults hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “Thank you. It's been a long journey, and some food will come in handy.” It wasn't so much hunger as trust, and this was exactly the kind of offer that could cement that trust.

    The wolves of Seraya's pack took a few steps back from the kill, leaving it loose and signaling that they weren't guarding it like property. They had their bellies full and now just watched in silence. They were calm but focused, though alert, as befits any pack. A wolf, though friendly, always remains wary.

    Hikaru went first. Slowly, with calm movements and his head slightly bowed, he walked to where the massive body of the dead moose lay, already partially butchered. The others of his pack followed him in the same spirit. Each of them paused for a moment to briefly greet someone from the other pack with a snout. No need for words. The scent, the attitudes, and the movements speak for themselves.

    The cubs lingered a step longer. It was in them, the urge to run, rejoice, and jump in as usual, but the presence of the new pack reminded them that this was not their familiar territory.

    Surprisingly, Keito made the first move. He eyed one of the she-wolves carefully, the slimmer one with the white tip of her tail. He cocked his ears and very slowly approached her. She sized him up curiously, but did not back away. She wagged her tail slightly.

    Yuri stood a short distance away and watched silently as Keito made contact. Yuto fidgeted; it was obvious that the whole slow pace was driving him crazy. He jumped, but immediately got a warning sniff on the side from Yuri, so instead of lunging, he just happily thumped his tail on the ground, waiting for when he would finally be allowed to run.

    Ryosuke was the calmest. He stepped a little closer than the others, but still kept a respectable distance. His gaze fell on the cub, who was looking at him pleasantly. They stood across from each other, looking at each other. Nothing more. And yet, it was enough.

    Only then, Yuto just couldn't take it anymore. As soon as the tension eased a little and the atmosphere softened into a real friendliness, he jumped on all fours, bounced off the moss, and with a happy bark, took off in an arc around the group. His paws hit the ground like eardrums, his tail waved in the air, and his tongue hung out of his mouth in pure ecstasy.

    The wolf cubs of the other pack looked at him curiously, and some jumped slightly as he flew past them. But when he paused for a moment and beamed at them, eyes bright, one of them, the largest of the four, laughed a deep growl and leapt after him.

    Yuya stayed a few paces behind, his eyes fixed on his son. Even as he let him go, every nerve in his body was ready to intervene if anything went wrong. But when he saw the wolf cubs circling around, sniffing, wagging their tails, and sending each other playful glances, he just smiled gently and relaxed his stance.

    Gradually, the packs began to mingle. Not all at once and not completely, but it went faster among some of the adults. Daiki, unmistakable in any situation, made his way straight to one of the she-wolves, who had a gorgeous grey-silver coat and looked like she was chewing the last of the moose's ribs. He walked up to her cheekily but amiably, let out a short, slightly flirtatious growl, and offered her a piece of their own supplies they'd brought in their pack.

    At first, she looked at him with an expression of utter disinterest, but then her muzzle curled slightly into what might be called an amused smile in wolves. She sniffed his offer and took it. And Daiki, proudly, sat down next to her like a seasoned heartbreaker.

    Hikaru, meanwhile, stayed close to Seraya. The two stood in a calm stance, side by side, their fur occasionally touching in the breeze. They spoke in hushed, deep tones and short sentences not often spoken among wolves. These were not mere formalities, but real, meaningful exchanges between two Alphas. They shared insights, experiences, maybe even stories from the past, and all the while they kept eyes on their packs.

    Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito were keeping more to themselves now. They, too, noticed the other pack's wolves looking curiously at them, but they didn't rush into contact as recklessly as Yuto did. They were cautious, but not hostile. And that was what made a good impression.

    The two younger wolf cubs, both with white spots on their tails, approached them on their own after a moment. They sat a little way off and watched them. Yuri gently waggled his ears at them. Keito showed them the flat rock on which he had placed the root shoot he carried from the stream as a talisman, and Ryosuke exchanged several long glances with them.

    The silence among the wolves was already quite friendly. The adult werewolves walked slowly past each other, in arcs, their heads lowered and their movements so subtle it almost looked like a dance. They sniffed each other. Necks, hips, paws. Looking for signs of tension, the smells of foreign packs, old wounds. But all they found was peace and respect.

    Yuya passed one of the she-wolves with dark rusty fur, and they exchanged a low, respectful growl. Kei gently bumped his muzzle into the shoulder of one of the grey wolves, and she smiled at him in a wolfish way – with her eyes.

    Yuto, meanwhile, bounced between it all as if he had an inexhaustible supply of energy. His eyes were glowing, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and when he finally reached the moose, which was already lying partially gnawed but still looking like a feast of the gods, he stopped and turned to Hikaru with a wistful expression. “May I? Can I have a bite? It looks... juicy!” He hissed, his tail swishing from side to side so fast it slapped against his own hip.

    Hikaru walked over to him, tilted his head, and with just a hint of an amused growl said, “Only if you say thank you.”

    And at that moment, Seraya joined them. Her presence was calm, firm, yet warm. She leaned down to Yuto and gently brushed her muzzle against his cheek. “It's yours, little Alpha. We have eaten our fill. Let your pack eat too.”

    “Thank you so much for sharing with us!” Yuto immediately yelped and dove for a piece of meat like he'd never eaten anything better. The other wolf cubs soon followed suit, and even some of the adults took a modest piece, but they did it more out of respect than hunger. It was the wolf cubs who ate with relish. The young wolves had their legs spread and their snouts covered in blood and grease.

    Seraya then turned to Hikaru again, stepping closer to him and looking at the four pups with her head tilted. “Are they yours?” she asked softly, her voice carrying no suspicion, just pure curiosity. “Each one is different. Like they don't even belong in the same pack. And yet...”

    Hikaru smiled and looked at them. At Yuto, who had just tripped over his own tail; at Ryosuke, who immediately caught it and gave him back a piece of meat; and at Yuri and Keito, who were eating but still keeping their eyes on the rest of the pack. “They're not our own,” he said simply, “We found them once. Abandoned. Exhausted. Alone. To each of them, one of us is a father. And together, we are their pack.”

    Seraya gave a long nod. Her gaze softened. “Then it's not just a pack,” she said with a soft tone in her voice. “It's a home.”

    Ryosuke took only two bites of his meat; that was all he could manage. His mouth was dry, though he could feel the juices from the moose running down his tongue. He wasn't sick, but he wasn't hungry either. He was full of something else. An impression, an atmosphere, maybe even the afterglow of the dream that had kept him up at night.

    Slowly, he turned away from the food, brushed his muzzle against the moss, and sat down with a quietness all his own. The muffled laughter of the wolves rumbled in his ears, the hundreds of scents of meat, pine needles, fur, and something new and delicate among them, boiled in his nose. A scent that had seemed familiar a moment ago.

    He lifted his head and saw one of the little she-wolves approaching him. She had dark brown fur with darker markings on her back and ears. Her step was light, but not unsteady. She stopped a short distance from him, her tail drooping in a friendly gesture. She tilted her head and winked at him, “Was that you who howled?” she asked softly as she discreetly inspected the visible scars on his muzzle.

    Ryosuke froze. He couldn't answer right away. He wasn't shy in the usual sense of the word, more like careful. He considered how much to say. He didn't know what was expected of him. He just nodded. Not entirely confidently, but enough to make it clear that the answer was yes.

    The wolf smiled softly, and her muzzle lit up with joy. “I like your voice. It sounded... calm. Very nice. My name is Sora.”

    Ryosuke was a little unsure, but nodded again, a little more relaxed. “I'm Ryosuke.” His voice was quiet, like a leaf hitting the surface of the water.

    “Ryo-su-ke,” she repeated after him, pronouncing it carefully, as if tasting each syllable. “That's a pretty name. It suits you.”

    Sora moved a little closer, cautiously but without hesitation, as if Ryosuke's presence didn't arouse fear or shyness. Her eyes took him in slowly from his paws to the tips of his ears.

    Ryosuke took note without looking directly at her. He could feel her movements out of the corner of his eye, hear her breathing calm down as she softly pawed at the moss. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder and sniffed lightly at his neck. His fur there bristled, but he didn't flinch.

    “You smell different,” she said thoughtfully. She wasn't judging him, more fascinated to find out the differences. “It's not bad... just different. Not like ours. Not even like the rest of your pack. It's something deeper. Harder. And strangely cold.”

    Ryosuke looked at her briefly, his red eyes meeting hers. He was a bit startled, but didn't flinch. He breathed in slowly through his nose, lowering his head to let her know he wasn't angry, that he felt the same way. Maybe more than anyone else.

    Sora, meanwhile, reached her snout up to his face and purred, “Even your fur is different... You're black like night. But not like a regular black one. This is such a... deep one. Mysterious. And the eyes...”

    She fell silent and just stared for a moment. “I've never seen eyes like that.”

    Ryosuke swallowed dryly. He didn't make a sound. He just sat there, drinking in her closeness, her voice. He didn't know many other wolves outside of his pack. He wasn't used to the attention. Much less anyone's interest. But something about this was comforting.

    “You don't mind me sniffing you?” she asked suddenly, as if realizing she was talking too much.

    Ryosuke shook his head lightly. “No.” And lifted his snout to hers. “You smell like leaves after a rain.”

    Sora grimaced until the corners of her eyes sparkled. Then they both laughed softly and gently. And there was something subtle, unnamed between them. But real.

    Ryosuke barely had time to smile at the twinkle in Sora's eye when Yuto literally came rushing between them. He burst out of the thicket like a missile, his paws sliding across the moss and his tail wagging excitedly in all directions. Between the two wolves, he flopped like a ball and clung to Ryosuke with a loud snort, nearly knocking him over.

    “Heeeeeeey!” Yuto blurted out, tongue lolling out and eyes bright as the summer sky. “I'm Yuto! I'm a wolf too! I mean, a werewolf pup! But everyone calls me Yuto. And this is my little brother Ryosuke!” He slapped him enthusiastically on the back with his paw until it crackled in the pine needles. “He looks like he's so serious, but when he's sleeping, he's... Well, I'm not telling you, that's a secret!” He laughed, shaking his head as if he had just revealed the greatest thing in the world.

    Sora glanced at Ryosuke and winked in amusement. Ryosuke looked like he wanted to crawl under the ground.

    “And hey, you see that ear here?” Yuto tilted his head and showed her the missing piece on his left ear. “That was bitten off by a nasty vampire! Like seriously, he had teeth like scissors. But I bit him too! And then Ryosuke and I threw him over the railing! We were just little kids. And Ryosuke has these scars too!” He pointed his paw at his brother's face. “That's from how he protected me. From vampires, too. Because he's a hero. Even though he looks like a dark frowning cloud!”

    Ryosuke took a deep breath and turned his head to the side until his ear twitched. When Yuto started talking about vampires, it was as if a mist had emerged from the distance. The scars burned him at times, but more so the feeling of awkwardness. Sora wasn't laughing, though. She just nodded, slowly, with a kind of silent respect.

    “That's brave,” she said softly. “Did you really fight?”

    “Of course!” Yuto exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest, and immediately added another story, this one completely colorful and exaggerated, about how they'd eaten the meat from the haunted stone and almost turned into bats.

    Ryosuke put his paw on the back of his head and gently pulled him to him. “Yuto...”

    “Yeah, yeah,” Yuto mumbled as if he understood. “I know. I'm not talking anymore. But one last thing!” He turned back to Sora. “If you want, Ryosuke will sing for you. He sings really beautifully. I mean, really beautifully!”

    Then he got up and ran away again, obviously looking for someone else he could tell something important to.

    Sora and Ryosuke remained sitting in silence, with only distant laughter and the rustling of branches between them. Sora finally smiled. “I'd like to hear you sing. But only if you want to.”

    Ryosuke lowered his head, his paw digging his claws gently into the soft dirt as he fumbled with it nervously. The soft, quiet scratching made it seem like he was searching for an answer just beneath the forest floor. His eyes were downcast, back slightly hunched, tail laid along his side. The silence between them was not stifling, but charged with something gentle and tentative.

    “I...” he began softly, taking a deep breath, but the sentence caught somewhere between his throat and muzzle. He shook his head and finally admitted, “I've never sung in front of a... stranger before.”

    The word stranger slipped out of him like something cold, unpleasant. Not that he was afraid of her. But what he carried was precious, raw, and tender at the same time. And giving it to someone else was like revealing his own heart.

    Sora just looked at him for a moment, her head tilted slightly, her eyes calm and soft. Then she slowly lifted her paw and gently touched his, just at the wrist. The touch was light as a feather.

    “But we're not strangers anymore,” she said softly, smiling. “I know your name. And you know mine.”

    Ryosuke looked up. For the first time, he really looked at her. Not that quick glance out of the corner of his eye, but fully. And he saw that she wasn't afraid of him. She didn't expect perfection from him. Just honesty. And something inside him, something deep in his chest, relaxed a little. Not completely, but enough to make him nod. Slightly. And took a deep breath, this time not with anxiety, but with preparation.

    He stared silently at the dirt, where the marks of his nervous claws still lingered, for a moment longer, and then he snorted softly, as if trying to shake the tension from his chest that had stuck there like a thorn in his fur. The air was fresh and woodsy and filled with the distant sound of wolf talk, but in his head, everything seemed to have gone quiet. He felt just him, Sora, and what wouldn't come out of him.

    He took a slow breath. He lifted his head. His eyes, normally so alert, brightened for a moment with something deep, as if a tone had begun to ripen within him. He wanted to sing the way wolves could. Right from the inside.

    Sora sat quietly, her expression soft, not even breathing so as not to disturb him. She was ready to listen.

    But there was… nothing. No sound. Not a howl, not a note, not a hint. Just silence.

    Ryosuke's mouth closed. His eyes lowered to the ground again, and his head slowly dropped, as if something inside him had gone limp. He sniffled softly. It was a small, quiet sound of disappointment, barely audible.

    “I can't...” he whispered, more to the moss than to her. “I want to... I really want to, but I can't... Something's holding it back...”

    For a moment, he just lay there, ears pinned back, tail at his side, as if afraid this failure would turn him into someone weak.

    But Sora remained sitting beside him, not moving a muscle, just leaning slightly closer until her fur warmed his side. “It's okay,” she whispered so softly that the words were almost lost in the leaves. “Maybe you've had your fill today, you know? It happens. Sometimes, it comes out all at once, and then we can't find a new voice for a while. But it'll come back.”

    Then she lifted her head. Her eyes glittered softly, and her throat quivered slightly before the tone came out. Soft, smooth, almost like the morning wind caressing the branches.

    She sang. Softly. Quietly. Not long, not loud. Her singing was not a challenge or a demonstration, but a gift. And though she sang for Ryosuke, everyone heard it. The adult wolves of both packs raised their heads, and the wolf cubs became alert.

    Ryosuke took a deep breath. He wanted to join in. He wanted to, he really wanted to. His mouth opened, his tongue moved, his throat tightened...

    But… nothing.

    It was like he had a knot in his throat. It was like a fog sitting there, muffling and suffocating everything. Nothing came out. Not a note, not a quiet howl. Just another breath and silence.

    He hung his ears in disappointment and closed his eyes. Again.

    But Sora didn't sing any louder or stop. She just kept going, as if she knew all this. And just by continuing, she gave Ryosuke a hug of silent reassurance that it was okay. That you can sing with your heart, even without your voice. And that if he wasn't afraid, the voice would find him again.

    Yuto, on the other hand, bounced around the other wolves like a ball of inexhaustible energy. His paws hit the forest floor with a soft rustle as he turned to one of the small wolves with a dark muzzle and light paws. “Hey! Do you enjoy running? I do! Very much! Do you want to chase? Are we chasing?” He jumped in front of her, front paws wide, butt thrust back, tail wagging like a propeller.

    The little she-wolf looked at him in surprise, then whimpered a little uncertainly, and before she could think properly, Yuto was off, calling over his shoulder, “Catch me if you can!”

    And that was the beginning. Just the one at first. Then another joined in. Then the little wolf, who until then had been sitting quietly beside his mother. And within seconds, a pack of little wolf cubs were whizzing past the spruce and pine trees, chasing each other, dodging bushes, jumping over roots, and laughing.

    Yuto, of course, was the loudest, doing lunges and somersaults, making up his own rules for the chase and breaking them himself. Still, the other wolf cubs seemed to be laughing with him. His enthusiasm was contagious, and none of them could look serious for long as he ran past them, tongue lolling out and eyes full of sparks.

    Yuri and Keito stayed off to the side a bit, sitting by the moss and just watching the enthusiastic running, lightly rubbing their sides together. Yuri let out a deep sigh. “They're... noisy.”

    Keito nodded. “Very noisy.” But then he smiled and nudged Yuri with his snout. “But it looks fun.”

    Yuri rolled his eyes a little, but when one of the wolves stopped in front of them and nudged him with a paw, he felt a slight tingle as a warm feeling of something friendly entered his fur. The wolf cub indicated with a motion of her head for him to join in. Then she looked at Keito, who had already jumped up excitedly.

    Yuri glanced at his brother, then at the cavorting wolves... and finally just sighed, wagged his tail, and ran after them. Not as fiercely as Yuto, nor as lightly as Keito. But with his head held high and a look that said he'd catch them all.

    While the pups raced happily through the trees, leaving tracks in the moss behind them, the adult wolves sat in a larger circle nearby. They chatted in hushed voices, their gazes sliding now and then to the playing wolf cubs.

    Seraya, the largest of her pack, leaned back on her paws and watched with interest one particular little tornado of energy that had just run into the brush and burst out of it on the other side with an excited cry. “Is that your Yuto?” she asked with an amused tone, raising an eyebrow in Yuya's direction.

    Yuya, leaning his back against the trunk of a pine tree, nodded with a sigh but a gentle smile. “Yeah. That's our Yuto. A small, furry hurricane with an excess of energy and a minimum of inhibitions. He's unstoppable. He almost knocks my teeth out every time I try to keep him still.”

    Hikaru, sitting next to him, chuckled and scratched the back of his paw. “I remember when he tried to climb up on my shelf at the bar just because he smelled jerky. He was tied up. He didn't mind at all.”

    “Exactly!” Yuya pointed to Hikaru as a witness. “A harness? A barrier? Not for Yuto. Everything is an obstacle course and a challenge.”

    “Still,” Seraya interjected, “there's something... disarming about him. How utterly authentic he is. As soon as he ran into our children, the embarrassment was over. They're so excited about him.”

    Yuya smiled, his gaze brightening. “He's been like that since he was a little puppy. He's never been afraid of anything or anyone. And he always wants everyone around him to laugh. He's like the sun that shines even in a storm.” Then he paused, but quickly added, “Or at least like the sun that's always running and sometimes burns your carpet when you overheat it.”

    Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere between the packs relaxed even more. Seraya turned back to the pack, and her gaze lingered on Ryosuke, who was sitting nearby, and though he was calm, his eyes still had these flashes of inner tension. She sighed softly. “Your wolves are very different. But they have something in common.”

    Hikaru nodded, and his voice was suddenly quiet but firm. “For us, family is more than blood. It's what we gave them, and what they gave each other.”

    And while the wolf cubs continued to frolic happily around, turning each other over in the grass and moss, the adult wolves sat quietly off to the side, ears perked and eyes still partially focused on their young.

    Hikaru lay down comfortably with his front paws extended forward, his tail slowly circling the moss as he chatted quietly with Seraya. Her fur glistened in the morning light as she leaned slightly towards him.

    “That second howl of yours,” she began cautiously with a subtle touch of curiosity in her voice, “wasn't an order from the Alpha, was it? It was personal. It was like... It was calling to the soul.”

    Hikaru nodded and smiled wolfishly as he blinked one eye and relaxed his jaw. “No, it wasn't my idea. Ryosuke, my son, started howling by himself. He felt the need to answer. He didn't think it through; he just did it.”

    Seraya lowered her head, and her ears flicked for a moment. “That's strange,” she uttered softly. “Sora, my daughter, and the one who answered him, is the same. She never just howls suddenly. But today, she did. Without a word. Like she knew she had to.”

    There was silence between them for a while, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the occasional whimper or yip from the wolf cubs' joyful play. The two packs mingled, but while the young ones played, the adults parsed deeper layers.

    “Maybe their souls have met,” Hikaru finally said quietly.

    Seraya didn't answer right away. She glanced at her daughter, who was currently circling Ryosuke, occasionally poking him with her snout, and though he responded with restraint, he didn't seem unapproachable. Just cautious. Thoughtful.

    “Maybe so.” She finally nodded. “Maybe some voices can be heard only through the trees and the packs.”

    Kei kept slightly to the side, not completely out of the pack, but enough to not be too obvious, and yet obvious it was. Especially to Daiki, who sat off to the side and watched the whole situation with an expression of genuine amusement mixed with a hint of envy.

    One of the females, a smaller grey wolf with glowing hazel eyes, was constantly pressing gently against Kei's side as she walked beside him. They stopped together at mossy outcroppings, strolling through the trees, paws slowly digging into the ground and exchanging brief snout touches.

    Kei was calm, quiet, but his every gesture was carefully chosen. Instead of outright flirting, he only subtly offered a friendly sniff, and when he touched her, he did it so gently that it would hardly upset a butterfly. And therein lay his success. No grand theatrics, just genuine interest, wolfish elegance, and natural calm.

    Daiki, who had already had several failed attempts at 'accidentally' bumping into one of the she-wolves and the hilarious whimpering that followed, was now quietly watching Kei with the expression of a wolf who had just realized that his hunting methods weren't exactly the most effective.

    “Yeah, right,” he muttered to himself, shaking his fur a little as if to shake off even that tiny bit of frustration. “Someone's using a medical charm here...”

    Kei turned sideways to look at him, his ear twitching gently and a smile tugging at the corner of his muzzle. The wolf beside him snorted softly, which sounded almost like a laugh.

    So, Daiki returned to Yuya with a drooping tail and a quiet sigh that made no sound but was clear in his posture. He padded over to him, paws sliding over the moss, and stopped just short of him. “How the hell am I supposed to pick up a girl?” he asked bluntly, making Yuya laugh so hard that his breath hitched for a moment.

    “I guess you can't just learn that,” the big wolf replied with a smile in his eyes. “You have to practice. Observe. Feel,” he added dramatically. “Feel a lot, actually...”

    With an exaggerated snort, Daiki nudged him with his shoulder so that Yuya swayed, but remained seated. “Yeah, right. Like you about that girl who's been staring at you for twenty minutes and you're pretending not to notice.” Daiki scowled and threw a glance in the direction from where the burly wolf with the amber eyes was watching him. Yuya gave her another subtle glance, as if he'd only just noticed her, and calmly licked his paw.

    “I noticed her,” he said, turning back to Daiki. “But not everyone needs to get acquainted right away. Some wolves have to pay attention to their surroundings, too. Lest a bear jump out and eat our wolf cubs. You know how it goes.”

    Daiki rolled his eyes. “Is that your excuse for liking someone and not knowing what to do about it?” he asked with a laugh, and Yuya shrugged, but an amused smile remained on his muzzle.

    Then he lifted his snout to the sky, stretched, and then sat back down, tail folding peacefully around his hips. “You know, Daiki,” he began with a satisfied tone in his voice, “a little suspense is good, too. You don't have to lick someone right away and push the envelope. Sometimes, it's nicer to let it mature slowly. One look... one walk around...” he paused and sighed theatrically, “and then the other one will come sniff you themself.”

    Daiki stared at him for a moment until his mouth dropped open. “Yeah? And what if someone beats you to it, huh?” he growled half-loudly, but not meanly. “Then there won't be any introductions, because the wolf in question will already be somewhere else on the moss, with someone else who wasn't waiting for anything.”

    Yuya winked at him. “Then we'll know it wasn't the right one.”

    “Hey, we don't all have your fur coat and graceful stride, okay?” Daiki retorted, but more in jest. Then he leaned closer and growled, “I wonder what she sees in you?”

    Yuya smiled with utter smugness, as if he were just describing the color of the sky. “It's obvious, isn't it? I'm big. Strong. Beautiful. Irresistible.” He shrugged in a wolf form so casual it might have found a place in a shampoo commercial for his coat.

    Daiki laughed, raked his paw, and poked him in the side. “Yeah, yeah. But even small wolves can date, you know.”

    Yuya just chuckled and nodded his head towards him. “That's obvious. When you find the right one, you'll tell her all about it with your charm, and eventually, she'll take you to her den herself.”

    “I don't have any charm,” Daiki muttered, sighing. Yuya gave him a friendly bite to his neck right after that, just as lightly as a wolf brother, and then they both burst out laughing.

    Kota sat next to Hikaru, his calm presence acting as a weight to keep the forest in balance. His tail rested loosely on the moss, ears perceptively perked, but his body seemed relaxed, almost contemplative. His eyes curled to Seraya, who was currently watching one of their wolf cubs circle Yuto, laughing loudly at her own leaps.

    “Our boys have never met another pack in the wild,” Kota said softly, but his voice carried weight. “I mean... not like this. Without the need to be on guard. It's new to them.”

    Seraya looked up at him, her hazel eyes glittering slightly. “It is the same for us, too,” she replied just as calmly. “Our wolf cubs know us, mostly. We know the forest, we know where things grow, where the moose sleep, and where the bears walk... but other wolves? It's like a new world.”

    Hikaru smiled, rubbing his shoulder lightly against Kota's side. “Might be a good day for exploring new worlds.”

    Understanding glimmered in Seraya's eyes. “Before, when one met another pack, it meant either running away... or fighting. But seeing how yours are playing, and how our children have stopped backing away... I have a feeling it might be something different this time.”

    “Maybe,” Kota murmured with the slightest hint of a smile, “if they grow up with love instead of fear... It might be different, I hope.”

    Seraya looked at him a second longer. Then she nodded. Her stance relaxed just a little more, her breathing matching the rhythm of the forest. She kept her eyes on the youth, but her ears were fully focused on Hikaru, who rested his head on his forepaws, then lifted it again.

    “We moved from the countryside to Chicago fairly recently,” he began quietly, but with the calmness that emanated from a leader who had no intention of hiding anything. “It was a decision we considered for a long time. Not for ourselves, but for our kids. We wanted to open up new paths and new opportunities, so that they could do more than just survive. So that they could choose what they would be. Not just what the world allows them to be.”

    Seraya nodded slightly, but said nothing, so Hikaru continued, “But the big city... It has a rhythm. Hard, loud, fast. And even though we've adapted, I feel like it's... killing us. The wolf's blood suffers silently when it can't run through the forest, breathe through the trees, dig its paws into the moss.”

    Kota grunted softly in agreement and snorted.

    “And so, we started coming here,” Hikaru continued. “Rarely at first. Now more and more often. Not for escape. But for balance. So that we don't forget what we are. So that our boys can really experience it, not just hear it in stories.”

    Seraya glanced at him, then at Kota, and then her gaze slid momentarily to Yuto rolling down the hill with their own wolf cubs, laughing. “I understand. Even though we never left the town completely, we always tried to stay away. The forest won't betray us. The town... will take you, even if you give it nothing.”

    For a moment, there was a silence between them that wasn't empty. It was full of shared understanding. Two Alphas, two packs, two paths that diverge but still end at the mossy roots where the wolves lick their scars.

    “Do you think,” Seraya finally asked, “that this can last?”

    Hikaru looked at her. Shadow and light glinted in his dark eyes. “If our pups want it to last... then yes.”

    Seraya thought for a moment, then glanced towards the wolf cubs, who had started a new game again in the distance, this time rolling in the fallen leaves and laughing in raspy, barking sounds.

    “You know...” she began, her voice softer than before, “when I look at them... it seems so obvious. That they're together. That they're running side by side, even though they've never seen each other before. Maybe it's deeper in us than we're letting on.”

    Hikaru nodded, but let her finish.

    “And I wonder... Should we let this day go? And the night, too. Together. Sharing. No going back. Just being here. For them. For us.”

    Hikaru bowed his head and grunted a silent agreement. “I thought of that too. Maybe it would be good for them. Seeing that packs don't have to be islands. That they can be shared. The night, the stories, the fire. We'd split up the patrols. Some would watch, some would rest. We'd have time to just... talk. Or be silent. Together.”

    Seraya took a deep breath, as if inhaling the thought, its heaviness and lightness at the same time. “I like it,” she said with calm conviction. “Not as a deal. Not as a tactic. But as a beginning. Two packs that met at the right time.”

    Hikaru squinted, then just lifted his head to the treetops. He knew there was power in this moment. And that he must not break it. When Kota looked up at him, their eyes met, and they both knew that their agreement was mutual.

    “Then let's stay,” Hikaru finally said. “Let our young ones remember what it's like when the forest breathes with you, not against you.”

Chapter Text

    Night was slowly descending on the forest, and one mixed group lay spread out around a quiet pond. The water silently reflected the light of a blazing fire that someone had lit in a circle of stones. Some of the wolves already had their eyes closed, paws folded beneath them, and their heads resting on the moss. The peace was all but broken by a single voice. And no one minded.

    Yuto was hopping around, tail flicking back and forth, tongue lolling out, eyes shining like two stars. Around him sat a group of little wolves, his own and strangers, devouring his every word. Even the adults, though they tried to look like they were only half listening, were picking up their ears, the corners of their mouths twitching now and then.

    “... And then we saw it! Me and Ryosuke! I dug into the ground because I felt something there, you know, that instinct! And Ryosuke said it was probably stupid, but then there really was something there! And it was shaped like a... like a tail, but it was twisted! And I knew it wasn't a stick! It was a bone!”

    The wolves gasped, and one of the she-wolves even covered her muzzle with her paw as she tensely watched Yuto's dramatic movements.

    “Well, we started digging it up. We had no idea what it was. But then there was another bone, and then another! And Ryosuke thought it was probably just an old deer or something, but I knew it wasn't! It was something else! And then I named it!”

    Yuto paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked around to make sure everyone was watching him.

    “Sniffasaurus!” he exclaimed triumphantly, stomping into the moss. “Because it looked like something that had a giant nose! And also, because I sniffed it out first! And also, because... it just fits! And then the guy who had the weird backpack came up and said it looked like a whole new species! And that he had to examine it. But I told him it was a Sniffasaurus, that it already had a name, so he laughed and said he liked the name. So, it's official!”

    Ryosuke lay back and covered his snout with his paw. Even through the shadow, everyone could see his corners twitching. Sora sat a short distance away from him, watching Yuto with interest. Then she turned to Ryosuke, tilted her head, and whispered, “Did you really find it?”

    Ryosuke blinked. “Yeah, it was huge.”

    Sora laughed, and her laughter spread across the water's surface like the sound of a small waterfall. But Yuto went on with his lecture, now with sweeping gestures of his front paws and a dramatic reconstruction of the find. It seemed like all of the she-wolves loved him as he jumped and ran and talked. Maybe no one could remember anymore who belonged to which pack.

    The only male wolf cub named Talu from the other pack, a tiny, rusty one with big blue-gray eyes, sat quietly in the moss, and after a while, when Yuto had finally finished his quest to tell them everything about the Sniffasaurus and had calmed down a bit, he dared to speak.

    “We were once in the city,” he began softly, but his sisters around him immediately became alert, as if they knew what was coming. “There was a sorceress there. An elderly lady. She had a shop full of all sorts of strange things. It smelled like pumpkin and sugar everywhere. But...” He paused for a moment, as if wondering if the others would even believe it. Then he raised his head and added with a serious expression, “... She had a flower. A real one. But instead of leaves, it grew... little slabs of chocolate.”

    Yuto immediately got up on all fours, his eyes nearly falling out of their sockets and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. “What?! Choco- WHAT?!” he yelled so loudly that even a few adults turned around.

    The smallest wolf nodded, and his other two sisters, almost identical, just with different patterns on their fur, immediately nodded as well. “Really,” one of them said. “It smelled like cocoa. And when we approached it, it started to spin gently. And the chocolate was warm. But it didn't melt!”

    “And it was still the same,” added the third. “Even when we took a few pieces, then in the morning, they grew back again.”

    Yuto was boiling at that point. He started running between them, his paws sliding over the pine needles, his tongue hanging out again, and the image of an endless supply of chocolate dancing in his eyes. “That's... that's... that's the best flower in the world! It's a gift from the gods! That's... I... I must have one of those! Or ten! Or a hundred!”

    He ran a little further to where his dad Yuya was sitting, currently engaged in conversation with one of the adult wolves from the other pack, whose fur was glistening darkly and who was currently leaning towards him with a smile, obviously charmed by him.

    Yuto came running like an avalanche, almost ramming his muzzle into their side. “Dad! Dad! We have to find the sorceress who has the chocolate flower! We have to! I need her! It's gonna be our family tree! And I'm gonna roll under it and eat it! All the time!”

    Yuya blinked, turning to look at him with an uplifted expression, but also with a smile that skipped a little over the corners of his lips. “Yuto, I'm just having a conversation. Can you give us a moment...”

    “No, I can't! It's a chocolate flower! We will call it a choco-flower! And I have to have it!” He turned to the she-wolf and whispered dramatically, “Um, excuse me, but this is serious business!”

    The she-wolf laughed, and Yuya sighed, but it was obvious he was enjoying himself in the process. “Okay,” he finally grumbled. “You'll tell me all about it tomorrow morning. And where exactly the sorceress lives. And we'll see if the chocolate isn't just a hallucination from sniffing some magic for too long.”

    Yuto happily hooked a paw around his neck and licked his cheek. “You're the best dad! I swear I'll give you a leaf later! Maybe two!” And then he ran back to the pond to start planning where they would put the plant back at the house. Maybe next to the bed. Or in the fridge. Just in case.

    Yuya sat up again, wiped his mouth with the paw his own son had licked a moment ago, and took a deep breath as if to shake the whole chocolate explosion off. The fur on his face was a little ruffled, but his eyes still shone with amusement. He turned back to his companion, who was watching him with a look of amused fascination.

    It was Kaia, a sleek she-wolf with dark rusty fur and a black back. Her eyes were dark green, soft, and now that she smiled at him, it was exactly the amount of warmth Yuya needed after his own son had nearly nailed him with a hug.

    “Your son is... a tornado,” she stated sincerely, but with a smile in her voice, as if she meant it more as a compliment than a rebuke. “Not just energy, but direction, speed, strength... and everything all at once.”

    Yuya laughed that deep, low laugh that made his chest heave. “Yeah. Tornado is accurate. But if you know him longer, you'll find you can even sleep in that vortex. You just can't fight it too much.”

    The she-wolf laughed too, but not too loudly, just the ears twitched gently. “I believe that. And I also believe he's never boring.”

    “That's right, it's never boring with him around.” Yuya nodded. “Not even for a second. He always has a new idea. A new plan. A new problem.”

    Then he looked towards the pond, where Yuto was just dramatically pointing his paw at an invisible tree and shouting, “And this is where the chocolate-eating zone will be!”

    Yuya shook his head and sighed again, this time lovingly. “But honestly? I can't imagine him being any different. I'm glad he's just like that. Because the world needs someone who believes the chocolate flower is real. And that we will find it.”

    The she-wolf stared at him a little longer. “He must be happy to have you. Not every wolf could stand it.”

    “I wasn't always this calm either,” Yuya said, smiling out of the corner of his muzzle. “But when life throws such an elemental ball at your family... You learn to either explode or hold it like a flame. And I find it better to warm my heart and paws with it, since it's already burning so much.”

    They were silent for a while after that, but there was more shared in that silence than in a hundred words. In the distance, one of the wolves hissed as Yuto bumped into her. And without thinking, Yuya looked up, but only with his gaze, not his body, because the next thing he heard was laughter and another scream of joy.

    The she-wolf looked at him again and winked. “You're a good dad.”

    Yuya lowered his ears, a little embarrassed. But he nodded. “I try to be.” And in that moment, it was a truth he felt in every bone.

    Ryosuke lay a little away from the main circle around the fire, paws folded under him, head resting on the moss. His fur gently reflected the flickering light of the flames, his red eyes half-closed, but attentive nonetheless.

    He did not need to speak. He had no words inside him that needed to come out. Rather, he perceived. Every voice, every laugh, every twitch of twigs in the wind. The smell of meat, smoke, moss... and other wolves. New ones. Strangers. And yet not threatening.

    His body remained still, but inside, everything vibrated. It was a lot. A little too much. He breathed deeply through his nose, snorting softly here and there as the smells mixed too intensely in his surroundings.

    Keito sat next to him, and his presence was as gentle and unobtrusive as ever. He spoke in a low, intrigued voice, musing over some herb he had found at the edge of the clearing. “I think it's a forest version of moonflower,” he explained with enthusiasm. “It has slightly different-shaped petals, but it smells much the same. It helps with muscle tension, but it also relieves sensory overload... Maybe I can make you a decoction of it if you want.” His tone wasn't intrusive, it was just a kind offer.

    Ryosuke glanced at him lightly, completely speechless, but the slight movement of his tail indicated that he heard him. And he appreciated it.

    For his part, Yuri didn't entirely bother to hide what he was doing. He sat upright, his hind paw cocked to the side at an absolutely impossible angle, and he licked the pink pads of his paws with great care. He did it with such calm and concentration, as if he were tending to some precious artifact. And maybe he was, because his pink paws had already managed to attract a lot of attention.

    The little wolves of the other pack, Niri and Ely, had in fact approached him after a while, and asked him timidly, “Do you really have pink paws like that all the time? Even in winter?”

    Yuri stopped licking his pink pad, proudly straightened up, lifted his paw, and turned it so that they could get a good look at it. “Year-round,” he announced solemnly. “It's a gift from nature.”

    “That's adorable,” Niri murmured, smiling.

    “These are so special!” Talu added. “I've never seen any other wolf having pink paws!”

    Yuri made a face as if he had just received the highest possible recognition. Then he glanced at Ryosuke, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye, and uttered with absolute seriousness, “Some have scars. Others... pink pads.”

    Ryosuke snorted softly. It wasn't clear if it was amusement or resignation. Maybe both. And while Keito continued to talk about the effects of morning glory and witch hazel, and Yuri continued to enjoy his own paws, the black pup just rested. And even though he didn't say anything, he was perceiving everyone around him.

    Just as Ryosuke had just laid his head back down in the moss, eyes closed, a shadow suddenly appeared above him. Before he could react, a mass of warm fur, paws, and hot breath descended upon him with a silent 'poof'.

    Yuto.

    His little brother, a tornado in a wolf's body. He landed half across his back and immediately tucked his snout to his ear. “Hey,” he whispered conspiratorially, as if they were talking about state secrets. “I don't see Kei. Do you know where he went? Will you come sniff him out with me?”

    Ryosuke made only the slightest movement. Slowly, he opened one eye and stuck it into Yuto in a way that would make the average wolf immediately run for the bushes.

    “We're not supposed to move away from the group at night. That's what Dad said,” he growled softly, but not angrily. More like a reminder.

    Yuto, however, ignored the warning with the charming enthusiasm of a small werewolf on a mission. “But we're not going to move away too much. We'll just sneak away a little. Just a little bit. We're going to lash out at him. I'm sure he's off somewhere, maybe picking his flowers or talking to himself, like he does when he's thinking.”

    Ryosuke sighed and closed his eyes. “He's not far from us. I can feel him. He's over there, about thirty meters to the left, in that clearing by the stream. And he probably knows you're watching him.”

    “All the better!” Yuto whispered, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. “Come with me! Come on! I crawl first, and you cover me. And when we're really close, I'll do: BOOO!”

    “Yuto...” Ryosuke's voice was tired. “Leave him alone. It's evening. It's quiet. It's the first time in months that no one's yelling, running, or setting off the fire alarm. Can't we just... leave it alone?”

    “We can't,” Yuto replied. “That's exactly why we have to. When everything is calm, action has to be added to it! Otherwise, the whole thing will collapse! Balance, Ryo! Ba-lan-ce!”

    And before Ryosuke could say another no to him, Yuto was on all fours, slithering low among the ferns like a trained shadow. Only just a little noisier with the occasional twig snapping.

    Ryosuke rested his head on his paw, closed his eyes, and then sighed again, this time deep from his lungs. Then he pulled himself up.

    “Okay...” he muttered softly to himself. “One of these days he's going to get his snout bitten...” And without another retort, he followed quietly. Not because he wanted to. But because if Yuto lunged at Kei alone, he might end up entangled in an herbal trap. And also, because... honestly, if Kei baited back at him, Yuto might never recover.

    So, they were sneaking. One absolutely ecstatic. And the other totally resigned. They crept silently, slowly, just above the ground, as wolves do when they want to approach unsuspecting prey, or in this case, unsuspecting Kei.

    Ryosuke walked behind Yuto, low to the ground, his black fur blending with the night shadows among the trees, while Yuto moved with a strange combination of excited ease and exaggerated caution. Occasionally, a stick would crack under his paw, and his tail would tap something, but still he moved forward with the determination of a paratrooper on a secret mission.

    The wind was blowing directly towards them. It was cool but calm, carrying with it familiar scents – moss, water, a bit of smoke from the fire... and Kei. It had a subtle, recognizable, slightly spicy scent. Ryosuke stopped first, tugging Yuto's tail lightly with his teeth to slow him down.

    “He's there,” he whispered softly in his ear, barely audible. Yuto nodded, eyes bulging with excitement, tongue lolling out.

    They crept on to the edge of a small clearing in the forest, where a small stream gurgled faintly. And there, in the shade of two pines, by an old moss-covered stone, Kei was indeed sitting. Only... he wasn't alone.

    She was beside him. The wolf from the other pack, the silver one with the hazel eyes he'd been eyeing earlier. They sat close together, their hips touching, and their mouths leaning in slow, caressing movements. Kei gently touched her muzzle behind her ear, and she slid her paw down his front leg. The whole scene seemed so intimate that Ryosuke immediately stiffened and lowered his head even lower.

    But Yuto... Yuto stared. His eyes were shining, his paws were shaking with excitement, and his mouth was agape. Then he turned to Ryosuke, until his muzzle almost bumped into his.

    “They're playing!” he whispered excitedly with such sincerity that Ryosuke almost cringed. “They're doing that... well... thing we used to do when we were little, and we'd chase each other around the table and then lick our ears, remember? That's it! That's how they play now!”

    Ryosuke slowly, very slowly, turned to Yuto. Then, he stared at the scene in front of him again, trying to ignore how Kei had just giggled softly when the she-wolf lightly nipped the edge of his ear.

    “It's not-” Ryosuke began softly, but Yuto didn't let him finish.

    “Wait, wait, I want a closer look! It'll be fun if I bust them out from underneath!”

    Ryosuke put his paw over his back. “Yuto. No.”

    But Yuto's eyes were already burning. Ryosuke knew it. And in that moment, he knew that if he didn't stop him physically... he would really do it. And so, with a resigned grunt, he lowered his head again and prepared to follow him. Because it was better to be present when disaster struck... than to hear about it after it happened.

    So, Yuto crept forward, his tail pulled low, but his eyes sparkled so brightly that they would have shone even without the moonlight. Ryosuke kept close behind him, body tensed like a bow, padding quietly with each step, but inside, he was seething with nervousness and exhaustion at what exactly he was about to do.

    Through the thick ferns, they finally got close enough to see the small clearing in the forest really well. The distance between the two adult wolves was definitely no longer purely friendly. Kei leaned in closer, his muzzle gliding lightly over Linne's neck, where he sniffed her gently.

    Linne was occasionally touching his jaw with a paw, other times just running her hip against his shoulder as if to provoke but also reassure him at the same time. It was a quiet, almost imperceptible flirtation in wolf-speak. Wordless, but with complete clarity for any adult wolf.

    Yuto, however, had a completely different idea. “They're doing that thing!” he whispered to Ryosuke as quietly as he could, but his voice was still full of excitement. “That's how we used to pretend to be enemies when we were little, but we actually licked each other after! Remember?”

    Ryosuke didn't answer. He just dug his claw into the moss and closed his eyes.

    Kei had just brushed his muzzle against Linne's ear, and he growled as softly as he'd ever been heard. Then he turned his whole body to her and lay his head across her neck as if to lean against her.

    “Now they're cuddling!” Yuto whispered with such enthusiasm that his paws moved on the spot all by themselves. “We have to try this, too, Ryo! Do you think it would work on Yuri?”

    “Please be quiet,” Ryosuke muttered so softly that even the wind didn't pick it up.

    Linne laughed softly, her breath mingling with Kei's, and then she bit the collar of fur on his neck and just held him. Kei allowed himself a small hop to the side and then turned back, obviously glad the play was mutual. And when they brushed against each other again, there was something smooth, flowing in their movements... like a dance only the two of them knew.

    Yuto watched with a brightened look, his mouth open and his tail quivering with excitement. “That's so nice,” he breathed. “Do you think if we bust them out, they'll invite us to play too?”

    Ryosuke turned to Yuto slowly. Very slowly. And his look said it all. “No.”

    Yuto winced. “Huh? But... at least we're watching. We've got a good spot. Like spies!”

    And Ryosuke, whether he wanted to or not, had to smile a little. Because even if his little brother had just completely misunderstood what was happening in front of them... at least it reminded them that even adulthood could look like a game. And that it's okay not to understand it sometimes.

    Yuto was now lying on his stomach with his head resting on his paws, but his eyes were wide open and glued to the scene before them. He wasn't even breathing, just gently pushing the air through his nose so that not a single bit of scent, not a rustle of fur, not a single movement escaped him. He had the feeling he was watching something spectacular. Something like a secret adult ritual. And he was completely absorbed in it.

    Kei and Linne were pressed closer together, mouths buried in each other's necks. They licked each other gently with slow, steady movements that felt like ripples on the water. Kei ran his tongue over Linne's cheek until the fur behind her ear remained slightly matted, and she shivered softly, running her paw over his chest. Then she licked his muzzle until he closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

    “Ooooh,” Yuto breathed excitedly next to Ryosuke, opening his mouth. “They're making out! But not like humans, but proper wolf ones!”

    Ryosuke lay motionless next to him, his head buried in the moss, ears laid back like a wolf trying to pretend he wasn't really there. He had one eye squinted, flicking it alternately between Kei and Yuto. It was like he was switched between 'I'm protecting my brother' and 'please, I don't want to be here'.

    “This is... cuddling, huh?” continued Yuto in a whisper, but with childlike enthusiasm. “You think licking each other's faces means they like each other a lot? Or that they're telling each other they smell good?”

    Ryosuke didn't move. He just snorted softly.

    “Or...” continued Yuto, not noticing his brother's tension, “... maybe they're using it to show that they want to sleep next to each other in the den. Like, really next to each other. And maybe even cuddle. Maybe all night!”

    At that moment, Ryosuke opened his one eye. Slowly. And took a deep breath. “Yuto...” he said in the most patient tone he could muster. “They... aren't just friends. They... like each other. A little more. Like... adults.”

    Yuto paused, blinked, and then turned to Ryosuke with an incredulous expression, “Like... more than brothers?”

    Ryosuke nodded.

    Yuto blinked. Then he turned back to the scene in front of them. Kei was now lying down, and Linne was gently licking the collar of fur on his neck as she pressed against his side. Kei ran his tongue over her shoulder and closed his eyes.

    Yuto was silent for a moment. Then he folded his paws under his chin and whispered with utter seriousness, “Wow. I guess this is... a wedding.”

    Kei, meanwhile, rolled onto his side with Linne, and the she-wolf immediately placed a paw across his chest as if to hold him just for herself. Their bodies pressed their hips together, occasionally staggering, biting each other, draping paw over paw, tongue over fur, and... mostly making noises.

    Quiet grunts, something between a growl and a contented purr, punctuated by the occasional, soft groan or quiet exhale. The sounds were deep, full, but not harsh.

    Yuto blinked. His tail twitched. Slowly, he turned to Ryosuke, eyes widening in surprise.

    “Ryo... what is it?” he whispered, almost imperceptibly. “I've... never heard that before. Even cuddling doesn't sound like that, or Yuri falling into a puddle. That's different.”

    Ryosuke, still half buried in the moss, looked a lot calmer, but he also perked up his ears. He, too, was listening to the sounds for the first time so closely. The soft growls, wafting between the two wolves, their snouts touching sideways or muzzle to side, were... new. Not unnerving. More... strangely beautiful.

    “I don't know,” he admitted honestly. “I've never heard it like this. But...” he paused for a moment, his eyes still on that strange intertwined ball of two bodies, “... it sounds nice.”

    Yuto nodded, folding his paws underneath him, snuggling a little closer to Ryosuke as if he wanted to touch something soft and familiar, too.

    “Sounds like... someone's having a really good time,” he muttered after a moment. “Do you think it hurts? Or is it just... nice?”

    Ryosuke smiled. He couldn't see it, but his tail wagged gently on the ground. “I think it's something you save for someone you really trust,” he replied softly. “And then it doesn't hurt at all.”

    Yuto was silent for a moment. “Then I want to do it one day.”

    And Ryosuke... just dropped his head back into the moss and closed his eyes. Because he knew that nothing had happened at this moment that he should interrupt.

    Yuto just fidgeted quietly for a moment, his tail twitching lightly in the moss, but Ryosuke knew immediately that something was about to happen inside him again. Something restless. Something typically “Yuto”. He watched his little brother shift restlessly, then stretched his neck to get a better view of Kei and Linne, his teeth peeking out in an excited grin.

    “I still want to boo them,” he whispered with a grin so bright it could light up the entire campground. “That would be epic! Just out of the bushes! I'll go 'Grr-boo!' and they'll jump up like deer!”

    Ryosuke sighed and began to slowly scratch behind his ear with his back paw. His expression was clear, as if he were just wondering why he had to babysit his brother. His paw scratched in a wavy spiral as he tried to remain calm, while trying to think of a sentence that would actually stop Yuto.

    “We should leave them alone,” he grumbled calmly when he stopped scratching. “And go back to the others. You don't want anyone getting into your den while you're... maybe cleaning your paws or something.”

    Yuto turned to him, and his muzzle lit up like a moon. “What?” he grinned. “You want to go back to the others? You? You, the one who talks to three wolves in a day, and two of them are rocks?”

    Ryosuke threw him a resigned look, and his eyes were a mixture of irritated patience and the responsibility of his little brother.

    “Just because I don't want to be loud doesn't mean I don't want to be with the others,” he said simply, “And being a wolf doesn't mean just booing and running, Yuto.”

    Yuto chuckled. “You're a weird one. Really weird one. But I like you.” And before Ryosuke could reply, or grab his tail, or at least stop him with a look, Yuto snapped.

    He lunged forward, running through a few meters of forest undergrowth, and was already creeping towards the clearing where Kei and Linne were still caressing each other in their silent bubble.

    Ryosuke froze. He looked up to the sky, as if begging the universe for patience. And then, quite naturally, he picked himself up again to save what could still be saved.

    Yuto crept silently to the edge of the clearing, all taut as a bow, tail thrust back, eyes wide as if he had just discovered the greatest treasure.

    Kei and Linne were unaware of his adventure. Their snouts were still close and their bodies in a relaxed embrace as if the world around them had ceased to exist.

    And then it came.

    “BOOO!” Yuto yelled with an enthusiasm all his own, leaping out of the bushes like a small werewolf grenade. His paws hit the ground with a thud, and his tongue flicked out of his mouth in pure ecstasy of the triumphant moment.

    Kei and Linne were literally thrown out at that moment. Kei was the first to react. His muscles twitched, his hind legs bucked, and he let out a sharp, deep breath on impact, as his muzzle was seeking a threat.

    Linne flipped over him and nearly ended up on her back as all of their paws flew into the air, their graceful wolf cuddles turning into pure chaos.

    Yuto, meanwhile, stood right between them, tail swishing like an overdriven metronome, and yelped, “Haha! Gotcha! Boo!”

    At that moment, Ryosuke came running up. No longer stealthily, but in a quick, silent run, he stopped just behind Yuto, who was still proudly strutting as if he had just won the award for the best moment of the night.

    Kei turned around. His muzzle pulled back, his ears flattened against his head, and his gaze was like fire without warning. Apparently, he had to remind himself that Yuto, one of their naughty wolf cubs, was standing in front of him, and not some intruder he should eat immediately.

    “Are you serious?!” he growled, not a shout, but in that firm tone that only an adult who had just lost a romantic moment could manage. “We almost bit your head off! What were you even thinking?!”

    Yuto smiled, ears lowered in an 'oops, but it was funny' expression, and backed up a step. “Well... It was just a… boo?”

    “Boo?” Kei repeated with a look that would defeat a wild boar. “This wasn't a boo. That was a heart attack. Linne could have fallen into the creek!”

    Linne, who had just dusted her hind paw of pine needles, kept her expression serious, but the corners of her muzzle twitched. She was clearly enjoying herself, but she just didn't want to admit it out loud.

    Ryosuke stood next to Yuto, breathing slowly, but his eyes said it all. “I warned you.” He leaned closer to his brother and whispered, “Now you'll be cleaning up the leaves around their den until morning.”

    Yuto grimaced. “But it was worth it, wasn't it?”

    “No,” both Kei and Ryosuke said at the same time.

    And yet... There came Linne's quiet laughter, revealing that maybe... Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. But of course, Yuto would never know that.

    Kei just looked at Yuto for a moment, breathing deeply as he tried to calm his heartbeat and his racing emotions, and finally sighed softly. Deeply, wearily, but with that strange amount of resigned affection that adult wolves only have for their greatest fears.

    “You...” he began, raising his front paw and gently smacking Yuto between the ears with a slight but precisely aimed punch. It nearly made Yuto sit on his ass.

    “You're really good at sneaking,” Kei uttered, a little amused, a little devastated. “And at booing too. Can't deny you that. You've got talent in you. For startling and shocking others.”

    Yuto's eyes lit up like two jack-o-lanterns. His tail immediately began to wag from side to side, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his paws stomping.

    “Really? You're really saying that?”

    “Yeah.” Kei nodded. “And you know what? If you're so good... Why don't you try it on your dad, too? I think Yuya would like to jump in the air as well.”

    Yuto rolled his eyes as if he had just received an invitation to a secret expedition to an unknown kingdom. He turned to Ryosuke, whose mouth dropped open.

    “On my Dad?!” Yuto whispered. “It's... It's a mission! The mission of the century! Mission boo! Omega Strike!”

    “Please...” began Ryosuke, but it was too late.

    Yuto was gone. In a split second, he disappeared into the undergrowth, his paws swishing over the moss, his tail a flag of victory, his eyes utterly determined. He whispered to himself, “Sneaking. Silence. Shadow. Wolf ninja. Wolf boo!”

    Kei turned to Ryosuke, who just stood there, utterly resigned, and snorted loudly at Yuto's address. “Next time he wants to share a den with someone,” Ryosuke grumbled, “I'll put him to sleep by the pond.”

    Kei chuckled, genuinely relaxed for the first time since the interruption, and Linne snuggled contentedly next to him. “Thanks for going with him,” he then added more seriously.

    Ryosuke shrugged. “I always try to go with him. We'd be pulling him out of the water if I left him alone.”

    “He's lucky you're taking care of him like that,” Linne said and smiled at the black pup.

    Then both adult wolves looked in the direction where the little wolf saboteur had disappeared to get ready for another 'perfect' ambush.

    There was silence for a moment between the three wolves, but a comfortable kind, marred only by the reverberating murmur of the vanished Yuto, lost in the bushes with sheer determination in his eyes and mission in his heart.

    Kei sat up again, stretching his paws forward and running his tongue over his shoulder as he tried to straighten his fur from the surprised roll.

    Linne, meanwhile, licked his side lightly, her eyes shining with amusement. Now that the little tornado was gone, the atmosphere had returned to the strange, soft closeness that had developed between them.

    However, instead of diving right back into it, Kei glanced over at Ryosuke, who was standing a few steps away, obviously hesitating whether to leave or just sink into the ground.

    “You know, Ryosuke...” began Kei in a tone that was suspiciously innocent. “I think you should go, too. You know, keep an eye on Yuto. On the pack. Go play with others. There's definitely something going on there right now. Someone might be looking for you. Maybe someone's even... asked for you. Your Dad, maybe.”

    Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, his gaze clearly saying he suspected something, and cocked his head thoughtfully. But Kei continued.

    “And I... I'm... busy here,” he added, all too casually, glancing at Linne, who had just gracefully sat down next to him and turned her head towards him so that the fur on her neck formed a silky wave. Her eyes glittered, and she giggled softly. “It's a very… important work, you know?”

    Ryosuke's ears pulled back, half in amusement, half in disgust. He took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to growl suspiciously. “Yeah... right. Busy,” he grumbled softly. “Very important.”

    Kei just frowned in that subtle way, and Linne snuggled up to him again.

    Ryosuke turned, heading back to the campsite, muttering as he went, “If I get licked again on the way, I swear I'll crawl into a ditch and not come out until morning...”

    And all he heard behind him was another quiet giggle.

    Meanwhile, Yuto was once again sneaking around like a true master. Well... in his own way. Belly low to the ground, tail stretched back, each paw placed with theatrical care, even if the occasional twig snapped or he rustled the leaves more than he should have. But in his mind, he was invisible. Like a shadow. Like the ghost of a wolf ambush. And he had the ultimate goal in front of him – his own father.

    Yuya sat by the fire, yawning, and spoke in a muffled voice to one of the adult wolves, who was just stretching her front legs and seemed to be looking forward to his every word. The fire shone softly on his face, the fur reflected warm glints, and his sense of smell, which did not fail even in the noisiest of workshops, told him instantly that a small disaster was hurtling towards him.

    Yuto. His own personal tornado. He was breathing like a dragon, smelling of moss and enthusiasm, and the dirt beneath his feet shook with every jump.

    Yuya just smiled. He knew he was being watched. He knew that every second he pretended to be unaware was part of the game. He also knew that if he let Yuto actually 'win', his day would be complete.

    So, he didn't move. He continued talking as if he didn't know anything. Tail loosely extended on the ground, eyes on the she-wolf, but ears subtly perked.

    And then – jump.

    Yuto flew out of the bushes like a projectile, full of joy, adrenaline, and the amazing feeling that he had surpassed all the limits of the hunt. He leapt onto his dad's back, shouting, “BOOO!” and landed on him with his full weight.

    Yuya lifted his head at that exact moment and let out a perfect, actor-like “Aaaaah!”, adding a startled full-body twitch and a half-flip as if he had just been hit by an invisible attacker. His tail flew into the air, ears back, a look of utter terror in his eyes, only slightly exaggerated, but completely believable to Yuto.

    Yuto laughed out loud, falling into the grass beside him and giggling so hard his stomach shook. “You didn't expect that, did you! You weren't expecting it at all, you were completely scared! I saw it! You jumped so high in the air, Dad!”

    Yuya rolled back onto his side, breathing heavily, exaggeratedly, and blinked as if he was still recovering. “Wow... You're really going to kill me someday. I'm not so young anymore, kid.”

    The she-wolf next to him laughed too. “That was very... authentic.”

    Yuya put his paw on his forehead and muttered, “That kid's going to put me in the hospital one day. And it won't even be during work.”

    Yuto, meanwhile, ran laps around the fireplace, full of triumph. “Mission accomplished! Enemy defeated! Boo-ed!” he yelled, flopping down next to his dad again. And Yuya, even though his belly was already covered in pine needles, simply smiled. Because that laugh... was worth it.

    There was a small pond just a short distance away from them that Yuto hadn't even noticed during his running around in circles. Its surface glistened in the moonlight, and steam rose slightly from it. Not thick, not like smoke from a fire, but soft, dancing, almost fairy-like. And in the middle of it all were the wolf cubs.

    Most of them were just lying there. The water was up to their hips, and some had their whole bodies submerged, their noses resting on the heated stone. They were quiet. Satisfied. Now and then, there was a contented murmur, a splash, or a tired “hmm”. They didn't look like they wanted to bathe or play. Just... be. And they looked like the happiest creatures on the planet.

    Ryosuke and Yuto came in from the other side of the camp just as Yuya rolled onto his back with a smile to rest after the 'successful ambush'. The two young wolves stopped in their tracks and just watched for a moment.

    “Why are you like... lying there?” Yuto whispered, tilting his head. “That's... boring. It's not like there's anything going on.”

    “I don't get it either,” Ryosuke grumbled, eyes squinted. “It looks like they're spread out like fish in there.”

    They approached the edge of the pond slowly, and that's when the difference hit them.

    The heat.

    It came out of the water like a soft breath. They both froze, and Ryosuke immediately raised his snout. The air was suddenly strangely moist, warm, smelling of minerals and stone. Yuto stretched his neck and smelled it too. “Hey... It's like sweating, but nice!”

    Ryosuke lifted his front paw and slowly dipped it into the water at the shore. He was expecting a chill, but instead, he was surrounded by soft, warm water. It made his tail quiver.

    “It's... hot,” he said in surprise.

    There was a low whine beside them, and a dark gray she-wolf emerged from the darkness. Nora, one of the adults from the other pack. She was elegant, with eyes as blue as the sky.

    “Natural hot springs,” she explained with a calm smile. “It's a special place. There's a heat vein underground. The water heats up there and flows here. Not every forest has such a pond. It's a gift. It relaxes the body. And calms the mind.”

    Yuto already had both front paws in the water and looked like he had just found a new home. “It's like a bathtub! But without the soap! And so big!”

    Ryosuke was silent. He still had his paw in the water, watching the circles that were starting from his touch. The water was indeed hot, but not too much. More like... healing. And suddenly, he understood why their brothers and the other cubs were lying there.

    Ryosuke was still looking into the water, paw dipped up to his wrist, eyes closed as if trying to decipher exactly how this hot surface could soothe the restlessness in his chest. The words of Nora rang in his ears, the strangely delicate smell of minerals and earth warming his nose. He was at peace. Which was suspicious. Too much calm... usually didn't mean well.

    And just at that moment, there was a suspicious splashing sound next to him.

    “Hey, Ryo...” came from the left, in a voice that had a suspiciously innocent undertone.

    “No,” Ryosuke said automatically without turning around.

    “But just a little...” continued Yuto, who already had all four paws in the water and was slowly approaching as if he was definitely up to something.

    “No, Yuto.”

    “It's so nice... and you're just standing there. What a waste of a hot pond!” His voice rose with each step.

    Ryosuke slowly turned his head, but before he could complete any movement, Yuto took one brisk leap, water splashed everywhere, and Ryosuke, who had his hind legs on the moss, lost his balance.

    In an instant, he fell into the water with a silent “ugh”, his entire body disappearing under the surface, only his tail rising up at the last second as if trying to slap Yuto across the snout.

    Yuto immediately pounced on him, laughing, paws splashing and water rising in circles around him. Ryosuke emerged with his entire snout wet, fur glued together, his red eyes now resembling embers drowned in mist.

    “Yuto...” he said slowly, with an exhale that suggested he was thinking about how exactly to drown him so that it could be passed off as an accident.

    Yuto just smiled and snuggled up to him without warning. In the water, wet, laughing, and completely content, he leaned his hip against Ryosuke's chest, resting his head on his shoulder and stretching his paws forward as if he were about to fall asleep.

    “It feels so good here...” he murmured blissfully. “This is the best place in the world. And you're the best pillow.”

    Ryosuke stiffened, eyes widening, water running down his face. “I'm a wet pillow, you idiot.”

    “Wet, but mine,” Yuto replied dreamily, closing his eyes. And Ryosuke... stopped struggling. He let him lean against him, and for the first time in a long day, he didn't think about what he should say. He just breathed.

    The wolf pups in the warm water looked like mounds of contentment. Their paws were outstretched, their heads resting on the rocks or each other, their eyes closed, some were even dozing quietly now.

    Yuto lay still pressed against Ryosuke, occasionally wiggling, yawning, or bubbling his nose, but still as ever. Though Ryosuke would occasionally roll his eyes or open his mouth as if to make a sarcastic remark, he always swallowed it in the end and just breathed instead. The water embraced him, and Yuto's presence seemed... bearable. Maybe even pleasant. As long as he didn't overdo it.

    Just a short distance away, out of the water's calm but certainly not out of the action, sat Daiki. And next to him sat now Nora, the same she-wolf he'd been trying to charm all afternoon. And just like then... it wasn't going as planned.

    “So,” Daiki began in a tone that was meant to be casual, but sounded more like a last-ditch effort before resignation, “you said you collect rocks that sound different when you step on them? That's fascinating! I... I mean, I don't collect rocks, but I once had a pine cone that squeaked. I thought it was a magic signal. It was a mouse.”

    The wolf looked at him. Her expression was neutral, perhaps slightly amused, but certainly not dazed by the charm. “You thought the pine cone was squeaking?” she asked simply.

    “Yeah. Well... you know... It was kind of weird. And I was small. And from a distance, it really sounded like a squeak. And then it just ran away. The mouse. Whatever.” He laughed to himself, hoping it was cute.

    The she-wolf nodded slowly and licked her front paw. Then she turned back to the pond to check on the pups and added calmly, “Interesting.”

    Daiki sat beside her, slouching slightly, mentally replaying all the things he could have said differently. His tail lay in the moss like a tired snake, and his pride had just gone to drown in the nearest puddle.

    He tried again. “You know what's interesting, too? That you're still here. Like... next to me. So, either I'm really good, or you're wondering if I can embarrass myself even more.”

    The she-wolf looked at him again. And then, completely unexpectedly, the corners of her mouth twitched. “Maybe both.”

    Daiki blinked. His tail twitched slightly. “I'll take that as a success, then,” he muttered, sighing softly. Small step for a werewolf, big step for Daiki's pack honor.

    As the stillness of the night continued to drift around them, and the wolf cubs dreamed in the warm water, Daiki thought that maybe... Maybe he wasn't without a chance after all.

    Not far from the pond, in the stillness, sat three adults. Hikaru, Kota, and the Alpha of the other pack, Seraya. They sat away from the bustle of the others, in a pleasant lee under an old oak tree where only the rustling of leaves and the quiet crackling of twigs in the fire could be heard.

    “Your pack... seems to be in sync. It's like it's been through something that's brought it together,” Seraya remarked calmly, watching Yuto and Ryosuke nap in the water, and continuing to watch the others as well.

    Kota, who sat still with his paws folded under him, nodded. His gaze remained fixed in front of him, but there was something heavy in his voice that couldn't be hidden. “We lost a lot years ago. And we did lose a little of everything.”

    Seraya cocked an ear. Hikaru straightened slightly, as if the memory still tugged at him like a stray current even after all these years.

    “What happened?” Seraya repeated softly.

    Kota took a breath. “They attacked us. Vampires. Not the ones that roam the cities and drink werewolf blood. No. They were organized. They wanted something specific... to hurt us, to hurt our young. They said we sniffed too much around their family.”

    His voice sounded deep, firm, but there was pain in every word. “They hurt Ryosuke and Yuto. Badly. It wasn't just a scratch. That's how close they came to death.” He gestured with his paw, fingers clasped together as if clutching life itself. “And they kidnapped them. All four of them.”

    Seraya said nothing, just listened calmly, eyes squinted.

    “When we went to rescue them, we knew we only had one chance. That the vampires wouldn't negotiate. So... I offered them a trade. Myself for them.”

    “So, you traded yourself for them, for your cubs,” Seraya said quietly. “As Alpha.”

    “Yes. It was my responsibility. My pack. My wolf cubs. You won't let them take them. Even if it costs you everything.”

    Hikaru lowered his gaze beside him. The hair on the back of his neck moved slightly.

    “I... took charge then. I didn't want to. I thought I couldn't. But Kota was gone. And the others followed me. We had to... do everything we could to get our pups back. Ryosuke and Yuto were broken then. Keito had more bruises on his soul than his body. And Yuri... Yuri stopped laughing for a while. Completely.”

    “But you saved them. How?” Seraya asked, though there was a hint in her voice that she already knew the answer.

    Kota nodded. “Yes. Even if just barely. Hikaru and the others returned home with bodies that were barely breathing and hearts that were afraid to beat again. But they survived. And something more – we're still together.”

    Seraya was silent for a moment. Then she bowed her head in respect. “You have strong hearts. And even stronger bonds. No wonder your pack acts as one.”

    Kota just smiled softly. “It would be easier if we didn't have to go through this. But at the same time... Because of that, we now know what it means to be a family. Not a pack. A family.”

    And then the three of them fell silent. Not because they had nothing to say, but because there was more in that silence than any words could express.

    Seraya wondered if she should confide in them what they themselves had experienced. Her proud stance changed slightly. She still seemed strong, but there was suddenly a heaviness in her exhale that she hadn't shared before. She stared into the flames of the fireplace, still burning in the distance, and then smiled faintly. Sadly.

    “You may have noticed,” she began softly, “that there are no adult males in our pack.”

    Hikaru nodded, and his ears perked up. Kota remained still, but his eyes were intently focused on her.

    “We used to live differently. We were part of a larger pack. On the edge of the mountains, north of here. It was a strong, old pack, led by males who claimed that only they knew what was right. They ruled with an iron claw. And we... we listened. For a long time. Too long.”

    Her voice didn't sound broken, but it was filled with shadows. And in those shadows was a pain that never really went away.

    “We were daughters and partners. We were hunters and caregivers. But we were not heard. And when the first wolf cub was born... different, not on their terms... everything changed. They demanded obedience. Purity of blood, as they called it. The rules. So strict they were breathtaking.”

    She was silent for a moment, as if she needed more than air. To breathe in the freedom she had today, but not then.

    “We decided to leave. But they chased us, hurt us. But we got away. And we've been alone ever since.”

    “No other wolves?” Kota asked quietly, not with incomprehension, but with respect.

    “None that we can trust,” Seraya replied. “Not that we'd reject them. But none of the ones we've met have brought us safety. Just talk about guidance. About structure. About how the world is hard, and women need support.” Her eyes darkened. “We are not weak. We just wanted space. Freedom.”

    Hikaru stared at the fire, the fur on the back of his neck bristling. “That's... horrible. It must have been terribly hard for you. But you're brave.”

    Seraya nodded. “It's not easy. But we feel safe. And our wolf cubs are growing in peace. They know no violence, no screaming, no coercion. We teach them to speak and to be silent. We teach them to protect themselves. And we teach them that trust is something that must be earned. Not enforced.”

    Kota looked at her slowly. “I hope you feel safe with us,” he uttered with the slightest hint of a smile. “We wouldn't want to put you under any pressure or anything like that.”

    Seraya smiled. “So far, so good.”

    Then there was silence. Not a painful one this time. More like the kind of silence where stories come together. Two packs. Two different worlds. But one thing in common, and that's survival against all odds. And a willingness to protect what they've fought for. No matter how much they had to leave behind.

    Seraya rested her chin on her forepaws and just watched the steam rise over the pond, the mist whispering through the trees, the water calmly caressing the bodies of the small wolves. Their breathing was slow, deep, and each of them rocked gently in their sleep on the ripples of warmth. There was something so pure about the image that even Hikaru didn't want to disturb the peace. But he knew that time wouldn't stand still forever.

    “Do you have any other plans?” he asked softly, his eyes still fixed on the group of children.

    Seraya was silent for a moment, then nodded. “A little. But we're more looking at where the forest will lead us. We're not planning with the precision most wolves would want. We don't live by a calendar.”

    Hikaru smiled, though his gaze remained slightly thoughtful. “We're going back home the day after tomorrow. To Chicago.”

    Seraya looked up and nodded. “That's a long way away. Noisy place.”

    “Yeah... it is,” Hikaru confirmed, wiping his paw on the moss before continuing. “Right now, we're figuring out what's next for the school. We're thinking of transferring our wolf cubs elsewhere. Where they'll be treated more... understandingly. You know how it is. Not all schools understand that a kid who feels more than others isn't a problem. Just a different rhythm.”

    Kota nodded silently beside him, as if just confirming that those words carried the weight of all their collective decision-making.

    “Here...” continued Hikaru, nodding his head towards the pond, “... it's beautiful. I'd almost leave them here. But we have work to do. Home. Obligations. We can't stay.”

    Seraya stared into the distance, as if she could see through the trees the concrete world they were describing. “Nature is healing. But even the city has its roots. It draws some wolves back, even if it has burned them.”

    “Sometimes, I feel like it would be easier to just leave everything and live like this,” Hikaru added quietly. “But then I look at the little ones and think they need more than the forest. They need to be prepared for whatever is lurking out there.”

    Seraya nodded. “But then don't forget to remind them of what's here. Don't let them forget how to breathe when there are no walls around them. Let them carry that with them.”

    “We all carry it,” Kota spoke up. “This place will go back to the city with us. At least in our heads.”

    Seraya smiled. Gently. Quietly. And for a moment, it looked like neither of them was in a hurry to get home.

    All conversation died down as their gazes gradually drifted back to the pond. The steam rose more slowly, more subdued, as if it too was settling down to sleep, and the stillness of the night descended over the entire clearing like a soft, wolf-like blanket. Something subtle, barely perceptible, but all the more eloquent, was happening in the warm water, among the sleepy wolves.

    Sora, one of the she-wolves, moved quietly towards Ryosuke. Not suddenly. Slowly. Ripples rippled around them as her body approached his in the hot water. Then she pressed lightly against his side, fur on fur, and rested her muzzle against his shoulder. She didn't say or do anything more. She was just there.

    Ryosuke, who had his eyes closed, didn't move at first. But then his chest heaved in a deep breath, his body relaxed slightly, and a low, contented sigh escaped his mouth. One that doesn't sound often.

    Seraya watched them silently, then glanced back at Hikaru and Kota. Her expression was surprised, but kind. “They're already closer than I would have expected,” she spoke softly. “Sora usually takes longer to let someone in. She's cautious. And she rarely lets anyone in that close.”

    Hikaru smiled, and his gaze was full of subtle relief. “Ryosuke has had a rough night. Actually... he's had quite a few rough nights in general. He's barely slept. And tonight... it was too much for him. Even if he doesn't show it, every muscle in his body betrays it. But now... now I can see he's feeling better.”

    Kota joined them with an approving nod. “He's quiet. But he hears more than others think. And when he lets someone in close... It's rare. Sora probably feels it too.”

    Hikaru glanced back at the pond where the wolves were sleeping. Yuto was rolling over Ryosuke's back, and Sora hadn't pulled away either. All as one body in the calm, warm water.

    “Maybe,” he continued softly, “it would be nice if we could see each other more often. If your pack would like to. For our young ones. And for all of us.”

    Seraya was silent for a moment, eyes still on Sora and Ryosuke. Then she smiled softly, her expression calm but firm at the same time. “Perhaps that would be more than nice,” she replied. “Maybe it would be the right thing to do.”

    Seraya honestly couldn't take her eyes off Ryosuke for long. She watched as he lay half-submerged in the water among the others, his wet fur glistening like black stone under the moonlight. Sora was still gently holding onto him, and even though Yuto occasionally twitched a paw in his sleep or dropped his snout into the water, Ryosuke remained calm.

    The Alpha she-wolf tilted her head and fluffed her muzzle slightly, as if trying to pick up the finer layers of his scent. The ones that hide beneath the normal scent trail.

    “Tell me...” she began softly, her gaze still on Ryosuke. “Ryosuke. The black wolf. I smell something strange from him. Not a bad one. But unfamiliar. And I've met a lot of wolves in my life, in different forms.”

    Hikaru and Kota looked at each other. Not judgingly. More like two brothers lifting their eyes and passing a thousand words between them in silent motion. Kota finally averted his gaze back to Ryosuke, his voice calm and slow.

    “It's strange that...” admitted Hikaru, scratching the back of his neck with a back paw, “... almost everyone asks us about him. Wolves, humans, even some other creatures treat him differently.”

    “His fur is black as a starless night,” Kota continued softly, “and his eyes... are like hot coals. A glow that never goes out completely. He's a wolf that speaks little, but he says a lot. And though he is different... we have never perceived him as a stranger.”

    “He's ours,” Hikaru added. “Sure, sometimes you feel he's... different. That his silence isn't just silence, but a kind of heaviness. Like he's carrying more than he can bear. But he's never hurt us. He was never mean to us. He never wanted to be someone special. He's a good boy. The kind of guy who watches out for others, even when no one notices he's on guard.”

    Seraya nodded slowly, her gaze still softly fixed on the dark spot in the pond. “I can feel it. There's something... old about him. Not in age, but in depth. Something awakening in him, perhaps. Like his blood knows names we've long forgotten.”

    Kota was silent, but there was a glint in his eyes that resonated with her.

    “But of course, whoever he is,” Seraya added softly, “your love keeps him on the right side. And that's the most important thing.”

    Hikaru smiled. “We may never know exactly where he comes from... but we know for sure where he belongs.”

    And in the distance, as steam danced over the water, Ryosuke staggered slightly, as if he had heard this truth in his dreams.

    Seraya finally turned her gaze away from the pond and slowly, almost curiously, looked at Hikaru. There was no remorse or suspicion in her attitude, only genuine concern. An answer that would help her understand the strange relationship that vibrated between them all like a fine thread, almost invisible but solid.

    “And why did you choose him, anyway?” she asked softly. “When you had the other three wolf cubs to choose from. Why Ryosuke?”

    Hikaru lifted his head, a little taken aback by the question, but then a genuine smile spread across his face. The kind that doesn't come around often. Not a smug one. More like gentle and a little embarrassed.

    “Honestly, mostly because of his black fur,” he replied without hesitation, grinning. “It was the first reason. I figured he looked like a little copy of me. I have dark grey fur, and he's completely black. So, I thought... Yeah, we'd be like twins. Dark clouds.” He laughed a little and waved his paw as if to add that it was the most logical choice in the world at the time.

    Seraya smiled, but not mockingly, more like touched. “That's nice. The reasons of the heart tend to be simple. But sometimes, those are the ones that last the longest.”

    “Well, yeah.” Hikaru shrugged, his gaze wandering back to the still surface of the water where Ryosuke had just moved his ear slightly, as if he had heard something in his sleep. “Everyone was different. Each of the little ones had something inside them. But when I saw him, the black boy snuggling with his little brother... I just knew. Not because he was the strongest. Or the nicest. But because I recognized... something of myself in him.”

    Kota looked at him out of the corner of his eye and said calmly, “And since then, you've been more devoted to him than you know.”

    Hikaru snorted, but his smile didn't disappear. “Probably. But you know what? I don't regret it. Even if he does want to bite my tail sometimes.”

    Seraya nodded. “Maybe you didn't choose him. Maybe he chose you, you just didn't know it at the time.”

    Hikaru stared into the darkness. More seriously for a moment. And in his mind, he recalled all the times Ryosuke had stood by, but never far away. Always close by. Silent, but present. Dark, but a light to others.

    “Maybe you're right,” he muttered. “Maybe we just hit it off. Both stubborn. Both quieter than we look. And we both needed someone who… understands us.”

    Seraya smiled and glanced out at the pond again, where the black Ryosuke still rested at Sora's side, surrounded by the calm warmth of the hot water and the soft rustling of sleeping wolves.

    “You know,” she began in a low voice, “it's good for the little ones to have at least one in their pack that they resemble. I don't mean the fur or the eyes. It's how they feel about the world. The way they walk. The way they're silent. That's the way they can get to know each other.”

    Hikaru nodded. Slowly, thoughtfully. He knew exactly what she meant. How many times in his life had he wished to himself that when he was younger, he had someone who looked and felt like him, so he wouldn't have to wonder if his way of being was a problem.

    “Yeah,” he said softly. “When you're small and different... You don't know if it's a mistake. If anyone even knows. And then you meet someone who doesn't explain it to you. They just are. And suddenly, you can breathe better.”

    Seraya smiled. “Ryosuke might not talk much, but I bet he's already got the best pack he could wish for.”

    “He sure does,” Kota joined in. “We feel the same way about him being in our family.”

    Hikaru stared off into the distance again, where the quietest ones rested. He especially looked at the black wolf surrounded by warmth, friendship, his brother, and one little she-wolf who snuggled up to him as naturally as if they had always belonged together.

    “I'm glad I chose him then,” he murmured. “Even if it was because of the color. He showed me that color was just the beginning.”

    Seraya nodded. “And the heart makes up the rest.”

    The night slowly moved into its deepest phase. The one when the wind no longer blows uselessly, and the forest just breathes quietly under the cover of darkness. By the pond, whose surface was still slightly steaming, the wolf cubs were already in a deep sleep. Some snuggled together, others scattered in the water like ferns. The water was warm, gentle, soothing, and even their breathing matched the night's rhythm.

    Meanwhile, the adult wolves found their places. Some curled up closer to the fire, others just leaned against the moss-covered rocks, or lay down under the branches of the old trees. The conversations among them did not cease, only changed in tone. It was no longer an exchange of information or inquisitive questions, but a steady stream of shared memories and experiences.

    They talked about their packs, about growing up, about loss, about hope. About what scared them and what kept them together. Some stories were sad, others full of laughter.

    They took turns on watch, always with at least two staying awake, alert, watchful, but calm. It wasn't about fear. It was about respect for the night. It was about trusting that if one kept watch, the others could sleep in peace. And so, over the hours, they all took their turns. Kei and Linne, Hikaru and Seraya, Yuya and Kaia, and also Daiki and Nora, who eventually fell asleep together, with Daiki in such a strangely twisted position that he resembled a tangled snake with its tongue out. Kota spent a long moment at the edge of the forest, just with himself, and then returned to the pack circle.

    Some enjoyed each other's presence more than others. The closeness that hadn't existed a day ago was becoming natural. Caresses of fur against fur, brief glances, paws resting lightly over one another.

    And so, the night quietly closed in on itself, with wolves in a circle, children lost in dreams, and adults who hadn't forgotten for a moment that they too could be safe.

Chapter Text

    The sun of the new day rolled over the treetops, and the air was filled with the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the chattering laughter of wolf cubs, which was exactly the kind of joyful sound that was contagious, even if you didn't feel like smiling in the morning.

    In the middle of the clearing, four little cubs from Seraya's pack were chasing each other, along with Yuto, Yuri, and Keito from their own pack.

    Soon, Ely and Yuto were tugging at a pinecone they had chosen as their treasure, while Talu tried to scare Niri, who had long known he was behind her but played along until the end. Yuri moved with his usual ease, his pink paws jumping across the grass, and all the female wolves laughed at how they sparkled as he jumped.

    Only Ryosuke didn't play with others.

    Seated among the shadows of the trees, on soft moss-covered soil, he lay quietly, his front paws stretched out, his chin resting on one of them. His tail was folded beside his body, his ears slightly lowered. His eyes reflected all the hustle and bustle, but he did not participate. Not that he couldn't. Not that he didn't want to. But it was the kind of morning when just being there was enough to make him happy. Observing. Perceiving. Listening to the birds singing, his brothers laughing, and especially Yuto's laughter, which flowed through the clearing like an inexhaustible stream of energy.

    He felt good. Good enough that he didn't feel the need to change anything.

    Not far from him, by a large rock, the adult wolves from both packs were talking. Daiki and Nora were once again discreetly jostling for space between them, while Kei and Kaia were discussing the herbs that grow in the surrounding forests. Seraya and Kota were having a quiet but deep conversation, this time about what food their packs preferred and how the cubs would cope with new tastes. Occasionally, someone would get up, stretch, fetch water, and exchange a few words. Everyone seemed more relaxed than the previous evening.

    Hikaru sat among them all. Not in complete peace, as Yuto whizzed past him like the wind every few moments and Yuri stepped on his tail several times, but at the same time, he kept his distance. He guarded the edge of the pack. Watching. Protecting.

    But his eyes kept slipping to one place - to Ryosuke. Even though he didn't say anything, even though he pretended to be watching the cubs play or listening to the adults' conversations, his inner sense of unease always pointed to that dark spot under the trees. He watched his ears, his breathing, and the movement of his paw when it accidentally touched the ground.

    It was a silent observation. But filled with a concern that required no words. Just getting ready in case something changed or approached. In case Ryosuke suddenly raised his head differently than usual.

    Hikaru settled down more firmly, wrapping his tail around his paws. He didn't interfere. He was just there, watching.

    After a moment, the grass trembled under light footsteps, and before Ryosuke even looked, he already sensed her presence. The delicate scent of Sora's fur, a mixture of dew, herbs, and something cool and clean that was inseparable from her, approached him from the side like a silent shadow. She stopped a few steps away from him and tilted her head as if to check if he was okay.

    “Would you like to come play with us?” she asked in a soft voice.

    Ryosuke looked up at her, lazily lifting his head from his paw, which he had under his snout, and blinked. For a moment, he just watched a few strands of fur on her neck rise in the wind and her hazel eyes sparkling in the bright light. She looked slightly out of breath from running, but not tired, more like energized.

    But he didn't move. He just snorted quietly and then replied softly, “Not yet. I like it this way... just watching.”

    Sora watched him for a moment, then took a step closer. Her snout touched his side. It was a light, brief touch so gentle that another wolf might not even have felt it. But Ryosuke felt it to the tips of his hair. It was the kind of casual nudge you give a friend who is sitting unnecessarily on the sidelines.

    And then she just sat down. Next to him. No further questions, no further words. She just carefully folded her paws, curled her tail next to her body, and turned her snout in the same direction as his, towards the playing siblings.

    Ryosuke froze. A strange kind of uncertainty, one he knew all too well, ran through his body. “What now? What is expected of me? Should I say something? Look at her? Raise my tail? Why is she here?” He wasn't used to it. To the closeness that didn't come with a task, a question, or an expectation.

    Sora sensed it. Subtly. As if she had noticed a change in the wind. She didn't react. She just stayed. And by saying nothing, she actually said everything. She gave him space. She didn't want an answer. She didn't want him to talk. She just stayed by his side.

    After a while, Ryosuke put his muzzle back on his paw. But not quite the same way. He was a little more tense, but at the same time a little calmer. And while the laughter and stomping of the cubs continued around them, the two of them sat in the shade. One lost in his thoughts. And the other just nearby.

    They sat together for a while. Silently, but not uncomfortably. Ryosuke felt Sora breathing more calmly than him, as if she were connected to a deeper rhythm of the forest that he was still searching for.

    And then, after a moment, when Ryosuke began to think that she just wanted to sit in silence with him, Sora took a deep breath and said, “I had a dream about you.”

    Ryosuke lifted his snout a few centimeters from his paw and slowly glanced at her. His ears straightened and pricked up noticeably. His body stiffened. It was that slight inner tension that always appeared when he felt that someone had seen more of him than he wanted them to.

    “A dream?” he repeated quietly, as if he needed to make sure he hadn't misheard.

    Sora nodded, her eyes still fixed on the playing siblings, as if to keep her distance from his reaction. “Yeah. I saw you in a dream. You were... big. Older. Even blacker. And your fur shone as if it were on fire. You looked different. But I recognized you. By your eyes.”

    Ryosuke was silent. He didn't know what to say. His body tingled with tension, curiosity, and maybe even fear. What could she have seen? And more importantly, why did she see him?

    Sora smiled, tilted her head slightly, and added, “You were cuddling with someone. Like, really... cuddling a lot. You were pressed against each other and licking each other's fur. You were happy.”

    Ryosuke opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He just furrowed his brow slightly and his snout wrinkled in a thoughtful, but rather surprised expression.

    Sora turned to look at him, this time directly, and asked gently, “Want to guess who it was?”

    Ryosuke was completely breathless for a second. His eyes stared into space, then narrowed slightly. A dissatisfied grunt escaped his mouth, the kind of quiet “ugh” he lets out when he knows the question is forcing him to play a game he doesn't want to play.

    “I don't like this...” he muttered finally, resting his muzzle on his paw again, as if hiding from the whole world. “But...” He paused briefly, as if thinking, but it was clear that he was only pretending to think. “Some kind of she-wolf?”

    Sora chuckled softly beside him. And even though Ryosuke pretended to be doing his best not to fall into some trap, Sora felt a quiet satisfaction. She could see that he was interested. That he hadn't avoided her. And that pleased her.

    Before she decided to tell him, she smiled a little more, but not mockingly, more like someone trying not to betray a special secret that had been revealed to her in a dream, yet at the same time longing to share it. She turned her muzzle back to the playing cubs, but out of the corner of her eye, she kept watching Ryosuke, who had raised his head again and narrowed his eyes slightly.

    “It wasn't a she-wolf,” she said quietly.

    Ryosuke blinked. Slowly. “So... some other kind of werewolf?” He tried to guess again, but the tone of his voice betrayed that he was getting a little nervous. He didn't like guessing. He didn't like facing things he couldn't immediately understand or process. And above all, he didn't like being the subject of other people's dreams.

    But Sora just shook her head. “Not even a werewolf.”

    Now Ryosuke frowned completely. His eyebrows drew together, his gaze sliding to the grass in front of him, as if searching for some clue, something he was missing.

    “So… who is it then?” he began, but Sora interrupted him softly, almost in a whisper, as if she herself wasn't entirely sure of the answer.

    “A lioness,” she said. “You were cuddling with a lioness.”

    Ryosuke just stared at her. He didn't get it right away. The image was so unlikely that his brain refused to let the meaning sink in for a moment. But then it clicked. Not a wolf. Not a human. Not the familiar world.

    A lioness.

    He raised his eyebrows as if it had touched him on some deeper level. At the same time, however, he wasn't sure what to say. His face, including the slight tilt of his head and the held breath, now revealed not unpleasant surprise, but rather confused enchantment.

    “A lioness?” he finally repeated, his voice sounding almost skeptical, but not quite. “Why did you dream about me cuddling with a lioness?”

    Sora shrugged as only a wolf can, with a slight movement of her neck and nape that was barely noticeable. “I don't know. It just happened. It felt so natural. As if it were meant to be.”

    Ryosuke just stared at her for a moment. Then he turned back to the distance. And quietly, with his muzzle half in the grass, he muttered, “Strange dream.”

    But Sora could see that he was more interested than he was willing to admit. For now, she just sat quietly next to Ryosuke, letting the dream fade away. But when she saw that he was really interested, even though he was trying to pretend that it only slightly bothered him, she decided to tell him more.

    “You know...” she began quietly, brushing a few blades of grass from her paw with her snout, “... sometimes, I dream about things like that. And then they really happen.”

    Ryosuke looked at her again, this time with a slight squint. “Really?”

    Sora nodded. “It first happened to me when I was little. I dreamed that it was going to rain, even though it was summer and the sky was completely clear. But in my dream, I saw myself running through mud with my whole body covered in water. The next day, the sky clouded over, a storm came, and we had to run away from an open field. Right through that mud.” She smiled for a second, but then her voice softened again. “Once, I also dreamed that one of my sisters would fall into the water. Not very deep, but enough for it to scare her. I told her about it in the morning. She was more careful. She slipped anyway, but she was prepared, so she quickly climbed out.”

    Ryosuke listened to her without saying a word, his eyes fixed somewhere in the void, but his ears pricked up, and his tail stopped lying lazily in the grass and moved intently.

    Sora added in a near whisper, “Sometimes, I dream about things I don't understand. Like that lioness. I don't know if it will be tomorrow, a year from now, or never. But when I have dreams like that, it usually means something.”

    She looked at him again, calmly, without haste. “I just wanted to tell you that. So that it won't surprise you later. When you meet the lioness... or when you understand what the dream actually meant.”

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. Then he quietly rested his chin on his front paw again. He said nothing. But there was something strange, deep, thoughtful... and perhaps slightly troubled in his eyes. Not because of the lioness. But because someone could see more of his future than he could himself.

    Ryosuke's eyes followed the movement of his brothers, but it was clear that he was no longer looking at them, that his gaze was directed elsewhere. Inside.

    “That's really strange,” he muttered quietly, almost to himself. “That your dreams are coming true... That you can maybe really see what happens before it does.”

    “It is strange. I don't know why this happens.” Sora continued to watch him, not pressing him. Her presence was calm but focused.

    Ryosuke's voice sounded a little stiff, as if he had to push it through something that was constricting his throat. “I had a strange dream yesterday, too.”

    He fell silent. He waited. Perhaps he hoped he wouldn't have to tell her the details of his scary dream, but since he already said it, there was no turning back.

    But his body betrayed him before he wanted it to. His paw retracted slightly towards his body, his tail twitched slightly, and a small, almost inaudible whimper escaped from his mouth. A sound that a wolf only makes when something weighs on him so much that he simply can't help it.

    Sora moved without hesitation. Not abruptly, but her body moved a little closer. Just close enough, but not too close. Her hip brushed lightly against his. She folded her paws together and sat firmly, steadily, like someone who is ready to carry what another cannot.

    “Do you want to tell me?” she asked quietly, turning her head.

    Ryosuke didn't move for a moment. He was thinking. A shadow flashed in his eyes. It was something so deep and heavy that he still carried from last night, something that had stuck to his skin like an icy memory.

    And then, he finally moved. He took a deep breath, as if he had to prepare himself, and muttered, “First, I have to jingle.”

    Sora tilted her head to the other side in confusion. “Jingle?” she repeated quietly.

    Ryosuke slowly got up on all fours and wordlessly headed for the edge of the clearing. There, the wolves had left their belongings during the night and morning, including the small harnesses and pouches they wore attached to their bodies when they were traveling.

    The pouches were practical items for practical wolves, a place to hide treats, potions, blankets, and small items. Everyone had their own way of carrying them, and everyone had something different in them.

    Yuto's was stuffed to bursting. Chew toys, pinecones, favorite pebbles, colorful strings, and a squeaky lizard-shaped figurine that he never took out in the forest anyway.

    Yuri hid sweets in his and sometimes shiny things he had collected during the day. Keito carried herbs and a small, quiet notebook.

    And Ryosuke? Ryosuke went straight to one of his two pockets. He pressed the buckle with his snout and opened it with such gentleness that it looked like some kind of ritual.

    He pulled a string out of the pocket. Two small bells hung from it. They weren't decorated or new. They were a little worn, but still shiny. Ryosuke held them between his teeth and shook them lightly.

    Jingle. Jingle.

    The sound was soft. Quiet. But it penetrated the air like a spring of pure water. And Ryosuke closed his eyes. Just for a moment. Then he did it again.

    Jingle. Jingle. Jingle.

    Sora stood next to him, not breathing. She didn't interfere, but understanding settled in her eyes. Not conscious. But wolfish, instinctive. She understood that this was not a habit. It was a piece of security that Ryosuke had carried with him since he was a little puppy. Maybe he had those bells on his collar. Maybe he played with them when he was sad.

    When he opened his eyes, they were calmer. Not completely calm. But ready. Ready to talk. And so, he returned to her, slowly, with the sound of bells tinkling softly with each step. And he sat down next to her again.

    He didn't say anything right away. But the fact that he had brought the bells meant that he wanted to tell her about the dream. He just needed a moment.

    Sora understood. And she waited.

    Ryosuke lay down quietly again, carefully placing the bells between his front paws. They were his anchors. Small, shiny pieces of the past that always jingled just as he needed them to. Gently, soothingly. Never too loud. Just enough to remind him that it was safe here. He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his paw.

    Jingle. Jingle.

    Sora lay down next to him. Not so close that she touched him, but close enough for him to know she was there. Her calm breathing intertwined with his, and Ryosuke, though still clenching his paws a little, slowly inhaled. Then he exhaled. And again. The bells tinkled softly once more.

    “I had... a dream yesterday,” he began quietly, in a voice that didn't quite seem to belong to him. A little distant. A little numb. “It was... bad.”

    Sora remained silent. She just let him talk. That was exactly what he needed.

    “It was dark,” he continued, his eyes still closed. “Not the normal kind of dark... this was thick. It got under your skin. It suffocated you. And I was standing in it... But I wasn't... me. It was my body, but... bigger. My paws burned as if I were standing on coals, but there was no fire there. Just black, hard ground.”

    He jingled again, softly, as if he needed the familiar sound to be able to continue.

    “There were three gates. One made of bones. The second made of fire... but the fire didn't burn like flames, it was more like it was suffocating. And the third... covered entirely in mirrors.” He paused. Briefly. “But I couldn't see myself in them.”

    Sora twitched her ear, but otherwise didn't move at all.

    “Behind the first gate, I heard the wolf cubs. They were whimpering. At the second, I... could almost feel my fur burning. And at the third... I saw them. My pack. Yuto, Yuri, Keito, Dad, and the others. But... they didn't recognize me. They backed away. They turned around. And I was... alone.”

    Ryosuke sighed again. This time, he whimpered quietly, his snout trembling. The bells moved only slightly, but the sound was soft, like a sob suppressed in his fur.

    “Then... chains began to grow from my body. Not around me. From me. From my wounds. From my thoughts. From my fear. Every wrong sentence, every mistake... turned to iron. I couldn't move.”

    Sora instinctively moved a little closer to him, her hip lightly touching his. She said nothing. She was just there with him.

    “And then I saw him. Something black. With eyes... red like coals. Three pairs. He spoke to me. He said... it was time to open the gate. But I didn't want to. I wanted to get away. I wanted to just... follow my pack. But no one was coming for me.”

    Ryosuke opened his eyes, but he didn't look at Sora. He looked at the grass. A slight tremor ran through his body, as if the last traces of the dream still remained in him.

    “He told me that this... is my home.” His voice weakened, barely audible. “But I... ran away. I broke the chains. I ran. As fast as I could.”

    He fell silent for a moment. He just lay there, the bells tinkling softly between his paws, and Sora remained beside him in a silence that required no response. No “it'll be okay,” no “it's over now.” Just presence. Breath. Body heat. And understanding.

    “I think that's all… Thanks for listening,” Ryosuke finally muttered, still quietly, but this time with a little more ease in his breathing.

    Sora smiled gently. And quietly, respectfully, she replied, “Thank you for telling me.” She remained silent for a moment after Ryosuke finished speaking. Not because she didn't know what to say, but because she valued the fragility that now hung between them. If she spoke too quickly, she might break it all. It was a moment that needed gentleness.

    Finally, however, she slowly tilted her head, her eyes fixed ahead, on the landscape, as if giving him space so he wouldn't feel her direct gaze.

    “That creature...” she began cautiously, “... who told you that your home was there. Do you think it said that because it wanted to keep you there? Or because it thought you actually belonged there?”

    Ryosuke frowned slightly, his gaze still fixed on the grass. The bells between his paws jingled softly as he moved them.

    “I don't know,” he muttered. “It was like... like it said it with certainty. Not as a threat. Not like it wanted to imprison me... but like it knew me. Better than anyone else. And it knows what I am. What I'm trying not to be.”

    Sora considered her next question for a moment. Then she moved gently closer, resting her side against his more. She was warm, her fur smelling like a clean forest after rain.

    “What about you?” she whispered. “Do you think it could be true? That you belong there?”

    It was a question that hung in the air like a broken thread. Ryosuke took a deep breath. And then he just exhaled very quietly.

    “Sometimes... I'm not sure where I belong,” he admitted. “But... when it called me, I wanted to run away. Not to it. But to them. To my pack. To my family.”

    Sora smiled slightly, her breath touching his fur. “That's important. Where you wanted to go back to.” Then she added quietly, “I think that dream is trying to scare you. It's testing you. And I think... You made the right decision.”

    Ryosuke finally turned his head towards her. Just a little. But their eyes met. “Thanks,” he said quietly.

    And then there was just a jingle. A single one.

    Ryosuke was silent for a moment. He lay quietly, the bells between his paws. Sora was still breathing calmly next to him, her head resting on her front paws, but her ear was slightly turned towards him. She could hear something happening inside him.

    Finally, Ryosuke raised his head just a little. “Hey...” he began quietly, “do you think... what I dreamed... wasn't just a dream?”

    Sora slowly turned her head and looked at him. There was no surprise in her gaze, more like curiosity and a little caution, as if she didn't know whether to say what was on her mind out loud.

    “Like, maybe... it was really something from the future?” he added uncertainly. “Like your dreams.”

    Sora lowered her eyes for a moment. She thought. Then her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she shook her head. “I don't know... maybe it's possible,” she said slowly. “But maybe not. Sometimes, I have really strange dreams, and then nothing happens. It's just really... intense. And it looks like it's going to happen. But it doesn't.”

    Ryosuke tilted his ears and then glanced at her. “So… maybe it didn't mean anything at all?”

    Sora shrugged. “Maybe yes, maybe no. But even if it won't happen, it might mean that you have something inside you. Something that scares you. Or something that keeps coming back to your mind.”

    Ryosuke looked back at the grass. He moved the bells a little closer to his snout and jingled them lightly.

    Sora was silent for a moment, then pressed herself a little closer to him. “But if that dream scared you so much... even if it wasn't real, then... It's not just that, is it?”

    Ryosuke nodded quietly. He didn't say anything. But there was more than just fatigue in his eyes now. There was something like a small, subtle glimmer of hope.

    Sora smiled a little, then adjusted the grass under her head with her snout. “And if you have another dream like that... you can tell me about it. Or you don't have to. But you can.”

    “Thanks,” Ryosuke whispered. “I guess I needed to hear that.”

    Sora smiled quietly beside him and leaned against him again, just for a second, before folding her paws under her head again.

    After a moment, Sora moved slightly, lifted her head, and looked at him. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. But curious. It wasn't the curiosity that wants to know, but the curiosity that wants to understand.

    “Ryo... what are you most afraid of?”

    Ryosuke flinched slightly. Not out of fear. More as if his body had suddenly withdrawn into itself, clenching that feeling he didn't want to talk about anymore. But something inside him remained open. He still had the bells between his paws. And they jingled even when he didn't move.

    “That dream...” Sora added, “Maybe it showed you what scares you the most. Like... your pack leaving you. Because you're...” she paused, but then finished, “... different.”

    Ryosuke didn't answer right away. He just hunched his back a little. His eyes were open, but absent. He stared at one spot in the grass as if there was something there that only he could see. Something that appeared there again and again.

    “I'm afraid of that voice,” he said finally, very quietly. “Of that creature.”

    Sora fell silent. She pricked up her ears. She waited.

    “It was... huge,” Ryosuke continued, his voice muffled, almost as if he were whispering to himself. “And when it spoke, it sounded... like I was hearing it in my head. But also, behind me. As if it were... everywhere. And it spoke... with my own voice, but it was... distorted. And it spoke so calmly. So confidently.”

    He blinked. His eyes glistened differently for a moment, but he suppressed it. He just took a deep breath. The bells tinkled.

    “It was black... completely. Like me. And it had... red eyes. Six of them. And those eyes... were just like mine. Not just the color. Something in them was... mine.”

    Sora froze. She gently curled her tail closer to her body. But she didn't interrupt him. She just watched him.

    “And that's what scares me the most,” Ryosuke admitted. “That something like that is really inside me. And that someone will see it. And then they'll really leave me...”

    And then he said nothing more. He just pressed his snout against his paws again. The bells tinkled softly. And Sora just stayed next to him. She didn't move. But there was something in her eyes that wasn't childish curiosity. It was understanding. Although a complete understanding might come much later.

    Ryosuke lay with his snout hidden between his paws, the bells tinkling softly every time he breathed.

    And at that moment, Sora gently nudged him with her snout. Not sharply. Not cheerfully. But in a way that only someone who wants to touch the other kindly can.

    Ryosuke flinched a little, surprised, and looked up. Sora was smiling at him. Her eyes were shining softly, her ears were slightly tilted to the side, and even though she didn't seem to be teasing him, there was something... playful in her expression.

    “You know,” she said quietly, “you already have that black fur. And your eyes are red, too.”

    Ryosuke blinked. He didn't understand what she was getting at.

    “And we still love you,” she added. “So... if you had six eyes, so what? It wouldn't change anything. Maybe you'd just have trouble sleeping.” She smiled even more and lightly placed her paw over his. Just for a moment, and then she withdrew it.

    Ryosuke stared at her, half confused, half surprised. But then, very slowly, almost imperceptibly, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upwards. Not like an explosion of laughter. Not like a real smile. But like a hint. Like the first spring sprout after a long winter.

    “I'd sleep worse, huh?” he repeated quietly.

    “I think so.” She nodded seriously, but her eyes sparkled. “Because you'd have six eyes and you couldn't close them all at once. That's obvious.”

    Ryosuke snorted. And it wasn't that tired, quiet sigh of sadness anymore. It was a tiny laugh, hidden behind a mask of fatigue. And the bells between his paws rang softly. Not sadly this time. But a little... more cheerfully.

    There was a sudden rustling from the forest side of the meadow, clearly rapid, carried by light paws and excited breath. Ryosuke and Sora raised their heads almost simultaneously, but before they could say anything, Yuto materialized in front of them in a whirl of fur and energy.

    He stopped so abruptly that his hind paws dug braking grooves into the soft grass. His eyes were wide, his ears pricked up, his tail high, and he completely ignored any concepts of calm or discretion.

    He just stared at them for a few seconds. Then he spun around twice in place, as if he didn't know what to do with his excitement, his paws slipping and his snout already sniffing around them, as if picking up traces from the air itself.

    And then it came.

    “You have a date?!” he exclaimed dramatically, his voice cracking.

    Ryosuke froze immediately. A wave of embarrassment washed over him so strongly that he wanted to bury his nose in the ground. His ears turned red, and the bells between his paws rang sharply as he jerked. He blinked, hunched over, and desperately tried to pretend that none of it was true. That he wasn't even there.

    “It's a date, isn't it?! I can tell!” Yuto continued enthusiastically, dancing around them with his tail in the air, jumping like a deer in rut, every paw glowing with excitement. “You're sitting here alone! In the grass! With bells! And you're smiling, Ryo! You're smiling!”

    Ryosuke grumbled, dug his paw into the grass, and turned his head away. “Yuto...” he growled quietly, but without anger, more with the desperate energy he gave off when he wanted to disappear into the fog.

    Sora, next to him, laughed quietly. Not so much mockingly as amusedly. Understandingly. Maybe even a little cutely pleased.

    Meanwhile, Yuto rolled onto his side next to them, his paws thrown up in the air, his snout buried in the grass. “How lovely! Our little wolves have grown up! They're already mating!” he squealed like some aunt at a family reunion.

    Ryosuke nudged him lightly with his paw. Not hard. But enough to make Yuto whimper and roll over on the grass like a rag teddy bear with a smile.

    “It's not a date,” Ryosuke muttered, but he wasn't grinning as much anymore. His tail was tucked between his legs, but the corners of his mouth were still twitching slightly. Yuto might have been exaggerating everything, but at least he had pulled him out of his dark thoughts.

    And Sora? She just put her paws back under her head and calmly remarked, “It seemed like a date to me.”

    Ryosuke burrowed even deeper into the grass.

    Yuto jumped up and shouted triumphantly, “I knew it!”

    Ryosuke's smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. His mouth tightened into a thin line, his ears flattened back, and his tail twitched sharply as he got up on all fours. Without a word, he turned and strode back to where the wolves had left their things. His steps were quiet, but it was obvious from his gait that he was seething.

    The bells between his paws jingled with every step, but now they didn't ring with a soothing tone, but rather sounded like a warning and a war drum.

    Yuto immediately jumped up after him. “Hey, come on! Ryo! Don't be mad! It was cute!” he called after him, jumping from side to side and nudging his thighs with his snout. “I meant it in a nice way! Hey! Everyone could see that you were... cuddling!”

    Ryosuke reached the pockets without answering, gently took the bells with his snout, and carefully put them back inside. He closed the pocket with his paw until it clicked lightly.

    But Yuto didn't stop. “Date, date, daaate! Ryosuke has a daaate!”

    That was the last straw.

    Ryosuke turned so sharply that the wind blew his fur across his forehead. He growled, not too loudly, but clearly enough, and without warning, he jumped at Yuto.

    Yuto squealed, took a step back, but then immediately laughed and shouted, “Come on! Come on!” and lunged at him.

    Suddenly, they were both rolling around in the grass. Ryosuke was stronger, but Yuto didn't give up, biting his fur on the neck. Ryosuke threw him to the side. They rolled over, their paws whirling through the air, fur flying, teeth snapping close by.

    It wasn't a serious fight. But there was tension in it. Like when a wolf is already exhausted, tired, and someone touches him for a second too long.

    They both growled and barked. Occasionally, one of them laughed, but then immediately bit the other again. Ryosuke grabbed Yuto's ears. Yuto bit his thigh, not hard, but enough to make Ryosuke snort and go even more wild.

    The sounds of their growling and barking echoed across the meadow and soon attracted attention. The adult wolves raised their heads, and several cubs stopped running and turned towards them. Sora also stood up, stepped aside, but watched with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

    Keito was the first to get up and walk towards them. “What's going on over there...?” he muttered.

    “Ryosuke and Yuto,” replied Yuri, who had approached in the meantime. “They're playing the match of the century again.”

    Kota and Hikaru were also slowly approaching each other, but no one intervened. Not yet. Because even though there was tension between the two, there was still something more than just anger.

    It was a discharge that had to find its way out.

    Ryosuke and Yuto rolled around on the grass like two frenzied balls of fur and claws. Each of them had their teeth bared, not in anger, but in the tense, wild game that had long since spilled over from ordinary jostling into something bigger. A fight in which more than victory was at stake. There was tension, a need to let off steam, perhaps even emotions that neither of them could quite put their paw on.

    And then it happened.

    In the heat of the battle, when Yuto tried to roll Ryosuke under him, and Ryosuke got his hind legs stuck on a root, one rough push was enough, and they both rolled to the edge of the pond.

    Yuto jumped on him one last time with a heroic “Gotcha!”, but Ryosuke, before landing under him, tensed up, turned sideways, and kicked him hard.

    Splash!

    Both wolves ended up in the pond with a loud splash, water spraying in all directions. It was so hot that it smoked. The surrounding blades of grass twisted under the weight of the drops, and as soon as Ryosuke stuck his head above the surface, he was immediately hit by a wave stirred up by Yuto in another attempt to pin him down.

    And the fight continued. This time in the water.

    Yuto was bigger, his body crashing into the surface with sweeping enthusiasm, but Ryosuke had strength. Not overwhelming, but focused, resilient. His every movement was precise, as if he could read the currents in the water, while Yuto struggled in it like a river in spring.

    Both growled and barked, water splashing in all directions. Occasionally, a whimper could be heard when one bit into the other's ear or accidentally stepped on his tail. But neither of them stopped.

    While they continued to wrestle in the water, all the other cubs settled down on the grass at the edge of the pond. They lined up next to each other as if at a theater performance. Their eyes were wide, their ears pricked, their noses alert.

    “That's... wild,” remarked one of the smaller cubs, Talu.

    “Do you think they're really fighting?”

    “It looks like a real wolf fight!”

    Keito slowly appeared behind them. He stopped, raised his head, and took a deep breath. “Hey! Guys!” he called authoritatively. “Stop it! Everyone is looking at you! You're embarrassing yourselves!”

    There was a splash from the pond, and Yuto growled loudly. Ryosuke tried to surface while defending himself from his paw, which slid across his face. Neither of them noticed Keito saying anything.

    “I'm telling you, it won't help,” muttered Yuri, who stood next to Keito and shook his head. “They're completely out of it. All they can hear is themselves and how much they want to beat each other up.”

    Keito snorted. “These two are going to destroy me one day...”

    Meanwhile, among the cubs, someone tapped Sora on the side with her paw. A small red wolf cub named Niri with round eyes and a curious expression tilted her head. “Hey... Sora... did you guys really go on a date?”

    “Like, a real one?” Ely asked.

    “You really wanted to cuddle with him?” Talu was curious as well.

    Sora blushed to the tips of her ears. She wrinkled her nose and lowered her eyes for a moment. “No... we just... talked.”

    “But it looked like a date!” Niri exclaimed dreamily.

    “Maybe it's the beginning!” Ely whispered, dramatically placing her paw over her heart.

    Sora whimpered and covered her snout with her paw, while behind them, Yuto splashed as he jumped onto Ryosuke's back, who immediately threw him back into the water. The water splashed again, the cubs yelped, Keito threw his head back in despair, and Yuri laughed shamelessly.

    It was clear that this wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

    One by one, the adult wolves began to rise from the grass. First Kota joined in, then Seraya, Hikaru, and finally the female wolves from Seraya's pack. Slowly and silently, they joined the line of cubs, who had long since sat in a neat semicircle at the edge of the pond, watching Ryosuke and Yuto continue to fight in the water.

    And they fought with passion. It was like watching two forces of nature dancing together, barking, and occasionally sinking below the surface. The air was filled with splashing, loud panting, and barking laughter, which occasionally rang out between growls when one of them got on the other's back.

    Seraya sat with her tail curled around her paws, watching the scene with a mixture of fascination and concern. After a moment, she turned her head to Hikaru and leaned towards him.

    “How long do you normally let them... well, do this?” she asked quietly, as if unsure whether this was really normal wolf behavior or the beginning of the apocalypse.

    Hikaru sighed. It was the kind of long, weary sigh of an adult who had long since come to terms with the fact that some things simply cannot be changed.

    “Most of the time,” he began calmly, “until they stop on their own. Or until one of them starts crying.”

    Seraya slowly turned to him, raising her eyebrows.

    “Really.” Hikaru nodded and watched as Ryosuke rolled Yuto under the surface, and he emerged with his tongue hanging out and his eyes full of water.

    “If I jumped in between them now,” Hikaru continued dryly, “they'd just bite me. And then they wouldn't talk to me. For a week. Because I ruined their fight.”

    Seraya blinked. “Are you serious?”

    “Yeah,” he confirmed calmly. “And then they'll argue for a month about who actually won.”

    The rest of the adults from both packs fell silent. And then, as another bout of growling broke out between Ryosuke and Yuto in the water, during which they tried to knock each other onto their backs while pawing at each other's ears, muffled laughter could be heard.

    “I've never seen anything like this before,” whispered Linne, one of the female wolves next to Seraya.

    “And I thought our cubs were noisy,” Kaia remarked with a smile.

    “This isn't actually noise,” Kota growled, settling down among the others. “This is... a ritual.”

    “Yeah,” Yuri added with a chuckle. “Once they get through this, they'll be best friends again for life. And then they'll do it all over again.”

    Keito sighed. “And then I'll have to lick all their scrapes and tell them they deserved it.”

    Ryosuke and Yuto continued to roll around in the water, not nearly as explosively as at the beginning. Now their movements resembled more of a tired but determined battle between two young males who had the last bit of strength to prove who would go to sleep with their tails proudly raised today.

    And then Ryosuke sensed an opportunity.

    With one precise movement, his legs found support under the water, and the moment Yuto tried to raise his head and knock him down again, Ryosuke jumped forward sharply. He gently but firmly sank his teeth into Yuto's neck. Not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to pin him to the surface.

    It was a clean, wolfish move. Instinctive. Clearly showing who was the boss here.

    Yuto twitched for a few more seconds, his paws splashing, his tail whipping from side to side... but Ryosuke held on. His black fur was soaked with water, but his muscles tensed exactly where they should. His jaw was firm but not cruel. Wolf dominance. Calm, clear.

    And just then, Yuri ran up, tail in the air, ears to the sides, the excitement of a championship referee in his eyes.

    “Three...!” he shouted theatrically, throwing one paw dramatically into the air. “Two...!”

    Yuto muttered something incomprehensible under Ryosuke, perhaps an attempt at protest or a spit of water.

    “One! Knockout!” Yuri shouted, drowning out even the chirping of crickets in the grass.

    Ryosuke held on for another second, then finally let go of Yuto's neck and breathed heavily as the water around them slowed down. Yuto slid onto his side, panting, his tongue hanging out, his tail submerged below the surface, but his eyes smiling.

    “Not... fair...” he muttered with a smile. “You're smaller... You shouldn't have so much… strength!”

    Ryosuke looked down at him from above, water dripping from his mouth, licking his lips with his tongue, and snorting.

    “And you're… bigger. So, you shouldn't be so... slow.”

    Laughter rang out from the shore. The cubs clapped their paws on the ground, and the adults smiled. Even Seraya snorted quietly, apparently fascinated by this very specific kind of wolfish emotional release.

    Yuri walked around the pond, nodded his head like a coach, and then added, “Today's winner of the epic water fight is... Ryo-'I won't kill you, but I'll suffocate you'-suke!” And he bowed so exaggeratedly that he almost fell into the water, too.

    Ryosuke just rolled his eyes. He was tired. Soaked. But somehow... relaxed. And above all, calm. So, he just breathed with his snout barely above the surface next to the still panting Yuto. His fur hung heavily on his body, drops ran down his forehead, and he felt a slight burning sensation from the scratch on his side. But even so, he felt... good. Exhausted, but calm. Like he had finally fought for something, even though he had no idea what it was.

    Yuto was panting next to him, legs spread apart, tongue hanging halfway out of his mouth, eyes half closed. He looked as if he had just been hit by an avalanche and was deciding whether to get up or spend twenty minutes in a hot spring.

    After a moment, Ryosuke turned his head and growled softly, not menacingly, but more like... a reminder. “You lost.”

    Yuto blinked at him. “What?”

    “I said you lost,” Ryosuke repeated, this time with a slight hint of a smile. “So, apologize.”

    Yuto immediately straightened up, splashing water everywhere. “Apologize?! For what?! Was I supposed to let you bite my neck and then thank you for it?!”

    Ryosuke shrugged his paw and snorted. “No. But you said we had a date. And then you yelled it across the whole meadow. So. Apology.”

    Yuto opened his mouth, then closed it again. He blinked. “That was true! Come on!”

    A voice sounded from the shore, both innocent and mischievous. “You lost,” said Yuri with angelic innocence in his voice, sitting next to the other cubs and savoring every syllable. “So, you owe it to him. Rules are rules.”

    Yuto turned to him with his mouth open. “You just made that up! There's no such rule!”

    Yuri smiled so sweetly it hurt. “Maybe not. But it applies now.”

    Yuto sighed again, rubbed his snout with his wet paw, and muttered, “Fine... fine. I'm sorry I yelled that you had a date. And that I said it out loud. And that I jumped around like an idiot.”

    “And for telling Sora,” Ryosuke added quietly.

    Yuto looked up at the sky painfully. “And that I told Sora, too. And that I said you'd be cuddling.” A short pause. “And that I forgot to add that you'd be kissing under the stars…” He grinned maliciously and stuck out his tongue.

    “Yuto!” Ryosuke whimpered and covered his snout with his paw before Yuto could slap it.

    “I'm done!” Yuto defended himself with a laugh. “I promise. A big wolf promise.”

    “With your heart and tail?” Yuri asked.

    “With my heart and tail.” Yuto nodded, got to his feet, and shook himself off, sending water flying everywhere.

    Meanwhile, Ryosuke submerged his snout in the pond, probably to disappear from existence for a moment. But under the water, in the shadows, the corners of his mouth were rising slightly. It was annoying... but also a little relieving. Because that's what it looked like when someone knew him too well and still loved him.

Chapter Text

    The four cubs raced forward with their tails up and tongues out, while Kei trotted quietly behind them. His brown-gray fur glistened in the sun like polished stone, his eyes were alert, and his smile was patient, the kind only those who have spent a lot of time watching puppies that can't stay in one place for more than a few seconds have.

    “Not too far,” he reminded them kindly as they ran between the trees. “Remember what we said. If you want to go further than the stream, you'll come back. And someone will go with you.”

    Yuto stopped so abruptly that a few pine needles flew around him. He turned with flames of excitement in his eyes and announced loudly, “Sure! There could be a whole new world beyond the stream! Maybe caves! Or dinosaurs! Or giant Sniffasaurus!”

    “Or a trap for Sniffasaurus,” added Yuri, who was already leaning sideways against a rock and was cleaning his pink paws with his tongue, as if the thought of adventure left him completely calm.

    Ryosuke sat a little apart, not trying to be the fastest or the loudest. He just watched his brothers and nodded quietly to show he understood that if they wanted to go further, they would come back and tell Kei. Not because he wanted to drag anyone along with him, but... Kei's words carried weight. And Ryosuke took them seriously.

    “I heard you.” Kei smiled as he settled down in the moss and tapped his tail on the ground. “Go ahead. But don't make me look for your bells scattered around the forest, understand?”

    Yuto grinned and dramatically pulled an invisible hat over his snout. “Yes, sir! Let's go on an expedition! Pack! Forward!”

    And before you could say “Sniffasaurus,” the cubs ran off into the trees. Ryosuke looked back one last time, just for a moment, to see where they were leaving Kei. The adult werewolf winked at him and remained seated.

    The moss under their paws was soft, and the scent of leaves and ferns filled the air around them. The cubs disappeared around the first bend in the forest path, but their muffled laughter, whimpering, and barking could still be heard by Kei.

    They hadn't been running long, maybe five minutes, maybe five seconds, because time with Yuto could never be measured normally, when there was a loud crack, a rustling of branches, and then a quiet “ow!”, followed by another, this time a little more indignant, “I did that on purpose!”.

    When Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito stopped and turned around, they found Yuto buried nose-first in thick bushes, with only his hind legs sticking out. Branches were tangled in his tail, a leaf was stuck to his snout, and his eyes had an expression that tried to combine dignity with complete denial of reality.

    “Looks like an accident,” Keito said dryly, tilting his head.

    “It was a tactical maneuver!” Yuto whined before wriggling out with such vigor that he shot straight at Ryosuke, nearly knocking him over. “I was trying out a new type of camouflage! Now I could easily be a mossy Sniffasaurus!”

    “With your legs in the branches and your snout full of leaves?” remarked Yuri, whose pink paws barely touched the ground as he writhed with laughter on his side. “Sure. You look very inconspicuous.”

    Yuto looked offended, blew a strand of grass out of his nose, and was about to say something when he suddenly froze with his paw in the air, ears pricked up.

    “Hey... over there... I see Dad!” he whispered dramatically, nodding towards the stream that meandered like a snake between the trees. Behind it, Yuya sat calmly on a large gray boulder. His three-colored fur was almost invisible from a distance, but his eyes... they never slept. His tail lay loosely across the rock, one ear slightly turned towards the stream, the other towards the forest.

    “He's on guard,” Yuto added in a low voice, his eyes shining. “Just like a secret agent. If I could sneak up on him and poke him in the side, I'd be the king of all hunters!”

    “King of all hunters who fell into the bushes,” Yuri sneered and added with a smile, “Good luck. If you want to outsmart Yuya, you'll have to be a ghost. And a ghost without paws at that.”

    Keito chuckled quietly, but Ryosuke just remained silent and watched as Yuto subconsciously crouched down, as if he were already planning where to start his sneak attack. He listened to the forest for a moment.

    Then Ryosuke looked at his brothers and said with a slight twitch of his lips, “I'll give him three minutes before Yuya speaks to him without turning around.”

    “Two,” Yuri guessed.

    “A minute and a half,” Keito muttered.

    Yuto, however, did not allow himself to be distracted. His eyes were determined, his mouth was focused, and his body was covered in wet leaves. Nevertheless, he prepared himself like a wolf before a jump. And they, his brothers, watched him. Not because they believed he would succeed, but because they knew that even if he didn't, it would at least be a lot of fun.

    Yuto glided through the forest like a shadow, or at least he tried to with all the power of his childish imagination. Each step was accompanied by a concentrated breath hold, each crouch in the grass was complemented by a theatrical expression on his snout, like that of agents in secret movies he had never even seen. A forgotten leaf hung on his back, caught there in the previous bush, and trembled slightly with every movement. His eyes sparkled with a desire for glory. Today, he would go down in Wolf Cubs Scout history.

    Across the stream, just a few meters away, Yuya sat with the motionless expression of a guard, completely immersed in the silence of the forest, yet aware of every movement within a radius of several dozen steps. When Yuto stepped onto the stump, which creaked slightly, Yuya just twitched his ear. Then the other. Then he opened his eye. And then, completely motionless, he sniffed the air.

    He could smell him.

    Cinnamon, pine needles, mud, blueberries. And in all of that: Yuto. His scent was so rich, it was as if he had decided to have a picnic right on the back of the stream and sprinkle it with sprigs of mint. But Yuya didn't show anything. He remained seated with his tail relaxed and his gaze fixed on the horizon.

    A few meters away, behind a bush, Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito lay stretched out in the grass, their chins on their paws, their eyes glued to the scene in front of them.

    “He's going to fall into the stream,” Ryosuke said calmly, without looking away.

    “He'll probably slip on the moss under that rock.” Yuri nodded, raising his eyebrows. “He might bump his nose.”

    Keito, however, looked a little hopeful, almost moved. “You know what? I think… He'll really surprise him. Yuya may be the best hunter, but Yuto is... well... Yuto.”

    Ryosuke and Yuri turned their heads towards him at the same time with expressions so identical they could have been mirrors. “Yuto is Yuto,” Ryosuke repeated dryly. “That means he'll fall into the water.”

    At that moment, there was a rustling sound.

    Yuto prepared to jump. Between him and the rock where his father was, there was only one fallen tree trunk and a thin stream of water. He carefully placed his paw on the slippery moss. He put his weight on it.

    And the moss moved.

    Splash!

    Yuto fell nose-first into the water, which shot up like a geyser, and a piece of moss landed on his head like a crown.

    From the bushes on the opposite side came the booming laughter of three cubs who had long since been rolling on the ground with laughter.

    “I told you so!” Ryosuke remarked casually, a smile hidden in the corner of his mouth.

    “Yeah, but I didn't think he'd do it so stylishly.” Yuri nodded, pulling his paws closer to his body as if he wanted to commit this scene to his memory.

    Keito sighed. “Okay. Maybe he didn't surprise him... but at least he tried.”

    “And for that, he gets extra points from us,” added Ryosuke. “For his effort. And for the moss on his head.”

    Yuya jumped off the rock with the ease that only those who grew up in the woods and around streams have. His paws landed quietly on the bank without disturbing a single pebble, and in a few elegant strides, he covered the distance to the water. His calm expression did not change even when Yuto's desperate head emerged from the waves, covered in moss like an animal Christmas tree.

    “Dad!” Yuto gasped, water streaming from his snout, but Yuya had already lowered his head and expertly grabbed the skin on the back of his neck. Firmly but painlessly, just as he used to do when Yuto was still tiny and fell into puddles every single day.

    “That current could have carried you away,” Yuya growled in his ear and began to slowly pull him out of the water. Yuto's paws slapped limply on the surface, but his body was clenched, and his tail hung unhappily beneath him.

    “I had a plan...” he muttered as his dad pulled him out of the water like a wet sock. “It was supposed to be a secret mission...”

    “Yeah, and the first phase was to step on the slipperiest rock in the whole forest?” Yuya remarked dryly, without even looking at him. He put him on the shore and shook him thoroughly with his paw until water splashed in all directions.

    Another burst of laughter came from across the stream. Ryosuke had his head buried between his paws, but his shoulders were shaking. Yuri was slapping Keito on the back with his tail and panting as he tried not to laugh out loud. Keito, red as a beet, muttered something about how it could have been worse. Like if he had fallen straight into the mud.

    Yuto stood soaked to the skin, his nose down, but his eyes still sparkling. “Well, okay...” he grumbled. “So… I guess I didn't scare you that much. But I can still say that my own dad almost killed me when he dragged me around like a kitten!”

    Yuya finally looked up and stared at him. “I could also let you float away to the lake. You'd be pretty hidden there.”

    Yuto opened his mouth, then closed it again, and finally whimpered quietly. “I'm sorry.”

    Yuya smiled slightly. He gently licked his forehead, where a piece of fern was still hanging. “I know you didn't mean any harm. But not everything in the forest is a game.”

    “I know...” Yuto whispered, looking at him with his big, wet eyes. “But it was fun.”

    Yuya nodded. “It was.” Then he shook his fur once more, with a patient sigh, and turned back to the rock. “Come on. Sit next to me, and we'll keep watch together. At least for a while.”

    Yuto hesitated for only a second. Then he turned, took one last look over his shoulder at his laughing brothers, and headed back to his father. But instead of sitting down next to him like a normal guarding wolf, he slipped right between his front paws and settled in comfortably, as if it were the most natural place in the world.

    His ears were pricked, his eyes wide open, and his head held high, as if every rustle of grass was a potential threat. He had the expression of a serious guard on his muzzle, and his paws were carefully folded beneath him. He breathed slowly, intently.

    Yuya, watching him from above, couldn't help but chuckle quietly. The sight of his son sitting between his paws like the smallest guard feather filled him with that tender mixture of pride and amusement that only parents of cubs who never stay still for long know.

    “You're adorable,” he said quietly, with a slight smile, as Yuto straightened up again, this time even more dramatically to look taller.

    Yuto immediately turned his head up and whined discontentedly, “I'm not adorable!” His ears twitched with offense. “I want to be scary! And big! And terribly strong!”

    “So that every blueberry in the neighborhood will be afraid of you?” Yuya remarked gently, lowering his snout so that his forehead rested lightly against the top of Yuto's head. “Sorry, but the way the hair on your back is quivering right now, you look more like a frightened hedgehog.”

    Yuto sighed, but then leaned against one of his paws. “Maybe I'm not big now,” he admitted with a small sigh, “but one day I will be! And I'll protect the pack. And guard at night. And no one will surprise me.”

    Yuya fell silent. He watched him quietly for a moment, then gently ran his paw over his back to smooth his wet fur. “You definitely will be one day,” he replied quietly. “But even then, you'll still be my adorable boy.”

    Yuto rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Dad...”

    “I'm just stating the facts.” Yuya smiled. “Now keep watch. And be careful in case someone else decides to fall into the creek.”

    Yuto stood up again, pricked up his ears as seriously as he could, and remained sitting in the safe circle of his father's paws, like a little guard learning to be big. Serious. Alert. And yes, with a wet bottom. But proud.

    He sat completely still for a moment, as if trying to blend in with the forest, the grass, the rock on which Yuya was resting, and his father's calm breath, which rocked him like a wave on a lake. But it didn't last long. After a while, he began to fidget, crossing one paw over the other, then turning to the other side and back again, until finally he tilted his head back and exhaled, “Are you really just going to sit here and stare? The whole time?”

    Yuya lowered his gaze and raised his eyebrows. “Yes.”

    Yuto looked completely devastated. “That's the most boring thing in the world! Why don't you run around and guard... like, really guard? With your ears perked up and growling and stuff! Grrr! Scary big wolf! Fear me!”

    Yuya chuckled and slowly stretched out until his front paws gently embraced Yuto more, as if he wanted to pull him closer. “Guarding and patrolling isn't about showing fangs. If you run too much, you'll scare the animals away, cover up foreign scents with your own, and stop hearing what the forest is whispering to you.”

    Yuto frowned. “The forest whispers? It's never whispered anything to me!”

    Yuya smiled, and his voice softened. “That's because you're still too loud to hear it. But in time... if you just sit, breathe, and listen, you'll hear a branch snap even if someone breaks it on the other side of the river. You'll know if the one passing by is a deer, a fox... or another wolf.”

    Yuto was silent for a moment. Then he rubbed his nose with his paw, a little disapprovingly. “But that's still really boring.”

    Yuya laughed. “It's quiet. But not boring. And most importantly... when you find a good spot, one where you can see and hear as much as possible, where the wind carries smells from both sides, and the ground isn't too wet for your paws to start freezing, then you don't have to run anymore. You just have to be there. And perceive.”

    Yuto watched him thoughtfully for a moment. Then he leaned his muzzle against his front leg, as if acknowledging that maybe it didn't make zero sense.

    “Did you learn that yourself?” he asked quietly.

    Yuya nodded. “From my elders. And also... by running a few times when I didn't have to. And overlooking what I shouldn't have.”

    Yuto said nothing. He just moved his hind legs closer together and raised his head again. His eyes were tense, his ears twitching slightly. He breathed in the wind coming from the east and smelled the forest, the grass, the damp wood... and also Ryosuke, Yuri, and Keito, who had moved somewhere near the blueberry bushes and were whispering something about plan B. And suddenly... maybe it wasn't so boring after all.

    Yuya watched his son out of the corner of his eye and watched with quiet amusement as Yuto wriggled every now and then, turned his head, or ran his tongue over his nose, as if that could improve his sense of smell. But his front paws twitched with impatience, a kind of inner need to do something, to take action. And yet, he was trying. Yuya could see that. And that was worth noticing.

    “Try not to move your paws for a moment,” he said quietly, softly, almost in a whisper, so as not to disturb the peace around them. “Just lie down like a rock. Like moss. Like part of the place where we are.”

    Yuto sighed and laid his paws in front of him, his muzzle resting gently on one of them. But his ears were still pricked up, eyes wide open, and the wind played lightly with the fine hairs around his forehead.

    Yuya leaned down towards him and began to speak softly, as he had when he taught Yuto as a puppy to count the stars in the sky. “First, listen. What do you hear closest?”

    Yuto was silent for a moment. “Birds.”

    “Good. What else?”

    “Water. A stream. And branches... wood cracking somewhere.”

    Yuya nodded. “That's good. Now take a deep breath. And not with your sense of smell, just with your nose. As if you want to breathe in everything at once.”

    Yuto took a deep breath until his chest expanded.

    “What do you smell?” Yuya asked.

    “You...” whispered Yuto. “Your tail is a little wet.”

    Yuya laughed. “Yeah, it is. What else?”

    “Grass. Soil. There's a hint of blueberries. And... Keito. He's close. And Ryosuke...” Yuto paused. “Ryosuke smells like something old... like a stone that remembers a storm.”

    Yuya looked at him with respect. “That's a very nice description. Keep it.”

    Yuto smiled slightly, proud that his observations had meaning.

    “Now, try not to focus on just one thing. Listen and smell at the same time. Like you have four ears and two noses... or six eyes like a Sniffasaurus.”

    Yuto closed his eyes and remained completely still for a moment. Serious. Focused. The wind ruffled his fur, and he breathed rhythmically, calmly, almost as if he could really hear and feel more than ever before.

    But then his front paw moved restlessly.

    “Can I... can I practice this... later?” he whispered. “I just need to... a little...”

    “Run,” Yuya added with a smile and got up from the rock. “I know. But always try it for at least a little while. Guarding isn't about running. It's about perceiving the world around you more than you perceive yourself.”

    Yuto nodded, and even though he was already getting up with the urge to do something again, he felt a little calmer than before. It was as if a piece of the guarding stone had remained inside him after all.

    Suddenly, he began to pace back and forth like a puppy deciding whether to run or stay a little longer and soak up the strange calm that surrounded him as he sat between his father's paws. His tail fluttered in the air, his paws tapped gently on the stone, and his snout was raised as if looking for a reason to settle down again, but he couldn't hold it any longer. He turned to Yuya, his eyes literally shining.

    “Dad... did you like how I was the Alpha?” he asked with such enthusiasm that a small, puppy-like bark escaped his throat, trying to sound authoritative but ending up somewhere between a joyful squeal and a hiccup.

    Yuya raised his eyebrows, then lowered his head to look his son in the eye. “You mean on this trip?” he asked with amused tenderness.

    Yuto nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! How we ran around and explored! And I decided where we would go. And I decided who would go on which mission! And no one got lost! And we played like a Sniffasaurus and salamanderwolves! And also...” He paused for just a second, as if to make sure it didn't sound too boastful, but then continued, “I think everyone had a lot of fun.”

    Yuya laughed a deep, calm laugh that warmed like a summer evening. “Definitely,” he said with a smile. “I saw you. And I also heard Keito listening to you with his mouth open, and how Yuri deliberately hid so you could rescue him. And Ryosuke...” He paused for a moment. “He was only half-serious when he fought you, which actually means he was taking it pretty seriously.”

    Yuto paused, lifted his snout, and smiled broadly. “Really?”

    Yuya nodded. “Really. You're a good Alpha. And you're still my wild card with a nose for trouble, but that's not mutually exclusive.”

    Yuto proudly stuck out his chest, his tail wagging with joy, and his eyes drifted somewhere towards the horizon, as if he were planning another grand adventure. “Do you think... I could be an Alpha at home too?” he asked.

    Yuya smiled, placed his paw on his back, and thought for a moment. “We have a few more wolves at home... But if you fight for it in a tug-of-war, maybe they'll give you at least Monday command at breakfast.”

    At that moment, Yuya was certain that the boy who had been drowning in the stream just a moment ago could one day lead the entire pack. Maybe not as the quietest, but definitely as the one everyone would gladly follow.

    Yuto smiled, his snout tilted to one side, his eyes sparkling with the idea that had just been born in him. “Dad...” he began a little more quietly, more seriously. “I want the others to try it too. Ryosuke. Yuri. And Keito. To be Alphas. At least for a little while.”

    Yuya nodded as if he had expected it. “That's a good idea. A true Alpha knows when to hand over the leadership. And even more so, when to do it with joy.”

    Yuto thought for a moment, then sat back on his hind legs, as if he wanted to add something he had been carrying inside him for a long time. He stared at the moss swaying in the wind between them, then whispered, “And if Ryosuke chose to be the Alpha... I would want to be his Beta. I would want to follow him. Just like he followed me.”

    Yuya bowed his head towards him and gently nudged his ear with his snout. “That's very beautiful, Yuto. That you know when to go first... and when to walk beside.”

    Yuto nodded. And then, with typical puppy enthusiasm, he blurted out, “But it's not like I want to be Beta all the time! Just sometimes! I also want to lead expeditions and battles and build hideouts, and make up rules! But also...” He gazed into the distance for a moment, where he saw his brothers moving among the trees. “I want to be part of it. Not just at the top. Maybe sometimes just on the right. Or on the left. Or just close by.”

    Yuya smiled, fine wrinkles forming around his eyes. He put his paw on his son's back, pulled him close, and nodded. “You know that sometimes being next to someone is stronger than being in front? Because next to them, you can feel their breath. And you can hear what they whisper before anyone else hears it.”

    Yuto leaned his head against his father's side, but only for a second. Then he jerked violently, as if a mosquito had bitten his tail, and barked, “Then I'll go tell them! That Ryosuke is next in line! But he has to choose the right Beta, or I'll bite his tail!”

    And with that, he ran off into the forest to his brothers, ready to hand over the reins of the expedition with such vigor that even the Alpha wolf council would be ashamed.

    Yuya remained standing by the rock, the wind ruffling his fur, and with a quiet, proud smile on his lips, the smile of a father who knows that his son has just understood something that others carry with them their whole lives. That power is not just about ruling, but about sharing.

    His eyes still gazed at the silhouette of his cub, who had just run off among the trees, his tail held high and his paws landing lightly on the moss-covered slope.

    “That's my son,” he thought. “My little, wet tornado. The one who never sits still. Who always speaks before he thinks and jumps before he lands. But also, the one who is never afraid to love fully. The one who reaches out to everyone, even when he can barely stand on his own four paws. The one who makes up words when the real ones aren't enough, and overflows with life so much that it's almost too much sometimes.”

    Yuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air smelled of blueberries, damp leaves, and sunbeams weaving through the branches. But the strongest scent was the one that always lingered in his nose, even after he returned home - Yuto's scent. Earthy and wild, with something sweet that reminded him of the carefree nature of childhood, yet it carried something greater within it. As if one day he would grow up to be someone the world would follow.

    Yuya knew his son wasn't perfect. And he never wanted him to be. He just wanted him to be true to himself. To be kind. And strong, like those who can laugh even when they fall, and who reach out even to those who have just bitten them.

    And today, in that forest, with eyes shining like the sun in a puddle, tongue hanging out with excitement, every word aimed not at himself but at others... Today, Yuya saw in him everything he had hoped to see in him someday.

    “I would never trade him,” he thought quietly, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a calm smile. “Even if I had all the puppies in the world to choose from. Even if I were offered the smartest, most obedient, quietest ones. I would always choose him, because he is the one who reminds me why it's worth looking forward to every morning.”

    Yuya stared into the forest for a moment before sitting down on the rock again. But no longer as a watchful shadow. Now he sat like a wolf who had seen a new tree grow from him, not from his shadow, but from his roots.

    Yuto returned with such energy that his brothers could hear him before they even saw him. His paws pounded the moss until a bird flew out of the bushes, and when he finally emerged from among the trees, his tail was raised like a victor's flag, his tongue was hanging out of his mouth, and his eyes were shining with excitement, as if he had just discovered a new continent.

    “Brothers!” he shouted in that typical tone that signaled he had come up with something that would require at least attention, if not immediate escape. “Did you see that?! Did you see how I surprised Dad? I snuck up on him like a Sniffasaurus, really quietly, not even a leaf moved! And then boom!” he barked, and with a dramatic leap, he landed between Ryosuke, Keito, and Yuri, so that Keito had to roll aside to avoid being landed on his head.

    Yuri immediately began to giggle and rolled onto his back with his paws folded on his stomach. “It was the stream that surprised you, not Dad!” he snorted amusedly. “You were like a piece of wood that someone threw off a bridge.”

    “Yeah, exactly, Yuto,” Keito added as he smoothed his fur, “I saw you disappear under the surface like a stone. Your sneaking was so quiet that even the earthworms underground could hear you!”

    Ryosuke just smiled contentedly, quietly, as he always did when he was feeling good but didn't want to be the center of attention. He tilted his head and said with icy calm, “I said you'd fall into the creek. And you did.”

    Yuto stared at them for a moment with wide eyes, but then he erupted into a burst of laughter. Not offended laughter, but the right kind of wolfish, puppy-like laughter that carries through the trees like a bark of joy. Yuto fell on his back, licked his snout, and hissed, “So what! I fell into the creek, but then I snuck between my dad's paws! And he said I was adorable!”

    Yuri started laughing so hard that he fell over again. “That's not a compliment, Yuto! Adorable isn't scary! It's like saying you're as scary as butter!”

    Keito gasped for breath and shook his head, “A scary buttersaurus. That's a new breed!”

    Yuto couldn't take it anymore and started laughing even more, but he raised his paw and proudly declared, “But still... I was the Alpha! And the Alpha isn't afraid of a stream!”

    “An Alpha with a wet butt!” barked Yuri.

    “An Alpha who scares people by slipping into water!” added Keito.

    And Ryosuke was just quietly listening, staring into the bushes as if nothing had happened, “But when you were Alpha, it was a really good expedition.”

    At that moment, Yuto smiled so broadly that he almost spat out saliva in his joy. He lay down in the grass, paws spread out, his tail thumping softly on the ground. But even though he seemed to have no energy left, his eyes were still sparkling. And it was in that look that another idea was born. That's how it always was with him, when calm was just a break between two waves of chaos.

    He raised his head and looked at the others. “Hey...” he began, “I was talking to my dad. I told him I'd like the others to try it, too. To be Alpha. Like on the next expedition. What do you think?”

    Yuri raised one eyebrow and tilted his head. “Me? I'd be the most entertaining Alpha ever. We'd play games like 'don't step on a pinecone' and 'who can stand on one paw the longest'! And every night there would be a contest for the silliest expression!”

    “And you'd forget which way we went,” Keito grinned, “and we'd end up in a creek or a tree.”

    Yuto laughed and looked at Keito. “Well, what about you? You'd be the most chill Alpha in history. We'd spend the whole time picking blueberries and lying in the moss. A trip with you would be like a sleepover weekend. Very chill!”

    Keito shrugged and smiled quietly. “At least no one would get hurt. And we'd have full bellies.”

    Then they turned to Ryosuke, who was lying with his head on his paws, his eyes half-closed but his ears pricked up.

    “What about you, Ryo?” Yuto asked, a little more quietly. “Would you like to be an Alpha?”

    Ryosuke shook his head. “I'm fine with it this way. Being a Beta is... better. I can keep watch. I guard your back. And I don't have to talk so much.”

    Yuto moved closer to him, gently burying his snout in the fur behind his ear until Ryosuke breathed out quietly, tickled by the sensation. “You're the best Beta I could have,” Yuto growled right into his ear. And then he bit him, but not hard, just playfully, like puppies do when they want to cuddle and tease a little at the same time.

    “Ouch!” Ryosuke yelped and turned to him, his eyes wide with surprise, but a smile already forming on his face. “Stop it!”

    “Never!” shouted Yuto, still with his ear in his mouth, which he was actively chewing on. “The best Beta must be rewarded!”

    “Earsaurus will bite you if you don't stop,” Ryosuke growled and began to push him away with his paw, but not too hard. Yuto leaned on him even more, rolled over his hip, and continued to nibble on him, laughing as he did so, and Ryosuke tried to hold back the laughter that was rising in his throat.

    Yuri and Keito just sat nearby, watching them, and after a while, they moved closer until the four bodies were piled up in a heap of paws, tails, and warmth. And for a moment, it didn't matter who was Alpha and who was Beta, who led and who followed. Because in the pack, the real one, the wolf pack, the boys' pack, they all stood side by side. And that's what made them strong.

    Keito, however, froze. His snout twitched several times, as if someone had pulled a string, and then he got up from the pile, sat up halfway, and began to breathe deeply with a serious expression.

    “Wait... can you smell that?” he whispered, his eyes wide open as if he had just discovered a treasure.

    Yuto blew the grass that had stuck to his forehead from Ryosuke's fur and looked skeptical. “What?”

    Keito wrinkled his nose. “Honey. Sweet, warm... somewhere in that direction.” He nodded towards the slope covered with birch trees. “There might be a beehive there.”

    Yuri immediately stood up, and his ears pricked. “A beehive? A real one? With honey?”

    “Yeah. A beehive.” Keito nodded with scientific precision. “But be careful. If it's fresh, there will be bees there. And if there's one thing we know about bees, it's... that they have no sense of humor.”

    Yuto was already standing too. “Bees. Sure. Stinging flies with explosive butts. But... honey! I want honey!”

    Ryosuke slowly lifted his head from the moss and stretched, straightening his back, then squinted in the direction of the wind. The sweet, summery scent, with a hint of pollen, reached his nose. He twitched his ears.

    Yuri had already started running, but he immediately turned over his shoulder and said with a mischievous grin, “Remember how Keito got stung on the nose by that giant bee a year ago? It was as big as a blueberry!”

    Keito stopped in his tracks and gave him a look that could knock a chamois off a cliff. “It wasn't a bee. It was a hornet. And it was... a scientific experiment.”

    “Sure,” Yuri sneered, “a scientific experiment where you stuck your nose into a tree hollow full of buzzing because you were 'curious to see if there was anything there.'”

    “I just wanted to confirm it,” Keito objected, but even he twitched at the corners of his mouth.

    Meanwhile, Yuto looked around, caught up with Yuri, and ran ahead. “Come on! The honey stings, but it's worth it! Alpha Yuto gives the go-ahead for the honey expedition!” he exclaimed solemnly and ran forward.

    Ryosuke, slightly behind, shook his head but went with them, knowing it was better to keep an eye on this bunch, and also because the honey smelled damn good.

    The cubs ran through the forest, tongues hanging out of their mouths and paws whizzing over pine needles and moss. The air smelled of pine trees, and something indistinct buzzed in the distance, but the closer they got to the source of the sweet smell, the more the scent of honey permeated their nostrils.

    They stayed close enough and remained within a radius they knew was still safe. No streams, no unknown paths. Their fathers wouldn't praise them if they disappeared completely. Besides, Ryosuke had a great memory for routes, so even if Yuto rashly set off somewhere, he would bring him back.

    Then they saw it.

    Under an old tree, slightly buried in the grass, lay a beehive. It looked as if it had broken off or been knocked down by someone. Maybe a bear, maybe the wind, maybe a curious deer with more antlers than sense. In any case, it was empty, at least at first glance.

    Yuto was the first to reach it. He stopped just in front of it, his eyes scanning the slightly open structure of the wax cells, and licked his lips. “This is it! This is nature's gold!”

    Yuri followed him immediately and sat down on the other side. “Is it safe? Won't an army of bees jump out at us?”

    Keito ran up behind them and began to examine the hive with a serious expression. He tilted his head, sniffed, and then muttered, “No sound anywhere. No movement. I think... I think they're not here anymore.”

    “Why not?” Yuto grumbled and stretched his snout closer to the hive.

    Keito sat down and began to explain with an almost teacherly expression. “Maybe it fell. And when that happened, the bees gave up and moved somewhere else. They knew it wasn't safe here anymore. Or they lost their queen.”

    “But that means... It's ours, right?” asked Yuto, his tongue almost in the honey.

    “Theoretically... yes.” Keito nodded. “But be careful. The honey may be spoiled if it's been lying here for a long time. We have to smell it to see if it stinks.”

    “It smells like... hmmm... paradise,” Yuto stretched and, at that moment, licked one of the golden pieces sticking out. Sweetness flooded his mouth, and he growled with pleasure. “This isn't a spoiled honey! This is the best thing in the world!”

    Ryosuke was the last to arrive, a little more cautious. He stood nearby, not because he wanted to fight for a bite, but rather to watch how his brothers behaved. It was clear to him that this wasn't just about taste, because soon, he would be covered in sticky honey, and on top of that, Yuto would get a sugar rush that even three somersaults and another dip in the stream wouldn't get rid of.

    When the sweet taste of honey overflowed Yuto's tongue after the first lick and sank into his soul, he narrowed his eyes like a fox in a hot bath, raised one paw, dug it into the hive, and bit right into it. He chewed for a moment with his eyes closed, but then his pupils dilated sharply, and his snout trembled with pure excitement.

    “This... this is something completely different,” he muttered with his mouth full. “This isn't a normal honey. This is... super honey! No, this is... smelly dinosaur honey!”

    Then he paused, looking at his brothers with a mixture of absolute sincerity and obsession, as if he had just tasted the forbidden fruit of the divine kitchen. “We have to eat it all!” he declared dramatically, licking his snout until his fur was covered in sugar. “All of it! Otherwise, someone else will find it. Or the bee boss will want her rent back!”

    Meanwhile, Keito circled the hive with noticeably greater respect, his head tilted, his ears pricked, and his snout working like radar. Each approach was accompanied by a brief pause and a searching glance between the cells, into the crevices, to the base. Then he carefully poked one of the empty wax edges with his paw, and when nothing moved, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    “It seems... it really is empty,” he said. “Not a single forgotten bee. Maybe we really were lucky.”

    Meanwhile, Yuri also knelt down and, with his tongue ready, checked a piece of the honey wall up close. “Well, if this is luck, it's sweet as hell,” he grumbled, licked the honey, and widened his eyes like Yuto. “I'd put this on every paw! And between my pink pads too!”

    And then no one waited any longer.

    In a second, the four little wolves gathered around the broken hive like an excited pack of gourmets who had found the secret dessert of a cosmic chef. Their paws began to dip into the honey, their tongues licked the golden drops, their snouts bumped against the wax walls, and every breath was fragrant with sugar and gold.

    Yuto's forehead was completely smeared. Keito tried to stay clean, but in the end, honey was hanging from the tip of his ear. Yuri had honey in his eyebrows, and Ryosuke, although he was the quietest of them all, had the most thoroughly licked part, as if he had made his own little corner that he wanted to keep secret from the others.

    The honey was so sweet, so warm, so completely different from anything they had ever tasted, that even though it was becoming clear to them that their stomachs were slowly turning into honey pots, none of them wanted to be the first to stop.

    Yuto lay half on his back, tongue out, eyes half-closed in bliss, but as soon as he saw Yuri licking another piece from the edge of the hive, he immediately got up, crawled over, and buried his snout back in the honey. “It's okay, I'm just... checking if it still tastes as good,” he mumbled, and with another blissful sound, he pulled the entire honeycomb towards him.

    Keito had honey everywhere. On his muzzle, in his fur, under his ears, even in the crook of his hind paw, as he tried to lick the edges elegantly. And as soon as Ryosuke licked up a particularly nice piece of honey, Keito whimpered, “There's not much left, we should... finish...” He yawned. “Finish eating.”

    Ryosuke was the least talkative of them all, but even his eyes were beginning to droop. His paws were sticky, his belly swayed like a bag full of warm pudding, and yet he pushed the small remnant from the edge closer to him again, licked it gently, and exhaled deeply. “I can't... anymore...” he muttered, but the last bit of honey still clung to his tongue, and his body simply refused to let go.

    “I can't move anymore,” Yuri whispered and rolled onto his side, his belly stretched tight like a honey balloon. “But if someone said there was still a tiny bit left back there, I'd get there. Slowly. But I'd get there.”

    “No! That's mine!” Yuto growled, even though he had no idea if there really was any left.

    And so, they lay there. Four sticky, bloated, sun-dazed wolves sprawled around the destroyed hive, as if they had just survived the greatest feast of their lives. Their mouths full of sugar, their breaths sweet as heaven, and their legs spread out in all directions.

    “We should go...” Keito croaked, but no one moved.

    “Yeah... in a minute...” Ryosuke muttered, closing his eyes and pulling a piece of honeycomb to his side with his paw. Just in case.

    Somewhere between sugar bliss and mild stomach agony, a clear, firm howl echoed through the forest. It cut through the air like a stream of cold water, sounding strong and direct. It was a signal that could not be ignored.

    Ryosuke raised his head first, his ears pricked up. Yuto was so startled that he choked on a piece of honey and just coughed until he wiped his mouth on the moss.

    “It's Hikaru,” Keito breathed, the bristled fur on his neck receding a little. “He's calling us.”

    “Oh,” Yuri muttered, sprawling back on his back, his belly rising slowly. “Well... let him call us. I'm not moving. My stomach is trying to kill me.”

    “I'd go...” Yuto sighed, “... but my legs have given out. When I move them, they just go: bleh.”

    Ryosuke got up on his front paws, but they slid apart because his fur was still sticky. He slid back down, blinked at the others, and grinned. “If we crawl there, it'll be evening.”

    “He's waiting there,” Keito reminded them. “He always says he'll wait for the last cub. But he also says that if no one answers him, he'll go looking.”

    The four of them looked at each other. Their eyes showed a clear desire to survive. So, a suggestion was made. They had to howl. For help. Or at least as a response.

    “But... we can't howl too... loudly,” said Yuri, “or we'll give ourselves away.”

    “On three?” suggested Yuto.

    “On three.”

    And so, the four well-fed wolves took a deep breath, which was not easy with their full bellies, and began.

    But instead of a proud, strong, and unambiguous howl, something that sounded like a mixture of moaning, whimpering, and clinging barking echoed through the forest. It wasn't even as loud as it should be for Hikaru to even hear it.

    When it finally died down, Yuto clutched his stomach, Yuri laughed hysterically, and Keito just groaned, “It sounded like someone talking in their sleep.”

    “It sounded like a deer eating bad moss and begging the forest for mercy,” added Yuri, tears streaming down his fur.

    “Maybe at least he'll know,” Ryosuke muttered, “that we're... that we're alive. And that we're in need.”

    But in the distance, the same howl sounded again. Hikaru hadn't stopped waiting.

    Yuto looked at the horizon, then at the others, and finally sighed. “All right, brothers... we have to... drag ourselves. I'll count to five. And then we'll roll away.”

    “Only to five?” Keito whispered.

    “Five hundred, if that helps...” Yuri muttered, and everyone laughed, even though it hurt.

    But they started to get up anyway. Slowly. With great difficulty. Like four sticky balls of honey trying not to stick to the rest of the forest. But they moved nonetheless. Slowly but surely. Because they knew that no matter how stuffed they were, their Alpha was waiting for them.

    But before they could even get on all fours, footsteps sounded from behind the bushes. Keito was the first to raise his head and croaked, “It's Dad...” And he was right.

    Their silent guardian emerged from the thicket and immediately stopped short when he saw the scene before him. Four cubs sprawled on the ground, sticky all over, their bellies like drums, their tongues hanging out, surrounded by the remains of a destroyed beehive. He stood there for a moment, then slowly sat down and said in the calmest tone he could muster, “What... what have you... done?”

    “There was... honey,” whispered Yuto, his voice sounding like he'd been in a fight. “Good... lots of it.”

    “And too much,” added Yuri, rolling his eyes.

    “I just tasted it... and then I couldn't stop,” Keito admitted, licking his snout, even though it was almost impossible.

    Kei sighed heavily and wiped his forehead with his paw, as if trying to erase the scene from his memory. But before he could say anything else, there was a rustling of leaves behind him, and Yuya arrived with a heavy step. He stopped next to him and glanced over the whole sprawled-out gang. His snout twitched. “Are you serious?” he whispered.

    Yuto, who was lying half on his back with his paws spread out like a starfish, waved his tail weakly. “Dad... I think... I'm full to the brim.”

    “You look like a hot waffle,” Yuya grumbled. “You're sticky from a distance.”

    And as if that wasn't shocking enough, there was a crackling of twigs from the other side, and Hikaru arrived from under the trees with an expression that spoke for itself. “I'll call once. Twice. No answer. Fine. I'll wait. But finding cubs in honey?” He looked around. “What the hell was this supposed to be? Secret Operation Honey Belly?”

    Ryosuke just lay there, staring at the sky, and said in all seriousness, “A sugar trap.”

    Hikaru blinked. “Which one of you came up with this? You have guilt in your eyes. And honey.”

    Yuri turned on his side and whimpered, “We don't talk… without a lawyer.”

    Kota was already coming, his paws landing firmly on the pine needles and leaves, followed by Daiki, who immediately began to sputter with laughter. “What is this scene? It looks like the apocalypse of a bee lunch!”

    “Or a massacre in a beehive,” Yuya added, standing next to Hikaru for a better view.

    Kota rubbed his snout with his paw, closed his eyes for a second, and took a deep breath. “Okay... one thing at a time. Is anyone hurt? Does anyone have a sting? Open wounds? Honey in their eyes? In their nose?”

    “Everywhere,” Yuto whispered, “we've got it... everywhere.”

    “I even have it between my eyelids,” added Yuri.

    “I have some in my ear,” Keito said proudly, “but just a little.”

    Kota just nodded and turned his gaze to Kei. “Do you have any digestive herbs with you? These guys are going to suffer.”

    Kei nodded and reached into his pocket with his paw, while the other wolves settled around him, some of them already laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their muzzles.

    “When we tell someone about this someday,” Yuya said, “no one will believe us.”

    “They will.” Hikaru grinned. “Especially when they get a whiff of that honey mess. This part of the forest will be sticky for another month.”

    Meanwhile, the four guilty honey heroes lay in the middle of the circle, slowly realizing that maybe next time they'd be better off ignoring the hive by miles. Maybe. But despite their bellies swollen like bladders and a sugar hangover in every bone, the corners of their snouts were turning up... because it was worth it.

    Kei sat down next to Keito, who was covered not only in honey but also in a few stiff pieces of wax that had stuck to his back and looked almost like new patterns in his fur. He carefully raked his snout through the fur around his belly, checked his breathing, touched him to make sure his belly wasn't too painful, and then did the same for Yuri, who giggled and whimpered with every touch, as if he actually liked it a little.

    “Well, honey soldiers,” Kei murmured softly, “you survived your first expedition into the sugar war. But there's still the second one to come  - digestion.”

    Meanwhile, Hikaru sat down next to Ryosuke, who didn't move a muscle, just looked at his dad a little guiltily, a little tiredly, but mostly totally sugar-coated. “You definitely had a paw in this, didn't you?” Hikaru grumbled and put his snout to his forehead, checking his eyes and breath. “Your pulse is a little high... maybe from the sugar, maybe from guilt.”

    Ryosuke just whimpered quietly and closed his eyes. Hikaru continued to examine his belly, checking that nothing was swollen enough to be a problem. “My boy,” he murmured more quietly, “if you throw up in your bed, I won't let you go on the next expedition. I'm telling you straight up.”

    Meanwhile, Yuya sat Yuto between his front paws and began to systematically lick his forehead, ears, and neck, where the honey had hardened so much that it had matted his fur into clumps. “Dad! That tickles!” Yuto squealed between bursts of laughter and rolled onto his back, his belly bouncing like a balloon.

    “Well, you are one fluffy caramel,” Yuya grumbled, but he didn't seem to mind. His eyes were filled with pride and laughter, and every licked centimeter seemed like further proof that he would choose this puppy again and again, even if his entire belly was covered in honey.

    And while the others discussed the health and condition of the honey victims, Daiki quietly, without comment, moved closer to the half-collapsed hive, tilted his head, licked one of the honey-covered edges, and his eyes widened as if in revelation. “That's...” he muttered, “... god, that's genius!”

    And then he said nothing more. He began to eat. Carefully at first, like a thief afraid of being caught, but then he became bolder and bolder, until honey trails formed on his snout and his whiskers stuck together.

    “Daiki...” came a voice that was half amused, half admonishing.

    Daiki didn't respond.

    “Daiki,” Kota repeated, this time more emphatically.

    Daiki pretended not to hear.

    Kota couldn't take it anymore. He walked over to him, pulled his tail down, gently clamped his teeth around it, and yanked backwards. Daiki whimpered, leaned back, and lifted his head, his muzzle covered in honey, as if he had just been pulled out of a dream.

    “What?! I was just testing the terrain!” he defended himself. “There might still be bees there, you know? And... and it's irresponsible to leave them here unattended!”

    Kota rolled his eyes. “Sure. And when you have a sugar rush, we'll bathe you in the creek.”

    “That sounds wonderful,” Daiki muttered and licked the honey off his paw again.

    “Try to stand him up,” Hikaru grumbled as Kei gently lifted Ryosuke by his front paws. The wolf swayed like a rocking chair, whimpered, and... immediately slid back onto his side, his muzzle resting on his own fluffy tail. He was asleep. Sweetly, soundly, and with honey in his fur.

    “He's completely out of it,” Kei said, checking his breath before laying him back down on the moss. Ryosuke just snorted weakly and wiggled his leg a little in his sleep.

    “He'll be the first wolf to turn into a sticky cookie,” remarked Daiki, who had honey in his fur and on his snout, but clearly didn't have a shred of remorse. Kota glanced at him, but instead of reprimanding him, he just sighed, as if resigned to the fate of a pack full of irresponsible honey lovers.