Takao, deer, white wolf
"This place is creeping me out..." Takao whines.
"Are you scared of the ghost?" Akio asks.
"No... Not ghost."
Takao looks around. Each time he steps on the grass, he would walk quietly and carefully. He looks back when he heard rustling noises behind Akio.
"What was that?" He shouts.
Akio chuckles, "Probably a rat. It could be a snake too."
Takao steps away from Akio. The sound is nearby, just behind Akio so he wants to stay away as far away as possible.
"So, you are scared of the snake. You are a werewolf, just step on it if it attacks you." Akio chuckles again.
"No way. It felt gross... The way it wiggles in my paw is grossing me out. I did rather avoid it than handle it."
Takao is so far away from his last position. Akio waves him over to come near him but he shakes his head thinking Akio was trying to tease him and continues to step back.
There's a reason why Akio did that. He wants to help but Takao was too focused on the noise behind Akio and did not aware of his surrounding.
*Hiss*
The hissing noise was right next to his ear. He turns his head slowly, his eyes bigger. A snake is on a tree branch next to him.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!" He runs away.
Akio watches him while shaking his head. He pulls the snake down and tears it in half. A few rats came out from their hidden place and stare at him from behind. What Takao heard before was actually rats. They were the ones making all those noises and startled Takao. Akio chuckles and tosses the dead snake at the rats. They immediately nibble on it.
"Free lunch for you guys. Enjoy it while it's fresh." Akio says to the rats.
He changes into his wolf form and immediately chases after Takao by tracking his smell.
-----
Behind the tree, Takao is standing while his eyes focus on a deer just a few meters away from him. He slowly slips his shirt off without making too much noise. Just a little sound he made will alert the deer and he will lose this opportunity if it escapes.
Akio watches him from behind. Takao is still hesitating about which way he should attack first. He plans to attack from behind because that's where the blind spot is. He slowly closes in and stops when the deer turns around.
This is his chance.
Takao feels the blood rise and his body instantly changes form. It only took him 3 seconds to change but it wasn't enough for him.
He needs to be faster than that because the deer already starts to run away the moment it notices him. Takao immediately chases after it without waiting for too long.
With the tree in the way, Takao had to avoid the obstacle while still keeping an eye on the deer. He is supposed to be faster than the deer but he got played by it.
The deer run in a zig-zag to outrun him. Takao almost slipped to the other side of the path when the deer suddenly changed their direction and run in opposite ways.
The deer got further away because Takao stopped in his track for a second but he chase it again and close in their distance.
The deer did not look back at all because it was hanging on dear life to outwit Takao. It still hasn't been ready to die just yet. If it could, it wants to have a family first before dying under Takao's paw.
But.
It's too late.
The deer could no longer move now that Takao got the hang of it and it could not even struggle under him because Takao's hold is too strong for it to escape. It can only pray for it not to hurt too much the moment Takao bites it.
The deer dies.
It could not get their wish to have a family first before dying. Poor deer.
-----
"Good job."
Akio slows down and stops next to Takao and the dead deer. The deer's body stops twitching the moment it let out the last breath. Blood spilled from the neck, dirtying and painting the green grass in red.
"You did good, Takao."
Akio pats his back before crouching next to him. He watches Takao let the deer off from his jaw and transform back into his human form. Akio changes back too.
"My feet hurt because I slipped when chasing it. I got tricked." Takao growls not satisfied with his chase.
"Yeah. I saw it but you did well getting up instantly. You could have lost it if you just stand there and give up but you didn't and won. Let's celebrate at home. We could have a feast with everyone. This deer is huge."
Akio turns around to leave.
"I don't need it."
"Hm? What do you mean?" The question confuses Akio a little.
"We don't have to celebrate it. I don't need it." Takao looks down.
"What are you talking about? You did great, just enjoy it. I will bring Yua over." Akio glances at him.
"Is that really alright? She never goes out. I mean... she almost never goes out." Takao wants to smile but he is also worried about something.
"Yeah, just for today. Under my protection. She prefers you to protect her though." Akio smiles, his aim hits the mark the moment Takao takes the bait.
"Really? That's great."
Takao could no longer hide his excitement. It's been a while since he last met Yua, Akio's little sister. She has been at home all the time and has never gone out since the incident.
Yua is so beautiful compared to other girls he met. Her beauty lures the bad people towards her. Luckily Takao was nearby and saw what happened. He stopped those bad people from hurting her by saving her. He has been in love with her since then because of her beauty and gentleness when she talked to him.
-----
It's been a week since then and now, tonight is a full moon. Akari still hasn't gone home after school is finished. She told Akio, she will be home late because she was with her friends.
Of course, that's a lie. She never tried to get close to other female classmates. At school, she has been with Akio, Kenji, and Takao all the time. When is the time she made friends and hung out with others?
Suddenly...
Her ears picked up on something.
There is a howling sound not too far from her position. The voice is not familiar but she got curious to see who it is. It sounded like the other wolf is in pain.
She changed form in a second and run to the sound. At the same time she ran, a shadow is chasing after her from behind. She stopped.
The shadow soon appears before her and reveals itself. She recognizes that wolf.
"Akio? Why are you here?" She asks in her wolf form.
"Why else? I'm making sure you are safe. Do you think I would believe you when you said you were hanging out with friends? I have known you for years." He answers in his black wolf form.
"Hehe. So, you saw through my lies. I guess I can't lie to you at all, can I?" She giggles.
Akio turns his head with his eyes closed but then he remembered something.
"I heard the howling. You should go home first."
"Why? I want to go check it out too." She can't believe him, he told her to go home. She is really curious about that wolf. How can she go home now?
"I will take care of it. Just go home first." Akio still insists on her going home. He doesn't want anything to happen to Akari.
"No. I will go with you. If anything happens, I will run away." She is determined to stay and not listen to Akio.
"Fine. Suit yourself." He runs off. Akari follows behind.
-----
It only took several minutes for Akari and Akio to reach the sound where it last heard. They see a white wolf who is a little smaller than both of them.
It seems like in a weak state seeing how it keeps on trying to walk but it always fell several times.
Akio gets closer slowly and watches the wolf.
There is no other wolf with the same smell as others he is familiar with. He doesn't know this wolf and he has never seen it before.
Akari tried to go ahead of him but he stops her and shakes his head. He needs to ensure her safety first before letting her get close to another wolf even if they seem weak.
The wolf stops moving as it feels Akio approaching and staring at him.
"Who are you?"
It got quiet.
"You can talk and understand me right?" Akio keeps asking because he still didn't get any reply from the wolf.
The wolf looks up at him for a bit before lowering his head and placing them on its paw trying to ignore him. It has no intention to move or attack Akio.
Akio growls at him lowly with a furious glare. This white wolf dares to ignore him and this is a first.