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Lykos Second Skin Chapter 6 (Waning Moon)

Moonlight glittered on the dew gathering on the blades of grass, still and quiet within the walls of the box canyon. The moon was inching across the night sky, creeping toward the horizon, radiating its refracted light upon the world below. It was a pristine night with crisp air, so quiet that the sound of paws pressing down through the grass and into the soft dirt was almost audible - at least to those with werewolf hearing.

The immense black wolf emerged from the brush, golden eyes peering out, wet nose sniffing the air. Even after all the full moons of the past year, Marco was still impressed with what it felt like to turn. It was like waking up after a perfect night sleep. His body was refreshed, energized, working at its prime. He was a beast, a feral wolf, and yet... he was still himself. He didn't feel quite as much at the mercy of his instincts as he did his first year. Maybe it was because of the conflict during the eclipse the previous year, or maybe he'd found a better balance being an Alpha of a larger pack.

Rather than staying in one spot, Marco had patrolled the canyon during the night, moving from one spot to the next. There were several wolves he hadn't even met yet, wolves he didn't recognize, wolves he couldn't connect to their human selves. It was a night of discovery, of learning, and making his presence known. The Alpha slowed as he heard the sound of teeth gnashing, scraping meat from bone. He looked up to see a large grey and white wolf and a brown wolf eating from one of the piles that had been deposited around the area for the nightly activities, but the pile of bones was starting to surpass the amount of meat left and the wolves still weren't moving on.

Marco sniffed the air and caught the scent of someone else, turning his view up wind to see a smaller, thinner silver wolf. The young wolf moved over a little, step by step, trying to get closer, but as he did the other two wolves growled, scaring him back. Marco's tail bushed out, his fur stood up on end, he lowered his head down, getting ready to pounce. This was the injustice he swore to prevent, and he was going to do just that.

The Alpha's front half lowered down to the ground, his leg muscles primed as blood rushed, ready for the confrontation. He got ready to push off - and nearly got blindsided by an dusty brown wolf charging past, growling so loud that it likely could be heard some distance away. Marco watched in surprise as this new wolf rammed into one of the bully wolves, sending the brown beast rolling side over side, scrambling for a footing. The grey wolf turned and snarled, only to come muzzle to muzzle with the dusty brown wolf opening wide into a roar, fangs dripping with saliva. The intention, and display were clear.

The Alpha was impressed, especially as the grey wolf slunk off, the brown wolf following close behind. The encounter had been brief but decided. Marco remained, watching, not sure how things would unfold next. There was every chance he would still have to step in. The dusty brown wolf sniffed the air and turned, not partaking of the meat. It wandered back the way it had come, hesitating at the tree line.

From the brush on the side, the little silver wolf was practically beside himself. He let out a small yip and ran over to the unguarded pile, digging his muzzle into the meat, finally getting a fair share of the spoils. It was a good sight to see, though it still left Marco with questions. Had the wolf cleared a path for the pup because he felt like Marco did about being fair? Was it something they could sense, or did he actually know that wolf? There were so many uncertainties, so many things he didn't know.

Marco put a paw forward, then another. The dusty brown wolf whipped around, looked at the Alpha and charged. Marco's shoulders spread out, ready to defend himself, but the energetic lycanthrope spread out, slid along the grass and skidded to a stop, rolling over onto its back. Its tail went flat against the ground and it presented itself to the Alpha, the wolf's quivering tail hole right there, pulsing, throbbing, practically calling out to him.

Once more Marco was mystified. He slowly moved over, looking at the dusty wolf on his back, his legs up in the air. Marco leaned in and sniffed as he approached, smelling the wolf's lust but also a playful spirit. He leaned over him more and the dusty wolf lifted his head, booping Marco's nose with a paw. Marco froze at that, looking at the wolf beneath him. The wolf wriggled and shifted, sliding down until he was flush against the Alpha's hind legs. The heat radiating off of him was immense.

Marco let out a soft growl, not entirely sure why. It felt like the right thing to do... The dusty wolf leaned up and started to lick and slurp at his Alpha's neck, not just in affection, but almost as if he was grooming him. Marco started to pant and pressed down against the wolf beneath him. The dusty wolf eagerly groomed his Alpha's mane, but he started to hump and grind against him as well. In moments their meaty, hot, slick members found each other, pinned between their large bodies.

The heat infected Marco's brain, reminding him of just how good it had been to claim Liam and Kieran, to make his presence known, to be the Alpha. Marco humped harder and faster, the wolf beneath him getting clumsier and clumsier until he was merely thrashing back, grinding, humping, content as his tongue hung out of his muzzle. Marco snarled and panted, but he needed more. He pulled back, his fat wolf cock wobbling before he thrust, aiming right for that plump tail hole.

With a satisfying pressure, Marco squeezed into the tight ring until he popped through, sliding several inches in. Marco started to thrust back and forth, in and out, claiming more and more depth. The dusty wolf panted and thrashed still, taking the cock deep, feeling his own pinned beneath Marco's powerful underside. Marco leaned down, licking the dusty wolf's throat, sniffing his mane, nuzzling it and grinding like a madman.

Marco felt good... This wasn't just sex, this was a reward. The wolf had pleased him, had carried out his wishes, he'd been a good wolf, making sure that none of their pack was neglected. He was a protector, someone ethical, merciful, and... and sexy. Marco growled more, thrusting hard. He wanted to reward this wolf, to give him the station he deserved. The base of the Alpha's cock started to swell, bloating outwards, rounding. Each tug back became more of a challenge until, suddenly, Marco's cock didn't want to come out.

The dusty wolf squirmed and wriggled, eyes rolling back into his skull, feeling the bliss of being knotted. Marco stopped trying to thrust, shifting his focus instead to grinding, striking his new lieutenant's prostate, sending wave after wave of pleasure through his body. Marco growled, shuddered, tipped his head back and howled as he came. His rich, thick, yellowed werewolf seed spewed into the dusty wolf's body, filling him and coating his interior. Marco continued to howl, locked into his partner, infusing him with a power more potent than Marco even realized.

****

The elevator doors rumbled shut in front of Chad, and then there was a momentary feeling of near-weightlessness as the elevator started its descent. It sunk down floor by floor, steadily, uninterrupted. Even with the expanded projects, many of the researchers and scientists were at home, unaware of what was going on inside of Futurza headquarters... or beneath it.

The elevator stopped at the bottom, the parking substructure beneath the tower... but the doors did not open. Chad reached out and held his hand against the scanner while holding a badge up. Suddenly every button on the elevator panel lit up, forcing Chad to press five floors - a code. There was a shudder as locks were opened and the elevator started to descend again. The screen showed no indication of depth, but Chad knew. Six stories down into the Earth, diving deep beneath the city.

A simple chime sounded as the elevator door rumbled open, not into a concrete jungle, but a literal one. Massive redwoods stretched upwards, roots fanning out across the forest floor. There were ferns, vines, and even an immense moon slowly drifting along up above, filtering through the trees... although it was moving just a bit too fast at the moment.

"No, no, no! Control... We need to establish a baseline before we can modify it. Nature did not spend countless eons perfecting the model so we could spin the dial and see where we landed... I need you to get it right." Naomi chided over her Bluetooth headset. Chad had to smile despite himself. She certainly seemed out of her element. Naomi looked up, watching the moon suddenly halt in the air, shudder and then start backtracking.

"Going well?" Chad asked.

"Useless." Naomi hissed, pulling out a secured smart phone. She pressed a series of buttons and the night sky disappeared, the moon becoming a sun. The light washed out across the artificial forest, although even Chad couldn't determine where the boundaries were. It looked for all intents and purposes as if they were out in nature.

"I can report a bit more success on my end. We're exceeding sample quotas." Chad replied. Naomi's bluish green eyes flashed slightly.

"And the first tests?" She asked, "Are there any markers?"

"The sequencing... will still take some time, but... initial tests have found no markers." Chad replied, "Genetically speaking they are... completely human." Chad murmured. Naomi's eyes widened more at that.

"You're kidding..." She whispered, "That... That's impossible. Systemic changes to their bodies, differences in their human appearance, it can't be there without some... some change. What about hormone levels? Testosterone? Adrenaline?"

"Well, the adrenaline of the transformed wolves is higher, but there's no way to use that to identify wolves. In their human forms the levels were baseline." Chad said. Naomi's fingers slowly tightened around the phone she held. She stalked toward the elevator, having to watch her balance on the uneven Earth until she stepped inside. Chad fell back, pressing the button for the top level. The doors slid shut and the elevator chimed before it began climbing again.

"They can't keep hiding, not when we have them right here in front of us." Naomi murmured, her hands clenching into fists.

"These are just the first results, it's the middle of the night. Maybe with some rest, some sleep, we can attack this thing head on in the morning." Chad offered. Naomi reached up to rub the bridge of her nose, applying pressure there which seemed to reduce the pressure in her head a little.

"We've waited too long for this... This is what my life has been leading to..." Naomi said, looking up at Chad, "I can't let them destroy my life, my career like they did my grandfather's."

"And they won't." Chad replied, reaching to rub her arm, "Like I said... Sampling is going well, and tomorrow marks the start of behavioral trials. There's plenty of work ahead of us, and no matter how late you stay up, you can't accomplish it all in one night." Chad said. The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened to Naomi's office. She looked out, realizing the couch had been opened up into a bed, made up with blankets and pillows.

"Chad, has anyone ever called you the perfect man?" She asked. Chad smiled.

"Not quite, at least not yet." he replied. Naomi smiled back and sighed softly.

"Keep me updated, won't you?" She asked as she stepped out of the elevator, lifting a foot to remove her heel.

"If anything of note comes up, you'll be the first to know." Chad replied, "Goodnight." he said, looking at her as the doors slid shut once more.

****

The moon was continuing its non-stop journey, creeping along inch by inch. Rock and dust, drifting in orbit, reflecting the distant light of the sun. It was cold, distant, ancient and devoid of life - and yet, somehow, it was at the heart of the werewolf's existence, driving their instincts and reminding them of the ancient curse laid down on their kind. The waning light showered down across the canyon, catching in the fur of one of the few solid white wolves wandering the enclosed wilderness.

Udo had been contemplative, something that was new and strange for his feral form. The only other time he'd felt so in control of his faculties had been in the lead up to the eclipse, but usually it had been instinct and urges... and, before meeting Marco, fear. His full moons had been dominated by fight or flight, mostly flight to escape the other males. Now the others gave him a respectful distance, afraid to earn the wrath of the new Alpha.

At first Udo had patrolled the canyon like Marco, watching some wolves eat, others fuck, a few spar. There was a slight difference... Things were running smoothly for the most part. Udo had even wandered near the edge of the canyon, trying to get a glimpse of the human Keepers. When that didn't work, he'd gazed to the heavens and studied the moon, and if anything he felt... almost bored. Without the fight or flight of his Omega days, without the looming doom of the eclipse, and without the attention of his pack mates he wasn't sure what to do with himself. No doubt Marco was off doing some grand gesture to shape the campus group, but what was he supposed to do?

The white wolf kept walking, realizing slowly that he had been smelling something at the edge of his senses. As the wind changed, the aroma became far easier to detect. It was familiar, strong... Spicy, no, musky. Very musky... very, very, very musky - so potent that his mouth started to water and his pink, pointed cock began pushing out of his sheathe. He whimpered and growled slightly at the inconvenience, but as he walked, the smell was only getting stronger. His cock started to leak pre, as if it was envious of the smell... and Udo knew he needed more of whatever it was.

The white wolf ducked down and pushed under brush, sniffing around, more drool dripping from his fangs, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his tail swaying before he came up to the edge of a clearing. The smell was so strong, he couldn't help it. His heart was racing, his cock was throbbing. As Udo stepped clear of the brush, he discovered the smell. A strawberry blond, fox colored wolf was on his back, panting and cumming, spraying his seed all over his very messy, very sloppy belly. The wolf was groaning and grunting, splayed out.

It had to be one of the twins... Probably Liam. It made sense. They were so sex obsessed as humans, their feral forms had to make it even more intense. Identity aside, there was no denying the smell of the seed, the virility and potency of it or how it made him feel. Udo nearly came just from smelling it. He padded forward, then broke into a sprint, running up to the red wolf. He skidded to a stop just behind him and leaned down, taking a big whiff of it. He shuddered, his pink cock gushing forth a spray of his own seed, painfully plain in comparison. He leaned down, smelling the wolf's balls, then his wet cock, then his sloppy stomach.

The strawberry blond wolf whimpered, his white belly yellowed with seed. Udo felt a pang of pity for him to be in such a state, but he felt something more... a hunger, a need, a desperation - a heat. He brought his muzzle down and licked at the spewing cock, getting a hit of that wolfy musk. He groaned harder and wrapped his muzzle around it, using his paw to angle it up as he started to suck and drink and guzzle from the source.

The strawberry blond wolf threw its muzzle back and howled as he finally got what he needed, cumming into a thirsty throat as Udo went deeper, sliding up and down, powering through. He sucked and slurped the cum, letting it coat his teeth and tongue, taint his mouth, to fill his essence. His cock started to leak again, but it seemed like a waste just to spray it on the ground. The white wolf reared forward, plunging into that hungry ass, thrusting deep and hard before pulling back and powering in again.

The power of Udo's thrusts grew with confidence and need as he drank down the cum, letting it fill his belly as he fucked the red wolf. His partner whimpered and moaned in submission, letting his ass flutter against the invading cock. Udo's ears perked as he heard other branches and twigs break, looking up in time to see another red wolf walking over with a mouth full of meat, apparently bringing his brother something to eat. Udo was certain now, it had to be Liam and Kieran.

Seeing the two mating, the second red wolf dropped the meat and panted, moving over slowly, lowering its head in submission. Udo didn't stop fucking, still captivated by the cum in his maw, coating his throat as he fucked that puffy, hungry ass beneath him. The other wolf approached slowly and reverently, sniffing at the two before it began to lick and slurp and clean up the first wolf's belly. The tongue bath was efficient, leaving no drops, cleaning up every trace before it moved to nuzzle and nudge Udo's stomach, licking its way up before licking at his chin.

It was a strange sensation to be preened like that, or at least to have the other wolf sniffing around, but it was also oddly appealing. These two wolves had apparently been in the midst of helping each other cope and he'd wandered in and taken advantage, but the wolf he was fucking clearly seemed to be enjoying it. Udo tilted his hips to increase the friction, eliciting a whimper of pure bliss.

The second wolf panted happily and moved around, laying flat on the ground, using its muzzle to sniff under Udo's tail. Udo was uncertain what was going on until he got a muzzle against his pucker. Udo shivered, but the other wolf opened his maw and let his fat, long, thick, wet tongue slurp out, licking Udo's tail hole. Udo growled uncertainly, but as the other wolf plunged his tongue into the hole, Udo's eyes squeezed shut.

The three were a heap of oral fixation, and as Udo sucked and fucked the first wolf, the second started to slather his ass with saliva, sliding his tongue in and out, back and forth, working deeper and deeper. The red wolf opened his muzzle wide, pushing his tongue deeper. Udo felt dirty, but in all the right ways, as if he was finally an equal, a partner, a dirty wolf that needed to fuck... and the idea of being dirty was oh so appealing.

The white wolf started to cum harder, spraying into the first wolf. As he slid back and forth, it started to get harder to pull back, harder with each thrust as the base of his cock got fatter and fatter until the tiny passage was plugged tight. Udo grunted and growled, forced to change his tactics to grinding like a madman as he knotted his partner. Udo growled, sending vibrations through the cock in his lips, only pleasuring his partner further.

With gusto, the red wolf behind Udo rimmed him deep, tasting his scent, marking his brain with it, shuddering and panting before he started to cum as well, spraying his load across the grass. The two had made themselves a den of solitude, only to have Udo interrupt it, and now he was there, the center of attention and focus.

This was how it should have been all along... Consensual, pleasurable for all. Udo hated his life when he had been an Omega, but now? Now it was so much better - and not just because he was on top. He made sure these wolves were enjoying themselves. They all were, they were men, this was nature, and he... he... was at the top of the pack. Udo growled and let his maw slide off the cock in his mouth, getting a face splashed with the musky cum. It soaked into his perfect white fur, giving it a faintly yellow tinge... but he wasn't so perfect himself either.

Deep in the ass of the red wolf, Udo's cum started to pump faster, thicker, and yellower. The pearly sheen died away as it got more potent, his body working hard and fast to increase his volume. He was a dominant wolf, he was a true male, he was something special. Udo threw his head back and let out a resounding howl, shuddering as he came, feeling both of his partners doing the same as they shed their seed, filling the air with the scent of wolves in heat as the moonlight began to soften, weakening as the morning drew closer.

****

Marco sniffed the air, though it smelled a bit flat - at least compared to how it had smelled all night. He opened his eyes, the amber fading from gold to their normal hazel. The night was drawing to a close and its influence was fading. He flexed and unflexed his paw as his digits stretched longer, growing thinner. His claws softened and flattened. Flesh began to emerge from the forest of fur as his paw pads sunk down, disappearing.

The Alpha felt his center of gravity moving upward slowly, inch by inch as his tail began to retract and shrink. Mass was shedding off his frame, a dozen pounds at a time as his pectorals shrank, his biceps contracted, and his calves shifted. Marco's legs ached as they straightened out, converting bulk to an elongated bone. He closed his eyes as his muzzle began to pop and shrink, pressing his sharper, longer teeth tight as his jaw reverted.

A sudden lack of pressure came as his lips were almost too roomy, no longer holding back a maw full of fangs. A tingling, itching spread across his face as fine fur disappeared and his forehead emerged, then the bridge of his nose, his human skin reasserting itself. Marco rolled his shoulders as they pulled in, narrowing, shrinking.

It was easy to focus on his own reversion, but as he shifted and moved, Marco remembered that he had fucked a true beast of a werewolf the night before and had knotted him. He tried to pull back, but his fat, huge knot still locked him in the pert muscled ass of the unknown man beneath him. Marco licked his lips a little, watching the man beneath him slowly turning back to a human as well. It was a strange mystery indeed.

Marco winced as he went deaf again, his wolf ears softening and shrinking, migrating down his head. The points turned to curves, the fur faded away to reveal flesh, and Marco's hearing was almost human once again. It was even harder to breathe as his nostrils shrank back, his nose tilting down into a more human angle. The swelling around his face disappeared as it returned to normal.

The Hawaiian moved and shifted until, at last, he was human once more - naked, bare skinned, and knotted to another dude. His cock, it seemed, didn't want to return to normal, mated as he was. Marco tried pulling back, watching as his partner's body reverted... but as the fur disappeared from his arms, Marco saw something very familiar emerge - tattoos of the periodic table, the symbols for gold on his left arm, and silver on the right.

"Duncan..." Marco whispered. A moan emerged from beneath him.

"Yeah boss?" Duncan asked, snuggling against his Alpha, clenching his ass tight as if to milk Marco's cock. Marco groaned, his wolf cock almost swelling larger again. Marco grunted, putting his hands on Duncan's back. Duncan moaned and started to hump against the soft grass, grinding his own lycan cock against the ground.

"N... No, I-" Marco muttered and then moaned. Duncan growled, pressing against Marco's hands, letting them dig into his strong, beefy shoulders. Duncan panted hard, hiking his ass up, yanking Marco's cock forward and back, forward and back, clenching down and squeezing. Marco moaned louder and harder until he threw his head back and howled, letting loose another load of cum deep into Duncan's ass.

Duncan moaned hard, panting, feeling the heat inside of him. He felt different, there was no doubt. His body was... heavier, thicker, more massive... and he could feel the tickle of his beard against his chest. He had the blessing of the Alpha as one of his lieutenants, and he'd never be the same again. He grinned happily, digging claws into the earth, letting Marco's cum fill him steadily once more. Marco moaned, unable to stop himself as he came and came, pumping out what seemed like an endless supply of his semen into the hungry ass he was impaled inside.

****

The interplay between energy and sleep was something that had been baffling Fletcher since the eclipse. It had been gnawing at him, like an eternal and constant hole through which his will to live had been draining. It had made his movements sluggish, his motivation lacking. He approached tasks with the mindset that if he built up enough momentum, he'd make it through, but building that momentum was more challenging each and every time - until, somehow, meeting Riku.

The full moon was sinking toward the horizon but already dawn was climbing from the other direction. The sky had shifted from deep midnight blue to unusual and unexpected colors, taking on tinges of brown, green and yellow before more familiar pinks and reds began to blossom. Fletcher sat on a blanket, bundled up like Aoshi, writing down so much that his fingers were numb - but he didn't care.

For the first time in months, he felt awake. More than that, he felt invigorated. Riku's wisdom was not rooted in some intangible magic. It was rooted in a science, a methodical math, in something that the world at large did not know, but operated under steadfast principles. Fletcher had learned about poisons, medicines, tonics. He'd even learned some basic strategies. The hardest part had been developing a code system, but after coming up with the basics, he'd been making great progress.

Each keeper had their own code, something to obscure the notes from anyone reading. It was essential, and Fletcher could understand why. He was also starting to understand, at least at the back of his mind, why he had been so tired. It was a simple case of depression, of feeling as if he had no place or purpose and no way to redeem himself. But now? Fletcher knew he was capable of being a Keeper, he'd just be one that dealt with something more real than magic.

Riku looked up as the brush moved ahead at the opening of the box canyon. It wasn't a wolf that emerged from the foliage, but a naked twenty year old covered in dirt and patches of moss, his brown hair looking like the worst case of bed head he'd ever had in his life. Aoshi winced and sprung to his feet, rooting around before he pulled out a bag of jerky from his backpack.

"I lost track of the time." he muttered.

"It's dawn already?" Fletcher asked, looking up, "I mean, it's time to go?" he asked with a bit of disappointment.

"Yeah... Hopefully we can get some good sleep. I'm not sure who has it worse, the wolves or us." Riku smirked, looking skyward. As Fletcher found his gaze, the pearlescent shield started to dissolve. It came apart at the peak, splintering outward before fading away. The barrier was gone. Riku moved up to the student, offering the jerky. The reverted werewolf smiled and reached in, his fingernails still claws for the moment, though they were shrinking back.

Fletch closed his small notebook and slid it into his pocket. He thought back to what he had learned, how it had gone, what they had faced. He'd failed his pack before, but it wouldn't happen again. For the first time in so long, he felt... alive. He felt whole. Fletch smiled and looked up at the dawn, the light flooding into his caramel colored eyes, really accenting the gold flecks in them as he embraced a new day.

****

The door to the Mazda clicked as Marco opened it before dropping down into the passenger seat, leaning back. He felt like he could sleep for an eternity. Thankfully they'd have all Sunday to do just that. As he reclined his seat and spread his legs out, he turned and looked over across the parking lot, seeing the big white and black truck near by. Duncan was leaning against it, tying his hair into a longer high ponytail, though he was now sporting a rather long, unkempt beard. As if spotting Marco watching him, he ran his fingers through its length, showing off just how thick it had gotten.

Marco swallowed and looked away, feeling his cock quiver. This... was sort of what he had feared. He had judged Seamus so much for taking advantage of his pack, getting huge by eating all of their food offerings. He had wanted to be more fair to his pack, but now he wanted to fuck them all, to see how big they'd get with his influence, to really let out the beast. Marco closed his eyes. He had to be better than that. He nearly jumped when the back door opened and Artyom crawled in.

"You smell nice." Yom said as he took his seat. Marco blushed a little.

"Th-thanks." he murmured. The other side of the car opened and Udo got in, yawning a bit. Yom raised an eyebrow, looking at Udo as he sat. His shirt seemed to be tighter, as well as shorter, showing off a bit of his midriff. Yom reached over and poked his blond pack mate.

"Did you have a growth spurt?" he asked. Udo looked down.

"I don't think so..." Udo said.

"Guys, guys!" Fletcher said before he'd even fully gotten the car door open as he got into the driver's seat, "You'll never guess how I spent the night."

"Watching us?" Yom asked. Fletcher's eyes narrowed.

"Well, yes, but... I met another keeper, Riku. He's more of a protector, an assassin if needed. He works with potions and poisons and stuff." Fletcher said. Marco looked over at Rayne, glad to see him so excited.

"So you two hit it off?" Marco asked. Rayne looked at Marco a bit at that.

"Well, I don't know if I'd put it quite like that. I learned a lot." Fletcher said. Udo leaned up a little and clapped Fletcher on the shoulder.

"I'm glad. It's good to see you so invested." he said. Fletcher tilted his head.

"Did you grow?" he asked.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Udo murmured, sitting back. Marco exhaled a bit, reaching up to scratch his cheek.

"How about we just head back to campus, have a good night's sleep and then go to the dinner buffet. I'm sure we'll be starving." Marco said. Fletcher looked around, making sure the scene was safe before he turned on the Mazda and started backing up.

"I think I might go over my notes again while you guys nap, I think I want to try one of the things that Riku taught me." Fletcher grinned.

"Not the poison, right?" Yom asked. Fletcher smirked at that and shifted into drive, pulling the car onto the gravel road. Dust kicked up behind the black car, rising upwards to catch the morning light in all its brilliance.

****

It had been a long night for almost everyone in the Futurza building, though at Chad's request, Naomi had gotten a few hours of sleep before rising. Her red hair wasn't quite as perfect as normal, though she'd still pulled it back and made it presentable. She sat in the chair at her desk, breathing softly as her eyes poured through the night's results. Test after test, subject after subject. The data was intense and looking for any tiny detail that might prove pivotal was engrossing to the point that Naomi jumped when she heard a sound.

Naomi looked up, her heart skipping a beat before she saw Chad at the little kitchenette in her office, mixing her up some tea before setting it on a tray with food from the cafeteria. The smell of eggs filled the air as he brought it over, setting it on her desk. Naomi looked up at her bodyguard, her confidant, her assistant in everything and exhaled a little.

"Chad... When was the last time you slept?" She asked.

"I try to take little naps when I'm on the elevator. The feeling of weightlessness is very serene." Chad smiled. Naomi made a soft hissing from her lips.

"You need sleep... If nothing else, think of what would happen to me without you? I'd be lost." Naomi smiled. Chad smirked at that, moving to sit down in the chair on the other side of her desk, something he didn't often do.

"Have you found anything of use?" Chad asked. Naomi looked back at her tablet.

"There were over five hundred blood tests run, at least a hundred tissue tests. They're building a database of all of the current subjects and using that information to cross-check, but so far... There's nothing. We can't isolate an unusual protein, the presence of any foreign hormones or neurotransmitters. There's no scientific proof that these... things... are any different from humans, except for the fact that they transformed right before our eyes and on our cameras." Naomi said with resentment.

"The process is still young, we still have time. The behavioral and interaction trials start today." Chad said. Naomi looked up at Chad. There was something almost panic stricken in her eyes, a vulnerable desperation.

"But that's just it. The process isn't young." She whispered, sitting back in her chair, "It isn't..." Naomi opened the drawer to her desk and pulled out the old picture of the four generals, resting her finger just below the face of her grandfather.

"I know what this means to you, but this isn't the Archuleta facility, these aren't your grandfather's tests. These are yours. Just because this is a legacy you inherited doesn't mean that you aren't in control." Chad said, "You are Naomi Bennet. Futurza is yours." he said emphatically. Naomi smiled a bit at that and let out one more sigh before she grabbed her tea and brought the cup to her lips, sipping at it.

"You are, as usual, correct. What is on the agenda for today, then?" Naomi asked.

"While the findings are being analyzed from the full moon, the social experiments are going to take center stage. Pack dynamics are particularly interesting to the scientists, and they want to test the interaction of the two subspecies of wolves discovered during the full moon." Chad said. Naomi's eyebrow rose at that.

"Subspecies?" She asked curiously. Chad nodded.

"The characteristics are distinct enough between the two breeds to classify them as distinct. Those that attacked on the Bloody Eclipse are the larger, more aggressive breed. They are more resistant to sedatives, their forms are more rugged... Impressive strength and able to operate both as biped and quadruped, but their limbs are less well protected, their vital signs less resilient. The more common breed is limited to all fours in the full moon, more docile, more... canine I guess." Chad explained, sounding far more like a scientist than he usually did. Naomi smiled, rather intrigued by that side of him.

"Fascinating. And they're going to put these two together?" She asked.

"In some cases, yes. They represent under ten percent of our test subjects." Chad said.

"But... they are the wolves from the Bloody Eclipse? The ones that were imprisoned, quarantined, isolated? Those are the ones we first obtained." Naomi said. Chad nodded.

"Yes, but... the recruitment ads are bringing new werewolves to us daily, wolves that want a cure, wolves that do not know where their place is. Almost all of them are the more common breed." Chad said. Naomi smiled even more at that.

"And we have one month to get to know them better, don't we?" she said, taking another drink from her tea. Naomi sat back in her chair, looking up at the window and the hexagonal metal framework that covered the building. It made the Futurza tower a distinct landmark on the Houston skyline, but it did so much more than that. It felt like it kept her safe, keeping the whole building safe from anything and anyone wishing them harm. The science had come a long way, but Naomi knew she had her grandfather to thank for the foundations of it all.

With a short, quick breath, Naomi re-centered herself and returned her attentions to her tablet. There was so much work to be done, so much to learn and experience, but this was just the start. They'd have to push their recruitment numbers up, and they'd have to put out more bounties for the hunters to round up more wolves. Science demanded variables, and vengeance demanded sacrifice. The only way to accomplish both was to push the project to its limits. Naomi had faith that with Chad by her side, they would be able to accomplish anything.