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LYKOS SECOND SKIN Chapter 8 Climbing the Ladder

The void had been infinite, limitless, boundless, and yet it felt like it had existed only for a fraction of a second. There was some sense of elsewhere, a residue of something more, but that other place was gone, and so too was the void. There had been a brief flutter of activity; trees, sun, heat... lost, alone, too long lost. The embers of life had started to fade again, and it had gone dark once more... dark, but not infinite. Not boundless.

Numb, quiet, a little too warm. Linen? Was that a scent? Salt water... A flash of perfume, then nothing. So much nothing, for so long, and then... talking. The voices were too distant, too alien. It was like thunder rumbling in far away clouds; awe inspiring, thrilling, and terrible at the same time. The quiet shrank, the talking came more frequently... Touch? No, it had been so long since he had felt anything.

After months of muffled stillness, after the quiet motionless dark, one single moment pierced the veil with staggering clarity. The darkness in his mind was fractured as something tore through the black, cutting into it a scar through which gleaming blue light spilled out. The scar was jagged, zig zagging, shuddering. The light shone through the darkness, shaking all of reality until something changed.

Eyes fluttered, the muscles weak. The iris flitted about beneath the lids before they opened, barely for a moment. The light was blinding, but it felt real, more real than anything had in months. Inches away, a vital sign reader started to fluctuate. Heart rate increased, respiration, and skin conductivity all spiked... before the started to fall again. Conrad's fingers dug into the bed, trying to hold on.

"E...than..." Conrad whispered, his voice hoarse before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and the darkness swallowed him up once more. His fingers slowly relaxed, his breathing diminishing, his heart rate slowing. The moment had passed, but it was not a moment lost in time. The vital reader flashed, showing a snapshot of the episode, showing that vitals had climbed out of expected norms, and that snapshot had just been sent to the nurse's station, and from there to two doctors that had been waiting for any change.

---

The warning of athlete's foot running rampant in college bathrooms had been a real concern when Marco had first shown up to Grand Mesa University. He had purchased his shower bucket and flip flops to protect his feet venturing to and fro. In hindsight it had been a bit over-cautious, and that was before he had been given the gift - and curse - of lycanthropy, along with its resistance to various diseases and infections.

Marco moved down the hallway wearing nothing more than a simple pair of shorts, his large, bare feet gripping the utilitarian carpet, his broad shoulders rich in their cinnamon tones. A large towel hung off his right forearm. There was a confidence in his stride and Udo followed after, admiring his alpha. Marco had lifted him up from being an Omega to a Beta, and now he was near the top of the campus pack... but he couldn't help but enjoy his solitary time with his Alpha.

Udo followed after, wearing a black and white checker pair of shorts. His blond hair was sticking up with hints of bed head, but early mornings were his best time to spend with Marco. Yom was a bear and liked to sleep in, and Fletcher still was more nocturnal than the rest of them - although slowly and steadily they were working closer together. Marco's early starts, though, were something Udo appreciated.

Marco padded into the bathroom and made his way to the shower, throwing the curtain back and turning on the water. The pipes rumbled, the shower head shuddered, and the steady stream of hot water came out, cascading across the tiles below. The sound echoed off of the metal partitions between the showers as steam billowed up toward the ceiling. Marco peeled off his shorts and tucked them in a cubby with his towel.

Udo looked down at his Alpha, feeling a quiver in his groin. Something had happened during the full moon. Marco had shared the information with the rest of them. He had knotted Duncan as the moon set, and as they turned back into their human forms, his manhood... had not reverted. His balls were covered in thick, soft black fur, a sheathe hugging the base, and the rod was fat, long, pointed and red.

At first Marco had been a bit concerned, but the pleasure that his animal anatomy offered was undeniable. Even its scent was musky, alluring, and beastly. He was fairly certain that the effects would wear off eventually... Werewolves generally were able to pass for humans when not in a stimulated state, but for the moment he was certainly living up his change in status. Marco stepped into the water and started running his hands over his body, working the water into his hair. The droplets beaded up on his bushy beard. It wasn't as long as Artyom's or Duncan's, but each day it was fuller than the last.

Udo felt flushed... no, that wasn't quite it. He was aroused. His ears were even pointier than usual as he blushed, peeling off his shorts, putting them with his towel in the cubby. His human erection wobbled in front of him as he moved toward another shower, but Marco's strong arm reached out, curling around his Beta's shoulders. Udo was pulled in and he couldn't help but smile as the water hit him and the curtain was drawn around them both.

Marco turned Udo to face him and leaned in to kiss his Beta, his tongue batting against the young man's lips before they parted and accepted the tongue deeper. Udo opened his mouth, feeling Marco's beard against his skin, his tongue sliding around. Udo wrapped his arms around Marco's waist, his wide waist, his strong waist, and felt their groins come together. Udo humped and ground against his Alpha, eliciting moans and grunts from Marco.

"You're taller... and wider... and hairier than before." Udo panted. Marco moaned, breaking the kiss, nodding.

"I know... I'm hornier too. It's so hard not to think about it." Marco said, licking his lips, "You're taller too." he said. Udo nodded.

"My clothes aren't fitting right." he agreed, "All thanks to my Alpha."

"Does this keep going? Is this what the life of a campus alpha does?" Marco panted, "Seamus got huge living the life he lived."

"Whether you change any more or not, I'm in love and you'll always have me." Udo said. Marco growled at that and grabbed Udo by the waist and lifted him up off the ground. Udo's legs dangled in surprise as his back hit the back of the shower and he gasped as he felt his Alpha's huge, hard cock pushing between his ass cheeks. Udo's eyes slipped shut as he felt his tight ring pried wide by the invading member.

Marco growled deeper, the vibrations reverberating in his huge chest as he popped the head of his cock in, then the base started easing in inch by inch. Marco pushed in until his furry balls rested at the base of Udo's spine, holding it a moment before he eased back and thrust in suddenly. Udo wobbled as he was pounded, but he let out a soft moan. Marco grinned, his fangs sharpening as he thrust in again, and again, picking up speed.

Udo began to bounce up and down, water cascading down his head and chest as he was fucked liberally. He clenched down, trying to tighten his ass, giving Marco more friction. Udo moaned louder and harder, grunting. Marco held on with his left hand, his fingernails stretching into claws. His right hand flicked, claws extending sharply before he grabbed onto Udo's cock and started to stroke it up and down. The blond was pinned between a cock and the wall, precariously perched and loving it, thrusting up into the hand on his own member as it plumped and grew. Marco leaned down, licking Udo's cheek and then his ear.

"Grow for me... Let yourself out... Show me your wolf." Marco whispered. Udo panted hard, his eyes opening in a gleaming shade of amber. His ears grew fuzzy, blondish white hair sprouted from his cheeks, his balls started to soften as fur covered them and the mushroom shaped head of his member began pushing into a point, the entire shaft getting pinker, redder, and then almost purple as it shifted.

Udo gazed up at his Alpha before he felt his prostate getting hit through layers of flesh by the cock of a true beast. Marco pounded it time after time, honing in, striking the point of most pleasure. Udo drooled, his hot body even hotter with the shower water washing over him. He thrashed and wobbled and moaned before thick spunk started spraying out of his cock, turning thicker as it was pelted by the shower water. It fell in thick globs that would no doubt have to be cleaned up with a special protein-dissolving cleanser.

Marco smelled his boyfriend's cum, and he could see how much fun he was having. Marco's shaft kept slipping back and forth until, in a moment he felt coming, Udo's ass moved with his thrusts. The base of his cock had swelled bigger, rounder, and plumper until he was locked in Udo's ass. Marco threw his head back and let out a triumphant growl as he came, his fat furry balls channeling his potent semen deep into the goth boy's ass.

Udo shivered, feeling the meat he was impaled on pulsing, filling him with the rich flood. There was so much of it that he felt like his stomach was rounding slightly, but it was all for him, all a gift from his Alpha, and he loved it. Udo gazed at Marco with such passion, reaching out to fondle his thick nipples, palming his chest, feeling like the luckiest man on the planet.

``

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The sun climbed higher on the horizon, shifting the early morning rays of silver light into something richer, brighter, and more brilliant. The daylight spilled through the large window that spanned the double wide door room, reflecting off of the various glass bottles and jars that sat on the windowsill. Fletcher moved around the room trying to tidy up. They had stayed in the freshman dorm and on the third floor specifically for the view rather than moving to more luxurious accommodations, but given how frequently the boys 'wolfed out' or had intimate time, they rarely had the blinds open. It was nice for once to open the side windows, throw the blinds wide, and dig deep.

Fletcher felt... hopeful. For the first time since the blood eclipse, he felt like he was really starting to put his life together. His classes were doing better, but most importantly he felt a growing sense of purpose. Riku had invited him to a Keeper study group that evening and the mere idea had him actually buzzing with optimism. He moved over to the sink and mirror by the closet, ready to dig into all the spent bottles of hair product and creams and various things that Udo and Yom used, though he looked up at the mirror for a moment.

Caramel brown eyes gazed back from his reflection, his brown hair sticking out from the front of his black beanie. He hadn't had to use his glasses most of the year, and he'd gone so long without his nose ring that the hole had healed up. He was glad he had kept his earrings at least. Fletch reached up to rub at some brown stubble on his chin but jumped when there was a knock on the door right next to him.

Fletch moved over and opened the door to see someone he hadn't associated much with in the last several months, Tobin Ford. The sophomore was six foot two, but his frame wasn't very wide. His gray shirt was under-sized, hugging his abs and chest, showing off what muscular definition he had. His russet brown skin looked healthy and vibrant, and he'd braided his hair, letting it hang down to his shoulders in a loose ponytail. He'd grown out his sideburns into unruly mutton chops, but it was a fine contrast to how polished the rest of his look was.

"Tobin, how are you doing? You look good." Fletcher said, though the pitch of his voice was all over the place. He'd spent countless hours with Tobin and Silas when college had started. They played video games to all hours of the night and the morning, but Tobin had been a werewolf and then he'd tried to share that with Silas, resulting in him dying and being reborn as a direwolf - one in service to the dark spirit that Fletcher had been possessed by.

"So do you! You're really filling out." Tobin cracked a grin, looking past Fletcher to the dorm room itself as if he were looking for something, "They really gave you the big suite, didn't they?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. Four person rooms are pretty good." Fletcher said, "Only one gaming computer though. I might try to convince them to try out some co-op games with me."

"Oh yeah, it's been ages hasn't it?" Tobin said, "Maybe you could invite me over sometime if you guys do any LAN stuff." he offered, looking back to Fletcher. Fletcher wanted to believe that Tobin was there for him. Some part of him wanted to believe that they still had the frenetic bond of friendship they had started with, but so much had happened to them individually and so much time had passed that it was hard.

"I'll try to remember." Fletch said with a soft smile. Tobin nodded, though he leaned in a bit closer.

"Is it true you got bit and didn't change?" Tobin asked. Fletcher blushed suddenly, feeling his stomach tense up.

"Y... Yeah." Fletcher nodded reluctantly. Tobin grinned wider at that.

"Well, that's sort of like a get out of jail free card, huh? I'm sure you probably have enough fun with your pack, but if you ever want a little extra play, I'm always game." Tobin said, leaving Fletcher wide eyed at the idea. Tobin patted Fletcher on the shoulder before he turned, heading back the way he had come. Fletcher slowly shut his door but stayed standing there, thinking about the exchange.

He'd fallen into Marco's arms Freshman year, amazed both by his roommate being a werewolf and that he'd be receptive to such affection. Now he had the love and adoration of three committed werewolves as his boyfriends, and others were offering up their 'services'. Fletcher knew he should have expected it, Marco was the campus Alpha, but how could he tell if any future affection was genuine or someone trying to climb the ladder? Tobin had been his friend for some time, it could have been genuine... but it felt out of place, out of time. Fletcher grunted a bit in frustration. He knew being gay and in an unorthodox relationship would be a challenge, but life had a way of acting as a constant reminder of that fact.

``

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The door to the second floor bathroom of the University Center swung open as Marco and Yom entered. With Yom being six foot three and Marco having enough shoulder muscles to challenge the most experienced wrestlers, they dominated the small space. The only light came from covered fixtures over the mirrors on the left, leaving ambient scattering to cast illumination across the rest of the yellow tiled bathroom.

Marco stepped up to the urinal, unzipped and retrieved his wolfhood from his fly, letting out a soft sigh as he released his pent up bladder. Yom sidled up next to Marco, doing the same. A few moments of silence passed as they relieved themselves. They had dropped off paperwork with the upper floor offices before they closed, but with the staffers going home for the day, the university center was nearly empty and it gave them a nice extra bit of privacy.

Marco finished up, packing up his package as he carefully zipped and moved to wash his hands. Yom did the same, but as Marco turned to leave, Yom reached out and placed a hand on his chest. The Russian man grinned, his mustache curving a bit.

"Wait, before you go." Yom reached up and unzipped part of his black coat, pulling out a brown glass bottle. Yom unscrewed the lid and poured a few drops of oil into his left hand before he set the bottle on the counter with his right. He rubbed his hands together before reaching up, running his hands across Marco's beard. He massaged the oil into the hair with the grain, and then against it, digging in deep, fluffing up the hair, working the oil to the roots.

Marco was surprised by the unexpected grooming process, but the smell was amazing, and the touching was even better. He felt blood rushing to his groin as Yom manhandled his beard, massaging it and groping it, getting all close. He felt a soft tingle on his skin as the oil got to the pores, and in the mirror his beard looked so much fuller and shinier. Yom made sure to coat it evenly and carefully.

Yom spent some focus on Marco's mustache, making sure all was well before he screwed the bottle tight and put it back in his pocket, retrieving a small comb in its place. He worked it down through Marco's beard, making sure the hairs were detangled, all flowing the same direction. Once he was satisfied with it all, he gave a soft nod and returned the comb to his pocket, leaving Marco with a raging erection and a bit of a mystified look.

"I appreciate the effort, but... why now?" Marco asked. Yom gave a soft little pleasant growl, reaching up to give his Alpha's beard one more pet.

"I was thinking about the run in you had with Seamus last year, how he tried to manipulate him into being his Beta, and the vision he gave you about the kind of Campus Alpha you'd be." Yom said. Marco nodded gently.

"Yeah, it was hot but... it wasn't me." Marco said.

"Exactly. The kind of Alpha you'll grow into will be way better. You won't be a huge glutton like Seamus was, but you will be huge. You and I will grow our beards out to be the envy of our werewolf brothers, letting the wind flow against our mighty manes. You will inspire them with your true heart and your focused mind, and their loyalty will help you grow taller, bigger, and stronger. You will leave this place a true alpha, capable of rallying a mighty pack to your cause." Yom said proudly. Marco swallowed a bit.

"So... I could put your beard oil on sometime?" Marco asked, reaching up, running his fingers through Yom's dense, long, bushy beard, feeling the curls against his finger, and the immense length of it... Marco growled softly, his eyes shifting to a bright amber, his ears growing into points as his teeth sharpened. Yom growled back, his eyes turning, his ears pointing, and his mouth getting wilder.

The two said nothing for a moment before their faces came crashing together. Hungry lips worked furiously as their beards meshed and rubbed, gliding together, apart, with the grain and against the grain. They were symbols of masculinity, of lycanthropy. Yom reached down and tore open Marco's pants, getting rewarded with his fat, hard, aching, throbbing cock. Yom's free hand soon worked out his own, bringing the two shafts together.

Marco gyrated his hips, humping against his boyfriend, sucking on his lower lip before he turned, bringing his mouth down onto Yom's neck and biting down. His fangs broke the skin, giving him the faint iron tang of blood, but Yom grunted, grabbing onto Marco's head, holding him there. Yom grunted hard, shuddering, gasping, moaning... and growing. His Alpha had claimed him once more, and he loved it.

Yom's jacket tightened slowly as his pectorals gained a little more mass, his shoulders thickening more. Yom's pants groaned, his legs thickening, but nothing compared to how his cock was getting harder, thicker and longer against Marco's. Blood rushed in, forcing the flesh to brighter shades of red as the base bloated widest of all. Yom growled, his face tingling as new stubble crept up his cheeks and his existing beard began stretching a little longer, centimeter by centimeter. New hairs sprouted along the collar of Yom's shirt and his nails turned dark black, staining as they stretched into their claws.

Nestled in Yom's tight pants, even his balls felt heavier, swelling and sinking, the sack stretching to accommodate the increased mass. Yom threw his head back and let out a howl that echoed in the confined space as his huge cock unleashed a torrent of musky yellow wolf cum across Marco's cock and bush. Marco pulled back, his fangs slipping out of Yom's neck. He licked at the wound as it closed up and healed, the flesh working hard to repair the damage.

"Wh... What was that?" he asked, looking at Yom with awe, seeing how much bigger he had gotten. Yom grabbed his cock and held it over Marco's, continuing to pour his cum over his Alpha's rod. Yom was flushed, his limbs feeling rubbery, but his eyes were glazed with lust.

"Sometimes, at least... in legend, an Alpha... can give the bite more than once, as... as a reward." Yom panted hard, his heart racing, "If the motivation is strong enough, it helps his Betas grow, it helps Omegas advance in the pack, it..." Yom moaned, nearly falling onto Marco. Marco moved to hold his very tall, very big boyfriend up.

"It felt amazing." Marco whispered, "But you said in legend? It's that rare?" Yom nodded, leaning in to give Marco more beard nuzzles and soft, tender kisses. Marco returned the affections, but his mind wandered, thinking about how he had been able to achieve such a feat, wondering if he'd be able to do it again.

He'd tried to live a good life and stay humble, but was there really anything that set him out from other campus alphas? What if that was the one time he'd managed a second bite? Well, it had been with Artyom, his most devoted boyfriend... If that was the only one, it had been a good one. But if he could do it again, with the rest of his pack? Marco grinned, moving to kiss and nibble where he had bit Yom, making his boyfriend quiver with delight.

``

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Citrine light stretched across the heavens, flanked by shades of salmon and violet, complimented by the steady orange glow of the lamp posts guarding the pathways across Grand Mesa University's campus. Fletcher pushed out of the side door of Keller hall, wearing a gray t-shirt, cargo shorts and sandals, only to realize that the air had a bit of bite to it. Fall was creeping towards a Colorado winter, but it hadn't arrived yet.

Despite the chill, Fletcher felt an airiness in his movements as he followed the wide cement slab pathway, heading towards Hawkstray hall. There was an appealing freedom to college life, something that Fletch had savored at the start of Freshman year and then lost a little, but now? Now he felt it again. It was a timelessness, a feeling that he existed in an island apart from reality, that he could explore and experiment and try new things and that everything might work out perfectly.

Fletcher bounded down the cement steps into the recessed patio in front of Hawkstray, crossing the small span toward the glass edifice. Normally he'd be bringing his laundry to the Laundromat or checking out the campus convenience store, but tonight he had a different sort of destiny. Fletch swung open the door to what was colloquially called "The Hawk's Nest" and stepped inside. It was a multipurpose structure with activity in countless directions; the convenience store ahead, the Laundromat to the right, pool tables and a big screen TV to the left. There was even a campus radio station somewhere nearby, but Fletcher had never taken the opportunity to look. Instead, he lifted his head upward to the raised loft looking over the whole area.

There was an odd sense of excitement as Fletch moved to climb up the steps, ironically moving closer to ground level as he ascended. Still, the two story windows covered the entire Hawk's Nest and gave them a good view of Keller Hall and the open area between the two buildings. Fletch had made it almost to the top of the steps when he felt something slightly different about the air, or rather, he heard something different.

Fletch stopped mid-step, realizing that he was no aware of conversations being spoken when he hadn't mere inches before. He slowly eased back and the voices dulled out, becoming a diffuse unintelligible mélange. He stepped forward again and the words came around his ears once more.

"Fletcher, glad you could make it!" Riku said from where he was sitting on crossed legs in a big red recliner, though he looked almost camouflaged with a red hat and sweatshirt. Fletcher looked around at the others that had come for the study group. His eyes passed over the new faces that he'd seen at the first full moon before stopping on one face far too familiar.

"Ethan." Fletcher said. Ethan had been looking at the new arrival since Riku had said his name. Riku looked back and forth between the two, sensing the tension.

"Well, that's no way to start a study group boys. Sit down, will ya?" The tart, spunky voice came from one of Echo Creek's Keepers, Thackary. At nineteen he blended in well on campus, but he wasn't actually a student. He spent most of his time as a server at the town's coffee shop. Fletcher moved over and sunk down in one of the smaller chairs situated against the glass barrier that kept anyone from falling out of the loft.

"So, uh, what are we studying today?" Fletcher asked, looking around. Ethan relaxed a little at that and looked back at his notes. Thackary grabbed a swirled mint mocha from a cozie on the table and handed it to Fletcher. He sipped at it and murmured in wonder at the flavor.

"We were talking about ways to suppress some of the signs of our friends, what with that registration act Congress is going to be voting on." Riku said.

"The most effective one I know is Acanthus leaves. It's from the Mediterranean-" Thackary was cut off. Fletcher's eyes were wide.

"What registration act?" Fletcher asked.

"You didn't hear? Senator Jensen proposed it last week. He wants werewolves to be classified as concealed weapons carriers, and for the police to have access to a person's status." Riku said. Fletcher's heart fell a bit at that.

"So that's why you're... studying ways to hide the wolves from suspicion?" Fletcher asked. The others nodded. Fletcher looked over at Ethan and took a bit of a breath, "Back during the Blood Eclipse, my pack... they had a little bit of red powder that suppressed their werewolf side completely. When the eclipse took place and the wolves got weak, they were fine." Fletcher said. Ethan looked at the floor at that, knowing where he had been and what he had been doing, but the information was still important. He looked up at that.

"I've heard about that stuff, but from ancient history. They used the last of it up during the Crusades, and the information on how it was made was lost. No one knows what it was or where it came from." Ethan said.

"Well, it makes sense..." Riku said, reaching back to adjust his ponytail, "I mean, if werewolves have been hunted for centuries, they probably would have used up anything that hid them, especially if more couldn't be made."

"I know it couldn't be easy or someone would have done it already, but if someone made the stuff in the first place, couldn't someone re-discover it?" Fletch asked. Ethan smiled a little bit, nodding.

"It's worth looking into anyway. I'll talk to Ren, see if we can figure out more about it. If she really did get her hands on it, she might know more than most of us are taught." Ethan said.

"And about that... Who taught you that audio trick coming up the stairs?" Fletcher grinned. Ethan chuckled at that.

"That's a useful trick, huh? Can't talk out in the open without a little protection." Ethan said. Riku shook his head.

"He's just a showoff. Big hot shot with 'real magic'." Riku said. Fletcher grinned a little more at that. He wasn't the only one that couldn't do magic, and he certainly wasn't the only one trying to keep the other werewolves safe. They were all Keepers, with their own strengths and weaknesses, and Fletcher could feel the smile on his lips. Much like the Hawk's Nest, he felt like he'd finally climbed high enough to be back at ground level.

``

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Lights drifted along the windows of Clearwater Clinic as cars took the turn on the road in front of it, bringing a flash of light and then darkness. The clinic looked so different in the evening. Light spilled out from the underside of the hand rails running down the hallways and the pillow shaped light covers cast a faint glow, but for the most part it was a quiet, still, peaceful evening - the kind one might expect in a long term patient care facility. That was what made the presence of two doctors moving quickly down the hallway all the more unusual.

Doctor Woods led the way, looking a little more grizzled than usual after his day of surgeries. The grey streak in his hair was a bit bolder than it had been before, and a little bit of salt and pepper was working into his otherwise brown stubble. Doctor Clark was more clean cut, though he'd been so swept up in everything the last few weeks that his hair was shaggier than it had been since his undergraduate studies. The two nodded to the nurse at the nurse's station before reaching their destination.

"Nathan, be honest. How often have you seen flukes like this?" Doctor Clark asked as they let themselves into the room and shut the door behind them.

"You know the statistics as well as I do. Most comas don't last this long. The ones that do, they rarely come out of them unless there's a dramatic change to the physiology." Nathan explained. Noah shook his head.

"I don't mean the textbooks. Last month you told me you were a werewolf, and then you showed me during the full moon. This is an entirely different world we're dealing with." Doctor Clark replied.

"It isn't that simple. Just like medicine, we're always at the cutting edge, always learning more. The curse is organic, it's living - now more than ever."

"What does that mean?" Noah asked. Nathan moved over, pulling up the charts on their patient, honing in on the alert that had come to their attention. He opened it up, looking at the encephalogram for the alert, as well as the later activity. Nathan didn't respond, looking at the patterns before he lifted the tablet, showing them to Doctor Clark. Noah's eyes widened, "Those are alpha waves."

"With one spike all the way to thirty six hertz, a beta wave." Nathan said.

"He woke up." Noah whispered in awe. Nathan swallowed a bit and moved over to the bedside, reaching out to touch the palm of the patient's hand. He took a breath.

"Conrad? Can you hear me? Conrad!" Nathan called out. Noah was a bit surprised at that, but he jumped even more as the current vital readings started to spike. His heart rate was climbing, his breathing growing stronger, and his encephalogram was jumping.

"We don't even know-" Noah was cut off.

"Conrad, wake up!" Nathan called out, his eyes flashing yellow as his ears stretched to points. His fingernails grew darker, sinking into his fingers before emerging from the tips as claws, the points touching the soft tissue in the patient's palm. The fingers twitched, the arm jerked. His legs were even shifting slightly. Nathan bore his fangs and let out a snarl. The patient jumped, amber eyes snapping open as his ears shifted, his lips distending over forming fangs.

Noah was speechless, watching their comatose patient wake up. Alarms started going off, but Noah moved to silence them, hopefully keeping the nurse from the nurse's station from coming to investigate, though he had no doubt it was already too late. Noah grimaced and moved to the door, keeping it as closed as he could as he stepped out to try and explain away what was going on, keeping prying eyes from intruding on the moment.

Nathan stood there, looking down at the young man panting hard, fur sprouting along his cheeks, his own claws pushing out longer from his fingers as his muscles slowly regained definition. His lycanthropy had kept his physical state from deteriorating, but his condition had been almost as dormant as he had been. The young man blinked, looking up at the werewolf dressed in scrubs with confusion.

"Wh... Where?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"You are in a medical clinic in Colorado. Can you tell me your name?" Nathan asked.

"C... Conrad Haddix. How did I get to Colorado? Where is my brother? Where is Ethan?" Conrad asked, his voice getting stronger as he started to shift in the bed.

"We'll get him here as soon as we can. He isn't very far away. What is the last thing you remember?" Nathan asked.

"The sprinklers going off, the water coming down. My skin was so hot... there was blood everywhere." Conrad said before his brows furrowed, "The forest? I was in a forest... I was so thirsty..." he murmured, "I don't understand."

"I know, you've been through so much. But you're in a safe place. You're in Echo Creek, and there are many people here that want to help you." Nathan said.

"Echo... creek." Conrad murmured, "I... I applied for college there before... before the direwolf attacked me."

"I guess one way or another, you were destined to come here." Nathan said, moving to get a paper cup and fill it with water, bringing a straw over. Conrad eagerly took a sip, though he coughed and sputtered a bit. His body hadn't received oral food or drink for some time. As he sipped the water, his werewolf features started to shrink back until he appeared human again. Nathan focused, suppressing his own changes. There was a knock at the door, some murmuring outside before the door opened and Noah tried to act as a barrier, but the nurse on duty moved in, gasping.

"Doctor, how did you do it?" She asked with surprise.

"I wish it was something I could take credit for. We just noticed the patient's vital signs improving and were here to witness it." Nathan said. Noah looked relieved that both men had reverted. "With the change in condition, we'll need to arrange a transfer to a recovery facility. Would you be able to prepare the paperwork?" Nathan added.

"Of course doctor, but there are policies on patients reawakening that we must follow." The nurse said. Noah smiled.

"All policies I am familiar with. I have been offering my services here for some time, even if I took a few weeks off." Noah said, "I promise we'll come ask if we have any questions."

"Oh, of course Doctor Clark. I'll let you know when the paperwork is ready." The nurse said before moving out. Noah was silent for a moment longer before he looked back at Doctor Woods with a slight sigh of relief.

``

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The laughter had continued long into the night, long after the convenience store had closed, long after the last dryers had been emptied and the Laundromat fell silent. The security locks on the door to the Hawk's Nest had switched to student only at 9pm, but the study group had kept going until the blackest night started to tinge with the earliest signs of morning light, bringing shades of brown and yellow to the otherwise indigo sky.

"Oh god, I can't believe it's already five..." Thackary groaned, "Ive gotta get the coffee shop going and then sleep after the lunch rush." He slowly stood up, stretching as he grabbed his bag.

"Or you could just try some of your own coffee, that stuff is rocket fuel." Ethan said with a soft smile, as he gathered his own things, "It kept Fletcher up enough."

"Caffeine was my first boyfriend." Fletcher grinned, "But this was great. Really."

"Glad you enjoyed it. We'll meet next week, unless something comes up." Thackary said. Ethan moved his hands in a complex pattern and wiped a bit of soot off of the guard rail running along the loft and suddenly Fletcher could hear the heater vent blowing down from the rafters, the sound muffling having been broken. Thackary trundled down the stairs and headed for the door, Ethan following after. Fletcher moved over to where Riku was sleeping and patted his shoulder.

"Hey, we're heading out. You wanna go back to your dorm?" Fletcher asked. Riku murmured and shook his head, curling up tighter in the red recliner. Fletch smirked, "Alright, sleep well." he shrugged, tucking his notebook under his arm as he headed down the stairs and into the early morning air. It had been cold the night before, but it was nothing compared to five in the morning. Even as Fletcher shivered, though, he smiled. He had learned more from the Keepers in one night than an entire year. He'd learned tricks, techniques, history, legacy... Fletcher felt like he might just be able to help his pack, and that feeling filled his chest with warmth and hope that he thought he'd lost forever. He climbed up the cement steps, rising back to ground level, heading back towards the dorm he called home.