FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

**LYKOS

PRIMER**

Written by Leo_Todrius

Supported by the Patrons

There wasn't anything quite like the smell of spray paint in the waning hours of sunset. It wasn't just the pungent ketones and esters, the solvents and the oils. It was the smell of creativity, of rebellion, of youth and counterculture and self-expression. The pigment was propelled through the air in a haze, adhering to a cement canvas in layer after layer. It had started with a crude outline, then murky shapes, and then rudimentary pictures. It was the shading where the artwork took on a life of its own. The technique had been passed down from the taggers that left their calling cards on the trains and subway cars that ran through the city, but what made a tagger's name pop only made a portrait more lifelike.

A backwash of paint drifted back across the artist, speckling his cinnamon hued skin with bright turquoise that clashed and complimented the streaks of bright orange in his otherwise dark, curly hair. An oddly sharp canine tooth pressed against a puffy bottom lip as amber yellow eyes surveyed the budding artwork. The fingers that clutched the can were tipped in claws and jagged triangles of abnormally thick sideburns grew out from the young man's cheeks. His t-shirt was dusted with countless layers of paint in more shades than a box of crayons could hold. Even his earrings were made of swirls of colored glass forged into spikes that traced dangerously down the sides of his neck as he moved his head.

The impromptu mural started with a dark red moon on the left, casting long shadows that twisted and morphed into monsters. The center of the mural contained a much brighter blue moon, though it seemed to feel equally unsettling and unnatural as the shadows cast by that lunar visage wrought into hexagonal cages that trapped and oppressed the wolves. It was a masterpiece of light and darkness, of color and meaning. As the graffiti artist moved toward the right side of the wall, he was having to employ far more colors. The third event seemed to be a jagged tear, a gap or void wreathed in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that fractured out into an aura of light.

What had been a still silence marked only by the gentle hiss of cans began to fill with a growing clitter-clack, clitter-clack. A slight grimace crossed the artist's face as he bore his fangs. Was the number eight early, or was the express line insanely late? He knew most people wouldn't care what he was doing. In fact, there was an art syndicate that operated as a liaison with the city to protect all forms of artistic expression, including but not limited to graffiti… but Gael wasn't going to push his luck. Yali, Illinois was far from the first city to take on the onus of declaring itself a sanctuary for werewolves, but it was the biggest by far. A spotlight had been pointed at the city and while Gael wanted a bit of fame for his art, he wasn't quite ready to do it with an audience.

The werewolf's most recent can of spray paint slipped into an elastic loop on a nylon sheet before Gael gave it a flick at one end. The nylon rolled up on itself, neodymium magnets snapping into place to create a coiled carrying case the size of a gym bag. The eighteen-year-old slung the bag over his back with a strap across his shoulders, disappearing around the corner of the building just as the clatter of the subway car became unbearable. Two hazy headlights broke the darkness just a few moments before the metallic centipede emerged from the underworld, rising up on a slope to nearly a story above the ground.

The train cars were testaments to Yali's artwork, to the craft that Gael had worked so hard to perfect. Each car was an art museum unto itself with a dozen different styles. If there was an honor among thieves, there was even more honor among artists. One's mark on the city was only painted over if it was too faded or weathered to make out. That respect had brought some sort of order to the chaos, but it also meant that new canvas space was at a premium. As the subway rattled its way along the elevated track, though, it was clear to every passenger just how many things could be a canvas. There were murals on rooftops, apartment buildings with stained glass windows, even noise barriers covered with more species of plants than some botanical gardens boasted. Yali was a city unlike any other.

****

It was a historical inevitability that most great cities were founded on the banks of rivers or lakes, but only the cities in temperate climates were celebrated for them. Illinois was too far North for people to use the waterways for much more than conveying goods and the fact that Yali had to share the Chicago River with its namesake city was a point of consternation. The abundance of water was compounded as a cold, almost miserable drizzle began to saturate the city, soaking every surface the tiny droplets could reach. It was another reason that Gael was glad he hadn't returned to the scene of his incomplete crime despite realizing it would have been at least twenty minutes before another train came by… that and the fact that his stomach was rumbling louder than the ball bearing in the bottom of a paint can.

The artist's worn out skate shoes slicked their way along the wet cement interspersed with sidewalk squares dotted with very old colored glass. There were stories that they acted as skylights down to tunnels that bootleggers had used during prohibition days, though the historians liked to claim that any tunnels under the city were merely utility passages and decommissioned pedestrian paths to move supplies between businesses. Gael hoped that the truth was somewhere in between both.

A leather loop studded with small silver bells jangled as Gael pushed the door open to the Level Levee. It wasn't quite a deli, nor a pizzeria. It was far too bare to be a bodega and far too focused on food to be an arcade. The coffee wasn't particularly good either, but the real estate was everything. The windows looked out across the waterfront walkway and the river glistened like a rippling sheet of black satin beneath the dull orange lights that boarded it. The Level Levee was not overwhelmingly lit either, though the neon signs from across the street cast a long purple and turquoise glow.

Gael gave a nod to Susie behind the counter before his eyes drifted to the inevitable sight half-way down the row of booths. A young man, maybe a little older than Gael, sat with his back to the window and the incredible view. In a city of a thousand colors, he was the sharp contrast. Rail thin arms stretched out from a baggy white t--shirt, his cargo pants a dull gray. His hair had not been bleached nor dyed but was naturally as white as snow, falling in straight sheets and subtle curves that almost obscured his angular face. Even his skin was pale.

“You're early, but so was the train…" The young man's voice was strong, but there was a raspy grit to it like he had tried to shout over a windstorm for too long. Gael smiled as he approached slowly.

“So, it was early, not late." Gael replied, “Can I get you something to eat, Daniel?" Gael offered, “Pizza? Alfredo?" he offered. A polite, subdued smile came before a shake of the head. Gael had expected the rejection. He really wished Daniel would eat something, anything. He was so thin that his wrist bones were perfect rectangles. His shirt hung off him like a funeral shroud… But he still had one last hope. “Grilled cheese?" Gale offered.

“That does sound good, actually…" Daniel said, his pale lips parting in consideration as he inclined his head. Despite the limited light, there was enough to fall across milky, sightless eyes. Gael moved over to the counter, putting down some crinkled bills.

“The usual, thanks Susie." Gael said. Susie gave a reluctant shrug.

“Good try, at least." she said before she moved into the back to start the grill. Gael slipped over, settling down across from his specter of a friend. Daniel didn't turn his head, keeping one ear aimed at his friend.

“How did it look?" he asked softly, running a tongue over his bottom lip, realizing how parched it was.

“You know me, constantly improving my craft. I think it's off to a good start, I just am not sure I have the third part just right yet." Gael said. Daniel inhaled slowly, his eyes staring into the distance and at nothing at the same time.

“The blood moon rises, the blue moon sees, the gateway opens…" he said, his voice cracking slightly despite the seeming importance of the words. Daniel's brow suddenly knitted tighter, his cheeks shifting. It was an expression as if he'd forgotten something. Daniel's thin hands lifted slowly for one of his pockets, but he stopped as he felt a clawed, hot hand press against his.

“Please, Daniel, let's eat first, let's talk." Gael said, a little too much pleading in his voice. He knew what was in Daniel's pocket and he knew it would take his friend far away to a place he could not reach. Rather than seeming angry or rejected, Daniel's soft, subtle smile returned.

“Of course! I mean, you're buying me dinner after all, it's practically a date." Daniel said. Gael relaxed at that, smiling happily, the gold of his eyes a little brighter for a moment.

“I hear Monsoon is trying to develop a new paint, a sort of… metallic iridescent. They say it will shine like seashells even once it dries." Gael said with excitement. Daniel leaned back a little, looking into his memory.

“If you used that to accent certain parts, it could really pop." he said in consideration. Daniel bit his lower lip with his fangs a little.

“Hear any good music recently?" Gael asked. Daniel grinned a little and nodded, laying one skinny arm out along the length of the bench.

“There's a new jazz club near my place… The past is really coming alive." Daniel said. Gael almost recoiled at the thought of it.

“Jazz? Really? With all the bebops and the wow-wows?" He asked. Daniel nearly snorted.

“You have no appreciation for our heritage!" Daniel said. Gael's dark eyebrow arched.

“Jazz isn't part of your heritage, you're Korean…" Gael said. Daniel drew a circle in the air with one of his hands while flipping Gael off with the other.

“Not my personal heritage, Yali, Chicago, Illinois…" Daniel said. Despite the fact that Gael knew next to nothing about history, he'd much rather have Daniel looking back through time instead of forward. Daniel's modest, unassuming cargo pants held the waxy fruit of a plant that technically should not have exited. The Lotus blossom was a fable from a mythological fairy tale misappropriated to a half dozen similar but unaffiliated species. It was a hidden trick of the trade used by werewolves and the humans that kept their secret for centuries, and it was the reason that Daniel had been kicked out of his werewolf pack.

“You should invite me some time, maybe I'll pick up an ear for it." Gael said. This time Daniel did turn to face his friend, a hand slipping out. The translucent, frosted clear claws that slipped from Daniel's fingertips looked impressively large compared to his slight, almost emaciated hand. Still, Gael leaned against his fingers and even the grazing sharpness of his claws as his friend caressed him.

“Maybe we can lie together in my bed and let the music waft in through the windows." Daniel said. Gael smiled warmly.

“I'd love that." he whispered. Daniel smiled back, saying nothing else in turn, his fingers tracing the fuzzy sideburns his friend sported, then his cheekbones the edge of his mouth and his chin. Daniel refreshed his mental image of what Gael must have looked like, though he had lost his sight by the time he had met Gael in an alleyway. Even then he'd weighed more than he did now. Daniel had been ensnared by the lotus blossom, always craving to live in the future at the expense of the present.

A soft thunk came from the counter as Susie set down the grilled cheese. Gael stayed as long as he dared, letting Daniel touch him before he forced himself to his feet to retrieve the food. His was more of a melt, the cheese a warm blanket sealing in chicken, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Daniel's was merely buttered toast and cheese. It was all they could get him to eat. It was as if that one food was his last touchstone to the life he'd once lived… and if the Lotus took it away, they truly would have lost him once and for all.

“Smells delicious." Daniel said as Gael set it down, though his nose scrunched up a bit, “Although I'm still detecting whiffs of spray paint." he smirked.

“Hey, love the artist, love the aroma." Gael chuckled. Daniel leaned halfway over the table, putting his lips out there where Gael could meet them for a kiss. Gael obliged, reaching up to caress Daniel's frost white hair.

“I know I asked before, but… When you got bit, the color just drained out of your hair?" Gael asked. Daniel lifted the grilled cheese, taking one slow bite. The cheese stretched out between the toast and his teeth in a gooey, stringy, undulating thread that eventually snapped, and he slurped it up.

“They're called the Ice Pack for a reason." Daniel considered, “The Alphas called it a random mutation even though the curse isn't genetic in that way, but something about the bond, the spirit, it claims that part of us, it marks us as its own." Daniel considered.

“So, if I were to bleach out the color in my hair?" Gael asked. Daniel responded with an almost hissing sound as he took air in through his teeth.

“You can't be a rival werewolf and rock their colors, well, lack of colors…" Daniel said, taking another bite of grilled cheese. He savored it, letting it slowly break down in his mouth before an indulgent swallow. Susie smiled at the sight of him eating, bringing over two tall glasses of milk. It was dairy overload, though nothing new for Illinois. “Besides, I like the idea of you being as bright as your art." Daniel said.

“Then I'll keep it." Gael said. Daniel nodded as if victory had been achieved and he kept eating. Gael barely ate, more focused on watching Daniel's progress, though he made sure to take a bite every so often, so Daniel didn't think he was eating alone.

Sometimes Gael wondered if there was a way he could ask Daniel to stop eating the Lotus, or beg, or plead, or threaten. There were other Lotus Eaters in Yali, though never many at any given time. They tended to have short lifespans when they got that far down the path. Some said that the Lotus Eaters had been the ones to warn the Syndicate of Futurza before the commercials started. None of the local packs had let their wolves venture to Texas or get involved with the chaos that had unfolded there… But maybe it was just old-fashioned paranoia.

“When the weather warms up, we should go on a canal boat." Daniel decided. Gael looked up in surprise.

“You like boats?" he asked. Daniel pursed his lips.

“You're right, I might get seasick not being able to see, but… I still feel like we should try." Daniel said. Gael's shoulders sank a little.

“Should try?" Gael asked hesitantly. Daniel slowly traced his fingers across the tabletop, his claws having retracted.

“I wish you could see what I saw, Gael. Maybe if you had a bite, you could… Maybe we could see it together." Daniel said hopefully. Gael swallowed, no food in his mouth.

"I'm probably allergic." Gael muttered feebly. There they were, on opposite sides of the river again. Gael wanted Daniel to quit; Daniel wanted them to be together in the abyss. Neither of them pressed it further. Daniel merely took another bite of grilled cheese. “You want any tomato soup to wash the grilled cheese down?" The idea had sprung up for Gael and to his surprise the gears inside of Daniel's head seemed to be turning hard enough that he could practically hear it.

“That might be good, something warm for the throat." Daniel said. There was a clatter from the counter as Susie was caught off guard, though her grin brightened her face.

“Coming right up." She said before heading back. She was tempted not to charge them for it, or to run back to the kitchen. It was hard watching someone waste away, but Susie restrained herself, doing her best not to spook Daniel. With luck they could fold the soup in as the regular part of their dates and put a little weight back on him. It was hard enough to care for strays, especially if they were malnourished.

****

Daniel's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, a smile crossing his lips, betraying the sharpening fang like canines that now poked out from the edge of his lips. His cheeks bristled with thousands of tiny white hairs, following the contours of his jaw line down, forward and together, framing his angular face. His left ear twitched as it stretched into a point and his brow seemed to swell, furrowed with concentration. There was even a faint, diffuse gleam of amber from behind his milky eyes like a sunrise trying to break through the ice.

Daniel reached out slowly, his claws translucent like frosted glass. He froze in place, turning his head ever so slowly before he suddenly pounced. Gael yelped as he was tackled, landing on the floor. Daniel wrapped his arms and legs around his partner as they toppled, bringing his mouth down onto Gael's neck as they landed. Gael gasped, feeling the fangs nearly break his skin. Daniel growled with satisfaction, sucking and slurping on Gael's neck as he began to press his groin down against Gael's, grinding against him harder and harder.

Gael moaned, panting, his eyes clenched shut. He felt the heat burning in his veins, boiling his blood, and sending his senses aflame. His triangular sideburns became more jagged, unkempt, bushy, and wild. His dark eyebrows got thicker to the point that they nearly grew together. His half-lidded eyes barely restrained the gleaming golden hues of his lycanthropy.

Sharp, dark claws traced down Daniel's pale neck. It was enough to make the lithe, almost featherweight wolf throw his head back and let out a howl of pleasure. Gael could have dislodged him at any time with little effort, but it felt good to be the prey, to let Daniel hunt him down, to be swept up in the natural instinct and the impulses that followed. It felt even better when Daniel's achingly hot and hard cock was suddenly against his own. Gael hadn't even realized when the other wolf had compromised the structural integrity of his pants.

Daniel rode Gael's body, sliding back and forth, grinding and humping him. Daniel nearly shivered, feeling the sensitive head of his shaft running across the thick mound of pubic hair that ringed Gael's crotch and traveled all the way up to his navel like a thick, black moss in a fertile forest. Daniel's hands explored his partner's body, finding the tiny wisps of hair across his small but respectable pecs, even a light dusting on his shoulder, then more on the back of his shoulder blades.

“Oh fuck!" Gael moaned as he suddenly felt Daniel's nose nuzzling under his arm, the pale werewolf parting his lips and licking at the tuft of dark hair there. “Dude, you're such a freak…" Gael said. Daniel only snarled in response, licking Gael's pit a few times before kissing him on the lips. Gael tried to sound grossed out, making a few sounds of protest until he melted into it, their lips wrestling almost as much as their tongues.

Taking the initiative, Gael finally rolled Daniel onto his back, clawed hands reaching down to slowly tilt the other man's hips. A soft, somewhat fuzzy pair of ass cheeks grazed Gael's cock as he got Daniel into position, edging forward. Human sex was awkward, clumsy, and uneven. Werewolf sex was so much better. The pointed head of his lycanthropic shaft seemed to home in like a heat seeking missile, finding the muscular ring of flesh guarding Daniel's entrance. Daniel, likewise, knew just how much more to shift his body weight to close the gap.

“Yes…" Daniel moaned as he felt his passage penetrated, the hot shaft slipping in. He wrapped his long, thin legs around the small of Gael's back, anchoring himself as the other man began to thrust in deeper, harder, and faster. Daniel bore his fangs, feeling his own shaft inching up higher and higher along his stomach. It stretched past his navel, swelling more and more. His claw tipped toes curled and uncurled in delight as he was filled so much. One arm had anchored around Gael's shoulders, revealing how much more muscle had filled the flesh of his back in just the last few moments.

While Gael was far from the largest werewolf in Yali, he was soon eclipsing Daniel for size. His terra cotta toned back was glistening with sweat as new muscle groups worked their way down from his shoulders. His biceps and triceps bloated, and his legs thickened. Daniel sunk his clawed fingers into one of Gael's mutton chops, feeling as the hair grew thicker and stronger, the stubble arching across his chin and upper lip to close the beard.

A fleeting thought flicked through Daniel's mind; a wonder of what Gael might have become if he'd been taken in by one of the big packs… If he'd become a Papi, he likely would have gone through another series of growth spurts, maturing, and becoming more masculine than his young age would have earned. If The Ice Pack tended to only turn their new recruits, rarely bringing in existing wolves… But Daniel liked that Gael was a lone wolf, unaffiliated with any of the politics. They were themselves, together, united.

Grunts left Gael's mouth, his fangs flashing dangerously as he rutted. His cock speared deep into Daniel, splitting his fuzzy cheeks wide. Daniel moaned and panted, riding the rod, exhaling sharper and harder. He wanted to ride it out, to make it last, but Daniel felt as if his limit had been reached already. His eyes clenched shut, he moaned, groaned, arched his back, and then inhaled sharply.

A syrupy flood of silvery white cum began to leak from his cock with surprising ease. It slicked across his flat, furless stomach and dribbled down his ribs, collecting in small puddles on either side of himself. It even slicked and splattered across his chest, glistening in the dim light of the apartment. The wetness of the semen seeped through the hair on Gael's chest and abdomen, tingling when it came in contact with his skin. It only took a few more thrusts before they were both drenched in Daniel's frictionless, silky seed. It smelled sickly sweet, floral, mildly tempting and equally dangerous for what it contained.

“Gael…" Daniel moaned. Gael only grinned, moving to lick and nibble at Daniel's neck.

“My pup made a big ol' mess… Good boy." Gael whispered before he grunted, thrusting in deeper and deeper, his thrusts ragged until he realized that he couldn't pull back out. Every time his hips reversed, he tugged Daniel's ass with it. The power of the knot, the triumph of the coupling. Gael clenched tighter before he let out a howl, feeling his body work in a beautiful harmony before his thick, potent, yellowed werewolf cum erupted deep in Daniel's ass. It came in sticky, almost violent spurts every heartbeat, coming for some time before it finally ebbed.

Gael collapsed on Daniel, panting, sweating. Daniel didn't sweat, even in muggy heat waves. Maybe it was from being in the Ice Pack, maybe it was just that he was so skinny that he never got that hot. Either way, it made Gael feel extra messy. Daniel didn't mind, in fact he seemed to like it. The two cuddled. Muscles relaxed, postures softened, their bodies melded together on the floor of the apartment. Neither said anything, both listening to each other's breathing and heartbeats. The only other sound came from the gentle ticking of a clock somewhere in the room and the street noise that filtered through the closed windows.

Gael looked out across the small apartment, at the way the gauzy curtains fluttered in the warm breeze coming from the heating vents. The light pouring through the windows alternated from a soft off-white to a dull muted green. There was a sign just outside, advertising ginger ale as an indication that there was a malt shop embedded in the first floor. The malt shop had long since closed, but the sign remained as a reminder of the city's past. The apartment also remained quite cheap because the sign was such a nuisance, at least to anyone that could see.

“That was extra good." Daniel said softly, petting the side of Gael's face.

“I think it was the tomato soup." Gael replied, hoping to create some positive reinforcement. Daniel merely made a soft sound, finding the attempt a little transparent.

“You wanna lay in bed together?" Daniel asked softly.

“I think that'd be great, but I should probably get a quick shower first. You don't want to be smelling paint fumes from me all night." Gael said, giving Daniel a soft kiss. The two remained together a few more moments until Gael's knot had relaxed enough for him to extricate himself. Gael kissed Daniel all over his neck and his pointed ears as he did so.

When he had fully emerged, he shifted slightly, letting their manhoods brush against one another before he spoke again, “You want me to help you up?"

“No, I got it. You just enjoy your shower." Daniel said. Gael smiled, giving Daniel one more kiss before he got up and crossed the small space, moving into the bathroom. Daniel lay there, listening to the old pipes creak and groan, sputtering before a stream of water finally arched out to hit the porcelain basin below. Gael's claws clicked and clattered as they stepped into the tub and he let out a soft yip as the water hit him, a bit cool at first before eventually warming up. Daniel imagined it all in his mind, from the way the water hit that beautiful skin to the way Gael's orange streaks contrasted the rest of his dark hair.

With reluctance, Daniel rolled over onto all fours and pushed himself upright. One clawed hand reached out to steady against the wall as he righted himself. He took two steps, swept his hand down, then took another step and repeated the process. This time his fingers found a towel draped over the back of a chair. Daniel used it to wipe down his chest and stomach, absorbing as much of his cum as he could. Gael would never say anything about it out loud, but Daniel knew that was the reason he was taking the shower… Even his cum was different because of the lotus blossom.

Daniel's bare feet padded across the apartment until he reached his bed. Everything had its place, making it easy for him to move by muscle memory and counted steps. Daniel folded his comforter back and slipped onto the soft, well-worn mattress. He lay back onto it, feeling the comforting embrace. There was a comfort to having Gael nearby, but also a loneliness in the waiting, in the habit, in the siren song of what waited in his nightstand. Daniel drummed his fingers on his stomach a few times, fidgeting. Maybe it'd be okay to just have one or two while Gael was getting cleaned up.

A clawed finger reached over, catching the metal clasp, drawing the drawer open just enough to get his hand inside. Most people would have had toiletries or personal possessions, but Daniel had a cracked ceramic bowl that had been mended with bronze. Resting in the shallow basin was a cluster of white berries. They were plump, almost opalescent. Even being a few days old, there was a rich aroma of vanilla with an almost sickly undercurrent of a milky smell. Daniel ran a calloused finger over one before popping it from the stem that held it to the branch, bringing it to his mouth.

The berry slipped in easy enough, and for a moment Daniel let it rest there before guiding it to his teeth with his tongue, biting down. The berry popped almost like it had been made of segments like an orange, erupting with a much more concentrated version of the flavor he had been smelling moments before. It felt as if Daniel had flopped back in his bed all over again, but this time he was falling and falling through cool clouds, the mist building up on his skin. His glazed eyes widened as he added a second berry and took a bite, adding its potency to the first.

The white-haired werewolf had been so many places in his visions… He'd seen the home of his ancestors in Korea, he'd seen the temples of Japan, he'd seen a cave full of blood red crystals and he'd wandered the streets of Yali as an unseen ghost. Thousands and thousands of souls, each of them with their own stories, their own loves, their hopes and dreams and fears and - the river? The air was briny, dank and cool. Daniel had expected his bare feet to be freezing, but he felt wood beneath them instead of cement.

With gentle care, the werewolf lifted his head and opened golden eyes. The lotus had cost him his sight in the waking world, but he could see so crisply in his visions. The moonlight glittered off of the Chicago River, the streetlights sparkling like stars. Even for a city that never slept, it seemed unusually quiet. Perhaps the time right before dawn really was the quietest. Daniel turned to wander a different direction, but he slowed as he heard a sound carry over the water. It had been a grunt, a scrape, a curse, and then relief.

Daniel looked up, following the sound until he saw a small boat bobbing on the water. There were two dark silhouettes out there, lugging bags up over the sides of their craft. Knives glinted in the dim light as they slashed the bags and something began to leak down into the river. Daniel's brow furrowed; his white eyebrows confused. There were a lot of things people could do on a river, but he couldn't recall why anyone would be dumping bags of anything into the waterway.

The moonlight reflected on the water began to take on a rusty colored tinge, turning red and then brown. The water itself began to shine in strange new ways as if there was an oil slick spreading across the surface. Daniel moved up to the edge of the dock and crouched down, looking at the water. While the surface glistened with the oily sheen, there was something spreading out below. It swirled and spiraled, moving in currents and eddies. It seemed to grow brighter and brighter like a forgotten ember in a hearth coming back to life… and all at once it erupted.

Flame ripped across the river, spreading upstream and down. The night was turned on its head as red and orange fire raged… but it wasn't just the river. Tendrils spread up out of the river like writhing tentacles, snaking their way down the streets of Yali. They pierced through windows and doors, through the roofs. Fiery tentacles plunged down through cobblestone crosswalks and aged asphalt only to erupt half a block further down and wreak more havoc. There was flame and fire, pain and sorrow, ache and chaos everywhere! The screams escaping from Daniel's lips had only been going on for a few seconds by the time Gael made it to his friend, putting his hands on his shoulders.

“Daniel! Danny! What is it? What's going on?!" Gael asked, dripping wet and naked from his shower. It wasn't until some of the condensation dripped down onto Daniel's face that his milky white eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright.

“They're poisoning the river, the water! We have to stop them!" Daniel panted.

“Who? What? Poison?" Gael asked, trying to figure out what had happened. Daniel panted hard, trying to compose himself. The moment of silence was enough for Gael to see the open drawer and the contraband inside. Gael was crestfallen. “Daniel…" he murmured in disappointment. Despite being unable to see, Daniel could hear quite well.

“I'm serious! Yali is in danger. We have to go to the river." Daniel said, reaching out to try and grab his friend. His hand missed twice before he rested a hand on Gael's pert pectoral.

“For our canal boat ride?" Gael asked. Daniel's lips tightened before he threw off his covers and slipped out of bed, standing up.

“If you don't believe me, I'll go myself." he said ardently, making his way by memory to his closet. He fished around before finding some slip-on shoes that he popped onto his bare feet, grabbing a gray vest. Gael padded over.

“I didn't mean that, I just… Are you sure? Lotus visions aren't really an exact science." Gael murmured. This time the glare from Daniel was piercing.

“Oh yes, why don't you explain lotus to me?" Daniel said. Gael all but whimpered as he backed up, shaking his head.

“I didn't mean it like that, I just…" Gael paused, uncertain exactly what he meant, “I'm just a painter. You're a lotus eater. What are we supposed to do if there is a threat?" he asked. That point, at least, made Daniel reconsider.

“Do you think anyone would listen to us?" Daniel asked. Gael considered.

“On our own? Probably not… But together? I know there's nothing we can't do." Gael grinned. Daniel smiled, reaching out to place his hand on Gael's back before drawing it down. As he kept feeling more and more skin, his grin grew.

“Especially if you keep showing off that much skin. Are you still naked?" he asked in surprise. Gael blushed.

“It won't take me long to get my clothes." he murmured. Daniel merely smirked, remaining there while he heard his boyfriend run around the apartment.

****

The city of Yali cherished artwork in all its forms, and there were so many forms. Gael tried to remind himself of that as they navigated deeper and deeper into Ice Pack territory. There were the familiar hallmarks of graffiti sprawled on the aged brick of the old buildings, though they lacked the variety of color that Gael subscribed to. Still, the shading was rich, the three-dimensionality vital, and the precision intricate. It didn't take away from the fact that they were intruding, although he hoped that Daniel would help mitigate their presence.

Daniel led the two down the alley, the light breeze whipping through his gauzy white shirt and his straight white hair. He was a phantom, a ghost of his previous self. Gael wondered if Daniel had ever been as fast and playful as most wolf pups, running around the streets, sniffing everything. The fact that he still knew his way was impressive, requiring only slight guidance here and there for things that had been changed over the years.

By the time they were only a block away, Gael felt as if the air was growing cooler. Yali wasn't exactly temperate, but he knew it was mostly in his head. They had entered a dead end where two apartment buildings butted up against an old warehouse, leaving a U shape. The loading docks were lit by pale green and blue fluorescents like the ancient frozen water at the depths of an iceberg. Gael's eyes tinged gold as he looked down at the tire tread loops of rubber burning out from motorcycles.

A loud clatter sounded as one of the warehouse doors rumbled open, revealing the interior of the warehouse. There were dangling chains hanging from pulleys, cut outs in the floor covered with mesh, rolling cabinets of tools and everything else one might expect from a mechanic's shop. Two figures stepped out from the side of the doors, both in their late teens. The male wore only a black tank top and pants, his golden fawn toned skin contrasting with his sharp spiked white hair, each strand looking like tiny icicles. He was accompanied by a young woman, her hair shorn short with swirls of silver blanched into the otherwise dark brown hair.

“You shouldn't be here." The male said, crouching down at the edge of the loading dock to bring himself more even with the would-be trespassers.

“I've seen something the Alphas need to know about." Daniel said. Gael's heart fluttered slightly at the wording. He'd heard of a few packs that managed multiple alphas, but it was certainly the exception and not the rule.

“Lotus visions can't be trusted. They eat away at the person having them. That is why you are an outcast." The female replied, still standing. She clearly had no intention of bringing herself down to their level.

“I feel the same way about lotus visions," Gael interjected despite the way it might hit his lover, “But what Daniel saw was a threat to everyone in Yali. If there's even a sliver of truth, wouldn't they want to hear it?" The two looked at each other in contemplation, though both of them nearly jumped as something sounded from inside. As if the decision had been instantaneous, the male rose back to his feet and moved over, hitting his hand on a button inside. There was a warning klaxon and then the sound of metal scraping against cement as a ramp extended, lowering itself to the ground.

Determined not to press their luck, Gael took Daniel's arm in his and walked with him up the ramp. They passed beyond the wary sentinels and entered the warehouse proper. It was enough to make Gael's eyes bug out of his head. There had to be two or three dozen high end motorcycles. They were mostly sports bikes clad in fiberglass chassis that made them look sleek and dangerous, like weapons. While some broke from the traditionally monochromatic look of the ice pack, the colors were muted and required just the right light to bring out.

“Did you have a bike?" Gael whispered. Daniel shook his head.

“I was a pit boy, hadn't worked my way up yet." Daniel replied softly.

“He was close. Daniel was a rising star. So good with his hands…" A smooth, slightly sharp voice sounded. Gael's eyes glimmered amber in the light as he turned his head, spotting a taller male reclined in a high back chair. His body glistened, covered from neck to foot in a thick leather motorcycle outfit. The way the panels and segments were stitched and sewn, it looked like a superhero suit from a high budget movie.

The man's face was youthful, mid-twenties at most, but his mouth was framed by a long teardrop shaped goatee that hung down a good four inches from his jaw. There was no color, no pigment, leaving it a wispy white. The plume of relaxed mohawk cascading down one side of his head was also white. Only the shaved stubble on the side of his head around his pointed ear was black. Clear glass rings hung from the bottom of his ears, an indication that they had to be melted shut while he was still wearing them.

“And then he threw it all away for a disgusting habit." A counterbalanced voice came from a nearby doorway, a woman of equal years said, her arms crossed. Unlike those at the door, her hair was entirely white, cascading down her shoulders like a snowdrift. Her neck and collar bones were tattooed, her motorcycle jacket unzipped down far enough to reveal her ample bosom.

“Forgive my observation, but there are a lot of vices that werewolves take part in, just as humans do." Gael said, “We aren't bothering you on a whim. We came because we feel there is a genuine threat."

“There is always a threat. Akio and I will face them all." The woman said.

“Emmaline…" The other alpha murmured. The woman's lips curled into a faint growl, betraying sharper than normal teeth. The male turned to regard the two before him. He reached out, beckoning Daniel closer, “What did you see, young one?" he asked. It was not meant as a jab, just merely an affectation. Every alpha had an influence on his betas and vice versa, but the twin alphas of the ice pack had a far more direct impact. Their bites brought with it the pigmentation loss that rendered so many of their wolves distinct in appearance. The aesthetic had been replicated by some humans unaware of the social meaning, but Daniel had become his pale form because of either Akio or Emmaline. Daniel looked in Akio's direction, though his milky eyes were unable to focus.

“There were strangers in the river, putting something into it. It looked simple at first… Bags of salt or soil? But the river changed, and then it ignited. The flame spread everywhere, burning. It spread into the streets and buildings. I could hear the wolves screaming out." Daniel said. This time there was no derision from Emmaline. Her white eyebrows knit with concern. Akio, likewise, leaned back in his seat. There was the faintest of crinkles from his motorcycle suit as he readjusted.

“Do you have any idea when?" Akio asked, reaching up to stroke his long goatee. Daniel shook his head. This time it was Gael's turn to speak.

“I'm worried it's soon. Daniel's been mentioning boats for a few days, sort of like it was percolating in the background, but tonight it all came to a boil." he explained. Daniel's head turned towards Gael as he seemed to process the idea, his lips curling into a frown. Was it possible that he could have known about the threat sooner.

“Do you remember where it was on the river?" Emmaline asked, moving toward the cluster of males. Daniel shook his head slightly.

“Downstream of the Parker building, that's all I know for sure." Daniel said. Emmaline reached out, resting a hand on Akio's shoulder, giving it a fond squeeze.

“How about a midnight ride, brother?" Emmaline asked. Akio smiled at that, nodding.

“There's a chill in the air." he replied, though it seemed to be a call to action as several other wolves started heading toward their motorcycles. Gael watched them move, unintentionally drifting closer to Daniel. Daniel smiled as their shoulders brushed and he leaned his head to rest on Gael's. Gael reached up, petting his head.

****

While Gael had often fantasized about the various packs that made up Yali's werewolf community, the growl of the motorcycle engine and the howl of the wind buffeting his face was not winning him over. He'd tried to hide his exposed skin behind Akio's strong shoulder, but there was only so much flex he could manage while still hanging onto the Alpha. The artist turned his head, watery eyes glancing over at the bike that Daniel was on. The waifish form of his boyfriend was somehow hanging onto Emmaline's back, her long plaited ponytail coming out from the cushioning of her motorcycle helmet.

Other headlights cut across the streets, the bikes splitting up. Some went east, some west, fanning out across the river. Akio and Emmaline moved up the gentle arch of the Ferry Street Bridge. Their bikes dropped to a nearly inaudible gurgle as they idled. Akio pulled his helmet off, shaking his frosted hair loose before he looked around. He sniffed the air, dark sideburns slowly pushing out of his face as his ears grew more pointed and clawed fingers curled around the handlebar.

“There's something in the air." he murmured. Emmaline got off her bike, moving toward the edge of the bridge. She sniffed, sneering slightly as she was displeased by the smell.

“I don't like it." She replied. Daniel still remained on the bike and Gael shivered just looking at him, wondering how he was able to put up with the cold. Was that an ice pack thing too? Akio shifted as he heard a voice in his ear bud.

“They found something by tenth st-" Akio hesitated, his black eyebrows furrowing, “And twenty third?" he asked.

“There's more than one of them." Emmaline said in realization, moving back to her bike. In moments she and her brother had set off again with Gael and Daniel in tow. Their pack mates split up and head in both directions, rushing along the river. While there wasn't much fog, there was enough vapor that the silhouette of one boat bobbing on the surface was visible ahead. Akio turned onto another bridge, coming up to the apex. He'd barely gotten off his bike when the spark of a bullet hitting the bridge whined off into the night air.

“Fuck!" Gael cursed, ducking down. Akio snarled, ripping his motorcycle helmet from his head as it grew tighter.

“Hunters." he growled.

“They knew it was us just from being out here?" Gael asked, ducking behind the stone guard walls of the bridge, sweat beading his brow.

“Even if they don't, they want to keep us back, which means it isn't too late." Akio said.

“The others are taking fire as well." Emmaline said, moving over in a protective crouch. Gael turned and looked around to realize Daniel was still standing. He all but bounded over, pulling Daniel down. Daniel gazed into the distance, trying to suss out what was going on.

“By chance did your dream tell us how we'd be stopping them?" Gael asked. Daniel shook his head.

“No, I just… saw what happens if we do nothing." Daniel said softly. There were the sounds of more gunshots in the distance, including a rather loud explosion down one of the side canals.

“Shit, they took out a ferry boat…" Akio growled, trying to peek over the edge of the bridge without putting himself too much at risk.

“We've lost two… They've got sharp eyes on any vessel that approaches." Emmaline said. Gael looked between the alphas and then at Daniel, his mind processing everything for a long moment. Somewhere in the distance he heard the clitter-clack of the subway cars emerging from below ground, rising up onto the elevated rails. His dark eyebrows lifted in a moment of optimism as he turned, seeing the cars continuing on their restless paths, snaking through the city. No matter what the destination was, there were always different ways to get there.

“Gael!" Daniel said a split second before his boyfriend stood up, almost as if he could sense it before it happened. Gael leaned and kissed Daniel's head.

“We were brought together for a reason." Gael said before he turned in the opposite direction, running across the bridge towards one of the support pylons. As he ran, his own sideburns grew out bushier as his ears stretched to points. The glow in his amber eyes got sharper as his hands tore pieces of clothing from himself. He picked up speed, jumping over the guard rail on the far side of the bridge where its structure would hide him from view.

Inky dark water rushed up around him, nearly threatening to take his breath away. He sunk down several feet before his clawed feet began to paddle. Against his better judgment, he blinked a few times to orient himself, seeing the dark silhouette of the bridge blocking the brighter lights of the skyline above. He turned and began to swim, pushing beneath the bridge. There were muffled pops as gunshots rang out above the surface. Maybe Akio and Emmaline were trying to distract the hunters.

The biting, aching, cold was sinking into Gael's muscles and bones, leeching his heat away. Gael kept pushing, using his lycanthropy as his strength. His kicks were powerful, his arm strokes far reaching. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, though they were burning far more than he expected them to. In fact, so was his skin… The cold of the water was countered by a nettle-like sting that was starting to burn his arms, legs, and cheeks. Realization hit him like a pile of bricks. Daniel's vision hadn't been literal, it had been figurative. Whatever the hunters were doing to the river wasn't going to be real fire, but it would burn…

Before the last of his strength left him, Gael reached the edge of the boat. He carefully reached out, pressing the meat of his hand to the side, pulling himself along until he found something to hold onto. His lungs were aching with their trapped carbon dioxide and his eyes felt like they were thumping in time with his heart. The orange haired werewolf summoned everything he had left to yank on the side of the boat, propelling himself upwards. The sudden appearance of someone at point blank range forced the hunters to reassess their targets and, in that moment, Gael lunged.

Sharp fangs glinted as he pounced, bringing his mouth down around one of the hunters. The man cried out, his face twisting in anguish and distorting the split purple painted line that spanned his nose and passed beneath both eyes. Gael used the momentum that had taken the hunter to the deck of the boat to grab onto him and lift him back up, bringing him around just as there were three rapid puffs of bullets entering his body. Gael snarled behind the improvised shield, throwing the hunter at his partner. The man grunted as he was hit, toppling back.

Gael was panting hard, knowing he didn't have time and he was unlikely to have backup. He jumped over to the pinned human, brandishing his claws before he slashed them quickly. The hunter's eyes went wide and then still as he fell back motionless. Gael looked back at the bridge, though it was hazy and unfocused at this distance. Gael swallowed and moved up to the cabin, reaching for the door before pausing. Instead, he tapped on it twice and then stepped out of the way. After a moment, the door opened, and a red headed female emerged with a gun ready. Gael grabbed her from behind, knocking the gun from her hand. She struggled against his grasp, reaching for a knife. Before letting her succeed, he grabbed at her head instead, putting a quick end to her protest.

The young werewolf opened the door to the cabin of the boat and made sure no one else was in there before he moved back to the deck. It was a modest sized craft. If was the size of a fishing boat, though no one fished in the Chicago River. Gael moved around the edge of the boat, carefully pulling back bags that had been draped over the sides. He tried not to get any more in the water than had already been loosed. Gael blinked, trying to clear the haze from his eyes as he examined the bags. He couldn't read most of it, but at least half of the bags were labeled as 'Silver Acetate'.

“Gael!" Daniel's voice carried over the cool night air. Gael tried to reclaim his breath.

“I'm okay, I got everyone on this boat, but we have to stop the others. I'll try to, uh, figure out how this thing works and bring it over." He called out, moving back into the cabin. As Gael sat down in the seat, he winced. The water was evaporating from his skin and his heightened metabolism was helping bring warm blood to his extremities, but his skin was still burning in places.

After some trial and error, the boat gurgled to life and Gael brought it around the wrong direction before swinging it true. After what felt like he was going painfully slow, he maneuvered it under the bridge, hearing several thumps as the werewolves dropped down onto the boat. The door eased open, and Emmaline appeared in the doorway.

“You want me to take over, kid?" She asked. Gael nodded without saying anything, relinquishing his seat in favor of a bench that ran along the inside of the cabin. The boat roared to life, picking up speed.

“We'll likely take fire as we approach, everyone be ready." Emmaline said over her microphone, maneuvering close to the edge of the river so more of their pack could jump onboard. Gael looked up as the cabin door opened again and Daniel moved in, his hands braced out in front of him. Gael leaned forward to take his hand, the white-haired wolf smiling fondly as he sat down next to Gael. The two leaned forward and embraced, their kiss soft and tender.

“Be careful, I hear river water is full of diseases." Gael said. Daniel reached out and gently caressed Gael's face, though he pulled his hand back when Gael winced.

“What is it?" Daniel asked with concern. Gael hesitated.

“The stuff they were pouring into the river, it burned me a bit here and there. It's okay, I'm just a bit sensitive." Gael said. Daniel's milky eyes widened in surprise. He reached out, though not to touch Gael. He held his fingers a few centimeters above the skin, guiding his hand along his boyfriend's shoulder and arm as if there was some sort of force field. He stopped here and there, more often than not when his hand was over a dark ashy black spot that had formed on Gael's otherwise cinnamon toned skin. The spots looked like wet ash or charcoal smears.

“They wanted to brand us…" Daniel murmured, “It isn't just the river." he whispered as his shoulders slumped. Emmaline's eyes widened in horror at the idea. She reached up, tapping the motorcycle microphone clipped to her collar.

“Get word back to base, get it out to everyone. Stop drinking the water immediately! No showers, no baths, nothing from the tap. This is an emergency! Tell the other packs too!" Emmaline commanded. Gael's face fell into a frown. If it was that widespread, that far reaching, then had his suffering had any point? He raised his head and looked at Daniel there, leaning against him. He could smell the other werewolves just outside of the cabin. Yes, it had a point. They couldn't just be the targets of hate. They had to resist, to defy, to survive. He'd allowed them to capture a boat, and it was the first act of resistance of many. If anything, he'd been the primer to the mural that would come after him. He just hoped he'd be able to see it.

****

Fiery afternoon light poured in through the large windows of the Level Levee, making the bottles of beer glow like molten amber. Gael sipped at his. He'd never been a heavy drinker, but options were limited in the aftermath of the attack. A new pair of rectangular black glasses rested on Gael's nose, fitting in nicely with his sharp triangular sideburns and his black and orange hair. It made him even more of a hipster than he had been before. Still, the glasses had been enough to correct his vision and reveal to him the immense smile on Daniel's lips as he nibbled at his grilled cheese sandwich.

The hunters had been stopped, more or less, but not before they had inflicted significant harm to the werewolf population of Yali. While there were no official estimates, some guessed that nearly a quarter of the werewolves had been marked by what the Ice Pack was calling the Asher. Even Akio had not escaped unscathed, taking on several of the blemishes when he swam to another one of the boats. Word had spread to the other werewolf packs, some of which had even managed to intercept a similar attack at Lake Michigan which provided the city's drinking water. And yet… Daniel was smiling. Without being able to stop himself, a small chuckle escaped Gael's lips.

“What?" Daniel asked, looking up. Gael shook his head.

“Nothing. I just like the view." Gael said. Daniel considered a moment before nodding.

“So do I." he agreed. Gael's eyebrows shot up.

“You do?" he asked, although as he looked at Daniel, he could see the faintest gold glow beneath the milky white covering of his eyes. It was promising progress for going a week without eating anything from the Lotus plant.

“View might be a strong word, but I can see and feel the light. It's nice." he said. Gael's heart fluttered so hard he thought it might escape from his mouth before he leaned over, pulling Daniel into a kiss. Daniel cooed, returning the favor. The two embraced, content and satisfied.

It wasn't going to be easy, for either of them, but it had felt like there was a gold lining to the otherwise dark day. The Ice Pack had set aside their hostility to Daniel, finding him brace for what he faced to bring them the news. They had also given Gael accolades and kudos, calling him a respected friend to their pack. Even with all the praise, it was hard not to consider himself yet another street punk in a city that didn't give a damn… but he did. It was his city, after all, and there wasn't anywhere else like it.

“I'm going to finish my painting tonight." Gael said. Daniel smiled warmly at that, rubbing his hand over Gael's.

“Can I watch you?" he asked. Gael opened his mouth to question the request, but his lips closed, and he smiled.

“Of course. It'd mean everything to have you there." Gael said. Daniel's smile brightened even more, his head turning to look at the sunset. Daniel's white hair and pale skin often left him looking like a ghost, but in that moment, he was a canvas. Every color of the sunset was streaked across him, from sharp citrine to ruby red and earthy salmon. Every color, every emotion, every possibility. Beneath it all was a simple, humble primer upon which anything could be painted. Gael's smile brightened all the more as he embraced whatever would come next.