Suppress it.

Control it.

You are not a monster – you are not one of them.

You are human.

Human?

What does it mean, to be human?

To constantly have a human form?

Or is it to to be able to empathise?

If so, why would no one empathise with the wolf?

Once more, he was denied the right to phase.

But no matter... even if he looked human, he was wolf down to the core.... no matter how much he was forced to suppres it, he could not.

One jail-keeper replaces another – but this second one is surprising... no, it's a betrayal...

The wolf felt a surge of hatred rise within him, and swallow his entire being. The hatred throbbed within his soul, burning fiercly, as footsteps approached.

Ah, the traitor was approaching...

He twisted his lips into a snarl. The person knelt beside him, unafraid – he knew that within the wolf, there was one person who meant the world to him. And that was him.

"Please." The boy's tone was desperate, pleading. "Please don't make me do this..."

The wolf paid no heed to the boy – he turned away instead, not wanting to see the boy's face.

"Why did things get so bad?" The boy's voice trembled. "How could you have... lost control like that?"

The wolf let out an animalistic growl, which made the boy flinch.

"You know this is not what you really are... you aren't a monster..."

The boy was supposed to sound reassuring, but he didn't – his words echoed the words of the first jail-keeper.

"Shut up." The wolf's words were threatening. "If you say one more word, I swear you'll regret it."

The boy stood up hurriedly and almost tripped as he backed away - he had seen the look in the wolf's eyes. Placing his hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds, the boy started to sob – this was starting to become too much for him to handle.

****

What on earth was Namjoon doing, sneaking around Mrs Choi's house? After just a moment of hesitation, Su Ji made her way up, desperately curious. Was he trying to go after the wolf?

As she turned the corner Namjoon had disappeared behind, she bumped smack into a solid form – Namjoon turned around and frowned at her.

"What are you doing over here?" he demanded in his deep voice.

"Um, it's more like what are you doing over here?" Su Ji shot back.

"It isn't obvious?" He rolled his eyes.

"Aha!" she cried. "You're going to investigate the crime scene! So does that mean there really is another wolf?"

"Maybe," said Namjoon. "I came up here to check."

"Why didn't you do it in the morning?"

"Because I just got the key to the house an hour ago."

"Oh, how did you get the key?"

His eyes narrowed. "Why are you questioning me so closely?"

She bit her lip. "Sorry... I guess I was curious..."

"Keep that curiousity of yours under control – haven't you ever heard the phrase, curiousity killed the cat?"

"Yeah, but so what?" she huffed.

"In other words, don't let your curiousity lead you into danger."

"All right, all right, I get it. So, are you going to open the door now?"

"When you leave, I will."

"Why not now?" Su Ji asked.

"Because I don't want you here."

"Don't be mean, I want to see it too!" she cried, dying to see what Namjoon was going to do.

"Su Ji, do you realize I'm working right now? This is not a game. You could get hurt, and that goes against the very purpose of a Protector."

All of a sudden, Su Ji felt very small. He was right... this was serious.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I just... I wanted to see what you would find."

Namjoon sighed. "Don't talk in that tone, anyone would think I scolded you severly."

"You did."

"No, I didn't."

"Your voice and your tone made it into a scolding," she muttered. It was true – even when he slightly reproached you, his voice made you feel as though he scolded you, for some reason.

Namjoon sighed. "You're a bit mad at me – ok, how about this: I'll open the door, but you stay outside and go home when I tell you. All right?"

Su Ji nodded. "Ok!"

"Stand back then."

Butterflies of excitment flitted around in her tummy – after all the dullness of the day, she got even more excited than she normally would have. The proof? When she saw something that was suspiciously shaped like a knife in Namjoon's pocket, inststead of calmly asking about it, she cried, "Whoa! Is that a knife?"

He removed his hand from the doorknob and placed it over the pocket.

"Is that a knife made with silver?" she asked, apprehension and horror and excitment mixing together to form one huge churning mess of emotions.

He frowned. "Why silver?"

"Because that's the only thing that can harm a werewolf!"

"For the last time, they aren't you humans' version of a werewolf."

"Is that a knife?"

He nodded.

She wasn't sure if she was horrified or not – after all, if the wolf came to attack them...

"So it doesn't have to be silver?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Why should it be? Wolves are mortal creatures, just like you."

"And you, too, right?" Su Ji wasn't sure what led her to say that – intuition, maybe, or just excitment?