Kyungsoo cowered against the walls of his house, his wide eyes fixed on the pair of hungry, yellow orbs advancing on his trembling figure.

 

The full moon illuminated the feral beast with its lunar rays.

 

It was frightening, everything about it was frightening.

The deliberate, heavy footsteps of the wolf as it came closer, as it took all the time in the world.

The gleaming, yellow eyes that seemed to be crinkled in some form of sadistic amusement in playing with its food.

The saliva dripping from its open mouth, the way its razor-like canines reflected the pale light of the moon, the way its breath rose in a puff of smoke every time it exhaled.

 

Kyungsoo whimpered as the wolf came to a stop in front of him, and it was a wonder he didn’t break his wall from how hard he was leaning against it. He cringed as it opened its mouth.

This was it.

 

“You are mine.”

 

Kyungsoo screamed. Not because the Wolf had harmed him in any way. Because it had spoken. The Wolf had talked to him in a rough, scarily human voice. And the message that it had delivered terrified him.

 

“N-No! NO! Someone please help me! Wolf! There’s a wolf!” Kyungsoo shouted at the top of his lungs.

 

There were shouts as the fellow villagers roused from their slumber, and flashes of fire illuminated the evening as Kyungsoo’s neighbors lit their torches and retrieved their equipment.

 

He waited for the Wolf to strike, to take his prey before it was saved. It never did.

 

The Wolf chuckled, and Kyungsoo nearly passed out.

It leaned in and placed its muzzle next to Kyungsoo’s ear, and spoke again in a low growl. Kyungsoo trembled as he felt its warm breath against his neck.

 

“They won’t help you, dear Kyungsoo. You’ll see. This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me.”

 

And it vanished. Disappeared in a flurry of black smoke.

Kyungsoo fell back against the wall with a frightened whimper.

 

The orange glows became brighter and larger as the villagers gathered around him, helping him up. Kyungsoo barely noticed. He was numb. Not even the warmth of the dancing fires would keep away the nightmares he was sure to have for the next few weeks.

 

A man crouched down in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Where is it, son? Where’s the wolf?” he asked.

 

Kyungsoo was suddenly trying very hard not to go into hysterics.

“I-I don’t w-want to belong to it! It said I belonged to him! I DON’T WANT TO BELONG TO IT.”

 

“The poor kid just had a nightmare,” a girl jeered obnoxiously. She was shushed by someone.

 

“Son, was there really a wolf?”

“Yes!” Kyungsoo nodded frantically. “It-it spoke to me. And then it disappeared! In a puff of black smoke! I don’t know where it is anymore…”

 

There was an awful silence. Kyungsoo looked up at the villagers, and was hurt to see looks of anger and incredulity rather than looks of worry.

 

“Y-You don’t believe me?” he stammered.

 

“Sorry, kid. Wolves don’t speak or vanish into thin air. Call us next time there’s a real wolf; some of us actually want to get some sleep,” the man who was supporting him snapped, and let him go rather roughly.

 

The villagers began to gather their knives and pitchforks, muttering about how everything was probably a nightmare.

 

They left, still muttering as they threw harsh glances at poor Kyungsoo.

The terrified boy watched them go, then remembering the wolf’s words, scrambled to his feet and locked himself inside his house.

 

___

 

 

“I don’t know, Kai, I had a nightmare and wanted to walk it off, and then the Wolf comes and finds me. I mean, what are the odds?”

 

Kyungsoo angrily threw a rock into the lake, watching it hit the water with a satisfying plop.

 

“Wolves aren’t really rare around here, you know.”

Kai, Kyungsoo’s best friend, leaned against the tree and gave Kyungsoo a knowing smirk.

 

“But wolves that can talk and, and, I don’t know- teleport?! I’m scared, Kai, that wolf was after me! I don’t know why the villagers didn’t believe me when I told them about it…”

 

“Because it was a freakin’ unbelievable story that made it sound like you were on-”

 

“What? You don’t believe me, either?” Kyungsoo snapped, glaring at Kai with hurt in his eyes.

 

Kai’s joking demeanor softened, and he gave a strange smile as he shoved himself away from the tree.

 

“I believe you,” he said softly. “More than you probably imagine. But I’m saying that people don’t like being called for nothing. They don’t like having their time wasted. If you cried wolf and they came and there was no wolf and the only explanation you had ready was that the wolf spoke to you and teleported away, what do you think they would believe?”

 

Well it obviously made him look like a jerk when he put it that way…

 

“But I was telling the truth…” Kyungsoo muttered, staring at the floor.

 

“I know. But sometimes people don’t see the truth even when it’s right in front of them. Or maybe… they just don’t want to.” Kai gave a dark grin, showing off his canines.

“It’s not everyday you see a talking, teleporting wolf.”

 

“But what am I supposed to do?!” Kyungsoo wailed, flailing about.

 

Kai chuckled, and flicked a stone into the lake. Kyungsoo watched it skip a total of three times.

 

“Relax, see if it turns up again. If it hasn’t killed you that night, then eating you is probably not what it’s after. See ya around,” Kai laughed, then turned and made his way up the trail to the village.

 

“Wait!”  Kyungsoo shouted, but Kai had gone.

 

“Relax, see if it turns up again~” Kyungsoo mimicked in a high voice. “Some friend you are,” he sighed.

But he found some comfort in Kai’s words. If the wolf wanted to eat him, it would have done so already.

 

___

 

Kyungsoo opened his eyes and groaned.

 

The bright light of the full moon was shining directly on his face, and he had conveniently forgotten to close the curtains before turning in.

Kyungsoo lifted his covers off of him, shivering slightly at the lack of heat, and made his way over to the window.

 

Tonight was different, it felt like he was being watched. Kyungsoo didn’t like it, he didn’t like feeling like a piece of meat in an open field. He just wanted to get back in his bed, curl up and fall asleep again.

 

As his hand reached out to grab the curtains, a gleam of yellow caught his eyes. He froze.

 

The wolf was right outside his window, staring at him intently with those golden eyes.

It pulled its muzzle back, revealing its sharp teeth as it leered at him.

 

Kyungsoo let out a bloodcurdling scream.

 

“WOLF! WOLF! Right outside my house someone please help me!”

 

They had to come! They had to believe him this time right?!

 

But his heart sank as the wolf howled with repressed laughter, stuck its tongue out at him and vanished once again.

 

It wasn’t long before the villagers appeared at his house, searching for the animal that was no longer there.

 

“So… where’s the wolf?” The same man from the other night asked.

 

Kyungsoo looked crestfallen.

 

“It… it disappeared.” Kyungsoo didn’t know what to say. What was there to say?

 

He flinched as the villagers cursed at him, flung insults at his morality, and left him alone and scared.

 

Kyungsoo was confused. He had previously seen his fellow villagers as friends, as a source of comfort and protection. Their presence had chased away the Wolf twice now, but at the cost of their trust and possibly their friendship with him.

 

He curled up on the floor of his house and shook with silent sobs.

 

His door suddenly opened and Kyungsoo let loose a small cry of terror, only to turn and find Kai.

He launched himself at his best friend and wailed into his shoulder.

 

“I told the truth! Why won’t they believe me? WHY, KAI?”

 

“Shh…” Kai rubbed soothing circles on Kyungsoo’s back while he waited for his friend to calm down.

“I believe you. Please don’t cry, Kyungsoo. We’re gonna figure this out.”

 

Kai moved to the kitchen, never letting go of his friend. He poured Kyungsoo a glass of water and gave it to him while his friend blubbered incoherently.

 

“If it will make you feel better, I’ll stay with you when it shows up again,” Kai offered. “Is there a pattern to when it appears?”

 

“I-I’ve only seen it t-twice…” Kyungsoo forced out. He searched his mind for a connection.

 

He gasped. “It only appeared on nights when there’s a full moon! Kai, you don’t think it’s a-”

 

“Werewolf?” Kai finished, nodding seriously. “Very possible. It’s not a normal wolf we’re dealing with here, after all. It makes sense; it knows how to talk.”

 

Kyungsoo stared at Kai, and then let out a whimper and hid his face in the crook of Kai’s neck.

 

“It’ll be okay. I’ll spend the next full moon with you. Everything will be all right, Kyungsoo.”

 

___

 

The full moon was peeking over the horizon and Kai still wasn’t here.

 

Kyungsoo was panicking. Why wasn’t Kai here? He said he’d be here!

 

He curled up into himself. He couldn’t face this wolf. Not alone.

Would it be childish if he locked himself in his bedroom?

 

The door opened and he immediately glanced up to see Kai.

 

“Sorry, I had to lock up my house,” he admitted sheepishly. “Don’t want any food getting stolen, right?”

 

Kyungsoo gave a small nod. He was just happy that Kai was here.

 

“Come on, let’s just go to bed and wait until morning.”

 

Kyungsoo and Kai shared a bed that night. Kai tried to make light conversation, but Kyungsoo was too nervous to talk. In the end, they both gave up and went to bed.

 

___

 

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Kyungsoo awoke with an uneasy feeling in his chest, and searched the blankets for any sign of comfort. His hands found nothing.

Kai was gone.

Kyungsoo lifted himself up quickly, searching the room. Kai was always one for joking around and pulling pranks, but he wouldn’t have done this in the middle of the night!

 

“Kai? KAI!” he screamed, dashing from his bedroom through his house and finally colliding with something warm and hard.

 

“Ouch! Relax, will ya? That hurt!”

 

“Kai!” Kyungsoo sighed in relief as he wrapped his arms around the familiar figure.

“What were you doing out of bed?”

 

“Couldn’t sleep,” Kai responded vaguely. Kyungsoo frowned and looked at him.

 

Kai was staring out the window at the rising moon.

“Have you ever thought… what you’re going to do if the wolf shows up again?” he asked.

 

Kyungsoo honestly didn’t know. He realized he had assumed that Kai would protect him.

 

“Call the villagers, I guess…”

 

“But will they come?” Kai asked, and Kyungsoo began to feel a bit of the uneasiness return as Kai smirked at him. This wasn’t right; this Kai was different. He didn’t know this Kai. There was something unsettling about his stare that made Kyungsoo backtrack.

“Will they come for someone they believe is a liar?”

 

“P-Probably not, Kai, what-”

 

“You’ve made this too easy, Kyungsoo. I told you that night, didn’t I? It wasn’t the last you’ve seen of me.”

 

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened as he registered those hauntingly familiar words. He stepped back, mouth falling open in horror at Kai’s snarl that showed his too long canines.

 

At that moment, the moon reached its highest point in the sky, bathing both Kai and Kyungsoo in the cool glow of its light.

 

Kyungsoo let out a scream as Kai ripped out of his clothing in a mass of black fur. He tripped over his own two feet as Kai snapped his jaws and emitted fearsome growls from his throat. He gripped the wall for support as Kai landed on all fours and trained his fierce, yellow eyes on him.

“K-Kai, no…”

 

Kai, his best friend, was the werewolf? Kai, the one who had positioned himself so cleverly on the night of the full moon? Kai, the one who indirectly turned all the villagers against him?

 

“I trusted you!” Kyungsoo cried, struggling to stand up.

 

“As you may have learned, trust is something that takes a while to build up but takes a second to lose,” Kai snarled, his saliva dripping onto the floor.

 

But Kyungsoo was not going to go down like this. He grabbed a nearby vase and flung it at the wolf.

The animal vanished and reappeared in another section of the room, and the vase shattered against the wall.

 

Kyungsoo reached into a drawer and pulled out his silver cutlery, holding it out in front of him in a defensive stance.

 

Kai gave a howl of laughter. “A werewolf’s weakness to silver is only a myth, dear Kyungsoo! But go on! I love it when my prey fights back!”

 

Kyungsoo let out a yell as he threw a spoon at Kai. It seemed almost comical, watching the little thing soar through the air at him and expecting it to do anything against the large creature.

 

The wolf gave a dark laugh, and vanished into thin air. For a wild second, Kyungsoo thought he was safe, until the beast reappeared in front of him and he shrieked. The spoon clattered to the floor on the other side of the room.

 

“This game is fun. I like playing with you,” Kai growled, and batted the silverware from Kyungsoo’s hand. They fell to the floor along with Kyungsoo’s hopes of survival.

 

“P-Please don’t kill me,” Kyungsoo cried, tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

Kai lifted two paws and pinned Kyungsoo down to the ground.

 

“As I’ve told you before, that was never my intention.”

 

Kyungsoo looked up into the yellow eyes, surprised when he saw a hint of sadness in them.

 

“Then… w-what-”

 

“This village is famous for its wolf hunting. But you knew that already, didn’t you? The hunters are skilled, the trappers are intelligent. They managed to kill and injure many wolves, and one time they nearly got me. I was hurt badly, and it was only by resuming my human form that I escaped. But everyday I see the furs that you people wear, and shudder at the thought that that could have been me.”

 

“B-but what does this have to do with me?” Kyungsoo whispered.

 

Kai suddenly gave a very deranged smile. “I was the only werewolf in this town for a very long time, Kyungsoo. I’m lucky; none of them know how to recognize a werewolf when it’s human. But it’s very lonely… living in a place that can turn against you in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you agree?”

 

It wasn’t hard for Kyungsoo to figure out that Kai’s despair at being hunted wasn’t the only thing he was talking about.

 

“I am going to exact my revenge on this town, on the people who forced me to live in fear for so long, but I don’t want to hurt you. You… you have always been kind to me, and I don’t want to kill you. I love you, Kyungsoo, I really do. So from now on, you will be my mate, my fellow wolf. After tonight, two werewolves shall ravage this place!”

 

Kyungsoo felt a very strange warmth in his heart when he heard Kai’s confession, as he had harbored feelings for his friend for the longest time as well. But the warmth from the realization of his love was quickly dispelled by the chill Kai’s last sentence brought on.

 

“N-No!” he struggled against Kai’s hold, and the werewolf only pressed down harder. It unsheathed a claw and began to drag it slowly across Kyungsoo’s chest.

 

“You can’t do this!” Kyungsoo gasped. “These people are-”

 

“Why do you defend them? You’ve seen how easily they turned their backs on you, how easily they made you into an outcast in the village,” the wolf snapped.

 

Tears fell from Kyungsoo’s eyes as he registered this fact. True, Kai had turned them against him, albeit he himself was the one who put himself in this situation. True, he was hated for the wrong reasons. But he had seen the cruelty of the people of this village, and if Kai didn’t force him to see it, he was sure he would have found out some other way.

 

Kai smirked, then shoved his friend up against the wall roughly.

 

“Don’t be afraid, you’ll be stronger, more agile, the bite doesn’t even hurt that much…”

 

“H-Help!” Kyungsoo cried in desperation, but he already knew that no help was coming. The villagers had literally thrown him to the wolves.

 

Kai’s laugh came out as a snarl. “They won’t come, Kyungsoo. Like I said that first night, they won’t help you in the end…”

 

He leaned his muzzle in and bared his fangs.

 

“K-Kai, please…” Kyungsoo begged, eyes wide with fear.

 

Kai grinned.

“Nobody believes a liar, Kyungsoo… even when he is telling the truth.”

 

Kyungsoo gave a broken sob as Kai growled and sank his fangs into his body.