The Lonely Wolves

A brawl. The one thing I didn't want to see. I went to hide in a corner, keeping an eye on the fight. I hoped everything was going to be okay, nut I was scared o

Two men were fighting, skirmishing over the tables, causing them to be knocked over with the chairs.

"ENOUGH."

The men turned, looked at me, and guffawed. Teasing me by calling me a little girl, my face got red.

Let's see how they like this...

"Konoha Gale!"

Sweeping my legs low to the ground, I knocked them down, harshly. After that, I easily picked them up by their arms, before kicking the door of the tavern open and tossing them across the street.

"LEARN MANNERS! Until then, you're out! For good!"

Dusting my hands off on the tails of my Kimono, I shut the door and entered the tavern again to fix the furniture.

All the noise had awakened Akazaru, who had come down the stairs. He found me and started to whine, asking me to get out, that everything was fine, but I stayed in place, trembling in fear.

Hearing Akazaru's whine, I rushed over to find Connor hiding. Gently kneeling beside him, I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay friend. It's over. Our shifts done too, don't worry."

Waiting for a response, I looked at him gently, trying not to scare him.

I looked at her, afraid.

"I try not to fight because I fear to loose control and become like the rest of my family. I don't want to be like them..."

I started to cry. Akazzaru came next to me and pushed me with his nose. He knew what I meant.

"If we let fear guide our lives, we would not truly live. Instead of fearing fighting, fight in a way that protects your loved ones, with fierce qualities to appreciate. Don't worry about losing control. The fact that you want to be different from you clan is obviously proof that you have a form of it."

I shook my head.

"That's not it..."

I slowly got up and said:

"If you don't mind, I'd rather be alone for a moment. We'll be in the room you offered us."

I headed upstairs, to the room.

Frowning, I watched him go upstairs.

Way to go Raenin, you just scared him of. Best way to keep a friend eh?

In the room, I went on the bed, Akazaru next to me.

"You know why I'm scared of fighting, don't you?"

He nodded and rested his head on my hand. scratching it with the other, I said:

"I won't be consumed by it. Not like my parents. I will find a way to control it, no matter what. Then, I will be able to protect those I hold dear."

Going upstairs to my room after bowing to my Aunt, I sighed.

I scared him, didn't I... My Taijutsu isn't like the Gentle fists... Nor as graceful. Not to mention him seeing my temper, and trying to run from me... I said the wrong thing too..

My stomach bubbled over with disappointment, and I sighed.

Way to go Raenin.. Way to go..

I got up after a few minutes and went before Rae's room, Akazaru following me.

I knocked on the door and asked:

"Rae, are you there? I'm sorry for my attitude. I know you try your best, but I just can't fight anyone. Not now..."

Hearing Connor's knock and response, I paused in my training. The sandbag had cloth wrapped around it, time and time again. The bag was barely hanging from the ceiling, having strained its links time and time again. The cloth wrapped around my fists were bloody, as I had been going at it for hours. It was well past two a.m., and my training Gi was dotted with blood from my fists. Walking to the door, I opened it.

"...You can come in if you wish to converse..."

I bowed as she opened the door.

"I don't want to be a nuisance. Your words made me think, think about my... condition. Tomorrow night, I'll show you why I fear to become like my family. Maybe could you help me in my quest for tranquility."

"You aren't a nuisance... I was trying to train my fists to be tougher. It took two hours instead of one to break the skin on my knuckles. Anyway. Tomorrow?"

I leaned against the door, adding more wrapping to the area on my knuckles.

I nodded.

"Yes. You'll have to meet me at the old shack before dusk. We will be waiting for you there. For now, though, I have to go. I must prepare the place."

I moved my head to invite Akazaru to follow me. Just before going down the stairs, I turned and said:

"Good night, Rae."

We went downstairs and headed for the door, saluting our host before leaving.

Shaking my head from the confusing words, I went back to training on my sandbag.

Shack before sundown..

My stomach turned, and as I cleaned off from my training and laid in my bed to sleep, I thought of one thing.

Should I go?..

Akazaru was whining as he followed me. I knew I might had done a mistake, but maybe could she help me? As a Okami, I believe she would be better suited than anyone else for that.

We went back to the shack, where I made sure to prepare everything I needed before tomorrow. If she decided not to come, it would just have been like it always was, with me, alone, and Akazaru guarding.

Going through my daily routine of cleaning my room, the Tavern, and then going through training, Sundown was coming up fast.

Now's the time to decide...

My feet moved west, as if they had a will of their own. My mind was numb to where I was going, as dread and fear swept through me.

I heard Akazaru barking outside, stating the arrival of someone. I hurried back from the basement and went to see who it was.

I saw a woman approaching. By the smell, I reckognized Rae, my friend. I sigh of relief came from my lungs.

"I'm glad you decided to come."

"My feet carried me where I belonged."

I pet Akazaru, playing with him happily before looking up to Connor.

"What did you want to show me?"

I nodded.

"We don't have much time. Follow me."

Akazaru and I went down in the basement towards a table with straps on it, made to hold a person in order to prevent escape.

A little confused, I stared at the table. Then my muscles tightened.

"Are.. you going to put me in that?"

Staring at him in surprise, I tilted my head.

I'll kick his ass if he tries..

I shook my head, shoing a negative reply.

"No. That's my seat."

With Akazaru's help, I laid down on the table and put the straps around my arms and legs, tightening so I could not break free on my own.

I looked at Rae and said, serious:

"I must not be untied under any circumstances. Akazaru will know when to do it. If I cut loose by myself, kill me."

Pulling my mask down over my face, and putting on my Triclaws, I got into stance.

"I won't kill you Connor. I refuse to."

I stared at him seriously, wondering why he would go to such lengths as to tie himself up like so.

I sighed.

"Then lets hope that we don't have to get there."

I nodded at Akazaru. He went towards a cloth on the ceiling and removed it. Moonlight shined on the table and me. I gave a final look at Rae and then I crisped. Every musle of my body felt like it was torn apart then put back in place. My body grew in height and weight and began to be covered in black fur. My face took canine traits and claws grew at the tip of my fingers. The transformation almost completed, I howled at the moon and all my muscles relaxed once more. I was panting.

Leaping back as he began to shift, I growled darkly at him. I was now staring at a Lycan, a being that was created in an attempt to copy my lineage.

"The hell?!"

Going into my wolf stance, I growled deeper.

Hearing growls, my ears turned towards the sound, followed by my whole head. My blue eyes lit clearly in the darkness of my pelt and the night.

"Rae..."

My voice had changed. The tone was now deeper than my normal voice's. One could hear the struggling in it, for I was fighting my pulsions to keep control over this body.

Instinct then grabbed me fully, and I snapped at him, growling deeper. My eyes locked onto his, and I could feel his struggle for control.

"You're... Fighting it better than I am... Ack.."

Having a moment of internal struggle, I stood up slowly, walking over to him. I looked at his pelt, before nodding silently.

"You're only half a wolf. So fighting with your human side is... hard. I'm only half human, so I understand only the wolf's side..."

I looked at him, before whining softly, telling the wolf to calm down. Thankfully, I didn't sense that he was an alpha. If he was, he was doing a good job of putting it behind a wall.

I crisped at her whinning, the pressure becoming harder and harder to maintain.

I felt a growl coming from my throat and then said:

"C-careful. He might not be an Alpha, like my parents, but, before we were banished, he was Beta."

I felt myself slowly letting go of my grasp on control, loosing the fight.

"I-I'm loosing it... I don't know how long I'll be able to keep controlling him anymore."

I began to sweat from the effort, panting to try to climax and get some fresh air.

The alpha in me snapped, barking, then growling at him. His words rang true, he smelled like a beta. I could feel my muscles tense, as I got ready to fight for control once more.

"This is getting.. harder Connor..."