The shards of glass gleam like jewels in the blue light that dimly shines through the windows. No words can describe the relief in your chest, the happiness at seeing his face. That's why you don't even bother to hide the tears of joy, nor the hiccups and the bright smile on your lips.

"Wolfie!"

Legoshi stands in front of you, still crouched from his sudden entrance and the wooden staff from the lamp he just shattered in his hands. His gaze is fixated on you, not leaving your face for even a second.

In this moment, he truly is a wolf to you. Kind, powerful, loyal and a companion mankind learned to love a long time ago. Hunters that value family over everything else.

A wolf that risked his life to save you.

"You came for me," you hiccup, too ecstatic to care about your lack of clothing.

He stands up straight, a rarity when it comes to Legoshi, and sighs in relief. The warmth in his eyes brings forth an entire colony of butterflies in your stomach, red tinting your cheeks. When he pulls his navy-coloured shirt over his head, revealing his white tank top underneath, your head turns scarlet.

However, the strangely casual, cute moment of your reuniting is ruined by the old mobster, whose terrifying form suddenly appears behind Legoshi.

"Legoshi, behind you-" You're cut off by his shirt landing on your face, already covering your upper torso. With a groan of annoyance, you free your vision and once you do, you see the lion and the wolf locked in a primal struggle of pure strength and power. The lion's blood paints the ground red, his jaws only a foot away from Legoshi's head.

"Sorry if it smells musky!" He shouts, kicking the lion away from him. "But put my uniform on!"

You do as he says, delighted to finally have clothes, and follow their movements with widened eyes. A small part of you is furious that he came here, knowing full well that he could've died tonight. You're ignoring the fact, that you certainly would've met your end again, had he not crashed the sight to save the day.

"You came!" You yell at him, tears stinging in your eyes as you rapidly blink to clear your vision. "Why would you do that, you idiot?!"

He lands in front of you, his back turned to you as he crouches once more.

"Huh? A lot of reasons." He grunts in pain. "I'll tell you later."

Oh my god, I'm in love with a dumbass.

"You goddamn moron!"

Still, you laugh.

But your joyful moment is cut short when the old feline lands a punch, attacking him again and again with no sign of stopping.

"She's right, you know!" The lion growls, his eyes deranged with bloodlust. "You really are an idiot for coming here and messing with me, kid!"

Meanwhile, most of the students of Cherryton Academy are safely coddled within their dorms, waiting for the tragic weather to end. However, a few of them are more unsettled than others.

"Okay, we have a problem here," Dom sighs as he stands in front of the canines of room 701, "It's like he just...left everything and suddenly disappeared."

"I know and the festival's tomorrow!" Kibi complains, prompting Collot to speak up. "Yeah, that's right. And we haven't seen Legoshi for the entire day today."

"He's not the type to ditch school," Jack joins in, the worry for his friend eating him alive, "so I'm sure there's a good reason for it."

Suddenly, Dom's phone rings and he hurriedly picks up. "Hello? What, you're missing someone, too?!"

Confused and concerned, the roommates look at one another as Dom apologizes. "I'm sorry, you guys, but I need to go now. Canine room 207 is missing someone, too."

The peafowl and the anteater leave in a hurry whilst the canines return to the comfort of their room.

"Oh man, what a fiasco. It's raining hard out there, too."

"Jack? Any idea where he could be?"

"No," answers the Labrador, sticking his head into the empty bunk bed of his best friend in search for clues, "His bed looks like it hasn't been touched since this morning..."

He trails off before gasping at the terrible sight before him. "Oh no, poor Kabu is dead!"

"Kabu?!"

"Yeah, it's Legoshi's pet Beetle."

"Could this day get any worse?"

"This is a bad omen," Jack sighs, close to having a mental crisis, "Legoshi really loved this beetle, too."

"Kabu!" Legoshi coos as the big bug crawls across the back of his hand, "You're walking now, good job!"

"Wow, you took great care of it," Jack comments, "You should be really proud!"

"Mmh," the wolf sighs, "Yeah...I guess. I just..."

"Hm?"

"Ah- well uh...You do realize that I'm really just doing all of this for myself. The other party may not want it."

"What do you mean?"

Slowly, Kabu wanders into the palm of his furred hand, his dark eyes full of joy and seeking for adventure.

"No matter what I do, a creature so small and vulnerable would never feel completely secure," Carefully, he curls his fingers and points all of his claws at the bug, which instantly freezes in its spot, "around an animal like me."

"Oh, I see. You're still hung up on that 'Human girl'" Mentally, Jack air-quoted the word, seeing as you were the only human in this entire country, "Is that it?"

Thunder strikes outside as the lion and the wolf are standing face to face, their claws digging into the others arms in an attempt to win the fight. Snarls and growls crawl from their throats. The lion snaps his jaws at him and Legoshi slides back on the floor, momentarily losing his footing and being caught off guard as the lion pushes him against the sofa.

He barely manages to dodge the attack and had he not, the feline's fangs would've been buried within his neck. Legoshi tries to land a blow to his face, only to have his wrist caught in his enemy's jaws. Blood taints his clothes, both his and the lion's, who's losing more blood by the second from his stab wound. Slammed and pinned to the ground by the mobster, the wolf can only growl in pain and try to fight his arm free from its deadly prison.

She told me, you'll never understand how it is to be ripped away from everything you hold dear. To feel like you don't belong. Like you're close to dying.

And she's right.

As long as I'm a carnivore, there's no way I would ever understand that feeling.

"Legoshi!" You scream, your heart painfully clenching at the sight of his blood.

"Y/n! Hurry, run away!" he continues to struggle within the feline's grip, more blood gushing from his wrist. "Go on!"

He can't be serious, can he?!

"I can't!" You shout, new tears burning your eyes. "I won't do that, Legoshi! I won't leave you behind!

At the sight of him, fighting to stay alive, a new surge of adrenaline pours into your veins.

He...he's going to lose.

He won't make it on his own!

I...I-

The cut in your arm stings and in tune with the lightning, static rushes through your ears. Once it stops, you made up your mind. With a quick scan through the room, your e/c eyes land on the old lamp stick Legoshi left behind, lying amidst the shards of glass.

I have to help him!

And with a cry of fury, you force your muscles to work again.

"But I wonder...if we're never going to fully understand each other, then what was the point in me being born a wolf in the first place?"

"Maybe...we're all just trying to figure that out. Kids and grown-ups, carnivores and herbivores, we're all struggling."

He pushes a clawed hand against the lion's head, fighting to get his arm back.

Suddenly, a powerful jab from a staff to the head forces the lion to momentarily weaken his hold, enough for the wolf to free his hand and stagger back. Legoshi lands on all fours, panting as he tries to catch his breath.

You stand in front of him, dressed in his shirt and armed with the staff, a stance as fierce and mighty as that of a Valkyrie.

I won't let you hurt him anymore!

"Fangs and claws off my idiot," you growl, voice drowned with venom and hatred, "I'm the one you want, pussycat."

Animalistic snarls echo through the room but you barely hear them through the white noise in your ears.

"You little bitch," he growls, tauntingly smirking at you," I'll rip you to shreds right in front of him, just you wait."

"That's a big promise for a failure like yourself," you grin, cocking your head to the side, "Try me, bitch."

Legoshi's worried shout behind you is barely registered by your mind as you dodge his claws. Once more, the lion and you are face to face, his hands blocked by the staff as you struggle to overpower him. Making quick note of your disadvantage in strength and his vulnerable injury, you kick right at the wounded area.

Red covers the sole of your foot but the lion falls back, clutching his stab wound as he yelps in pain. You don't waste any time before striking again. The staff breaks to pieces against his skull but leaves him stunned for a few seconds.

However, it also leaves you without a weapon.

"Shit!" You curse, eyes frantically looking around in hopes of finding anything else to fight with.

All of a sudden, you're yanked backwards by the back of Legoshi's shirt. A squeal escapes you and you glance down in surprise and awe at the back of your wolf, who shifts to crouch in front of you. He's still panting but his eyes never leave the mobster.

"Y/n," he says, the husky tone of his voice sending shivers up your spine, "Please, leave this to me."

Your panicked orbs are set on him, watching his every move as you scream at every muscle in your body to continue to fight.

"Legoshi, I ca-"

"Well this isn't going anywhere." The lion grunts as he rubs his jaw, a large hand covering his stab wound while he limps. His deadly gaze is focused on you and the wolf, madness gleaming in them like hellfire. "How about we end this battle, kid, right now?"

"Yeah," Legoshi growls huskily, "Let's end it."

His body trembles as he wipes the blood and sweat from his muzzle and sways slightly as he stands.

I'm beginning to understand it now, Jack. The reason why I was born a wolf.

With apologetic eyes, he turns to you and your lips tremble when your gazes lock.

"This could be something that you may not want to watch."

"H-huh?" Stammering, your eyes threaten to pop out of your head when you realize what he's up to. Your chest fills with terror.

Please...please No!

Please stop, please, he's going to hurt you! Please, please, Stop!

Stop!

Wolfie, please! Stop!

Once more, he turns his back to you. "I'm sorry...Y/n."

He raises his fists close to his face, ready to fight the larger carnivore. And in his mind, he sees his beetle fly away from his hand to freedom and he knows the time has come for him to let go of his childish desires.

He needs to embrace the beast tonight. If it means saving you, he'll do it. He'd do anything.

There's nothing to fear.

The wolf's eyes turn feral and lighting strikes as he lunges at the lion, his fangs barred like the apex predator he's meant to be.

"Legoshi!" Your scream echoes through the room like that of a banshee, followed by another crack of thunder.

A punch to the face hurls him back and he lands on all fours. His agility, his speed, his movements; all of them resemble a true wolf taking down his prey.

These claws are for you.

These fangs are for you!

I'll be your beast!

In the blink of an eye, he's managed to sink his razor sharp fangs into the neck of the feline.

They fall to the ground, the lion screaming in agony as the wolf gnaws at his flesh. He tears and pulls at the muscle before eventually ripping his head away. A string of blood and muscle tissue follows his jaws and he spits the ugly remains to the side.

His body ripples with growls as he sits on top of the unconscious and presumably dead mobster.

With every heavy breath, strings and drops of blood drop from his snout. The metallic taste satisfies his gums and the feral animal in him thrives from the rush of the hunt.

Do I look like the devil to you?

"Don't worry, Y/n. It's alright now."

With a shaky sigh, you sink to your knees. Your eyes never lose contact with his.

The decision...is yours.

Legoshi staggers as he stands up, his left eye bruised and swollen whilst blood covers most of his clothes. You watch him with quivering lips as he steps closer.

Then, he holds a hand out to you.

"Will you come away with me?"

You don't say anything; you're too stunned to respond in that very second. Your mind's going haywire, now that the adrenaline is wearing off and the exhaustion of the entire day rips you apart from the inside out.

E/c orbs stare intently at the red liquid on his fur, then down to your own hands. Blood dries on your skin; most of it isn't yours.

So much blood.

Then, your eyes meet his again and a shuddering breath leaves your lips.

You'll be the one to tame this grey wolf.

"Wolfie,"you sigh, carefully setting your hand in his. Although he had planned to do exactly the same, he's still surprised when you pull him towards you and embrace him with so much warmth and affection, he's afraid his heart might fail with how fast it's beating.

Your small body clings to him like a life-line as you bury your face into his shoulder, your hands running over his back. He feels your body shaking and your fingers tangling through his fur.

"I was so worried that you would...that he'd-" Your own hiccup cuts you off but an ecstatic laugh giggle mixed as well as you hug him tighter. "You're such a fucking idiot, wolfie!"

Content and at peace, the wolf closes his eyes and nuzzles your back, some strands of your hair tickling his ears.

"I'm glad," he whispers, "I'm so glad."

"We're okay," you respond, equally as quiet and happy to just hold him, "It's over. We're okay."

Suddenly, his weight starts to pile on you. "Wait...wha- Legoshi!"

In your weakened state, he's too heavy for you to lift on your own. So, all you can do is sigh and giggle quietly at the obviously exhausted wolf.

I did all this because I wanted you to forgive me. For being born a carnivore.

For...falling in love with you.

The compound is deadly silent as the two of you make your way towards the gates, a few stars shining in the night-sky. You're supporting the wolf's body with your own, his fur now mostly cleansed of blood. Still, your worry increases every time he winces in discomfort and fatigue.

Shortly before the gates, you make your way across the large front yard and see multiple lions both tied together and knocked out, or simply dead.

"Did you do all of this?" You ask the wolf, even though you're pretty sure what his answer's going to be.

"Of course not." Called it. "I had a lot of help....from the old panda...and that mountain lion, Valentina. "

You hum in understanding and you two continue your way to complete freedom.

None the wiser to the carnivore watching your every move.

Bloodied and close to death anyways, the lion struggles to load his gun.

That wolf....He missed the kill point on purpose!

Let the old man teach you the final, most important lesson.

He aims for the wolf's head.

"Being unnecessarily kind can be deadly."

He's a second from pulling the trigger, when a bullet lodges into his hand and knocks the gun away from him. He turns to face his attacker, only to be silenced by a gun in his mouth.

The red deer, eyes cold and without any light, stands in front of him with a sneer.

"You're not going to hurt her any further. Now, I want you to beg me for your life."

But the lion stays silent, his eyes widening.

"Yes, that's right. You're going to show me how a carnivore fears for their life. So let me hear you! You will beg! Now! Real Loud!"

He pulls the trigger. Red paints the balcony as the corpse falls to the ground.

The stag watches with satisfaction, his gun raised. "Sorry, old man. I just needed to teach you a lesson. All of us in this world...are helpless."

I'll disappear into the darkness.

Blood coats his shoes once the other lions enter the room, weapons raised.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Drop your gun!"

The war with demoralized adults is over. Let go of your honour and pride.

He steps forward, his posture straight, confident and like royalty.

And be free.

"I'm number four. Product- ID number four. I may be weak and small but I have good flavour. Don't leave anything besides my horns. Eat me and be grateful."

Finally, with a laugh similar to that of a maniac, he lets the scene unfold around him.

The gunshot rings through the air and like time itself stopped, you freeze right before the gates. Static rings in your ears, your death flashes past you, pain fills your lungs and your breathing is quick and shallow. You want to turn back, to see what's happening but you're too afraid to move.

Another gunshot. You flinch.

You can't turn around.

You're scared you'll see her.

"Hey?" Legoshi asks. "Are you okay?"

With a shaky exhale, you force a smile and fasten your pace.

"I-I'm fine...but we need to get out of here."

You feel the eyes burning into the back of your skull.

Eyes, that you're far too familiar with.

"Come on, Lego-head."

And with fast steps, you're out of the lion's den. Your heart calms as you grip tightly onto Legoshi, visibly gulping.

What are you doing here....Bambi?

****

Hiya! I hope you enjoyed this Chapter!

I'm sorry this update is a little later than planned but school's been a bitch. I've already written two test in the span of four days because all of our teachers are scared the school's gonna close again and then they'd have no grades like last time.

Anyways, I won't say a lot today because I need to sleep. I have to wake up in 5 hours again.

I hope y'all are safe and sound during this ongoing crisis!

See you in Chapter 38!