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LYKOS

Third Age

Chapter 12

(Object Lesson)

There was something about being in a classroom after the sun had set that made it feel relaxed, comfortable, and quite special. The orange campus lamps had snapped on outside and the classroom itself was lit not by the harsh fluorescent lights, but by an array of wall sconces diffusing their glow through half century old milky glass. The dark wood tables had been set up in a U shape, allowing the students to face each other while still looking towards the front of the classroom where one of the last few actual chalkboards had been scrawled with phrases that seemed divorced from their meaning. The professor meandered from one side of the board to the other, occasionally dipping into the center of the U. His frizzy hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail and his glasses were large and round, catching the sparkle in his eyes.

"Utilitarianism often gets a bad rap because it can reduce people and experiences down to a fundamental basic. It can lose the texture, the quality of the human experience. How much worth is that action, that person, that thing? That is utilitarianism in practice, but what about in theory? John Stuart Mill was a consequentialist. He posited that the foundation of utilitarianism was achieving the greatest possible pleasure for the greatest number of people. Find joy, avoid suffering... but there is texture, there are levels. To Mill, an action could be judged as good, bad or neutral based on the outcome or consequence." The professor explained.

"Sort of like how communism in the world doesn't really match up to how it is supposed to work?" Udo asked, looking up from his notes as he brushed a lock of blond hair from his face. The professor nodded eagerly.

"Exactly, but then again what part of philosophy isn't theory versus practice." the professor smirked softly, "Mill goes on to lay out the different levels of pleasure, from basic animal urges to higher, more ethical, and arguably more satisfying pleasures." The professor leaned his head back, taking on a slightly haughtier posture, "Human beings have faculties more elevated that the animal appetites, and, when once made conscious of them, do not regard any thing as happiness which does not include their gratification." The voice had been a loose facsimile of what Mill might have sounded like.

"Sort of like how you can drink a lot of cheap beer to get drunk, but it isn't going to be as good of an experience as something with more substance?" Dathan asked from next to Udo. As one of the campus vampires, he'd tried to stick to all night classes, but he'd found himself particularly invested in philosophy. Professor Levy nodded slowly.

"The higher pleasures can become so satisfying that one can put off gratification to achieve them, and often the simpler pleasures can make it harder to achieve the greater ones." the professor said sagely, "Therein lies the question. I want you all to make sure you've finished reading 'Utilitarianism, Altruism, and Ethical Egoism' and then break into groups. What are some tradeoffs between higher and lower pleasures in modern day life? When does altruism supplant personal satisfaction? Have a good weekend everyone." the professor smiled, moving back to his desk.

While the class was small, there was still sufficient noise as most of the students gathered up their things into their backpacks and headed out. Udo was a little slower, still thinking about the lesson when he realized Dathan hadn't gotten up yet either. Udo turned to look at him, only to realize Dathan was looking right at him.

"You want to work on the project together with me and Zane?" Dathan asked, referring to the class's other vampire student. Udo nodded reasonably.

"Yeah, that sounds good. We could probably find a lot of examples just on campus here." Udo grinned, closing his notebook. Dathan gave a little bit of an awkward smile at that.

"Speaking of lower pleasures, would you like to go to a party this weekend?" Dathan asked. Udo was a little surprised at that but considered it, running everything through his mind.

"I usually travel with a bit of an entourage, but I think they're kind of more occupied than usual. I'll see if everything lines up for the party, but in the meantime, we can still work on the project. What do you think about meeting up in the library in an hour?" Udo asked.

"I usually study better with music. How about my dorm?" Dathan asked as he stood up, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

"Hawkstray Hall, right?" Udo asked.

"Three-fourteen." Dathan replied.

"Sounds good." Udo smiled, navigating his way around the U-shaped table and out of the classroom, heading for the stairs. Dathan followed after a few paces behind, though he hesitated when he stepped out of the classroom, sensing a presence. He turned to see Zane there, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall, his stringy black hair hanging down over muscled, pale shoulders. His brownish eyes had a hint of a red hue to them.

"What are you doing?" Zane murmured.

"I figured we could use someone smart for our presentation..." Dathan murmured, deciding to continue walking. A slight sneer crossed Zane's face as he was forced to give up his dominant position and chase after his compatriot.

"It's not a party for outsiders." Zane whispered. Dathan's lips tightened a little.

"If you haven't noticed, we are the outsiders here. This was a werewolf safe-haven until this year. We chose to come here, to mingle, to experience and learn. What's the point of all that if we came all this way just to stick to our tiny, closed circles like before?" Dathan asked sharply.

"What if someone finds out about us?" Zane asked, betraying for the first time his concern. Dathan stopped mid-stride, pivoting around.

"Then we'll have to hope that there's some altruism left in the world and that they'll realize the benefit in finding the most happiness for the most people." Dathan replied before turning back toward the stairwell, though his movements seemed to bleed and blur into a fluid motion, leaving behind a faint afterimage of shadow.

****

To be young and to be a werewolf had meant a life free of aches and pains, at least related to everyday living. Marco's time rebounding as a human had reminded him of that. Being a Tanuki had brought with it a different set of sensations. Sleep had never been quite as gratifying, nor eating... His ability to play with his appearance had led to some over-exertion, especially when it came to satisfying Artyom's nearly insatiable appetites. Even as Marco swam towards consciousness, he felt an ache in his neck, his shoulders, the small of his back and his groin. His brow furrowed a little before he forced his eyes open, feeling a pounding in his head. He was dehydrated and still tired despite the evening nap. If he hadn't known better, he would have assumed it was a hangover. Marco slid one leg out of bed and dropped off the bed, yelping as he dropped further than he had expected.

Marco stood there, looking down at spindly legs, boxer shorts that barely hung on thanks to the faint curve of his manhood, and a hairless stomach. Marco ran his hand up a flat stomach, a flat chest, gasping as he felt at his bare face. He moved fair feet across the carpeted floor, making it over to the mirror. The reflection he saw was still familiar, but it was the thin Latino-Hawaiian freshman he'd been when he'd just arrived on campus - apart from the two tiny raccoon ears poking up from his dark hair. Marco turned, seeing a puffy striped tail behind him.

The last thing Marco remembered was indulging in his magic, pushing Yom and Duncan beyond the realm of believability when it came to being big, gay, hairy beasts. Was this some kind of rebound; some kind of punishment? Had he pushed things too far? Marco twitched his tail and felt his ears before his hand went back to his smooth cheek. It felt like so long since he'd been baby faced... Artyom's bite had turned him into a macho hunk barely a few weeks into his first semester. But now? The tanuki powers meant he could become anything he wanted, whether that be a sexy tan twink or a big bara beast. The possibilities were endless, but the real question was why he had snapped back like this involuntarily.

"Not quite as you remember it, huh?" a distantly familiar voice asked. Marco turned, realizing he wasn't in his current dorm room but rather the first room he'd shared with Fletcher. The voice, though, that belonged to a well-tanned, lanky eighteen-year-old with an unruly mane of curly brown hair and deep green eyes. His clothing seemed out of step; some sort of ancient gray linen secured with a small metal clasp that looked like a flattened wolf's head. HIs skin was well weathered for his age, bringing out freckles.

"Nyctimus... " Marco murmured, his raccoon ears flattening against his head, "Did... Did I mess up so bad that you had to visit me from the other side?" Marco asked. Nyctimus smiled affectionately at that.

"Not quite, at least not yet." Nyctimus replied, hopping off of Fletcher's bed and onto his sandals. Nyctimus appeared thoughtful for a moment, "You don't like that phrase, do you?" he asked. Marco's raccoon tail tucked between his legs a little.

"It's not so bad when you say it, I guess because you were the first." Marco commented, "I just like to know what's going on." Marco admitted. Nyctimus nodded at that and reached to pat Marco's shoulder.

"Then that's what we'll do." he commented, moving for the door.

"If I'm being visited by the first keeper of the werewolves, does that mean my connection isn't entirely broken?" Marco asked. Nyctimus pursed his lips a little.

"I know you like knowing the answers, but what's the point in an object lesson if you just want me to give you the answer?" Nyctimus asked, stepping through the doorway. Marco lunged forward to catch up, though he nearly stumbled as he passed through the doorway, his feet skidding on the unexpected cement. Marco's forward motion came to an abrupt stop as the crook of a shepherd's staff snagged him around the waist, keeping him from falling off the cement slab and onto the subway tracks on the other side.

Marco panted a little before turning back to look at Nyctimus. He retained his curly dark brown hair, though it spilled out a baggy beanie hat. Gold rings hung from each ear, a patch of brown stubble adorned his chin, and his gray linens were now a gray t-shirt emblazoned with a wolf wearing headphones and baggy black cargo pants. Having saved Marco, Nycrtimus swung his shepherd's staff back over his shoulder, sliding the staff down into a series of loops that ran down an athletic harness. Marco's jaw all but hit the floor as the distant screeching of subway brakes announced the approach of one.

"What is this?" Marco asked. Nyctimus shrugged a little.

"An object lesson? An interlude?" Nyctimus asked. Marco's lips pursed a little.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful; I know I'm still in college and I have a lot to learn, but this feels like overkill. If I did something wrong, I'll learn from it, I'll figure things out, I just can't take this whole fate of the world stuff right now. Too much has happened." Marco said. Nyctimus was thoughtful, considering for a moment before he moved over to sit down on the steps leading up to the city streets above.

"You keep assuming this is a lesson based on you doing something wrong. I don't think that's quite the right mindset." Nyctimus replied.

"It's not?" Marco asked, moving over to sit down to Nyctimus, though he gasped suddenly when he realized he was still in his underwear. "Why am I not wearing clothes?!"

"You're the Tanuki, why don't you figure something out?" Nyctimus smiled. Marco closed his eyes and concentrated hard. He felt the weight of something light drape across his shoulders, then his hips, then finally his head. Marco's look of concentration became a little more focused as he tried to bring back his beard. He felt a familiar warmth and tingle and opened his eyes.

A quick examination revealed a burgundy tank top revealing fairly muscled shoulders, silver activewear shorts with hairy legs, and oversized, scuffed up skate shoes. He reached up to feel his bushy beard had returned, coming down a few inches from his jaw. He used his hand to bring it forward, seeing the twin tannish gray streaks down either side of his mouth, though they were barely visible now. He also felt the heft of his long black hair hitting his shoulder blades.

"That's almost what you looked like when we first met, give or take the raccoon ears coming out of the hat." Nyctimus said. Marco winced and focused. The ears disappeared, though the two crescent shape holes in the material remained. Marco opened his eyes one last time, exhaling a long and slow sigh. It was a release, a clear and simple one.

"I've been trying to find the right balance for so long, I think this is the closest I've come to feeling like myself in a while." Marco admitted, his voice deeper again. Nyctimus nodded happily at that before he stood back up and stretched his shoulders out.

"I'm no Tanuki expert, so take what I say with that in mind... Your abilities are like a muscle. If you practice and use them, they'll get stronger. If you over-do it, you'll strain them... and I'm pretty sure it's going to take a lot of calories to keep up with the workload. Just be careful not to overdo that either." Nyctimus explained.

"Otherwise, I might end up like Seamus did." Marco murmured under his breath, thinking back to the first campus Alpha he'd met. Seamus had meant well, but his own personal lusts and gluttony had combined with the almost fanatical dedication of the werewolf campus pack, leading to the point where he'd gotten quite larger, more focused on his own pleasures than the pack's well-being. That lack of control had nearly led to quite a few incidents with people he held most dear.

"It's time for our lesson. Ready?" Nyctimus asked.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be." Marco said. The shepherd grinned and began jogging up the steps. Marco took a breath and followed after, ascending toward the stars and the moon that peeked out from the sky above.

****

It had been a little disorientating navigating through the upper floors of Hawkstray Hall, but Udo found it interesting, nonetheless. So much of campus felt like home, perhaps even more. He knew so many places, corners, and vantage points intimately. From the standpoint of a lycanthrope, it was clearly his territory - and yet he hadn't ever bothered to explore Hawkstray beyond the communal spaces at the building's base. It felt like it was newer than Keller Hall, and yet not made with the same timelessness. There was more wood and plaster which seemed to show its age faster than brick and cinderblock. Udo looked up, counting the last few room numbers before he reached his destination and knocked.

"Come in!" Dathan called from the other side. Udo eased the door open, looking into the other's space. It was always a gamble to see how college students decorated their space. Dathan had opted for posters of music groups. There were a few soccer balls situated on the shelves near the ceiling, an array of personal hygiene products by the sink and the normal amount of academic detritus on the desks and countertops. As much as Udo was drawn to the decor, he couldn't help but feel the stare coming from Zane where he sat on a beanbag chair, pale legs coming out of torn up black shorts, black painted nails strumming the strings of a guitar. Udo's back tightened a little, sensing hostility. Zane had been brusk during the RA meetings with Marco, but that short attitude had not been focused on any specific person.

"Hey..." Udo said by way of trying to break the mood. Dathan all but backpedaled into the room as if trying to draw Udo in by way of the change in pressures.

"You want anything to drink?" Dathan asked before hesitating, "I have a few cans of pop and stuff in case I have visitors, and a few beers." he smiled, pulling his desk chair out and moving it to the middle of the room.

"I bet it's not easy to get beer when you look as young as you do." Udo said, moving over to accept the proffered chair.

"He looks young because he is young. He's still nineteen." Zane said, still playing the guitar without looking at it.

"And you?" Udo asked, meeting Zane's gaze. Udo's affable question sidestepped Zane's impassible, almost frozen anger and almost seemed to catch him off guard.

"Thirty-seven." Zane replied, looking for the first moment as though he might have been a little vulnerable. The pale metalhead looked half as old as he really was, frozen in time physically while he continued to collect experiences and form memories that outpaced him. Had he gone to college before? Had he been forced to reinvent himself or relocate to escape the scrutiny of the humans? Udo's thoughts were interrupted as Dathan extended a can of blackberry cola to him. Udo accepted it with a bow of his head.

"Is it true that you were a goth?" Dathan asked, moving to sit down on the room's other chair, crossing one leg under himself. Udo nodded.

"Sort of, yeah. I didn't really dye my hair, but my wardrobe was as dark as the night. I sort of fell out of it when I got here, and my life took a different direction." Udo said, "Did you see an old picture of me or something?" he asked. Dathan nodded.

"It was in the background of one of Fletcher's presentations during orientation." Dathan answered, "You looked pretty hot like that. Maybe you should bring it back for the party, for old time's sake." Dathan said hopefully.

"He's a werewolf, he already has a pack." Zane said, the edge returning to his voice. Udo forced a diplomatic smile.

"I can't help but feel that we're not all on the same page here and I don't really want to contribute to anyone's unhappiness, maybe we should just compare notes online." Udo said, standing back up. Dathan turned to look at Zane, his brown eyes brightening to an intense shade of crimson. Zane's lips twitched a little before and he sighed before he turned his head and looked directly into Udo's eyes.

Udo had started getting used to Zane's stare, but as he met eyes with the vampire this time it felt different... it was as if the dark black rings of his pupils had rippled like the surface of an inky black pond on a moonless night. The darkness spread outward, encompassing all of Zane's eyes, drawing Udo in deeper and deeper. He felt as if he'd fall into the bottomless depth of those eyes, and part of him wanted to. It felt as though those dark eyes held all the answers to the questions he no longer needed to ask.

"Sit back down." Zane commanded. Udo obeyed, lowering back onto the chair entirely on physical reaction. There had been no thoughts about the command, but as Udo thought back on it, had Zane's voice always been that perfect? It was smooth, higher pitch than most of his pack, but it had a vitality to it, a strength.

"I didn't tell you to enthrall him, I just wanted you to stop being such a jerk!" Dathan hissed, betraying his elongated fangs. Zane smiled a little mercilessly at that, leaning his guitar against the shelves beneath the window.

"Tell me, Udo, do you find Dathan attractive?" Zane asked. Dathan looked horrified at the question being asked.

"Stop it!" He hissed harder, his fingernails starting to stretch into claws as his ears grew into points. Dathan's tawny skin was blanching a little, losing color as a gray hue began to spread out across it.

"Yes, he is attractive." Udo replied, his posture unchanging in the seat.

"Do you find me attractive, Udo?" Zane asked, smiling.

"Yes, I do." Udo replied. Zane made a tutting with his tongue, looking back at Dathan, "You're right, maybe he would be good at the party. I've never had a pet werewolf suck me off before." Zane said. Dathan lunged at that, his shirt tearing as leathery membrane snapped out from armpit to elbow and then wrist. Sickening pops and snaps came as Dathan's charmingly boyish face contorted and stretched into a short muzzle, his nose tilting up. Zane grunted as he was knocked back, sharp claws slicing through his shirt and cutting his pale skin. He hissed in turn, eyes going from black to red. He bore his own fangs before stretching up, sinking them into Dathan's neck. Dathan squirmed, squeaking with pain, shuddering as claws slashed at his stomach. His mind reeled, trying to find a way to break out of the grasp before he gasped sharply, seeing a white furry paw close around Zane's throat.

Zane choked and squirmed as his windpipe was squeezed, forcing him to release Dathan's neck. The freckled bat boy stumbled back, falling onto his ass, panting for breath. Zane was lifted off of the ground, legs dangling beneath him, his entire body weight suspended by the grip of the white werewolf. Udo's eyes were glowing like the setting sun, the rich amber hue flecked with tiny embers of red. His shirt had torn around his collar, making way for expanding shoulders. His shirt had ridden up to expose a furry stomach. Sharp claws had pierced through his shoes, ruining them.

"I was manipulated by a man exerting his supernatural powers over me before... That's never going to happen again, do you understand me?" Udo's deeper voice growled with a power and resonance that vibrated through Zane's body. He reached up, trying to clutch at Udo's paws, looking up at him. Udo snarled suddenly, revealing that he had far more sharp teeth in his mouth than Zane had in his, "And if you try to hypnotize me into letting you go out of this, don't bother." Udo said before he slammed Zane down into the floor. Zane coughed, expelling all the breath from his lungs, pain radiating out through his body from the impact.

The seething white werewolf stood there over him for a long moment, chest rising and falling in the panting breaths of exertion. Udo considered making a witty comment about animal urges and higher pleasures, but Zane wasn't worth it. All Udo wanted to do was storm out of there, to stalk his way back home, but it wasn't as if he could go out like he was. He tried to remind himself what Marco would have said in their freshman year, of everything that they had achieved and done together.

Udo's breath slowed and as he struggled to find himself, the werewolf began to pull back in on himself. White fur became blond hair, his teeth flattened and blunted, his mouth pulled back on itself. Dathan looked up from where he'd landed, still winded and bleeding, watching as Udo left the room in torn up clothing, almost all of the way human. Dathan turned back to Zane, glaring. They would both heal from their physical wounds in short order, after all sparring was common among the Varos, but grudges were something that a vampire could hold on to for a very, very long time.

****

A maelstrom of color and chaos swirled around Marco as his consciousness struggled to bring everything into focus. In the last year he had participated in a half dozen different visions, dreams, and premonitions. None of them had prepared him for this. Marco wasn't sure how loud music had to be before it hurt his ears on a spirit walk, but however loud it was, it couldn't have been good for those actually there in person. A soft pressure rested on Marco's shoulder, Nyctimus' hand acting as an anchor in the discord around them. Marco turned and looked at the shepherd, seeing the kind sparkle in his eyes. Looking back, the dissonance began to resolve into a crowded interior space. Even with a bit of clarity, it took Marco a moment to realize just what he was looking at.

The energetic music and the flurry of rainbow lights washed over the two and a half story interior, reaching down to the bottom of the pool-like pit in the center of the cavernous room. Terraces and landings orbited the edge of the pit, connected by ramps and stairways of various styles and grades to create a sort of floating islands sort of feeling. Each landing had a mismatched set of chairs, couches, or in some cases arcade equipment. The pit was ringed by a boardwalk space that made migrating from one island to another easier, and three food stalls had been set up at the back, offering a variety of pizza, wings, and even some vegan options.

Marco stood there with his jaw hanging open a little, taking it all in. The space was occupied by teens and twenty somethings, all of them in their element. They soaked in the light and sound and somehow still were able to carry on conversations. Some played board games, others compared notes on life and Marco even spotted one young man with a bluetooth keyboard typing away a story of some sort on a tablet. It felt like some sort of adult playplace or think tank, a youth center or a club that wasn't focused on drinking and dancing and having sex. Marco shook his head slowly.

"Fletcher would be losing his mind seeing a place like this." Marco said. Nyctimus smiled a little.

"Maybe Beck can take him sometime." Nyctimus said. Marco looked surprised at that.

"You know Beck? Beck Barlowe? Wait, how do you even know about this place?" Marco asked. Nyctimus shrugged a little innocently.

"The Anachronistica? I have time on my hands." Nyctimus admitted. Marco looked at the shepherd suspiciously for a moment before he started walking along the boardwalk, trying to find the natural ebb and flow so he didn't walk through anyone. Despite the fact that he wasn't really there, he didn't like the idea of occupying the same space as someone. Marco looked at the young men and women partaking in everything the space had to offer, though his pace slowed as he smelled something oddly familiar... Sweet, a hint of sweat, sandalwood and orchid and... seaweed. It was a smell he'd grown quite accustomed to in a rather terrible part of his life.

"Tofino..." Marco whispered, turning. His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on the bleach blond hair counterbalanced by overly tanned skin.

"A friend of yours?" Nyctimus asked, catching up to where Marco was standing.

"We were cell mates in Texas, he was up above me. I promised him we'd find a way out of everything and we'd bring futurza down. I thought he'd be with his brothers in their family pack." Marco considered.

"I think you had an influence on him, you and the other wolves. You showed there were more ways to lead a pack. He came to the big city, made friends, shared his experiences about his liberator." Nyctimus explained.

"And you said that Beck knew this place... He might have come to Grand Mesa because of something Tofino said." Marco considered. Nyctimus only smiled, stepping forward through the last of the crowd to approach the table that Tofino was standing at. The young man had continued to grow out his bleach blond soul patch, letting the hair grow from his lower lip all the way to the point of his chin and an inch down below. He matched the strip with two sideburns in front of faintly pointed, pierced ears. Marco followed after Nyctimus, looking at Tofino's group.

"I know you didn't just bring me here to do the tourism thing, although it is nice..." Marco said. Nyctimus grinned a little wryly.

"It is nice... It's a place that is enjoyed by humans, werewolves, tanuki, kitsune, and even a naga." Nyctimus said. Marco's jaw fell open again.

"No..." he whispered. Nyctimus chuckled.

"I'm serious. What you are doing has started a conversation around the world. There will be triumphs and tragedies, just as there are anytime a marginalized group gains traction. Echo Creek is under a microscope for how it navigates these challenges. The world has come to you, and the choices you make will shape that world." Nyctimus said. Marco stood there for a moment, watching Tofino talk to a chubby friend whose black beard was just as long as his buzzed hair, creating a uniform length of masculinity that framed his face. Marco wondered idly if he might be a Tanuki or a werewolf or something else entirely.

"You said earlier that this wasn't a lesson on something I'd done." Marco commented.

"The implication being that this wasn't a punishment for something you'd done wrong." Nyctimus clarified, inclining his head towards Tofino, "You saved his life and you inspired him. He's living this life, figuring out how to contribute to the common good in his own way. You faced discomfort, pain and suffering for a higher purpose and you delayed gratification until the time was right."

"That still makes me feel a little like I did something wrong." Marco murmured, thinking about just how far he'd gone with Duncan and Artyom.

"It is the duty of any good shepherd to nudge his flock back into line if they start straying. You didn't do anything wrong, but you've got things to do and places to be. You only shared a short time with Tofino, but that limited encounter inspired Tofino to come here and form connections with individuals wildly different from himself. I'll give you this advice as one shepherd to another... It is alright to wander so long as you don't get lost, but we are no more important than those stray spirits that we guide."

The words still hung in Marco's ears as he woke up, looking up at the ceiling of his dorm room. The rope lights taped to the underside of the ceiling shelving filled the space with a steady, comfortable creamy white glow. Marco felt the comfortable weight of Duncan's head on one pectoral and the warmth of Artyom's face nuzzled into his armpit. Both of them had arms arched over Marco's thick, round, full belly. There was no denying that he'd been lost in the haze of his new abilities, but beneath it all he was still Marco Iona. There was a lot to learn about being a Tanuki, but that paled in comparison to the number of people counting on him... and the fact that the abilities he held had come from Rodrigo.

As Marco lay there, he thought back to how the pack had tried to turn him back into a werewolf after he had lost his lycanthropy. There was a very real risk that Rodrigo couldn't regain what he lost... but if the gift had been shared with him when he was human, and if it could be passed on, perhaps it was Marco's duty to see if there was a way to give him back what had been stolen. With luck they could both embrace the gift of the Tanos and act as unlikely mentors for one another. It felt good to have a plan, and it felt even better that his plan promised to offer short term pleasures and long term satisfaction.

****

The cold bite of the evening air wasn't enough to cool Udo's blood as he walked along the curved pathways that meandered the way between and around the various buildings on campus. Every part of what had just happened set Udo on edge. He hadn't been that angry since Futurza. Worse, it had brought back uncomfortable memories of being forced into being the campus pack Omega by Jesse. He hadn't asked for any of it, and he had wound up little more than a public plaything.

As bad as it was for him, though, it felt even worse that both of them had come under Marco's mentorship project. He was supposed to help them adapt to life at the edge of the public eye. What had he done in their first study session? He'd wolfed out to pull two fighting vampires off of one another. A hot sigh escaped Udo's lips, turning to vapor in the chilly air. As he exhaled, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Udo didn't have time to put his thoughts to words as he turned, eyes turning yellow, claws coming out of his hand. The source of Udo's instinctive defense became apparent as a moving shadow manifested itself into Zane, coming to an effortless stop a foot and a half away from Udo. Udo's face tightened into a scowl.

"I don't care what you have to say, I'm done. I'll find someone else to do the project with or take an incomplete on it, I don't care." Udo said. Zane grimaced a little.

"I... I'm sorry." Zane murmured. Udo said nothing, only arching a blond eyebrow. Sensing the onus was on him to continue, Zane rubbed at the back of his head, feeling a bruise from when Dathan had attacked him. "What I did was uncalled for. I shouldn't have used my abilities on you." Zane said. Udo let out a small growl, betraying the abnormally sharp points of his canine teeth.

"That is just the tip of the iceberg. You were hostile towards me from the moment I came into the dorm room. You were rude and crass, and you bit Dathan!" Udo said, barely managing to keep from shouting. As angry as he was, it wasn't the sort of conversation he wanted to project across the quad.

"You're right. I mean, yes, you're right about everything. I guess vampires spar a bit rough and I just got used to it." Zane said, looking back at Udo, "Do werewolves ever fight?" he asked. Udo hesitated and considered before shrugging slightly.

"Thankfully not as much around here, but during the full moon I guess they jockey for position and status in most packs." Udo said. Zane nodded.

"Maybe that's it... Werewolves change all the way one time a month and everything is geared up towards that. I guess we have the rest of the time to let off our steam in little pieces. We can still learn from each other." Zane said, smiling. Udo grimaced a little, feeling his brain warring with his heart.

"That's the whole idea of all of this... But if I so much as catch a flutter in those eyes of yours that you're trying to hypnotize anyone else, I'll go straight to the keepers, the counselors, and the president of the school." Udo said. Zane held up his hands in mock defense.

"I surrender, you got me. I already said you're right." he commented, "But to that point... you're right about one more thing. We're all here to learn how to cohabitate. I'll talk to the host of the party about inviting everyone, not just the vampires. Could be good to have a mixer." Zane said.

"Who is the host?" Udo asked. Zane smiled a little more coyly.

"I'll ask him if he wants me handing out his name as well... Needless to say, we wouldn't be here without a little help from some benefactors." Zane said, turning back towards Hawkstray hall before he looked over his shoulder, "And I guess Dathan was right, you are pretty cute when you're angry." the pale vampire grinned before his body shifted into shadow, slipping away through the night at incredible speeds. It took a few heartbeats until Udo realized that he'd been squeezing his hands so tight that his claws were digging into the flesh. He winced and gently opened them back up, lifting one hand to lick at the injury. His saliva cleaned the blood and the flesh began to knit itself back together, closing up again.

****

"Are you sure you don't want it a little longer?" Artyom asked, arms crossed over his chest as he looked over Marco's shoulder. Marco stood in front of the dorm room mirror, wearing only cargo shorts. His big, rotund belly had ebbed away to a flatter, though still soft stomach. His black hair was long, down to the bottom of his shoulder blades and his beard once again reached his collarbone. His ass was a bit rounder and fuller, though the rather excessive bulge in the front of his shorts tried to steal focus. A dusting of hair coated his arms and legs and his feet were a little bigger than they had been before.

"I think I'm going to confuse the other students." Marco mused, reaching up to run a finger down the faint brownish-gray stripe on one side of his beard. Duncan smiled where he sat, his chair kicked back onto two legs, leaning against the edge of their lofted bed.

"Maybe, but only because they won't be able to take their eyes off of you." Duncan smirked.

"I think the idea was to be a little more grounded in reality." Marco commented, turning, looking at how his back looked. There was something completely new and completely strange about being a Tanuki. He could manipulate most of his appearance at will, though it was a lot harder to hold onto if he was tired or hungry or distracted. Given the infinite different choices, though, Marco had settled on something closer to when he'd first become an Alpha; manly, strong, healthy... but a bit softer this time, cuddlier.

"Just promise me for your birthday you can go full out." Artyom said. Marco turned and moved over, stretching slightly to kiss Yom's lips tenderly, letting their long beards brush one another.

"I promise that I'll spoil you rotten for your birthday. We'll be so big and gay and hairy, beyond monsters, indulging in the most hedonistic pleasures imaginable." Marco whispered. Yom shivered with anticipation, pressing against Marco's body, though he held it there for a moment before releasing his lover.

"So, how do we get back on track?" Yom asked. Marco nodded at that, relieved that Yom wasn't going to make it harder to fight temptation.

"Fletcher's looking out for Rodrigo along with Beck. Someone tried to stab him, and his powers went into that knife, and by proxy, me. I was thinking about helping Rodrigo get his powers back, but then I realized that might actually put him at more risk." Marco said. Duncan's jaw fell open as he connected the dots.

"If someone attacked him to steal his powers, and they failed, they might try again... and if you give him his powers back, it might just happen all over again..." Duncan murmured. Yom's face tightened.

"That means they'll come after you instead!" Yom growled.

"Well, probably, but Rodrigo doesn't have the same pack protecting him that I do." Marco smiled bashfully, "Besides, we don't know much of anything about this yet. Yom, you said your mom went off when you told her about the knife?" Marco asked. Yom tightened his arms over his chest before he nodded.

"Yes, I think she went down to the mines in Naica." he said. Marco took a breath, thinking.

"The blood moonstone is the only lead we have to go on. We either need a safe way to ask your parents questions about it, or we need a sample. I know I've tried not to take advantage of your family's financial situation, but I think some of us may need to take a trip to Mexico." Marco said.

"Spring break in January, I can dig it." Duncan smirked.

"How long will we be down there?" Yom asked.

"We can't really miss too much class... Leave as early on Friday as we can, come back on Monday, miss one day of classes?" Marco asked. Artyom nodded.

"I'll start figuring everything out." Yom said, moving over towards his desk. Duncan slowly leaned forward until all four of his chair legs were back on the floor.

"So, the spiritual cold shower worked?" he whispered. Marco reached up to scratch at the hair on his cheek.

"Mostly. I can still feel it simmering beneath the surface, but I know there are more important things to focus on. The future isn't going to shape itself." Marco decided.