Instinct

Instinct

Chapter 4

Sal moaned and rolled onto his side. His body had changed back to his human form. He was bare. His black eyes looked around.

Jou groaned, shifting to his elbows, his head ringing from the fall. He'd also turned back into human form, shivering as his bare skin met with a cold breeze. "Mmph..." He blinked, glancing around.

Sal smelled the blood in the air and something else he didn't understand. "Jou?!?!" Black eyes looked over to the blond's voice.

Jou winced, glancing back at him. "Sal, that you? You okay?"

Sal bit his lip. The sweat smell was coming from Jou. "Yes...a bit sore, but in one piece. You?" He rubbed his head.

"Same. I think the deer broke our fall...but where are we?"

"I'm not sure...just remember the need to jump at the deer, and then waking up here.." He moved towards the blond.

Jou winced again, his muscles pulling from the fall. "I don't remember, either. We've got to get back, Isato's gonna have my head for this..."

"First off, I don't think it's anyone's fault. We just jumped at the deer. We didn't know we would go down a cliff." He smiled at Jou.

"True...but I was so determined to not screw up...I hope he won't be angry..."

"Can you walk?" Sal fought the need to touch Jou. He had no idea until now what Isato had meant about keeping some distance from the blond.

Jou nodded, getting to his feet, unaware of Sal's emotion. "At least nothing's broken..."

"Can you change?" Sal had tried, but he found out his head hurt too much from the fall to keep his mind clear on the change Jou Jou bit his lip and closed his eyes, attempting to change, only able to shift for a second before shifting back with a wince. "Can't...takes too much, no energy..."

"I think I hit my head...I can't think clearly...." Sal sat down. "Let's wait a moment before we try to go back."

Jou nodded, sitting down beside him, then moving to check his head for any wounds. "I don't see anything bleeding..."

Sal twitched for a moment. "I'm going to have a headache for sure....Jou, is any one waiting for you?" Black eyes looked up into honey ones.

"What do you mean?"

Sal's face turned red. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that..." He bowed his head. "You smell strangly sexy."

Jou's eyes widened before blushing furiously. "Uh...thanks....I think..."

"I understand why Isato kept you away from us now...you had sex, didn't you? Before you came here..." Sal blushed.

Jou reddened more before nodding his head nervously.

"That explains things...you are giving off a scent...a scent of being in heat..." Sal took a deep breath. "Sorry...for making a move on you..."

Jou swallowed, rubbing his neck. " 'S okay...I'm so new to this, I wouldn't know, either..."

"It's okay...I'm the one that should have known..." He looked about. "Well, let's try to get back to the others, or do you think we should wait?"

"Hmm...well...they say that when you're lost, just stay in one place until someone finds you...do you think that we can find them?"

"If we could change, then I think we could find them, but...it's best to remain here." He glanced at the deer. "Do you think we could start a fire and cook some of that meat?"

Jou nodded. "Might also keep other wild animals away..." He flushed as his stomach growled. "That and I'm starving..."

Sal nodded and got up, moving to a clearing. "Let's find some wood and some dry rocks. As you can see, I left my lighter in my other pants." He pulled the deer over to the clearing and picked up a sharp rock to cut open the deer.

Jou glanced around for some kindling and rocks, gathering a whole armful and bringing it back to Sal.

"Clear out a spot so we can make a fire. Make sure to remove any dry stuff so we don't start a forest fire." Sal cut the fur away and started to cut a piece off.

Jou found a spot and started to clear off all the leaves and debris from the area to make sure that nothing caught on fire, laying the rocks and kindling down and making a firepit. -Luckily I was at camp a few times when I was little, or I'd be clueless...-

Sal came over with two legs from the kill. "Well, this'll do for a start." He smiled.

Jou grinned. "That'll work...let's just hope we can get this right..."

Sal picked up a pair of stones and hit them together. "It's got to..."

Jou nodded, watching him, biting his lip anxiously.

Isato was worried. For all of the people for the blond to disappear with, it would be the one that was intested in him the most. The pack hurried along the cliff wall to find an easy way down to the pair below.

"Any luck?" Jou murmured, sighing softly.

A small fire started. "Bring some of the dry wood over here." He held out his hand to Jou.

Jou nodded, handing him what he asked for.

Sal took the wood and put it on the fire. "Now, at least we can stay warm and cook some of this meat." Sal smiled.

"And keep wild animals away. 'M starving..."

Sal put a leg above the fire with two large branches. "It'll be a while, Jou, unless you change to a wolf and just eat raw meat." Sal glanced at the blond.

"I wish..." Jou curled close to the fire, shivering.

Sal blushed. "Do you want to lean up against me for warmth?" He turned the meat around.

Jou blushed. "I-if you don't mind it...."

Sal shook his head and raised his arm. "I won't do anything you don't want me to." He checked the meat again and moved about. "The meat is almost done."

"G-good.." His teeth were starting to chatter, so he curled against Sal, trying to stop his shaking. "Wh-what I wouldn't g-give for a fur coat right now...or some clothes..."

"I agree with you. I think we both will feel better once we get something into our bellies." Sal pulled the meat off the fire. "We'd best wait for a moment so it will not burn our tongues." Sal rubbed Jou's arm. "Feeling better?"

Jou nodded. "A little..." he replied softly.

Sal pulled Jou closer. "I'm glad. There's been talk about you being important. I didn't want to be the one that killed or got you hurt in any way." Sal pulled the meat closer and sniffed it. "I think it's ready. I'll put the other leg on and you go ahead and eat."

"But you've gotta wait longer then...you've gotta be as hungry as me..."

Sal shook his head. "I had something to eat an hour before we went out. The fire is hot and it will not take the food long to cook." Sal smiled.

"If you're sure..?"

Sal put the other leg on the fire and pushed the cooked leg in front of Jou's face. "Yes, don't worry about me." His face was flushed, but he held himself back.

"Thanks, Sal.." Jou took the leg from him, blowing on it before tearing into it hungrily.

Sal smiled and started to look after the other leg. "Is it okay?" He turned the leg on the fire.

"Mmmm-hmmm!" was all Jou could say, enjoying the food to the fullest.

Sal smiled. "Good..." He took the leg off the fire and rubbed Jou's arm again. "Feeling warmer?"

Jou nodded, curling companionably against him, purring softly as he dove into the food.

Sal let out a breath and pulled his own meal up to his lips. He munched on it.

Jou soon finished, yawning. He wrapped his arms around himself, dozing where he sat, his golden head dipping every so often before catching himself.

Sal listened for the others to show up. The fire would help them find the pair. He let out a breath and rubbed Jou's head. "Whoever is waiting for you Jou is lucky." He munched on the meat. He then put another log on the fire.

Jou purred, slipping into dreams, leaning more into Sal. "Mmm...Seto..." He nuzzled his face against Sal's shoulder, shivering slightly.

Sal blushed brightly. -So, it's Kaiba he going back too.- Sal pulled Jou closer. -He never knew how a were-lover would be like, but it's his choice, not mine.- Sal finshed the leg and put more wood on the fire.

Jou rested his head against Sal's chest, soothed by the warmth, his shivering stopping. A low purr rumbled from his throat. "Mmm...Seto....." Not knowing what he was doing, he pressed a kiss to Sal's chest, nuzzling him.

Sal had no choice but to push Jou away. He didn't want to get into trouble with any of the Brotherhood, even if he wanted to try out the boy. "Sorry, Jou but you are out-of-bounds..." Sal's face by then was bright red.

The push awoke Jou, yelping in surprise as he fell sideways to the ground with a whoosh of breath. "Who? Whazzat? Huh?" he muttered sleepily.

"You were dreaming and getting fresh with me..." Sal blushed more and put one more logs on the fire.

Jou blinked and blushed furiously. "I'm SO sorry, Sal...I didn't know...I mean, I didn't think...ah...I mean...." he gave up and blushed more.

Sal did the same. His face was bright red. "Best if you come back up here to get warm again..."

Jou nodded, sliding back, his face as red as a beet. -This is SO embarrassing...-

Sal toyed with the fire with a stick. "Tell me about Kaiba. I heard a lot about him from the leaders." Sal took a breath.

Jou blinked, glancing at him. "What do you wanna know?"

"I know he's rich and has a brother, but what drives him?"

"What do you mean?"

"The things he's done, Jou. He becoming one of the best of the Brotherhood." He looked up at the stars.

"I don't know much about the Brotherhood...I'm too new to it all...."

"Well, what would drive him to do this kind of stuff? He seems so cold...but yet there seems to be a bright fire in his heart."

Jou tucked his knees up, smiling as he gazed into the fire. "Yeah...there is..." he replied.

"Tell me about it sometime...if it's not that hard..." Sal rubbed Jou's back. "Well, you'd better get some sleep soon. I'll keep a watch out for the others."

Jou smiled at him. "First watch, huh?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I think the others will show up soon." Sal smiled.

Isato growled at last when the pack found the way down the cliff. He just hoped Sal was in control of his body. They ran down the bankment.

Jou yawned. "Been one heck of a day, ne?"

"Yes." Sal smiled. "You better get some sleep. You can tell me about Seto later." He patted Jou's shoulder.

Jou smiled. "Thanks, Sal, that's nice of ya. Let me know when it's my watch, okay?"

Sal nodded and smiled at the boy. "I will." Sal looked into the woods. He hoped their pack would find them first.

Jou shivered and hunkered down close to the fire, wrapping his arms around himself. The sleepy honey-brown eyes drooped closed, and he curled up tightly, his chin resting against his chest as he dozed off tiredly.

Sal put another log on the fire. -Gods...This Seto Kaiba is lucky...- Sal licked his dry lips. He looked away from the blond. -He isn't mine....he isn't mine...he isn't mine....- Two hours went by and Sal was about wake Jou when he heard something coming towards the pair. "..Jo..Jou...wake up...we might have to fight...or they've found us..."

Jou blinked awake at his words, glancing up at him, then staggering to his feet. "I hope they found us, I don't think we have much of a chance at fighting like this..."

"I agree...if we have to fight, you run and I'll hold them back..." Sal waited for whatever came into the clearing.

Jou hissed as he too watched. "I can fight, thank you very much! I'm not that defenseless!"

"It's just if something happened to you, Kaiba would have my head...on a silver platter..." He smiled at Jou.

"Not if he wants to tick me off, he won't..."

"I see I had nothing to worry about..." A naked Isato came into the clearing, his hands on his hips.

Jou breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, it's you....we wondered if you guys would show up.."

The others showed up behind Isato. "The one question on my mind is why are you not in your were-forms?"

Sal looked at Jou and back at Isato.

Jou chewed on his lip. "We kinda got hurt in the fall. Nothing major, just enough to shift us back to human and keep us from changing..."

Isato nodded. "Well then, we better make camp. You need to be a wolf to get back up the cliff." They all got around the fire. "You okay, Jou?"

Jou nodded, flushing slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Never better..."

The others changed to their werewolf forms and fell asleep. Isato remained beside Jou and Sal curled up agaist his teacher.

Jou yawned. "Can I get some sleep now?"

Isato rubbed the blond's head. "Go ahead." He smiled and turned into a wolf. He lay down and waited for Jou to lie down on him.

Jou smiled. "Thanks, Isato..." He yawned again, curling up against the red wolf, closing his eyes.

Morning came to the pack. Sal woke up and smiled at the sight of Jou sleeping on Isato. "At least nothing had come near them last night." He tried to change, and he did without a headache.

Jou dozed on, whimpering softly in his sleep as he shivered with the breeze blowing on him. "Seto..."

Sal shook his head. He padded over and licked the blond's face. ~Wake up!!~

Isato woke up and looked at the black wolf. ~I see you can change.. let's hope Jou can, too..~

"Mmmph..." Jou grunted at the warm, wet tongue on his face, eyes opening groggily. "Mmm? Whazzit...?"

Sal licked Jou's face again. ~Time to wake up and change...~ Sal grin a wolfish grin. Isato rolled his emerald eyes.

"Mmmph...cutitout....!" Jou pushed the black wolf's head away sleepily, yawning again. "Gimme a sec to wake up..." He rubbed at his eyes, blinking himself awake, then took a breath, his human features shifting into the golden wolf once again, who gave a large wolfish yawn.

Isato shook himself and howled. ~Time to go. You've done well, Jou. You'll be in Seto's bed tonight.~ With that, Isato started out towards the way back to the cabin.

Jou's eyes glittered happily as he followed, his lips lifting in a canine grin. ~Really?? I'll get to see Seto again?!~ His tail wagged happily.

~Yes...because you can control your change now.~ Soon the pathway came into view. ~I'm glad you are going to see your parter tonight.~ Sal ran behind Jou.

~So 'm I...it's been so long...~ Jou beamed back at Sal for a second, thrilled beyond words to be getting to see Seto again. ~Think I'll surprise him? Being like this, I mean?~

~All he's going to care about is getting you back in his bed.~ Isato laughed. He had five phone calls from Seto this month. He wanted Jou back and didn't care if the blond was in training. ~Trust me.~ Soon the cabin came into view.

Jou blushed in a wolfish way at Isato's words. ~Well....at least I know I wasn't the only one going through agony, then....~

Isato changed back to his human form as did the others. Sal rubbed his arms and looked at the golden wolf. He wondered if he would get a chance to just to have one night.

"We'll be leaving tonight. Soon you'll be back with Seto and he will tell you the rules of the Brotherhood." Isato entered the cabin.

The golden wolf's head nodded before shifting back into human, shivering. "I get it...kinda like my training isn't over..."

"Indeed, but at least now you'll stay with Seto."

Sal came up behind Jou. He took a last sniff of the blond and hurried back into the cabin.

Jou blushed as he noticed Sal's motion, glancing down. -Least I won't be driving him nuts anymore...-

Isato shook his head. "Jou... he can't help it." Isato started up the stairs. "You being a lovely sight..." He opened the door to their room.

"Geez...I'm not that great, I'm just me..." Jou protested as he followed Isato into the room.

Isato slapped Jou's head gently. "If you keep that up, I'll let Sal try you..." He frowned at the boy.

Jou flushed, pushing a hand through his hair. "I'm just saying....I don't see what the fuss is about..."

Isato glared at him. "This is your last warning, blond pup. I'll bring in the black pup and watch you two make out..." He tapped his foot.

Jou blushed furiously and shut up, glancing down.

"Get dressed, we have to drive back." Isato sighed and got dressed.

Jou nodded, shrugging into his clothes quietly and gladly. He still didn't get what all the fuss was about, he was an ordinary guy...albeit a werewolf..and everyone was treating him like he was something special.

Isato growled again. "Stop thinking you are nothing...Jou...please trust me, you are special." He sighed and left the room.

Jou blinked after him, wondering at his words before scratching his neck and following slowly.

Sal stood at the doorway. "You take care of yourself, Jou." The black haired teen looked at the blond teen.

Jou flushed slightly, glancing down before glancing back. "You take care of yourself too, Sal. Do you know what's up for you after this?"

"Not sure, but I hope to see you again. There are meetings, Jou." He came over and placed a peck on Jou's cheek. "I hope it works well with you and Seto." He then turned and left the room.

"Come on, Jou, time to go!!!" Isato yelled.

Jou touched his cheek in surprise, blushing again before racing out the door. "Coming!" -Seto....I'll get to see you again...finally....!-