What can I say,Twilight inspired me. This story is my attempt at a better Seto-Serenity plot because I pretty much butchered his personality in my story a few years ago. And though it is about werewolves and vampires and I did get that general idea from Twilight, it’s not really like the book at all, so you don’t have to worry about that. As for anything else…well, I’ll let you read first.

The streets are awash with blood and the people in silent mourning
They are deaf and blind to the un-fought battle; they do not hear the vampire calling
His eyes are a piercing blue and he walks with a certain step
There is little he has given away; there is little he hasn’t kept

Chapter 1

Shards of broken glass littered the ground, remains of the tall windows that used to line the walls of the chamber hall. The Sanctuary had been one of the last buildings of peace until this morning, where another skirmish between werewolf and vampire had utterly destroyed it.

“Jou! Jou!” came the frantic cries of the other werewolves as they searched desperately for their leader. The debris of the building was intermixed with the pools of blood from the fallen victims.

“Jou!” called a female werewolf, frantically pushing aside the large stone chunks that obstructed her path. She caught the familiar scent of her lover and pushed on. “Jou!”

“There is nothing on the front,” called a younger werewolf named Yugi Motou. “Anything on your side, Mai?”

“I can smell him!” she called back. This statement bought everyone’s attention, and the rescue party hastened to her side. That was when Mai noticed the familiar green jacket that her leader had donned in the morning, before any of them knew that the day would end with such tragedy.

“Jounouchi!” she screamed, rushing to his side. Her tone alerted everyone else as well. Mai didn’t notice the cuts and scratches she received as she plowed through the jagged debris, her eyes only on her fallen lover.

“Mai…” the blonde-haired leader whispered, slowly opening his eyes. He remembered little of the battle, only that two vampires had ganged up on him and he had fallen underneath a stone that fell from the ceiling. His legs felt numb and lying on the ground disoriented him, but Mai’s familiar face filled his vision and he felt nothing more than her warm lips on his.

“It’s okay, Jou. Anzu is a gifted healer. You will be back on your feet in no time.” Jou lifted a hand and traced Mai’s lips with his fingers, smiling softly.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern in his voice. He had noticed the numerous cuts on her pale leg.

“I’m fine, really,” Mai replied sheepishly, trying to tug her miniskirt down to cover her legs and cursing her carelessness. By this time, the others had gathered around the leader as well.

“Way to go, Jou,” Honda, a high-ranked werewolf, teased. He and Jou had been friends since even before the blonde had claimed his position as the Alpha. Jou cracked a small smile, and those who were still unsure of his condition sighed with relief.

“Where is Anzu?” Mai asked after a period of brief silence. Honda and Yugi looked at each other.

“She might be attending to the other injured,” Yugi replied. “I will see if I can find her.” Yugi scanned the surroundings and headed right. Mai and Honda stood guard beside Jou.

“What happened after I fell?” Jou asked. Mai lay down beside him, resting her head on her propped up arm as she let the other trail down Jou’s chest.

“I’m not quite sure. The vampires left before we had much of a chance to retaliate. Their leader is mysterious sometimes.” Jou snickered.

“Seto Kaiba thinks he’s so great, doesn’t he?”

“He started it,” Honda said. “We didn’t do anything to him today.”

“Probably still pissed that we got the upper hand in the last battle,” Jou mused. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Yugi leading a worried Anzu.

“Jou, are you okay?” she asked, kneeling next to him. Jou shrugged and winced.

“I have a few bruises, I think. Nothing too major.” Anzu glanced up and down his body.

“Obviously you haven’t seen your legs,” she remarked quietly. Jou frowned and tried to sit up, but Mai pushed him back down.

“No need, Jou,” she said. She gave Anzu a warning glare. The brown-haired wolf smiled weakly as she took out her medicinal supplies. Meanwhile, Yugi and Honda agreed to survey the damage. They left as Anzu finished rubbing the healing salve over Jou’s mangled legs.

“Your human form will not heal as well as your werewolf form,” Anzu said. “Maybe you should transform for the moment.” Jou grunted.

“You are using Dian Keto’s formula, right?” he asked. Anzu nodded. “Then I will be fine. They usually work within the hour.”

“It will be more painful. You should really transform,” Anzu advised. Jou shook his head.

“I’ll be fine. You should tend to the others. I’m glad the two of you are okay.”

“Of course we’re okay. Why would the vampires care to attack us? You are the Alpha,” Mai said. Jou didn’t say anything, but his eyes dimmed.

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he whispered.

………

“I still don’t understand the purpose of that maneuver, Seto Kaiba.” The female vampire leaned against the black pillar in the Underground, her white leather suit clinging to her shapely form. She fingered her golden necklace before continuing, “You are usually reluctant to start any sort of skirmish.”

“Isis, you know full well I had little to do with the attack,” the lead vampire replied. The darkness of the room blended with his black trench coat and suit. He turned and shot a frosty glare at the young woman in front of him. “You do annoy me, sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” she asked coolly, pushing off of the support she was leaning against and approaching him. Before she reached him, however, she stepped away and headed towards the window behind him instead. Beyond the clear glass pane, the narrow streets of the vampire hideout stretched into the darkness. Being underground did have its disadvantages, for the torches that lined the main street could never hold the gloom back.

“I sense that we will go above ground soon,” Isis remarked. Kaiba growled in disgust.

“There you go with your prophetic nonsense.” Isis smirked.

“It is my Gift.” Kaiba rolled his eyes, walking away from her. His dress shoes clicked sharply on the dull tiles.

“Your Gift is but an excuse for your lunacy, just like that pathetic runt who has a personality disorder. I have too much on my hands to stand and listen to you.” Isis watched her leader stalk out of the room. She leaned against the windowpane, her unnaturally tan skin pressed against the cool glass. She eyed her transparent reflection with a small smile.

“Yugi’s Gift is not as pathetic as you think,” she whispered to no one. “I sense it will be handy in the near future. But of course, you never will listen to me, will you?”

………

“Attention! The Alpha has entered the room!”

The room was filled with the screech of twenty chairs as they slid back on the stone floor. Their occupants rose and bowed respectfully to their werewolf leader as he entered the room, supported by his right-hand officer, Honda, while his lover trailed anxiously behind him.

“Good evening, Alpha,” a man said as he pulled back a chair. Jou gave him a curt nod before slowly sitting down. Only after he had adjusted his seat and folded his hands on the tabletop did the twenty members of his Pack retake their seats. Honda and Mai sat off to the side next to Yugi and Anzu.

“Good evening, Alpha. I trust you are recovering well,” an older member of the Pack greeted. Jou bowed his head.

“Thank you for your concern, Sir Sugoroku, I am doing fine. However, I think there are some other things we must discuss first.” The elder man bowed his head as well.

“Of course, Alpha. While you were down, several of our scouts found some information that might be of use to you in planning a counterattack.”

“Go on.”

“It seems that the main attack was not led by Seto Kaiba himself. Instead, he only appeared to call back his vampires. The attack was in fact led by a Malik Ishtar, one of the higher ranked officials in Kaiba’s Circle. He is the brother of Isis Ishtar, who is rumored to have the Gift of Foresight. Therefore, if we are to mount an attack, we should single out Malik and Isis.”

“If Isis has Foresight, how will we be able to lead an attack against them?” one of the other members of the Pack questioned. Jou signaled for Sugoroku to respond.

“Isis’s Foresight is inconsistent, from the information we have gathered,” the elder wolf replied. “I doubt that will be a problem. Anyway, it is up to you, Alpha, to decide on our next course of action.”

“I don’t care whether this Malik or Isis have called for an attack. Any attack from the vampires is an attack from Kaiba, and I will not rest until I have my revenge.”

“Jou, don’t be so rash!” Mai scolded, earning her glares from the Pack. She glared back at them. “I’m just giving him advice.”

“It is your place to stand behind him,” a member of the Pack said. “He is the Alpha, and he will make the decisions.” Mai crossed her arms. Jou gave her an apologetic smile, and then turned back to the Pack.

“Anyway, the point is, I want to know the best possible way we can attack Kaiba. His hideout is hard to break into. We’re going to have to lure him out somehow.”

“My grandson has the other half of the scouts’ report,” Sugoroku said. “I believe that might have some answers to your question.” The wolf turned to Yugi, who stood up hesitantly.

“My grandpa’s right. Several scouts have managed to track over the past few weeks the younger Kaiba and several of his vampire friends leaving the hideout to go above ground. We’re not quite sure why.” Jou narrowed his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“They wanted to confirm the reports. But it is true that Mokuba Kaiba has been going above ground.” There was a murmur of surprise that spread throughout the room. Jou fell silent as the rest of the occupants discussed the news amongst themselves. Yugi crossed his arms and stared awkwardly around the room until Anzu pulled him back down into his chair with a giggle.

“Silence. The Alpha speaks!” The murmurs hushed into the occasional whisper as Jou cleared his throat.

“Where, exactly, did they see Mokuba resurface?” he asked, his voice wavering slightly. Yugi frowned.

“I’m not sure…”

“Near Domino High School?” The question was followed by complete silence as everyone focused on Yugi. He shook his head.

“I…I don’t know. The scouts always ran into vampire territory and had to retreat.”

“Are you asking this because of your sister?” Honda asked. Jou clenched his fist and stared at it. One member of the Pack, recently elected only a week before, looked puzzled. Sugoroku turned to give him an explanation.

“Jou has a sister that he sent to live with the humans above ground. He felt that she would be better protected up there than here, as the sister of the Alpha. She goes to Domino High School.” The new member’s eyes widened and he turned to Jou.

“What if Mokuba has gone up there to track her? Do the vampires know of her?”

“I thought they didn’t,” Jou said. He opened and closed his fist, then slammed his hand on the table. The motion caused everyone to jump. “Dammit! We don’t have much time for an elaborate plan. We’ve got to get there before Mokuba does.”

“We can’t barge into human territory,” Anzu spoke up. “Besides, we don’t even know if Mokuba is after her.”

“I don’t care, Anzu. We don’t have enough time to figure that out. Sir Sugoroku, take the scouts to plan out a path. Yugi, go with them. Mai and Anzu…the two of you are staying here.” Jou nearly flew out of his chair from the urgency, adrenaline suppressing the pain of his slowly healing limbs. However, Mai was in front of him in an instant.

“What? Jou-,” Mai protested, but he cut her off with a finger to her lips.

“I’m not putting you in danger, Mai. Women don’t fight in the field. I already allow you to stay with me sometimes during battle, which is a privilege I grant only because I love you. But here…I cannot do this.” Mai frowned, but Jou shook his head. “Please.”

“There are many injured you need to help me with, Mai,” Anzu offered. “They will not take long.” Mai sighed.

“Fine.” Jou smiled and kissed her before motioning to Honda and Yugi. With a serious nod, the two young men followed him out of the door. The other members of the Pack were in animated discussion as they pushed in their seats and headed for the door.

“He’ll be okay,” Anzu said as the last member left the room. Mai crossed her arms and stared sadly at Jou’s back as he ran to the end of the hallway.

“He better be,” she replied. “Or I’ll strangle him.”

This is usually where I explain my updating schedule, but I just recently got diagnosed with carpal tunnel, so I’m not sure exactly what my updating schedule will be. Oops. But I hope I can at least churn out a chapter every two weeks. So, for now, my next update will be March 15.

What did you think? Please review!