It was a simple command, and for a second he wanted to obey, to please his Maker, but he couldn't. He pulled both his ears back and backed away, refusing to participate. It was one thing to kill a boy who gave in to the perversion inside him and another to kill a mere victim of their torture. Kill him! The Demon growled, and the Beast whimpered. The White Demon suddenly seemed three times larger when his anger was directed at the Beast itself. The White Demon turned to the old man and slashed open his throat with a single swipe of his claws. The Beast flinched but did not dare interrupt the Demon. He squeezed his eyes shut as the man choked on his own blood; it smelled sweet and tasty, but it made the Beast sick. Silly pup! The Demon growled for the last time and turned to leave, but as soon as he passed the Beast, he froze.

The Beast heard it too, the beating of a frightened heart, one that clearly didn’t belong to the Demon. He turned quickly, his eyes landing on a young man with brown hair and deep blue eyes. His brown jacket was soaked, as was his hair, and he held a small black box in front of him. The Beast knew him… He had saved this boy’s life. Now the boy was wandering the night again, standing frozen in front of the two monsters, his eyes wide in shock. Suddenly a blinding white light appeared and the Beast realized that the black box was a camera. He quickly jumped to the side, avoiding the flash that preceded a photo. The Beast instinctively knew getting caught like this would be a bad idea. Even the White Demon jumped, then growled menacingly at the boy, a fresh wave of bloodlust rippling through him. No! A voice echoed through the Beast’s mind. The demon had killed enough.

As soon as he saw the muscles of the Demon's legs tense, he threw himself at the white wolf. He slammed hard into his side, digging his claws as deep as he could. He felt the bullet in his shoulder move and he yelped. The White Demon was obviously not expecting the attack, and the impact threw him off balance, so he landed on his side. The Beast, meanwhile, moved between the boy and the Demon, making himself a living barrier. He growled deeply and all his muscles tensed, ready to fight. Run! He willed the boy in his head, but the boy seemed in too much of a shock. The White Demon slowly stood up, a wild madness in his red eyes. How dare you! He shouted indignantly, ready to pounce on the Beast.

Then police sirens echoed through the streets. The White Demon gave a final frustrated and hateful growl that made the Beast’s blood freeze, then the Demon ran away. The Beast felt himself trembling, his throat tight. Now his Maker hated him… The next time they met, one of them would die… And the Beast had no false hope that he could win.

"T-thank you," a frightened voice whispered behind him. The monster turned its eerie yellow gaze at the young man. Humans are crazy… He sighed in his head. The sirens were slowly approaching, it was clear to the Beast that he must disappear quickly. But something in the eyes of the young man made him stay for a while longer. "I know the truth now. Everyone calls you a beast, but no one knows you're protecting us from something much worse.” His teeth chattered out of fear and perhaps from the cold, so the Beast could barely understand him. But one thing seemed more than funny to him. The Beast easily reached the man’s chest with his ears and was just a leap away. It would be so easy to kill him… Yet the man talked to him as if he were an ordinary peer, though there was respect and awe in his voice. "What are you?" he whispered to himself, carefully reaching for the Beast. A snort of amusement escaped the Beast over this gesture. Before the man could touch him he ran towards the woods.

When he reached the forest, the drizzle turned into heavy, huge drops, which immediately drenched his ebony fur. It was not dawn yet, but the Beast had had enough for today… The Forest didn’t feel so welcoming anymore. It only allowed him to wander through its heart with quiet disappointment. When he finally reached the point, where his clothes awaited he took them in his mouth and went to the residential area.

His mind was slowly becoming more human, and a dull pain shot through his body. The first bone cracked and the Beast gave a yelp of pain when his wounded arm moved, the bullet tearing at his flesh. But the shift seemed quicker to him… Fatigue clung to his now human feet, and he slowly crawled through the woods, heavy rain falling on his bare skin. The wolf and the man mingled in his mind, but they were both so tired they couldn't think straight. Despite the fact that, unlike fur, wet clothes were about as pleasant as a thorn bush, both human and wolf agreed that it would be better to walk through the city dressed.

He got home, jumping over the back fence, glad he left the back door unlocked. Practically with his eyes closed, he went up the stairs to the bathroom, where he threw off his uncomfortable clothes. Today he didn't even need a shower, the rain washed away all the blood. So he crept into his room and, with a long tired sigh, fell on the bed and immediately fell asleep.