The Black Wolf is considered to be one of the dark deities and is illegal to worship in many countries. He is however followed by some extent by most demihumans. He has two main ideas in his dogma, familial ties and doing what is necessary. While not an evil god he has done many evil deeds to push back even worse evils. He has several ‘dark’ domains in addition to Lycanthropy and Family.

Adrian

After whatever that thing was finally ceases to recover and falls K in her frenzied shifted state begins to tear into the corpse not eating any of it but to destroy it. Kylana is the saddest voice I have ever heard from her says, “I am sorry my daughter” as she steps towards Kythia while a tear falls from her face.

I tackle the wolf-woman form of my K knocking her away from the corpse of a monster and blocking Kylana as she is about to do something to my K. As I pin K I see her eyes, how the light within them is different.

They’re more primal, and don’t seem as bright as they normal do as she struggles against my pin. Moonlight Runner is in control, but it’s just past the new moon. She shouldn’t be, she couldn’t have the power to shift even if K put her in charge. . .

“Kythia is not lost” I say to Kylana but there is only a look of sadness on her face as she struggles with herself.

“Adrian, her wolf consumed her. . .” Analais begins before I cut him off.

“No, she’s still in there and she’s mine. I won’t let you take her from me!” I growl at them before holding onto my K.

“Moonlight Runner, it’s over calm down. You’re harming Kythia the longer you’re out” I whisper into the ear of my lover.

As soon as I do so she ceases to struggle and growl, she looks at me vacantly for a second before whimpering and somehow, I know what it is she wants. My hands run over her coat as I revert to human form, to hold my K more intimately than I can comfortably do in draconian form before I begin telling her what Kythia once told me in the other timeline.

“You have to feed Kythia pieces of yourself until she recovers. Slowly and steadily, to not hurt her more.” I tell her, hoping that it is the same as my memory.

Moonlight Runner lowers her head and closes her eyes to focus on doing what I said. I turn to Kylana who has yet to dismiss her Bloodfire and sheath her sword and say, “back off.”

“She gave herself over to the wolf and became a beast” Kylana says fighting back her tears and she is no doubt hardening her heart.

“Adrian, one's wolf goes mad without their counterpart” Analais says.

“So what? She gave herself to her wolf and now her wolf is giving itself back to her. I won’t let you interfere” I state as Ria growls at the four werewolves that surround us.

“It doesn’t work like that. . .” Alana begins only to stop when K's form begins to slowly shrink and revert to human form. I quickly pull out a blanket from Void Cache and cover my lover in it.

“Why?” I hear K mumble.

I don’t say anything and just hold her. She needs me right now, but there is still so much to do. So much that has to be done but none of it matters to me at the moment.

“Why did it have to be him?” K mumbles into my chest.

I run through a list of all the people that thing could have been, who could have made K this upset? I’m the only male I’ve ever seen her show any friendship with. . . No wonder she never mentioned her father in the other timeline.

There’s nothing I can say or do for her, I don’t know any way I can fix what has happened. All I can do is hold my K and be there for her.

“Kythia?” Kylana asks tentatively.

K looks at her mother, and while the light within her eyes seems wild and changed it is definitely K who is there.

As soon as the two make eye contact, Kylana drops her sword and hugs her daughter as she says, “it’s okay we’re here for you.”

The two exchange no further words but aside from holding my hand to know I am here she just cries between the two of us. I glance around to see, Alana and Analais acting as sentries, Bryan and Abagail confused, and Ragnan staring at his father’s corpse in anger and shame.

I half expected him to spout off about how he is now alpha. After a moment tears begin to fall from his eyes and I whisper to Kylana, “I’m here for my mate, but your son also needs someone right now.”

“Will you be okay?” Kylana asks K and is answered by a nod before she breaks away and goes towards her son. The two hug again, and I turn my attention back to K.

“Is she alright?” I hear Abagail say as she begins to approach, at least before Ria cuts her off.

“Stay back, she doesn’t like you” Ria says to Abagail.

“What’s going on then? What was that creature?”

Ria does not answer and instead starts repeating, “I know something you don’t” to her over and over. Trying to find some fun in what she can. I find myself smiling as she enjoys her time doing something other than focusing on me.

“Can you please let us know what is going on?” Bryan asks as Abagail is quickly becoming annoyed.

“That’s no fun.”

“You shouldn’t be acting like that, this is a serious situation!” Abagail all but yells at Ria, which she considers entertaining.

“All the more reason for some fun. Why else would Alana have been telling Kylana lewd jokes since this morning?”

“What? But . . .” Abagail starts but I don’t bother to listen to her whole stammering.

“But if you must know. . .” Ria begins before waiting a moment and then continuing, “they were about Bryan.”

Bryan just groans as Abagail gets more riled up; Ria grinning with an enjoyment that is not perfectly matched by the emotions over our bond. My K looks out from my grasp to see what is going on and why she can hear almost everyone else bust up laughing; all at Abagail’s expense.

She smirks and mutters, “maybe the fox isn’t so bad.”

“Don’t worry you’ll be back to hating her soon enough” I whisper while taking a pair of clothes from Void Cache.

Kythia dresses quickly, and the spectacle of Abagail’s humiliation manages to keep everyone’s eyes off her long enough for her to finish.

“I can’t believe you fell for that. Why would she use Bryan as a source for such jokes?” Ria laughs as she points at Abagail.

“What? You mean?” Abagail stammers.

“I was messing with you” Ria says before running over to me with a smile.

“So, what is going on?” Bryan asks.

“Family troubles and politics” I answer, not a real answer to her question but I don’t want to bring up the actual answer.

A moment later, Kylana asks me “can you care for the corpse?”

“Burial or. . .?” I begin before she interrupts, “you must reduce the shame on the pack to ash.”

I nod, as a tear forms in K’s eyes. She does not however say anything, or even look at the corpse of what used to be her father. I am not sure I should be the one to do this as it seems to be something that the person in charge should be doing but I’m not going to bring up at the moment. I know that with Ragnar dead that a new pair of alphas will have to take his and Kylana’s place though I do not know when that is to happen.

I take a few steps towards the bloody mess that was once Ragnar and snap my fingers as I press my will on reality. A flame appears in the palm of my hand as I open it and speak words to make a show for the other members of the pack.

“Burn and be reduced to ash, that your shame be erased” I state as if it were a command before blowing into the flames.

A torrent of fire follows my will, along the path of my breath to the corpse. The flames begin to dance over the ground as I guide them to each and every drop of blood before converging on the corpse itself. I smile at how much easier it is for me to control fire like this rather than through mana.

An acrid smoke begins to fill the clearing as the fumes of a burning corpse rise. If I only knew how to manipulate the air as well as flames this would be far more pleasant. Still, I do not let up on my focus; making sure to scorch it all to ash. I maintain it until the smoke ceases to rise from the flames, only then do I let the flames follow their natural course of running out of fuel.

When the flames finally disperse there is nothing but glowing shards of bone and stone on the blackened earth. None of the members of Pack Bloodclaw speak as they remain silent for a moment. This is however broken by Abagail once more asking a question.

“Will someone please let us know what is going on?” she asks making sure not to look at Ria.

I half expected Ria to continue messing with her but she stays quiet as she walks over to mirror how K stands near me. No one says anything for a moment before Kylana speaks, “it is not for those outside of the pack to know. Any danger there was to you has passed, but do not bring this subject up again.”

The glare added to the end of her two sentences keeps Abagail silent but I am sure that she does not like anyone here but Bryan at the moment. I wonder if I should act as the good party leader and smooth this over with her later. I probably won’t ever get around to that though, too many far more enjoyable things can be done with my spare time.

Bryan places a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head as she begins to speak once more. For a moment the two of them just look at each other before Abagail asks him, “why are you still supporting him so much?” in a whisper.

“He is still Adrian, whoever and whatever he becomes does not change that. . .” Bryan begins to answer before he is cut off.

“Did you not see him turn into that reptilian monster?” Abagail asks before I cut in.

“Draconic monster if you must call me a monster. I am a dragon not some stupid lizard. And I do still speak English.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Dragons have intelligence, wings, magical powers and far more powerful bodies. Lizards have none of that” I say more than a little upset.

“Dragons do not exist on Earth, so you can’t be one because you’re from Earth.”

“The hell I’m not a dragon. Something don’t have to be known to exist. You’ve already seen more than enough proof that I am."

"You haven't proven anything."

"You've seen me shapeshift, I've given you my word. Do you deny that as enough?" I continue on, not giving her time to respond saying, "will you also deny that magic and mana are real? If you claim that what you’ve seen isn’t enough then anything of lesser evidence would also be denied.

If I’m not a dragon, then you’re not sensitive to mana. We aren’t on a world other than Earth. The Earth is flat. Small obscure countries don’t actually exist. And most importantly for you, your God is nothing more than a lie.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. None of that has anything to do with your delusions.”

“Because you claim the proof you’ve seen is not enough? I am a dragon and your denial of that fact changes nothing. You might as well deny the existence of magic and demand reality put you back on Earth. Fact is fact regardless of your opinion or acceptance; or anyone else for that matter.”

Abagail frowns and almost glares at me for a moment before accepting that I’m a dragon; or maybe that there is no way for her to convince me otherwise. She then shifts to one of her other problems with my life choices as she says, “you still shouldn’t be acting like this. Where are your morals? How could. . .”

“Abagail, I have not broken a single one of the morals my mother taught me in my relationships with Kythia and Ria,” at least in this timeline. . . though I leave the last part unsaid.

“Polygamy is illegal and immoral!”

“I have broken no laws and everyone involved is willing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then ask them” I say with a smirk.