To Kill a Wolf Walker || Klance

question, answers, decisions

A/N: Hello!👋 Here's the fourth chapter, and I think I might be updating more often because I'm getting over my cold finally. 

Anyways, hope you enjoy!

C/W: ...Oh my gods...I don't think there's anything I need to warn you about. Okay, I'm going soft. Or maybe my last story was just excessive...

Lance stared at Keith, mouth agape. "What?" He managed to breathe out, not believing what he just heard.

"Do you want to join the pack? You'll have full protection, and you can even live here. You don't have to, though. You can go back to your village, but...please visit." Keith had a hopeful smile on his face, hand reaching out to Lance.

This could work to his advantage in the long run. He could learn about the wolf walkers in their natural environment, no senseless killing. Should he tell the Garrison, though? What would they do if he told them? Ask him where the village is? Make him take them ere so they can kill the wolf walkers? Ask him to play spy? Too much risk. He'll hold off on telling them, then.

"Uh...s-sure?" Keith laughed at Lance's answer, reaching the rest of the way and taking Lance's hand. 

"Come on, I'll give you a ride through the woods," then quickly added, "but only if you want to!" Acxa had a smirk on her face while V was openly laughing, Keith shot them both a glare with a low growl that gave Lance goosebumps.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I have no ideas where we are and would get lost, anyway." Lance tried to play it off like it was no big deal while walking out the door with Keith, waving behind him to his sister and her girlfriend.

"Oh yeah, hey Keith, can I ask you something? In the woods, there was another wolf, smaller than you...?" 

"Oh him? That was Shiro, my brother. He's the one who brought in the storm, but I did the lightning and fire," Keith said it like causing a mass thunderstorm and lightning and a forest fire was no big deal. Who the hell were these people? Or maybe Keith was just weird.

On their way to the edge of the woods, Keith kept brushing his shoulder against Lance's. "Why do you keep doing that? Is it a wolf thing?"

"Huh? Keep doing what?" Was this guy for real?

"Your shoulder, it keeps touching mine. Why?"

"Oh! Uh...it's just the way I am." Keith looked forward again, glancing at Lance and seeing his expression that urged Keith to continue his explanation because no way was that enough of an answer for Lance! He was nosey and knew all the gossip at the Garrison. Keith sighed at the ground, shaking his head before continuing.

"I'm different than the other wolves. Remember how I said we're all born human?" Lance nodded. "Well...I wasn't. You know the Galra Empire?" Lance nodded again. Everyone knew the Galra Empire, lead by Zarkon and his evil witch, Haggar. No one did trading business anymore with them, they were an evil Empire lead by an even worse Emperor.

"Well...my mother is Galra and was undercover in the Empire. Without going into detail, at one point she was there and pregnant with me, but was planning an escape. The witch found out about me being a half-breed and imprisoned my mother during her attempted escape while in wolf form. Eventually, she gave birth to me while still in her wolf form, and I was born as a wolf, not human."

"Oh..." Lance didn't know what else to say, but Keith just shrugged. They were coming up on the edge of the village, the woods beyond. 

"Come on, I think you'll like the woods at night. I sometimes sneak out just to see them at night. Another one of my quirks." Keith grabbed Lance's hand, bringing him to a trail leading into the woods.

They walked into the woods for a ways, the sun almost completely set, the forest glowing dark red and purple with the sky. Keith stopped them as a stream, surrounded by strange-looking plants. Keith sat down on a log and patted the spot beside him, signaling Lance to do the same. 

They sat in silence as the sun dipped over the horizon, leaving the world to its secrets for the night until it rose again at dawn. The sounds of creatures filled the night, activity and life everywhere. 

"Wolf walkers don't haunt the night, we thrive in it. The animals in here know we don't hurt them for fun, we protect them. But they also know we're still predators, and predators need to hunt. But, since we're not here to hunt..." Keith stood up, taking Lance's hand in his own. 

Where they stepped, the forest floor lit up. Where they touched plants, some of them glowed. Lance's eyes went wide with amazement, his mouth hanging open as the lights from the plants twinkled in his eyes.

Keith laughed loudly and openly, the beautiful sound echoing throughout the forest. "Bioluminescence. Not all the plants have it, but the ones that do..." Keith trailed off as he moved to a giant mushroom-looking plant and tapping the top of it, the plant lighting up instantly."So, what do you think?" 

"Hah! What do I think?! This is awesome! It's...it's beautiful." Lance turned to Keith at the last part, the wolf-boy blushing. Keith cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Whenever you come back again, I want you to meet a few people, if you're for to it."

"Oh? Like who?" Keith shrugged.

"My mother, Shiro, my best friend, and the Generals."

"Wait, the Generals? You guys have a military?"

"Oh, no. You already met Acza, she's one of the Generals. The other two are Ezor and Zethrid, who are mates, like how Acxa and V are mates. But no, we don't have a military. They used to be generals for the Galra, but have since come here because they didn't want to live in fear any longer. But we still call their trio the Generals. Now, how about we get you home?"

Lance nodded, he watched as Keith's hair grew, clothes changing into fur, fingers became claws. By the end of the whole process, Lance could only tell it was Keith by his eyes. Those beautiful, violet eyes that slightly glowed.

Keith lowered his head and bent his legs, crouching down so that Lance could climb onto his back. Once Lance was on Keith's back, hands gripping his fur tightly, Keith started out in a walk, forest floor glowing where he stepped.

He was right; an air of death didn't surround the wolf walker, only life and connection. The critters didn't stop running and chirping and squeezing within yards of them, unlike when Lance and the other hunters were out.

Keith started to pick up speed, tail and paws and sides brushing up against plants that glowed after he touched them, leaving behind a glowing trail in their wake. It truly was beautiful, Lance couldn't help but smile and laugh.

***

It was over all too soon, Keith slowing back down again and walking more carefully than before. His tail was tucked in between his legs, ear up and swiveling, eyes glowing and darting around, hair standing up. And who can blame him? He was an 8-foot tall wolf walker on his way to a human village where the residents would kill him on sight, no questions asked. 

Lance could see lights up ahead, and Keith soon stopped walking altogether, couching down again so Lance could dismount. When Lance was about to walk through the little remainder of the woods, he turned back around.

"Guess I'll see you later, huh? Thank you, Keith, for today." The wolf closed his eyes for a couple seconds, seeming to say 'You're welcome.' Keith moved forward a few steps until he was right in front of Lance, and lowered his head with closed eyes into his shoulder. A hug.

Lance wrapped his arms as far around Keith's neck as he could, hugging the wolf-boy back with a smile on his face. The purple-eyed wolf and the blue-eyed boy pulled apart, Lance walking back to the human village.

When he turned around, the wolf was gone.

Word count: 1303

A/N: Hope you liked chapter four!

I don't know what else to say. Bye, and have a good day/night!

-TJ.