(TRIGGER WARNING: There is a descriptive panic attack. But I would read up until the little "~{()}~" at least because there is important info in this first part)

General Reno couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he had with the new queen the day before. In fact, he didn't even bother drinking beer for a sleeping aid. He just laid on the sheets and replayed the conversation in his head over and over again.

After David and Nathan had returned from their beach vacation, Reno had dutifully pulled the queen to the side.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he had said.

David gave him a yes and dismissed Nathan. The king had left, but not before threatening him.

"Listen, General. You can give me all the sass you want," Nathan had stated threateningly, not that it scared the general, "But I don't want to hear that you have said anything disrespectful to my soulmate. I will not hesitate to give you a punishment more severe than the last one."

It was then that the new queen cleared his throat.

"Nathan, I can handle it perfectly well on my own," David said softly, gave Nathan a loving kiss on the cheek- which made Reno's heart twist with envy- and shooed the king away.

"You may be taller than me," Reno had muttered angrily, "But I think you are overestimating yourself and underestimating me."

Surprisingly, David did not seem wary from his glare. In fact, he smiled.

"I think you are doing the same with me," he replied, which only made Reno curious. 

Damn you, human nature! he told himself, Haven't you heard of the phrase, "Curiosity killed the cat?!"

They found a quiet empty library with chairs to sit down in. David smiled at Reno, as if he knew something the general didn't. It made Reno uneasy, sitting right across from the guy with no table in between them.

"So," when David didn't speak, "Why did you ask to talk to me? If this is some lecture about my behavior then you can suck my-"

"It's not," David sighed, all of the sudden seeming nervous, "I have to ask you a question, something that might be a tad personal...I don't really know if it is or not. But I have suspected it for a while now."

Oh no, something personal? thought Reno, I'm going to get punished so bad for blowing up on him.

Reno decided to stay quiet. He didn't have a response. Just keep your mouth shut, he told himself.

"Uh, so, I wanted to ask..." David took a big breath, "Are you a werewolf?"

Whoa- what the heck?

It was the last thing he expected to be asked. Instead of playing dumb or acting like he didn't know of supernatural existence, which were the easiest ways out, Dominic was caught by surprise and completely blew it.

"How do you know about that?!" he asked, breaking his angry facade to allow a surprised expression take its place.

"So you are?" David asked, smiling as if he has solved a puzzle.

"I mean, sort-of? Yes? Not anymore? I don't know...it's hard to explain," Reno blabbered, but he was delving too far into his past, "How do you know about...?"

"Supernaturals?" David asked, "Because I am one. I am a Leshy, guardian of the forest. As a werewolf, you are half of an animal I protect. I just wanted to know because I may or may not be guarding your forest. Long story. Anyway, where is your pack? I would love to talk with the local Alpha."

"I-" Reno didn't have enough mindpower to process this information so fast. The new queen of his kingdom was a guardian of the forest that is supposedly supposed to protect him? Where was he when Reno went through all of the crap in his life? Where was he when his pack got murdered out of cold blood? He wanted answers. "So-So you guard this forest?"

"Not yet," replied David, "I am supposed to trade forests with the current guardian of yours. But he's not very...friendly. He has already basically declined trading forests with me. If I can't get him to agree, the last option is to fight to the death, and I- I can't beat him. So, I will just have to be tied to my own forest back home."

A mean guardian. Explains a lot, thought Reno. All of a sudden, the hate he felt towards David disappeared. It wasn't his fault.

"There is no wolf pack in the woods, as far as I know," he replied to David's earlier question.

"So, you are a lone wolf?" David asked, just as curious about Reno as he was David.

"Something like that," Reno mumbled. A "lone wolf" was one that separated from his own pack willingly to find another or start another pack. He could never start a pack, not with the scars of shame on his face. He was glad that David did not know of how rogues were created; otherwise, Reno might have been discovered already.

A rogue was a wolf that was cast out of the pack unwillingly.

There's no way I can escape the nightmares tonight, he thought, Not with all of this coming back to me...

Then a thought hit him.

"Does King Drake know?" he asked.

"It's okay to call him Nathan around me," David replied, "And he knows about supernatural, yes. But he does not know of you specifically. Would...Would you like me to still keep it a secret?"

"Uh, I guess not if he already knows," Reno replied, still baffled. He just sat back in his chair and wondered if life would be different if the guardian of his forest- what was it called? A Leshy?- actually did his or her job.

His family would still be alive.

"Hey," Reno replied, "If you still feel like trading with that Leshy, let me know. I want to come with."

"May I ask why?" David tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion.

"Because, if you need to fight to the death," Reno responded grimly, thinking about tearing that Leshy apart limb to limb, "I'll do it for you."

"Uh, I don't think you know what you are up against," David said shyly, "No offense. You may be strong but-"

"I know," he said stiffly, back to his usual self, "And I don't care."

~{()}~

It was the next day, and Reno still couldn't stop thinking about the conversation. The sun had risen, and he was still wide awake.

All this time, and there was someone in the world that could have saved them. Sure, they were never kind to Reno- they cast him out for something he couldn't control. But they were still his family. His pack. He never would have thought to see them, dead across the ground, when he returned.

All his life, he thought it was his fault. He should have just listened. He should have dealt with the pain and horrors. He didn't know that William Kain would do that, but, if he did, he would have become a spineless experiment like William Kain always wanted him to be.

No! Too far into the past! he told himself. He would have a panic attack at this rate. He could feel his breath quickening. He tried to calm down- he was good at that. But now, all he could think of was:

They could be alive.

They could have been saved.

They could. They could. They could.

They should have been.

They should.

Suddenly a knock came at the door, and it sounded frantic. Reno screamed at them in his head to go away. It was the wrong time, the worst time for someone to show up at his door.

Reno hid his head in his knees rocking back in forth, trying not to think of the knocking or the sound of his heavy breathing. He couldn't talk, or he would choke on his own breath.

Go away! he thought, he prayed.

"Reno!" the door opened, for the general didn't have a lock. It was Arnold- Reno knew from the sound of his voice. He kept rocking, but, otherwise, he didn't move. He didn't look.

"Reno?" he heard, and the general choked on his breath trying to tell him he's fine.

"Oh my God," Arnold said softly then Reno felt a soft hand touch his. The general didn't have enough fight to pull away.

Arnold lifted his hand until Reno felt a heartbeat that was not his own beating against his fingertips. It was beating fast, but not enough so that it outpaced Reno's breaths.

"Shhh," Arnold soothed, "It's okay. You need to calm down. Breathe with me. In... Out. In...Out."

Arnold did this for a few more until Reno felt confident enough to calm himself on his own. He took the thoughts of his pack and shoved them into a deeper, darker part of his mind, hoping to never have that happen again.

"I-I'm sorry," was the first thing the general said after he got his breath back enough to speak.

"It's okay," Arnold soothed, rubbing Reno's back gently. The action that would have anyone else missing an arm, almost made Reno fall to sleep. "I have them too," he responded.

I know, Reno wanted to reply. But he didn't want to speak.

"I'm assuming you heard?" Arnold asked. Reno lifted his head to see an extremely worried Arnold. He looked different. The butler appeared very stressed, almost frantic, and he carried a backpack on his shoulder.

"Heard what?" Reno asked.

"You haven't? I assumed that was why..." Arnold sighed, "Nevermind. King Nathan Drake announced this morning that the princess was being appointed as queen. I assume that she will behead you as quick as possible for your behavior, so I came here to warn you just in case. It will be best if you left, really-"

"Wait, hold on-" Reno interrupted, "The king is giving away his crown? To his sister?"

"Yes, please catch up, General," Ah, there was the Arnold he knew, "It was a mandatory staff meeting in which you slept through... again."

"I wasn't sleeping...I just didn't get the memo," Reno defended.

"Really? I guess..." Arnold sighed, "Nevermind, there's no time." He swung the backpack over his shoulder, "The higher-ups and the priests will be giving her a coronation as quick as possible. We were told to prepare the thrown room accordingly; I have so many people to contact, including the tailor to create a queen's dress, etcetera. After all of the preparations are done, according to the king, then she will be crowned. Take this backpack. I packed a bunch of food, essentials, a water canteen, even some flint to start a fire with if need be. You have a couple of days, perhaps even a week, but I would run within that time. She seemed really angry at you, and I don't want to take the chance."

"Wait a second!" Reno huffed, as the backpack got shoved into his arms, "You can't just come in here and ask me to quit my job! You don't know that she will do that!"

"Listen, Reno," Arnold said, staring him in the eye with that firey anger Reno loved to see, "For once, just listen. I know you don't care enough about yourself to follow orders. But, if I have anything to testify after living in the castle with her, I know she's not anything like Nathan. She is not some lenient monarch that is going to let you get away with your attitude. The first time you snap, she's going to snap your neck. I'm trying to help you before helping you is considered treason."

"I- Why are you trying to help me?" Reno asked, confused, "You hate me too."

"I never hated you," Arnold huffed, "I hated how you acted. In fact, you are very admirable underneath your rude behavior."

Don't blush, Reno commanded himself, Don't give in to the kindness. Don't kiss him.

"Please...if not for yourself...then-" Arnold sighed, "Do it for me. For my sanity."

After that, Dominic Reno knew Arnold had him convinced, hook, line, and sinker. He was going to run away from the castle...the only place he had to call home ever since being cast out...the only place with people who could deal with him. All for a guy he could never have.

"Stay in town for a couple of days," Arnold said, "Until I find out if she's still angry. I'll...come find you. That way, if she's okay with you, you can come back. But if she isn't okay with it-"

"I can run away?" Reno asked. Arnold nodded. "You are so f**king smart," Reno continued, "Thank you."

Reno hitched the backpack on his shoulders.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," Arnold's cheeks suddenly went bright red, "This is the craziest thing I have ever done...Oh, uh, there's one more thing."

"What's that?" Reno asked. Arnold came closer, which concerned Reno, but the general didn't stir. He searched Arnold's eyes, not knowing what the mysterious new emotion in the butler's pupils was telling him. 

Suddenly, Arnold's face darted toward Reno's. Before Reno could react, those nice pink lips were on his. 

Holy sh*t, Reno thought. He couldn't move. Arnold didn't seem to move either, just pressing his lips there for as long as he could before pulling away. They looked into each other's wide eyes, at each other's lips. 

Arnold back away a little more, his breath caught in his throat.

"That was just in case," he whispered before he darted out of the shack.

Reno could only watch him leave, placing a hand over his mouth in awe.

Maybe he did have a chance.