Merlin 1. Chapter 1

Written for Felicity P's Werewolf Merlin artwork (on AO3 under texasislandr) and for the prompt (paraphrased): A human Merlin comes across a group of hunters threatening a golden wolf. Instinctively Merlin tries to help the wolf, managing to stall the attackers long enough for the rest of the pack to come to the rescue. But his good deed will cost him dearly, as one of the thugs injects Merlin with werewolf venom, telling him if he loves werewolves so much he should join them. As the burning venom consumes him, Merlin feels as if he were dying. He does not expect to wake up in the were-den with a golden Arthur at his side.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, just enjoy it.

**It Seemed Like a Good Idea (At the Time)**

**Chapter 1: Stupid Instincts  
**

When Merlin heard the fierce growling and angry voices down the alley way he was passing, he told himself it would be stupid to get involved even as he sped up to get around the corner and closer to whatever was going on. Despite having magic, and feeling it thrumming beneath the surface of his skin, his control of it was basically nonexistent. Infuriatingly, it always refused to answer his call, never allowing him enough access to be of help to anyone – not even himself. As he raced ahead quietly, Merlin kept reminding himself that it was none of his business, and that one of these days his propensity for helping others was going to get him into some serious trouble. However, when he finally managed to creep up to the source of the noises all thoughts of ignoring the situation flew out of his head.

In the glow of a single bulb behind the empty stores he could see several large and rough-looking men circling around something that he couldn't see but was definitely emitting the growling sounds he could hear. The men were wearing clothing espousing their hatred for werewolves and were pulling guns and knives from pockets, obviously intent on performing their hate crime against the poor wolf they had managed to surround. Merlin tried one desperate pull on his magic to see if it would be of any help, but nothing happened - typical really. He was debating his other options when one of the men shifted and he was finally able to see the wolf they were intent on attacking. He found that he could only blink, dazed at the sight before him. The wolf was beautiful and yet terrifying; sleek golden fur covered one of the largest werewolves Merlin had ever laid eyes on. He was majestic and radiated power, even in his precarious situation. The wolf seemed angry but not afraid. He faced his attackers, watching them all intently, while his back stayed strategically positioned against an empty building.

The only thought Merlin could hold onto was that something so magnificent could not be destroyed.

With no real strategy in place, and no thoughts beyond his instinctive desire to protect the golden wolf, Merlin stepped out from his hiding place. In one swift move, he darted in front of the wolf and faced the angry men. The fact that all of the attackers were beyond surprised at his sudden appearance was most likely the only reason he wasn't shot at immediately. The men all pulled back slightly in shock, looking around to see if anyone else was nearby, and behind him Merlin could even hear the wolf snort in surprise.

Attempting to sound calmer and more confident than he felt, Merlin held up his hand to forestall the mob as he decided to try to reason with them. "I don't know what 's going on here, but brawling in an alley so near to the street is really not the best idea. If I could hear you than others will be able to as well."

The men glanced at each other uneasily, but didn't seem inclined to back down and then one of them stepped forward to face Merlin directly.

"This doesn't concern you kid. Why don't you just move along and mind your own business" he stated in a slimy condescending tone.

Merlin bristled at the name "kid", really this guy may look to be in his 30s and was obviously the leader of the this little gang, but Merlin was not as young as he looked and douchebags like this guys always had the ability to set him off.

"Well maybe I'm making it my concern, pal." Merlin replied in his best cheeky voice, refusing to let this guy bully him.

The leader's eyes narrowed as he glared at Merlin, "We've got business to settle with this creature, and you really don't want to get yourself involved, unless of course you're one of those filthy mutt lovers yourself." He eyed Merlin suspiciously as if he thought he could see the taint of a wolf about him.

Merlin rolled his eyes dramatically, 'filthy mutt lover', really? This guy was clearly a bigot. As Merlin looked over the group again he realized they were bigots with an awful lot of weaponry. Crap.

"You're hunters," Merlin stated. The wolf behind him growled softly again although it sounded derisive and Merlin swore he could almost hear the words "just figured that out, did you? Idiot."

"We eradicate the vermin stalking our streets," the man snarled.

"No, you murder those who are different than you out of fear and prejudice." Merlin retorted, and now he could hear the snarl in his own tone and feel his magic swirling inside him as if it were anxious to be released against this human monster.

"You're one of those damn foolish idealists, huh," the leader snorted contemptuously. "You think we can all live together in peace? That they won't simply overpower us? You want us to live as slaves beneath the weres and magic users that want to rule us? Your idiotic kind is almost as bad as that thing behind you. You betray your own people, maybe you should just join his then if you are so intent on believing their lies over your own kind," the man yelled as he jerked his head in signal to the mob behind him.

Faster than Merlin could track, the gang followed their leader's command and began the attack. Two of the men raced forward to grab Merlin and drag him off to the side so that rest of their group could have an open line of sight to train their guns on the golden wolf again. Merlin flailed and kicked as best he could, struggling against the men holding him. He could hear the low growling of the wolf strengthen into a roar as the men took aim, but before a shot could be fired a nearby howl answered the call of the golden were. Every man in the alley froze for a heartbeat at the new sound.

"Aredian…?" one of the men questioned his leader nervously.

"Shoot him!" Aredian screamed at his men, even as he backed away and peered into the shadows surrounding them.

The men took aim yet again, but the werewolf was faster, it lunged at the man closest to him, wrapping its jaws around his throat before the human could fire. As the others tried to turn their guns fast enough to shoot at the wolf, four more wolves sprang from the shadows. Growling viciously they tore into the knot of men threatening the golden wolf. The sounds of chaos filled the alley; gunshots, swearing, and painful screams from the humans, growling and snarling from the werewolves as their teeth and claws sliced through flesh.

The two men holding Merlin had loosened their grips as they stared in horror at the rapid destruction of their friends. Merlin himself was so transfixed by the grace and power of the attacking wolves (so maybe he was mostly staring at the golden wolf) that it did not even occur to him to try to slip away from his own attackers. It wasn't until his magic gave a frantic lurch within him that Merlin even realized he was still in danger.

"Hold him," a low voice ordered the two men, snapping them out of their daze.

Startled at the angry voice coming from just behind him, Merlin recklessly began thrashing about to try to escape the suddenly tightened grasps of his captors. As he desperately attempted to pull away from them, he had a glimpse of the dark-haired leader smirking at him maliciously. Merlin threw all of his weight at one of the men, hoping to make him stumble, but both of the aresholes outweighed him by several stone.

"I said hold him" Aredian snapped again, glaring at both Merlin and the goons he was fighting.

The men redoubled their efforts and Merlin could feel himself being manhandled to the ground as they punched and shoved him. Over the sound of his own ragged breathing and futile struggles, he could still faintly hear the wolves attacking the gang. He felt as if his own struggle had been going on forever, but if the wolves and humans were still fighting as well then it must have only been moments. One last punch to the stomach had Merlin gasping on the ground as one of the men put a knee on his lower back and wrenched his arms behind him to hold him down. Merlin writhed and twisted frantically, but could not dislodge his heavier opponent.

"Hold his head," Aredian commanded the other attacker and Merlin could feel harsh hands shoving his head against the pavement and holding him still and completely helpless. One of the meaty hands was clasped against his mouth, preventing him from calling out for any kind of help, not that he knew if the wolves would have helped him anyway, but at least they would have wanted to take down Aredian and his thugs.

"You want to defend those filthy mutts so badly, now you can just join them and see if they will have as much mercy for you," Aredian said coldly, and Merlin could see the glint of madness in the older man's eyes as he pulled a long syringe out of a pocket and into Merlin's line of sight. Whatever was in the syringe had Merlin's magic twisting like a whirlwind inside of him. He instinctively tried to shy away from the sharp needle Aredian was moving towards him, but there was nowhere to go, no part of his body he could move from under the restraining hands. In a last desperate endeavor, Merlin attempted to focus his magic and shove against his attackers, but it was too late. Merlin gasped as the needle was jammed into his neck and he could feel a burning liquid being pushed out of the syringe and into his body, leaving a trail of sparking hot pain as it spread. His magic jumped from under his skin ferociously, throwing all three men off of him and into the nearby walls, but the damage was already done.

Merlin's nerves screamed in pain as the liquid crawled through his body, causing him to go into convulsions on the ground. Screams of agony were torn from his throat and hot tears poured from his eyes, but he was lost to it all. He never noticed the three men, the last of the attackers left alive, flee the scene or the five wolves who quickly surrounded him. He thought it was a hallucination when he felt a warm, soft hand placed against his cheek and saw a man's face, haloed in golden light looking at him in concern. But the pain was too much and Merlin succumbed to the blessed blackness of unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2: What an Idiot

**Chapter 2: What an Idiot**

Looking back on his day, Arthur reflected that really he should have gone with his first instinct that morning, and just crawled back into bed. From the reports on the movements (or the suspicious lack thereof) of Morgana's pack, rumors of groups of hunters getting bounties for every wolf pelt they brought in, and his overall bad mood lately it really hadn't been the best of ideas to run patrols into the city that night. And okay, maybe it had been royally stupid to split the pack off into pairs in order to cover more ground and then decide to go off on his own for some much needed breathing room away from the pack. And yes, maybe he had been hoping for some kind of fight so he could vent some of his pent up aggression on somebody else, but really how was he to know just how fast the night would go to shit.

Because of course, it had gone completely to shit.

Contrary to what those stupid hunters had thought, Arthur had not been taken by surprise by their lame attempt at an ambush. In reality, he had strategically led them to that alley so that he could be in the best position. He was looking forward to a good fight, but he also wanted to minimize the possibility of civilian casualties. So he might have only been expecting three thugs and not the seven that suddenly appeared and they may have been better armed than he had originally anticipated, but that did not mean that the situation was out of his control. Really. He could have handled it. He certainly did not need the help of the gawky stranger that stumbled in between him and his attackers.

Arthur could only snort in disbelief as the raven-haired man jumped into the middle of the impending melee. What the hell was the moron thinking? Arthur was sure that if it were at all possible in his wolf form, his expression would mimic the stupefied faces of the surrounding group of hunters. His incredulity only grew as he listened to the newcomer attempt to talk the men down. Obviously this kid had no idea what he had gotten himself into. Still, Arthur did have to give him some credit for standing up to the leader and cheekily telling him off. So the guy had guts, too bad he didn't seem to have the brains to match.

Arthur tuned out of the conversation for a moment as he tried to scent his pack. He was late for their meet-up after the patrol so he knew they should be starting to look for him. And when he had realized how outnumbered he was, he had sublimated his pride and gave a short howl and yip to call to his pack. They were most definitely on their way, just not close enough yet that he could sense them, it was time to stall. Luckily the odd human was being really quite helpful in that department.

"You're hunters" the lanky man stated, drawing Arthur back into the conversation.

Arthur snorted, "Finally figured that out did you? You idiot," he thought towards the man. He wished he was in his human form for a moment so that he could smack the moron upside the back of the head.

The lead hunter was tensing, obviously running out of patience with the discussion and Arthur knew the signal for the attack would be given soon. He was debating how he was going to defend both himself and the interfering good Samaritan (although clearly an idiot, Arthur knew he couldn't let the man who had just wanted to help him be hurt) when he heard a welcome sound from nearby. The low growls and pants of his pack told him they had found him and were already assessing the situation from the shadows. He let himself grin, the odds had just changed considerably in his favor.

A final shriek of outrage from the lead hunter had the mob behind him erupting into action. Arthur tensed as two of the thugs dragged off the black-haired man, but he knew he couldn't help him at the moment. The second he jumped to interfere the others would have clear shots at him. For now he needed to stay put, watching for his opening, knowing that his pack would make their dramatic entrance any moment. It would be then, and only then, that he could try to help his unwitting savior.

Arthur could hear his pack now, sliding amongst the shadows to get into position to help their leader. He growled low and threatening to keep the attention of all the gun-toting hunters trained on him. He could sense their fingers tightening on triggers and so he lunged at the man closest to him, dragging him down by tearing out his throat a split second before anyone could fire. The rest of the faction never got a chance to take advantage of his distraction, the pack chose that moment to make their dramatic entrance by sinking teeth and claws into the cluster of hunters.

Stepping back from the carnage for a heartbeat, Arthur tried to locate his humanitarian friend. He finally spotted him several yards away, being pummeled by the two hunters who had dragged him off. He was fighting back viciously, but Arthur could see that he was no match for the larger men. He also noticed the sallow-faced leader they had called Aredian coming up behind them with a maniacal look gleaming in his eyes.

Arthur immediately started toward the small group, but his way was blocked by the chaotic melee going on around him. As he helped one of his pack take down a hunter, he saw that the raven-haired man was on the ground with two of the thugs holding him down. Aredian was kneeling next to them with his back to Arthur, blocking the wolf from seeing what was going on. Even as the sounds of the snarling wolves and dying hunters filled the alleyway, a scream of absolute agony was heard over the din. Arthur had no idea what Aredian was doing to the helpless man, but his fur instinctively bristled at a scream filled with so much pain. He roared his rage and leapt over an on-going fight to get to the trio, but he was too late as the final three survivors were already fleeing towards the civilian filled streets.

The pack converged on the convulsing human and Arthur was torn between trying to help him or racing after Aredian and his men to vent his rage and frustration on their weak forms. A hoarse pain-filled moan drew his attention back down to the black-haired man and he shifted to his human form, in an effort to reach out and try to help the gasping male. Even as Arthur leaned down to gently touch him, the unfortunate fellow finally passed out from the overwhelming pain.

"What the hell happened Arthur?" Gwaine demanded, having shifted immediately after Arthur had.

"I picked up the scent of some hunters trailing me through the alleys and figured I would lure them closer, somewhere out of the way for a fight," he explained as he cautiously checked the downed man's pulse and looked him over for obvious injuries. "Of course, it was only after I was set up to take them on that the rest of the gang showed up, heavily armed and angry. I managed to get a call out to you guys and was trying to figure out a way to stall when this idiot shows up out of nowhere and gets in the middle of things trying to talk them down."

"Sounds rather brave of him," Lancelot stated from the other side of the body, having shifted himself and now helping Arthur asses the unconscious man.

"Brave, maybe," Arthur snorted, "but incredibly stupid. He didn't even know if I was a feral or that they were hunters. He finally figured it out halfway through the conversation."

"Would have to be an idiot to come to your rescue princes, "Gwaine snarked. "Any idea what they did to him?"

"Shit!" Lancelot swore softly, causing all heads to turn to him, startled that he actually swore. In answer to their questioning looks he held up a long and now empty syringe.

"Is that what I think it is?" Gwaine questioned uneasily.

Lance gave it a sniff, "Yes, it's werewolf venom, they infected him."

There were uneasy shuffles and sympathetic huffs from the two wolves who had not shifted and an appalled gasp from Gwaine at Lancelot's statement.

"Are you sure they got him?" Arthur asked rather desperately.

In answer Lancelot gently turned the man's head so they could all see the angry red puncture mark from the syringe and the tiny drops of venom on his skin that had been left behind.

"Shit," Arthur echoed Lancelot's earlier sentiment. "Poor bastard was just trying to help, didn't even know me…was just trying to do the right thing and look what he gets instead," Arthur sighed guiltily, this was his fault, he never should have gone looking for a fight with those hunters.

"No good deed goes unpunished," Gwaine muttered. Behind him, he heard Mithian snort in disbelief. "Hey, I know stuff," he defended cheekily. "I'm cultured and all that crap." Mithian snorted again and this time Leon joined in. "Everyone's a critic," he complained.

"Knock it off you three," Arthur ordered. "We need to figure out what we're going to do with him."

"Name's Merlin Emrys,' Lancelot stated, having pulled out the man's wallet and gingerly gone through it. "Poor kid's only twenty. Five dollars in cash and no credit cards, just a business card for a Werewolf support group. Hmm, well that means he's familiar with weres at least."

"Maybe family" Gwaine offered.

"Maybe, but we can't just drop him off at his address without knowing the situation. He'll have to come with us for now." Arthur declared.

"Taking in strays again Princess," Gwaine teased.

"He was trying to help me, it's my fault he got involved. I'm not going to leave him somewhere and just hope he has someone to help him through this." Arthur defended his decision, although he knew none of the others were really going to question it. He wasn't sure if he was trying to explain his reasoning to them or himself. He felt strangely responsible for the man, Merlin, and had a strong urge to make sure he came through the transition alright.

"Just ignore Gwaine," Lancelot advised, "we know you always do the right thing Arthur. If you think we need to take him back with us then we will, it's as simple as that. Once we get back to the den we can send for Gauis, he has plenty of experience with those going through the transition. If he survives the change we can send Gwen out later to look into his family situation and maybe prepare them for what's coming, she'll know how to handle them."

Arthur nodded even as he sighed heavily, more complications for his pack, really someone should start questioning his decisions soon. But looking at their faces, it was clear no one felt the need to, they were confident in letting him lead. "Alright we need to get moving, we need to be gone before someone comes and investigates this alley and finds all the dead bodies and it will be easier on Merlin if he stays unconscious until we get to the den," Arthur stated as he carefully lifted the poor boy up and prepared to carry him himself. "Obviously I'll need to stay human to carry him, everyone else stay on guard and keep us to the shadows. We don't need anymore trouble tonight"

"Yup," Arthur reflected to himself as he followed his pack through the dark, "should have stayed in bed today."


	3. Chapter 3 Family is What You Make It

So this was supposed to be a short chapter with Gwen's and Gaius' POV to give some perspective on the pack and their situation. However, Gwen's part sort of got away from me as I enjoyed showing her interactions with the pack and their personalities, so she got her own chapter. It's probably for the best as I plan to do some backstory with Gaius' POV and it will probably be longer than I was planning anyway. But don't worry, I will be back to Arthur and Merlin's POV after that and the big reveal will be coming soon. Well, as soon as I can, my next week is a little crazy so I might not get the next chapter out till the week after that, but it is all coming. Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is enjoying it. 

**Chapter 3: Family is What You Make It**

Gwen looked up from the counter she was wiping down for the fourth time when she finally heard the front door slam shut. She locked eyes with Elena, who had kindly been keeping her company during her anxiety driven cleaning spree, and they both ran out to the hallway. Her shoulders slumped when she saw it was only Elyan and Percival. "Anything?" she questioned.

"We ran the perimeter and sent out a call, but we didn't hear or scent anything to indicate they were close," Percival answered her as he pulled on the shirt he had left by the door before he had shifted.

"I'm sure they're all right Gwen," Elena said as she wrapped a slender arm around her friend. "They've been late coming back from a city patrol before."

"Yes and usually one if not all of them are injured when they are." Gwen continued to fret.

"Those injuries have been minor," Gwen's brother Elyan consoled as he came over and gently pulled her from Elena, only to wrap her up in his own embrace. "You shouldn't worry so, Gwen. All of them are great fighters and Arthur is a strong alpha, he won't let anything happen to them."

"I know I'm just being silly," Gwen sighed as she pulled back. "Worrying about everyone is just my job, it's what I do best," she said with a small smile.

"Hmmm, well I'd say your cooking ranks at least as high as your worrying skills," Elena said impishly. "And your cleaning skills too," she nodded to the rag Gwen was still clutching.

"Oh stop it," Gwen laughed, snapping the rag at her friend. "You make me sound like the maid, like all I do is cook and clean all day."

"Well, you are in the kitchen a lot," Elyan mused. "And the den is extremely clean…" he trailed off as he had to dodge the rag his sister turned on him.

"Like any of the rest of you would even think about it," Gwen failed to suppress a smile as she sighed dramatically. They all chuckled for a moment, but then sobered as the clock in the hall chimed the time causing Gwen to tense back up. "I'm going to go sweep," she stated turning towards the kitchen. She didn't miss the concerned but understanding looks the three wolves shared as she moved away nor her brother's muttered "there isn't any dust left". She simply chose to ignore the comment because cleaning always made her feel useful in moments when she felt things were out of her control, so more cleaning it would be.

Before Gwen could reach the kitchen she noticed that all three wolves suddenly tensed. She turned to face them and could instantly tell from their focused expressions that they had all heard something too far away for her human ears to pick up. She wanted to demand an answer immediately, but knew if she made a sound they would not be able to focus on the distant call.

"What is it?" she questioned as soon as their faces relaxed and lost the looks of intense concentration.

"It's the pack," Elyan answered. "They're still a bit away from the den, but something definitely went wrong. Leon is the one calling out, not Arthur, and he sounded concerned, letting us know to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Gwen asked, her worry ratcheting back up. As Alpha she knew it was Arthur who usually sent out the call to the rest of the pack, the fact that he didn't meant he was either hurt or not with the pack. But why wouldn't he be with the pack? Her mind began running through various scenarios, each one worst than the last, until a warm hand gently touched her cheek.

"Breathe," Elena commanded gently. "It's all right, Leon didn't sound like he was panicking, just concerned."

Gwen nodded a relieved sigh at her blonde friend and followed the wolves out on the porch to watch for the rest of the pack.

Another ten minutes passed before Leon and Mithian came loping into view. Gwen craned her neck to try and see the others, but they were not behind the pair.

"What's the news?" Percy asked as Leon and Mithian shifted back to their human shapes.

"The others are alright," Leon answered, knowing that would be their first concern. "They'll be up in another ten minutes or so, Arthur sent us on ahead to let the rest of you know what happened."

"What did happen?" Gwen was the first to get the question out, although she could tell the others had been about to ask as well.

"Arthur ran into a group of hunters after we had split up for recon," Mithain answered as she pulled her clothes from the place she had left them on the porch and began dressing. Nudity was not something that bothered a wolf pack not with all the shifting between forms that occurred, eventually all wolves just accepted that they would have a passing acquaintance with clothing. Most believed that being seen naked was preferable to ripping all of one's clothes everytime they shifted. Even Gwen, as a human, had adjusted to seeing so many naked bodies all the time. And despite Gwaine's many hints, she refused to join in, she was still human after all and liked her clothes just fine thank you.

"We were already looking for him since he was late for check-in, when we heard him call for us." Leon took up the tale as he pulled his pants on. "By the time we got there Arthur had led the gang to an alley, but he didn't realize their numbers and would have had a hard time of it if a good-Samaritan hadn't come along."

"Good-Samaritan?" Elyan repeated as he handed the pair their shirts.

"Yes," Mithian answered. "A man walking by apparently heard the commotion and went in to the alley to investigate. When he saw what was going on, Arthur said he jumped in between him and the hunters and tried to talk them down. Quite told them off, actually according to Arthur, and most importantly managed to stall them until we were close enough to help."

"Damn, brave man," Percival murmured.

Elyan nodded in agreement while glancing at his sister. "Not many humans would get involved like that," he said, remembering when Gwen had done a similar thing for him in his youth before they had found the pack. He often felt as though he had pulled her away from the normal life she could be having if not for her loyalty to him.

Knowing her brother's regrets, Gwen took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, she loved her life now and would never change anything about it. "As Percy said then, a brave man. I hope Arthur remembered to thank the poor chap." She tensed as she saw the worried and guilty glance Leon and Mithian quickly exchanged. "Is he alright? What happened to him?" she demanded.

"Arthur's bringing him," Leon told her. "That's why the others are so far behind. Gwaine and Lancelot are guarding them and Arthur is carrying him here."

"Why? Did he get hurt?"

Mithian and Leon exchanged that guilty look again and there was a long pause before Mithian answered. "The Hunters were carrying werewolf venom, we don't know why. But while we were fighting the hunters, several of them managed to drag the poor fellow off and inject him with the venom, I guess in retaliation for helping Arthur. He's unconscious now, but the change has already started."

Gwen gasped and felt Elyan's arm wrap around her, keeping her grounded and assuring himself of her safety. She knew that had been and probably still was his fear for her, that staying with him and the pack would eventually cost her her life or her humanity.

"We don't know how familiar he is with werewolves or what his family situation might be like so Arthur thought it best to bring him here and have the pack watch over him during the he survives it, then we can figure out how best to help him. Which reminds me," Leon turned to Gwen fully "Arthur asked if you could call Gaius and see if he'll come and try to help the poor kid."

Gwen nodded and immediately turned to go into the house. She didn't know if there was anything Gaius could do to aid the wronged man, the transition killed almost as often as it worked, but Gaius was constantly looking into new ways to treat wolves and if there was anyone who could actually help it would be him.

By the time she finished her call, she could hear additional voices from the yard and was deeply relieved to hear Lancelot's calm tone asking where she was. She ran out of the house and into his arms, savoring his gentle kiss to her forehead that assured her that he was unhurt. Only then did she turn her attention to Arthur and the body in his arms.

"Oh the poor boy," she whispered as she stepped forward to gently brush dark hair off of his pale forhead, creased in pain even in unconsciousness. She looked up to see Arthur's guilt-laden expression and just as gently as with the boy, she brushed the Alpha's blond hair from his eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Arthur" she told him firmly. "No," she said, seeing he was about to argue. "He made his own choice, we all do, and he choose to help someone in need, no matter that he didn't know you or that you were different than him."

"And look what it got him," Arthur muttered.

"We'll do what we can for him," Gwen stated calmly. "And Gaius is on his way to see if he can be of any assistance. He said to put the boy on one of the beds and keep him warm and as comfortable as possible until he gets here."

"Where do you want to put him," Lancelot asked as he held the door open for Arthur to walk through with his extra burden. "We don't have any extra beds at the moment, although we do have some spare rooms where we could set something up."

"That would take too long," Arthur answered. "I'll put him in my room for now, it's got the biggest bed and the most space for Gaius to work in."

"Plus it's a lot cleaner than most of the other rooms," Gwen teased as she threw disapproving looks at Elyan, Gwaine and Elena, whose rooms were the stuff of her nightmares.

"Oi," Gwaine yelled. "I'll have you know my room is not dirty. It's not," he told the disbelieving looks he was given. "It's just got character."

"Yeah, well your rooms 'character' is starting to spill out into the hallway." Percy told his friend as the whole pack followed behind Arthur as he carried their new charge down the hallway and into his own room.

"Everyone out" Gwen ordered as all seven wolves tried to crowd into the room with her and Arthur. She shooed them all out into the hall and shut the door as Arthur gently eased the shivering form onto the large bed.

"Idiot, never should have got involved," Arthur muttered as he lightly pushed dark sweaty hair back from a translucently pale face.

"The way I heard it, you'd have been in some trouble if he hadn't" Gwen chided softly, pulling Arthur's warm blanket over the sick man.

"But look what happened," Arthur argued. "His bizarre morals, might have just gotten him killed."

"He seems strong," Gwen soothed, "I think he'll pull through."

"And then what?" Arthur challenged. "What will his life be? He'll be an outcast like the rest of us, he'll hate us… hate me…" Arthur trailed off.

Gwen gave her friend a strong hug, she had never seen him looking so lost and forlorn. She knew Arthur felt guilty for what had happened, but this seemed to go beyond that. Arthur appeared strangely attached to the boy and unusually concerned with what the man would think of him when he awoke.

"Gaius will be here soon," she stated as she checked over the patient. "He'll let us know how things are looking and we'll go from there. You never know, he may even want to join the pack," she said with her usual optimism.

"And what will that mean for us?" Arthur cryptically asked in such a low tone that Gwen understood he was mostly asking himself. As she watched Arthur stare down at the raven-haired stranger she wondered what his question and seeming attachment could possibly mean.


	4. Chapter 4: Everyone Has Their Ghosts

_So sorry for the long wait on the update, my last 2 weeks were as crazy as I thought they would be and this chapter gave me some trouble. It didn't quite flow where I wanted it to, but I did get there in the end. For those waiting for some Arthur and Merlin POV, you'll have to wait just a bit longer. This is Gaius' POV and it ended up quite a bit longer than I thought it would, not much forward momentum, but lots of backstory. Apologies for those who wanted more action but "it's plot exposition, it has to go somewhere" (first one, if anyone, who can name the movie that is said in can have a character in the story of their own design if they so choose). Hope everyone enjoys, and don't worry, next chapter is back to the boys and I've already started writing it.  
_

_I am posting this without waiting for the checked version from my wonderful beta, because this is the only day this week that I think I'll have time to post. As this was a rather long chapter and I have a tendency towards run-on sentences, I might have broke the poor girl with the amount of work this needed. Still, I'll post it for now cuz I'm getting some requests for faster updates and after I get the cleaned-up copy from her, I'll repost it with the changes. Plus this way you can see how much she helps me cut back on my ability to ramble :) Don't be afraid to let me know of any mistakes, it's always good to know what I need to improve on._

**Chapter 4: Everyone Has Their Ghosts**

The twenty minute drive out to the old farmhouse the pack was using as their den gave Gaius plenty of time to think. Too much time most likely. Could the good he was trying to do now ever make-up for the years of guilt he felt for the failures of his past? Years spent by Uther Pendragon's side, believing his lies. Although, sometimes Gaius really wondered if they counted as lies if Uther believed in them so wholeheartedly himself. Didn't make those beliefs any less wrong, Gaius acknowledged. It had simply taken him too long to realize it.

They had been friends since they were young men, Gaius had been at Uther and Igraine's wedding, and even been the physician that attended Igraine during her pregnancy with Arthur. He supposed that that friendship was what had blinded him to Uther's growing instability and bloodlust in later years. Looking back, Gaius could see that Uther had always been wary about those who had been born different. Still he had remained friends with Gaius, even knowing of the man's magic (albeit, rather weak magic) and initially while he might have distrusted someone with magic or a were at first, he did usually give them a chance to prove themselves. Gaius knew that Uther had several friends and associates with abilities in his youth, although now Gaius wondered if Uther had retained those relationships because of what the abilities could do for Uther and not because he really trusted the people. Still, there hadn't been any overt instances of Uther's prejudices until Igraine's death at the teeth of a werewolf. Then, calling in all the power of his blossoming political career, Uther had managed to track down the were and bring him in, which was when the next blow had come. The werewolf had divulged that he had been hired to kill Igraine by none other than Uther's old flame, the mother of his illegitimate daughter Morgana. Uther and Vivienne had been lovers during their younger years, but when Uther met Igraine he fell in love so quickly and completely that any other woman was forgotten. It was only after Uther and Igraine's wedding that Vivienne had come forward and announced that she had been pregnant when Uther had left her for Igraine. She had raged at Uther for abandoning her and during the argument that followed Uther admitted that he had never loved her, had just found her desirable to bed. Vivienne vowed revenge and refused to let Uther see their child. It was discovered after Igraine's brutal slaying that Vivienne actually had magic, and had not only used it to keep Uther enthralled with her until his love for Igraine broke through the spell, but also used it to entrance the werewolf into killing her rival.

Those dark months after Igraine's murder and the investigation into Vivienne wiped out whatever tolerance Uther might ever have had. His subtle campaign against the non-humans started then and as his political power grew so did his hatred for the magicals and weres. He had been so subtle and convincing that no one even realized the depths of his rage. Even Gaius had been fooled into believing that his old friend was simply seeking justice and protection for others from feral weres and wayward magic users. He had helped his friend in his crusade, never realizing the extent to which Uther was willing to go. By the time Gaius learned what had really been going on, so many lives had been lost and ruined that he knew he could never forgive himself his willful ignorance.

Gaius tried to bury the painful memories as he pulled his ancient vehicle up to the abandoned looking house. He had to shake his head at Arthur's brilliance as he looked at the seemingly decrepit building. Gaius knew that the exterior of the dwelling was a strategic front to protect the pack's den. While the building looked like it was ready to fall down, it was actually in a well maintained state of camouflage; the loose shutters, blacked-out windows, and crumbling pillars all gave the impression that the house had long been abandoned, but inside it was all structurally safe and a cozy den for the young pack.

Muttering a soft groan for his aching back after the car ride, Gaius ascended the peeling set of stairs onto the wide porch where he was met by Lancelot. "How is he?" he asked after his patient, only knowing what Gwen had told him; that the young man had tried to help Arthur and had ended up in the crossfire between hunters and werewolves and had been injected with wolf venom as his dubious reward.

"Hasn't regained consciousness yet, but hasn't died yet either," Lancelot answered, concern etched on his face. "Gwen and Arthur are still with him," he said as he led Gaius through the house. The other pack members gave nods or waves of welcome as the pair moved towards Arthur's room, but none of them approached, knowing that Gaius would be anxious to see his patient.

"He's in here," Lancelot stated as he knocked on the door they had stopped in front of. "Gaius is here," he called out and immediately the door swung open to reveal a relieved looking Gwen.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here Gaius," Gwen sighed as she gently pulled him into the room. She gave a small smile to Lance before closing the door again. "He's burning up, we've been trying to keep him cool…" she trailed off helplessly.

"You did just fine, my dear," Gaius gave her a comforting pat before walking closer to the bed. He took in the tense set of Arthur's shoulders and had a brief moment to wonder at it before his entire focus was taken up by the dark-haired man moaning in pain on the sweat-soaked sheets. Gaius felt himself pale as he processed the man's features and gasped as realization fully hit him.

"Gaius?" Gwen and Arthur questioned together

"Are you alright?" Gwen reached out to steady him and he only then noticed that he was swaying slightly.

"Gaius," Arthur entered his line of sight, forcing Gaius to focus on the pack leader for the moment. "Do you know him?"

Gaius held Arthur's gaze for a moment and took a deep breathe to calm himself before sliding around Arthur to once again view the familiar face. "Yes," he answered taking a close look at the boy, wanting to make no mistakes. "Yes, I believe I do."

"Lance found this in his pocket," Arthur said, handing an ID to Gaius. The physician read it through, sighing deeply as it confirmed what he already knew.

"Oh Merlin," Gaius murmured. "Oh my poor boy, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Merlin?" Gwen questioned, having not heard the man's name before.

"You do know him," Arthur confirmed at the same time.

"Yes," Gaius answered both as the pulled out his instruments and began to examine the invalid. "Merlin is the son of an old friend of mine. His father, Balinor, died many years ago and after his death, Hunith, his wife, took Merlin and disappeared. Less than two years ago I happened to meet Merlin again, didn't know it was him at first as he was only a small child last I saw him. But he looked so much like his father when I saw him in one of my classes at the university that I questioned him about his parents and learned that he was Balinor's son."

"Do you know anything about his family situation then?" Gwen asked. "Arthur didn't want to just drop him off with a family who doesn't know anything about werewolves or is even anti-wolf. And we weren't sure who to contact, he must have people missing him, his mother or other family?"

"He told me that his mother died several years ago and that he has been raising his younger sister since then. As far as I know, the sister is his only other family."

"You are sure?" Arthur asked pensively, staring at Merlin with what Gaius thought might be trepidation.

"Fairly," he answered and though he wanted to ask about Arthur's concerns, he knew the boy well enough to know Arthur wouldn't answer if they had an audience. Instead he stayed silent and finished his examination. "He is doing as well as can be expected, you did the right thing keeping him cool and as comfortable as possible. I believe he will pull through and should make his transition shortly." He turned to his kit and pulled out a vial and a small pouch of herbs. "Gwen, my dear, would you mind taking these herbs and grinding them up, then add them to this liquid along with 2 cups of boiling water. If we can get him to swallow the mixture before he changes, it should help to ease the process and reduce the pain. "

"Of course," Gwen said taking both items and hurrying out of the room.

"What is bothering you Arthur?" Gaius asked once they were alone. He noticed Arthur's brow furrow and the tense set of his lips, confirming that there was indeed something Arthur was worried about. Knowing Arthur could not be pushed into talking, Gaius refocused on Merlin, wetting the cloth and using it to cool him down, letting Arthur decided whether he wanted to have the conversation or not.

"You said the sister is his only family, is she a were?" Arthur finally questioned, although Gaius thought it sounded like he already knew the answer.

"I have not seen her recently, but I am certain she was not when last we met. As Merlin is aware of my work in both human and were medicine, I believe he would have come to me for help if Freya had been bitten."

"And he is not associated with a pack, like Gwen is with us?" Arthur demanded.

"Not that I am aware of," Gaius answered, perturbed with Arthur's line of questioning. "He is quietly involved with several pro-were and magic rights groups, but his time is devoted to Freya and his course work, I don't believe he socializes very much." He paused his ministrations and gave Arthur a challenging look. "What is your concern Arthur?"

"He smells of another wolf," Arthur answered after a brief silence. "It is not as strong as I would expect of pack or family, and it is not multiple scents as if he were involved with some groups or counseling. It is one scent, subtle, but ingrained. Whether he knows it or not, he has a wolf close to him."

Gaius thought for a moment but in the end was forced to admit that he did not know who it might be. "Merlin is a friendly soul, but he is very private about his family and close friends." Knowing Merlin's background, Gaius was not surprised that the young man could be very secretive, it was a lesson learned the hard way. "Perhaps a friend from school," he finally offered.

"Perhaps," Arthur murmured.

"There is more you are worried about," Gaius prompted, noticing that fine tremors were beginning to wrack Merlin's slight frame. The change would happen soon.

"You said you knew his parents," Arthur stated, also watching the tremors spread through the lanky limbs. "And you knew him as a child."

"Yes," Gaius answered slowly, unsure what Arthur was trying to get at.

There was a long pause and then Arthur's eyes snapped up to meet and hold the older male's. "Did you know he has magic then?" Arthur finally challenged.

Now it was Gaius' turn for silence. If Arthur could smell the magic within Merlin, it woud explain his wariness. For all that the youth now knew about Uther's lies and hatred, his whole life had been ingrained with the lessons that magic and weres were evil and corrupt. And unfortunately he had had some recent experiences that would make shaking off those prejudices even more difficult.

At Gaius' silence, Arthur continued, "I didn't smell it in him until we were away from the scene of the fight and even then it was subtle. But it has been growing stronger."

"I knew his father had magic, indeed it was why he was killed and why Hunith ran with Merlin as fast as she could. It was only after we met again and I gained Merlin's trust that he confided that he did indeed possess magic, but that he was unable to access it. I had been trying to teach him to reach it, but my own abilities were not very strong and it was buried too deep." He paused and eyed Arthur speculatively. "You are concerned that the venom will release his powers as it did for Morgana."

Arthur nodded, "I'm wondering if I made a mistake bringing him into the den. I couldn't abandon him, but the pack's safety is my first priority." He sighed, unsure how to continue but then Merlin began to thrash about on the bed. His skin seemed to waver and glow and both men understood that the physical transformation was about to happen.

Suddenly Merlin's body stiffened and the glow about him intensified as a pulse of energy could be felt leaving him and shaking everything in the room.

Gaius met Arthur's eyes, "You may be right about his powers," he said drily. "But, as I have told you before Arthur, it is not the magic that is evil. Darkness is a choice, and being neither magical nor a were make it an inevitability."

Gwen burst into the room before Arthur could respond and Gaius held back a sigh at Arthur's continued wariness of magic. It was understandable given his upbringing and history, but still frustrating at times.

"I'm sorry," Gwen gasped as she carefully handed Gaius a steaming mug. "I made it as fast as I could, is there still time?"

"Just, I believe," Gaius responded. He gave her a small smile," Thank you my dear. The transformation is starting, I believe it will be safer for you to wait outside the room. Arthur will assist me."

"Of course," Gwen said as she moved back towards the door. "Do you want me to send in one of the others for help?" she asked Arthur.

"No, I'll be fine, thank you," Arthur answered and Gaius knew it was because he didn't want any other pack members in the room if Merlin's magic was indeed going to be released.

When Gwen was safely outside the room with the door shut again Gaius asked Arthur to lift up Merlin's upper body and support his head so that he could try to get the tincture down Merlin's throat. Merlin was not conscious enough to fight it, but the tremors going through his body were making it difficult for them to hold him still long enough to get more than a few mouthfuls in him.

"I think that's the best we're going to be able to do," Gaius said as he placed the mug down on the bedside table. Merlin's skin was glowing again, more brightly than before and the energy in the room was making the hairs on Gaius' arms stand up. He felt as if any move he made would result in him receiving an electrical shock. "It's time," he told Arthur.

With wide uncertain eyes, Arthur lowered Merlin back down to the bed and then both men took a step back just as Merlin's body convulsed one last time and suddenly the force of the magic and the change had him sitting upright, molten gold eyes open and a horrible scream issuing from his mouth. Arthur and Gaius ducked as everything in the room shattered. The glass from the windows flew outward, the wardrobe blew apart, the bed collapsed onto the floor and even the mug next to the bed showered debris across the room as it exploded.

After a heartbeat, Gaius cautiously lifted his head, saw Arthur doing the same, and then looked to the now broken bed. Instead of a pale, ill man laying amongst the sheets, there was now an unconscious jet black wolf curled up in his place. Even as tightly coiled as the wolf was, he could see that it was thin and would have a lanky build that would make him look more like a half-grown pup than an adult were. He was an inky black from the top of his ears to the tip of his tail and his shaggy fur greatly resembled the haphazard ruffled style of Merlin's own hair.

Gaius approached the bed, wanting to check on the new werewolf, but Arthur put a restraining hand on his arm. "Let me make sure he's still out before you get too close," he ordered and Gaius nodded, knowing that a startled were could unintentionally tear him apart. Arthur moved silently closer and then place a hand on the wolf's side, feeling him breathe, before leaning in and scenting the were. He detected only calm and waved Gaius forward to let him know that Merlin would likely not be waking up yet.

Gaius allowed Arthur to stay close by as he examined Merlin, knowing Arthur's reactions would be faster if the wolf were suddenly startled awake. "His breathing and hear rate are normal for a werewolf and everything looks to be in proper order," Gaius announced, stopping himself from reaching out to pet the wolf, he wondered if the boy he knew would still be in there when he woke up. Some wolves never regained human consciousness after the change, they were ferals with only wolf instincts guiding them and were the cause of most of the terrifying stories that were spread about werewolves.

"You shouldn't be here when he wakes up," Arthur said softly and Gaius knew he had been thinking about the same thing. "I don't want you or Gwen around him until we know he's not feral."

"I'll wait downstairs for him to wake up, if that's alright," Gaius agreed. "He should have someone in here with him though. He's going to be lost and confused and probably quite scared when he does come round. Not only because of being a werewolf but because it seems you were right and his magic is now free, that will be just as overwhelming and new to him as his new form."

"I'll stay with him, just keep the others away until we know he has control, " Arthur said and Gaius could only sigh internally, understanding that Arthur was, as usual, assigning himself what he considered the most dangerous task.

"I understand your concerns Arthur," Gaius said softly as he packed up his supplies, "But neither magic nor being a were should change who he is as a person. And I'm telling you that you will not find a more kind-hearted caring person than Merlin. Just remember that's he been through a lot and that he's going to need someone to steady and comfort him now that his whole world has been turned upside down."

Arthur didn't respond, but nodded to show Gaius that he understood, although his eyes never left the midnight wolf. Gaius' last view of them before he backed into the hallway and shut the door was Arthur carefully sitting on the mattress next to the wolf and gingerly petting a hand through the dark fur. He smiled, he had trust to Arthur's compassionate, although well-hidden, heart and as usual the young alpha had not let him down. How different everything would have been if Uther had been half the man his son was.


	5. Chapter 5: There Is No Going Back

Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my query about the direction of this story. I am overwhelmed at the number of responses I received. Honestly, I was hoping for maybe 10 or so from people who felt strongly one way or the other, but I got 66 messages about the story. So thank you all for liking the story enough to be involved in it. The final tally of 46 people for a romance (one of those being texasislandr, whose art inspired the story and who has been my amazing beta and so her vote gets more power ), versus 15 for friendship only, have made me decide to go with the original thought I had about the story for a slow-build (mostly pre-slash) subtle relationship between Arthur and Merlin. I know that that doesn't appeal to some and I can understand that, but for those that were opposed to a romance let me just say that it definitely will not be the focus of the story. I'm not even sure yet how in depth the relationship will be, because in my mind the friendship and banter and trust all came first. So, for the record, there will be hints of Merthur, but I want to show the boys building up to trust in each other and have a friendship with each other before they finally admit that they might feel more. And as I suck at writing romance and smut, those scenes (much later in the story) will be hinted at and then imagined by the reader. Maybe when I finish the story someone else who is better at writing that stuff than me may consider doing short chapters of behind the scenes sections.

Again, thank you to all, and here is Chapter 5. In an effort to get it out to you as fast as possible (since I already missed the weekend) this is not beta'd this week cuz I got too busy with family visitors to get it done on Friday like I planned and then have it proofread before posting. So, if anyone catches any mistakes please let me know. I'm gonna stop rambling now. Really.

**Chapter 5: There Is No Going Back**

He was warm. Also, his whole body ached and he felt completely drained of energy, as if he had been seriously ill and was finally now on the mend. But still, warm and with a lingering sense of comfort that reminded him of caring hands and soft blankets. His mother had always made sure he was warm and comfortable and cared for when he had been sick, it had been so long since he had felt that way. Was he sick? Maybe he had been and Freya had cared for him? But that didn't seem right, there was a tiny ping of doubt echoing around his head, but really he was too warm and tired to focus on it.

He snuggled down further into his comfy mattress and … wait… comfy mattress? He didn't have a soft comfortable mattress, he couldn't afford one after he had bought Freya the best he could for her room. The ping of doubt was growing louder. Still, physical exhaustion was pulling him back down into oblivion and with a sigh that sounded more like a huff he reached up to curl his paws under his chin.

Paws?

Paws!

What the hell?

Forcing his eyes open, Merlin was confused by the way the room around him came into focus. Why did everything look different? Not just the room (although that was definitely different and he was holding off that freak out to focus on his current reason for panic) no, his perception of the space around him was off, as if his entire spatial sense had changed somehow.

As he sucked in a shaky breath he noticed that his vision wasn't the only thing that had changed, what were all those scents? Lumber, some kind of herb, the cotton of the bedding he was on, and something that smelled musky and rich and reminded him of the tangy scent of the ocean coming over the cliffs where he had grown up. What the hell was going on? Any minute now he was going to start hyperventilating, so he reached up to put his head in his hands… and that brought back the paws issue that had started the panic attack to begin with. Why did he have paws?

Lifting his head to take in the rest of his body, Merlin was startled by a movement at his back. Jumping and twisting in alarm, he gracelessly fell to the floor with an undignified yelp.

The naked blond man warily staring down at him from the bed didn't bother trying to cover up his snicker at Merlin's rather clumsy fall. Merlin didn't know what he was more upset about at this point; his unfamiliar location, his unusually furry body, the way he couldn't seem to stop the tremors going through his now furry body, or the fact that an unknown naked man had been lying next to him in bed. His fear spiked and Merlin backed himself into a corner of the room, instinctively growling low in his throat in warning to the stranger. The man slowly backed off the bed, his expression tense as he quickly glanced around the room and then back at Merlin with wide eyes. The uncertain look on the blonde's face gave Merlin a moment's pause and that was when he finally noticed that what he thought was his body trembling was actually everything in the room shaking. He heard himself give a surprised snort that cut off his own warning growl as he took in the state of the room he was in. Nearly everything in the room was shattered; the bed was on the floor, the door was hanging half off, and only pieces of jagged glass remained in the window frames. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the room. He supposed that it was possible that the strange blonde was simply a slob, but somehow, even naked, the man gave off an air of order and control. Not the type to live in filth he would guess. While he was musing over this new mystery he noticed that the tremors in the room had stopped, as had the ones in his own body. He was still so confused and frightened, but if he focused on more mundane concerns then he seemed able to calm himself down slightly.

"Honestly Merlin, you're going to be a pain in the arse, aren't you?" came the posh clipped voice of the golden-haired man.

Merlin flinched at the sound of his name from the male he had never seen before and he could feel his hackles rise as he growled lowly at the arrogant man again.

"Right, so I'm not the best at heartfelt explanations or being patient," the man sighed. "So how about I just give you a quick demonstration and see if you can figure the rest out, ok?" And suddenly before Merlin's eyes the man's form shimmered and shrunk and then there was a huge golden wolf standing in his place.

The golden wolf.

The events of the night before came racing back to him. The golden wolf surrounded by hunters, his interference, the wolf pack showing up to fight the thugs, his own futile struggle, and finally the burning agony that he thought was going to kill him. And now he was hyperventilating. Who knew wolves were even capable of hyperventilating? One of just many things he would now have to learn.

Curled up in his corner, vision graying out and harsh panting breathes filling his ears, Merlin had completely forgotten that he was not alone in the room until a warm muzzle gently pushed against his face. His eyes flew up and met the unusually blue eyes of the golden wolf. He was surprised to note that those eyes were filled with compassion and understanding and it was that steady gaze that allowed him to calm down and control his breathing. Taking a last shuddering breath Merlin slumped against his corner and gave a grateful nod to the golden beast.

Merlin watched as the other were slowly backed away to give him some space before the shimmering transformation happened again and he was left looking at the naked blonde man from before. Well, at least the nakedness made sense now. The blonde cautiously sat on the bed, his eyes never leaving Merlin.

"I expect you have some questions, but obviously it might be a bit difficult to ask them right now. Which, as I recall how much of a talker you were the other night, is probably best for me at the moment"

Merlin snorted derisively.

"You remember who you are and what happened last night?"

Merlin nodded his shaggy head.

"Okay, well that makes things a bit easier." The blonde paused as he tried to decide what information to give Merlin first. "My name is Arthur, and I'm sure you've figured out that I was the wolf you attempted to help last night. Not sure what the hell you were thinking," this last was muttered under his breath and Merlin understood that he wasn't meant to hear it but his new werewolf capabilities were phenomenal. He snorted at the blonde and received an eyeroll in return. "Alright, well you're bad decision making notwithstanding, once we were aware you had been dosed with werewolf venom I had the pack bring you back to our den because we didn't know if you had a safe place to go with people you could trust as you went through the transformation. We did go through your wallet to find out who you were… but we didn't go to your home or talk to anyone," he was quick to add as Merlin's eyes widened and his hackles rose.

Merlin allowed himself to calm back down. Freya was not involved and so was safe for now, although she was probably worried sick about him. He desperately needed to be a part of this conversation, but to do that he needed his human shape back. He whined low in his throat and pointedly looked between his own furry body and Arthur's human form, hoping he was getting his concern across to the other man.

"Ah yes, I expect you want to know how to change forms," the man commented with a chuckle. "It can be a little difficult the first time, because it's hard to explain, but once you understand it you shouldn't have any problems. You need to think about the things that make you feel human, the people you love, the way you feel about your favorite things or places, how you enjoy these experiences as a human. Find those memories inside of you and focus on them, pull them to the surface."

Merlin gave a nod to show he had understood and then sat down in his corner and closed his eyes. What Arthur had told him made a weird sort of sense. To find his human body he needed to focus on what made him feel human. He thought about the warmth of his mother's arms wrapped around him as a child, the smell of his favorite tea in the morning, the sound of Freya's laughter. Suddenly he felt his body ripple from the inside out and then he was squatting naked in a corner staring dumbly at his hands.

Hands! He had hands, not furry paws!

He looked up at Arthur and couldn't stop the hysterical laughter that bubbled out of him.

The blonde raised an eyebrow and said in a posh tone "You're a bit touched in the head, eh mate?"

"Oi," Merlin exclaimed. "I think I'm coping rather well considering the situation. I wonder if you handled it half as well when it was you," he snarked and was surprised to notice that Arthur's shoulders tensed and his eyes dropped from Merlin at the statement. Definitely a story there, but not the time to pry into it he supposed.

An awkward silence fell between them for a few moments before Merlin gave a mental shrug , couldn't really make himself look any more ridiculous than the last few moments he decided. He stood and walked over to Arthur, giving him a cheeky grin as he held out his hand, "Well, I guess a hello is in order. I'm Merlin Emrys, it's been an interesting meeting."

Arthur glanced back and forth between Merlin and the hand in front of him, clearly trying to decide how sane Merlin was, before he finally gave in with a sigh and gave the hand a firm shake while rolling his eyes again. "Arthur. And I stand by my previous statement that you are clearly touched in the head."

Merlin shrugged and stepped back, "After last night, anything is possible. Um, I don't suppose I could have some clothes?" he asked, finally remembering how very naked he was right now.

"Yeah, we took your clothes off last night before you finished the transformation," Arthur stated as he stood and grabbed a pile of clothing at the foot of the bed and handed it to Merlin. He nodded at Merlin's quiet thanks and sat back down on the bed, observing the lanky man cautiously. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Really?" Merlin questioned as he pulled his clothing on. "That's what you're going to go with, 'how are you feeling'?"

"I figured I'd keep it simple so you didn't get overwhelmed having to think through the answer," Arthur snapped.

Merlin blinked at him in surprise. "Are you always this much of a prat, or is it just with me?"

"A prat! I could have left you in the alley you know."

"And I didn't have to go into that alley in the first place when you were surrounded by hunters out for blood," Merlin spat back and then immediately felt bad when he saw Arthur flinch slightly. There was an uncomfortable silence, but before Merlin could figure out how to ease the tension there was a knock on the door.

"Arthur," a familiar voice called out. "I assumed it was safe to come up as I have yet to hear the sounds of battle. May I come in?"

Without waiting for a reply, the broken door was gingerly pushed open and an elderly man poked his head inside.

"Gaius?" Merlin asked incredulously.

"Merlin, my boy," Gaius stated, coming fully into the room. "Oh Merlin, what have you gotten yourself into?" he asked softly as he looked the raven-haired man over closely.

"You know me Gaius, I don't go looking for trouble, it just usually seems to find me anyway. What are you doing here?" Merlin questioned looking between Arthur and Gaius pointedly.

"Like yourself, Arthur is the son of one I once called my friend." All three men were silent for a moment, sadly remembering those that they had lost. "How are you feeling, my boy? Any pain or dizziness?" Gaius asked Merlin, bringing them out of their dark thoughts.

Merlin took a moment to asses himself before answering the physician. "I feel sore, like my body got used as a punching bag and a little disoriented, but otherwise not too bad." Gaius nodded as he felt Merlin's pulse and gave him a visual check up. "My skin feels tingly too, or maybe beneath my skin… it's hard to describe, but I feel like my whole body is trembling, even though I can see that it's not." He noticed that Gaius and Arthur exchanged a quick look at this. "Is that normal?"

"Perhaps," Gaius mused noncommittally, ignoring Arthur's huff behind him. "It can take the body awhile to adjust."

"Catch!" Arthur shouted suddenly, whipping a large chunk of broken pottery at Merlin's head.

Merlin threw his hands up in front of his face instinctively and then watched in amazement as the ceramic exploded into fine dust just in front of him. All three men stared at the falling debris and then Arthur and Gaius turned to Merlin with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Merlin exclaimed.

"I would say it was your magic reacting unconsciously to protect you," Gaius responded drily while glaring at Arthur.

"We needed to know, " Arthur argued, dismissing Gaius' disapproval of his methods.

Merlin was staring at his hands in awe, "My magic? But I've never been able to access my magic."

"It seems that werewolf venom has the ability to release latent magical talent," Gaius explained. "I have seen it happen several times now."

"I can feel it…" Merlin murmured, reveling in the feel of the golden light pulsing beneath his skin.

"You will need to learn how to focus it now that you can access it…" Gaius began and then trailed off as Merlin made a small flaming sphere appear in his palm. "Well, maybe just some practice then."

Merlin watched the flame he had created in wonder and then looked up with a wide smile to see that Gaius was watching the flame thoughtfully. Arthur, however, looked tense and was watching Merlin warily now, suspicion apparent in his eyes. His smile faded and Merlin closed his hand so that the flame winked out. He shuffled awkwardly, inexplicably stung by Arthur's mistrust and uncertain of his reception now that his magic was known.

"Well, it appears learning your magic won't be an issue," Gaius commented. "I would suggest practice to make sure you can control it."

Merlin nodded, but continued to watch Arthur anxiously. When Arthur remained silent and seemed to be avoiding Merlin and Gaius' eyes, Merlin sighed and figured that that was his clue that he was no longer welcome here. "Well, I guess I should get going. Freya is probably freaking out and I really need to let her know that I'm okay."

"Will you tell her what you are now?" Arthur finally broke his silence.

"Yes, of course," Merlin responded, surprised by the question.

"It could put her in danger."

Merlin ran a hand through his dark hair, "I'm guessing she's going to be in danger either way now. I'd rather she at least know what the danger is rather than leave her unprepared."

"How do you think she'll take it?" Gaius asked in concern.

"Umm, we know another wolf, so she's at least somewhat familiar with them. I'm guessing she'll be upset, but she knows it's not the end of the world for me. We'll handle it."

"You know another wolf?" Gaius repeated. "From the support group you help out with?" he asked, knowing this was most likely the wolf Arthur had smelled on Merlin and understanding that the alpha would want to know if Merlin already knew anyone that could be a danger to the pack.

"No…" Merlin hesitated. "Umm, an old friend of mine actually. He's the reason I got involved in the support group to begin with. I wanted to try to help him and understand what he was going through."

"Is he part of a pack?" Arthur demanded.

"No," Merlin frowned at Arthur's tone. "He's kinda still in the closet, so to speak. No one else knows that he's a were and he refuses to socialize with anyone who might figure it out." He huffed out an amused sigh, "Guess he'll have me now, at least." He sagged weakly against the nearest wall as the reality of his new situation really hit him.

"It'll be all right my boy," Gaius comforted him, leading Merlin to sit on the bed. "You won't be alone and I'll help in any way I can."

Merlin gave Gaius a weak nod and sighed deeply, his whole life was going to change now and he had no idea what he was going to do. "I really need to get back to Freya" he muttered, "before she calls the police to look for me. If I have to make an official report about what happened I'll end up on the registration list which even I know is a bad thing. Also, I imagine you don't want your pack involved with the authorities at all," he said looking up to meet Arthur's eyes.

Arthur nodded at him gratefully. "I would definitely appreciate it if you kept us out of anything to do with the cops. I wish I could tell you to report the attack so that they can catch the hunters who did this to you, but I've dealt with the system before. If they put any effort into tracking down the hunters at all, Aredian will simply tell them that you were helping some werewolf ambush his men and that you must be part of our pack. It'll be our word versus his and no one believes us." Arthur sighed in resignation and Merlin could see the regret in his eyes when he looked up. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry that this happened. I.. I should have been able… I wish I had gotten to you sooner, before they injected you," he said brokenly, the guilt evident in his voice.

"It wasn't your fault, Arthur," Merlin objected. "You couldn't have known that they were carrying werewolf venom, it doesn't make any sense for them to have it," he paused at that, confused as that realization hit him. "Why did they have it? Why would they be caring werewolf venom if they hate wolves?"

Gaius cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Aredian is more than just a hunter, trying to wipe out werewolves. He is also a bounty hunter, he makes quite a bit of money tracking down weres and turning in their heads to the right people. My guess would be that if he can't find any wolves to kill on a hunt, he simply creates one and then kills it while it is still too weak to defend itself."

"You mean he grabs people off the street and turns them into werewolves so that he can kill them right away and earn his bounty?" Merlin exclaimed incredulously.

"I fear so," Gaius responded sadly.

Merlin's eyes widened and he heard Arthur snort in disgust. He had known that weres and magicals were discriminated against, but he hadn't known just how corrupt the system was. He would be learning it now he supposed. And he would have to learn it fast if he wanted to keep himself and Freya safe. Freya. It was time to go, he needed to see his sister and figure out how they were going to deal with all of this.

He stood up decisively and looked at the two men who had helped him. "Thank you," he said sincerely to both of them. "For taking care of me, I really appreciate all of your help. But I need to get back to Freya, now."

Gaius and Arthur had a silent exchange and then Arthur nodded and slipped out the door. "Come on, my boy," Gaius said, leading Merlin out of the room. "I can drive you back into the city and take you to Freya."


	6. Chapter 6 Trust Issues

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so so sorry! I aplogize to everyone that was reading the story at the length of time since I updated. I know it's been a year and I can hardly believe that I let it go so long. The only excuse I can give it that while I love writing my kids and family come first and always will, so writing is squeezed into the extra spaces. That said, it is still entirely my fault that I didn't take the extra time and work on this harder. I am not abandoning this story and I promise to work harder to update much more often. I had most of this chapter done months and moths ago and then my husband deleted all of our Word programs from our computer while cleaning it up and I almost lost all my stories. It is now fixed and while I don't care for the new program we're using I have figured it out and was able to finish this chapter. I wanted to add the confrontation with Freya into this chapter, but I am struggling with it a bit and I don't want to wait any longer in case I let it go forever again. So here is the shortened chapter and it will serve as my motivation to get the next chapterdone and up. So so so sorry!_

**Chapter 6 Trust Issues**

For the second time, in what he assumed was the same day, Merlin woke from unconsciousness confused and a little lost. He figured it was the same day because a quick glance around told him he was wearing the same clothes as earlier and he was sitting in a car with Gaius, who was calmly focused on driving. As his head snapped up and he scanned his surroundings, he noticed that they were already back in the city and near to his apartment.

"Ah, Merlin, you're awake," came the dry comment from Gaius.

"What the hell?"

"Ah, yes, I apologize on Arthur's behalf, he has some trust issues," Gaius stated, as if that explained everything.

"Trust issues!" Merlin shouted.

He remembered now, heading downstairs after the revelations of his new life and being introduced to Arthur's pack. A friendly looking girl with amazing curls had introduced herself as Gwen and had worriedly asked him if he was alright, how he was feeling and if there was anything she could get for him. Merlin could tell that her concern was sincere and so he had smiled at her and assured her that he was fine. He had been introduced to the rest of the pack after that; an amazingly attractive man who came up and said his name was Lance and after shaking Merlin's hand had wrapped his arms around Gwen and Merlin thought the adoring look they had given each other was incredibly sweet. There was the bubbly blonde Elena who had practically skipped over to him, huge but soft-spoken Percy, rakish Gwaine who had started flirting with him immediately and was obviously not concerned whether Merlin was gay or not because he seemed to think that he would be anyone's type (Merlin privately agreed), the cautiously reserved Leon and pretty Mithian whom he seemed rather protective of and finally a smiling Elyan, who Merlin thought looked as young as himself and seemed to be quite the pup of the pack as the others teased him as only older siblings could. They had all been cautious yet friendly and he had received several comments about his bravery in coming to Arthur's defense last night, which he brushed off gently, feeling uncomfortable with the praise. He really did believe that he had only done what any decent person should.

"Will you be staying?" Gwen had asked, her eyes darting between Merlin and Arthur who still stood behind him.

"No, I'm sorry, I have to get back to my sister," Merlin had replied, truly feeling regretful about having to leave. He instinctually felt that this was a good group of people and could possibly be an amazing pack to be a part of, but he had to check on his sister and friend before deciding on anything else.

"Of course, your poor sister must be worried sick," Gwen exclaimed and she had squeezed Merlin's hand comfortingly.

Merlin had said his good-byes and followed Gaius out onto a deep porch surrounded by towering trees and then all he remembered was a sharp pain and a flare of magic before he fell into darkness.

"Trust issues," Merlin repeated incredulously. "So, Arthur somehow knocked me out, " he began slowly, the pieces coming together in his head, "he knocked me out from behind as I was leaving his house because he has trust issues?" He didn't think he did a very good job at hiding his outrage, especially because his hands began to glow as his magic pushed to the surface.

"Merlin please calm down and try to understand," Gaius said calmly. "Arthur is the pack alpha, his job is to protect the pack and he takes that responsibility very seriously. He took a big risk bringing you back to the den last night, not knowing anything about you other than that you had tried to help him and now needed help yourself. Though he tries to hide it, Arthur has a very caring heart, as evidenced by the fact that he took care of you without knowing if you would put his pack in danger."

Merlin thought about that and he supposed that while he knew he was no threat to anyone he understood that Arthur didn't know that. He took a few deep breathes to control his magic and turned back to Gaius. "Ok, I can understand that, I suppose, but knocking me out? Did I seem like I was on the verge of going nuts and hurting the pack to you?"

"Of course not Merlin," Gaius sighed. "The location of his pack's den is a secret and for the protection of the pack needs to be kept that way. Arthur did not mean you any harm, he simply needed you to be unable to lead anyone else back to their safe haven. His methods may seem a bit extreme, but…. " Gaius paused as if debating whether he should reveal more. Finally he sighed and continued," Arthur's pack has made some very dangerous enemies. They stand against both hunters who want to wipe out all weres and other werepacks who believe that they are superior to humans and so should dominate them. Arthur is not the type to sit by and do nothing while others are hurt or persecuted unjustly and his pack stands with him, unfortunately this has made them a target for some very ruthless groups."

Merlin nodded his understanding reluctantly. "He couldn't have just asked me to keep the location secret?" he asked, although he had a feeling he knew the answer.

"Despite my assurances that while a bit reckless you were also a foolishly noble man, Arthur had no real reason to trust you with a secret that could put his pack in danger," Gaius stated drily.

Merlin huffed out a chuckle at Gaius' description of him. While still irritated by Arthur's sneak attack, he could understand the alpha's need to protect those he cared about. There was very little that Merlin wouldn't do to keep Freya safe and he knew that included silencing someone who could give away her location if she were in hiding. He supposed he couldn't really be angry at Arthur for being overly protective of his pack, even if he disagreed with the blonde's methods when they were used against him.

"He doesn't like magic much does he?" Merlin asked, remembering Arthur's cool reception of him once his powers manifested.

Gaius was silent for a long moment and Merlin noticed that his eyebrows were furrowed together, in thoughtfulness or apprehension Merlin didn't know.

The tense silence continued a moment longer before Merlin couldn't take it anymore. "I mean I suppose it's not really my business since I probably won't see him again," he trailed off uncertainly. He felt a strange pang of remorse at the thought of not seeing Arthur and his pack again. He could admit (only to himself) that he was intrigued by the alpha and he had truly enjoyed the pack members and thought he could easily be friends with such a group.

There was another long pause before Gaius finally sighed softly. "Arthur is apprehensive about magic and not without reason. It is not my history to tell Merlin, but I think it will help you understand him a bit better so I'll give you a brief overview. Arthur was raised by a father who despised and mistrusted magic, and that is putting it mildly. He taught Arthur that magic and those who are different are inherently evil and will always use their abilities to harm others. It took many years and some very unfortunate circumstances for Arthur to see his father's prejudice for what it was."

"I suppose it's hard for him to go against family and how he was raised," Merlin mused softly, trying to imagine turning against everything his mother had raised him to be. Of course, Hunith had been a kind woman who had always taught Merlin that hating others only kept the cycle spinning. Still, he could appreciate that it would be hard to turn against family.

"If it was only that," Gaius continued, "it might be easier for him to accept magic. However, Arthur has been betrayed several times by those closest to him… and magic was at the root of those betrayals."

Merlin blinked, wide-eyed, at Gaius's statement. No wonder Arthur had trust issues.

"If it makes you feel any better, your magic came to your defense as soon as it sensed Arthur's intentions. Just as he bit down to subdue you, your magic flared and threw him against the house. Of course the bite was already administered so you still collapsed, but Arthur didn't fare much better."

Merlin's jaw dropped open. "My magic threw Arthur against the house?" he repeated incredulously.

Gaius nodded, "Brought the whole pack out onto the porch. They were surprised to learn about your magic and most of them are wary of it because of what they've been through, but they have learned to judge people on an individual basis and they understand how detrimental holding on to prejudices can be. They have dealt with the consequences of it themselves. Percy helped load you into the car and when I pulled away Gwen was berating Arthur quite severely for subduing you and telling him that he had gotten what he deserved for using such a sneak attack."

Merlin thought about Gaius' story for a moment and then grinned, "It does actually make me feel better."

Gaius gave a soft chuckle before his demeanor shifted back to serious. "Merlin, I am sorry you have been dragged into this life, my boy. It is dangerous and the sooner you learn to control your magic the better chance you have to protect yourself." Gaius paused and eyed Merlin thoughtfully. "I cannot tell you how to live your life Merlin, not only is it not my place, but I've made too many mistakes of my own to try to tell anyone else what is best. I will merely suggest that you consider joining a pack. If you find a pack that you can trust and get on with, they will become your family and be by your side if should need anything."

"You're trying to subtly suggest I join Arthur's pack aren't you?" Merlin asked shrewdly.

"Your lack of support and your naiveté combined with what appears to be very strong magic will make you a target for both hunters who consider you a threat and others who will want to use you for your abilities. Arthur, for all his wariness of magic, is a noble man who wants there to be equality between humans, weres and magicals. He doesn't trust easily, but he will ferociously fight for what he feels is right and defend those who are weaker than himself. He would never push you to misuse your powers to hurt anyone, unlike some others that I know of." Gaius gave Merlin a sad smile, "They are a good pack Merlin, and worthy of your trust, or I would not give them my aid and trust. I fear you will need good friends on your side as your new life in the were community begins."

Merlin held Gaius' eyes for long moment and then nodded to show that he would give it some thought. The final few minutes of the drive were made in silence and then Gaius was pulling up in front of Merlin's apartment.

"Thank you Gaius," Merlin said as he placed a hand on the door handle, "for coming to check on me and for being there for the... well, after... I doubt I would have handled the whole thing as well if you hadn't been there. I'm glad it was you that the pack had on call."

"I am as well my boy," Gaius answered. "I'm sorry that this has happened to you Merlin, but I believe that you did the right thing in trying to help Arthur and for what it's worth, I'm proud of you... and I believe your parents would be too," he finished hesitantly, unsure of Merlin's reaction.

Merlin's eyes grew sad at the mention of his much-missed family, but he smiled at Gaius to show he appreciated the thought and turned to open the car door and step out onto the sidewalk.

"I meant what I said Merlin," Gaius called out before he could shut the door. "Be careful and think about finding a pack for protection."

"I will, thank you Gaius."


End file.
