Damian cheered triumphantly in his mind as he shook Mr. Montgomery's hand, finalizing the contract. Finally, the monster hunter landed on a job with a decent enough pay, and he's lucky enough to talk to the client before his rival, Mortimer, can get to him. The job itself is quite simple, requiring Damian to investigate the nearby forest based on the reported sightings of a beast roaming close to the outskirts.
Damian chuckled at that. Well, these jobs sure are easy money considering his nature. He wouldn't say that he's ripping his clients off, but more on the lines of providing a diplomatic approach that leads to no casualties. Besides, the monster hunter needed the money to buy the necessary ingredients for the potions to hide his true identity.
He wished that he could be free, walking around in public in his wolf form but alas. The moment Damian showed up as a towering werewolf, the entire city would descend into chaos and soon enough, he would be on the run. Sure, he got regenerative abilities, but being shot and stabbed by sharp objects are still painful and he'd rather not go through that.
However, not all magical creatures are as lucky. Some can't disguise themselves as humans, and even worse, not capable of using magic to sustain themselves. That's why Damian decided to be human infiltrating the cities acting like a monster hunter, to help as many as he can. However, the competition is steep, and it saddens Damian to see the other monster hunters killing their targets.
Of course, with the enhanced stamina, Damian had culled most of his competitors with his personal records. After all, why would these civilians be using other monster hunters' services when Damian asks for a significantly lower fee and returns with exceptional results in a very short time frame? Sure, it is cheating with his abilities, but it's all worth it to see those smiles on the magical creatures he saved. Besides, at the end of the day, he chased off most of his monster hunter colleagues, forcing them to change their jobs as they are incapable of keeping up with Damian's performance.
It was all going well until Mortimer came around. A fine, kind man, but unfortunately, a competitor in the job market that just won't quit. The past few months had been awful, with Damian losing half of his clients because Mortimer seems to be everywhere as well. However, his smile is replaced with a frown the moment he saw his rival walking towards Mr. Montgomery's house.
.........................
"Ugh, not again, Mortimer. You just won't quit, do you? The job's mine this time, you're late," Damian remarked.
He said that, but he's not entirely sincere. Sure, Damian thinks he's an annoying barricade keeping him from his goals, but he enjoys Mortimer's company... and his scent. It's a peculiar one, although the werewolf is a bit annoyed that Mortimer is one of those beings that don't show their emotions easily. Damian had met similar humans before, and it made quite a hassle convincing these clients with the evidence he conjured to prove his work.
Mortimer smiled wanly, "Seems so. You're early today, Damian. Although, the job listing did say that Mr. Montgomery accepts more than one monster hunter for safety reasons, you know?"
"Pah, go get yourself a holiday or something. The job's mine, and it will be over before you know it," Damian smirked.
Mortimer chuckled, but his eyes said otherwise. "I think you should be the one doing that, Damian. I'll give you a head start today, you'll need it. I will win, though, don't worry."
Damian guffawed, "Sure, sure. I'll make sure to pass this job with flying colors even before you enter the forest!" He started walking away as he waved, "But just in case, do be careful. I do not want to see your mangled body in the woods while dealing with this beast."
Mortimer stared at the monster hunter's back, shaking his head with a genuine smile. "Same to you," he muttered as he entered the house.
...........................
"You sure about this, bud?" Gus asked.
Damian nodded to the werewolf with grey fur. "Positive, Gus. The moment I checked the area, I can smell the chimera lurking around the forest. I don't think it will be difficult either. You guys ready on your end? Prepare for another addition to the settlement."
It is a peculiar sight to see a human and a werewolf talking about in broad daylight, but Damian and Gus had made sure that this location is not accessible unless given permission by the magical creatures approved by either Gus or Damian. The two would have a briefing of sorts in Gus' house right after Damian accepted the job, and the werewolves would discuss about the preparations needed to welcome the magical creature in question.
The two have been best friends since childhood, with Gus being more talented in magic. From the lessons taught by his parents and some experimentation, Gus was able to create a massive space surrounded with nature. During their high school years, Gus showed his best friend and his parents about this newest creation of his, and all of them agreed on repurposing the area as shelter for magical creatures with Damian establishing a name for it, Wolfshood.
There was a bit of a debate between their parents on Damian's decision to stay in the human world, but they came to an agreement. Gus, his parents, and Damian's parents immediately moved to Wolfshood, and the five would use their magic to slowly construct the town. As the best friends said their farewells for the time being, Gus gave Damian a glowing white sphere imbued with his magic, allowing Damian to summon a portal to Wolfshood if needed.
Gus whimpered, "Make sure to stay safe, all right? I know we won't die easily, but still..."
Damian laughed, "Relax, buddy. I still got it! I will be here in a heartbeat with the chimera, no worries. Be back in a bit!" He entered the portal before Gus was able to say anything more.
The grey werewolf sighed, "I'm not worried about that, you dingus. I was hoping that you would get a break sometime, considering how you've been at it almost 24 hours a day now, especially since..."
Gus sighed. Well, nothing he can do for now. He will make sure to have a talk with Damian once this job is over. For now, time for his daily strolls to check up on everything, just in case.
..................
It is night time. Damian cursed, this job is taking way longer than expected. He had been sniffing around for clues and finding tracks in the forest for quite some time, but the chimera seems to be quite adventurous. "Let's just hope I'm not too late, the townsfolk shouldn't be planning for a hunt, but still..." Damian muttered.
The werewolf is relieved at least. With his night vision, he can see clearly through the woods, so he has no need to bring supplies with him other than some beef jerky for snacks. Seems like he's only halfway through, so if he's lucky, he wouldn't need to make another trip back to stock up either.
Suddenly, he blinked as he saw the chimera approaching the nearby lake, the moonlight shining around the area. Damian cheered inwardly on the discovery, and he started walking towards the magical creature until he heard...
SNAP!
Someone stepped on a wooden branch. He's not alone here, and the chimera noticed as well. The chimera started growling at the direction the noise came from, and he heard a familiar voice.
"Relax, pal, I'm not here to harm you. Now, calm down, and hear me out," he said.
Damian froze, 'How the fuck is he here!?' While the werewolf is thinking on the best action to take, the conversation continues between the two.
The chimera stuttered, "I-I didn't mean a-any harm! I just... needed to find some food, and I was just walking around until I see some humans staring at me. You're here to hunt me d-down, aren't you!?"
Mortimer raised his hands, "Relax. Look, I know you don't sense any weapons with me. I just want to talk."
'Huh, so he's not killing them either?' Damian smiled. At least his competitor is not adding to the body count, so that's good enough. Now, the question is, should he seize the moment? He wanted to, but his instincts are telling him to stay for now.
"I-I don't trust you! N-no humans would be this kind when they see a monster like me! You're lying!" The chimera started stepping back towards the lake, his serpent tail hissing and snapping at Mortimer.
"Fine," Mortimer muttered, before suddenly groaning and crawling on all fours. Damian's mouth is wide open at the sight. 'He's... he's... the same...' Damian smirked, "Well, in that case... NGHHH..." The monster hunter decided to transform as well, knowing that both the chimera and the turning Mortimer is too distracted over his shift to notice the sound of breaking bones coming from his changing body.
Mortimer started to grunt even more as he felt his muscles bulging and his bones cracking and reshaping, red fur started covering his entire body. He started drooling profusely as he felt his nails becoming claws, his ears getting longer, and a snout forming on his face. As a tail juts out, signing the final steps of his transformation, he instinctively points his maw towards the sky and howled at the moon.
The chimera was stunned over the sight. "O-oh... I thought... Thank goodness..."
Mortimer chuckled, and offered his paw. "Well, glad we came to an understanding. So, what's your name?"
The chimera smiled as he shook the werewolf's paw, "A-Albert, p-pleasure to meet you." He chuckled as he saw the werewolf pet his tail as well, the snake slithering happily now.
"Weeeeelllll, what a surpriiiise, ehhhhh, Morty?"
...........................................................
Albert jumped, and Mortimer yelped as they saw another towering werewolf with white fur approached them with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking.
"D-D-D-D-Damian!?" Mortimer stuttered.
Damian guffawed, "The one and only. Well, I didn't expect this. You sure are one fine wolf, Morty. Ah, right." He faced the chimera, "Pleasure to meet you too, Albert. Same profession as that mutt over there, and similar approaches too. You're safe."
"B-b-but... How!? I-I didn't... sense the wolf... in you?" The red wolf blurted out.
"Got a friend that specializes in masking my scent. Also, you're not doing a bad job hiding yours either. Although... let's just say, I like being able to sniff your emotions like this, it's a nice change," Damian snickered.
Mortimer blushed, his tail started wagging. "Well, I got a family heirloom that helps me with that... W-well, in any case, what are you going to do with Albert?"
'Damn, he's cute like this.' Damian tried his best to keep his tail from showing his emotions, "Well, I'm planning to introduce you to a settlement, Albert."
"W-what do you mean?" Albert cocked his head as he asked.
"A safe space where you won't be found by humans, and you're not the only one living there either. You're going to go poof, and my client will think that I "eradicated" the problem. Simple, right?" The white wolf smiled.
"Wait, hold on." Mortimer raised his paw, "I didn't know you are doing the same thing. Just to clarify, what is the name of this settlement?"
Damian blinked at this, "Wait, same thing? So you're doing this as well?"
Mortimer sighed, "Sure. I mean, why else did I go all-out with the cases before you get them? I'm here to save them, not assassinate them, as ironic as it is with our job titles."
"Fuck. Damn it, if I knew, I would have worked together with you, and we could have covered more ground that way! Shit," Damian remarked as he slapped his right paw on his forehead.
'Wait, uh... Did I say too much?' Damian blushed, his tail starting thumping vigorously on the ground, "W-well, in any case, uh... Yeah, I'm planning to bring Albert after we have an agreement, and I'm glad you did the talking for me beforehand, so..."
Suddenly, the two yelped as they heard the chimera laughing. "Well, this sure is an interesting sight. I thought I would be hunted, but I see two lovebirds instead trying to keep me safe! How romantic." Albert kept chuckling as he wiped his tears.
The two werewolves blushed even more, their tails are going crazy now. "I-in any case... W-what do you say, Albert?"
The chimera nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "Sure, sure, lead the way. Sure is an interesting way to gain my attention, but it works."
Damian grabbed the white orb in his coat pocket. As he did so, he heard a gasp. "Wait, you too!?" Mortimer exclaimed as he showed a similar orb.
"Wait, what? The place you mentioned, is it... You know what? Let's say it at the same time, on the count of 3. One... two... three..." Damian asked.
"Wolfshood."
"Wolfshood."
Both Damian and Mortimer are stunned at the answer. Regardless, it's safer to talk there rather than in the middle of the forest, so the two nodded for now and opened the portal allowing the three to pass through. Gus might just have the answer to this.
...................
Albert's eyes bulged at the sight before him. A prospering village with all kinds of magical creatures all around. Dragons flying all over as they are fixing or creating new buildings and minotaurs carrying the construction materials. Smiles can be seen on everyone walking around the town, talking and laughing with each other. As he observed the view even more, the chimera noticed that peculiar aroma wafting from the restaurants and taverns, his stomach growling with drool drooping from his maw.
Gus chuckled over the sound as he approached the two two familiar werewolves and the chimera. "Well, nice to meet you there, chimera, and it's funny seeing you two here together. Damian, let's talk in my house after I give a tour to this new guy."
Albert smiled brightly, and shook the two werewolves' paws. "Thank you so much for rescuing me, Mortimer, Damian. This is a nice place you got here, really! Let's talk a bit more later, OK? I think you two will need some alone time," the chimera winked, and his tail seems to be giving them a similar treatment as well.
Damian smiled back, "You deserved it, Albert. Get some food at Gus' parents' place, they make some godly stew!"
The two waved at Gus and Albert, and an awkward silence lingered between them.
Damian scratched the back of his head, "S-so... uh... What should we do?"
Mortimer stuttered, "W-well... uh... let's grab some snacks and go to Gus' place?"
The pair agreed and they gathered some food and drinks before entering Gus' house, not knowing what to say to each other. The two simply savored their food, and waited until Gus showed up right after.
"Sooooo, Gus, care to explain?" Damian growled.
"W-what?" Gus instinctively moved backwards, hitting the wall.
"You didn't mention anything about Damian back then, Gus..." Mortimer stated as he glared dangerously at the grey werewolf.
Gus whimpered, "W-well, it's not my fault the two of you are peas in a pod! You never gave me any time to explain much. Hell, at least Damian gave me some briefings, but you never bothered visiting, Mortimer! Your visits were even shorter, only dropping off the magical creatures with him and be done with it."
Both Damian and Mortimer looked down at the floor. Were they really that invested at their jobs?
Gus sighed, "Anyway, I saw Mortimer during one of his forest runs. I like to venture out in the real world too, you know." He grew nervous at this. "D-don't be mad, Damian, but uh... he saw me opening the portal on my way back, and he tagged along before I knew it. Although, it turns out that he shares the same goal as us, so I gave him an idea of what we did."
"This guy is way too competitive though, he immediately agreed the moment I told him about us bringing magical creatures. The moment I gave him that orb, he's off in a heartbeat," he continued.
Damian countered, "W-well, why didn't you tell me? Damn it, Gus, I'm here, didn't I?"
Gus rolled his eyes at this, "Really, buddy? Your "briefings" were mostly just you talking about your client and your target, you talking about Mortimer, me trying to ask you to calm down a bit with your job at the end, and you leaving right afterwards."
Mortimer's brow furrowed at this, and Damian blushed. Gus sighed even more, "Oh, for goodness sake, can you two just open up? The scents are going crazy in here. I gave you everything I know, so now it's your turns. Damian, we'll talk more about your future briefings, but for now, I'm going to check on Albert, all right?"
Before the two can get a word, Gus left his house, smirking. "That should be enough of a push..."
............................
It's not enough of a push. The two werewolves were in a daze, sitting at the same spot, frozen over the information overload. From the outside, one will see two individuals savoring their drinks while enjoying the peaceful moment, but it's a chaotic mess in their heads.
'Why the fuck did Gus say about all those times I've been talking about Mortimer?'
'Damn it, why is it so difficult to say something now? Even talking to crazy clients is so much easier than this!'
'Can't he say something for once? What is he doing anyway?'
Damian was busy staring at his recently-devoured bento box, with only the bones of the fried fish he had remaining inside. Deciding to see what his crush is doing, he slowly gazed upwards and saw the red werewolf having a similar situation, it seems. Mortimer's yellow eyes are darting all over the house, not looking at the white wolf sitting in front of him. Aaaahh, those beautiful eyes, it's so funny when he thinks about it, seeing the usually composed rival suddenly letting loose with his emotions now as a wolf. Damian almost forgot about the panic on the current situation, until Mortimer stared right into his eyes. Both of them gasped, and immediately went back to the previous object they were staring at.
'Fuck, this is awkward as hell...'
'I can't take it anymore...'
'Wait, is he... sniffing?'
As soon as he realized that, Damian did the same, and he was really glad he did that. He can sense a bunch of emotions swirling in Mortimer's head - turmoil, embarrassment, panic, and... happiness? 'Hmmmm, since he's sniffing me out now, he should... Fuck it.' Damian cannot stand the silence anymore and he slammed the dining table. A bit too hard, it seems, causing Mortimer to yelp and damaging the table. 'Shit, I'll make it up to Gus later...'
"D-Damian? Why the sudden...?" Mortimer whimpered, surprised at the sudden action.
"Cut the crap, Mortimer. You heard what Gus said, and I think both of us came to the same conclusion with our noses, so..." Damian stood up, and walked towards the shocked red werewolf.
Mortimer stuttered, "W-w-w-w-w-wait, wh-what are you...?"
Mortimer's maw is wide open as the white werewolf embraced him, his eyes bulging at the sight. Damian chuckled awkwardly, "I-I'm no good with words, Morty, s-so... Accept my feelings," and kissed Mortimer right after.
The pair remained in that position for a while, expressing their hidden feelings on each other. Slowly, they hugged each other as the kiss continued, and their tails started thumping vigorously on the carpeted floor. At the end of their kiss, both of them smiled brightly at each other, giggling.
"So... seems like the best monster hunter in town has a crush on his newest competitor, I see?" Mortimer smirked.
Damian laughed, giving Mortimer a noogie on the head. "Oh, shut up, you. I would have done something a bit sooner without that stupid amulet of yours blocking out your emotions, idiot."
Mortimer laughed as well, "H-hey, knock it off! Just like you, I had to make sure that the humans won't notice! Besides, I was not able to figure out your identity, either. I admit that you smell quite nice, though..." The wolf blinked at what he just said, and his face became as red as a tomato even with his fur color. "I... uh... You didn't hear that."
"Oh? Seems like I'm not the only one checking the competition, I see..." Damian smirked. "Well, I had to admit, I was a bit irritated seeing you finding Albert a bit sooner, but I'll say, it's worth the wait to see you wolf out like that, heheh."
The red wolf booped the white wolf's snout, "B-be quiet! You really surprised me with your entrance, you know." Both Damian and Mortimer chuckled as they remembered their past antics. What a lucky coincidence it was for the two to figure each other out.
"So, you already knew my side because of Gus spilling everything. Mark my words, I will make him pay for this. How about you? When did you start having feelings on me?" Damian questioned, as he pets Mortimer's head with his paw.
Mortimer purred a bit at that, and answered with a blush, "The first time I saw you, actually. Damian, you were very nice to me when I first started this job, you know? Well, it might be part of what you did to hide yourself, but I had a hunch based from your body language. You were the only monster hunter there who worried for my safety, and suggested a job that turned out to be an easy one, helping the manticore couple with their lost kid. Hell, the two practically begged the human in front of them, and immediately agreed to my invitation to Wolfshood. The others? They were busy jeering at me for mucking up the competition, and they never even looked at me while I was still trying to get the hang of it. Sure, it's not exactly a group effort, but still..."
Mortimer chuckled as he continued, "Of course, afterwards, with my goal in mind, you became annoyed with this new guy suddenly rising up in ranks, and our conversations became a bit... heated, although I also notice you telling me to stay safe as you departed to your target. It's actually kinda... er... cute to see? I just can't help but tease you ever since, heh."
Damian blushed over his hot-and-cold behavior in the past, started to scratch his cheek with one of his claws in response. "W-well, uh... I still feel like I'm dreaming to see you like this too, Mort. I mean... It's nice seeing you going all-out with your emotions, you know? It's quite nice to see that underneath that shell lies an adorable wolf that gets flustered as I tease him," he snickered.
"S-so, what now? What should we do with our jobs now, l-love? As much as I don't want to admit, we were going crazy with these jobs. Sure, we don't exactly feel exhausted because of our capabilities, but still..." Mortimer asked, petting Damian now.
'Awwww, he called me "love" now? How precious.' Damian smiled at his new boyfriend, "Well, b-babe, I've been thinking with what Gus said, actually. D-do you want to t-team up? With the two of us, we can find information and find our targets way faster, and well... Seeing two werewolves would surely convince the other magical creatures to join our cause, would they?"
Mortimer smiled brightly at this, showing his fangs in the process. 'Well,that sure is a smile I won't forget,' Damian thought. "You know? That's actually a good idea. If we're feeling competitive too, we can split up the jobs too. I mean, you sure did eliminate most of the other humans from the job, so we're not exactly in a very dire situation as before regarding the safety of these creatures too. I'm fine with it if you are, Dame." Mortimer nodded.
"Well, for now, let's talk it out with the others first, hmmm? We can discuss the details more there, and... Well, wanna walk around town properly this time? Without feeling confused on what to say to each other, Mort?" Damian offered his paw.
Mortimer smiled as he accepted the offered paw with his, "Lead the way, love."
.....................................
Words have spread throughout the continent about the famous monster hunters, Damian and Mortimer. The former rivals are now working together accepting offers from potential clients, providing exceptional services in the end. The pair would debunk the monster claims, and provide evidence that proves their theories in two days. Monster sightings still happen frequently over time, but so far, the other magical creatures are doing just fine at keeping their distances, preventing any pictures indicating their presences. Paranoia among the civilians is mostly gone as well due to the two hunters, and more and more monster hunters decided to step out of the profession due to their efficiency.
However, the humans never knew that there exists a bustling city with the magical creatures involved in their cases. Gus had accomplished even more with his magical capabilities, expanding the space even more to provide shelter to everyone in it. Smiles can be seen everywhere with all kinds of creatures helping each other out with their duties, as well as enjoying the variety of dishes served in the restaurants and taverns. In fact, with the amount of citizens living in Wolfshood, Gus and Albert had started planning out events for all the citizens, and the two are currently busy organizing the new venue right next to the city hall for the incoming Halloween festivities.
Damian and Mortimer are currently enjoying their breaks from helping out the grey werewolf and the chimera, laying down on the grassland located outside of the city. Holding each other's paw, the couple is enjoying the Fall breeze, talking about the potential jobs and other mundane stuff.
"You know, babe, I can't believe it, you know? To think, that random talk I had with Gus back then is now... this city in front of us." Damian chuckled.
Mortimer nodded, "I know, love. It really helps that everyone we helped immediately agreed to use their magic to help out with our cause. Hell, we don't even need to think about food shortage because of the dragons' magic on Gus' space. Everything just falls into place, doesn't it?"
"And to top it off, I have you now with me, my wolf," Damian turned over, looking at the red werewolf laying beside him.
"Same here, babe. I love you so much, Damian." Mortimer smiled, and placed his head on Damian's.
"I love you too, Mortimer. Cheers to our future adventures rescuing even more magical creatures?" Damian giggled.
"Can't wait to experience them with you next to me, love." Mortimer laughed as well.
The visions shared between Gus, Mortimer, Damian, with their parents, have succeeded, with even more additions coming along in the near future. However, little did they know, a further development will soon happen with the humans. In a couple of years from now, the presence of other magical creatures will be recognized, and humans and magical creatures helping each other out won't be a bizarre sight.
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