Wolf Boy, Levi x reader ♡ (Attack On Werewolves)

18. Hanji and the wolves

Hanji POV:

The candlelight flickered on my desk and discarded looking papers were still sprawled everywhere. I couldn't bring myself to sleep, couldnt stop thinking about the fact we really had werewolves in the survey corps. How bizarre of a species they were too, humans that could shift, like that female titan on our case at that time. Except they were wolves. Which also got me thinking of how helpful for us it could be if those lycans could somehow shift into large werewolf titans. I closed my eyes trying to imagine the beasts tearing across the battlefield, a beautiful, cruel and deadly new species that would effectively help us defeat them. I shivered at the excitement of it becoming true, wanting to cry out like the mad woman I am. I reluctantly abandoned the thought. Impossible. We hadn't even found the cause for this power yet. Though, I still believed the two wolflings could be of great use to us. Those two could do great things here I was sure of it...

I tore back the sheets, causing some of the papers to flutter like startled animals and float to the floor. A circle of drool was visible on the pillow and I embarrasedly wiped my mouth, feeling stupid to be embarrassed as there was no one to see it. Embarrased with myself then. The wind was also blowing in from that window I forgot to close, causing more papers to scatter. Yikes, I thought, hurriedly shutting it. Some organised person I was. I'd sort them out later.

My brown, almost red like hair was matted and puffed messily in places from all my habitual tossing and turning in my sleep. Thankfully there was still a hairband on my wrist, biting into my skin from its tightness and probably already leaving a red mark. The corporal seemed so unfocused on the case of the female titan for the past few days. He seems to forget about the upcoming 57th expedition. Seems a bit grumpy sometimes. Always by the side of that girl, my friend (Y/N). He must love her very much then. My thoughts overran me once more. Then I thought what it would be if Levi himself were one of them. But then it was Erwin who said he wanted them here. Him and Levi were very close, perhaps he was doing it for him. Maybe they knew something that everyone else didn't. As much as I didn't want to believe it, it seemed to piece together all too well for it to not be true. I could find no other reason, for we were a prejudiced race and I saw no other reason for our ignorance to tell us to let two werewolves in. I'd just have to find it out for myself and keep what I suspected about him to myself as well. I sighed. Levi was a good person, I knew that he never hurt anyone. He was the only possible reason the wolves attacked while others claimed they were just another pack of rogues driven to madness with starvation and trying to eat humans instead. They didn't know or suspect anyone here was one and came from a pack and never would want to. I was eager to find out more.

I left the room silently with my slippers on, as they would probably muffle most of my footsteps. It was a warm summers night but I had my blanket doing over my shoulders for pretty much no reason. They had cleared out the wolf corpses that day. There was nothing left of the foul death stench. No sooner was I outside I heard them howling in melancholy tones at the full moon, wild savage and beautiful music. The poor darlings were all tied up, just like Sawney and Bean had been. They died not long ago and the female titan was already under suspicion of it. I couldn't help it, I hated seeing things die. Even my own experimental titans and titans of all things. I myself couldn't believe I actually had a soft spot for them.

I made my way across the grounds where they were still tied and howling, stepping lightly, sweat pounding at the back of my neck. If I was caught too close I could be dead meat. I prayed my slippers were doing the trick and that I wouldn't die getting mauled to death by wolves. A paw was jabbing into my shoulder in an instant and my scream was muffled by a callused human hand clamping over my mouth. "Stay away from my mate," he growled in my ear, softly but dangerously as the golden brown wolf turned and snarled at me. I stifled a gulp at the sharpened fangs, the ugly scar on her face and swivelling white eye. I was good as dead, would never see the end of this. Eaten alive that's what I would be. But the male released me and looked down at me, displeased as if scolding a child. "What do you want here human." A demand more than a question. "I...was just here...to ch-check on you two!" I mustered. He eyed me with violet eyes through those long white locks of hair. He seemed massive compared to my puny form. "Just eat her," the female mumbled behind us. "At least it would get us out of this  place."
"It would get us killed, you damn well know that. And I am not eating humans. Never have eaten one in my life, no matter what your damn kind says." His voice sounded soft and controlled, indicating no threat. "I'm Rowan, that's Misha back there." He had somehow managed to sever his right hand free from the tight ties. "I'm Hanji," I smiled, awkwardly. "I'm pretty much the mad scientist here."
"A scientist," he mused while Misha lay down with difficulty being bound tightly, growling her frustration at me. Or the ropes, I didn't know. "You like animals then?"
"Well...I am more occupied around titan research I guess," I told him. "But animal life is fascinating. I'm pretty much a friend to all creatures." That's when I noticed his right hand, bleeding from the tightness of the rope. It wasn't much but it looked painful. "Your hand," I stammered. "Wait...I can clean it, I think."
"Do what you can girl, but I'm warning you if you do anything against my mate, dont think I wont tear you to shreds immedeatly."
"If you heard me correctly I said I was a friend," I reminded her  dabbed at the cut with some pocket tissues, all I had and wrapping it round like a little cast. I sat down and sighed through my nose. "You poor darlings can't seem to sleep comfortably, huh," I said. They looked at me puzzled. I realised what I'd said. "Ah, me and my stupid mouth! I'm sorry I'm just used to being soft on living things like you." They looked understanding, even the aggressive Misha seemed to settle down. "I'm a titan handler, you see," I sighed. "I watched quite a few come and go. I feel so bad, I had to do terrible things to them such as poke them through the eye and watch it bleed, stab them through the chest or tear their limbs apart. All to find out their weaknesses you see." Idiot, my brain scoffed at me. You mad idiot. "I'm sorry, I probably seem so mad to you guys right now. Every one tells me that," I said, putting my head between my hands. "I wouldn't actually mind being killed by you y'know. At least going torn apart by werewolves would mean leaving this confusing world." It felt good to tell two werewolves about how I felt. Just needed to let it out all that time I guess. "Sorry," Misha mumbled. "Must be shit being you. I can see Titans are a real threat to you humans but someone dares to have some compassion. Surprising."
"Most just call it madness," I said. "Ignore them, they clearly dont understand," she told me gruffly. Misha shifted into a human, her hair short and as reddish and golden brown as her fur and looked me down with the green eye, trying to avoid catching my gaze with the scarred white one. I wondered about the story behind it. I was still scared of them but not as before. Before I had been petrified I was even doing this, now it had just been replaced with mere caution. "Look, I'm glad we are understood, but there's no time for sentimentality right now, not to be rude. You should go. I'd you don't want them to punish us, or you for that matter."
"Right," I nodded standing up. "I figured it's pretty uncomfortable sleeping on the hard floor. It will cause you discomfort and pain in the morning. Here." I lay the blanket down for them feeling the slight chill as it left me. "Get some rest and stop howling at the moon for a while." Rowan shifted into his massive white wolf form, prodding at the blanket and sitting on it. "Wow," he mused. "You could get in trouble for doing this for us."
"I know," I shrugged. "Hopefully they wont notice its missing. Just be glad someone else has got your back. I promise I'm not against you." Misha lay down on it a little reluctantly, giving it a few sniffs before she did so. "It smells of human but it will do," she said, wrinkling her nose and falling back into Rowan as if his flank were a huge and soft mattress. She curled up into him, her human body small against his. "You'd take up too much of the blanket any way," she mumbled, closing her eyes and burying her face into his flank. Rowan looked up at me. "This is gonna sound weird but can you make it here every night? I'm sure they won't mind, as you are a titan handler." He actually wanted me here? "Umm, sure I can. Why?"
"Well, my mother used to say goodnight and everything and...well I just feel more secure if people do that you know." Fresh grief washed over me. We had taken these two from families. He had a mother and despite being old enough to handle himself out in the wider world, he missed her. "I'm sorry," I could barely stop the words tumbling out. "I didn't realise you had a family who actually cared for you back there."
"Not any more. She and my father are dead. Its a long story, Hanji. We can speak of our pack life another time. Rest." He was right. I was going to need it. "Yeah you too." I was glad they hadn't mentioned Levi. It meant he most likely wasn't one of them and never came from a pack. Though they were probably keeping it a secret for now. I only wished I could unhook them from those chains and ropes. It looked uncomfortable sleeping like that, but they would be fine all the same. They had each other.
"Thanks," he said as I left without another word. I felt his eyes burning into my back as I left them. Nice wolves, I thought. Never would have thought there was such a thing.