I don't remember the first time I saw him. I guess he was always there, the crow. Hiding in the trees, watching. He's good at that, being the quiet, watchful type. He never gives anything away; I never know what he's thinking until he does something. He's more of a doer than a talker; I quickly caught onto that. At least if he's going to do something, he thinks about it first. He thinks a lot, that quiet black crow.

He and his 'nephew' arrived at the compound before my pack. The boss had scouted for potential guards in New York and picked up the pair there. They were some of the first to arrive four years ago after construction was completed. I'd seen him around the training cell and gym. All of us guards had something quirky about us in one way or another, so I couldn't say he stuck out to me more than any of the other guys, at least not at first.

The first time I met him was about two years ago.

At the height of my misery, I'd sit in the tavern from eight PM until midnight. The ten-man bunk room I'd been rehoused in wasn't home - the cabin in the Lycan camp wasn't either; it wasn't Custer County, Idaho, but none of that mattered when I was getting into bed next to Alison every night. She was my home, but with her gone, too, I had no place to rest.

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The bar stool was only slightly more unforgiving to my back than the bunk I was supposed to be sleeping my shift off in, but the beer tasted better than the nightmares. I'd been about to order another bottle-

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked in a deep and tranquil voice.

"Sure..." I put a face to the voice and wasn't surprised to find that it belonged to Hayashi Kage, but I couldn't immediately figure out why he'd want to buy me a drink. "What's the occasion?"

"You're the one in command of the Southeast Gate?"

"Uh, second in command." I smiled toothlessly.

"You're humble. You're in command of Kenichi, though? Is that correct?" He'd ordered us both another round but kept his long, pale fingers anchored about my bottle of bud', withholding it until I answered his question to satisfaction.

"Kenichi..." I repeated. Ah yes, the untamable demonic kin that Apollo had no time for. "Yeah, you could say that. I work with him, at least."

He took a swig from his glass and continued, "He says you've taken him under your wing." I glanced at the bottle he still held captive. The condensation on the glass was starting to trickle over his fingers.

"Uh, well... Sorta. I guess? He's a good kid. He's just-"

"-A piece of work?"

"I was going to say relentless."

Hayashi smiled and rewarded me with my beer. In my half-baked state, I felt my tail wag, but then he said, "Kenichi said you were kind." and my mood nosedived.

Kind? I was the most abhorrent person I knew. And it wouldn't be long until he found out why...