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No One Lives Forever- CH3

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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Joseph always knew his grandson had a big heart to match that big body of his, he was a Joestar after all. But unlike his mother and his grandpa, Jotaro didn’t tend to wear his heart on his sleeve. He kept his emotions hidden, like how he would keep his eyes hidden behind that silly hat. So, Joseph isn’t surprised when Kakyoin rushes into the clearing by the cabin where he and Polnareff have been on guard and announces that Jotaro is bringing someone back with him from the fight. An injured someone.

What does surprise him is Kakyoin’s insistence that he and Pol make themselves scarce for the time being. Apparently Jotaro is still keyed up from the fight and it would be best not to disturb him and their mystery guest while he came down off the high of transforming and fighting. What could have bothered Jotaro so much that he wouldn’t want to see his own Grandpa after a fight?

He and Pol make themselves useful. For a while. Scouting around away from the cabin. Trying to pick up the scent of any others that may be in the area or getting too close to their new territory. Doing outside chores…. But there is only so much wood he can chop and haul! He’s dying to know what’s going on in the cabin!

Finally, Avdol makes his way out to where they were working- its all clear to come back to the cabin now but their guest is resting so please be quiet -Mr. Joestar! Well, that’s a little unfair. He’s not that much louder than Polnareff when he’s excited.

Entering the main lounge of the cabin he sees why Avdol called him out, and was right to do so. The domestic scene of his grandson and a woman he’s never met resting on the large couch by the fireplace has him slapping his hand over his mouth to prevent the “OH MY GOD!” from coming out. Oh, this calls for celebration!  Hm, he may be getting ahead of himself here though.

Jotaro finally notices his presence in the room and he see’s the boy’s muscles jump and fists clench like he’s going to leap right out of his seat. Yeah, his instincts are still in overdrive. The need to protect this new potential mate too great to ignore, especially after fighting to bring her to safety. He’ll have to be delicate in how he breaches this subject. Jotaro may be academically and strategically savvy, but his emotional intelligence leaves something to be desired.

Perhaps it would be best to not talk about it directly.

Joseph makes his way to the overstuffed armchair across from the couple on the couch. Enough space between the alpha wolves to be comfortable but still have a conversation. He gets a better look at the mystery woman as he studies the scene more closely. She was a looker alright, but the bandages and smell of blood lingering in the air is disturbing to him, he can only imagine how Jotaro is feeling behind that emotional wall he builds up. “Did I ever tell you the story about how your great Uncle Caesar and I defeated the Proto-Fae?”

“Only every chance you get.” Jotaro smirks as he shakes his head and leans back into the couch.

Joseph just laughs, “Well yes, I suppose I tell that one often. But have I ever told you about the time one of them almost killed your grandma Suzie?”

Jotaro’s breathing stutters to a halt and his eyes narrow on his grandpa.

“Relax, relax. I saved her. It all worked out in the end. But now you know the end of the story let me tell you the beginning and the middle.” Joseph settles further back into the chair and Jotaro subconsciously copies his move.

“It was the day after I had defeated the 2nd Proto-Fae, Esidisi. I had just returned from the battle to the main rooms, but what I didn’t know was that the parasite had attached himself to me and hitched a ride inside and out of the sun! The bastard was nothing but a pile of nerves, like a jellyfish! He snuck away without me realizing he was there and the next thing I know, he’s possessed poor Susie Q.” Joseph sighs and runs a hand through his greying hair. He looks to the fire as he seems to gather himself.

“That fight. I had to fight Susie to save her from that beast. It was by far the worst fight I’ve ever been in. The first time I smelled her blood, my instincts just went into overdrive. Up until that day I had only passingly considered courting her, I wasn’t ready for a mate and the whole ‘Beasts taking over the world’ thing was going on. But she was in danger. And suddenly I knew that I had to be the one to save her, I had to keep her safe, keep her close always.”

He leans back again and claps his hands to his knees quietly, “I did end up outsmarting the bastard a second time with Caesars help- had to wait for the sun to come up and enter the room before I could fling him off of her and watch him burn. The next day was the second hardest day in my life, I had to leave her to recover by herself to fight the last two monsters.” Joseph sigs again looking a little deflated and more his age. “I swore to her I’d come back for her.” His mood suddenly shifts as he exclaims, “Ha, what she didn’t know was that I promised myself that if I did die, I was going to come back as a ghost and haunt her anyway!”

“Ah, but you know the rest of the story from there. We fight the last two, we all live, everything works out in the end. But those two days. Those two are the worst days of my life. Now,” Joseph leans forward and nods to the still sleeping woman, “I’m not saying that’s what’s going on with you, but finding a possible mate – especially when they need you – it will drive your instincts crazy. Pay attention to your instincts, you have them for a reason.”

“Good grief. Is that what the point of that story was?” Jotaro shakes his head but doesn’t move to flee the area like Joseph anticipated he would if feelings were being discussed. He actually seems to relax further as he looks down at the woman sleeping on his lap. Jotaro looks at his hand holding hers like he just realized it was his own.

“That would explain… I killed the hunting group that did this to her. Even after they started to retreat. I didn’t slow down or stop to question who they were or why they were here. I… lost myself. The only thing I could think of was finding her again. Bring her back here, where she’d be safe.” Jotaro looks up again, searching his grandpas face for understanding. “Kakyoin met me halfway here.”

“Yes, he was the one to shoo Pol and I away.”’

“I didn’t want even Kakyoin to see her, no one should see her hurt. Vulnerable. I guess what I’m saying is, it makes a little more sense now. If my instincts are locked onto her being a possible mate.”

“You’re forgetting something though.” Jotaro raises and eyebrow at the older alpha. “You are a Joestar by blood. When we find a mate, that’s it. Think back, how many girls threw themselves at you growing up? Knowing you, you only ever felt annoyed by them, right? I’m not claiming to be an expert on everything going on in that noggin of yours, but like I said, listen to your instincts. Joestar instincts are never wrong about this kind of thing.”

Jotaro looks annoyed for a moment but ultimately just sighs and looks away with a nod. He gets the feeling his grandson is going to need more convincing later but for now its enough that he got the gears in motion. Whatever is going to happen is out of his hands now.

With that Joseph stands and makes his way to the kitchen to help Avdol with the food. Or just steal some of the meal being prepared and dash before he’s caught.

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I’m going to aim for at least once weekly updates for this story, I have a fair bit of vacation time and no where to go this year so I’m going to get a head start!

No One Lives Forever- CH4

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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It took time to feel like he really belonged to the Joestar pack- not being related by blood or adoption like most of the others, but Kakyoin felt like he learned to navigate the dynamics fairly well. After being isolated for so long with just his father and human mother it seemed almost like fate when he met Jotaro at college. Both had chosen to attend Cornell to escape the bounds of family territory and struck up a fast friendship even though they were studying for different professions. Kakyoin’s gift for art and science led him to study architecture, while Jotaro seemed to select ecology and forest management on the basis that he would be guaranteed time away from people and in nature.

The years at school quickly passed and it became more unusual for Kakyoin to return to his father and mother’s house for breaks than accompany Jotaro back to NYC to be with the rest of his pack. He still made an effort to speak with his parents of course, and video calls made it much easier on all of them, but his father always had been a lone wolf. Not much room in his life for other people- including his wife and son. So, when Jotaro took up the responsibilities of pack alpha it wasn’t a hard choice for Kakyoin to follow as the beta.

Even after knowing Jotaro for 10 years, the man still manages to surprise him though. This time he’s almost overwhelmed because that’s another wolf he’s carrying through the forest. Kakyoin is stopped in his tracks, probably a good thing he’s stunned silent as Jotaro seems unusually agitated. What are they going to do? Obviously, she’s not the threat if Jotaro’s bringing her back to the cabin, but she’s another wolf in their territory. Are they going to let her pass through? Or invite her to stay, at least until the mystery of why she’s injured is cleared up? What is the rest of the pack going to do, do they…?

Kakyoin’s spiraling thoughts are cut off as he processes the order from his alpha. Right, he’ll clear the way, make it safe for the new packmate.

He runs into Mr. Joestar and Polnareff first in the clearing in front of the cabin and promptly sends them out in the opposite direction after explaining the circumstance. Avdol is swift in his search for the first aid kit, so Kakyoin goes on patrol around the perimeter again. No telling what other bizarre thing was going to happen this afternoon, it was best to be prepared.

It seems like forever but what was probably two hours at most he hears Avdol tell the others it was ok to go inside again, but to be respectful of their guest. Guest… his instincts may have been right earlier about the ‘new packmate’. Kakyoin finishes the last leg of his patrol before he too goes inside. Mr. Joestar has already made himself comfortable in the big arm chair in the lounge, Kakyoin can only see the top of the woman’s head from this angle, but the smell of her blood is still in the air almost making him nauseous. Polnareff is hovering in the doorway leading to the kitchen and dining room so he ushers him in to sit and leave the two alphas to discuss whatever business they had.

Avdol is rummaging through the fridge when Kakyoin makes his way into the kitchen, “Avdol?”

“Hmm? Ah, Kakyoin. You’re curious about our guest, yes? Help me prepare the meal while I tell you what I know.”

“Tell me how I can help.”

“Here, cut this into cubes while I gather the rest.” Avdol hands over the large selection of meat he’d retrieved from the fridge, “Unfortunately I don’t know much right now. Her name is (y/n). She sustained an injury to her leg. Multiple injuries actually. With silver birdshot.”

“Silver? Her attackers knew she was a wolf?”

“Wolf hunters are uncommon nowadays, but not unheard of. No. I’m more concerned that it was small pellets used. The hunters weren’t aiming to kill.”

Kakyoin nearly drops the knife he was holding over the cutting board, “Not aiming to kill? What kind of hunter doesn’t kill their prey?”

“The worst kind.”

The kitchen is silent while the two men work to prepare the food. Once the ingredients are all in the pot and simmering away Kakyoin retreats to his own room to contemplate the situation.

Without more information to go over he’s stuck in a loop. It’s a welcome interruption when Avdol calls him for dinner, hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of this quickly and lay it to rest.

Avdol must have been keeping his mind occupied with cooking, the table has an assortment of bread rolls and side dishes that were not even started when Kakyoin left the kitchen. He takes his seat at the large round table between an already seated Mr. Joestar and Polnareff. Avdol is placing the last dish on the table when they all flinch at the quiet whine of pain from the lounge area.

Jotaro and (y/n) make their way into the dining room and everyone seems to freeze for a moment. She hesitates but seems to pull herself to stand up straighter and lean less on Jotaro’s arm as they walk to the open seats. Another realization snaps into place in Kakyoin’s mind. This woman is not just another member of the pack, he’d bet his last dollar she’s another alpha.

“(Name), this is the pack. Everyone, this is (Name).” Jotaro does a poor job of introducing them, he seems to be more focused on loading up his plate and subtly offering the food to (y/n). They go around the table and introduce themselves properly and she seems to settle into her seat as everyone begins eating.

“I don’t mean to push you unnecessarily, but,” Kakyoin is interrupted by Polnareff.

“What the hell happened out there?”

Jotaro growls a bit at the line of questioning but Kakyoin persists, “I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but you see we…”

“Noriaki.”

Jotaro doesn’t have to say more, the command was evident in his tone. Stop questioning, now.

(y/n) doesn’t heed this warning though. Instead, she puts a hand on his arm as if to hold Jotaro back before she addresses the group. “You guys deserve to know the truth. I don’t blame you for wanting to know what happened in your territory.” She pauses and puts her hands in her lap, head bowed as if apologizing. “I’m sorry I brought the trouble to your doorstep, but the ones who shot me, they were a band of wolf hunters. That wasn’t even the first time I’ve run into these ones, but that was the closest they’ve ever gotten to…” (y/n) trails off as Jotaro growls a bit more. It’s unlike him to be so expressive, he must still be reeling from his shift.

“Anyway, they’ve been on my tail since the last town over. I thought I’d have an advantage if I got away from humans and could shift and take them on, but they ran me off the road when I wasn’t expecting it. So I ran. All I could think of is I should have listened to my parents, not strayed so far from family territory.” She shakes her head to clear it before continuing.

“It’s been getting bad for lone wolves for a while now. You hear rumors and think ‘oh that won’t happen to me’. I’m not even sure what gang, or cartel, or whatever these guys were working for. I doubt they were just ordinary religious zealots; I don’t think I would have gotten away if they were.” (y/n) looks down at her plate and picks around at her food as the pack takes in this information.

Kakyoin feels a cold chill move down his spine. It has been a long time since he’s been a lone wolf. But he remembers. How isolating it was, no support system, far away from home territory…

“I’m sorry for entering your territory without permission. But I want to thank you. For helping me,” she turns and looks at Jotaro, “for saving me.”

Jotaro has been entirely focused on (y/n) throughout dinner, this may be the first time he looks away from her as he lets out a gruff “Don’t mention it.”

Kakyoin wears a small smile on his face. Yeah, Jotaro is hooked already.

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I hope you are all ready for what’s coming- I finished my first draft outline for this story and its currently sitting at 52 chapters total. Expect a lot more action, monsters, supernatural things, new original characters! I’m still going to aim for at LEAST one chapter a week, but with the outline done it may be more if I have time :)

No One Lives Forever- CH5

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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You wake up to a gentle tapping on your arm and the smell of home cooked food wafting around the cabin. You sit up with a yawn, lifting yourself off the man who rescued you and freeing his legs. Looking down to your bandaged leg you can tell the nap (and the pain meds) really helped numb the area, at least until you’d have to move. The man – Jotaro, his name’s Jotaro- looks down at you from where he’s standing, blue-green eyes lingering on your wounded leg as well before he offers a hand to help you up.

You can’t help the slight whine of pain that slips from your mouth, but quickly rally yourself and shift your weight to your good leg. You refuse to let go of Jotaro’s arm; you know you won’t make it far without leaning on him. He seems to be a man of few words but Jotaro understands exactly what’s going on and holds his arm firm and steady as you grip it with both hands and hobble forward to the other room where the meal has been set out.

You make it to the dining room with his help and freeze when you realize how many men are here in the house. You make an effort to straighten up and lean less on Jotaro as you both make it to the empty seats. You realize no one’s started in on the food yet as Jotaro starts heap food onto his plate. They were waiting for him to start- oh god, he’s the alpha, isn’t he? Good thing you seem to be on his good side already. Less risk of being forced out of the pack’s territory and into the path of more hunters if you had Jotaro on your side.

The redhead at the table seems ready to burst with questions, you can tell he’s doing his very best to be polite about it at least, not like the guy with the silver mohawk. Your explanation and apology seem to set everyone on edge, but they’re not throwing out accusations at you, so it must be the fact that there were wolf hunters in their territory.

It’s quiet for a minute until the older man- Joseph- regales you all with a story from his youth, how he once… crashed a plane while battling a god?

By the end of dinner, you are full of delicious food and exhausted. Just sitting upright for an hour has taken a toll and you’re pretty sure the pain killers are wearing off. Your leg throbs as you shift a bit to get the blood flowing. The rest of the guys clear out of the dining room, bringing plates and leftovers to the kitchen. Jotaro stands and offers you a hand to stand up.

“Thanks.” You wince at how out of breath you sound and sigh as you take his hand.

He looks like he’s thinking hard about something before instead of pulling you to your feet he bends down and puts your arm around his neck. “What? Wait! I can walk, I’m fine!” You’re flustered to be back in his arms as he ignores you and lifts you from your chair.

“Its fine. You’re tired, and there’s no sense straining yourself just to walk down the hall.” You let out a little huff at his logic and can’t help the soft purr that builds in your chest and you accept your fate. He purrs back in response and you melt further into his hold.

He carries you out of the dining room, but you must be more tired than you realized because when you blink and open your eyes again you’re suddenly in a hallway. Jotaro has stopped in front of one of the doors, another very serious look on his face as he thinks. You hum a little to catch his attention, and it works as those aqua eyes snap to meet your gaze.

He sighs and averts his eyes, “We… don’t have a guest room here. You’ll have to get settled in my room. I’ll sleep in the lounge.”

“Oh! No, you don’t have to… I can sleep in the lounge! I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

“No, you need proper rest. And a room with a door. You don’t know how loud the old man and Polnareff can be yet.” He wears a small smile as he opens the door and makes his way inside, setting you on the queen bed. Besides the bed there is only a cheap night stand in the room. They must have just been here for a guy’s trip or something, the space doesn’t feel very lived in.

He turns and rummages through a travel bag while you survey the room and turns around holding a bundle of clothes. “You can wear some of my PJs. Do you need help getting to the bathroom?” he nods over to the other door in the room that apparently is not a closet like you had thought.

“Thanks. Just to the door is fine. The hardest part is getting up again, I think I can put a little weight on it right now.” You nod as he reaches and helps you to your feet again. You are able to hobble to the bathroom with his help and he sets the bundle of clothes on the sink counter.

He lets go of you and rummages in a linen closet for a minute, turning back to you with a slightly dusty and mis-matched washcloth and hand towel. “Sorry, this is all that I have here, I’ll go see if the other bathrooms have a real towel or something.”

“It’s fine, this will do. I’ll just get the worst of it off right now.” You pause for a moment, trying to think of a way to word your next question. “You, uh. You guys haven’t been here that long, have you? Were you guys on a hunting trip or something? Guys weekend?”

Jotaro hums to himself, “Something like that. We were actually scouting it to expand our territory. This was our test run to see if we liked it enough to stay. But you’re right, we’ve only been here a few days now.”

“Ahh. Wow,” your eyes widen as you realize, “I must have used up all my good karma or something to run right into your new territory. What are the odds…” You trail off as you realize how badly today could have gone for you. You’re shaken from your worried thoughts by Jotaro’s hand on your shoulder.

“Hey. You’re safe now. You can stick with us as long as you need.” You smile and nod at him. “I’ll let you get cleaned up. I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”

He turns to leave but something possesses you take hold of his hand before he can make it out the doorway. “I… Don’t want to be alone, tonight I mean… You don’t have to sleep in the lounge if you don’t want to, the bed looked big enough…” Oh jeez, you can feel how hot your face is from the blood rushing to it. You’re sure if you turned to the mirror instead of looking at your feet you’d see a previously undiscovered shade of red.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” He… agreed? You can’t help but smile as you look back up to his face, embarrassment forgotten. He’s smiling a little too and you have a feeling this is normally a rare sight. He heads for the door again, “I’ll get some more pillows while you get changed then.”

You shut the door behind him and turn to the bundle he left for you. T-shit and sweatpants. Good thing they were the kind with a drawstring, you had a feeling they were going to need rolled up at the ankle and the waist with how tall Jotaro is. You turn to your reflection for the first time tonight and are surprised with how pale you are, probably still anemic from your earlier injury.

You do your best to clean up the leftover dirt and smudges of blood and run your fingers through your hair as well as you can- a quick search of the bathroom had yielded no comb. You quickly don the sleep clothes and roll up the pants so you don’t trip on your short journey to the bed. You exit the bathroom and hobble your way to the bed, hand on the wall to support yourself. Jotaro comes back into the room holding two more pillows and a blanket he’s found. He must have changed as well, but you have to admit he fills out the simple clothes well.

You both settle into bed side by side. He’s opted to be a gentleman and keep a layer of sheets between you and let you have the thicker blanket all to yourself. You’re still tense, sharing a bed with a virtual stranger, but then you take a deep breath and all you can smell is him. Instantly you are calmed, enough that you unintentionally start purring again. What is up with your instincts today? You’ve never given into them so easy, were you still on edge from the chase earlier? That must be it.  The close call must still be on your subconscious mind, you’ve never been that close to…

Your thoughts are derailed again as he purrs in response to your distress, but the fear and stress you’d felt in the forest still lingers in your mind. You wish you could relax like you had been for your nap earlier. Maybe a little bit of embarrassment now would be worth a good night’s rest?

“Ok, so this may be a dumb question, but,” you pause and inhale to build your courage, “can I… just… hold your hand? So I know you’re there? That it’s you?”

He shifts around a bit and you hear a muffled ‘Good grief’ as he turns his head to you.

You look away to try and avoid the awkwardness as best you can, “Fine, just thought I’d ask. I knew it was dumb.”

“Hmm. That wasn’t a no.” He pulls his hand free of the blankets and holds it out next to you. You marvel a bit at how large his hand is compared to yours as you grasp it. You feel almost tingly as you both settle down to sleep again. This time your thoughts anchored to the present, not the terrifying chase through the forest.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Some eagle eyed readers may have caught that I’ve changed at least Polnareff’s appearance a bit. This story takes place sometime between 2014-2018 so I’m modernizing their outfits somewhat- including Polnareff’s hairstyle lol.

No One Lives Forever- CH6

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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Jotaro is woken up by the gentle rays of the sun shining through the only window of the room, feeling not necessarily more well rested than usual but calmer. Contented. You are still asleep when he turns to face you. Neither of you had moved much during the night but he’s surprised your hands are still linked together on top of the blankets. He takes a second to decide if he really wants to be awake right now, he’s not used to feeling happy to wake up next to someone else. But ultimately, he’s not tired enough to fall back to sleep and it feels creepy to just stare at someone while they sleep. So, he carefully separates his hand from yours and gets ready for the day.

Exiting the attached bathroom after finishing his morning routine he sees that you’ve also woken up. Well maybe ‘awake’ isn’t the right word. You’re sitting up in the bed but he can’t see if your eyes are even open with how low your head is hanging, your hair obscuring your face. You seem to sense him getting closer and lift your head, only one eye open and squinting at him. Jotaro can’t help the chuckle that slips past his lips, it seems you are not much of a morning person.

“It’s still early. Go back to sleep.”

You have no arguments to this. With a sigh and a flop, you move yourself to the center of the bed and curl all the blankets and sheets around you. Jotaro catches a mumbled “OK. Thanks,” as he picks up his half-torn hat from the night stand and leaves the room.

He’s not surprised to see that Avdol and Kakyoin are already awake and enjoying the start of their day in peace and quiet, counting down the moments till Polnareff and Joseph wake up. Hmm, he should have warned them to be quiet before he went to bed last night. Then again, he didn’t really stick around after dinner to talk things out with his pack. The blood rushes to his cheeks and he tilts his head down so the brim of his hat can shield him. Good grief, they must think he’s some love-struck pup. One girl shows up and he drops all responsibilities to follow after her…

“Ah! Jotaro!” Joseph doesn’t exactly shout at him, but it’s close as the older man walks down the hall, Polnareff following behind him. “Good to see you’re up! You disappeared on us last night.”

“Well can you blame him? Who wants to hang out with us when there is a pretty girl in your bed?”

Jotaro growls a bit at Polnareff, “Don’t be perverted. Both of you knock it off.”

“Easy son, we’re just kidding. Right Pol?” Joseph elbows the platinum blond hard in the stomach. It was one thing for him to tease his grandson, but Pol had a habit of taking things too far. Better to nip this in the bud before they get into a real fight over it. Pol wheezes out a half-hearted apology and Joseph turns back to Jotaro with a more serious look in his eye.

“All joking aside, we do need to discuss this. As a pack.”

Jotaro nods and gestures for the other two men to make their way to the lounge. Once everyone is seated Joseph begins, “So. As exciting as yesterday was, we need to do some damage control and planning. We need to figure out if this was just a rogue group or if they had purpose for being this far out away from towns.”

“Avdol said (y/n)’s wounds were from small shot, and not a killing blow.” Kakyoin added, “But the pellets were silver. Someone was hunting wolves specifically. And planning on taking them captive.”

“We need more information. I’ll lead Polnareff and Gramps back to where I left the hunters. We can see if there are any more clues to who they were.” Jotaro stands as he announces the plan, “Kakyoin, Avdol. Hold down the fort here. I’m trusting you two with…”

“Ah, I see how it is. You don’t want me around for my amazing tracking skills- non! You just don’t want two, what did you call us? Perverts? Around the little lady.”

With a sigh, Joseph starts forcibly pushing Polnareff out the front door. “We’ll be outside Jotaro. Someone needs a lesson on what is appropriate to joke about so early in the morning.” The front door closes with a slam and a muffled smack is heard soon after.

Jotaro shakes his head and exhales loudly out his nose. “Well, he’s half right. Except I do need his tracking skills for this.” He catches the smirks from the remaining two men. “We won’t be too far out I don’t think. Howl if anything goes wrong, we’ll keep an ear out.”

“Same to you. Good luck finding what you need.” Avdol bids him farewell and Kakyoin gives a small wave farewell as Jotaro joins the other two outside.

Polnareff is holding the back of his head and looking more downcast than when he was inside, the older alpha must have dished out some discipline to the younger man. “Hey, Jotaro. No hard feelings, right? I was only joking.”

“It’s fine. This whole situation just has me on edge. Just… don’t.”

“Ah, no worries mon amie! I promise I won’t make anymore jokes about our new packmate.”

“New packmate? Hmm. We’ll need to discuss that later. First things first.” Jotaro motioned with a nod to the forest in front of them. “I’ll take lead getting us there. I left them by the lake but think we need to bring some shovels just in case. That ecosystem can’t handle all of the bodies at once.”

Gathering up some shovels and rope the three men made their way into the forest, backtracking the smell of blood past an outcropping of rocks then turning sharply to the south. The trip took about a half hour on foot, covering up the blood trail as they went to prevent any nosy hikers or forestry department personnel from following it. Finally, they reached their destination, not far from the clearing where you first saw Jotaro in his beastly form.

The remains from the four werewolf hunters were scattered over the forest floor, and although Jotaro had been fast at dispatching them, he was also brutal. Savage bites and claw marks indicated that all four were assuredly dead before Jotaro left them, none of them had bled out. Small scavengers had already made a meal out of the easy pickings, by the scent of the trail it must have been a few coyotes.

Polnareff goes up to the nearest body and starts rummaging in the pockets, Jotaro and Joseph follow his lead. Gathering wallets, extra ammo, and gear they bring what they find to a clear spot not to far away, making sure to keep the belongings separated according to which body they were found on as per Polnareff’s instructions.

As Jotaro searches through the pockets of the last hunter, something seems off to him about this body. None of the others had smelled like anything supernatural, the opposite; they had smelled just of silver and wolfbane. “Gramps, Pol. Come take a look at this one. Or a smell I should say.” The other two meet him at the side of the corpse. “You guys ever smell something like that? It’s not coming from him, more like he touched something and it stuck to him.”

“Hmm, that is weird. He doesn’t have any gear that is giving off that smell, does he?” Joseph crouches down to get a better look at the man. “Pol? Hey Pol, snap out of it!”

Polnareff seems to be in shock from the scent that is clinging to the dead hunter, “I… I know that smell. I had hoped to never catch a whiff of him again!”

“You know it? Well spit it out man!” Joseph shouts, impatient with the younger man’s stalling.

“I met him years before I joined this pack. He called himself DIO!” Polnareff exclaims before grabbing Joseph by the shoulders, “That man; he’s pure evil. I’ve never met another creature like him before or since!”

“You said DIO? That can’t be! How would he have…” Joseph’s eyes go wide as he shouts back in Polnareff’s face, “OH MY GOD! That slimy son of a bitch! After all these years! All these centuries!”

“Old man, what are you talking about?” Jotaro basically pries Polnareff’s hands from his grandpa, both men so distracted that they don’t notice. “Who the hell is DIO?”

“I… I don’t know where to begin! Polnareff is right, he’s the living incarnation of evil! My grandfather, Jonathan, was killed by that bastard! And my father as well by his devoted followers!” Joseph clenches his fists and grits his teeth, “He is the enemy of all Joestars!”

“Hold on old man, you are saying that this guy, DIO, killed your grandpa? How do you even know he’s talking about the same guy? It’d be impossible for it to be him,” Jotaro looks between Polnareff and Joseph, “look, we will talk about this more at the cabin. For right now we need to focus. Besides the weird smell that may- or may not- be this mythical DIO guy, what else do we have to go on?”

Joseph takes a deep breath and collects himself, Polnareff however remains on edge as the cloying stink of magic remains in the air.  “You’re right son, you’re right. Ok, the guy over there had his wallet on him. Just his ID, some credit cards and some cash.” Joseph pulls out the items one by one from the wallet, replacing the cards and cash and keeping the ID out to look at.

Polnareff regains his focus and takes a closer look at the ID. Pulling out the wallets and IDs from the other hunters he studies each one. “The addresses, they are all from the boroughs around the city. Except smelly guy here, he’s from Jersey.”

“Gramps, hold onto those. We can do some research when we get back. Anything else?” Joseph nods to Jotaro and holds out some of the ammo collected from the hunter’s gear.

“Found extra shot on them, its all silver by the smell.”

“And I found this on the other guy over there.” Polnareff holds out a thin strap, made of some kind of flexible plastic with a large protruding box fitted to it. “It looks like it has a clasp. I’m going to see if I can get it working.” As Polnareff clicks together the clasp the box device beeps loudly in the stillness of the forest. A puff of air is released right before a static shock emits from the prongs hidden on the inside of the box. Quickly, Polnareff drops it to avoid being shocked and steps back. “Uggh. I think I’m gonna be sick. Smells like… concentrated wolfsbane.”

Once the initial shock is discharged Jotaro quickly unclasps the collar and deactivates the device. “We’ll take this stuff back with us, let Avdol and Kakyoin have a look. See if (y/n) recognizes any of them from their ID’s.” Surveying the area quickly Jotaro makes a decision, “We’re further from the lake than I thought. We’ll have to bury them all.”

The men make quick work of digging the shallow graves, barely an hour goes by before they are dumping the last body into a ditch. Polnareff makes sure to rip a piece of the fabric from the odd smelling man for further investigation. As they finish their grim work Jotaro picks up on his grandfathers’ pensive mood and unusual silence. “What are you thinking about, gramps?”

“Hmm. It’s that man, DIO. I know you don’t believe that the DIO Polnareff mentioned could be the same as the one who killed our ancestor, but the coincidence… That he’s another evil man named DIO that is now entangled in the Joestar bloodline? And the whole reason we’re here, at the cabin at all…”

“I agree with Mr. Joestar, the coincidence is too unlikely to not be fate. Non, there is something at work here.”

“You think the appearance of this DIO guy and the city getting more dangerous for wolves is connected somehow?” Jotaro pinches the bridge of his nose as he closes his eyes, “Polnareff, you said you met him years before you joined us. That would put the timing right around when wolves started going missing in the city.”

Joseph nods sagely at this connection made, “I’ll give Caesar a ring when we get back, let him and Suzie know we’re cutting this trip short.” He crosses his arms and snorts, “Even if this has nothing to do with DIO, these hunters were here to capture a wolf alive. They didn’t know we were here, which is more concerning cause it means their operation has escaped my notice! I’m Joseph Joestar! And they’ve been abducting wolves outside of MY CITY? Under MY NOSE?” The bristly hair on Josephs arms and face stand on end as he nearly triggers a shift in his anger.

Polnareff is not doing much better to contain himself, the memories of meeting the evil man replaying in his head. Combined with the knowledge of what the hunters were set out to do. “(y/n) said they drove her off the road yesterday. I’m going to take a walk and see if I can find the cars and more clues.” There is a deep growl permeating Polnareff’s words and Jotaro can tell he’s going to take the walk in his wolf form. “I’ll meet you back when I’m done.”

“Take the time you need to cool off Pol.” Jotaro nods at the blond in understanding, the gravity of the situation sitting heavily on everyone’s shoulders. “We’ll see if (y/n) knows anything else about these guys or what they were doing. She’s our only living link to this right now.” Polnareff sighs and nods back, already starting his shift into a massive white werewolf. He quickly picks up the trail the hunters left and sets out on his own.

Jotaro and Joseph follow the trail back to the cabin in silence.

The smell of bacon and eggs hits them as they walk through the front door. A quick look in the kitchen reveals its Kakyoin taking his turn to prepare the meal, you and Avdol are in the dining room setting the table for brunch. Avdol is the first to greet them, “Welcome back. Find anything of interest?” His eyebrows furrow, “Where is Polnareff? Did he not come back with you?”

“No, he went on ahead to check out the cars for clues.” Jotaro says, shaking his head. “We found some things… Lets talk about this after we eat.” Avdol just nods and makes his way to the kitchen to help Kakyoin. Jotaro turns to you and you feel his eyes sweep over you quickly. You’re still dressed in his borrowed night clothes as you have nothing to change into. “Your leg doing better today?”

“Yeah, much better. Just a little stiff, and Mr. Avdol helped me change the bandage already. I should be good as new in a few days.”

“Good. That’s good.” Jotaro sticks his hands in his pockets and leans back. “Like I said, you can stay as long as you need. We… well we’ll discuss it after breakfast, but there was some concerning stuff we found out there. And, I’d… We’d feel better if you stuck with us for a while.”

You frown a bit as the seriousness of the situation weighs on your shoulders, “That makes sense. Honestly, I’m not in a hurry to go wandering off on my own again. Its… nice. Being with other wolves again.” You smile at him and you swear there’s a hint of a smile on his face too before both of your attention snaps to the doorway where Kakyoin is carrying in a serving plate of food. Avdol and Joseph follow him in with the rest of the meal and drinks and you all sit down at the table. “Should we wait for Mr. Polnareff?” You ask looking around at the other men.

Jotaro shakes his head, “No. We don’t know how long he’s going to be gone. We’ll set him aside a plate and some leftovers.” Joseph nods in agreement before starting to pass around the food. The meal is eaten in near silence, Joseph and Jotaro’s tense mood spreading to the others. Once the meal is finished and leftovers put away the pack reconvenes at the dining room table.

Joseph lays the items they took off the hunter’s bodies in the center of the table, “This is the stuff we found on them. As you can see,” he gestures to the rounds of ammunition and the collar device they found, “they came prepared.”

“(y/n), can you tell us if you recognize any of these men?” Jotaro passes the IDs to you as Kakyoin and Avdol examine the other items more closely.

You study the faces and names closely but nothing seems familiar to you. Their photos are almost disturbingly normal looking, they look like average guys but they were capable of such violence? “No, I’ve never met them at all. At least not before yesterday.”

“That’s part of what has us so on edge actually.” Joseph lifts his chin to nod at the collection of gear on the table. “They were professional hunters then. You weren’t targeted for personal reasons. Just the nature of what you are.”

“What is the other concerning part then?” Kakyoin questions the alpha.

“We believe you were right when you deduced that they intended to take (y/n) with them alive. We found this,” Jotaro taps the band of the collar device with his index finger, “on one of the hunters. When the clasp is latched it releases concentrated wolfsbane and an electric shock.” You go pale as you wrap your arms around yourself for comfort. The rest of the pack looks pale and shaken as well, hard stares looking at the cursed device and glancing to you occasionally. “(y/n). We need you to tell us exactly what happened. Starting with where you came in contact with these guys.”

You nod and take a sip of your water before starting your summary of events. “I realized there was something wrong when I left the last town I stayed in; I think it was still in Pennsylvania at the time. I picked up some under the table waitressing job to make some cash and was on my way to see Niagara Falls for my next stop.” You look at the IDs laid out on the table again, pointing to one of them, “I noticed a white van pull out behind me, I think this guy was driving it. I remember his dumb Clark Kent looking glasses. Anyway, I thought it was just another driver at first, until I had to make a pitstop for gas. They must have been far enough back that I didn’t see them get off on the same exit, but when I got back to my car after paying, I saw the van pull around the side of the building.”

You blush and look down at the table, “I kind of panicked then, instead of getting back on the freeway I took some random turns in hopes I would lose them. I thought I did and just ended up driving for a few hours north. But then they caught up to me.” You put your arm on the table and rest your forehead in your palm, “I was looking for a good place to turn off and just fight them, but they ran me off the road before I could find a place. When I got out, I tried to run but they shot at me.” You pick your head up to look at Jotaro, his face set in grim determination as he listened to your account of events. “I guess you know the rest. Jotaro showed up after they shot me a second time and here we are.” You motion around you with your hands.

“Hmm. So they followed you on your way out of town yesterday morning. Had you ever seen them before? Maybe they were customers in the restaurant?” Kakyoin says as he studies the faces on the IDs.

“Its possible. Everyone seems to blend together when you work a job like that.”

“My question is: why did they target you? How did they figure it out that you weren’t human?” Joseph scratches his beard as he looks up at the ceiling. “They have this special gear for hunting wolves, maybe Polnareff will find something in the van?”

“I can’t imagine they caught me slipping up. I am usually very careful with how and when I shift. And I can’t think of anything that happened in public that would have drawn attention.” You shake your head as you examine one of the extra shotgun shells in front of you.

Jotaro taps you on the forearm to get your attention for his next question, “You said things were getting bad for lone wolves. We’ve heard similar rumors in the city, that’s why we are all the way out here. What else do you know about those rumors?”

“Hmm, well there are the normal things you hear about- runaways and lone wolfs having bad run ins with religious nuts. But for a few years now, it’s been more than just that. Whole families go missing sometimes, or someone just barely gets away and after a few weeks they’re gone too.” You shudder and hold yourself again at the memory of the horror stories you’ve heard. “They say it’s a new gang- they’re recruiting or trafficking or something. But the worst stories are about the boss. They say he’s a supernatural creature too- immortal and invincible. Calls himself a lord.”

“(y/n)… calls himself what. What is his name?” Joseph looks like he’s seen a ghost, face white as paper and eyes wide.

“They call him Lord DIO.”

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Author’s Note:

You were expecting a romance werewolf fic- BUT IT WAS I! DIO!

So this is going to turn into a full Stardust Crusade AU- but when I say AU I mean there are only hints of canon left.

Also, Polnareff, are you trying to upset your pack alpha before he leads you into the forest to the bodies of people he’s killed with only his grandpa as a witness?

Also- no hate intended for people from New Jersey lol. I’ve never even been there and I’m sure you are all lovely, but Pol has issues with you (at least in this fic)

No One Lives Forever- CH7

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

<Previous Chapter   Next Chapter>

It took Polnareff some time to cool off from the implications that the mysterious and frankly frightening man he met all those years ago was now behind some other shady business involving wolves, but by the time he reached the vehicles abandoned on the side of the road he was able to focus on the task at hand. Both were unlocked so it was easy to take a look inside the white van first. Opening the back door revealed the cargo area had been partitioned with metal cage sections like those in the backs of police cruisers.

Other gear was scattered around the back near the rear doors for easy access. Some more guns and ammo boxes and an overturned bin of the collar devices that they found on the bodies. Nothing really caught his eye but he took pictures on his phone for future reference. The keys were still in the ignition so he started up the vehicle and moved it off the main road to not draw unwanted attention.

It felt rude to go sniffing through your car, so after a brief look through the windows to confirm the hunters left no surprises, he opened the door and put it in neutral. With a few strong shoves he was able to rescue it from the shallow ditch it had been driven into. Your keys were also still in the ignition and luckily it started, but a few lights on the dash lit up- probably more internal damage than he first assumed from the crash. Driving slow and steady he was able to get it back to the cabin.

The slamming of the car door must have alerted the rest of the pack to his return, he saw Avdol peek through the window as he made his way to the door. Inside he was glad to see you moving about mostly unaided on your own, your wounds must be healing well thanks to Avdol’s expert care. Producing your car keys, he hands them over, “I was able to drive it back, but I don’t think it’s up for any longer distances without repairs. I thought you would want your things back though.”

You sigh as you realize you really are stuck with this pack, not that you mind them but the sudden loss of freedom is disheartening. You thank him as you take back your keys.

“Pol, did you find anything else? Any link to who sent them?” Jotaro asks as everyone stares intently at him, the rest of the pack must have already been brought up to speed on the situation.

“Just more of the same gear. I moved their van off the road so no nosey troopers get involved, at least not right now. Took some pictures of the inside in case you guys see anything I missed.” Polnareff hands over his phone to Jotaro who scrolls through the images before handing it to Avdol. Walking over to the table where the hunters’ things are still laid out Polnareff absently fiddles with the extra ammo before picking one up to examine more closely. “Hmm, that’s odd. There are no makers marks on this?”

“What do you mean?” Joseph scratches his beard as he holds one up as well.

“It’s weird that there’s no markings whatsoever. Silver bullets are always homemade but the quality of these, they look mass produced but have no manufacture marks.” Polnareff’s face is grim as he makes the connection.

“What does that mean? Is that unusual?” You ask as you try to understand the significance.

Jotaro sighs as Polnareff hands him the piece he was holding. “It means this group of hunters is experienced enough not to leave evidence linking to them. And their operation is probably much more complex and much bigger than the group we encountered here. The tech, the mass manufacture of silver ammo…”

“And the van was modified for prisoners.” Polnareff shakes his head and sighs.

“Polnareff, you said before you recognized the smell of one of the hunters.” Jotaro rolls his eyes as Joseph lets out a fake cough that sounds a lot like ‘DIO’. “Ignoring who it may or may not be for now, how do you know that scent?”

“I don’t know how else to describe it other than it smells like magic. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever smelled. There was only one person I’ve ever encountered that smelled like that.” Polnareff sits heavily in the nearest chair as the pack reconvenes at the table. “It was about five years ago now, before I met you Mr. Joestar. I was in New York City for the first time, trying to follow a lead on a case but having no luck. I heard rumors of a man who knew what had really happened to… in the case.” Polnareff gets a little choked up but controls himself and continues. “I was able to set up a meeting, but when I went to the spot, everything kind of… shifted? It felt like I was in a dream: it was hard to move, like weights on my feet. Everything looked just slightly wrong too, hazy like in a fog. I remember there was some sort of party going on, a lot of people everywhere like a medieval banquet or something. That’s where I met him. He introduced himself as Dio and I could tell he wasn’t human but couldn’t place what he actually was. He claimed he had the information I needed, but it would come at a price.”

“What do you mean by ‘investigation?” you tilt your head in confusion as you try to analyze his story so far.

“Ah, you wouldn’t know yet chérie but I’m one of the best private investigators in New York, probably the whole east coast!” Polnareff brags, jabbing his chest with his thumb.

“Focus Pol! What was his ‘price’?” Joseph groans out, exasperated with the younger man’s need to show off. “And why did you even need supernatural help? Not to inflate your ego any more than it is, but you are a good investigator.”

Polnareff looks down to the table, all sense of cheerfulness gone from his face. “The case had gone cold. It’s actually the reason I became a PI in the first place. My family, the whole town… they were murdered!” He slams his fists on the table as he shouts. “And not by just some maniac in the night! It was something inhuman! That’s the reason why I needed his help or whatever info he had on who did such a terrible act.”

You are frozen to your chair in shock with this new information. It seems to have taken the younger members of the pack by surprise too, Joseph and Avdol only nodding along in understanding. “The whole town murdered? You don’t mean…The one north of Quebec City, that was your home?” you say quietly.

Polnareff’s eyes shoot to yours, “Oui! Do you know of it?”

You swallow nervously as all the attention turns on you, “I heard of it, that was about seven or eight years ago right?” Polnareff nods and you continue, “That was about time I left my parent’s territory to try and find or start my own pack. They made me promise to not go that far north to Quebec, they were afraid whatever did that would get me too. They say the whole town was… torn apart.”

Polnareff hangs his head and you can see tears gather in his blue eyes. “Yes. It’s been years now but the pain… I wasn’t there when it happened, I was off in Quebec City partying while my family… When I got back, I was the one who found them. It wasn’t just a burglary gone bad or even ‘normal’ murder. Whatever killed them had used silver to do it. All of them, the whole town,” he chokes on his words trying to get the next ones out, “some of the bodies were eaten. Not by animals, by something almost human. I didn’t rest for days afterward. I swore I would hunt down the thing, the demon that did this to them. Unfortunately, I was not as good a tracker then as I am now, and the trail grew cold fast. So, I became a PI to try and keep looking and hone my skills.”

“That Dio guy, did he help at all? You said his help came at a price.” Jotaro directs the conversation back to the mysterious encounter.

“His price was too steep. He wanted information about other supernatural beings, to keep tabs and report to him directly.”

“Do you think he really did have the information though?” Kakyoin questions as he steeples his fingers together in front of him while he considers the information of Polnareff’s story.

Polnareff shakes his head, “It’s impossible to know now. He was so confident, about everything. I think I surprised him when I refused though. For a moment, it was like I saw his true face through the fog, he was suddenly terrifying and not at all charming. But I figured if he knew something, with all the people he had surrounded himself with someone else was bound to know as well. Whatever secret knowledge he had, it wouldn’t be secret for long. And why pay such a price for something that I could get for free later?”

“Did you ever find out his secret?” Avdol leans in as he asks, enraptured by Polnareff’s tale.

“Non, I don’t even remember leaving the place he brought me to. The next thing I remember after turning down his offer is, I suddenly found myself sitting in my car ready to head back to my motel.” He clasps his hands together and you can see his knuckles turn white from the tension. “I tried to find him again to, I don’t know… stop him? His intentions for the info on other creatures… It couldn’t have been good. And the slip of his façade I saw. The man, that creature is bad news. But he might have well been a ghost. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since.”

Polnareff turns to you, “A few years later I got hired by Mr. Joestar to keep an eye on a shady landlord working for him, and I guess the rest is history.” He shakes his head, “Who would have thought joining your pack would lead back to Dio again. Non- this is fate.”

Avdol gives Polnareff a pat on the shoulder before turning to Joseph. “Mr. Joestar, I think you should tell us what you know about Dio, or at least the person you know as Dio. I think it’s time the younger ones hear this.” Avdol says as he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms.

Joseph nods and runs his hand through his hair before he begins, “Right. Ahh, well,” he pauses to gather his thoughts for a second, “I know this is going to sound crazy but I guess there is no way around it. When I was young, I lived with my granny Erina, my parents were either dead or missing and her husband Jonathan had been dead since before my father was even born. Now’s not the time to get into the details of that but Granny used to tell me all kinds of stories from when Jonathan was alive. And most importantly- the majority of them involved an evil man named DIO! My grandfather’s adopted brother!” Joseph doesn’t control his volume in his excitement and ends up shouting his last sentence.

“Being an adopted son in a werewolf pack was strange enough, but Granny could tell there was something ‘other’ about Dio as well. Then one night, his schemes and plans finally came to fruition! There was a massive fight at the house, Granny said Jonathan would not speak of it except that his father George had died saving him from Dio’s magic and in the fight the manor was set on fire and burned down. Jonathan made it his life’s mission to find and destroy Dio, not for revenge but for the safety of England and the world!” Joseph turns his attention to look directly at Jotaro, “Dio was a changeling child. His actions confirmed it that night. He was one of the last remaining Fae on earth. And apparently not of the good and benevolent kind. So, you see why it could be possible that this man may be the same one my grandpa tried to destroy more than a hundred years ago.”

“That… that’s impossible! The Fae, they all disappeared long before that to Avalon.” Kakyoin is wide eyed as he tries to process the information. “I know some humans still believe in them, but…”

“I know! I know! I thought they were just stories from my granny too!” Joseph exclaims and puts his hand to his eyes, “But one time… I don’t think I was supposed to see it, but I found an old photo album. There was a family photo of my grandfather, his father, and Dio.” He turns to Polnareff, “Pol, the man you met. Did he have blond hair, angry eyes and three moles on his left ear?”

It’s Polnareff’s turn to go pale as he slowly nods.

Jotaro growls as he tilts his hat to hide his eyes before snapping his head up to face the pack. “As impossible as this all sounds, it doesn’t change the fact that someone is hunting down wolves. I don’t give a shit if it is Dio or not, or an extinct Fae or not. We are going to put an end to this.” He looks around the table for a second and you can tell his eyes linger on yours longer than the others. “If anyone has an objection to this say it now. There will be no opportunity later.”

Joseph slams his hand to the table palm down, “I’m in! lets show this bastard who he’s messing with!”

Joseph’s enthusiasm is contagious and you and Polnareff slam your hands to the table as well, surprising the group with the fire they can see burning in your eyes. “Hell yeah! They think they can just take me? No way! I’m going to help tear this guy to pieces! I’m with you all the way!” You say as you look directly at Jotaro. You’re not sure but you think that’s a look of pride on his face as you make your declaration.

Avdol and Kakyoin keep their cool but you can see the determination in their eyes as they nod and place their hands on the table as well. Joseph is grinning like a feral maniac and you suddenly believe his stories about saving the world with how excited he looks to do it all over again. “Then it’s settled! I’ll call Caesar and let him know to gather the Zeppeli pack too.” Joseph pauses as he stands and looks at you, “Oh, and (Y/N)?” you tilt your head at him to continue. “Welcome to the Joestar pack.”

 <Previous Chapter  Next Chapter>

Author’s Note:

Sorry for the slow update! Guess who’s not good at regulating her personal time? This gal! I had to change up the process of how I’m writing this cause just trying to type on my computer had too many distractions and next thing I know I’ve been playing Stardew Valley for  3 hours.

Anyway, I have a favor to ask- I need a name for one of the dead bad guys. So leave a comment with a first name for the guy from Jersey, can be a bad ex, terrible boss, friend you want to embarrass by getting their name in a fanfic (first names only please- no doxing!)

No One Lives Forever- CH8

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

<Previous Chapter   Next Chapter>

Unearthly light illuminated the ballroom floor causing the occupants to glow in their finery. Women in gowns and men in suits more suited for the fashion scene of a century ago promenade up and down the hall. Most look to be enjoying themselves, laughing and smiling with glazed eyes as if they’ve had too much to drink. Others however, glance around with terrified eyes, expressions frozen in false joy and forced smiles on their faces. The collars on their necks keeping them compliant and from making a run for freedom.

Others watch from the darkened corners, hungry eyes seeing clearly through the magic fog settled over the ballroom. Cruel laughter and smiles mocking the dancers as they feast and chatter to themselves. An old woman pushes her way through a group of these sycophants, her cane tapping on the marble floor out of rhythm with the music played by unseen musicians.

She hobbles her way past the others directly to the grandest feast table in the hall, laden with meats and fruits and drink. Bypassing all of this and the other occupants of the table she makes her way to the man sitting at the head on his throne.

“My Lord. My sincerest apologies but I’m afraid there is an issue that requires your immediate personal attention.” The crone bows as best she can with her crooked spine, her staff the only thing keeping her on her feet.

The man’s red orange gaze narrows on her for a moment, the only indication of his temper before he schools his expression again. He carefully sets his utensils down and she suppresses a shiver at the selection of obviously humanoid meats in front of him and on display on the banquet table. “Enyaba, I hope you realize this is neither the time nor place to discuss business? What could be so important as to interrupt my meal?” a trick question for sure, how to answer without angering him. He smirks at his little trap for the witch, a cruel smile spreading on his face.

“My Lord. I would never think to disturb you unless the matter was of the utmost urgency.”

“Very well. If you insist the matter truly cannot wait, I’ll trust your judgment. Let us retire to the study.” With a wave of his hand they are transported to the hall outside the ballroom. Dio looks winded for a moment before he straightens and leads Enyaba down the hall to his private study. Tapestries lined the hallway, depicting the former rulers of this realm in their prime. Flower motifs and depictions of nature surrounding the images of the long-gone summer court seem to move on their own when one looks away. Although this passage was kept mostly clean, it was a never-ending task picking up stray rubble and dust from the deteriorating stonework of the ceiling. Delicate carvings of branches and leaves in the stone proving too brittle to withstand time without constant maintenance.

The study Dio leads her to is more of a library, ancient tomes and relics lining shelf after shelf, most covered in a thick layer of dust and more unlucky ones buckled and toppled beneath their burdens. Only the ones immediately surrounding a grand desk and chair were cleared and kept in good condition. Dio takes his place in the ornate chair and motions Enyaba forward to share the news urgent enough to interrupt him.

“It’s about the hunting and scouting teams you dispatched my lord. We’ve lost contact with both of them.” Enyaba grips her staff as she delivers the bad news, watching Dio’s reactions carefully for signs of a violent outburst. His satisfied smirk turns into a frown as he takes in the information.

“The scouting team and my hunters? The scouts were an expected loss sending them that close to the Zeppeli territory, but what has happened to the others?” His voice remains calm on the surface but Enyaba has known her Lord long enough to pick up on the undercurrent of frustration he carries. She motions to the table where a large map of New York and the surrounding states takes up the majority of the surface. With a wave of her hand the small figure of a spyglass that was placed outside of New York City is recalled to her hand.

She turns over the figure in her clutches as she addresses Dio, “Yes, the scouts served their purpose well before they were found out. The last report indicated the Joestar pack had almost completely left New York City, only the matriarch, Suzie, stayed behind with the Zeppeli’s. The concerning loss is the hunting troop in the north west.” At her words the figurine depicting a bow and quiver slides over the map to rest in a small upstate town. “This is their last known location, the last report indicated that your gift was working well. Kavinsky was able to identify a wolf hiding among humans thanks to your gift and was preparing his men to give chase. Perhaps we put too much faith in his abilities…”

“You question my judgement, Enyaba? Need I remind you I selected him personally and bestowed my gift on him?” Dio stares at Enyaba with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“No! Of course not my Lord! I…”

“Silence.” He hisses at her as he leans forward in the chair and grips the arms hard enough that the wood creaks. Her mouth snaps shut at his order and it seems to appease him for now. Leaning back in his chair he continues, “I will give you this single opportunity to explain yourself, witch. Do not disappoint me.”

“I… just… You gave him a powerful gift my Lord. Humans are not known for their resilience of mind when presented with that kind of power. Could it have changed him, altered his motivations? Caused him to betray you?”

“Ordinarily this would be a concern, yes. But the gift I bestowed on him to better track wolves was not the only magic I cast. He was bound to me through an oath on his soul. Kavinsky’s greed for money outweighed his greed for magic. No, he would not have defied me before he had received his payment in full.” He eyes the spyglass figure still clutched in Enyaba’s hands and looks back to the map and the figures still in play. He plucks the hunter’s figurine from the table. “Tell me, do you believe in destiny?” He doesn’t give her time to respond as he continues, “The Joestars disappear from my view and suddenly my hunters are unaccounted for as well. It seems fate has finally stepped in to guide me to my destiny.”

He laughs lowly as he drops the figurine to the table. “Gather my court to me Enyaba. The final plan in my century long quest for revenge is finally ready to be put into play. Send the remaining scouts to the area,” he taps the map where the hunters had been, “and gather my generals. Fear not, you shall be rewarded for your service as promised.”

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Author’s Note:

Shorter chapter this week, but I’m happy with how much plot I was able to pile in. New writing system is working well for me so we are on track for weekly Wednesday updates!

Thank you to everyone who’s submitted names for the bad guy(s)! In true JoJo fashion the last names will be based on bands/music artists. 

No One Lives Forever- CH15

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

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Polnareff’s departure left you alone with Jotaro and Kakyoin. The quietness of the room without the silver wolf was edging on uncomfortable as you join the guys at the table, bringing glasses of water for all three of you. The stillness must have been getting to Kakyoin as well as he fidgets for a moment before leaving the table. You awkwardly sit and sip your water as you contemplate making an excuse to got to your room as well, but the redhead soon returned with a deck of playing cards in his hand. Jotaro seems invested in the new activity as well as he puts down his phone and leans forward in his chair a bit.

“You two up for a game to pass the time?” You and Jotaro both nod and fully focus on the redhead as he sits down again and begins to shuffle the cards. “Ladies choice then? What game would you like to play?”

You tap your fingers on the table while you think of a game to suggest, poker seemed too serious right now, but something like gin would eat up too much of your concentration and you really wanted to use the time to get to know your new packmates better. “How about ‘old maid’? I want to talk to you guys while we play, get to know you better. Sound good?”

Kakyoin smiles and nods as he stars dealing out the cards, not giving pause for Jotaro to protest the decision. Not that he seemed to want to as he just reclines in his chair as Kakyoin deals. You all remain quiet as you sort through your hands. Although you suggested this low-effort game so you could talk with them, you are still unsure how to break the silence that once again settled over the three of you.

Kakyoin clears his throat before facing you fully, “Well if we’re getting to know each other I guess I’ll start with a question for you. You said you’ve been traveling for a while- how long have you been on your own?”

You tilt your head to the side as you pluck a card from Jotaro’s hands and turn to Kakyoin for his turn. You try to remember when you officially set out on your own. “Well, I visited a lot of family and friends at first, so it’s probably been seven years or so since I was truly off on my own. Once the wanderlust kind of settled after seeing so many places on my own I started looking for a new pack to join instead of just wandering around. My family pack is just kind of too crowded to go back to, you know?”

Jotaro hums as he plucks his card from Kakyoin, “That’s pretty risky, isn’t it? To just go out looking for a new pack. Did you find others before ours?”

You’re kind of upset by the tone of judgement you can hear in his voice and you unconsciously scowl at him as you take your turn. “I can take care of myself, honestly the packs I did end up meeting were pretty cool once we cleared up the fact I wasn’t trying to move in on their territories. I just didn’t… fit in with them I guess? Just never felt right.” It feels like the universe is mocking your lone wolf status as you pluck the maid card from Jotaro’s hand.

There is a mischievous glint in Kakyoin’s violet eyes as he takes his turn and takes the maid card from you. “Don’t be too upset with him. Jotaro’s just concerned for you. He’s warmed up to you remarkably fast by the way.” His grin widens as Jotaro rolls his eyes.

“Well, this turned out to be a great plan to get to know us- now you know Kakyoin is a little shit.” Jotaro huffs as Kakyoin laughs at him.

You try to cover up your blush at Jotaro’s sidestep to the comment and laugh along with Kakyoin. Though you suppose you both hadn’t been exactly subtle in your interest in each other. You try to get a glimpse of Jotaro’s eyes to judge his reaction but he’s using his hat as a shield again. You turn back to the redhead as his chuckles subside. “So Kakyoin, how did you join the pack? They find you out in the woods too?”

“Ah, not exactly. I met Jotaro in college, we bonded over the fact we were able to get away from our families for the school year. After that I met the rest of the pack and kind of got adopted in.”

“Oh, I think Jotaro mentioned that. I only got through some gen-ed classes, didn’t even stick around to declare a major. What did you study?”

“Kakyoin has a degree in architecture, and I went for ecology and forest management. Though gramps was hoping I’d go for business and take over when he retires. I’d rather leave that to the Zeppelis though.” Jotaro says as he shuffles his hand again, probably trying to hide the maid he just picked up.

Kakyoin snaps his fingers, “That’s right, we haven’t told you much about them yet. You’ll get to meet most of them tonight I think.”

“I’m guessing they’re not a rival pack, who are they exactly?”

“You could call them our cousin pack. Uncle Caesar and gramps are practically brothers. They fought those Proto-Fae gramps was talking about back in their day.”

“It’s so hard to tell what Mr. Joestar is exaggerating about when he’s telling his stores. So, the Proto-Fae were real?” You tilt your head again as you ask.

“We’ll have to get Mr. Joestar to tell us again with Caesar around. He’ll put him in his place if he goes too far off the rails.”

You nod at Kakyoin, it seemed like a sound plan to get a better version of the truth out of Joseph. “Wait, you said you joined the Joestar pack in college, were you looking for a new pack too?”

“I was looking for a new pack, yes; but it sounds like for the opposite reasons you were. My father is a lone wolf, and my mother is human so I didn’t really have a pack until I joined Jotaro’s. A lone wolf lifestyle isn’t for me. If things had been different, I probably would have done the same as you, left home in search of a pack.”

“You’re half wolf? That’s pretty uncommon, usually humans are a little freaked out by it, or at least the ones I’ve met who knew what I was.”

“Half wolves are more common than you’d think.” Jotaro answers as he draws his next card from Kakyoin. “My dad is human and my mom is wolf. In fact, you’ll probably get to meet them soon as well. My dad is a musician and has a big audition coming up here in the city.” You take one of his two remaining cards and make the last match of the game- leaving Jotaro with the old maid.

“Wow Jotaro, you are moving fast. Introducing her to your parents already!” Kakyoin chuckles as Jotaro flicks the maid card at him.

“Dumbass. She’s part of the pack now. Of course, she’s going to meet all the members eventually.”

Kakyoin puts his hands up in front of him in a gesture of peace, “I was just making a comment. Though it really does seem like you have a reason you’re speed-running this. You finally ready to settle down Jotaro?”

Jotaro glares at the red wolf, blue eyes locked onto violet challenging him to make another comment. “It’s just coincidence.” He growls out.

You’re not sure where your sudden boldness comes from but you nudge Jotaro with your elbow to get his attention, “I don’t know, Jotaro. It’s only been a few days and I’m part of your pack already. At this rate, we’re going to have to plan a trip to visit my parents soon. You’re lucky though. My dad’s not the type to give ‘shovel talks’ to my suitors.”

You can’t help but laugh as you catch sight of the blush on Jotaro’s face before he’s hiding behind his hat again. “You are both terrible,” is the only thing you hear Jotaro grumble as Kakyoin lets out a full belly laugh.

Kakyoin gives you a high five, “Oh this is going to be great! I haven’t gotten him to turn that red in years!”

Although you are still laughing along with Kakyoin, you feel you own face heating up with a blush as Jotaro makes no further protests to your ‘suitors’ comment. You’re not sure when it happened but you can tell Kakyoin is now snickering at both of you as he re-shuffles the cards.

The three of you continue playing and talking through the morning. By late afternoon Joseph and Avdol had made their way back to the Pack’s apartment, arms laden with groceries. You and Jotaro helped them restock the pantry and kitchen wile Kakyoin headed upstairs to stock the bathrooms with new toiletries. As you are finishing up your task to stack up cans of soup, you hear someone’s phone go off in the living room where Avdol and Joseph had dropped their coats over the back of the sofa. Avdol rummages in his coat pocket before pulling out his phone and reading over the message. You think nothing more of it until he suddenly gasps at the contents.

“What in the world? How did they…” Avdol huffs as he starts typing furiously.

“What’s wrong?” Jotaro asks as he approaches the older man, the res of the pack going still and silent as he does. Even Kakyoin who had been descending the stairs pauses halfway down to observe the situation.

“Polnareff sent me a photo from the hunter’s house.” He turns the phone to face Jotaro, “It’s concerning to say the least. I’ll have to do some research on the specific rune language used but I’m pretty sure this is the format for a teleportation spell. Or a t least a strong mirror link spell.”

You find your curiosity to be too much to ignore and approach Jotaro and Avdol for a closer look. You only get a peek before Avdol is turning the phone away again to continue texting Polnareff. “Mirror link? What’s that?”

Avdol hums as he finishes his text and puts his phone away. “The best explanation would be its similar to an un-interrupted and untraceable video call between mirrors using magic. However, if it is indeed a transport spell, then anything smaller than the mirror would be able to pass through like items through a doorway.” He sighs and shakes his head before continuing, “I have some research to do on this. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll let everyone know what I find out later.”

Jotaro simply nods at him and Avdol makes his way upstairs to use one of the bedrooms as an impromptu study. Joseph claps a hand to Jotaro’s shoulder as the young alpha pinches at his brow above his nose. You contemplate offering silent support at his side but Joseph guides him to the dining area before you can make up your mind, “Cheer up Jotaro! At least Polnareff was able to gather more information- even if it is bad news.”

Jotaro lets out a slow exhale as he nods at his grandpa’s wisdom. Joseph grins but doesn’t remark further on the subject as he begins shuffling the deck of cards the three of you had left out. “So, what are we playing kids? Poker? Black Jack?” You can’t hold back your laugh at Joseph’s crestfallen face when Jotaro deadpan responds with ‘Old Maid’. He quickly recovers and deals out all four of you your cards to start the next round.

You make it through a few more rounds, where it is proven the Joestar family has spectacularly bad luck- when everyone’s phones ping with an incoming text message. Your blood feels frozen in our veins as you look at the photo of the freakish creature Polnareff has sent the group. You quickly make eye contact with Kakyoin, your bad feelings about his trip now realized. You both snap your heads to Jotaro as you feel rather than hear his angry growl from your side. He quickly sets his phone down and runs his hand though his hair while he fights a sudden shift due to his anger and guilt for letting Polnareff go out alone against the advice of his packmates.

Avdol rushes down the stairs into the main living room just as Joseph manages to get a call through to Polnareff. The whole pack is silent as you all focus on the conversation between the old alpha and your missing packmate.

“Jesus Polnareff! Are you alright? What the hell is that thing?” Joseph is boisterous as ever, free hand flying through the air before running though his hair, then back to waving around.

Even from across the room you can all hear Polnareff’s response, “Well…” he pants for a moment before continuing, “I’m pretty sure I just killed the Jersey Devil.”

“The… the Devil?” Joseph collapses into the living room couch holding his palm to his forehead. You catch his serious eyes glance to Avdol before he focuses on Polnareff’s voice explaining what happened. Avdol himself looks shocked and you see his hand tremble slightly as he reaches up to fiddle with one of his earrings.

Joseph nods sagely as he listens to Polnareff explain the situation. “Good job taking care of it on your own, now get back here as fast as you can. From now on no one goes anywhere alone.” He looks up to the rest of you, anxiously waiting to hear the details of the encounter. “That goes for all of you, ya hear?” He gets nods from everyone in the room and quickly says his goodbyes to Polnareff after getting his ETA back to the apartment.

“Well, I think that answers your question Avdol,” Kakyoin says as he rounds the end table to sit in the living room area with the older wolves. You and Jotaro follow after him. “The picture of the mirror and runes he sent you earlier, it must have been the transportation spell you mentioned.” Kakyoin’s red hair hangs in his face as he shakes his head in disbelief.

Avdol hums in response, folding his arms and looking down at the ground as he contemplates this new development. “Why leave the creature in the house though? There didn’t seem to be any other items of magical value. Even the mirror itself was a standard store-bought mirror.” His brows furrow as he tries to come up with an answer.

“Maybe there was something Polnareff missed?” you ask and all eyes turn to you as you explain. “If they have the ability to transport the devil there, they probably had other valuable stuff there too. You don’t post guards on an empty vault, you know?” you get a few nods from the others and Joseph scratches at his beard as he considered your explanation.

“Well in any case, we’re going to have to wait for him to get back before we can get any answers. For now, we…” Joseph is interrupted by his phone playing the opening riffs to Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir. His eyes immediately brighten in excitement as he recognizes the tone and picks up, “Caesar-ino! You guys on your way here yet? I haven’t heard from you all day!”

“We’re in the lobby actually. Come let us in. We don’t have a set of keys to the place.” You can hear a man’s voice from the other end along with people talking in the background.

“Right, I’ll be down in just a second. Sound like you got the boys with you?” Joseph marches to the door leaving the rest of the pack in the living room. He’s out the door before you can hear Caesar’s response. You can feel yourself growing more anxious with the prospect of interacting with another pack, another dynamic of relationships you’re going to need to navigate. Hopefully since they were already allies of the Joestar pack they’ll be similar in personality and easy to get to know as well.

Its only a short minute before you can hear the group in the hallway and Joseph throwing open the front door for the three newcomers to enter. Avdol, Kakyoin and Jotaro stand and make their way to the entryway to greet them and you follow behind, hoping the introductions are quick and painless. However, as you step forward you feel all their attention snap to you.

“Ah, Zeppelis, let me introduce our newest pack member, (Y/N).” Joseph steps between you and the other wolves, “(Y/N), this is Caesar, and his kids Luciano and Madonna. You give your best polite smile and step forward a bit more.

“Signorina! Its good to meet you. Joseph told me all about the incident at the cabin, its good to see you are well.” Caesar Zeppeli’s stark white hair and moustache must have been pale blond in his youth and is partially covered by a hat decorated with a zigzag patterned sash. His green eyes are sharp and calculating even as they crinkle with his smile as he shakes your hand. Two purple spots adorn either side of his face and you realize this must be a family birthmark as you catch a glimpse at his children’s faces.

His son is the next to greet you, enthusiastically shaking your hand with both of his, “(Y/N)! Welcome to the family! I’m Luciano, but everyone calls me Lucky.” You hear Kakyoin chuckle at the nick name and based on Lucky’s disgruntled look at the redhead you can tell the moniker is an ironic one. His hair is dark blond and styled long on top and buzzed on the sides in a hip way. He has the same green eyes as his father and twice as serious despite his charming grin. He has only one purple birthmark under his left eye unlike Caesar’s two, but it is so vibrant you would have mistaken it for makeup if you didn’t know better.

His hands are ripped away from yours as the woman next to him growls playfully and shoves him out of the way to meet you. “Hi! I’m Donna, its so good to have another girl around. Let me tell you, all these boys had better be on their best behavior or I volunteer to kick their asses with you.” Donna shakes your hand and pulls you into a side hug suddenly as she monopolizes your time and leads you over to the dining table away from the others, excited to finally have another female her own age to bond with. Her hair is unbound and a wild mane of strawberry blond waves. She had blue eyes and a shorter stature which she must have inherited from her mother, but the bright purple Zeppeli birth marks decorated both her cheeks below her eyes.

From your spot at the table, you can see Luck and Kakyoin fist bump each other in greeting and Jotaro hanging out near them looking relaxed. Caesar greets Avdol with a hearty handshake and clap on the shoulder before his attention is drawn to Joseph again. You chuckle and watch as Caesar goes in to put Joseph in a head lock before mussing up his hair, the two old men behaving like pups. You turn back to Donna as she continues talking about how great it is you are here and if you’ve met Mrs. Suzie or Mrs. Holly yet.

You do your best to answer her rapid-fire questions as rest of the pack makes their way to the dining table as well. The Zeppeli men fill in the seats to Donna’s left and you find Jotaro has claimed the seat to your right. Joseph looks up to his phone where he was checking the time to Polnareff’s return and turns to Caesar.

“Where’s Frankie and Fiona? I thought your whole pack was going to be here?” Joseph question has the surprising effect of making the Zeppeli pack practically vibrate in their seats as Caesar’s grin grows wide.

“They’ve decided to stay behind with Frankie’s mate, she’s due very soon. I’m going to be a grandpa before the new year!” Donna and Lucky seem equally excited and Donna grabs your arm as she bounces in her seat a little.

“I’m going to be an aunt! Its so exciting,” she emphasizes by shaking your arm a bit, “a new baby in the family!”

Lucky leans over the table to address you from behind Donna, “Don’t mind her too much, she’s just excited cause she’s the baby of the family. She doesn’t know how much work they are yet.”

Your arm is once again free when Donna turns to her brother to shove him playfully, “Shut up, you’re one to talk! You’re not much older than I am.”

“I’m old enough to remember how much trouble you were as a kid. I could have sworn you weren’t a wolf; you were a hell cat.”

The sibling’s argument is interrupted by the front door opening and Polnareff stepping into the entry. Even from this distance you can see the shallow cuts on his arms as he sheds his jacket. “You guys have to hear this, you’re not going to believe what…” his sentence trails off as he finally looks up and recognizes the extra members seated at the table, his face lights up as he makes eye contact with Donna. You can feel her stiffen next to you as Polnareff makes his way over.

“It seems fortune is finally smiling on me. Donna, ma chérie!” Polnareff stands directly behind you, using your chair to brace himself as he leans into Donna’s personal space, “Fate has brought you here, I know with your delicate touch my wounds will be healed in no time!” He grabs her hand as Donna’s face turns red. For the first time in the short while you’ve known her, Donna is rendered speechless, only able to sputter some non-committal noises before she is able to free her hand from his grip and return to her senses.

She turns away from him as everyone at the table aside from Caesar chuckles at the interaction. Caesar seems to be the only one on Donna’s side as he stares down Polnareff and you can hear a faint warning growl coming from the older pack leader. “What do I look like, your nurse maid? Go patch yourself up.” Donna huffs as she crosses her arms and turns away, but you can see her face is still bright red.

Lucky leans over again to nudge Donna in the ribs with his elbow. “Come on Donna, you don’t want to help out your suitor? Poor man is bleeding over here.” Donna smacks him on the shoulder hard as she continues to ignore Polnareff. Lucky brushes off the hit and chuckles as Polnareff hangs his head in defeat.

Donna turns back to you as Polnareff slinks off to the other side of the table, “(Y/N), if you haven’t figured this out already, let me be the one to tell you. You’ll be better off if you just ignore everything these two say.” You laugh along with her statement before Avdol draws the group’s attention.

“Are you sure you don’t need some bandages? It would be no trouble…”

“Non, they’re mostly healed now. But here,” Polnareff fumbles for his phone in his pocket before showing it to Avdol, “Here’s everything I found at the hunter’s house. There is obviously some advanced magic going on here. Did you get supplies on your trip this morning?”

Joseph and Avdol share a glance before Avdol speaks up. “We did in fact. Which reminds me,” he produces the small satchel from where had tied it to his belt. “Everyone, take one. Be sure to wear it at ALL times. These will block any ill intended spells from being cast directly onto you.” He passes the bag to Polnareff first, who pulls out a heart shaped pin to match his earrings.

“We also have some additional insight from Mrs. Avdol. She’s revealed who we think our enemies are.” Joseph’s face is stern as he crosses his arms and surveys everyone.

“You said enemies, as in more than one?” Kakyoin asks as he quickly selects a green crystal pendant form the bag before passing it to Jotaro. In a quick second you see he’s fished out a gold star pin and set the bag in front of you. Out of the corner of you eye you see Avdol nod in response to the question while you rifle through the remaining trinkets before pulling out a compass rose necklace. You absently pass the bag to Donna as you listen intently to Joseph’s explanation.

“According to the cards of fate, our enemies are…” He pauses and you sit on the edge of your seat waiting for him to continue, “The Devil! Justice! And The World!” in true Joseph fashion he shouts and names your enemies.

“We were sure these must have been metaphoric symbols for our enemies, but with Polnareff’s encounter today we cannot rule out literal aspects of these cards.” Avdol further explains.

Lucky sputters for a moment and you glance at him, “Wait, wait. You said the world just now though. It can’t literally be the world.” He throws his hands up as he looks around the table, “And Justice? How can justice be an enemy?”

Donna scoffs and you turn fully to your left to face the Zeppeli pack, catching sight of Donna’s new ring, Lucky’s clover pendant and Mr. Caesar’s wrist cuff adorned with beads and feather charms. “What does it matter if it’s literal or a metaphor? Between our two packs we can take on just about anything.”

“I’m saying we need more information before we can make a plan of attack.” Lucky is practically growling at his sister as the two glare at each other.

A sigh from their father breaks up the sibling feud. “Until we know for certain, we’re going to have to assume the worst and that the whole world really is out to get us.”

Lucky and Polnareff remain at the table with Avdol to discuss the findings at the hunter’s house in more detail as the rest of you divide up to the living room and kitchen areas. Kakyoin and Donna take charge of fixing dinner and before you know it you are all seated at the table again to enjoy the meal.

Conversation lasts well into the night before one by one you all decide to retire for the night. It’s decided that the younger members will bunk together in the larger rooms leaving the queen beds and the couch for Avdol, Joseph, and Caesar. You catch Donna giving you a sneaky side eye and a wink when she hears you’ll be rooming with Jotaro again.

A short while later you decide its time for you to head to bed when you catch yourself yawning and rubbing at your eyes. You hadn’t really done much today but meeting new people combined with the stress of the last few days must still be weighing on you. You say your good nights to the remaining pack and an extra glance to Jotaro as you make your way upstairs.

Sleep finds you almost immediately as you lay down on one side of the king bed, completely relaxed at the thought of being surrounded by pack again. Finally home. It feels like you’ve only blinked before you feel the mattress shift and you are vaguely aware of reaching out towards the form. You keep your eyes closed as you recognize Jotaro’s scent and he moves closer to you as your hands latch onto his arm. You hear him sigh as you nuzzle your face into his bicep and he makes no move to dislodge you.

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Author's Note:

So some backstory on the Zeppeli pack: Caesar’s mate is Fiona (named after Fiona Apple) and their children: “Frankie” Franco (named after Frank Sinatra), “Lucky” Luciano (named after Luciano Pavarotti), and “Donna” Madonna (named after….Madonna lol). Frankie’s mate is not mentioned by name but her name is Nancy (Frank Sinatra’s IRL first wife). Since Jotaro has refused to take his grandpa’s place as part of the company its decided that Frankie is going to take over the business with Lucky and Donna supporting but not partnered. That’s another reason Frankie is not going to be a big part in this story, he’s busy being an expecting dad and running things.

Also I keep a list of psudo-names for these chapters for easy reference. Next chapter is in my notes as "Dio still up to no good'