Blood for Wild Blood
Most of this fic lives in a nebulous grey area between original and remake RE4 so you can imagine whichever you prefer. Though I'm sticking with the original spelling of Luis' name.
Title: Blood for Wild Blood
Fandom: Resident Evil
Pairings: Leon/Luis
Warnings: near death experiences, canon-typical gore and injuries
Word Count: 711
Disclaimer: If I owned it, Luis would be alive.
Summary: The wolf that Leon rescues is far more than it seems.
The wolf prowls through the forest, keeping to the bushes to remain out of sight. There's no pack to back him up, just the scent of danger, death, and rotting flesh upon the breeze. He needs to escape. The wolf needs to leave this valley before he turns from predator to prey.
So he darts forward along familiar paths, letting his nose guide him. There's a river up ahead and beyond that safety, true wilderness where the wolf can hide from the hunters on his trail.
He comes to a fence and creeps along, uncomfortable out in the open but needing to reach the next patch of woods beyond. The wolf is just rounding the next post when a sudden harsh screen cuts through the air, a tearing crash and loud pops that hurt his ears.
The wolf startles at the noise, leaping to the side. His paw lands on metal, something hard and cold. There's another snap and then pain, metal teeth slicing deep into his leg. The wolf whines and shivers, tugging at the trap. Only a sliver of determination, a voice from deep within, stops him from gnawing on his leg in desperation, the panic to get free.
Instead, the wolf chews on the trap itself, the sharp metal edges digging into his gums. He tries and tries until he's reduced to whimpers, the pain too strong and deep.
Every sound is a potential threat and when the wolf hears footsteps coming closer, he starts tugging frantically again. But the new scent is fresh instead of tainted, a hint of smoke and something woodsy underneath. This man is a predator; he moves with caution and with threat. However, he's not one of the hunters that the wolf is running from.
Indeed, the new man puts away his weapon and walks forward slowly, holding out his hands when the wolf flinches back.
“Ssh, it's all right,” he murmurs, the tone more than the words helping to set the wolf at ease. The man's expression and body language have both changed completely, from a dangerous predator to a worried parent rescuing a cub.
He grips the edges of the trap and pulls, the wolf giving another whimper as the metal teeth slowly separate. It hurts, a fresh stab of pain, but it's worth it to be free. So the wolf lifts his foot as best he can and stumbles backwards, limping on three legs. As soon as he moves, the man lets go and the trap snaps shut again with a clang.
The wolf takes a few steps forward to lick his savior's hand and then dashes for the woods to continue his escape. That man may have saved him but the hunters are still out there. Even worse, his leg is bleeding badly, the pain growing worse with every step. His injury is slowing him down and as much as the wolf needs to stay hidden, he needs to fix that first.
So he tucks himself beneath a bush and concentrates until his form starts to shift. The wolf's body twists and cracks, the wound on his leg burning as his fur slowly recedes. From thick to short to skin and cloth, his snout melting away into a strong nose and mouth instead.
Moments later, Luis Sera pushes himself upright, shaking the ache out of his bones. Shifting doesn't usually hurt that much, but healing has a price. He reaches down to check his ankle, the formerly deep gouges now scabbed over and almost fully healed.
One more shift should do it, though Luis needs a moment to settle himself first. While he tries to slow his breathing, the Spaniard finds his mind drifting back to the man who rescued him. He wasn't a ganado, not dressed like that, not gentle. One of the villagers would have killed the wolf without a second thought. The man is probably American, here for la señorita, but Luis can't worry about him. Not if he's going to survive.
Suddenly a twig snaps behind him and the Spaniard whirls around to see a group of ganados running toward him rapidly. Within seconds, he's surrounded and Luis barely has time to think, Mierda, before the handle of an axe slams into his head.
Part 2
This fic isn't actually inspired by "Hey, It's That Dog" the other “Luis is the wolf fic” since this idea has been living rent-free in my head for at least a decade. But it was good to know we shared a brain wave, and it didn't hurt my motivation to finally write this thing.