Wishes

Authors Note: I had this story here on a while back, but by mistake, I ended up deleting the story. I hadnt had time to bring it back until now. Hopefully, it will still be as good as it was before.

"Look Tsume! A shooting star! Make a wish!" Toboe pointed up at the sky, allowing his finger to follow the falling star until it disappeared. Closing his eyes tightly, he made a wish, then opened his eyes.

"There, Tsume, did you make a wish? What did you wish for?" The runt asked, turning onto his back with his arms resting behind his head. Kiba, Cheza and Hige had already fallen asleep, but he hadn't been able to, and Tsume felt he had to stay awake to watch the runt.

"I wished you'd hurry up and go to sleep" The gray wolf answered back .

"Do you wanna know what I wished for?" he asked, lifting his head slightly.

"No"

Toboe sighed and lay his head down, closing his eyes. Why did Tsume have to be so cold? Maybe he really did enjoy being alone. Toboe pretended to fall asleep, so Tsume would do the same. Maybe he was so cranky because he needed rest.

Soon enough, Tsume set his head down and fell asleep as well.

Toboe stood quietly, and stepped over Tsume, heading further into the woods.

He walked quietly in his true form through the branches, following the soft sound of water. Licking his maw, Toboe kept moving forward.

He stopped however when an odd scent came to him. It was the scent of a feline and there were more than one. He turned around and began walking backwards, sniffing the air once more. He could smell them…but he just couldn't see them.

"Hello?" he called out, then listened as his voice echoed. He tilted his head up to howl, but paused. He could see them now, and as he turned his head, he saw that he was surrounded. "I-Im just looking for water…" he said, looking to the mountain lion that stepped forward.

"And we…are just looking for food"

Tsume stirred, and opened his eyes. He stared ahead to where Toboe had been resting, and it took him a moment to register the fact that the young wolf wasn't there. He lifted his head, then stood slowly, sniffing the air. "Toboe?".

It was then that Cheza quickly rose, her red eyes wide and a pained expression on her face. Tsume knew what that meant. Panic welled up in his stomach. Cheza was sensing wolf's blood. Toboe's blood. Kiba sensed Cheza's movements and awoke as well, nudging Hige gently. "Something's wrong" he told the stocky wolf.

"Toboe…." Cheza whispered. Hige turned to look at Tsume, but the gray wolf was already gone. He ran as fast as he could, bobbing and weaving through the foliage, motivated by the strong scent of blood in the air. He could hear the rumpling and trompling of leaves falling and twigs snapping, as well as the sounds of Toboe's yelps. The poor runt was in pain. He ran faster.

Kiba, holding Cheza's hand, and Hige, raced off after Tsume. When they caught up to the gray wolf, he stood there with wide yellow eyes, staring at the large stain of blood on the floor, and the group of mountain lions, with their whiskers, paws and mouths covered in blood. But what sent shivers up Tsume's spine was the soft sparkle of the metal, reflecting the moonlight.

In the center of the batch of blood:

Toboe's Silver Bracelets.

A/N: Continue?