"Keep that up, you're gonna wear a hole in the floor."

Kiba glanced over at Hige, but otherwise ignored him and continued his path across the room.

Hige went on. "I'm serious," he said. "This place looks one good gust of wind away from falling in on itself. Maybe we shouldn't be here when that happ—?"

"They should be back by now."

"Huh?"

Kiba turned from his post by the window. Hige was watching him with an expression akin to confusion from his seat against the far wall.

"They've been gone too long. It shouldn't take this long to get food." The city wasn't by any means well off, but they'd passed plenty of food carts on the way in. Tsume and Toboe should've been out and back in ten minutes.

Hige raised an eyebrow. "They barely left fifteen minutes ago," he said, and with a hearty stretch, he propped his hands behind his head and leaned back. "You worry too much."

"Maybe." He wasn't so sure. Perhaps he was overreacting, perhaps he was just being paranoid, but…he had a bad feeling. Something just didn't sit right. It had him on edge.

Apparently, that made one of them.

"Don't get your hackles in a bunch," Hige sighed, looking for all the world like he couldn't have given a damn even if he tried to. Sometimes, Kiba wondered if he worked to be so lazy, or if it just came naturally to him. "I'm sure they'll be back anytime now."

Kiba didn't reply. Hige was probably right; he was probably just overreacting. There was just something about the town he didn't like. The people…they didn't smell savory.

Sighing, Kiba turned back to the window. They were on the outskirts of town, in one of the abandoned buildings. As far as shelters went, it wasn't the worst: there was a wooden floor, even some mats and blankets left behind, probably from squatters, that didn't even smell off – and he'd checked. There was a roof over their head, stone walls to block out the harsh, cold winds, and no matter what Hige said, Kiba was confident it would survive the night. Clearly, it had survived quite a few before.

Besides, anything was better than being out in the rain. Through the window, Kiba could see it coming down in steady sheets, and he almost felt guilty sending the other two out in it for food. Toboe had volunteered – it was his turn, anyway – but Tsume had cuffed him upside the head and followed him out without a word. In typical Tsume fashion, he hadn't offered an explanation, but Kiba wondered if maybe he had sensed what Kiba had. This place was not somewhere to wander off alone.

He frowned, his eyes searching the street for that telltale black leather he'd grown so fond of, for that silver hair that shone like moonlight. He knew him, knew his look, his smell – like leather and spices and musk…like strength – his sound. He knew his mate, and he'd know the moment he saw him.

Only, what he saw…it wasn't Tsume.

A familiar figure tore down the street, and Kiba knew even before he saw the silver bands glinting on its paw that it was one of theirs.

"Toboe!" Without hesitation, he braced a hand on the window sill and leapt out into the rain. Behind him, he heard Hige following, but he didn't wait for him. Instead, he ran out to meet the youngest of their pack as he sped towards them. The youngest was out of breath, and he reeked of panic and desperation. It showed in his eyes as his human form approached them.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he heard Hige ask as he ran up from behind him.

His heart seized, and before Toboe could answer Hige's questions, he grabbed the younger man by the shoulders. "Toboe! Where's Tsume?"

Toboe couldn't seem to catch his breath. "B-back there," he choked out. "I didn't mean to—I didn't think they would—he told me to run, and I didn't know what to do, and—"

"Slow down!" Kiba snapped, perhaps a little more harshly than he meant to. It worked all the same, though, and Toboe's eyes finally locked on his face. He had his attention; that was a start. "Tell me what happened, Toboe. Were you attacked?" Toboe's clothes were torn, and Kiba could smell the copper of blood diluted in the rain, though Toboe himself appeared uninjured.

"We were in the market," Toboe managed, still more than a little breathless. "I thought it was okay, but I was wrong. I went in, and there were a bunch of men. They attacked us, and Tsume saved me, but he—we couldn't both get out. He told me to run, and I didn't have a choice. I ran as fast as I could. We have to help him! Please, we have to help him!"

Kiba didn't need to be told twice.

"Show us where he is!"

Hige started behind him. "Hey, we can't just rush into it!" he protested, reaching for Kiba's shoulder. "We could get ourselves—"

Kiba smacked his hand away. "Stay here if you want. I'm going to find him." His mate was in trouble; he had to find him. He had to help him.

Wisely, Toboe didn't argue, and as he took off, even Hige didn't say another word.

They just ran.