Hello minna-san. This is my first try at this pairing, so constructive criticism is appreciated. Not to mention I'm rather apprehensive about this, seeing that I've just stepped out of my safety box to try something new. I blame this completely on Royal blueKitsune, who has managed to get me addicted to this pairing. Anyway, enough of my babbling, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or the characters

Wolf's Prey

Chapter 1: The Mark Of The Wolf

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She should have listened.

There was a reason why she hadn't been allowed to go into the forest. There were stories. Most of them about people entering the woods and never being seen again. There were also tales about wolves... not animals to be exact, but something different. Something more dangerous and dark.

Of course being the impertinent child she was, she had not obeyed. To her these were all fairy tales to scare children and adults who had no shame in believing in these things. The world of magic did not exist in her opinion. If magic existed than her parents would still be alive and that was not the case.

Now however she wished that she had listened to the stories. There might be nothing supernatural about the woods, but it was definitely dangerous, especially when you were all alone and lost.

Having lived most of her life in the city, she had never seen a more thick and closed off forest than this one before. The sunlight was completely blocked out by the thick foliage, leaving her stranded in a dark and gloomy atmosphere. Not to mention that with each passing minute, it was getting darker and darker. With the sun going down in a few minutes, there was nothing much she could do, but hope that she found her way out of this mess.

Maybe she should have not accepted that dare, but hell that stupid boy had made her infuriated by calling her a coward.

No one called Misao Makimachi a coward!

At least she proved him wrong by giving him a bruised eye. Of course she could have just left it at that, but with her honor at stake, she had marched into the forest head held up high, shoulders squared and a determined look on her face.

She should have just contented herself with kicking the crap out of that boy. Now she was lost, hungry and most definitely in trouble.

Aoshi-sama was going to have her head for this. At the thought of her crush a.k.a guardian, she found her lips trembling lightly. She never wanted Aoshi-sama to be angry at her. She could not bare it.

The picture of a dark haired man flashed through her mind and she found herself whimpering slightly. He would be furious and it was all that stupid boy's fault. Gritting her teeth, she swore that she would hurt that boy even more when she got out of this.

The echoing snap of a twig behind her snapped her out of her sadistic thoughts. Whirling around she tried to find the origin of the sound, but as far as she could see, she was all alone.

However she was proven wrong as howls could be heard in the distance. The first thing she noticed was that except for those howls, the forest was too quiet and that usually meant trouble. The second thing was that those howls were getting steadily closer.

It didn't take her much time to come to a conclusion that she was being hunted...by wolves to be exact. Feeling fear creeping on her, she did what her instincts told her, she ran. A voice in her head screamed that it was stupid, wolves were fast, much faster than a tomboyish thirteen year old girl, but self-preservation pushed her to run even harder.

Within minutes she could hear the sounds of fast running footsteps behind her. She did not have to look behind her to know that her hunters were gaining on her.

Growls send shivers of fear along her spine. Cold sweat beaded on her brow. They were going to get her. She was going to end up wolf food.

Too preoccupied with her thoughts, she failed to notice one of the wolf launch for her. The blow came as a surprise, his much heavier body knocking the air out of her and causing her to lose her balance. Letting out a startled scream she found herself gazing into the dark amber eyes of the wolf as his fangs came down upon her.

Emerald eyes widened both in pain and in shock as she felt fangs dig into her left shoulder, tearing the soft flesh. Pain blinded her for a moment, but she had no time to react as she felt herself falling backwards. It all happened too fast.

The wolf who had bitten her, jumped away just in time, but she was not that lucky as she plummeted towards the raging waters below.

---

Emerald eyes slowly fluttered open as the first rays of the sun flittered through the open window. Morning had come too early in her opinion and after a night of reoccurring dreams or more like memories, the young woman was ready to just tell the day to screw itself so that she could go back to sleep.

However she did not have that privilege. Almost as if strengthening that point a soft knock sounded on the door.

"Misao-chan, it's time to get up. You have classes today right?"

Misao let out a frustrated sound as Omasu's voice drifted from the closed door. She should have chosen to live on campus, instead of at home. At least if she had been living on campus, she would have been able to skip some of her classes when she felt like it.

Living at home on the other hand meant, discipline. Never miss a class and really no sleeping in until late, not even on the weekends. Running a hand through her tangled hair, she reluctantly stood up. Goosebumps erupted all over her skin as the cold morning wind caressed the now exposed skin. The urge to crawl under the sheets was rather tempting, but she knew that if she did she would have to deal with a angry Omasu and that was not something the young woman was looking forward in the morning.

Maybe she should consider moving out. There was Kaoru and she had to admit that Kaoru's offer was sounding better and better with each passing day, maybe she should go live with her. On the other hand Sano was one of Kaoru's roommates and God knows how untidy that man can be.

Fortunately they had Kenshin as another roommate. Strangely enough Kaoru's redheaded boyfriend had a certain affinity to cleaning, washing and just about everything that had to do with house chores.

Yet she also had to consider that Sano and her got along just as well as cats and dogs or like their friends would say weasel and chicken. The man got on her nerves.

Campus was definitely better.

"Misao-chan hurry up or I will leave you!"

"I know!" she managed to growl as she stretched her arms over her head.

Scoffing she made her way to the bathroom, stripping on the way. Some clothes on the floor never hurt anyone. She was not miss perfect and her room could use some tidying up, but she was better than Sano.

Slamming the bathroom door closed behind her, she stood for a moment observing herself in the mirror. A young face stared back at her. The roundness of her face was still pronounced, but not as much as when she was a teenager. It gave her somewhat of a childish look, but in a way more innocent than anything else.

Large emerald eyes, framed by long dark lashes stared back at her. She had inherited her mother's eyes. Her mother had been a foreigner, unlike her father who had been Japanese. She calmly continued the rest of her perusal. Small full lips, stubborn tilt to her chin and a small straight nose. She looked just as much as her father as her mother.

If she were to be truthful she was a mix of both of them or at least that's what Jii-chan told her. For example she had her mother's feisty personality and her father's passion for everything that had to with martial arts.

She really missed them.

Losing her parents at only five years old had been devastating to her. Being so young at that time, it had taken her some time to understand that her parents were not coming back. It had taken her a while, but she had finally managed to find closure. Life needed to go on, no matter how painful it was at times.

Blinking back the memories, she focused her gaze once again on her reflection. Eyes slowly wandered lower and came to rest on her right shoulder. Fingers gently traced the single mark then. She shuddered lightly as her blunt nails touched the scar. Even though it's been more than seven years since she got this, it was still rather prominent against her lightly tanned skin, almost like a reminder of what had happened that night.

Gazing at the scar, she was reminded of the dreams that she had been having lately. All of them revolved on that particular event. She didn't know why she was having these dreams now of all times. Normally she barely dreamed. Yet these dreams came each night. It was unnerving. A small voice kept telling her that it did mean something and that she should be wary, but the more rational part of her snorted at the thought.

Dreams were only dreams and meant nothing. Hearing Omasu yelling once again at her, she decided that it was time to take a bath and get ready...unless she wanted to be dragged butt-naked out of her room. Deciding that she rather liked to have her dignity intact, she let out a soft sigh and moved away from the basin. Still she couldn't stop her fingers from tracing the scar on her shoulder, it seems that she will forever carry the mark of the wolf on her.

With her back facing the mirror. She never saw the amber eyes gazing back at her from within the reflective surface as she stepped towards the shower.

---

She was small, so fragile looking, resembling more of a drowned rat at the moment than anything else. The clothes she wore clung to her small scrawny frame, nothing much to see there in his opinion. He would have thought her a boy if not for her scent and obvious female face.

Amber eyes once again ran along her thin frame and he couldn't help but wonder how she survived such a dangerous fall from that cliff. She should have been dead. Such a strange and determined creature she was.

It seemed she even had the strength to pull herself out of the raging waters to find dry land. The physical strain had proven too much though, which explained why she was lying unconscious here on the riverbank.

Such an easy prey to his wolves.

Biting and attacking her had been more out of instincts than anything else. For all he cared he should allow his wolves to devour her, maybe then the humans would learn not to enter his woods.

A growl.

Yet there was something about her...something that made him pause. It almost felt like a soft buzzing at the edge of his consciousness. His instincts were telling him that there was more to the tomboyish human girl. He should wait before passing judgement on her.

Another growl, this time fangs were visible and the fur on his back stood on end.

Why would he be interested in a human?

They were below him.

And yet...he was never one to go against his own instincts.

Coming to a decision, he decided that he would wait until she woke up. She might be human, but she was the first human in many years to pique his interest and that was enough to grant her some more hours of life...for now.

TBC...