Animal Instinct, Fire's Dance

Disclaimer: I don't own shaman king, just my oc.

Warning: swearing, nudity, violence and funny bits =]

Side note: This is one of the stories I started about a year ago and then forgot about. But since I like the plot I'm gunna carry it on and upload it here =] This was actually 2 chapters originally but I figured the 1st was too short so I added the second to it. Hope u guys like it!

Chapter one - Wolf

Night had fallen over the forest. The moon was hidden by thick swelling clouds, dark grey and menacing. No natural light would penetrate through the treetops tonight. A lone black wolf sped through the trees, her blue eyes piercing the darkness that concealed her in shadows. She had just caught the faint scent of smoke coming from the north, and where there was smoke, there were people. She could see the small flicker of fire light dancing between the trees and slowed her pace; she didn't want a single sound to give her away. The sweet smell of cooking meat reached her nose, and she could feel her mouth water. It had been a while since she had been anything other than a wolf, and even longer since she had eaten any cooked meats. But she would wait, would be patient, watching the group until the best moment to strike. Her stomach grumbled impatiently and she growled at it to be quite, she would be eating her fill soon enough. Lingering silently in the shadows, she watched them as they talked quietly amongst themselves around the fire, or putting up tents for the night. Twelve she counted, there were twelve people in total that she could see, but she was certain that there were more inside the few tents already up. That wasn't a problem, she had stolen from a larger audience than that, and had gotten away without a problem. This time would be no difference. She paid particular interest in the large guy sat by the fire with a huge steak on a plate in his lap. He would be her target.

Hao sat by the fire while his followers set up camp. He watched the fire dance, and it reflected into his deep browns eyes, making them glow menacingly. His face was a blank mask hiding his emotions, but he was anything but emotionless. He was mad. His brother was still wasting his time around his friends and still hadn't made it to patch village. He couldn't understand how his other half could be so weak. It was true that Yoh was progressing, but he was doing so at an excruciatingly slow rate.

'Maybe I should give him a push' he thought evilly, a slight smirk crossing his lips. A branch snapped in the forest and his eyes flickered towards the sound, instantly scanning the area.

'Shit, that guy heard me.' He heard someone think, 'should I run for it or dive in anyway?'

Confusion crossed his face, it didn't make sense, the thoughts were clearly human, but the only thing close by was a wolf. Could it be...?

'Aw screw it, I'm getting that steak.' He heard the thoughts again in his mind. That was the only warning he had before a flash of black streaked across camp.

"My steak!" Billy cried, realizing that his plate was empty. He looked around desperately, before his eyes rested on the black wolf standing across camp looking back at him expectantly with piercing blue eyes, Billy's steak dangling from its jaws. His face hardened into a glare.

"Stupid fucking mutt! Gimme back my steak!" Billy yelled charging towards it.

'Come and get me you fat bastard!' Hao heard the wolf laugh in its head before it dashed off between the trees.

'Interesting...' Hao thought, getting to his feet. His followers watched, waiting for his command, all but Billy who had gone chasing after the wolf.

The wolf ran through the woods, a blur to any creature that caught a glimpse of her fly past. The fat guy was faster than she thought, but she had still lost him long ago. Eventually she stopped, scanning her surroundings for any sign of life, before deeming it utterly still. She held her head high, the steak still dangling from her jaw as she sat on the cold hard ground. Gently, she set the steak down on the floor and stood back up. She stretched, arching her back before relaxing the tension from her muscles and beginning the transformation. Her bones cracked sickeningly, as if they were all being pulled out of the joints. And slowly her body reformed. Her back arched, clicking into place as she stood up on her hind legs. The fur on her back slowly melted beck into her the smooth cream of her skin that shone through the darkness. Her muzzle pushed back into her face, changing into the well sculpted shape of her nose, and her full cherry blossom lips. The fur from her head grew, tumbling down into a cascade of thick black locks that went well down her back. Her paws shaped into her hands and feet and she stood tall, her dark lashes opened, and she glancing around with deep ocean blue eyes, taking in her surroundings with the same clarity as if she were standing in sunlight. The wind whipped across the perfection of her naked body, sending a shiver down her spine and a smile curved the corner of her lips. She sat down on the ground, picking up the steaming steak with both hands and bringing it to her mouth. Just as she was about to take a bite, fire burst from out of nowhere, and a man stepped out of the flames. She jumped back, instantly crouching into a defensive position and snarled. It took a few seconds before she realized that she wasn't exactly in the right form to be fighting, and that the mysterious person hadn't attacked, just stared at her curiously. Slowly she straightened up, not once taking her eyes off of the stranger of fire.

Her guard was up. She recognised him from the camp as the one who heard her in the trees, but at the time he seemed harmless enough, of course she didn't know that he would be able to catch up to her, or be able to do it in such a flashy way. She looked at him now, taking in his every detail as he was her. He was taller than her; something she couldn't tell when he was sat down in the camp, and his eyes were a warm shade of brown, but to her they didn't seem at all that warm. His dark brown hair lay against his back, almost as long as her own, and it gently waved with the midnight breeze. He wore a long cream poncho that went to his knees, and deep red cargo pants. As the wind danced around them she caught a glimpse of his hard chest from under his poncho, and realized that he had no shirt on underneath. He was studying her just as he was him, and as a smirk formed in the corner of his lips, she realized that she was completely naked. She wasn't a self-conscious person in the least; in fact she spent most of her time in wolf form so she didn't have to wear clothes, but she didn't exactly feel comfortable standing naked in front a guy she didn't know. She didn't want to be taken advantage of; not that she was weak, more than she didn't know how strong he was. Her eyes froze to blue ice as she glared at him, resisting the urge to snarl.

"Would you mind warning a girl if you're going to pop out like that?" the girl growled. Even when she was trying to be menacing Hao could hear the musical note in her voice.

'Fascinating.' He though, watching the girls lip twitch he caught a flash of white fangs and almost laughed aloud. She was defiantly the wolf from before, their minds were the same. He hid his smirk, she was already getting the wrong idea about him, and he didn't exactly want her to attack him. He wanted to keep her alive, for now at least.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He apologised, trying to get her to build some sense of respect for him and to quit thinking he was a pervert. He kept his gaze level with hers, resisting the urge to glance down over her perfect body.

"Yeah, well an entrance like that would startle anyone." She spat. He could feel his lip curving into another smirk.

"I suppose it would." He answered, almost laughing at her answer. "Most people would also find a large black wolf diving through their camp to be startling."

She kept her face composed, but her mind was racing.

'Shit he knows. What the hell am I going to do now? Should I run for it?' she thought. 'I won't have time to transform but I'm still pretty fast in human form. But then if he caught up when I was a wolf there's no doubt he would now.'

Again he almost laughed. As if she would be able to get away from him now, it was practically impossible, he would be able to kill her before she could blink if he wanted to. But he had to admire her for it; she was smart enough to know she wouldn't be able to leave fast enough.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything." He assured her. She watched him sceptically.

'I really have to get some clothes on, but I can't do it in front of him he's already seen too much' she thought, raising Hao's curiosity. What else could she do?

"Okay then. Don't follow me for a sec." She said, slipping behind one of the huge trees that hid her body completely. A few second later she emerged fully clothed in a simple white dress and a moss green hoodie. She tugged at it irritably, feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the material brushing against her skin, but at least she didn't feel so vulnerable, and it was defiantly less restricting than jeans. She didn't wear shoes; she hated how they restricted her feet and made her unable to feel the earth around her.

Hao smiled. It was true she was human (or something to that extent) but she had the mind of an animal. He caught himself thinking that if all humans thought like her he might not be so bent on their destruction.

"So what do you want flame boy?" she said, still glaring at him coldly, but he could hear the slight laughter in her voice. He laughed; she was already giving him a nickname. No one had ever done that. At least not to his face, and definably not 'flame boy.'

"What's your name?" he asked, avoiding the question for the moment. Her eyes narrowed, she knew what he was up to.

"What's yours?"

"Hao Asakura." He answered smugly. She cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering where she had heard that name before.

"Aren't you that big shot shaman guy?" she answered eventually.

He smirked. She really was an interesting human, not many of her kind knew of shaman, and the ones that did knew to fear him. They would not have called him 'that big shot shaman guy'. He could just imagine what Opacho would have said if she'd heard.

"You could say that."

"Huh..."

"What?"

"Aren't you supposed to be this big human hater?"

"That's right"

"So what are to you doing talking to me for?" she said, looking at him questioningly. He smirked. He defiantly didn't expect her to get to the point like that, and he couldn't she an ounce of fear in her thoughts. Defiantly an interesting creature.

"I was curious." Hao answered honestly.

She frowned, "about what?"

"Well I don't think I've ever had a wolf crash through my camp, steal the food, and then turn into a girl before, have you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She insisted stubbornly. His smile faded into an unemotional mask and he stepped towards her, and as if by instinct, she crouch into a defensive position and snarl at him. He stopped and smirked at her.

"I think that's proof enough." He said smugly.

'Crap' she thought, straightening up, 'the bastard tricked me.'

"What's your name?" he asked again, changing the subject yet again.

"I don't have a name."

"Interesting" he said, scanning her thoughts. She was telling the truth, for as long as she could remember she never had a name to call herself by. She had always been alone.

"Come on then wolf." He said, turning around and beginning to walk away.

"What?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I want you to come back to my camp with me." He continued, not bothering to look back.

"I don't want to."

"Do you think you have a choice?"

She snarled at him. How dare he make her choices for her, he wasn't the boss of her. In an instant he had vanished, and before she had time to react, he was up behind her, one hand brushing against her cheek while his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her against him in an iron grip.

She didn't struggle, she was smart enough not to, and he placed his lips to her ear.
"Now are you going to come willingly ,or am I going to have to make you?" he laughed, but she could see the real threat behind his words, and no way in hell would her dignity allow her to be made to do anything without it being her choice. He smirked, hearing her answer before she voiced it out loud.

"I thought so." he said, letting her go before she was tempted to try biting his arm off, and walking away into the forest, where she followed silently after.

So guys what do u think? How is it 4 a first chapter? Lemmie know okay? Please review!