"If yeh take a little puppy an' raise it cruelly, if yeh beat it an' starve it an' never give it kindness or reward, it'll turn out one of two ways. Either it'll forever cower an' beg yeh not ter hurt it no more. Or it'll snarl an' snap an' bite ter keep yeh from touching it." -Hagrid about Severus, Dreams, Sweet and Sour Archive.
Author's Note: There have been some minor changes to the story please read AN on chapter one for more info.Thank you to everyone who has been so patient and encouraging, waiting for the next chapter. I love you all!!
Warnings: Semi-graphic description of animal death and cleaning as well as arousal at the smell of blood/death if this squicks you, be forewarned.
Pretty Girl, Wandering Hand
Part 2
Haru woke rousing his bed companion, who said nothing but watched him with the dark violet-blue of his eyes. Dressing slowly Haru put on his obi, and sword. Miroku was still in bed, but not yet dressed. The sounds of the humans rising for the day hit his senses.
"Your traveling companions will wonder why you are not yet awake." The houshi's entire scent and posture changed, he rose quickly and dressed. He emanated shame and embarrassment. Haru growled his mate was ashamed of him!
Haru paused, No... He was ashamed of being with a male, of his companions knowing he was mate to a male demon.
"The opinions of the humans do not matter, you are my mate, demons give no issue to gender." The houshi glared at him.
"They do matter! they're my friends... what have you done to them?" The boys voice was accusing.
"I have done nothing, though if you wish them to attend they will have to remain under guard."
"Attend what?" The houshi was a mixture of passion and curiosity, Haru smirked, the houshi was indeed turning out to be an interesting mate.
"Our bonding ceremony, a formal one is required before I am allowed to take dominion over the Eastern lands." Miroku frowned his lips pouting attractively. Unable to resist any longer he moved to pin the Houshi, capturing the soft lips with force.
The monk resisted at first his hands fisting the cloth on his chest. Then Haru changed tactics, he became gentle and soft with the pale skinned human. His grip softened, his touches move with a caress.
And his human responded with a moan, and slowly returned the kiss. Haru let a rumble of pleasure come from his chest, this was much more appropriate.
"You are mine to have and protect houshi. Do not forget this." Releasing the boy, Haru moved to the rice paper door, leaving his mate with tumbled thoughts.
--o0o--
Haru watched as his human interacted with his friends, eating and laughing pointly ignoring that Haru was now obviously a male.
"Miko, how is it you came to travel with my houshi?" The entire group stiffened as if forgetting the youkai had been sitting there.
"Your Houshi?..." The hanyou began laughing his head off, clawing at the ground and holding his stomach.
"Stupid Monk got himself mated to a man... muwhahahahah." Glaring at the hanyou the Miko began at the beginning telling him of how she came to this world and the Shikon shattering, and of Naraku.
"This Naraku..." The demon lord growled, menacingly. "Is this reason my mate has that sutra curse?" The group shared a look, and Kagome nodded unsure of how he would react next.
Haru stood abruptly. "Then we will kill him." Haru flexed his claws and pulled Barinthus from it's sheath.
"It's not that simple Haru," Kagome started.
"We've all been fighting Naraku longer than you have." The tayija added, nodding.
"Sesshoumaru couldn't even beat him on his own." Inuyasha admitted grudgingly.
"He's a master of manipulating people and situations. He is not an enemy one can face head on." Miroku's eyes implored the youkai. Pursing his lips, scowling the Taiyoukai put away his sword and sat next to his mate, legs and arms crossed.
"We will have to eliminate this 'Naraku' before our kits can be birthed." All present flushed save Haru and Shippou.
"But I will defer to your judgement for the time being. However if comes anywhere near me or my mate I will defend myself."
"We wouldn't expect you not to..." The Miko smiled sweetly, she was trying to be hospitable and open, to keep her pack together. It was to be admired.
"We will be leaving before noon, do not wander far. Shippou, we are going hunting." The kit in question looked both excited and nervous, Haru felt his expression soften warmly.
"Shippou's to young to go hunting!!" The kit gave his adopted mother a stricken look.
"Nonsense, he has been weaned. His father would have taken him on hunt long before now."
"Tousan let me come sometimes!" The kit was bouncing everywhere with ill repressed energy. Leaning over he carefully gave the kit a sharp rap on the nose.
"Do not figet so, you waste needless energy." Wide sea green eyes watered and he sniffed but immediately quieted, he offered the boy pleased smile. Haru turned to the Hanyou.
"Inu-yasha if you would like to join us, do so. Unless you would prefer to hunt alone?"
"Feh. Whatever." But the Hanyou did follow the kitsune pair out of the village as they left.
--o0o--
"One thing you must understand is that Kitsune and Inu hunt in very different manners." Haru and his young pupils stood on the forests edge, not far from the village, but far enough.
"While Inu's perfer to hunt in packs, or at the very least pairs. Kitsune's however are solitary hunters. We do not normally allow non-kitsune or unknown kitsune into our established territories."
"But why?" Haru looked at the small kit raised a thin eyebrow and smiled.
"The Den is to be protected. When our mates are birthing pups we allow no one in our territory. It is dangerous. Pups have too low a survival rate to allow the chance of unknowns..." The pain of his sister's death still was raw for Haru's family. She had not had the build to endure childbirth and, had died shortly after going into labor.
Normally a female like Amara wouldn't have ever found a mate. Youkai males unwilling to risk the danger body like hers would pose to birthing kits. Unlike humans, who found women that were tall and thin the most attractive, Youkai males looked for females wide hips and fuller figures to nurse their children and birth strong pups.
A female with figures like humans prefered in females often bore weak, sickly pups, indeed Amara's mother had lost her first litter. She'd not the strength to bear them and they had lain inn her womb to long, to be born still.
But his father had loved Kimiki even after the death of his children... had she not died of the wasting disease when Amara was but a small kit, Haru might never have been born. A fact to which he was both grateful and pained to realise. Kimiko he had been told had been an unaturally loving female.
Amara was the eldest daughter of the King of the Eastern lands so if she was to take a mate he would be king. The male she had choosen was an worthy mate, and he had worshiped the ground she walked on... However, they had been fully bonded mates, and Touki had died only three hours after his beloved.
Inu-Yasha cleared his throat loudly, Haru did tend to get distracted rather easily, he recalled what he'd been saying.
"Also to let another youkai into ones territory with no resistance is asking to be over-thrown, it is a challenge to ones dominace in their land. It should never be tolerated or bloodshed, whether yours or theirs is inevitable."
"Now we should get started the females are waiting." Haru cracked his fingers in anticipation, he was hunting for his mate for the first time. A feral grin spread across his otherwise serene, handsome face.
"Remember to stay down wind, make no unnecessary noise. Follow my head, we do not show ourselves until the prey is caught." Without anther word Haru took off into the woods.
A short loud protest was heard from the Miko's kit before Inu-yasha picked him up and took off after the older kitsune youkai.
--o0o--
Three hours later, Haru was satisfied with how the hunt had gone. Shippou was young and had made several mistakes, but managed to get a small rodent on his own by the end of the lesson.
Inu-yasha who had to fight his instincts to learn the kitsune pounce technique, had himself captured a boar, with rather impressive tusks.
"You did well." The kit of course was unnaturally pleased. Inu-yash growled and stalked ahead clutching his fresh kill in his claws, even being half human the hanyou boy male was mentally very young. Not much older than a teenager and so, still sensitive to the opinions of his elders, even if that elder was a kitsune.
It was a pity he did not stay with his pack, Sesshoumaru could have taught him much. Harus kill hung loosely from his claws, it had shed minimal blood, the wounds having been cauterized by his youkai.
It was a pity, the few drops on his hand were barely worth his notice.
When they arrived back at the village Haru immeadiately went to find his mate, to present his kill to mis mate for inspection.
However he had not expected his mate to be flirting with some human wench when he returned from hunting.
Haru snarled, his pace increased until he was right behind the houshi who had not yet noticed him.
"This one is mine, if you value you life you will leave immediately. Fear permiated her entire body, she fled. Haru spun Miroku around pulling him tightly against his side.
"You are no longer free to chase random females houshi... Do not try my patience on this." Keeping a vice like grip on the other male, Haru pulled him back to their camp and pushed him into a crouch.
Shippou and Inu-Yasha had already presented thier own trophies to the Miko, who was preparing a fire and spit to cook them, with the tayija's help.
Her eyes widened upon seeing the buck.
"We need a thicker spit..." The oldest female trailed off.
"I'll go get it." The Miko said quickly, and hurried off.
Haru laid the animal in front of the houshi, disgust and confusion briefly crossed the dark-haired youths face. Slowly he leaned down carefully to examine it, Haru knelt on the other side of the body between them.
"It's a 14 point..." Miroku glanced up at him then back at the kill.
"Ummmm, good job? He is impressive."
"If you wish a female, I can recast the spell occasionally, but I will have you properly as mine first." Before the Houshi could respond Haru pulled him into a hard kiss. The hunt and smell of fresh blood as the tayija cleaned and gutted the animals to cook, brought Haru's baser instincts, very, very close, too close.
What he wanted was to throw the smaller male down and take him right on top of this dead animal in broad public view. In spite of that, Haru would do no such thing. He was not some filthy creature to be completely controled by his base impulses.
No he would wait. Wait until they were in the safety of his family lands and inside their den to bond to his houshi.
He would have to mark him though and soon, tonight if possible. It would ensure that no other, hanyou or youkai could upsurp his claim on the houshi.
Haru pulled away. "Stay here, I must go." Seeing his mates lips swollen and flushed, eyes half lidded Haru couldn't repress a low, purring growl. Fuck, he had to leave before he lost control and did something he would regret.
Haru ran. As far and as as fast as he could... Which if you know anything about youkai... Is pretty damn fast. He ran until his red eyes bleed back to their brilliant green, and he regained enough control to breathe.
That Houshi would be the death of him.
--o0o--
Author's Note: Thank you so much for your review Rini-Sama, You really brightened my day. (and got me to working on this chapter more.)
Saturday, June 14, 2008 And Meandsessy, Kichijouji for your more recent abiltites of bringing a smile to my face, Thank you.