Chapter 3: The Encounter

For the fourth time in five minutes Inutaisho glanced around the fountain area in the mall. Ari was supposed to be there five minutes ago.

'Maybe she changed her mind. Maybe she totally lost interest in me. Maybe I-'

Right as the hanyou was going through the paranoid list in his head, two soft, warm hands slipped over his eyes.

"Guess who?" was heard right behind his ear in a teasing voice. Inutaisho's face split into a stupid grin.

"Ummm….Angelina Jo Lee?"

The hands slid away, and the boy turned around to look into two laughing hazel eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint. Think you can live with plain old me?"

Inutaisho only half heard her. His eyes had taken in her hair, which hung in thick waves around her face, then moved to her deep, sparkling eyes….Then Inutaisho had noticed the rest of her body, and he couldn't look away.

Arinu had chosen a black tank-top that had the band Metallica printed in spikey white letters, light blue jeans that hugged her hips, and a pair of black Converse. A black piece of twine with a thin, leaf-shaped pendant hung from her neck, and the words I Bite flashed silver from a headphone-made choker.

'Wow…' Inutaisho couldn't stop drinking the site of her in.

Arinu didn't notice his appreciative look; she was too busy giving him her own.

Inutaisho's hair was in sloppy spikes that hung over his deep, almost black, eyes. It gave him a tired, sexy look. He was wearing baggy black jeans with Rebkos shoes, and a silk button-up shirt with Kanji printed in glittering gold lettering in vertical rows. Pooka shells dangled from his neck. Damn, he looked hot.

Their eyes met again, and they both grinned.

'What now?' she thought for a second, before Inutaisho stepped forward, a glint in his eyes.

"How late can you stay out?" his voice was slightly husky as he stared at her.

"It's the weekend. I only have to call my folks if it's after one," Ari laughed, tilting her head back when he came closer.

'Damn, I'm ready to just kiss her right now. I barely know this girl.' But it was true, he couldn't deny the feelings welling up inside him.

"Okay, then. Wanna go somewhere fun?" he breathed, still drawing closer. Inutaisho was close enough for Ari to inhale his subtle cologne. He was so near she couldn't see past him.

"What kind of place are you talking about?" She was terrified he'd end up being like the other guys who just wanted sex. For once, she cared whether a guy was a jerk or not.

One side of the hanyou's mouth curved up in a half-smile, "Just a club, Arinu, the Crimson Blood, nothing else."

'But don't think I haven't thought about it,' he added in his mind. Inutaisho started wondering if it had been a good idea to leave the condoms at home. He'd thought about putting one in his wallet, but decided against it since they'd just met.

"Let's get going then," Ari said, breaking Inutaisho out of his thoughts. She stepped past him toward the exit, her body brushing up against his. Fire flashed threw both of them.

'And I thought Mom was exaggerating,' Ari thought as she felt a

small shiver run through her. 'Even if you don't know someone there can be a connection. Sure ain't lack of one here.'

Inutaisho was thinking along the same lines,

'All I want is to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless. And we haven't even left the mall yet.'

Side by side they made their way to his car. He opened the door for her and swept his arm forward, bowing.

Air laughed, "How gallant."

She got a charming smile in return, "It's hard to be anything else around you."

His smile did funny things to her heart.

Inutaisho walked to his side of the car,

"Please let this go well!"

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All through the drive they made comfortable small talk. Inutaisho was 18, Arinu was 16. He thought it was cool she'd tricked her manager; she thought it was impressive he lived on his own. Both were trying to keep more personal thoughts from escaping their lips. Inutaisho was having trouble keeping his eyes away from her smooth-looking arms and slender figure. Arinu kept studying his sharp profile, and her fingers itched to run through his dark hair. Soon they reached the club.

The Crimson Blood was a pretty popular club. All sorts came to see the formidable demons who got drunk there, or to watch the sexy pole-dancers strut their stuff. It was certainly a place to have a good drink, talk to cool people, and probably find some experience sex. Virgins were thought of as fresh meat to the sadistic types, damsels in distress to the hero types, and friends to the more or less normal ones.

Ari loved it, "Nice choice, Inutaisho."

A relieved smile went over his face. He had been worried that the club he usually went to would be too intense.

"Inutaisho! Baby! Where you been?" The shout came as soon as they came through the doors.

"Hey Kagura! Around places, how've you been?"

A tall, dark-haired girl approached them, wearing a sparkly mini-skirt and a low, V-neck halter top. Knee-high boots clopped on the floor and glittery, hoop earrings dangled from her ears.

'Oohh, my boy's looking extra yummy tonight,' she thought seductively. But her mood dissipated quickly when her gaze fell on the babe next to he boy.

'Another hanyou? With Inutaisho? No way, not when I'm SO close to making that puppy mine." A malicious smile crept over her face.

Kagura had been trying to get it with Inutaisho ever since she'd met him. Apart from being great at sex, anyone could sense his power as a demon. But no matter what she did, he just wouldn't mark her. In their most heated joinings, his fangs had never come close to her neck.

Strutting up to him, she draped her arms around his shoulders, making sure to brush her breast over his arm.

"Been missing you around here, hun," she purred in his ear,

"Why don't we make up for lost time?"

While this was done to provoke Ari into saying something so Kagura could tear her down, the grey-haired hanyou had her own problems.

"You lookin' fine, bitch! Dump this puppy and come run with a real wolf!"

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Cagri: Kouga's in the picture now! Kagura is the same, so's Kouga. Their demons so they didn't age too much, still young enough for Ari and Inutaisho, lol

Cloud: YES! I finally won the game playing Riku! –jumps around like a madman!-

Cagri: You only like talking to me on the phone cause you can play video games at the same time! If I wanna get on the puta you don't wanna cause yooour playing a gaaaame!

Cloud: Nuh-uh!

Cagri: Uh-huh!

Cloud: Nuh-uh!

Cagri: Oh, shut up!