A/N: HI! It's been around a year. Huh? I'm guess I'm not that much into the whole big writing biz =3. Buuuuuut, any who, I was reading my story again and … well; I wanted to pick it up again. It was actually pretty good! I'm getting into it again D. Sorry if this chapter is slow and lagging… I was half tired throughout this read. Also, I'm thinking about picking up an old fave.

Edit: Sorry about that =o, I was tired when I uploaded it the first time. Had to make a couple of changes.

Chapter 3: Innocent Eyes

Akuma refused to turn the page; she couldn't bring herself to do it. "Whatever did happen that night?" Her finger tapped the page she continued to be stuck on, the trouble with this book was she knew all the twists and turns but it continued to haunt her. Akuma lifted the sapphire orbs from the white and black world that haunts the corners of the mind. Outside was the concrete world of Tokyo, filled with the splats of colors every so often.

Akuma and Ruby didn't live in a house, but more of a two story apartment. They didn't hold suck great jobs but just enough to live on the top floor of their building. Akuma loved to relax in a glass patio that allowed her to release herself onto canvas or page. Right now, it was a place of reading her past. But there was something troubling her even more, how did Kouga's life ever be driven out during this time and space.

"Aku!" Ruby shouted when she ran down the stairs, her hair dripping with clean water and eyes playful as she searched for her friend.

Akuma was startled and nearly was floored by the burst of her playful friend. "Where's the fire, Roo?"

"You were reading without me," she pouted and shifted her eyes from Akuma's face to the book that had fallen onto the white carpet about their feet.

The startled friend noticed her eye shift and quickly grabbed the leather-bound book, "Sorry, I didn't get far. I got to… thinking." Akuma chuckled and opened back up.

Ruby rolled her eyes and sat in the chair opposite of Akuma, "You wolf demons are strange," she chuckled and passed over a small glass of iced tea which Akuma just noticed she carried down, "Here, to help you relax and keep your tongue dry, you have a lot of storytelling to do today." Ruby winked and leaned back, "So get reading!"

"Fine fine," the wolf girl stuck out her tongue and grabbed the tea and set it by her, but not before stealing a sip. Ruby always knew when she was thirsty, but then again, when wasn't she? Ruby has been a great friend, the only one who knew of her secret life as a demon. Of course, Ruby is a demon as well.

Kouga looked at the soft glow of a bonfire into the distance as it melted into the dark starry night. Kouga couldn't sleep like the rest of the pups in the den; the only other one awake in there was his brother Risu. "Kouga-kun," the deep voice snuck up behind him.

"Risu, do you think Aku is okay?" Kouga felt his finger traced the dirt around him, his eyes unwavering from the flickering sky.

Risu sighed and sat down again and patted the soft tuff of hair of his brother, "She's a strong woman." He soon grew worried as well, he knew the men of the village. He's heard their tongues admit the anticipation of this night, they knew Akuma was eighteen and available for mating. If only I was allowed to attend… "But I know how you feel, Kouga… I'll stay up with you until she returns."

Kouga nodded, "Thank you, Ris…" he almost whispered the worlds, wanting to outburst and scream while escaping the den to help the sister. To be honest, he was afraid of his sister's return. He always knew of her as the strongest person he knew, but to see her come back drunk and flirting with a dirty old man as well as other suitors, carrying many pups that belonged to more than just one man. "Aku, come back, soon…"

The wolf woman rested her head on a nearby tree trunk, hands folded over her extravagant kimono, made of any color of silk there could be found. Akuma loved this kimono; it smelled deeply of her Grandmother as she gave this kimono to her from her dying hands. Grandma Okami was sweet and didn't allow Akuma to cook or Risu to hunt and was an ol' sourpuss who loved her grand-pups to death. Akuma shook her mind from the scent to look around, same this and same that. Men were fondling their mates while single men were looking for a mate. Akuma scoffed and drew the kimono closer around her, "Men…"

She wanted this night to end, she wanted to be considered a grown-woman and be left alone, not have her body looked over by pervious looks. She knew the men walked up and down her body daring each other to take the first step to mate the hottest girl in the village while the other new eighteen year old girls gave her dirty looks, after all, she was useless and woman chores and always stole the men's hearts away.

Akuma drew herself closer, wishing Risu or Kouga by her knowing that they would draw her mind and able to provide her with comfort. Senses dropped around her as thoughts drowned her away from the party.

"Hey Akuma," a gnarly voice pulled her through the water of thoughts and back onto land. As she opened her eyes, she saw one of the tribe's older men with stubble from an unwise shave with yellow eyes to match his yellow teeth. "How about a little fun? We don't want you all alone during your first party as an adult." He chuckled and drew closer to her.

Akuma snarled with flexed claws, "I'm fine just being alone."

"What's the fun in that?" he neared a finger and traced the slight bit of skin that was revealed above the neckline. "Why so uptight, babe?" the finger took a soft snag of the neckline and dragged the kimono open, revealing more skin inch by inch. Akuma took immediate action and attempted a hard punch to the man's mind but she soon realized a few other men had too part of the scene, her arms held back tightly along with her legs prevented from kicking.

Akuma growled and busted out a scream, only to be muffled by the free hand of another party go-er. Akuma cried as hard as she could, and searched the area for her parents, but they were drunk and having their own party as well, almost looked like they were encouraging her attackers. Salty tears fell from her eyes, the first time she has cried ever since she was a pup; the grainy fingers she felt on her skin were going lower on her body.

'HIYA" a shrill voice echoed around the party, and the grainy finger lifted itself with all the other pressures that held her released. Akuma opened her sapphire orbs to see what stopped her terror. A little fluff ball was biting down on the flesh of the attacker, but at first it was too dark to make the hero out.

Akuma stood up and fixed her kimono as her eyes adjusted to the dark around her, her focus stayed on the little man until, "KOUGA!" she cried and ran to her brother.

"You leave her alone you pervert!" Kouga shrieked and dug his fangs deeper into his skin.

The men chuckled, realizing what the attack was being performed by, "Pipsqueak, you think you can save her?" he pinched the scruff around Kouga's neck and tossed him to the ground, his wails shrieked the air.

Akuma grabbed the man by the collar and tossed him across the clearing, her snarls were even louder than Kouga's shriek, "BASTARD!" She paused and looked around her; noticing eyes were laid on her and heard the whispers of the topic of a woman beating up a male, unheard of. Akuma snarled at the group and ran to her brother and picked him up, noting the scratches and bruises on his soft body, "Kouga?"

Kouga's soft blue eyes popped open enough, "Am I your hero? Did I save the day?"

"Yes, Kouga…" Akuma smiled and hugged her brother closer, "You're the greatest warrior…"

"Bitch!" words were tossed behind her as a clutch took her kimono and threw her against a tree.

Akuma never let go of her brother as she fell to the ground, dirt flowing into her mouth. She leaned up on an elbow and coughed out the dirt, "What's wrong with you?"

The man towered over them, "I just wanted a little fun, and I guess I have to make this rougher to show you who is boss!" His strong hand speeded its way towards her body, holding no regret.

Akuma was afraid of hurting Kouga in resist; the only defense she held was her cry, "HELP!"

World blackened around her, waiting for the horror to resume, but there was something wrong. There was no hateful touch; there wasn't even a gentle touch, just the blow of the wind, cold dirt below, and the tears of Kouga soaking into her kimono and wetting her skin. A sapphire spear opened to the darkness around the two siblings, but the sight wasn't what she expected. A soft face of a young boy looked down upon her with the clearest blue eyes of the swallowing skies. "Are you alright?" his voice traveled sweetly into her ears. Akuma gave a nod, speechless of this sudden angel that saved her. A smile shown and sparkled along with his eyes as he lent a hand and helped her up. Akuma snuck a glance down to Kouga, cradled in her arms; he too was staring into the man's eyes.

"Um, sir?" Akuma almost whispered as she reached out to him. She paused once again when she saw the bonfire party, the man was knocked out and tied up while the crowd paused in confusion and drew away from the man, the fire reflecting their faces.

"No worries, miss." He lifted her up gently with one arm supporting her back and the other hanging on below her knees, "I'll take you home."

Akuma knew no words to say to him, only a nod. Why was this man so trustworthy? She would never allow any other man to touch her this way. Her surprise grew when she allowed herself to lay her cheek on his shoulder, it was… comforting. Hairs trickled over his shoulder and tickled her nose; his hair was a perfect midnight raven shade, almost made his face melt from the starry sky. "What's… your name?" the wolf girl felt like she was in ecstasy, why though? She waited for an answer to escape his lips when she realized why she felt drowsy; it was his smell; honeydew and the soft rainfall on the night of the full moon. "Are you… an… angel?" the words slipped out.

The man laughed, "Well, I guess you can say that," he winked, "My name is Tenshi, what's yours?"

"My… name...is…" she fell into darkness.

"Tenshi…" Kouga stared at the den's ceiling, the wolves of his tribe snoring around him. He swears he saw the stupid smile of his forming on the creases in the rock. Growling the image away, he turned onto his side. 'Whatever did that man do for us anyway?' he scoffed as the image of his sister was drawn into the soil in front of him. That night scared him, just not the way he expected. A man did come home with Akuma, a perfect man who was like a friend to the three siblings. Slipping into slumber, Kouga remembered the morning of Tenshi's first stay and remembered the venerable look in Akuma's eyes. He hated that image, of Akuma being venerable and willing to serve. Never, his sister was always strong, his sister who showed the warriors of their village how someone should fight, his sister who protected her siblings and taught them all they must know of the world. She was wise, strong, and… in love.