Quote of the day: "A warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that a warrior has to ask, mandatorily: 'Does this path have a heart?'" -unknown
Summary: Akiho Amino is the leader of the Gahir wolf pack in makai. The only thing is: she's not a wolf demon. Amino sama is known for her indifferent demeanor and quick temper. Hidari, her right hand man, has even experienced what it's like to be on the receiving of her very angry, very drunk, self. Being her right hand man, he also knows that she once had a lover. Unfortunately, every time this lover of hers, Hiei, is brought up, Akiho goes into a drunken rage. So who is he, and how was it even possible that someone as indifferent as Amino sama could have a lover? All is not as it seems as Akiho has a seizure one day, waking up only to blabber on about emotions and this Hiei man. Follow this adventure as Akiho recalls her past, bringing up painful memories and lost moments.
The wind blew past him in a flurry, whipping his clothes wildly to and fro. Even at this slightly relaxed speed, the scenery around him melded and blurred into a green and red mess. But the fire demon did not pay heed to the strange picture around him, his mind instead straying to his comrade who's aura had not moved for a few days. Perhaps he had found something worth discussing, but he did not let the thought lift his hopes. Too many times had he found what seemed like a good lead, only to find disappointment.
As he traveled, his mind strayed to a time when he had been happy, an emotion he had not really felt until he had met the foolish onna. At first the relationship they had had was one of convenience, a relationship to release his pent up desires upon one of the few women who would let him come anywhere near them. It had worked, of course, but over time he found his easy solution was transforming into something he had not bargained for.
He had found himself craving for her more and more, wishing not only for the physical relationship that had developed between them, but also for the other side he had never thought about before. The side where they spent time together, learning about what the other liked and disliked; learning about their life and how they interacted with others. He even wanted that contact that the detective's onna called 'cuddling', although he would refuse to call it by such a frivolous name.
Then he had found himself following her during the day, using his jagan to whisper suggestive things into her mind. It was not surprising that he had found it entertaining to make the woman blush, but it was surprising that he was enjoying the act of actually teasing her. Never before had he found it necessary to say anything besides what needed to be said, never found it necessary to keep someone in his sight at all times.
And then she had gotten pregnant. They had both panicked, although he had not shown it, and immediately talked to the avatar about the situation. After speaking with him, and seeing Genkai to find out if there were going to be any problems with a human bearing a demonic child, they had slowly relaxed. He stayed in ningenkai more often, glued to her side in protective silence. As her stomach grew and grew, so did her happiness. She was probably the only woman in the three worlds who could possibly be happy bearing his child, and with her joy he felt himself become strangely content. He even went with her to see the doctor's in rekai, though he really did not approve of those fools touching his lover.
When he had left their picnic in the park to visit makai, to help Mukuro with some political problem he couldn't even remember now, he had felt confident that his lover was perfectly safe in the human world. As he had been listening to Mukuro explain the situation, a voice had suddenly intruded within his mind: the voice of his lover crying for help. Ignoring the she-demons angry shout at his abrupt departure, he had run at the fastest speeds he could muster, entering the human world in moments. He had torn off his jagan eye, uncaring of the startled humans that had looked upon it with fear as he searched for the onna carrying his child. What he saw made his muscles tremble and made a red haze swim before his eyes.
A bear demon had cornered his lover, its claws soaked red with her blood. He reached her as quickly as he could, disposing of the lower classed demon with ease, before picking her up in his arms and taking her to rekai. As he carried her into the spirit world, he had called out her name repeatedly, his eyes frantically taking in her shivering body and pale skin.
Then he had waited just outside the room, pacing back and forth as he waited for those rekai fools to finish taking care of his lover. Kurama had come out then, his emerald eyes drooping with sadness. The avatar had quickly explained that his lover would live, but hesitated with the devastating news he had to give. " The boy will not live…" the fox had whispered, putting a hand on his shoulders in the only comforting way he could. Hiei had wrenched violently away from him, cursing under his breath and tightening his fists in anguish.
It had taken a long time for his lover to be able to move, and even when she did the grief of losing the child had left her vulnerable, unable to find the will to get up in the morning. Watching her become a lifeless shell had upset him to no end, and he had tried for months to get her to cheer up. He had held her when she cried, talked to her about his sister and the adventures he had gone on over the years, but nothing seemed to catch her attention. Nothing seemed to make that spark enter her eyes.
'Hiei, are you here yet?' The question intruded upon his thoughts, jerking him violently away from his reminiscing.
" Hn. I'm on my way," the apparition grunted, shaking his head to further bring himself back to reality. " What's the hurry, fox?"
'Hiei…she's here…'
His heart seemed to stop, the world screeching to a halt around him as his feet stopped in their tracks. Nothing seemed to enter his head, leaving it empty and confused. " …She's… with… you…?" he whispered, his crimson eyes widening in disbelief. A dam seemed to break within his mind and suddenly a thousand thoughts entered it, all screaming and pounding to the surface. An overpowering urge to see her, to hold her, to claim her took over him, making his limbs shake with the force of it.
Before his comrade could even speak, the fire demon was racing towards them at speeds he had never reached before.
Kurama sat near his sister's cot uneasily, his foot tapping up and down in his anxiousness. It would only take minutes more for the apparition to reach them, and he deeply feared what would occur. The moment he saw his lover, the fire demon would take no time to pay any attention to the occupants in the room, and most likely grab the girl, hold her in the arms, and refuse to let her go. But by the tension in Hiroyuki's neck, the avatar had no doubts that the man would fight to keep the girl as his own.
" …This lover of hers," the albino wolf began, his lips curling back in distaste. " …How strong is he…?"
" He is an s class," Kurama answered, his green eyes looking over at the sleeping girl. Her eyes were flickering underneath her eyelids, indicating that it would not be long before she came to consciousness again. " Much stronger then you, I fear…"
" I realize that," the wolf grunted, his fists clenching painfully. " …But I will not just give her up without a fight…"
" Hiei… will be very unpredictable when he gets here," the avatar said slowly, getting up from his seat to stand next to his sister. " He will not be able to stop himself. He'll have no problem following his instincts and killing you."
" I will not give her up," the demon repeated, his eyes softening as he looked at the sleeping girl. " Do you realize how difficult it is to get her to open up around you? It took me months before she relaxed around me, and now that she has, I'm not giving her up. She's…amazing."
Just then the very girl they had been talking about began to stir, bringing their hushed conversation to a halt. Her green eyes slowly slid open, blinking to rid herself of the moisture that clung to the corner of her lids. " Nii chan?" she warbled, looking around tiredly. " Nii chan?!"
" I'm here," the red head soothed, taking her hand gently within his own. The girl calmed down as he came into view, a small, almost soundless sigh escaping her lips.
" I thought… perhaps it had all been a dream," she murmured, running her thumb over his knuckles as much to assure him as her. " That… you hadn't really come to get me…"
" I am as real as you are," he chuckled, lifting the blanket from her body. The fox demon looked down at her abdomen, checking her wound carefully. It was healing as fast as a human's immune system would allow, helped along by the herbs he had placed on them just after she had passed out. As he replaced the blanket along her thin body, a grim frown grew across his face. " Akiho chan… we do not have much time…"
" Time?" she looked up at him in confusion. " Time for what, Nii chan?"
Just then a violent wind tore around outside the tent, flapping its entrance wide open for the world to see. Cries sounded from all around them as wolves were woken from their peaceful sleep by a dark, ominous aura that seemed to suffocate the air all around them.
Akiho felt her heart jump into her throat, as the breath seemed to be taken from her lungs, her blood freezing at the figure that was rapidly approaching the tent. The fire demon's bandana was missing from his forehead, revealing the jagan eye in all its purple glory. His clothes were flapping around him with the intensity of his own aura, and his fangs were elongated in his animalistic state. But what got her the most were those eyes.
Crimson eyes she had not seen in years. They stayed focused on her limp body, those intense, piercing eyes seeming to stare straight into her soul. A trembling gasp left her throat as she struggled to sit up, the other occupants in the room completely forgotten in the haze of emotions that assaulted her.
She had anticipated and yet dreaded this moment at the same time, and now that she was confronted with it, she had no idea what to think, what to feel. On one level she wanted to run into his warm, safe, familiar arms and forget any of this had ever happened. As if it had all been a dream. And yet, at the same time, she felt an anger stirring deep within her belly. He had left her all those many years ago, and now he suddenly showed up in her life again, expecting everything to be the same as before?
In mere moments he was in front of her, his eyes never leaving her own. " Onna…" his voice whispered, taking another hesitant step toward her. His eyes, which had been trained upon her so desperately, suddenly swiveled to the only wolf in the room that was currently snarling low in his throat.
" Step away from her!" the albino male ordered, his hands clenching painfully tight. Akiho looked back and forth between the two men in a confused haze, her stressed mind unable to comprehend exactly what it was her mind was trying to scream at her. For a moment she almost completely forgot why she was sitting in a cold, hard bed and not wrapped up in one of their arms. And that's when she realized it. Both of these men claimed to love her. And because of the pain that clouded her mind, she couldn't entirely grasp the entire situation.
She knew that she cared for them both, very much. It had been a long time since she had seen the fire demon, and in that time she had buried her feelings, never to dwell on them as she tried to move on. In that time, she had met the kind, gentle, and slightly perverted wolf Hiroyuki, and she also knew that she deeply cared for him. Her emotions conflicted and warred within her mind, fighting one another until she was positive her body was physically hurting from the turmoil.
" Hn," the fire demon grunted, his eyes growing red as he took an audible sniff of the room. A fury awoke deep within him as he realized that not only did the wolfs stench linger within the room; it was completely covering his former lover. " You touched her."
" I did," Hiroyuki stated, lifting his head higher.
" Hi…ei…" the girl whispered, her voice barely able to be heard even by their demonic hearing. She sat in between the two men who were sizing one another up, completely immobile as the scene unfolded. Seeing the apparition now, after so many years, was like seeing a ghost. Like seeing someone come back from the dead.
" Please calm down," Kurama placated, carefully keeping his distance from the rising ki in the room. He was not going to step in between two demons who were fighting over the woman they both wanted to take as their own. That was probably the worst death anyone could possibly face, and he shuddered even thinking about it. " We will solve nothing by fighting…"
The fire demon effectively ignored him, his eyes coming to rest on the woman sitting in front of him. A tattered, bloody pelt hung around her shoulders, hiding the luscious body he had known all too well. Her eyes, normally so bright, were glazed and confused, with slight bags under them telling the story of her exhaustion. Under the scent that lingered over her, he could smell a wound that had been treated, but must have been a large wound to leave such a large scent.
" Come here, onna," he ordered sternly, his crimson orbs narrowing as the other demon growled at the demand. She looked first at him, then Hiroyuki, to Kurama, back to him again. " Now!"
" Do not presume you still have the right to order her as you please!" the wolf snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Hiei's aura spiked in response, easily overshadowing the lesser demons much smaller ki. Even in the face of such awesome power, the albino stood his ground, a fang protruding from one lip in a sarcastic grin that reminded him of the detective.
" I will do whatever I so wish," the apparition growled, never taking his eyes from the woman in front of him. Her eyes moved between all three of them frantically, landing on the fox as if to plead for help. " For my claim still stands."
" You left her," Hiroyuki pointed out, his ears twitching in apprehension. He widened his stance, preparing himself for a possible attack. " So your previous 'claim' no longer applies. You never did put a mating mark upon her, and as such she was completely free to do whatever she so desired after you disappeared."
" Insolent fool!" the fire demon spat in rising anger. Purple sparks danced along his entire body, concentrating mainly around the jagan eye in an angry hiss.
Akiho, before she even knew what she was doing, reached out a hand to grip the sleeves of his shirt, catching the attention of everyone in the room. " Don't…" she whimpered, tears springing to her eyes. His anger seemed to radiate over her like a tidal wave, upsetting her and making her feel sick. " Please… don't fight…"
The apparition calmed slightly when he felt the heat from her hand resting against him, though an invisible wind still whipped at his clothing. " … Come with me," he grumbled, holding out a hand to her. When she hesitated a deep growl escaped his throat. " Now, onna!"
" Now wait a minute…!"
" It's ok, Yuki kun," she whispered, letting her dazed eyes slide over to his form. His arms were shaking with anger, and she felt a deep sadness that all of his frustration was because of her. " I… we need to talk, Hiei and I."
" Akiho!" he growled, taking a step forward. " Stay here! I don't want you going off with him alone!"
" I will be fine, Yuki kun," she assured him, taking a shuddering breath. " Hiei would never hurt me. Besides, you know very well that I could easily fight him off long enough to escape to safety, even if something did happen." Before the wolf could utter another word a gust of wind wracked the tent, and she was gone.
" Akiho!"
Hiei quickly speed away from the campsite, carrying his lover in his arms. She hung onto him with an iron grip, her face buried in the crook of his neck as the old sensation of traveling at high velocities made her stomach flop. The smell of burning wood assaulted her senses, making her relax immediately. She hadn't realized how much she had missed his unique smell until just now.
He finally came to a stop a few miles away from the campsite, keeping her held safely within his arms. Looking around, Akiho recognized the forest that surrounded them as the hunting trails the Yahroog had threatened to take. " Hiei…" she murmured, looking at the fire demon warily. She wriggled around in his arms, trying to get her feet free from him so she could stand up.
" Stay," he growled, tightening his arms around her. After a moment, she rested against him, allowing the demon to leap up onto the branch of a large tree. He sat against the wide trunk, pulling her the rest in between his legs so that she could comfortably rest her head against his chest. His arms quickly wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against his warm body.
It was quiet as they both muddled through their own thoughts, trying to organize their thoughts into the words they so badly needed to say. Akiho found her mind focusing on one question, one that had plagued her for these past few years. " Why did you leave me?" she whispered. She was staring straight ahead, but she did not see the trees that surrounded her, nor did she hear the sounds of the forest around her. All she did hear was the sound of his quiet breath, ghosting across the back of her neck.
He shifted behind her, tensing slightly even though he had been expecting the question. " I did not intentionally leave," he growled, his thumb rubbing against her stomach soothingly. It took a lot of control to keep him from pressing her to the ground and reacquainting himself with the many pleasures her body offered. But seeing the way she had first looked at him, he knew that there were more important things to do.
" …What do you mean, 'intentionally'?" she asked vehemently, clearly losing her battle to remain calm. Twisting around violently in his arms, she glared up into his crimson orbs. Even with how close he was to her, and after feeling his comfortable arms around her, she was not going to let it deter her anger. She had waited too long for answers, and too long to release all the anger that had festered over the long years they had been apart. " Was it just some whim that led you to leave me all alone in this god forsaken place?!"
" Never!" he grunted, clutching the biceps on her arms. His eyes glowered in anger and desperation, willing her to believe him. " I told you I would never leave you again!"
" Then why did you?" she shouted, tears springing back into her eyes. All her emotion, all her anger and pain seeped into her voice in a strangled sob. " You did leave me! Did you realize how scared I was?! I waited hours for you to come back, but you never did! You left me all alone, in a place that I hated! A place that frightened me!"
" … The dragon of the darkness flame became unsettled," the fire demon whispered, his hands trailing up to her shoulders. He looked her square in the eyes, hoping that she would believe him. If not, he wasn't sure what she would do. " I had to leave you to try and keep it under control. If I hadn't, you would have died, onna."
" Wha… what?" she murmured. He mind felt suddenly clouded again, as those words slowly took place in her mind. That would mean… he really hadn't meant to leave her. He had been trying to protect her, all this time. And she, like a fool, had thought he had purposely left her all alone. " Then… you…"
" I've been searching for you ever since," he continued, relaxing his grip on her now that she seemed to be listening to him. Running his thumb over her skin lightly, his eyes darkened when she visibly shivered at his touch. It would be so very easy to have his way with her; even now, when she seemed so upset with him, he could smell her arousal at the light touches he administered. Sighing, he tried to reign in his urges, knowing that now was not the time for such desires. Right now he needed to make her see the truth, and then, once she had calmed down, he could take what was rightfully his.
" You… didn't… leave me," she whispered, going slack in his arms in shock. All this time she had feared what she would face when she finally met him again, all for nothing. It was… difficult to accept. She had been prepared for anything, anything but this. " Then… you still…?"
" I could never stop loving you, onna," he murmured, running his hands up to cup her cheeks gently. Fresh tears leaked from her eyes, trickling down across his hands and soaking into his shirt. " Never…"
An endless chasm of longing woke within her then. It had been so long since she had talked to him, so long since she had held him, and now that he was near she could no loner ignore the urge. She threw her arms around him; shudders racking her body as choking sobs shook her. " Hi…Hiei!" she sniffled, shifting as close to him as she could. Her legs were now wrapped around his waist, clenched tightly around him in an almost painful embrace.
The fire demon pulled her close, a growl rumbling forth from his chest. Her scent was calling to him, bringing his instincts dangerously close to the surface. His arms were wrapped around her snugly, molding her body as close to his as possible. " Onna," he murmured, pulling back at the fabric surrounding her shoulders. Unable to control himself, the fire demon gently nipped at her collarbone, a smirk appearing on his face when she moaned quietly. She shivered as his tongue flicked out against her skin, closing her eyes in the haze these sensations were producing in her.
Her tears still making a burning path down her face, Akiho soon found herself rocking slowly against her lover, her head still buried in the crook of his neck. It didn't take long for the heat to gather between her legs, and she silently noticed that her lover seemed just as aroused as her. " Nnnnggh," she gasped, a jolt shooting up into her when he ground his pelvis against her aching body. His lips never left her skin, leaving tingling, wet trails behind as he traveled up her neck.
" That's right, onna," he whispered against her, pausing to suck on a sensitive spot. " Moan out my name…"
Akiho didn't respond at first, instead pushing her head to the side, allowing him greater access to her exposed skin. When all he heard from her was a sharp intake of breath, the fire demon growled and bit down sharply on her neck. " Agh!" Her cry quickly turned in a groan as he licked away the blood, her blood pumping loudly in her ears. " Hiei…!"
She turned her head up to look at the sky, her eyes glazed from the sensations he was producing in her. It was strange, she thought, that demon world had such menacing skies, when her own home had been blessed with such a beautiful one. The last time they had done anything so intimate outside, the dark blue of the night sky had entranced her in its mesmerizing depths. Her body froze as a pair of blue eyes flashed by in her minds eye.
Hiroyuki. In her lust-induced haze, she had entirely forgotten about the man who had courted her for the last few months. How could she have forgotten someone who had held her in the worst moments, who had listened unbiased to her fears? " Sto…stop," she murmured, pushing her hands against his shoulders. Her body was tensed, immediately making him growl as he realized something was wrong. " Stop…"
" Hn. What are you doing, onna?" he questioned quietly, running a hand up and down her back with a frown. There was no reason he could think of for her to suddenly cease their actions, but the frantic look in her eyes was enough to make him control his needs, for the moment. " What's wrong?"
"…I… thought…" she whispered, her hands fisting in his shirt. The woman averted her eyes, looking down at the forest floor far below them as she chewed nervously on her lip. " I thought… you left me…I…"
The fire demons red orbs narrowed instantly, an animalistic growl reverberating in his chest. " That's why that wolf's scent was all over you!" he snarled savagely, tightening his arms around her. " You're fucking him!"
" No!" she exclaimed, pleading eyes gazing up at him. " We haven't… I thought you left me! I waited for years before… before I thought… I could…Yuki kun and I…"
Another snarl escaped his throat as his claws dug into her arm painfully, causing the frightened girl to wince. " I won't allow it!" Hiei growled, yanking her back into his arms. " You're mine onna, and I will not lose you again!"
" Hiei…" she murmured, pushing against his chest again when he showed no signs of releasing her. It tore at her heart to push him away like this, after seeing the loving look on his face when he had first found her, but at the same time she knew that she couldn't hurt Hiroyuki in the same way. " Please… I… I don't know…" An undignified squeak escaped her mouth as he abruptly stood up. Her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck, closing her eyes tightly as he sped off for the second time that night.
The fire demon did not pause, barely noticing that the woman in his arms was again crying into his shirt, whimpering softly as her wound stretched in a painful position. He stopped within a few mile of the campsite, the purple glow of the jagan lessening as he looked down at her. " I will not lose you," he whispered, pulling her closer to his chest. Her head was leaning weakly against him as he eyes struggled to stay open.
" Don't…leave…"she murmured, loosely gripping his shirt in her left hand. Her eyes ached, her legs, arms and stomach hurt, and her head felt fuzzy, like she had drunk one too many beers. " …Please…"
" I won't let you go," he grumbled, his eyes softening the longer he gazed at her. " Not ever again…"
The first thing she realized was how warm it was. Almost unnaturally so, but she was much too comfortable to care. It felt like she was floating on a cloud, and she loathed to get up. The next thing she noticed was that she was drooling. Mumbling a curse, she reached up with a numb hand to wipe away the offending liquid, deciding it might be best to just fall back asleep. It was rare that she slept so deeply, and it always seemed to refresh her.
So, settling back down onto her bed, Akiho frowned. This did NOT feel like her normal bed made of fur pelts. The surface underneath her was decidedly firmer, and felt a lot like those electric blankets she remembered from ningenkai. A small noise escaped her throat in her confusion, her frown deepening. It even smelled different then her pelts. Normally they smelled like rain or the growth of summer, but this smelled like…
" Hn. Awake, onna?" a voice tickled her ear. Her eyes flew open at the sound, blinking up at the red orbs looking down at her.
" Hi… Hiei?" she murmured, looking up at him owlishly. How had she ended up here? Taking a quick look around, her face slowly turned red as she realized they were in full view of everyone else in the cave, who were looking at them curiously. " How…?"
" You fell asleep," he said quietly, adjusting his grip on her. Akiho nodded in understanding, resting her head against him again warily. It really was very comfortable being held by a fire demon while you slept, and it would take a while for her to tear herself from his arms.
" Where's Kurama nii?" she questioned suddenly, lifting up her head to survey her surroundings. Panic started to rise inside her when she did not see the avatars distinctive red hair. " Kurama nii?!"
" He's outside," Hiei explained, rubbing her back comfortingly. " Speaking to the wolves about the battle."
" Oh," she murmured, relaxing. She had been afraid he had mysteriously left her here all alone. " I could have told him about it, if I had been awake…"
" Hn. Why were you in the battle, onna?" he demanded curiously. " Wolf demons do not usually allow women onto the front lines."
" I'm the pack leader," Akiho explained, laying her head down again with a sigh. " It's not typical that a woman leads a wolf pack, but I rightfully earned the title. During the battle I was disguised as a man, and I was called by the name Gahir."
"…You're the leader?" he grunted in surprise. A chuckle escaped his mouth, causing her to peer up at him curiously.
" What's so funny?" the girl demanded, sending him a small glare.
" That you, the onna that was so deathly afraid of demons, is now leading some of the most fierce beings in this section of makai," Hiei grumbled, readjusting his grip on her. " …Much has changed in my absence..."
"…Amino…sama?" a hesitant voice piped, causing the two lying on the floor to look up. Hidari stood uncomfortably a few feet away, his eyes focused on his leader. The fire demons glare was just too much for him to handle.
" What is it, Hidari?" Akiho questioned, pushing herself up to her elbows to get a better look at her advisor. When the fire demon tried to pull her back down, she gave him a growl that could rival any wolfs. He only raised an eyebrow and chuckled, allowing her to do as she wished for now.
" The elders wish to speak with you," the brown-eared wolf murmured, looking at the ground nervously. " Right away…"
" Alright," his leader sighed, groaning as she pulled herself to her feet. " Let us go, then, or else they'll become irritable…" She frowned as she realized the fire demon had risen as well, looking for all the world like he was planning on following her. " Stay here, Hiei…"
" Hn. I'm not leaving you," Hiei grunted, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly.
" I'm sure you can last half an hour without me," the brunette sighed. " I must speak with the elders alone. Only myself and Hidari are allowed to be present in a meeting with them." When he only raised an eyebrow, Akiho grumbled out a curse. " You're so damn stubborn…"
The fire demon grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him, a frown on his face. " You will come see me immediately after words," he ordered, inching closer to her lips. " Do you understand…?"
" Ye…yes…" Akiho stammered, a blush appearing on her face. A sudden noise caught her attention and she jerked away from the apparition, looking around only to feel her ears heat bright red. A group of young girls were giggling nearby, watching her with avid interest. " I…I'd better get going…!"
She quickly ran out of the cave, dragging Hidari along with her. " Well that certainly was interesting, Amino sama," the wolf grumbled, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
" Wha… what are you talking about?" she questioned, strutting past him. " I have no idea what you're referring to…" They walked on in silence as Akiho slowly tried to regain her composure, trying to push away both her confusion and embarrassment at the little display she had just unknowingly put on for her clan mates. But it seemed that the farther she walked, the more muddled her mind became.
It was difficult to resist the fire demons advances; she had longed for them for years now. The way his crimson eyes looked at her so intensely sent a shiver up her spine, and the way he was so gently touching her had an underlying desire in it that it made the heat begin to build low in her belly. "…I haven't kissed him in years…" she murmured to herself, barely noticing the slightly astonished look her advisor was sending her. A blush settled on her face as she recalled how close his lips had been to her own; if only those girls hadn't distracted her, she could have closed the distance between them…
" Amino sama!" Hidari hissed, elbowing his leader in the ribs. She immediately stopped in her tracks, the blush fading from her face as she blinked at him in confusion.
The sound of someone clearing their voice snapped her attention to a group of elderly wolves, some of who were quietly chuckling to themselves. " Amino san," a woman with pure white hair cackled, her dull yellow eyes glowering in her direction.
" Elders!" Akiho exclaimed, dropping to her right knee as an old man wheezed out a laugh. " You must excuse me… my mind was wandering, I apologize."
" Let us not mince words," the woman continued, sending her a slightly disapproving look. The woman was known as Kiriya, the oldest of the elders and their leader. " We do not trust this… forbidden child, that has appeared among us."
" I can personally assure you that Hiei would never…"
" Silence!" Kiriya sniffed, folding her hands over her chest in disdain. " First he terrorizes our troops in the middle of the night, kidnaps our leader, and then refuses to let anyone take you from his custody during the early morning hours! How can we possibly trust one so devious as this… this monster?!"
Akiho felt a growl rumble in her throat and pulled herself to her feet, setting her jaw determinedly. " I understand that you fear him," she grumbled, clenching her fists irritably. " But never, ever call him a monster again!"
" How dare you speak to us in such a manner!" a man shouted.
" Fear in someone because of their reputation is a foolish thing," Akiho hissed. " Something so foolish I am surprised the elders of our tribe would commit such an act. I can vouch for this man; he will not kill or damage anyone who does not provoke him. If he does, I will personally excuse myself from my position and leave this tribe." Silence followed her words as the elders stared at her in open-mouthed wonder. " I will not tolerate anyone calling him a forbidden child in his or my presence. That is an order!"
The only sound now was that of the wind, tearing through the meeting cave to create an eerie howl. The wind tore at her bloodied and tattered clothes, her eyes looking especially fierce in the dim light of the cave. " We did not realize this man was so very important to you," another woman murmured, a kind smile entering her face. " I can understand your anger at our thoughtless accusations."
"… Thank you," Akiho mumbled, bowing her head slightly. " I must also apologize for my outburst… I am under quite a deal of stress right now, as you can imagine… I will try my best to control my behavior from here out."
" Fine," Kiriya growled, sending both Hidari and the brunette a smoldering glare. " We will tolerate his presence, for the time being. But! If he dares harm even one hair on one of our clans mates, he will be banished from these lands!"
" Agreed," Akiho said curtly. Bidding them farewell, she dragged her advisor along with her at a brisk pace.
"…Amino sama?" the wolf at her side whispered, blinking at her tense back.
" The nerve of that woman!" she hissed, clenching her fists even tighter. " How dare she call him that! What is with these small minded, flea bitten, son of a…!"
" You're quite riled up," a smooth voice rumbled. Akiho stopped in her tracks, looking around until she had found the source of the voice. Hiroyuki stood nearby, leaning against the wall with a small grin on his face. " What'd they do now?"
" Yuki kun," she murmured. Suddenly, her anger no longer seemed so great. " It's just… Kiriya san is so…"
" Kiriya sama called the fire demon a forbidden child," Hidari interjected, placing a tentative hand on his leaders back. He could feel her nervousness in the air like a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon. " Amino sama has never appreciated such thoughtless words…"
" Always thinking of others first," Hiroyuki smirked. He reached out a hand to ruffle her hair, his smile turning almost sad. " One of the things I love most about you…"
" Yuki kun…I'm sorry… about everything…" Akiho whispered, grasping his wrist. " I didn't…"
" Kurama san has told me all he knows," the albino said, taking a step closer to her. His blue eyes focused on her, unmoving, searching her face for something. Akiho blushed when he suddenly touched his lips to her forehead. " I realize this is hard for you, but… I'm not giving up." And before she could respond, he was gone.
"…Let us return to Hiei san," Hidari said gently, grabbing his dazed leaders arm and leading her down the corridor. " We wouldn't want him killing someone after you gave such a dramatic speech…"
Ok, sorry it's taken so long to update. And I must apologize for telling you there would only be a few chapters left-there will be many more, if things continue to go this way. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review! -Master of pervs out!
