Chapter 7

"When I said to take a chance I didn't mean this big of a chance," Rangiku fussed as she stared at the rose shaped ring on her friend's finger. "I thought you should have a fling! You know, have great sex for several weeks, dump him, and then get on with your life. Besides, weren't you the one dead set against marriage?"

"Yes. That would be me," Akane admitted, sitting down in a chair at one of the tables. She stared at the ring not regretting for one second that she had accepted his proposal.

A sudden shrill scream echoed through the bakery nearly frightening her and Rangiku out of their skins. "Oh, Miss Akane! You're getting married?" Momo shrieked with excitement. She ran to her boss to hug her and nearly knocked her and the chair she was sitting in over. At least someone was happy about it besides Akane. The girl was still chattering away like a hyperactive chipmunk when two white haired men walked into the store.

Akane recognized one as Jushiro and assumed the shorter, younger man must be his son. He had short, spikey white hair and the biggest, most gorgeous turquoise colored eyes. Momo had noticed him and was enchanted enough that she immediately stopped talking. Her brown eyes dropped to the floor then coyly raised to meet the boy's big blue green eyes causing them to both smile and blush.

Akane wondered if the boy had some kind of mystical ability himself to silence her talkative employee. She was sure it was just the magic of hormones since he was a cute boy her age. "Hello, Jushiro," she said in friendly manner as the man walked toward her to sit down at the table with her.

"Hello, my dear. Who is this lovely lady?" he inquired, smiling at Rangiku who blushed violently.

Good grief. Was she going to have to hose down everyone in the room? Too much staring and too much blushing going on around here.

"This is my business partner Rangiku and that is my number one employee Momo," she announced.

"I'm your only employee," Momo stated flatly without moving her eyes from Toshiro.

"Lucky you. That means you're a shoo in for employee of the month then," Akane retorted sarcastically. "Hey, Toshiro, see someone, I mean something, you like?"

"I see something very sweet that's not on the menu I'd like to try," he replied, staring at the pretty little dark haired girl in front of him.

"He's been spending too much time with Shunsui," she muttered in a stage whisper to his father who stifled a laugh. "Momo, why don't you take a break? You can take our new friend there for a walk."

"I apologize for not formally introducing you," Jushiro said after watching the two younger people walk out of the door together.

"No introduction necessary. It was pretty easy to figure out who he is. I'm smart that way. It's one of things Shunsui likes about me," she joked, noticing the big book he held in his hand. "So what have you found out?"

"Well, I did find out that you are not a descendent of the sorceress," he answered, setting the book on the table.

"No? In a strange way I'm actually disappointed," she sighed, propping her chin on her hand.

"What I found out was much more interesting," he said, opening the book. "I believe you are a descendent of the woman who had the first cursed child."

"Excuse me?" she asked, nearly falling out of her chair.

"The first what?" Rangiku inquired, her pale blue eyes wide as she glanced from one person to the other in bewilderment.

"Uh…" they mumbled in unison. They had both completely forgotten she was sitting there.

"You haven't told her anything?" he asked, glaring at Akane.

"Uh, no. This is something I kinda assumed I should keep to myself," she said, turning her attention to Rangiku. "It's not that I didn't trust you. It's just that I didn't want you think I was completely insane. Just hang on for the ride here while we get through this then we'll go back and explain everything."

"We?" Jushiro asked, raising a black eyebrow.

"Oh, yes, we. I'll need your help on this," she replied. "Now, what were you saying?"

Jushiro turned the book toward her and showed her the page that chronicled the identity of the first mother of a werewolf. It all seemed like a page out of a romance novel instead of a long boring historical article until he turned the page to reveal an artist's drawing of the woman.

"Oh, my god, she looks just like you," Rangiku gasped, her fingertips flying to her lips to cover her gaping mouth.

Sure enough, there on the page was a finely drawn and photo-realistic picture of a woman who could be Akane dressed in sixteenth century clothing. Once Akane was over the initial shock he went on to explain more about why he thinks this woman was her ancestor just in case she needed more proof. He was able to obtain information about her birth parents and traced her lineage back to within a few branches of the woman on the family tree.

"What was her name?" Akane asked, staring at the face just like hers.

"Her name was Suri. Would you care to guess what it means?" he asked, putting his hand over hers as it began to shake.

"Red rose?"

"You are correct."

So the rose was so much more than just a romantic gesture from Kisuke. Akane felt heat rush over her body like a wave in the ocean. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on her hand. Her breath was coming in quick shallow gasps so she forced herself to calm down before she hyperventilated. While she was recovering, Jushiro took the opportunity to give Rangiku a short history of the werewolf curse.

"I suddenly understand why she didn't tell me," Rangiku said quietly when he was done.

"Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss, isn't it?" Akane asked, when she reclaimed her sanity from the brink of destruction. "The more I learn, the more I wish I didn't know."

"Oh, ladies, come on. I thought you girls lived for this kind of dramatic, romantic thing. Okay... I will be shutting up now," he stated with much trepidation when he received death glares from both women. An expression of incredible relief crossed his face when Toshiro and Momo walked in the door to the shop. "Well, ladies, it has been interesting, but I must leave now. I'm sure I will see you again soon, Akane. Rangiku, it was a pleasure making your acquaintance. Son, it is time for us to leave," Jushiro announced, making a break for the door. When Toshiro lingered a second too long saying good-bye to Momo, his father yelled from the door, "NOW, son!"


"I've got a present for you," Akane announced, handing him the black velvet box she retrieved from the nightstand beside his bed. She watched expectantly as he opened the box and pulled out the silver necklace with a big medallion on it that was engraved with the image of a monk petting a wolf.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at the necklace.

"That is to protect you. The monk is St. Francis of Assisi. He's the patron saint of animals. I found an interesting story where he saved a wolf from being killed by a group of angry townspeople. As a matter of fact, the people fed and took care of the wolf until it died. All because of this man right here," she added, rubbing her thumb over the image.

"I would have never guessed you to be superstitious or Catholic," he said, leaning forward for her to put the necklace on him.

"I'm neither. Although I'm rethinking superstitions here lately in light of recent events, wolf man," she teased, kissing his lips. "I'll do anything to protect you. Call me paranoid after meeting that creep Starrk." She visibly shivered with the thought of the licentious, threatening bastard.

"He will never hurt me. I certainly will not allow him to harm you," he assured her, holding her close to him.

"I met my ancient ancestor today. That was a unique and emotionally trying experience." She cuddled closer to him, burying her face in his abundant chest hair.

"It was incredible when I saw that drawing. It was as if I was looking at you," he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

We were preordained to be together from the beginning. It has taken centuries for us to find each other again. Her owns words sprang from memory, and they immediately made sense. "Oh, my god!" Akane gasped. "Now I understand what I was babbling about."

"What?" Shunsui inquired, cocking his head like a confused puppy.

Akane could not help but dissolve into gales of laughter from his expression and the whole irony surrounding it. "Oh, darling, please you've got to stop! You're killing me?"

"Stop what?" he asked and moved his head in the opposite direction. Surely he had to know by now what he was doing.

Tears of unadulterated joy were running down her face because she could not stop laughing. She threw her arms around him, climbing into his lap. "I love you so much. You make me so happy."


"Hello, beautiful. I've found you." That sounded like a threat especially considering the source.

Akane took a deep breath and stood up from behind the counter where she was restocking the bakery boxes for carry outs. Her brown eyes met ruthless gray blue ones. She was thankful there was a counter separating them because she was sure he would already have her in his arms if there wasn't. Her body trembled under his ravenous gaze. "What do you want?" she inquired, wishing she had not sent everyone home early.

"You," he answered bluntly, hurtling himself over the counter to land right in front of her.

Akane found herself in the torturous position of being trapped between him and the wall. Her fiancée was a half wolf but this man was by far more terrifying and carnivorous. She turned her face away from him when he leaned in close to her. "Why? Why do you want me?" she asked.

"Because you're his. I want to destroy him any way I can," he murmured in her ear in a low sensual voice.

"Why would I ever want you? What makes you think you can have me?" She committed a grave error in judgment by turning to look at him which made her lips brush across his.

Coyote Starrk mistakenly took this as an invitation and crushed his lips against hers with a painful bruising force. There was no passion in the kiss; only a savage cruelty in his attempt to dominate her. He grabbed her hands to pull them off his chest to keep her from pushing him away. He slammed her hands to the wall above her head as he pushed his tongue between her unwilling lips.

Akane struggled against him, but it clearly felt like she was fighting a losing battle. Despite his slim build he was remarkably strong. She tried to jam her knee between his legs to attack the sensitive part of his body he was thinking with, but he caught her leg with his hand and pulled her knee to his hip. A scream was smothered between their mouths as he moved himself between her legs, shoving her against the wall. It seemed like every move she made only brought him closer to what he wanted and her further away from her freedom. She twisted any way she could in an attempt to free herself which excited him even more because she rubbed against the hard flesh between his legs.

"Mmmmm, baby, I knew you'd be a fighter," he moaned in her ear as he held her by the back of her head. "I want you so much."

"STARRK!" a deafening roar sounded behind them.

Akane was immediately unhanded, and she dropped to the floor in a fatigued, bleary eyed mess. She looked up at Starrk's sickeningly pale face with eyes so wide they appeared ready to pop out of his head at any second. Her gaze shifted to who he was looking at. Her hand flew to her mouth to prevent a scream of horror from escaping. She stared at Shunsui in his full werewolf form like he had been in the full moon night he was locked up. The medal around his neck that was now buried in glossy brown fur glinted in the bright fluorescent lights of the bakery.

"Close your eyes," he growled in an unearthly voice. "Cover your ears."

Akane did as she was told, curling into a little ball behind the counter. She was still able to hear Starrk's scream of unbridled terror as he was snatched over the counter. Her body convulsed painfully when she heard the sound of a gunshot. A howl of agony from her beloved vibrated through her body. She jumped up from behind the counter to see Starrk hightailing it out the door like a coward and her lover on the floor in a pool of blood. "NO! Shunsui, oh, god, no!" she screamed, running to him.

"Take me home. Call Jushiro. He will know what to do," he panted, wincing in discomfort when she touched him. The fur was beginning to recede as were the teeth and claws.

"Help me, sweetheart," she begged as she tried to help him to his feet. Her eyes noticed his hand pressed to his chest over his heart and the blood seeping through his fingers.

"He missed," he assured her as if he had read her mind. With a small smirk he added, "He was too damn terrified to aim very well."