A/N: Here we go! Another chapter for those who were left hanging off their seats! I promised no more cliffhangers but sometimes it just happens. I don't think this one is much of a cliffhanger, but then again, you might think it is, just because you don't know what's going to happen next :)
Thanks for all your awesome reviews and remember to keep it up! I'm trying my best to keep up with life and write on these stories of mine (because I love to write and it gets rid of stress...of which I've had a lot lately)
Ok, I know you guys almost never read these opening notes because you're so eager to read what happens next, so I'm gonna stop talking now and let you enjoy ~3
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Wolf's Rain. I do, however, own Nakita, and I share Nova with LoLfUdGeSiClE! Enjoy!
A cold draft wrapped me in its cold embrace and wouldn't let go. My bones felt like icicles and every inch of my skin was pebbled with goose bumps. The parka I always wore did next to nothing to keep out this unearthly chill. But even so, I hugged my arms tighter to me and continued taking baby steps forward in the pitch darkness. After recovering from my nasty fall down that God-forsaken chute, I'd pulled myself up and had taken a look around. I was in what I could only guess as a gigantic room, judging from the swift breeze. And I assumed it was metal, like everything else in this hellhole. My footsteps echoed off the walls, of which I couldn't see, because not only was this place all metal, it was also all dark. I'd tried earlier to push my bangs out of my face and couldn't see my hand enough to actually do it. I knew it was there, but even my wolfy eyes could not pierce this all-encompassing darkness. It was like someone had thrown me into a pot of ink. Even the cold air felt thick and was a chore to walk through.
Testing the limits of the room, I'd walked about fifty paces both to my left and to my right, not encountering a thing: no wall, no hallway, nothing. It was like one big holding cell...without all the inmates. Hell, I would have welcomed inmates at this point. I felt so alone and so small in this room, cut off even from the entire world. And it was so damn cold! I breathed into my hands, trying desperately to warm them even just a little bit. All my senses had gone kapoot since entering this isolated place. I couldn't smell anything, couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything (except the bizarre wind blowing through the empty walls) and I definitely couldn't see anything. This entire experience was a little bit odd, like everything that had happened since I left my old pack.
I stopped. Blinked. Was...was that something moving over there? To my left? I squinted my eyes, peering closer into the blackness. A darker outline materialized out of the shadows, squirming and wriggling in mid-air, like some sort of worm. It wasn't far in front of me, so, ever the curious cat, I took a cautious step closer, keeping every muscle tight and ready to spring at a moment's notice. I mean, this was Jaguara's Keep after all, everything in here had to be hazardous to my health.
The dark mass moved again, but this time it intentionally wiggled closer to me, trying, it seemed, to decide on a form to take. I blinked, taking one more step closer to the blotch as it wrenched itself back and forth. Cocking my head, I could swear I heard it hissing. Suddenly, it sprang in all directions, emitting a high pitched shriek that had me clamping my hands over my ears and howling in pain as the sound ripped through my eardrums. I faltered backward, trying to get away, but the screaming seemed to be coming from every direction. I squinched my eyes shut and gritted my teeth to the point that my jaw popped. The thing continued shrieking as if it knew it was causing me physical pain. Finally, I removed one hand and blindly swatted at the air, hoping for a lucky shot.
I got my wish. My hand bounced against something solid but blubbery, like I'd just sucker punched a whale. I yelped and pulled my hand back against my chest. However, the screeching stopped and I was finally able to drop my hands from my ears and open my eyes. It was still dark as sin in the giant room, but a few paces in front of me, I could make out something, no, someone...I blinked one more time and opened my eyes really wide, trying to suck in any light that I could to get a better look. There, standing about a foot away from me was..my father.
"Come on, wake up!"
Nova heard something buzzing by her ear and immediately reached up to swat at it. Her palm connected with something hard and soft, not the pliant body of some bug she'd been expecting. Slowly, her arms and head aching, she opened her eyes and blinked into view the tiny room she and something breathing next to her were sequestered in. Still drowsy, her mind took its time remembering everything that had happened to her up until now. She remembered running with Tsume to look for Nakita...and then she remembered being pitched forward onto something very hard and very cold...possibly the floor. Then nothing. All she knew was that she and Tsume (cause she'd figured out that the breathing thing and the buzzing noise must be him) were shit deep in trouble, as she liked to say. Tsume pounded her on the back, trying his best to be gentle about it as he tried waking her up.
"Get up, stupid. You've been out long enough."
Nova noticed that his voice was softer than his usual growl. She was picking up a note of panic in her partner's false bravado. Startled, she sat bolt upright and swung around to survey the damage. Tsume was sitting propped against a box of crates labeled "Top Secret" and was holding his left wrist gingerly in his right hand. He grimaced and looked away when he caught her staring.
"I'm fine. Just a scratch." Then he glanced back at her, one eye narrowed. "A scratch I got from trying to help you." His words stung, but Nova knew his heart wasn't in it. He was too worried about what would happen next. She could tell. It was plain as day in his golden eyes.
"Tsume...what...what happened? How did we get here?" Nova's lip quivered, for once in her life actually afraid. This had Jaguara written all over it, she just knew it! And if it had Jaguara written all over it...then that meant she was in a deeper shit hole than she first thought.
Tsume looked at her, trying his best to bring back his old Tsume-badassed-ness and failing completely. "Look, I don't know. The floor just suddenly decided to grow a pair of legs and the next thing I know I'm falling flat on my face trying to keep you from falling. You were knocked unconscious and I couldn't help either you or myself because of this." He gestured at his wrist and winced when the movement jostled it. "Anyway, the floor took us to this room and left us here. Nobody's been through yet, but that doesn't mean they won't be." His face looked grim as he eyed the only door in the entire room. It lay ahead of them, across the room, ominous in its singularity.
Nova gulped and asked, "Have you-"
"Yeah, I've tried opening it. Locked." He soured and let his head drop back against the crate. Nova looked away, saddened at the look of pure hopelessness on his face. Of all the wolves in the pack, she figured he was the most capable. And to see him reduced to this...well, her hopes weren't very bright anymore. The joy she usually found in teasing him simply wasn't there anymore. How could she? When they were more than likely on death row now. She sighed and put her back up against the wall next to Tsume. The silence stretched between them and Nova couldn't help but feel awkward, like she should be saying something to cheer them up.
She turned her head to look at him then, truly look at him. She started at his hair, which was a beautiful silvery grey that was cropped short and stuck up at the top but had a tiny dangling ponytail sticking out the back. His neck was smooth and hairless, as was his chest, which bulged out from his tight leather jacket with the rips in the shoulders. His white scar winked out at her from beneath the V-neck and disappeared back underneath it on either side. His hands were huge, each capable, she was sure, of snapping someone's neck in half. His thighs and long legs looked delicious encased in all that leather, and she could only wonder at how good it made his ass look. But, she noticed, from this perspective, it was looking pretty good, indeed. She'd just finished checking him out when she glanced back up and met a pair of gold irises. She squeaked and quickly looked away, the blush from earlier finally having its way and taking over her neck and face.
Tsume grunted and pretended not to acknowledge that he'd just caught her oggling him. He went back to thinking about ways of escape besides that door.
Nova, on the other hand, was harshly chastising herself. "Nova, you're so stupid! What if he'd said something to you, huh? What would you have said? That you were just checking to see if he had any wounds? He already told you that his wrist was the only thing hurt! What is wrong with you!"
She continued on in this way, beating herself up until there were no more feelings towards Tsume other than comradeship and general friendliness. That is, until he spoke.
"Why are you talking to yourself? Trying to tell yourself off for visually groping me?" There was a subtle hint of laughter saturating his question and instantly Nova's blush returned in full force.
She spluttered, "No, no! Of course not! Why would I be checking you out? I hate you!"
But even she didn't miss the lack of force behind that statement. Tsume noticed that too. "So you were oggling me. Well, you definitely don't see that everyday. A girl who swears on her life that she hates you, sitting there drooling over you like you were some kind of delicious dessert." He smirked, knowing he'd hit a nerve when he saw how red Nova's face was getting.
"You-You asshole! I was not staring at you! That's just your huge ego talking! I would never, in a thousand years, be caught staring at y-"
She was rudely cut off when Tsume's lips captured hers in his own. Her eyes flew open and she gasped into his mouth, but he didn't let go. He deepened the kiss, reaching up to cup her cheek in his good hand and to bring her mouth closer to his. Nova's lips tingled everywhere that his touched, and a warmth was beginning to spread out to every limb. She became somewhat lethargic and melted against him, finally closing her eyes and tilting her head so that she could press her lips closer against his, until they were one. She didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but when Tsume finally pulled away she was blushing furiously and looking anywhere but at him.
"Wh-what was that for?" She asked, voice trembling.
Tsume snorted and leaned away from her, straightening back into his original position. "'Cause I felt like it, that's why." He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, feigning sleep.
Nova slowly reached up to touch her slightly swollen lips where they still tingled. She couldn't believe what had just happened...Tsume...Tsume had just kissed her! And the strangest thing of all was...she liked it. She squeaked and twisted her body away from Tsume's, burying her flaming face into the crooks of her arms and trying to forget the whole thing had ever happened.
Tsume, watching her from one slitted eye, smiled to himself and settled more comfortably against the crate, satisfaction written all over his face.
"Kiba, wait up! You know we can't keep up with you," Toboe whined, quickly pumping his legs to gain some ground on his leader. Blue and Hige were having trouble keeping up as well. The strain on their faces was evident. However, Kiba didn't even acknowledge that he'd heard Toboe, much less slow down for them. He kept right on charging forward, only one purpose in mind: to find Tsume and Nova. And when he did, he was going to remind them who the alpha was around here.
Hige loped up beside Toboe and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll be all right, squirt. I'm sure Tsume and Nova didn't go far. We won't be running for much longer."
Toboe nodded but didn't reply back. He was worried about Tsume, but he was even more worried about Nakita. She'd been like a mother to him, and now she was gone and Kiba wouldn't talk about it. That scared him the most. He just knew that they'd gotten into a fight and Kiba had kicked her out. Why else hadn't she been back yet? He looked over at the others. He had a pretty good idea that they thought the same thing because they hadn't tried to go after her like Tsume and Nova had. And as for him...well...he was afraid. He wouldn't admit it to anybody if they asked, but he knew it all the same. He didn't have the willpower to go after Nakita on his own and defy Kiba. He was worried that he'd be kicked out too and left on his own to die or do as he pleased. He didn't want to go back to that kind of life. Living off scraps found in trashcans and constantly being chased off by crows and mean humans. He wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere. Kiba had given him that and he didn't want it snatched away from him. So he'd kept his thoughts to himself and had continued on without saying anything.
Toboe would have been surprised at how closely Blue's thoughts were running along with his. She'd been uneasy for some time, wanting to double back and search for Nakita. But she, too, didn't want to defy Kiba and be separated from Hige. She'd just found him! Nakita didn't mean that much to her, but she was still her alpha in some ways, and every wolf had an ingrained respect to their alphas. Especially her being female, it just didn't feel right to leave someone so vulnerable on their own in a dangerous place. So lost in though was she that she jumped when Hige took her hand in his.
"Blue, is everything all right?" The concern in his eyes tugged on her heart. She smiled through her gathering tears and nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine, it's just..." She looked away but patted his hand before disentangling it from her own.
"You're worried about her too, huh?" Blue, startled, sharply glanced back at him. He was understanding and nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought. We all are...except maybe Kiba." He pointed at him with his thumb, crinkling his nose in the process. "I used to think he was cool, but...this whole thing with Nakita seems a little much. I mean, she couldn't have done something so bad that deserved such harsh punishment. You know? I thought they, well, loved each other?"
"I think they do. But I also think Kiba is stressed from this entire situation. He's been on the run for a long time, and when he finally finds that special someone, she's taken by Jaguara and altered beyond recognition. Just at the moment when he was happiest. That kind of thing can't be erased or forgotten."
Hige nodded but scowled. "Still, it's not Nakita's fault that Jaguara caught her and...did that stuff to her."
"Yes, but still-"
"If it's anybody's fault, it's Kiba's! We all wouldn't be here if he didn't want to go on this crazy trip to some place that doesn't even exist!" He was yelling now, he knew, but the events from the past couple of weeks were finally taking its toll on him. He'd finally snapped.
Blue looked away, knowing he was right but still afraid to pin everything on their leader. Sometimes things just happened...like when her boy was killed along with Pop's wife. Some things in life couldn't be avoided. Fate ruled everything...and she could be quite cruel.
"Guys!" Kiba called over his shoulder, grabbing everyone's attention. "I think I've found their trail!"
The others gathered around him and each took a big whiff of the air. Hige's eyes flashed open. "Yeah, I smell 'em! They should be here somewhere, the trail's not that old!"
Blue walked a circuit around the group, sniffing everything and everywhere, hoping to find a piece of the trail that was thicker with their scent. Finally, coming up to the wall closest to her in the hallway, the scent reared up and slapped her in the face.
"Guys! Over here!"
They rushed to her and placed hands on the wall, testing it to see if it was moveable. When it didn't budge, they looked down at Blue where she'd crouched to the floor, feeling along the wall for a hidden seam. "Blue, I think you've been chasing too many wolves, your nose is messed up," Hige grumbled, stepping away from the wall and crossing his arms behind his head. Blue spared the meagerest of growls at him and continued feeling along the metal surface.
Kiba, taking her cue, started feeling along his section of the wall. The two continued like this for some time, hoping that they would find some hidden switch or something. Finally, Kiba's fingers touched something jutting out from the wall. He pushed on it and felt along its length. It felt like...a light switch..
Something swung out from behind him and knocked him senseless. His body crumpled to the ground and Blue and the others jumped quickly back, bodies threatening to shift into wolf form. The wall, still as stone, didn't move again, but Kiba's body had suddenly disappeared.
"What the hell?" Hige blurted, coming to the spot where Kiba had fallen and rubbing the floor. "He was just here! Right here!" The metal was still warm from where he'd fallen.
"That's...that's crazy! He couldn't have just disappeared!" Blue argued, voice trembling.
Toboe took two steps back, eyes widened in terror. Something was gonna happen to them next, he just knew it! They'd be eaten, or ground into powder, or...or! Suddenly the wall behind him retracted and a strong air current sucked him into darkness. He didn't even have time to yell before the wall slammed shut behind him.
Blue and Hige, startled, spun around to see what had made all the noise. They were surprised to find that Toboe, too, had gone missing.
"What the hell! Where is everybody?" Hige yelled. "This isn't fair! What's going on!" He slammed his fist into the wall that Toboe had disappeared into. Tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyesand his teeth were gritted in frustration. Blue approached him and laid a gentle hand on his back.
"Hige..." The wall wasn't about to let her finish. It retracted once again and sucked the two deep into its bowels, allowing them to join their friend.
"That's the last of them, Lady Jaguara," A deep male voice boomed, wickedly satisfied.
The lady in question kicked off the floor to make her chair spin around in circles while she threw up her hands. "Marvelous! Simply wonderful! I should have known you would come through for me! Ha ha!" Her men watched her as she continued in this manner, chortling to herself and congratulating the lone man standing before her. They all wondered to themselves how this woman could be so cruel but so whacked up at the same time. It was a deadly combination, as they'd all seen before.
The man, silhouetted in shadow, shifted on his feet. "Lady Jaguara, may I take my prize now? It's waiting for me, and I find that I've waited far too long to open it."
Jaguara stopped her spinning, a sinister smile curving her purple, poison lips. "Why yes, my pet, you may go and retrieve your prize. I daresay you've earned it, after all the work you've done." She reached out and stroked a hand down his chiseled arm, dragging her blood red nails across his skin. The man flinched but didn't move away.
"Lady Jaguara?"
"On the other hand," she purred, flicking her nail across the waist band on his torn jeans, "You could stay here with me and forget about your prize. I could be your prize." The implications in her voice were obvious, as were her fingers trailing ever lower on his pants, scraping against his zipper now.
Finally, he did move away. "Forgive me, my lady, but what I want is not in this room. Remember, you promised me I could have it."
Lady Jaguara pouted and pursed her lips. "Fine. Go. You shall have it. But do come back and see me when you've tired of it. You'll find that I'm much more pleasurable to play with."
And with those parting words, Raiden stalked off into the darkness, a single purpose on his mind.
LoLpOpSiClE: O.O I don't even want to say anything now. The pure evillness in this chapter astounds even me! I must have been in a terrible mood when I wrote this! Not to mention it took like, 2 and a half hours to do! I kept getting stuck on the Tsume/Nova part because I didn't want to warp their personalities too much. And if I say so myself, I think I did a pretty good job! But that's just my opinion. Your opinion counts the most! So, did I do good, guys? I hope so, and thank you to those who got my 'subtle' South Park joke on the last chapter ;)
Anyway, review plz! It'll make me happy! And I'll be able to write quicker! I finally have a stable finishing plot in my head for this story, so hopefully it'll flow more easily now and much quicker! Thanks to all who've kept on reading this even though I keep disappearing! :( Bye bye! Oh! And I'm going to an Oh, Sleeper concert tomorrow! I'm so excited! Anybody know who that is? Maybe I'll see you there! :) Ok, bye bye for real this time!