Chapter Five- Captured

Shiori felt her heart pounding as she headed home. It was finally Friday and she was about to tell Kazuya and Kokoda about Kurama. She had spent the last couple of days, figuring when to tell them and how to say it. She smiled slightly. This has to be how Shuichi felt when he decided to tell me. He trusts me so much and I just hope they believe me and will still accept and love Shuichi.

She reached her home and was about to get out her key when she felt a prick in her arm. She looked to see a dart and then behind her to see a rock that hadn't been there before. It was tall enough to deliver the dart to her arm. It sank back into the ground and she sank into unconsciousness and into the arms of Cho who grinned before scooping her up and dropping an envelope on the doorstep bearing Kurama's human name.

Shiori groggily blinked open her eyes and groaned as she sat up. She continued to blink as she looked around. She was in an underground room, the celling being made of dirt and root poking through it. Another look revealed it was a bedroom with a large bed, a vanity dresser with a mirror, a closet, and a wardrobe. It clearly belonged to someone and she took calming breaths as she concluded that a demon had snatched her. Shuichi's fears were well-founded. But why and how will he find me?

The doorknob of the door started to turn and she steeled herself for her captor to enter. She was not going to shake with fear, no matter what the demon looked like. She was going to be strong and demand answers. The demon probably thought of her as a weak female, but she would prove him wrong. The door opened.

She nearly gasped at the handsome creature that entered. It was a brown fox demon! He was almost as tall as Yoko with shoulder-length hair as brown as mahogany wood. His ears were long and wide and his tail was full and bushy, both were a lighter brown than his hair and complemented his creamy white skin. He was dressed in a green Chinese button-down shirt with matching pants and shoes. His gold-green eyes regarded her with a mixture of admiration and disdain. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Am I bait for Yoko?"

Surprise flickered across his face before saying, "Name's Cho and yes, you are bait. I must say you seem to be well-informed and taking all of this well."

"Kurama told me the truth about himself about a week ago and his fear of me being used to lure him into a trap."

"Ah, that's Yoko for you. Always anticipating trouble and planning accordingly. What he probably isn't counting on is that he'll be walking into a death trap."

Shiori felt her face pale. "A death trap?" she repeated. "Why? What has he done to you?"

"Nothing. Yomi hired me to kill Yoko. He's already paid me for the job. I present Yoko's head as proof and I get to keep you to do as I wish."

Shiori's face and eyes hardened. "You won't kill him. Yoko is too clever to fall into a trap."

Cho laughed. "Oh, I believe I will kill him. My power can negate his plant power as I am an earth fox."

"That explains that rock that appeared out of nowhere. Wait a minute. What do you mean by doing as you wish with me?"

Cho grinned. "You're a strong, spirited one, aren't you? I guess you have to be if you were able to birth a baby with two souls, one of them being a demon. I would love to have someone with that kind of fire for my mate."

"I'm married, so forget it."

"You think that concerns me? Humans can't get into Demon World unless they accidentally fall into a portal. Face it, Shiori: You're mine now and I will make sure of it. First…" He pulled out a syringe and emptied it into Shiori who promptly fell asleep. "Now, to set the traps." Cho left the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

Kurama walked quickly to his home. This was the day the whole family would know his secret. He coolly anticipated that they would be frightened or skeptical before he proved it; afterwards they would be scared. Kazuya may wish to keep Kokoda away from him. His stepbrother may approach him once his father wasn't around and ask questions. He may think having a demon for a brother was cool.

He reached the door and was about to go for his key when he saw the envelope on the doormat. He picked it up, got out his key, and entered. He went to his room, dropped his bag, and opened the envelope. He had caught the scents of earth and fox and wondered who wrote to him. He pulled out the single sheet and read the short message:

Yoko, I have your mother. Come and get her if you dare.

Kurama stared at the note, passed the paper under his nose to lock in on the scent and then crushed it with an angry growl. A demon had taken Shiori as he had feared. Clearly it is a trap but I will make sure it fails. He wrote a hasty note to the others about a mother-son trip in the mountains before he changed to Yoko, leaped out his bedroom window, and headed into the wooded area to open a portal to Demon World. Do not worry, Mother. I am coming.

Shiori's eyes fluttered open to focus on Cho who was naked and smiling at her. She gasped as she sat up and scrambled back from him. Cho simply laid there. "Well, my dear, I've laid the traps and we are completely alone. No one will disturb us as the traps are protecting us."

"Yoko will get past them."

"I beg to differ. One trap is a dirt and rock slide that will trigger when one steps one of a half dozen hidden panel switches. When Yoko steps on one, he will be instantly swallowed up by the dirt and rocks."

Shiori had to admit that it sounded like a good trap and wondered if Yoko would have a way to counter it. She never thought to ask Kurama about his powers and abilities as a demon or the abilii8tes of demons in general. Can Yoko avoid that trap?

She then jerked back as Cho ran his claws over her hair. "Don't touch me!" she snapped.

"Oh, but you are so beautiful now. We will be a lovely couple."

"I told you, I'm married and Yoko will rescue me."

"You have a lot of faith in him. I think the skills he had acquired as a thief have dulled and faded in the years of being your son. He is soft and weak now."

"I doubt it. He's revealed that he has been fighting for years and I bet his skills are as sharp as ever."

"Either way, we will find out. But for now, I say we get better acquainted. Perhaps that will convince you to accept my affections."

"Not likely. I know most demons don't like or care for humans and some eat therm."

"That is true. I'm sure you know that foxes don't eat humans."

"Yes, I know. I also know that most demons would not become involved with a human. You are clearly one of those who would."

Cho gave a hiss. "Never. I would never mate with a human. I'd rather have a fox whose abilities are the same as mine or complements mine."

Now, Shiori was confused. "I thought you wanted me as a mate. You just said we would make a lovely couple."

"And we will. Look." He held up one of her hands.

Shiori gasped. There were claws on her fingers! The sight of them left her with a sinking, sickening feeling in her stomach as did Cho's words. She scrambled out of bed and around it to the vanity. She looked into the mirror, blinked several times, and screamed in shock and horror. Oh my God, she thought as she stared at her reflection. He turned me into a fox demon!