Chapter 13.

          "Wait!" Kannon moved from behind my elbow to stand in front of me, arms outstretched. "These people are in the service of Fujiwara Sanesuke- sama! If you hurt them, you must answer to the Master."

          Tennyo lifted her face and laughed, and it bubbled like water. "She doesn't answer to a master. She is lupa, she is dominant."

          He looked back to me to find my Browning pointed at her face. Kannon ducked back behind me, out of the way.

          "Have your people back off or I will kill you."

          "You won't make it out of here alive." She smiled knowingly.

          "Yeah, but you're still dead." I stared her in the eyes. I heard metal sing and saw Aya's katana come into my peripheral vision.

          "Samurai in this day and age." Tennyo licked her lips. "Grant me one thing and I will let you leave."

          "What is that?" I asked.

          "Him." She pointed at Aya. "Have the samurai present to me, and I will let you leave."

          I looked to Aya, and he was stone-faced as if he hadn't heard the request.

          "Aya?" I asked.

          "Present?"

          I looked from her him to her. "If you kiss her, she'll let us leave."

          He blinked a moment. "Kiss her?"

          "Well, you don't have to do it, we could fight our way out."

          He watched Tennyo, who set her hand on her curving hip, watching him consider.

          "I will not wait forever," she urged.

          "Aya, make up your mind fast."

          Aya lowered his sword, and I held my breath.

          "Sheathe your katana," Tennyo instructed him, "and present to me."

          The katana vanished back into Aya's coat and he stepped forward. I held my breath as he approached her. He was taller than her, and she looked up at him. She tilted her face up towards him, and I let my eyes shift to the other Tora in the room. All of them were watching, waiting.

          I looked back to Tennyo and Aya, and his head was lowered to hers. Then he abruptly stepped back, lifting his head.

          "You call that a kiss?!" Tennyo screamed and her hands shot out to grab him. The Tora surged towards us and I shot the one closest to us. The Tora fell back, and the others pushed forward past him. Jason pushed past my elbow to meet them.

          "Silence!!"

          The whole room froze at the booming voice that nearly knocked me off my feet. The single word seemed to resonate through my chest. A large, no, huge man stood in the doorway to the back of the bar. He wore a muscle shirt, baring huge arms, and his pants were biker's leathers. His hair was short and dyed green. Power flowed around him, like that shimmering of heat waves in the summer. And he didn't seem to be doing it on purpose.

          Tennyo had hold of Aya's hair, nearly bending him over backwards. His hand was on his was on the hilt of his katana, the weapon half drawn. Tennyo let go of Aya, and he stepped quickly away from her. The man walked up beside Tennyo, looking at us.

          "The Yo," Kannon whispered to me. Yo? Must be the Alpha male.

          "What disturbs my rest?" the Yo rumbled through his chest.

          "I am Anita Blake, the lupa for the Thronnos Roke Clan."

          "I am Honyaku Shinji, I am the Yo," he rumbled back.

          "We are seeking the foreign pard," I explained.

          "I know where they are." Dark eyes studied me.

          "I'd offer you tribute, but I've already presented twice."

          Shinji looked to Tennyo. Tennyo pouted her lips at him.

          "It was not worthy of the In."

          "You have gotten greedy, Tennyo," he snarled at her, and he looked at the Tora I had shot, who was still laying on the floor, coughing up blood. I'd shot him in the chest, and his lungs were struggling to heal. At least it hadn't been silver shot. The silver bullets were in my backup clip.

          Shinji stroked a hand over Tennyo's hair and looked across the other Tora. The Tora quickly backed off, including the one behind us.

          "You have followed ritual, and my In was rude. To atone for this, I myself will take you to the foreign pard," he said to me.

          I let out a breath I hadn't been aware I was holding. "I am grateful."

          I holstered the Browning and Jason opened the door behind us. We backed out of the bar, with Shinji following.

          "Wait." Shinji walked back down the alley, and we climbed into the car.

          Kannon was muttering to himself as he pulled on his seatbelt. I turned to look at Aya. He looked back at me, face blank.

          "Don't worry about it," I told him. "She didn't plan to let us go anyway."

          His eyes flicked to the window. I don't really know if he had taken the incident as an insult to his kissing abilities, but still felt I should have said something. Shinji came back into view, pushing a motorcycle. Kannon started the car and we tailed the tiger.

          Shinji led us through the busy streets. I was so glad I wasn't driving. Even in the passenger seat, the traffic gave me road rage. I guess this is how it feels to drive in Los Angeles. Now I can understand the shootings.

          After fighting the traffic, Shinji led us into a park area that was nearer my hotel. Figures, they had to be next door, and I'd come all the way through this. He pulled over in a parking lot and we parked next to him.

          "Meiji jingu." He pointed ahead at a building I could see in amidst the trees.

          "It's a temple," Kannon explained. Great, time to see if I can insult their religion too. Shinji stepped ahead and we followed. Aya seemed agitated, constantly looking around as if he wanted to be done and out of here.

          "Should we have tribute?" I asked Kannon. Kannon looked to me, at a loss. I glanced around us and pulled a red blossom off a bush. It was really the fact that we offered something that was more important what was it was. I hoped, anyway. Hope I didn't just desecrate some sacred bush.

          "That's them." Kannon pointed. A group of folks in between the trees of the park. Three males and one female. The female was in a pink kimono-looking thing, with long white-ish hair that flowed down over her shoulders. She was gently wrestling with a tow-headed male in a red jacket and black pants. Another pale haired male in a tight, white outfit sat next to them on a bench, resting his arms on the back of the bench and watching the wrestling two. The third male didn't have pale hair, but dark red hair, dressed all in black leather and it seemed like he was trying to join in on the wrestling match.

          They all paused and looked to us as we neared.

          "Shinji." The male in black leather stood. His hair was a little longer than Aya's and he was thin. Painfully thin, and not much taller than me. Yellow eyes glittered through his dark red bangs. His arms were bare, slender silver chains hanging around his hips.

          Shinji nodded at him and Kannon smiled. Shinji spoke in Japanese to the leather-clad male as we waited. The other three watched us, the wrestling two separating and getting to their feet. I'd have guessed the girl at around sixteen or seventeen, lovely as a child's doll. Her pale hair seemed to have a pink tint, possibly reflection off of her kimono. Her eyes were a cobalt blue in a light skinned face. Her hair had been twisted into extravagant loops and pinned to her head, then trailing down her back, thin pastel ribbons running through it. Tiny chimes jingled amid the ribbons as she moved.

          Hovering beside her, crouched with one hand down, was her wrestling partner. His hair was white with butter undertones. His face didn't have the childlike roundness the girl's did, but there was something about his dark blue eyes, the wide, almost blank look he had. The eyes you see on young children. He was a bit more fleshed out than the black-clad male, and seemed healthier.

          The last male was probably the tallest in the group, and the palest. His skin was pallid. So pallid I could practically see his veins through his skin. Albino was my guess. He'd streaked his equally pale hair with strands of lavender and orchid. His eyes looked purple, probably from the play of blue and capillaries, peering out suspiciously through the colored bangs that hung half way down his face. His all white clothing further paled him. It made him almost too bright to look at in the sunlight. A small silver bell shone at his throat. None of them looked like murderers, but appearances could be very deceiving.

          "Anita Blake?" The leather-clad wereleopard looked to me finally.

          "You speak English?" I asked in relief. He nodded.

          "My part is done," Shinji said quietly.

          "Thank you, Yo. I am grateful." I nodded respectfully at him. He returned the nod, and returned to his motorcycle.

          "I am Rune, Nimir-Raj of this pard," the wereleopard said pleasantly. "What can we do for you?"

          "Rune, I am Anita Blake, lupa of the Thronnos Roke clan. I need your help. Sanesuke has kidnapped a child. I need your help to get him back."

          I held out the flower to him with both hands, waiting to see if he was going to laugh at me. Instead, I watched Rune's golden eyes soften as he took the flower carefully from my hands, and wondered briefly if he and Kannon had been separated at birth.

          "A child? What can WE do?" he asked, looking up from gazing at the blossom cupped in his hands.

          "Sanesuke wishes to meet with you."

          He looked around quickly with just his eyes. "We will not stay to be his slaves. We aren't staying that long."

          "We've already told Sanesuke we aren't interested," the albino male spoke up.

          "Please, just come talk to him for the child," I said seriously. "After we get the child, I'll make sure you do not have to stay."

          "Sanesuke is mean," the female spoke up, sounding quite young. I wondered how old she really was. The whole group was young. In America, I bet they were illegal.

          "What interest do we have in a child?" the albino male asked again.

          "A child held prisoner by Sanesuke, and most likely to die if you refuse," I said earnestly. Rune looked to Kannon, who nodded back. Shape shifters can smell a lie, but I guess he wanted confirmation from another shape shifter.

          "I don't know why Sanesuke wants to see you so badly, but it's my people and that child on the line if you won't speak to him," I pressed.

          "We don't owe you anything." The albino male frowned.

          "Synne!" the girl scolded.

          "I speak for the pard." Rune turned his topaz stare on his pard member. Synne shrugged and lowered his head.

          "Just as you seek to protect your people, I seek to protect mine. Tell me why, Miss Blake. Tell me why I should lead my people into danger for yours." Rune looked at me intently.

          I bit my lip. I'd have felt the same way. Five pairs of eyes stared at me as I tried to put my thoughts into words.

          "It's true you have no obligation to help me and endanger your people. But I will do anything for my people. Even ask you to endanger yours." I stared back at him. "I will not abandon you to him, Rune. Because I ask you to do this for me, I will ensure you leave."

          Rune stared at me intently, as if weighing whether or not I could be trusted. I could tell that he had a good heart that he even considered my request. It was highly refreshing to meet a dominant that was so friendly. And maybe why he kept the pard moving. His friendliness was probably a downfall in the long run.

          "Tomorrow, Miss Blake," he said finally. Meet us here tomorrow morning, eight o'clock, and I will tell you our decision. I must speak with my pard."

          "Thank you, Rune." I nodded. I hated waiting longer, but at least it wasn't a no.

          "And thank you for the gift." Rune smiled, lifting the blossom. He had fangs, upper and lower. Small, but there. I had to smile back, and turned to lead the others back for the car.

          Aya rumbled and Kannon translated. "So they agreed?"

          "No yet, they have to decide. They'll tell us tomorrow."

          "Tomorrow?" Aya hissed.

          "They haven't said 'no', so stow it, Aya. It's diplomacy right now. When it comes time to hack and slash, I'll let you know."

          He glared at me and rolled my eyes. That glare must work well for him in normal life, since he liked it so much. That's right, the glare would work well on a customer shopping for flowers. I'm sure they had repeat business.

          "Where to now?" Jason asked as he slid into the back seat next to Aya.

          "I guess we go home and wait till tomorrow," I sighed, leaning back in my seat and closing my eyes. "I just wanted a vacation. Just a vacation."

          "Would you like to meet my people?" Kannon asked as he started the car. "As my guests. No power plays or formalities. We'll have a good lunch together."

          It sounded too good to be true. "Where?"

          "They stay in an old temple in the mountains outside of the city. My mother, that is. She's a caretaker for the place. My sisters are visiting. I'm sure they'd be glad to meet you."

          "Really?" Jason leaned forward, gripping the back of Kannon's seat. "Your sisters are single?"

          Kannon laughed. "No, they're both married."

          "Better luck next time, Jason." I had to laugh at his crestfallen look. Then I saw Aya. His arms were crossed and he was staring out the window with a very aggravated look.

          "Fiber, Aya." I crossed my arms on the back of my seat. Kannon turned to look and started laughing, joined by Jason. Aya turned to glare at me again, then look at the others. He turned back to glare at me, and I blew him a kiss before I turned back around to face front. With all the aggravation he was causing me, I figured giving a little back was fair.