Chapter Two

A Permanent Settlement

Kouga finally collected the last herb he needed to cure a headache and headed back. He found himself thinking about Naomi, how her short, long, dark brown hair complimented her facial features, her rose red lips, her slim, limber body, curving in all the right places. He hurried back so he could see her in person.

He reached the den and entered. The first thing he noticed was that wolves weren't anywhere to be seen. He asked one of his kin, "Where are the wolves?" The wolf youkai looked up from the leg of a Bird of Paradise he was eating just long enough to point to Naomi and the wolves on the bed and went back to eating. Kouga noticed his bloody fingers, no doubtfully from the bird and scolded him. "Normally I wouldn't mind, but we have company. Go clean up." The youkai took one last bite and went to go clean himself off.

Kouga turned to the bed, and, for the first time, really noticed Naomi there. She was so beautiful just lying there, peacefully sleeping. Then he noticed the wolves all around her. What had gotten into them, he asked himself. They weren't usually this friendly towards anyone but the wolf tribe. Ignoring his curiosity about the wolves' behavior, he walked over to Naomi's sleeping form, stirring some of the wolves. They picked their heads up and looked at Kouga as if they would attack, but when they saw who it was, they put their heads back down and calmed. If I didn't know any better, he pondered to himself, I'd say they were protecting her.

Kneeling down beside her, Kouga shook Naomi gently by the shoulder. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open to see Kouga kneeling there beside her. "Oh, hello," she muttered drearily. "How long was I out for?"

"I don't know. I just got back," Kouga said. "Headache gone?" he asked concerned.

"Yeah, but thanks anyway."

"Well that's good to hear," he said with a smile. "The wolves really seem to like you."

"Oh, yeah..."

"What did you do?"

"I just scratched one of them behind the ear. Then the rest of them came over."

"Who, Rusty?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Oh, sorry. Hey, Rusty," Kouga called, and one of wolves picked up his head. He was brown like most of the other wolves, but he also had a few golden and red streaks. Yes, that was the one, she thought to herself.

"Yeah, that's him. Why would that..."

"Oh, I don't know. He just seems to be the most friendly, so he gets more attention."

Rusty got up from his place from a few feet away and laid back down, snuggling against her knee.

"You kiss up," Kouga said, reaching over to scratch the wolf behind his ears. He whimpered and nudged Naomi's knee, which made some of the other wolves raise their heads. "Oh god, here we go again." Naomi said with a sigh, though she was not annoyed. Actually, she quite liked the wolves. It was going to be hard to leave them when she went home.

Home.

How was she going to get back? She didn't even know how she got here, much less how to get back. "Hey, Kouga..." she ventured.

"Hn?" He asked, still scratching the wolf's ear.

"Would you happen to know how I get home?"

"Home? I'm assuming the same way you came."

"Well...that's the problem. I haven't the slightest how I got here."

"I figured," he stated plainly.

"Well, I fell in the well and the next morning I was here. Shall we go see what happens if a go jump in it?" she asked, as if he knew the secret of the well.

"Why not," Kouga said.

"But...could I stay for lunch? I haven't eaten anything yet." Naomi said, her stomach starting to growl.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. So what do you like? Mice? Rabbits? Boar?"

Naomi hesitated. "You're joking, right?"

"Why would I be?"

"Uh...Why don't you come and stay at my place for lunch, huh?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

She made a face. "Uh...just not a real big fan of mice, boar, and rabbit."

"Oh, okay. Yeah, let's go then."

Kouga picked Naomi up as he did before. "We'll--I'll be back in a bit," he called to his kin as he jumped off the ledge and took of in the direction of the well. Naomi caught his slip. 'We'll' be back? Does he want me to stay, Naomi asked herself.

"I bet my mother is worried sick," Naomi told Kouga just to start conversation. It didn't go anywhere. Then, because the slip of his tongue was nagging her so badly, she asked, "Do you want me to go home?"

This startled Kouga, causing him to stop in his tracks and she immediately knew he didn't want her to leave. Naomi smiled. "Don't really want to go either, but my mom is going to be worried. And besides. I need a change of clothes." She looked down at her outfit; her pajamas, which she was wearing when she was pulled into the well.

"You don't want to go?" he asked surprised.

"Not really. My life stinks back at home, but anyway, you and the wolves are really nice, and I would hate to leave without getting to know you better..." Naomi hesitated, but then added, "I don't have many friends. Not real friends."

"That's hard to imagine."

"Yeah. Guess you can't trust people much in my time," Naomi said, almost feeling sorry for herself.

"Eh, not always a bad thing. People can't always be trusted." He took off again.

Kouga reached the well, but he didn't slow. Instead, he jumped in without hesitation, and they were thrust through the portal between times.

The ground became visible once more, and Kouga jumped out of the well and sat Naomi down to her feet. They were in a large field, surrounded by woods on three sides, on the fourth side the land sloped down. Home, Naomi thought to herself.

"Where do you live?" Kouga asked, looking around the field.

"Down the hill," Naomi said, pointing to the slope a few yards away. Naomi took him by his hand and they walked to the edge of the slope.

"That's where you live?!" Kouga asked, shocked by the size of the house. "That hut's huge!"

"It's no hut. Nowadays, people live in places called houses, and they're usually that big," she explained, and then pointed to her neighbors' house. "See. Those are my neighbors. Their houses are just as big as mine."

Kouga didn't say anything. He'd never seen a hut--house that size. Yes, he was used to living in a cave that size, but a man-made home to be that big!

"Come on! Let's go!" Naomi called, taking off, running gleefully down the hill. Kouga quickly caught up with her and slowed down, running beside her down the hill.

Naomi nearly slammed into the door she had such a hard time stopping. Kouga easily stopped, and grabbed her around the waist to help stop her. In the reflection of the sliding door, Naomi smiled at Kouga as thanks and he smiled back. A few seconds later, she also added, "You can let go now."

Both Kouga and Naomi blushed and he pulled away. Just then, her mother rounded the corner of the hall. She spotted Naomi, ran to the door, she swung it open and ran out.

"Naomi! Where have you been?! I've been worried sick!" she almost seemed to squeal. She grabbed Naomi in a bear hug, tears running down her cheeks. "Oh, my god, Naomi. Don't ever leave me again!"

"Mom, sorry that I worried you, but I'm hungry and... you're squishing me," Naomi said, barely able to breathe. She didn't let go though. "...Mom..."

Kouga stepped in then and started detaching Naomi's mom from her. "Excuse me..."

She looked up then, letting go of her death grip on her daughter. "Naomi, who is this?" she asked, almost angered. Taking a step back from Naomi and putting her hands on her hips. "Naomi, who is this?" she repeated.

"Uh, Mom, this is Kouga. Kouga, Mo--"

"And this is what you've been doing? You've been off with some guy doing who knows what and you've had me worried sick? What's wrong with you?!" Her mother cut her off, and the more she yelled, the more Naomi just wanted to go jump back down the well and settle with a mouse for lunch.

"Mom, nothing happened. I fell down the--" she was cut off again

"I cannot believe you, Naomi! What were you thinking?!"

"I fell--"

"I mean, I understand you're getting to that age where--"

This time Naomi cut her mother off. "Mom!" she screamed. "We haven't done anything! I fell down the well and Kouga saved me! Nothing more!" Now she was quiet. She hugged Naomi again and said, "I am so sorry. I have just been so paranoid. I couldn't find you and I was so scared..."

"Mom, I know, but Kouga and I are hungry. Can I just fix us lunch so we--he can be on his way?"

Naomi's mother was too paranoid to catch her slip of the tongue. She pulled away one final time and said, "Of course, sweetie. What does your friend, here like? I'll fix it myself."

"Actually, I don't know. I was going to fix it by myself, though. You know, as thanks."

"Oh, okay. Just as long as you're safe." Naomi's mother directed the two through to open door, went in herself, and closed it, and went back to the computer.

Naomi lead Kouga over to the kitchen and decided, since he was a carnivore, she would find a good meat to cook. However, there was none that she could find, and cursed the luck.

"Mom," she called, and heard a "what is it" from down the hall as a response. "Do we have any meat? Steak preferably."

"Oh, yeah. In the garage refrigerator. Help yourselves."

"Thanks," she said, and started for the garage door.

"Is your mother always like that?" Kouga asked as he shut the garage door behind him. They had both entered it and Naomi was heading down the steps to the refrigerator.

"Pretty much. My mother's always been paranoid, or at least ever since Dad passed. He struck a deal with a gang near here. He wanted cheep drugs, but he bought so many of 'em, he couldn't pay off his debt, and they killed him. Now she's afraid of everyone she doesn't know and, I swear, she has a heart attack if I'm even a few minutes late." Naomi opened the refrigerator door and peered inside. There was some leftover spaghetti sauce, sodas, and there to the left was the steak she was looking for. "Ah, there it is."

"I've never had steak before," Kouga said, staring at the cold meat. "Come to think of it, I've never eaten meat cold, either."

Naomi laughed at how little he knew about the food. "You heat it up, first. We put it in here so it stays fresh longer." Naomi closed the door, meat in hand, and went for the steps. Once in the house, she found a cooler and filled it with ice.

"What are you doing? I thought you said you were supposed to heat it up," Kouga asked confused.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay with you," she said in a lowered tone. "Coming home just made me realize how much I need to get away."

"Of course. That's fine. Do you need to get anything before we go? Like the clothes you mentioned?"

"Yeah, but I'm going to have a time getting it past my mom. She thinks I'm staying, so carrying anything past her would look suspicious." She put the meat in the cooler, went to a cabinet overhead, grabbed a wine bottle and put it in the cooler as well. Last but not least, she grabbed two wine glasses and plates, and set them out for her to get later.

"My room is upstairs," she said pointing out the kitchen door. Headed for her room, she left the kitchen, Kouga following. To get to the stairs, they had to pass Naomi's mother in the office, but she didn't notice them go by. Up the stairs and two right turns later, they were in Naomi's room. Being used to her surroundings, she went straight for her closet and grabbed her book bag, throwing it on her bed, located a few feet away. She quickly grabbed all her jeans--a total of five pair--and six of her favorite shirts.

Kouga stared at her amazed as she ram-shackled her room for the things she needed. He sat down on her bed by the book bag and piled in everything she had thrown. When she finally turned around with the sixth shirt, she saw him helping her out and smiled. He smiled back as she tossed him the shirt and he put it in.

Naomi walked over to the dresser on the side of the room opposite of the closet and opened one of the drawers. She searched through it and grabbed some things, but held it down in the drawer until she had gotten everything. Naomi turned around and went over to Kouga and the book bag, he fully expecting her to toss the clothing.

"I don't think you want to put these in," she said, her hand full of thongs. He just looked at her oddly and shrugged. "Never mind." Naomi shoved the thongs in the book bag and grabbed her book off the bedside table and shoved that, too, in the bag.

Naomi looked down at her clothes and remembered she was still in her pajamas. Taking a pair of pants and a shirt out of the book bag, she stepped back and took off her pj shirt. "This doesn't bother you, does it?" she asked, putting on her shirt.

"Uh...I guess not," he said unsure if it really should be bothering him. He actually found her rather attractive; slim, strong, fair tan...then on the other hand, a beautiful girl didn't mind dressing in front of him, and she wasn't his mate. "Modesty isn't much of an issue with you though, is it?"

"Not really." She took off her pants and Kouga realized why she thought he wouldn't want to handle the clothing that came out of her drawer. He blushed and turned away. Naomi noticed right off.

"I thought you said you didn't mind," she said, pulling on the jeans and zipping them up.

"It's not that..."

"Well, whatever. I need to get a few more things and then we can go." Picking up her pj's and shoving them in the bag, she picked it up and went to the bathroom. She grabbed her brush, shampoo, soap, razor, and toothpaste and toothbrush, and went out to the bookshelf in the hall. A thick book with a black leather cover was the one she grabbed. She shoved that into her bag too and looked away from the shelf. Kouga came from around the corner.

"I'd hate to think of you as a youkai. How the hell'd I ever keep up with you?" Naomi smiled at his comment, and then lowered her voice.

"I'm sorry. It's just the excitement of finally getting the hell out of here is giving me a bit of an energy boost. Oh, that reminds me. I'll have to grab some coffee. Now c'mon." Naomi made her way downstairs, Kouga following behind. The minute she hit the first floor, though, her mother spotted them.

"What were you doing up there?" she asked, but when she noticed the book bag, she asked, "Where are you going? You're not leaving again, are you?"

Naomi stuttered over her words. She couldn't tell her mother she was leaving. It was just one of those things. She hated her, and yet, she hated to make her worry. "Uh...I, uh..."

Kouga cut in then. "I have a major bird problem. She's coming to help me remedy that."

"Birds?" she asked, skeptically. "I would think that you could do that your self."

"They're owls actually. He's had a problem with them before, but he wasn't able to get rid of them, so as thanks for pulling me out of the well, I'm going to see if I can be of any assistance. I won't be gone for more than two days. Promise." The two lied between their teeth.

With some hesitation, she agreed and Kouga and Naomi went back into the kitchen. She wrapped the wine glasses and plates in a few paper towels and gently put them in a separate pocket in the book bag. "Do me a favor and grab the cooler," she asked Kouga. He picked it up as she grabbed the can of Folgers coffee.

"Okay. Let's get the hell out of here," she said, taking the cooler and heading for the back door where they came in. "See you in a couple of days, Mom," she called, running out the door with Kouga. She shut the door behind them and started laughing hysterically.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked, beginning smile himself.

The two started up the hill. "Birds?!" she managed through her laughter. "That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard, but it worked."

"Actually, it's no joke. I have a major bird problem, but they aren't small birds."

"What, like, hawks or something? Eagles?" she asked, beginning to calm her laughter.

"No," Kouga said sternly, and any trace of a smile was erased from Naomi's face. "They're called Birds of Paradise. Don't be fooled by the name. They're anything but friendly." Kouga had a grim expression on his face, and Naomi decided it would be best to stay quiet. The two made it to the well without talking. Upon arrival, Kouga took her back pack and the two jumped in