Chapter 3

Manta sat silently in the Oyamada family's limo, staring at the ring that now rest on her finger. The gold band was rather tight on her, a pear lily resting on the top with a diamond centering it. On each side of the lily, there were small symbols engraved. She let out a miserable sigh while leaning against the door.

"I should have just run away," she thought sadly. "Yoh-kun said his family is strict about tradition… Maybe they could have helped me…"

"You should put those mutts out of your mind," Ren spoke up.

The blonde looked over quickly to the Tao, and then glanced away. "Quit talking like they're animals."

Ren snorted. "Manta, just forget about them. Your father's decision to send you to China is a good one. It will also teach you to act properly."

"I already act too properly," she muttered, and then she blinked when he caught her chin and tilted her head up.

"You act like one of them," Ren muttered while staring into her eyes.

The blonde's eyes widened when he leaned forward, and then she turned her head away while pushing him back. "What are you doing?!"

Ren's eyes narrowed, and then he released his grip on her chin and forced her back against the seat. "You shouldn't defy your superiors. It could be bad for your health," he said icily.

Her eyes welled with tears when he leaned forward again, and then she began shaking her head frantically. "L-Let me go now! Leave me alone!" After a minute she brought her knees up into the Tao's ribs as hard as she could, forcing him away from her, and then she scrambled from her seat to the opposite seat and began knocking frantically on the window between the passenger seats and the drive's seat of the limos. "Tamura! Tamura!!" she called, and then cried out when Ren whipped her around and struck her hard across the face.

The teen frowned, and then took his chance to pin the half-dazed girl on the seat, and then leaned down and kissed her roughly, forcing his tongue past her thin lips.

After a couple of minutes, her blue eyes fluttered open as she regained her senses, and then she began whimpering, feeling the boy sucking mercilessly at the name of her neck.

"It's not like I'm trying to take your blood," Ren snapped irritably while pulling away, and then returned to his seat.

Manta whimpered while sitting up, still dizzy from being hit, and then whimpered while placing a hand over the sore area of her neck. After several minutes, she retrieved the mini mirror from her small backpack. After investigating and finding a large, dark bruise covering her neck, she whipped the mirror at Ren and began crying. "H-How could you?!" she sobbed.

"Hmm?" Ren replied, not at all amused with the mirror, which he had easily caught. "What are you whining about now?"

She buried her face into her hands, continuing to sob. "Y-You… You… I hate you!"

"I could have slept with you," Ren said with amusement.

"Y-You weren't supposed to touch me!" she cried, her face still in her hands. "Nobody was! Only Yoh-kun if we ever… ever…"

Ren frowned. "Only if you what?"

"If… we ever married…" she whispered softly.

"Yeah, well guess what, Princess. This is the real world. It's time for you to realize that isn't how the world works. You should be thankful your father is separating you from those two. If you hung around them much longer, you would have been a certified slut." He closed his eyes. "Now quit your whining and deal with it."

After another ten minutes, the limo came to a stop at the airport.

"Get out," Ren said irritably while forcing the reluctant girl out. "The plane will be ready in ten minutes. You have until then to get cleaned up or get something to eat."

Manta watched shakily as the Tao walked off, and then she pulled her jacket around her tightly while looking down. After a moment, she let out a startled yelp when two arms wrapped around her.

"Shh," Yoh's voice whispered softly. "It was hard to get here past security."

"Y-Yoh-kun…" she whispered shakily as he turned her to face him.

"Manta…" Yoh said gently, seeing that she had been crying. "Are you okay?"

Manta stared shakily at him for several minutes, and then looked away, her face reddening. "Y-Yoh…"

The brunette stared silently at the short girl, and then brought her into his arms lovingly. "Be strong. They can't keep you there forever."

"You don't understand…" Manta whispered softly.

Yoh frowned when he noticed a strange scent on Manta, and then looked down to her. A moment later his eyes narrowed. "Somebody touched you…" He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. "Manta… Somebody touched you, didn't they?"

The blonde froze, and then looked away quickly. "I…"

"Who?"

"N-Nobody…" she whispered.

Yoh made an irritated sound. "Who the hell touched you?!"

"I… I…" she stammered, shaking.

"Manta… Please… Tell me," Yoh said gently, his expression softening. "I… I care about you too much. Please tell me…"

Manta continued to blush, tears running down her face. "Please… Take me away," she thought softly and wished she could say. How wonderful it would be if Yoh would just abduct her. Take her to the mountains, away from 'civilization'. Her blush deepened at the thought of Yoh claiming her as his mate. And to live in the mountains with him would be so wonderful. To be away from the new world and be with the old world. "So safe…" She thought quietly.

"Manta?" Yoh asked worriedly, placing a hand on her forehead. "Manta, are you okay?"

"Yoh…" Manta whispered softly, her face still red and her eyes half-lidded. "Please… Take me…"

Yoh blinked, and then his face reddened, his expression becoming similar to hers. "Manta…" He gently caressed her face, and then he took a deep breath. "Manta?"

The blonde was silent, caught in her small fantasy world, but jolted awake when Yoh's hand slid from her face, down her neck, and onto her shoulder. Her eyes filled with tears, and then she hugged him tightly, beginning to sob. "Yoh!"

"Manta?" Yoh asked confusedly, and then he returned the hug. "It'll be okay. Everything will work out."

"N-No…" she whispered softly. "I-It won't…"

"Manta?" Yoh repeated still confused. "I… Huh? Wait!" he cried when she pulled away from him and began to run. He stood up quickly, but only stared as she ran towards the private jet that looked like it would be taking off any minute. He froze when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder, and then looked back. "T-Tamura-san…"

He frowned slightly at the boy. "You… shouldn't have come here, Yoh-kun. You're the reason Mansumi-san is sending her away."

Yoh looked down sadly. "I know…" After a moment he looked back towards the plane.

Tamura nodded, and then turned away. "It is best this way, Yoh-kun."

Yoh watched silently as Manta boarded the plane, and then swallowed hard when it closed up, began moving, and then finally took off, disappearing quickly with the early night sky that came with December.

Horohoro stared at the clock silently, and then frowned worriedly. Yoh still hadn't returned home. "Idiot," he murmured while discontinuing his pacing, and then after grabbing his jacket he looked towards the living room. "Anna, I'm gonna go find Yoh."

"While you're at it, get the groceries," was her only response.

"Ugh," the Ainu groaned while picking the list up off the table, and then quickly left before he could receive any more orders. "Idiot," he thought again while walking. "I told you not to get involved… Where the hell are you now?"

As he walked, he thought about how close Yoh and Manta had become. He knew well enough they loved one another. And he knew that they weren't aware of each others' love. It was only natural for him to be annoyed. Now he would have to worry about how Yoh would take Manta's leaving.

When that thought crossed his mind, however, he received an unexpected answer. He jumped about three feet into the air, hearing a loud cry that morphed from human to canine somewhere in the area. After several minutes, the blunette's eyes widened. "Yoh…" After a moment he began running, praying he would find his distressed friend before Yoh could find somebody else.

To Be Continued…