Chapter 3: Escape…

"I never seen someone captured like you before…."

Hicaru awoke to a pair of unfamiliar voices sitting up slowly still cradling her injured arm.

'Where am I?'

Her gaze shifted to the conversing pair across the room, both appeared to be wolves…..and one was gnawing on the bars….but she was surprised to see that the bars were actually bending. It didn't take him long until he could easily fit through before raising the illusion. Wait….that was the white wolf from before…..the one who had attacked her, he seemed so much calmer now….so much more docile….not at all like he was when Tsume and herself had confronted him.

The brown wolfs nose lifted to the air before he turned to look directly at her, she muffled a gasp and backed away to the back of her cage, her bony back pressed against the cold metal of the bars. Her shirt wasn't much protection from the cold…..just a navy blue tank top, and her khaki cargo pants were torn and ripped……at least her boots were holding out….which was a surprise since they were rather old. She closed her eyes ready for the attack…..if one had bent bars it was likely they all could. She slowly opened one eye as no blow came to see a boy sitting in front of her….apparently all these wolves could take on some sort of human form….no wait….then they wouldn't have clothes…it must be some sort of illusion. Her other eye opened as she blinked a few times, locking eyes with the male she tensed. Her gray eyes met his own and for a few brief moments she felt as if she knew him.

"C-can you get me out of here?"

She stammered unable to hide the fear in her voice. Why the heck had she asked him that? If she got out they might maul her or worse kill her…but still….those eyes were so trusting. He smiled and laughed nervously then replied that he couldn't bend the bars….Kiba could though. Kiba… that must be the white wolf…..or at the moment the rather attractive guy scowling at her. Without a word he made his way over to the bars, he only had to strain slightly to create a large enough gap in the bars to free her. Hicaru crawled between the bars…nearly getting stuck but managing to get out alright.

"…..you said you weren't a wolf" said Kiba flatly his startling blue eyes staring down the hallway as if ready to bolt any time.

"Because I'm not"

"Yes you are" the boy with the collar chided in still holding a smile, she already got the feeling that he was quite a ladies man….maybe because he hadn't stopped staring at her yet. Crossing her arms over what little of a chest she had uneasily she let out an exasperated sigh.

" Why do you guys keep saying that? Can't you see I'm human?"

"Yes…but we see your true form as well….anyway we don't have time for this…..do you want to go to paradise?" replied the white wolf already starting to take upon him a wise domineer. But she was also confused how someone could be at her throat one minute and at her aid the next….one more thing to boggle her mind in this all to eventful day.

"Paradise? Well….I guess anywhere's better than this place"

"We don't have time for this guys, we gotta get outa here!"

The next hour was just a blur, fleeing through the city they found a boy who called himself Toboe who was only a year or so younger than herself, from their introductions she picked up the names of her two comrades. Then they stumbled upon Tsume……Toboe seemed rather persistent in getting him to come along. Hicaru sulked at the back of the group as usual her gaze downcast hoping that Tsume wouldn't make any snide remarks about her. They only locked gazes once and she could see the obvious surprise in his golden eyes, a slight smirk came to his lips but before he had the chance to speak a chorus of bullets assaulted the group.

The wolves took off running across a series of large pipes, Hicaru hesitated….these people wouldn't shoot at her would they? She was rudely answered as hot led sank deep into her shoulder throwing her off her feet, she cried out in pain and tried to catch herself. But it was futile…pain soared through her arm and chest and blood came readily from the open wound. As her vision blurred her life began to flash by her eyes…..wait…HER LIFE!

She was used as a fighting dog…..she really was a wolf, they really weren't lying… she saw dirt rings and fight after fight with blood baths issued by her own being. She had killed so many innocent creature…and they weren't even fair fights….apparently she was half wolf. She was about to fall submissive to her own injuries when she felt something change in herself….like the air about her had changed. She cracked an eye open to see what appeared to be a ginger colored snout protruding from her slender face. Was this what they were talking about? She wondered dizzily. My true form….is this really it?

Sleep won the battle ripping her from her own world to a dark land where she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her…lifting her from her bloody bed of death and carrying her to safety...