Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain, I do own Adam, his family, and Soui
Chapter 4 Town of Betrayal
Soui lifted up her head as the morning raise shone through the window onto her. She sat up for a moment, and forgot where she was. She looked at herself, surprised she was human, she used to detest the others for taking on this form, but it most likely saved her life.
She raised her arms above her head and let out a stiff yet well needed stretch. Soui noticed that Adam wasn't with her, but she wrapped the blanket around her, and when she did look out the window, she saw that the snow ended just at the window's ledge. It must've snowed all night.
"So you're awake then?" Adam looked at her above and armful of wood.
"Hmf." Soui looked the other way, she had let herself be way too vulnerable, especially around such a stupid human boy. Soui covered herself further into the blanket and shivered.
Adam only laughed as he knelt by the fire lightening a match to the fire.
"I figured you'd be used to the winters if you'd been around here forever"
"Yeah well, I don't usually go swimming in the winter"
"What?" Adam looked at her awfully confused "Is that what you meant when you said you ran into some trouble?"
"I fell through the ice...that's all"
"But..." Adam closed his mouth, looking at the sharp and serious look on Soui's face. She had obviously gone out of character just to tell him that much. Soui covered her mouth as she started to cough a little. Adam left the room and came back with a cup of tea, and Soui looked at it suspiciously
"Its fine trust me, gees you think everything's a sabotage"
"Hn" Soui looked at him again and took a small sip. "What is this stuff?"
"It's a special tea my mother makes, it has a lot of healing herbs in it"
"I can taste them...my mother was good with that healing stuff"
"But she never taught you?"
"She's dead." Soui said blandly.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know"
"Doesn't matter." Soui sighed "She's been gone a long while now, I guess I've been alone most of my life. It seemed to suit me, whenever I met someone I started to care about, bad things happened to them. I just accept it now, I'm cursed, and I was meant to be alone"
"Do you truly believe that Soui?" Adam looked to her
"What else am I supposed to believe?" Soui looked out at the snow, her brother killed, her mother and father, husband, everything she had ever lived for.
"Maybe better things will come to you after you endured such a hard time'
"Foolishness to live off of hope, its better to take action" She said again quietly holding the tea in her hands.
"Were you ever in love Soui?" Adam asked quickly, a thin line of blush across his face that she did not pick up on
"I was...a long time ago....and maybe I still am"
Elsewhere
The sound of a lone howl brought the pack back together at the campfire once more
"Did you find her yet?" Kiba asked eagerly
"Sorry man," Hige said rubbing his hair.
"We found a small village a few miles north, there's a possibility she's there" Blue said quietly
"What makes you thin she'd be there?" Hige asked her curiously
"I know she doesn't have much pride taking on her form, but at the same time she was really injured. If someone found her out here, they might have taken her back to that village to be taken care of. Not all people in this world are heartless" Blue said quietly
"Alright, you, Hige, and Toboe head out towards that village. I'm going back towards the lake, and Tsume's around here somewhere, probably still searching" Kiba said, they all nodded and split up
"Blue, do you really think Soui's alright?" Toboe asked worriedly
"I don't know Toboe, not all people are heartless, but not all people are lovely." Blue whispered as they took off walking.
"Blue, what do you think of Soui?" Hige asked her taking her hand as they walked
"I really can't say Hige. I don't know here that well, she's been in all these accidents, its not like any of us has had leisure time to talk to her. Only Kiba and Tsume know about her past, and I doubt she told them the whole story."
"Do you, not trust her Blue?" Toboe asked worriedly
Blue smiled with a small chuckle "I never said that Toboe, I just mean I need to talk with her before I can distinguish what sort of a person she is."
"I feel bad though, for her whole family to die like that before her eyes. I bet she blames herself" Hige said quietly
"She had a brother, she says I remind her of him," Toboe said quietly
"I think Kiba mentioned she was the alpha of her pack, that must really hurt if her whole pack died, including her husband" Hige rubbed the back of his head.
"Hey look!" Toboe pointed the little vision ahead of them.
"How weird, what's a village doing out here?" Blue asked suspiciously
"I dunno, maybe they just like their privacy" Hige said with his usual sarcastic humor
"Something doesn't feel right," Blue said under her breath. "Come on, lets go find Soui" and she made her way into the city
Soui
"I was...a long time ago....and maybe I still am"
Adam was looking at her, with a perplexing look as he sat down beside her.
"Are you still in love with the same man?" He asked confused
"When, in my culture, when you fall in love, you keep the same soul-mate forever. But, mine died a while back. It hasn't been the same since then."
"I don't understand" Adam said rather perplexed
"My husband died you moron, that doesn't mean the bond is broken"
Adam was quiet again, I guess it didn't seem morally right, since she only was around seventeen.
Soui put the cup on the coffee table, and she picked up the sound of moving vessels outside. By the faintest mumbles, she realized it was the pack, and she tried not to smile
"I think I should get going," She looked towards the door
"But the snow, its so high out there!" Adam got up in protest
"I can handle it, I got to get home."
"Its not like anyone's waiting for you there! You should stay here with me!" He protested again
Soui turned back around and shot him a death glare "They're waiting for me"
"You're family is dead you said!"
"I have...a new family" Soui said with a smile edging closer to the door.
"You're the first traveler we've had in quite a while, I'm not going to let you just like that" He picked up the revolver leaning against the fireplace. Soui was filled with fear as she saw it in his hands.
"Adam please don't," Soui said nervously, her hand still edging for the door
"Soui...you said your husband died, I'll be your new husband"
"It doesn't work like that Adam, you can't take his place"
"I can sure as hell tried" He rose the revolver so it rested on his shoulder
"Would someone who loved me truly threaten me with gunpoint?"
"Sometimes we must be assertive to get what we want" Adam loaded the gun.
"Adam...stop" Soui was scared, but slowly she walked away from the door and stood in front of the fire place
"That's a good girl" He chuckled slightly, the gun shaking up and down
"You bastard....no wonder no knows here, with the way you treat these people, I'm surprised your mom is still around"
"Shut up! I'm not afraid to fire!"
"I dare you!" Soui said darkly
Adam aimed for her chest region, and as he pulled the trigger back, Soui back flipped and shattered the glass window landing in the snow, dodging the bullet, him in disbelief, and the only sound was a gunshot.
Soui scampered to her feet and took off in a sprint towards the exit. As she ran, (human form) ahead of her she saw Blue, Hige, and Toboe
"SOUI!" Toboe looked happy
"YOU HAVE TO RUN! HURRY UP!" Soui told them desperately
"What's wrong Soui?" Blue asked
"The hunter's back! Take the pack and run! I'll follow you later" She skidded to a stop in front of them. "Go quick, I'll be your decoy, I can follow your trail by nightfall. Tell Kiba and Tsume to get out of here!" Soui turned her head as she heard the sound of another warning gun shot "Please!"
Blue stood there for a moment, staring down at Soui, but saw something she didn't think she'd see. There was panic in her eyes, and Soui continued to shove them towards the direction in which they had arrived.
"Blue! Lets go!" Hige grabbed onto her wrist and began to run off
"Hige....can we really just leave her?" Blue turned and ran with Hige, but found herself still looking over her shoulder.
"I dunno Blue....but we gotta get out of here and warn Kiba!" Hige told her between pants. Soon the town was nothing but a blur behind them and only the vacant sound of the gunshots where heard.
"Adam stop it!" Soui looked at him terrified "You're scaring me"
"Well you should've obeyed me like a good girl does. Girls obey the men, it is the way of life!" He reloaded the gun and took another step closer to her.
"Don't do this, don't be arrogant. You're only going to get hurt this way," Soui was starting to feel her suppressed instincts gnaw at the insides of her. If she didn't resist it, she probably would already have bitten at his jugular, and at the same time fled, for the fear of guns.
"Me? You're worrying about me when it is you who is being pointed at with a gun?" Adam laughed again, he seriously was crazy, Soui decided it.
"You don't realize what you're doing, there's something wrong with you! You're better than this, you were so sweet to me before, so gentle and caring, where is that Adam! Don't let such blind desires make you do something you regret!"
"Die you stupid wench, you're a cursed girl, devil's child!" He aimed the gun and prepared to shoot her down
"The only one who's going to die is you!" Soui turned her head to see Tsume throw a punch right into Adam's chest; Adam's body shook and trembled until he finally released the gun. Soui picked up the gun and snapped it in two with her hands.
Tsume grabbed Adam by the collar of his shirt and stood him up on his feet "Come on punk, fight me like a man already!" But Adam was already lost in a daze, and Tsume only punched him across the face, Adam's face flying back, but still remaining on his feet.
"Tsume stop it!" Soui begged watching as he ruthlessly continued to beat Adam. Tsume didn't seem to hear her, like he too was lost in the savage and bloody rage and instinct of the wolf. Soui listened as Adam grunted out in pain gritting her teeth. The sounds of agony and pain were too much for her to bare, she ran to Tsume and wrapped her arms around his waist "Please Tsume, I beg you stop"
"Let go of me Soui" Tsume told her, his voice wasn't angry nor was it happy. He turned around and faced her, staring into her eyes. She didn't know what to do, nor at all what to say. Soui hadn't expected what happened next, his hand slapping her across the face and her falling to the ground and soft snow "What the hell were you thinking coming to a human village? Why did you just walk away from the pack?"
Soui rubbed her cheek but remained still on the ground, not even looking at him
"Answer me Soui! Why did you leave!" Tsume shouted
"I can't keep lying! I can't keep pretending like that! Some thing's wrong, I shouldn't stay with your pack, you, Kiba, Blue, Hige, Toboe, you all have to make it to Paradise, I'm not going to be the one who stands in your way! Tsume I can't do that to you!" Soui cried
"I never damn said I wanted to go to Paradise!" he clenched his fists looking at her
"They are your pack, you were destined to be with them!"
"I don't believe in any of that destiny crap! All of this is a waste of a life!" Tsume growled at her "Now get up!"
"Leave me here to die Tsume! I'm not going with you, I won't go knowing I'm putting you all in danger, you just don't seem to get it, I'm a cursed creature!" She screamed "Don't you get it? I'm the one Darcia wanted to kill, and instead he killed everyone I loved my brothers and sisters, my parents, my husband everyone!"
"Husband?" Tsume said with a small gasp taking a step back.
Soui looked up and glared at him with hard tears in his eyes "Yes my husband! I'm the alpha of my pack, I'm the last of it and I was their heir. You meet your soul mate once and mine's a dead and lifeless corpse. Don't tell me that destiny isn't real because it's the only thing I have to blame! He's dead Tsume! They're all dead and its all my fault! I don't to live with more guilt as you kill that stupid human boy! He took care of me Tsume that's all!"
"Oh yeah so I'm just supposed to let it go that this stupid bastard tried to shoot you down!" Tsume pressed his foot down on Adam's through "Scum like this should be exterminated" He pushed down harder and listened as Adam gasped for air.
"NO TSUME STOP!" Soui begged again, but Tsume only pushed his foot down harder and Soui watched as Adam lifted up a hand reaching out to her. Soui couldn't stand it, the tears wouldn't stop falling. "TSUME NO!" Soui jumped up and tackled him from behind, him falling forward, and Adam letting out a gasp of air.
"Why the hell are you protecting this boy!" Tsume screamed in fury as he stood back up dusting the snow off of him
"You would never understand it! He has a mother in there that loves him dearly, this town is here and worries for him! You'd never understand what it was like!" Soui screamed holding Adam's head in her hands on Adam wake up" Soui shook him gently
Adam opened his eyes, the vision blurred and groggy from all that happened. He could see Soui's face, but then from it he would see her golden wolf form. His eye's widened, but his hand reached up and scratched behind her ear
"I knew you were a strange girl, how interesting, a wolf with a crescent scar...do we call that destiny too?"
"Adam..." Soui held back her tears, but he simply wiped them away
"Go on wolf, you aren't supposed to be with us humans,"
Soui nodded and stood up. She looked back to Tsume waiting
"Go wherever you want, no one's forcing you to go anywhere" Tsume said hotly
"Tsume...do you want me to come back?" Soui asked nervously
"Look, Kiba and the others, we don't care about curses, the only thing that matters to that wolf is getting Cheza and making it to paradise. He doesn't blame things on others, he simply keeps going. Hell I doubt anything could stop him now"
Soui laughed gently, that sounded like her brother, all the stories she'd been told
"I'm sorry..." Soui then said quietly
"Forget about it" Tsume then took off in his run back towards the pack. Soui licked Adam's hand, and then followed Tsume, who was waiting for her at the town's entrance.