I updated. Woot! Well I'm not sure what to say so I guess you can just start reading. smiles

>>Chapter 11>>

Zoë frowned as she looked at Yusuke with sad eyes. "Is something wrong Yusuke?"

Yusuke frantically waved his hands in the air. "No. Nothing. Everything's just fine."

"Oh." Zoë looked at the water. "I think it's about time I get home." She quickly stood up and ran off before Yusuke got the chance to protest.

"Shit!" Yusuke walked off in the opposite direction of Zoë. "What the hell was that?"

>>

Zoë tapped her foot impatiently and looked around as she waited for someone to answer the door. "Come on."

The door finally opened and Derrick gave her a sleepy look. "Where's your key?"

"I forgot it. Now move." Zoë snapped and pushed her brother out of the way, ignoring him as she walked to her room.

"What was that about?" Zoë's aunt came up behind Derrick.

"I don't know and I'm not sure if I really want to." Derrick yawned. "I'm going back to bed now."

"Ok. Make sure you wake up bright and early. Your plane leaves at six."

"Yeah yeah." Derrick waved his hand at his aunt as he walked back to his room.

>>

'Why did he pull away like that?' Zoë thought to herself as she put her headphones on, turning her music on full blast. 'Kurama did the same thing at the party, but all he did was grab my hand.' Zoë looked at the picture of the gang Kuwabara had sent to her a few months back. 'Why are they acting like that?' She looked her body up and down trying to find a flaw. 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I ever get a guy to like me for longer than two seconds?' She laid back on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

>>

"Come on. I know it's late but I need to talk to you." Yusuke pounded on the door. "Kurama! Get your ass down here and talk to me. You're the only one I know how could help me."

The door opened to reveal a very intelligent looking Kurama. "What do you need Yusuke? I'm in the middle of a book."

"Can I come in? Good" Yusuke pushed through the door before Kurama could answer him.

Kurama sighed and walked into the front room. "Well sit down."

Yusuke sat impatiently on one of the chairs and stared at Kurama. "Something happened when I was with Zoë."

Kurama was suddenly very interested in what Yusuke had to say. "She fine right? She's not hurt is she?"

"No." Yusuke sighed. "Not physically at least." He looked at the ground. "I think she might think I hate her now."

"I've been thinking the same thing about me." Kurama sat back in him chair and thought of what had happened at the party.

Yusuke looked up. "You think that you think you hate me?"

"No. I think Zoë might think I hate her."

"Why would she think that? You haven't done anything to her."

"At the party." Kurama closed his eyes and sighed. "When we actually had some time alone I went to go take her hand and as soon as I touched it I let go."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because she's been marked."

"She's been what?" Yusuke said with a confused look on his face.

"She's been claimed by a demon." Kurama sighed. "That demon that took her must have done it. I still don't see how he knew of her or why he wanted her, but he marked her."

"And what does him marking her have to do with anything?"

Kurama sat for a moment trying to think of a way to explain everything to Yusuke. "When a demon marks a female, it is kind of like when humans get married. The man claims the woman as his and no one is supposed to touch her the way he does."

"But people still do. Men cheat on their wives and women cheat on their husbands."

"Yes, and that is where the demon mark is different. When a demon claims a female as his, she can no longer be touched lovingly by other male demons."

"How does it prevent that from happening?"

"When the other male demon touches the female in any way a husband would touch his wife, a pain runs through the males body. The pain gets worse the longer the female is being touched and so it prevents the other demon from touching the female."

"Oh…" Yusuke sat back. "That would explain a lot. I knew you were the one to come to Kurama." Yusuke stood up to leave and then stopped. "How do we reverse the power of the mark?"

"Kill the demon who claims Zoë and the mark will disappear." Kurama sighed. "Zoë probably can't figure out why the wound hasn't healed yet. On top of that, she probably thinks we hate her." Kurama walked Yusuke to the door. "We'll deal with this later. As for now, don't tell Zoë anything about the mark."

Yusuke nodded and made his way back home.