Disclaimer- I don't own Wolf's Rain. But if the producers would ever be so kind as to sell it to me…. 3

Dedication: This story is hereby dedicated to the wonderful Lonegrey. Here's to you, friend.

Before the Flower's Call

Lady Sheshkemana paced like a resltless tiger around the great hall, the only sound her harsh breathing behind the elaborate mask she woe to hide the hedious scar on her eye and the heavy clack clack of her heels on the sleek, hard marble floor. Absently, she tugged her dark, heavy gloves over her graceful hands as her ebony locks fell around her shoulders. He skirt flowed like water, long and smooth, but the side cuts to allow free movement raced almost all the way up to her ample hips. Her green eyes, difficult to see behind the jet mask seemed to glow from the dark depths, glinting in fury.

The body of her daughter, Ren, who had died to let the wolf pack out in the first place, was preserved here. She had refused to give her daughter up to the earth. She had been a pretty creature, with a coat of palest blonde and bright blue eyes that could no longer be seen, as they were closed in the sleep of death. Her graceful limbs were limp, her tail, once a golden flag of hope now lying listlessly on the floor, never to wag or bristle again.

The Noble woman kept shooting aggrieved glances to the body, gritting her so hard that it almost hurt. Damn her father! A wolf, like her, but he had been killed by the very pack that he had belonged to, once they found out who his mate was. Damn those wolves! They had corrupted her daughter into freeing them! And damn that little brown one straight to hell…he had slashed her eye out and had been hidden away by Ren for a night or so, right beneath Sheshkemana's unwary nose!

She stopped a heel suddenly, leaving a solid thud that echoed hollowly to be her only company in the shadowy room. Why the hell hadn't her buffoons caught them now? She should have killed them all when she had the chance, right here in this very Hall! She tightened her fist, jerking her head over her shoulder to scowl at the guards. She had needed those wolves to get to Paradise and revenge herself on all wolves…and now they were gone.

"YOU!" she screamed at the guards, pointing an accusatory finger at them, her voice bouncing off the walls, magnifying it to nine times or so its general volume. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT UNTIL YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT ON THOSE WOLVES! Move it! Now! I don't want you back in here without results, do you understand me? MOVE!"

The guards in question nearly dropped their weapons and sprinted away, trying to get through the door first in case the Lady wanted to take her anger out on them, and she could run fast enough even in those ridiculous heels. Sheshkemana had been counting—they were gone in four seconds flat, completely out of sight. With a satisfied smirk, she stomped over to her throne and settled in, its cold, hard marble comforting to her almost bare back, her long hair a cushion for her crowned head.

She rolled past the wolves in her head—and there of them stuck out to her. Of course, there was that Toboe, or whatever the hell his name was. Oh, he would die slow, once she got her hands on him…and then the cream and gray wolf and that old buffer, Marel! Sheshkemana's eyes widened. Wait. Marel? Yes, that blind old fool. Marel, the seer wolf who had been caught and under torture for a long time before Getsuei and the wolf pack, Kiba and Hige had come to rescue Tsume and Toboe…Tsume would die watching Toboe die. That seemed appropriate, considering what she had heard from her guards.

But Marel! Memory rushed back to her, memories she had tried to banish from the realms of her mind. Marel…she had still been blind when she had first met her…Sheshkemana had remembered the joy the day she had been caught—because…

"Dammit!" she hissed to herself, gripping the arms of the chair voraciously. Yes, it had been Marel, Marel who had cursed Sheshkemana long, long ago.

It had been the day…that day when the resident pack infiltrated the Keep and killed her husband.

She had sat in the throne room, stroking Caden's long silver fur at the foot of the mighty chair. It was a beautiful day outside, and the bright light from the sun filtered through the huge windows. The lamps were off, there was no need for them right now. Smooth marble floor was polished white, so smooth and beautiful Sheshkemana could see her reflection—in those days, she wore no mask, and her fine linen green dress was loose and comfortable. Ren, a tiny pup at the time slept peacefully in the folds of the smooth fabric, close to Caden's long, thoughtful muzzle, whose blue eyes matched the cerulean of her father's.

"She looks a lot like you," Sheshkemana told Caden with a laugh in her voice. "Aside from the fur, of course." Caden's tail thumped the ground as his eyes shifted to meet those green ones of his mate. "She gets her good look from you, not me." As if to confirm this, the infant Ren turned her tiny face to her mother and whimpered, opening her tiny mouth and revealing perfect white milk teeth in a yawn.

Tickling the pup's ears, Sheshkemana leaned against the hard chair with a blissfull sigh, glancing out the window. She no longer needed to worry about her dreams; she was living them right now. Except—Caden had told her of Paradise…and he had said he was determined to find it, so they could live together there as a family, or at least look forward to going there when their string was played out. Music from the birds outside and the harp-players in the sunny courtyard slid into the hall, soothing the young Lady, barely twenty one, to sleep…

Suddenly, unfamiliar snarls cut through the tranquility, along with pained howls of men and the panicked screams of women, shrieking in unearthly tones through the air, jolting the little family. Ren flinched and dove for Caden, burying her head in his long fur as a panicked Sheshkemana scooped her up and held her close to her ample bosom, gathering her skirts in one hand so she wouldn't trip. "What's going on?" she shouted at the door, where her guards were stationed as her heart pounded. Caden had lunged to his feet, his eyes huge with anger, and fear, not for himself, but for his family, it was obvious by the way that he positioned himself in front of his mate and cub and glared at the door.

"Damn them!" he snarled. "I was afraid it would come to this--! It's the pack!" Sheshkemana heard these words and felt her blood turn to ice. "No! Caden…!" she didn't know what to do! She knew about Caden's pack, and how his love for her was forbidden, but the wolf had risked his life to be with her from time to time anyway, saying that he wouldn't be able to live without her anyway. But Sheshkemana couldn't order her guards to kill them—Caden's own sister belonged to the pack!

"Barricade the door!" she yelled furiously from her position through the door. "Don't kill the wolves! The man who takes the life of a lupine will be killed without mercy!" she clutched Ren, careful to be gentle as Caden growled, his eyes bitter, "No, love! I need to speak with them, they'll kill the guards—" Ren was howling in fear, her shrill cries echoing as Sheshkemana tried to soothe her by petting her gently, but her hand was shaking.

A panicked Sheshkemana could only scream in panic and anger as the doors were slammed forward, to reveal the bodies of the mangled guards who had fought bitterly to keep from killing the eight assailants and keep the doors shut at the same time. The wolves were big, their jaws dripping with human blood and their coats and muzzles streaked with gore, their yellow and green and blue eyes glittering with hurt and fury as they stared maliciously upon the family.

Numbly, the Lady thought, How could they have gotten up here so quickly? One of the wolves, a female with dark fur narrowed her eyes and strode forward. She looked remarkably like Caden, and through Sheshkemana's fear, she drew the conclusion that this was Caden's sister.

"Caden you vile liar!" she howled, her ears pricked forward aggressively, her tail bushed out. "I speek as the advisor of the pack! You dog, you've risked the pack for your selfish love—and how the hell could you love a monster! She's a noble! Have you forgotten your pride as a wolf?"

Caden drew himself up furiously, glaring at his pack and sister. "Sister Marel, she is no monster! Don't you dare call her that! Lady Sheshkemana would never harm this pack, not while I'm here!"

"I see you've also gotten her pregnant! That's your cub, isn't it?" Spat another wolf, who was big and black, the way he carried himself making it plainly obvious he was the leader. "Have you no shame?"

"No!" Caden replied evenly, his eyes glinting. "Ren is—"

"A half-breed!" shrieked another wolf furiously, the others taking up a cry of "Traitor, traitor! Dog and traitor!"

"You dilute a wolf's pure blood!" Marel hurled the words at her brother, as Caden shouted back, "On my honor, we have done nothing wrong! Has anyone been killed or died at the hand of a human for the past year?"

"You don't have any honor!" his sister spat. "And you're going to pay for it with your life!" added the big black leader. "That Noble and your damn monster pup can live, tribute to your shame! Banishment is too good for a cur like you!"

Caden had no time to reply as he was buried under the weight and force of the angry pack as his defiant snarls turned into howling screams of pain and anguish and anger, to be heard above the voracious, furious snarling of the pack and then…

Hours later, there was blood everywhere. Blood, fur and the Lady Sheshkemana's tears as she held the broken, bleeding body of her mate close to her body, while Ren howled, a high, mournful cry.

A/N: Well, it looks like I can no longer help being slow at updating, guys. ;; Lately, computer time is even harder to come by for me, so, consequently, it's very difficult for me to get on. I'm so sorry. As for the reviews, thanks a ton, gang! I really love the feedback, it encourages me to write, even though my 'rents and all…-cough- So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, history lesson. D