After the Dawn
A/N- Hers is Chapter 3, things are going to start heating up! Enjoy!
Chapter 3: Welcome Back!
After several minutes of waiting Haru reappeared followed by James and Katelynn, as soon as they joined Mark and Rena on the path they continued the journey back to the village. Rena thought about what Mark had said earlier, wondering why he had asked about her. She glanced at Mark but her never asked about that again, in fact he didn't even say a word the rest of the way back to the village. When they had finally neared the village Rena grew nervous, she didn't know how Mark or his parents would react when they found out that she was Rena, the daughter of Shogo, she just hoped they weren't mad.
The village was alight with much celebration and merriment when Rena and the others entered it. Apparently word had spread of her brothers birth, that is the only way to explain such behavior in the village. Rena walked cautiously through the crowds and towards her fathers hut, but as she lead the way all the werewolves around her began to bow to her respectfully. Rena began to feel uncomfortable as she led them up the steps to her father hut; Shogo was waiting as she approached steadily.
Once she reached him she bowed deeply before her father while saying, "I have brought the Vampires as per your request," She trailed off at that feeling utterly exposed. When her father placed a hand upon her back gently saying, "You have done well…" He then turned to James continuing, "I welcome you back to my home, it is a great pleasure to see you and your family again James, how have you been?" I got to my feet and stood next to my father as James replied, "Yes…it is great to see you again Shogo. My wife and son have been fine and so have I, what about you…and why is your village in such an uproar?"
"Oh, well my wife Ayah has given birth again, I now have an heir. His name is Kenji, so the village is just celebrating his birth and engagement to Sayo," answered Shogo hugging James happily. "Really? A father a third time, so Sayo's been chosen to be Kenji's mate…and what about Rena?" said Katelynn smiling as she hugged Shogo as well. "Well, that's another reason the village is in an uproar. She is now free to chose her mate, so all the free males are celebrating that fact!" replied Shogo laughing heartily.
"And where is Rena may I ask?" said James draping an arm around Mark's shoulders. Shogo looked at Rena and began to laugh uncontrollably as he motioned to Haru, Haru approached and bowed low before Shogo and Rena as he awaited his orders.
"What is it, what is so funny Shogo?" asked Katelynn a worried look marring her brow. Rena touched her fathers arm but he just began to laugh even more. After several more moments a noise came from behind them, Rena turned to see her mother coming straight towards them smiling happily as he approached.
Ayah touched Shogo's shoulder and said, "That's enough! Hello again James, Katelynn, and Mark. My have you grown Mark, you have changed so much from the last time you were here…" "It is good to see you as well Ayah, but you are not female right now…is it not a full moon?" questioned Katelynn as her eyes drifted to Rena. Rena gulped, scared to say anything as her father shook his head a smile plastered to his face.
"That is the reason I was laughing…Hatsuharu, who is the werewolf standing next to me?" said Shogo still smiling. Haru glanced at Rena and she nodded her head slightly in approval, Haru then said "My lord, she is your daughter and my master, she is the lady Rena of the werewolf clan." "Thank you Hatsuharu, you may stand now," said Shogo approvingly.
Haru nodded his head and got to his feet and stood next to Rena at total attention. James, Katelynn, and Mark all stood there staring at Rena in utter shock; Rena began to grow all too aware that she was exposed. Rena cleared her throat and turned to her father, "Father, may I be excused…I would like to go out and hunt for a while, with your approval of course…" "
You are excused, but make sure you are back before it grows too late." Replied Shogo pulling Rena into his arms and hugging her close. "Be careful, and don't stray too far…you still have a lot of catching up to do anyway!" said Ayah as he hugged her as well. "Yes mother…Let's go Haru!" said Rena happy she was going to get away from here. She hurried past James and Katelynn, and smiled apologetically to Mark as she took off at a fast run with Haru following close behind her his dagger drawn defensively.
Once she was safely out of the village Rena breathed a loud sigh of relief and she began to grow utterly clam and collected. Haru came up beside her and asked, "are we hunting that doe we saw earlier milady?" "Yes…"said Rena softly as she drew her hunting knife.
They then split up, Rena huddled in the underbrush while Haru went ahead to flush out the doe and get it to head her way. Rena crouched low as she heard the doe cry out in fear at Haru's approach, her hand gripped the handle of her knife tentatively as she poised to attack. The doe fled from Haru as he approached it openly his dagger gleaming in the night, as the doe ran towards Rena she closed her eyes and concentrated on the doe' s breathing. Once she felt the moment had come, Rena left her hiding spot and leapt straight at the doe burying her knife deep in the animals' throat.
The doe went down with a thud hot blood streaming out of its neck; Rena approached the barely living carcass as its legs twitched spastically. She proceeded to pull her knife from the doe's neck with great ease, then knelt down next to the now dead animal and began carving the skin form one of the beast's thighs. Blood welled from thigh as she removed the skin and began scraping away the yellow fat that surrounded the tenderly moistened meat of the thigh.
Rena licked her lips delighted that this doe was so tender, Haru knelt next to her awaiting any instructions that she had for him. Rena craved the meat right off the bone and tossed a piece of the meat at Haru, he ate it quickly and went back to glancing around and awaiting orders. Rena tasted the piece she still held in her hand, it was succulent and as she chewed the juices flowed out of the tenderly ripened meat. Once she finished that piece she got to work at slicing the head of the beast off, it took her several moments to finally finish hacking the head off, she then tossed the head to Haru.
He caught it without so much as a glance; Rena then re-sheathed her knife and pulled the carcass onto her back. "Come on Haru, let's head back our work is finished here," she said as she walked back to the village with Haru trailing behind her.
At their approach, those who were on the watch bowed in her presence, she nodded her head acknowledging them and said, "Has there been any strange activities?" "No milady, not yet…we both would like to congratulate you and your father on your brothers birth. May he grow strong and be a great leader as his father before him!" replied one of the men.
Rena smiled and said, "Thank you, keep up the good work." She then continued past those two and straight to her father's hut to wish him a good night, she set her kill on the steps and hurried inside the hut. Her father was talking to James and Katelynn while her mother was lying next to her father tired out. "So you are back Rena, now introduce yourself properly to our guests!" demanded Shogo angrily.
"Yes father, I apologize for earlier. I am Rena, daughter of Shogo and Ayah, it is really good to see you both again, by the way where is Mark?" replied Rena obediently. "Oh…well he is somewhere around here, but there's no need for you to be sorry Rena. We were the one's who did not realize who you were…but it is getting close to sunrise, so you had best head off to bed! We can re-aquatint ourselves latter!" said James hugging Rena softly.
"He's right dear, have a good rest and we will come visit you tomorrow!" said Katelynn smiling as she gently hugged Rena. "I look forward to it, till tomorrow then…father, mother," replied Rena bowing deeply before she turned and left the hut. She walked down the steps towards Haru who had been waiting patiently for her to return, she pulled her kill onto her back again and headed towards her sister Sayo's hut.
Once there she drug the carcass up the steps and to the door of the hut, she opened the door and called out, "Sayo…are you awake?" She heard footsteps as her sister came into view and appraised Rena's kill as she cradled Kenji close. "I see you have taken it upon yourself to provide for me and Kenji, Rena you know that you don't have to give us your kill…" said Sayo shaking her head as she placed a hand on Rena's shoulder. "Yeah I know I didn't have too, but I wanted too.
You gave up your freedom so that I could have it…this is the least I could do for you after all that you have done for me! And besides, you could think of it as a present for celebrating Kenji's birth and your engagement to him," replied Rena softly stroking Kenji's little chin. Kenji cooed softly as he rolled in Sayo's arms, Sayo smiled and hugged Rena as best she could saying, "You deserve a chance to be happy, you've done nothing but deserve that for as long as you have been alive! Just make sure you pick for love, not out of necessity! You better go off to bed now…I'll see you tomorrow sister!" Rena smiled as she left her sister's hut, a feeling of calm washing over her. "Haru, you are dismissed! Have a good rest…" mumbled Rena as she passed Haru, heading to her final destination for the night, her hut.
The night began to grow cold as she finally reached her hut and entered, shutting the cloth over the door and tying it shut. Everything was just as she had left it earlier when she was awakened by Haru, she yawned tiredly as she began to remove her clothes tossing them behind her as she walked to where her bed was located. But as she dropped the last bit of her clothing she felt a presence close by, she quickly grabbed her fur blanket off of her bed and rapped it about her naked body.
She slowly retraced her steps, picking up her knife as she sniffed the air, but the sent was far too faint to identify it clearly. Since she had undressed her sent had been spread all about her hut which had muffled the sent, but she could at least make out that it was a males sent! Rena gripped her knife tightly as she slowly walked through every room of her hut, just when she thought she had been imagining things, she turned to head to her bed and ran face first into something!
As she backed away preparing to fight her sight was blurred for several moments as she heard a male voice say, "Don't attack! I won't hurt you, I was told to stay here by my parents!" Rena recognized that voice, "Mark?" she questioned rubbing her eyes, but keeping her knife handy just in case. As her vision cleared she recognized the males features. 'That was Mark alright,' thought Rena as she took a step back asking, "Why are you in my hut…" Mark shook his head saying, "Like I said before…uh…Rena is that you…" Realization dawned on his face as he realized that it was Rena.
"Uh…it's not what you think, my parents told me that this was the hut I was supposed to stay in, but I thought a guy lived here…" he paused for a moment, "Damn it! Those…damn! I can't believed they tricked me like this!" Mark banged a fist angrily against the wall as he began to laugh at himself. Rena was still a little surprised, but she soon regained her composure and said, "If you are done throwing your tantrum, could you please just go to bed. I will deal with this mistake tomorrow,"
"Your attitude hasn't changed, your still as stubborn as ever…Rena," said Mark softly as he turned around to face Rena. "You have changed too you know…" mumbled Rena uncomfortably as she walked towards her bedroom.
Mark grabbed her hand quickly asking, "Why didn't you tell me who you were earlier!" Rena slowly faced Mark her hand tingling at his touch, she looked him right in the eyes for a moment and then looked away angrily. "You seemed like you didn't want to meet me again…I…let me go," She then pulled trying to free her hand from his grip but it was no use, he kept her hand firmly clamped in his, refusing to let her go. Rena turned to Mark asking, "what, let me go Mark…please…"
Mark pulled on her hand, slowly bringing her closer to him. Rena tried to resist his pull but she was unable to muster enough strength to fight back, she had completely frozen up. Mark gave a soft smile of pleasure as he touched her neck gently saying, "Do you remember when we were young and we used to share a bed? Haru, you, and I...ah…we were so close when we were young. I have never forgotten how we never left each others side," Rena gave him a coy look as she said, "All you did was suck my blood all the time and continually make Haru angry! Besides we were but children then, things have changed…nothing is the same anymore." Rena got a look of sorrow in her eyes as she pulled trying to free herself, but Mark never let her hand go.
"Well can you blame me, I was hungry and your blood tasted so good, I just couldn't help myself! But don't be angry with me about that, I…missed you Rena…you and Haru were the only true friends I have ever known. So no matter how many times you say things have changed, they haven't…at least not how I feel about you and Haru." Mark tried pulling Rena closer but she relented by pulling back, she finally freed her hand after struggling with Marks grip.
But she had nowhere to go Mark had advanced on her quickly, causing her to back herself into the wall. Rena felt trapped as Mark placed a hand on either side of her on the wall; her heart began to beat frantically as she fought against her panic. "…Mark, please…I…" but she never finished, Mark leaned in quickly giving her a gentle kiss. Before Rena even knew what had happened Mark draped his arms about her shaking form, bringing her body against his. Rena remained still for a moment as she felt Mark's warmth pulsating off his body as he gripped her close.
After a few moments passed Rena pulled away quickly holding a hand up to her mouth in utter shock. "Rena…I…" began Mark trying to explain, but Rena turned away quickly and hurried into her bedroom, pulling the cloth over the door shut and securing it tightly in place. Rena drifted to he bed slowly barely able to stand, she let the blanket fall to the ground at her feet as she sat upon her bed. Her hand moved to her still trembling lips, her mind was so foggy she could hardy think as she lay down upon the bed pulling her blanket over her now shaking form. She tried to push the thoughts of Mark, the embrace, and that kiss from her thoughts as she tried to sleep, but it was no use she couldn't get Mark out of her head! Finally after several hours of struggling with her thoughts, Rena fell to sleep as a calm set about the village.
A/N- Review, please! The readers opinions are priceless, enjoy the next Chapter! TTFN!