Red eyes glared out from under a hood. The other wolves stared up at their leader nervously.
"It seems she's changed her location," Nikolas stammered. "It's clear to us now that she's receiving help. Otherwise there is no way she'd be making such distance in her injured condition."
Claudio smiled. "So my queen has found herself a new friend. I want them hunted down," he said. "Anyone who's come in contact with her must be destroyed."
They'd settled into their rooms for the night and Momiji had fallen asleep upon hitting the pillow. The trip had been a long one for him and he was tired.
Tarja sat on the windowsill of her room and stared out at the forest. It was good for cloaking her scent, but it also meant she wouldn't be able to locate them as easily either.
She heaved a sigh and slipped out of the window. Pulling on a long sweater that Tohru had given her she tiptoed out into the hallway, past Hatori's room. She smelled cigarette smoke and smiled, knowing he was still awake. He probably didn't get much sleep, and she certainly wasn't helping that along very well.
She made it out of the house without being caught and sprinted into the woods. She silently shed her clothing and stood naked in the dark. Images of wolves and changing forced their way into her mind, and she soon felt her bones begin their process of rearranging.
It was the most excruciating pain one could imagine. Her bones crackled and expanded, placing themselves into new location. Hair sprouted up on various parts of her body and her face elongated to make way for the canine snout.
Her eyes went gold and her sight doubled. Everything from the leaves beneath her paws and to the birds roosting in the trees was magnified to her. As were the scents in the air.
She ran, freely, like the wind. Twining among and around the trees, she let her wolf senses guide her to a lake. Dipping her head, she drank the cool water. It was a moment of piece, to be free like this.
There were moments when she considered abandoning the weaker human form and living free like a wolf in the mountains of Siberia. She loved the cold and winter; it would be perfect. And Claudio could never find her that way.
But what of Hatori? She wanted to help him, she really did. She sensed his troubled past. Tohru had all but confirmed her suspicions. Hatori had loved and lost, and it cost him a great deal.
And Momiji. He'd miss her terribly. She made up her mind. Until Claudio was dead and no longer a threat, she needed to be there to protect them.
Turning, Tarja headed back to the place she left her clothes…and the man she was slowly but surely falling for.
He sat up most of the night, puffing away on cigarette after cigarette. Her comment came back to him. Yeah, these will probably kill me, he mused to himself. He snuffed out the last one, and left his room. The sun was just peaking over the horizon as he stood outside.
A figure appeared out of the woods. "Tarja?" he asked squinting his eyes. She waved and ran towards him
"You're up early!" she commented. He noted that she seemed in high spirits this morning.
"I'm usually up at odd hours," he shrugged. "This is nothing new." She nodded and went to pass him, but he caught her arm. He met her eye. "Why were you out there all night?"
She shrugged "Just getting some fresh air, checking the territory, and working out the kinks. I've been unable to run freely for a long time."
He nodded. "Did you find anything interesting?"
She laughed suddenly. "Actually, yes. Shigure left some very interesting border markings. He's one sick dog."
Hatori grunted and smirked. An understatement. He figured the dog would pull some dumb trick like that. Not that it mattered really. This was Sohma land.
"I'm going to dig through the rest of the crap Tohru gave me. If I can figure out how the hell to pair outfits together, maybe I can look halfway decent for once." With a small smile, she went inside, leaving Hatori to inhale the fresh scent of morning air by himself.
I sense impending doom, he thought to himself. And he didn't like it much.
"Momiji, get up!" Tarja shook the young boy and he turned over.
"Oh good morning," he grinned, and jumped out of bed. Tarja was surprised at the amount of enthusiasm he had upon waking.
"I need some fashion advice," she shrugged. "Care to help?" Momiji threw his arms around the wolf-girl.
"Sure!" he laughed. "You're going to be so pretty!"
"Umm," Tarja laughed nervously. "If you say so."
True to his word, Momiji revealed Tarja in a dramatic gesture much like Ayame. Tarja stepped tentatively out of the room and Hatori's mouth dropped.
She wore a light blue sundress with an empire waist and white lace around the neckline. Her hair had been flipped out prettily and a hint of mascara graced her eyelashes. On her feet was a simple pair of wedge sandals.
"I feel like such a girl," Tarja muttered.
"Yup!" Momiji laughed.
Beautiful…