They were all silent in the car. Akito rode with Hatori and demanded that Tarja ride too. Momiji went with Shigure, for obvious reasons.
Tarja heaved a sigh and grimaced at the pain in her side as she shifted. Akito cut his eyes to her but didn't say anything. He knew she must have been in pain. That fight seemed all out until the grey one ran off.
"Who was he?" Akito asked after a moment.
"Whom are you referring to?" Tarja mumbled lazily. Akito rolled his eyes.
"The one you were fighting."
She scooted to face him. "His name is Nikolas. He's one of my old master's little pawns. He shot me a few days ago."
"Shot you!" Akito sat up straight. Tarja shrugged.
"No big deal. I got the bullet out in time."
Hatori glanced back at Tarja and saw her grinning. He knew she was totally toying with Akito, which was remotely dangerous, but she seemed to have the upper hand.
"Oh," Akito mumbled. "I imagine pain doesn't affect you then?"
Tarja chuckled. "No no, it hurts like a bitch. I almost died."
Akito furrowed his brow. What was her deal? She didn't act like any normal person, but then again, maybe she was trying to get him to leave her alone. So, he obliged her and sat back in his seat.
He moped the whole way home.
Hatori placed his arms around Tarja and pulled her close to him. "What are you planning on doing?" he asked.
She heaved a sigh. "I'm going to him. I can't risk him picking any of you off to get to me." Claudio was coming. She felt in her bones.
"You're going to get hurt," he whispered. "I don't want to let you go."
"I know," she muttered. "But you can't keep me. I need to be free one day. Otherwise I'm going to die."
He stepped back, slightly hurt. Did she not want to be with him? That night they made love, it had seemed like he would finally be happy.
Akito sat on his veranda. The night was cold, but he didn't care. A little shiver ran down his spine and he pulled his yukata closer around his body.
A howl sounded off in the distance. His ears focused on the sound. "Tarja?"
"No," a female voiced cooed in his ear. He whipped around, and a slender pale hand wrapped around his throat.
Her blonde hair twirled wildly around her face and her blue eyes glowed frighteningly. "I'm not that little wench. Now, come quietly or I'll have to rip your tongue out."
Akito's eyes widened. Who was this woman? Why was she kidnapping him? She stood him up and marched him out to the front of the house. A black car was waiting and a grey haired man was waiting behind the wheel.
"Welcome, boy," he snarled at Akito. "I'm Nikolas and I'll be your driver this evening." He laughed maniacally and the blonde shoved Akito into the backseat before climbing in after him.
"And I'm Julia," she said. "The 'j' is said like a 'y' because I'm Russian, so you say it with a 'j' and I'll castrate you."
Akito buried his head in his hands and drew his knees up to his chest. Tarja had said the name Nikolas and he knew this was the same wolf he had seen her fighting. But, what did they want with him?
"Why are you taking me?" he dared ask.
"Tarja will feel a kindred spirit in you," Julia chuckled. "She was always a sucker for weaklings like you. Must be because she herself feels trapped."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She'd come and save him. He knew it. But it was all a set up. They were going to kill her.
Tarja sat up in bed, a wave of panic hitting her. Hatori groaned and rolled over beside her.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly. She nodded.
"Just a nightmare," she answered. "Go back to sleep." He nodded and rolled back over. She waited for his breathing to slow and gently slipped out of bed. Donning a black top and cargo pants, she pulled on her boots and escaped into the cool night.
A car was pulling away from Akito's house and she trained her eyes on it. Akito was in the backseat! And Nikolas was driving!
"What the hell is going on?" she growled. She bid a silent fair well to Hatori and took off after the car.
It was easy for her to keep their pace in wolf form. They pulled into a lot in front of a water front warehouse. The building looked like it hadn't been in use for a long time. Akito was shoved out of the car and led into the building.
Tarja cloaked her scent as she saw Nikolas looking around. He disappeared into the building as well. Claudio was in there, she knew it.
Slowly, she crept up to one of the windows and peered in. What she saw shocked her.
Akito had been stripped of his clothing, and the other wolves were laughing at him. He'd shrunk into a corner and was covering himself. Sobs wracked his pale body.
Gathering up all the anger she had in her body, Tarja threw herself through the window, charging for Nikolas…