Chapter Twenty-Four

Akito rapped furiously on the door. It was taking all of his willpower not to turn and stalk toward the back of the house. Most of the doors on the Sohma estate were like the one there, made from thin wood and paper and easily destructible. Akito knew as much from personal experience. But somehow he managed to rein in his fury, opting to simply stand on the porch with his arms folded and wait.

Merciful justice.

He still wasn't sure what he thought of Hatori's suggested approach to the situation. On one hand, he saw a great deal of sense in what the doctor said. In the past, Akito had often acted impulsively, responding in whatever way his roiling emotions told him to at the time, and admittedly, those were some of the actions he'd come to regret most in his life. In this case, though, he doubted that he would experience any such feelings. Ren deserves far worse than whatever punishment I can dole out. Still, he would do his best to prevent the upcoming confrontation from escalating to violence. He doubted his efforts would be successful, but for Hatori's sake, he would at least try.

He wasn't surprised when no one answered. Ren often ordered her staff to turn visitors away, though seeing as he was the family head, whoever was inside was likely too afraid to risk refusing him. Hence, the silence. Rage spiking, Akito knocked a second time. He wouldn't have been shocked to learn that his mother had fled the estate altogether. He sincerely hoped this was not the case, though he prepared himself for the possibility, nonetheless.

Again, he knocked, hard enough to make the door quiver in its frame. "Akito," Hatori said behind him. "That's enough. I think it's quite clear that Ren isn't home."

Oh, but someone is. After Akito, Ren had the largest staff of anyone on the estate; just because she wasn't inside, didn't mean that no one else was. "Open the door!" he shouted. "I am Master Akito, head of the Sohma family, and you will obey my command!"

That worked, as he had anticipated it might. The door creaked open, just enough for a middle-aged woman with graying hair to peek through. "Master Akito!" Her fingers trembled as she traced them along the edge of the door. She acted surprised, but Akito didn't buy it for a second. She and the rest of the housing staff had likely spent the better part of the last two minutes drawing straws to determine which of them would be the unlucky one to receive him. "Good evening, sir! How may I be of-"

"Your mistress," Akito snarled, wasting no time. "Where is she?"

"M-my what? Oh! Um…" The woman was babbling, and Akito could feel his patience rapidly dwindling. "I'm afraid she left not one hour ago, sir."

Even though he'd been expecting this, anger coursed through Akito's veins all the same. "Did she give any indication of where she was going?"

The attendant shook her head apologetically. "No, sir. None at all."

Akito believed her. Gossip might run rampant on the Sohma estate, but when it came to Ren's own personal affairs—and scheming—no one was more tight-lipped than she. "You will report to me immediately if and when she returns. Is that understood?"

The woman hesitated, her eyes darting past him, to where Hatori stood in the distance with his hands in his coat pockets. Though the change was slight, Akito knew he wasn't imagining it when he saw her shoulders relax. She thinks she's safe, that nothing will happen so long as Hatori is present.

"Of course, sir. You have my word."

Akito trusted her less that time. His hand shot out as she began to draw the door closed, shoving it open wide, and the woman gasped as he came to stand in front of her. His gaze was cold, and he didn't allow himself to blink until he saw her gulp and take a small step back. "You will tell me when she returns," he said, "and if I discover that you have failed me in this regard-"

"No," she stammered. "I will do whatever you ask! Please…just don't…"

She bowed, letting her sentence go unfinished, and Akito wondered what she'd been about to say. Don't hurt me, perhaps? A small smirk tugged at his lips. He had absolutely no intention of doing anything untoward, and a part of him felt bad for scaring her. Then again, at the same time, he had to admit that a terrifying reputation had its advantages.

His satisfaction quickly dissipated when he imagined how Tohru would react if she saw him behaving in such a manner. What I'm doing is for her, he reminded himself. Besides, as far as Akito was concerned, intimidation was among the least of his sins, especially if it yielded results. Which, by the looks of it, it had.

"She fled," he said once he'd returned to Hatori. "Unsurprising, given that she knows of my regard for Miss Honda."

"She does?"

This was new information for Hatori, and Akito remembered then that he had purposefully neglected to tell the doctor about his last conversation with Ren; the zodiac god had not been keen on recounting the event in any capacity, with the exception of Tohru. "Yes," he answered. "In fact, I am certain that that is the reason Ren targeted her in the first place."

It made him sick to think that Tohru had been hurt in any way because of him. Akito wanted more than anything to go to her, to hold her in his arms and promise to fix this. His heart ached at the thought. If he were being honest, there was nowhere in the entire world that he would rather be than with Tohru. But would she want to be with him? After everything that happened today, I doubt it. Even so…

"I believe," Akito said carefully, "that we need to pay Shigure a visit next."

The doctor's expression shifted to one of instant suspicion. Akito barreled on before he could protest. "He likely has some idea of where Ren has gone and what her motives are. Oh please, Hatori," he said when the doctor cast him a strange look. "Did you really think I was not aware of his involvement with Ren? Everyone knows, though I am sure you went to great lengths to ensure that I did not find out. Regardless, I intend to question Shigure on the matter as soon as possible."

It was a pretty speech, and that was because it was partially true. Akito did believe that Shigure would be able to help them find Ren, though of course, that wasn't the real reason he wanted to go, and Hatori knew it.

"I understand you're wanting to see Honda," the doctor said, cutting to the chase, "but today was a traumatic day for her. Do you remember how uncomfortable she was when she saw you earlier this evening? That's likely to happen again if you just show up at Shigure's unannounced."

I know, Akito thought. But I need to know that she's all right. More than that, he wanted her to know that he did not condone Ren's actions, that he was going to do everything in his power to find her and make her face consequences for what she'd done.

"Nevertheless," Akito said breezily, "Shigure must be questioned, and it must be done sooner than later."

"Why not tomorrow?" Hatori said. "Surely, it can do no harm to wait until then."

Surely, it can. The retort was on the tip of Akito's tongue. But, he had to admit that Hatori's thinking was sound, as usual. And so he gritted his teeth and conceded, "Very well. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Hatori drew in a breath, but Akito cut him off before he could argue. "Tomorrow morning, Hatori, or I assume you know what will happen."

Hatori pressed his lips together in what Akito knew was a show of silent frustration. He doesn't want to agree, but he knows he has to. After all, there were a multitude of ways that Akito could arrange for transportation, if the doctor himself failed to provide it.

Finally, with great reluctance, Hatori ground out, "As you wish."

The last thing Tohru expected was for everyone to be gathered waiting for her when she arrived back home. But the second she opened the door, she found Shigure and Yuki seated together. The dog was reading a book, while Yuki stared down at a barely-touched bowl of soba that sat on the table in front of him. Kyo, ever the contrarian, stood apart from his cousins in a corner, and Tohru thought he looked particularly cross as the door woosh-ed open and she padded into the room. He turned away from the wall at once, arms hanging limply at his sides, and for several moments, the two of them just stared at each other.

"Miss Honda! You're back." Yuki broke the silence, shooting to his feet.

"Tohru. Welcome home." The dog gave her a warm smile as he set his book aside. "Now, before these two start bombarding you with questions, permit me to ask first if you're all right, and if you need anything."

He was eyeing the stitches on her face, as were Yuki and Kyo, and Tohru touched the injury self-consciously. I wonder how much they know. She shut the door behind her before taking a deep breath. "No. Um…" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, clearing her throat. "I mean, yes. I'm okay. I don't need anything, though. Hatori's assistant patched me up, and-"

She broke off as Yuki stepped forward and took her hand. "Miss Honda." His voice was hoarse, and Tohru thought she had never seen him look as sad as he did right then. "I just want to say how sorry I am. I..." He brought his hand to her face, his fingertips just barely brushing over the stitches. "This is something I always knew could happen," he said on an exhale, "and I'm sorry I didn't do a better job at protecting you. I should have-"

"No." Tohru stopped him there. I can't let him think this is his fault. "You have nothing to be sorry for," she said. "You, Isuzu, and Hatori all warned me that I could get hurt if I stayed with the Sohmas. And if I didn't want that to happen, then I should've listened. But I didn't, because I care about all of you too much to even consider leaving!"

She turned to face Kyo, and Tohru knew she didn't imagine the flicker of fear in his eyes as her gaze came to rest solely on him. "You also told me to leave things alone. But I didn't listen to you, either. And how could I? When I learned what would happen to you…" She wrung her hands before dropping them with a shake of her head. "You should've known that I would do everything I could to help," she whispered. "You should've known-"

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Kyo shot back coarsely. "What happens to me is none of your-"

"Don't say that!"

Tohru thought she heard Yuki gasp, and she didn't blame him. After all, it wasn't like her to raise her voice. But Kyo kept pushing her away at every possible opportunity, and even if it was just his way of trying to protect her...enough was enough. "Don't you dare tell me that what happens to you doesn't concern me!" she shouted. "It does concern me, because I…"

Her entire body trembled as she choked on the last two words. The fear she'd seen in Kyo's eyes just moments before had increased tenfold, indicating that he had at least some idea of what she was about to say. And he was terrified. I'm scared, too, she thought. But I'm tired of watering my feelings down, of brushing them aside and pretending they don't exist.

After what felt like several minutes, Tohru took a long, shaky breath. "It is my concern," she said, her voice soft, but somehow steadier than she'd been expecting, "because I love you, Kyo."

Instantly, Kyo jerked back, and Tohru stood stock-still, heart in her throat as he angled his body away from her. "How can you even think of saying something like that? You don't…" He ran a hand down his face, and Tohru took a tentative step forward, one hand outstretched.

"No," he said loudly, and she stopped dead in her tracks. "I won't let you do this! I won't-"

"Kyo," Shigure said, and Tohru started at the sound. She had almost forgotten that he and Yuki were still in the room. "You're being rude. Tohru is trying to tell you something important."

"No," Kyo repeated, and Tohru's heart seized at the sight of his cold, bottomless stare. Maybe I shouldn't have said it. Maybe I should've waited until we were alone. Or maybe…

"Whatever it is that you think you feel for me, forget it. Because it's not real."

That time Yuki was the one to admonish him. "You don't get to tell her how she feels, stupid cat."

Kyo spun on him in a flash, amber eyes blazing with fury. "Shut up! This doesn't concern you! This is between me and her!"

Tohru had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from crying. I didn't mean to make him angry. Why is he so angry? I only wanted him to know how I feel. I only wanted…

It was taking all of her strength not to collapse into a heap on the ground. She felt odd— weak, even, like someone was holding her heart in a vise-grip and squeezing it—constricting her blood flow, then releasing it, over and over and over again.

That's when, suddenly, Kyo tore from the house. He stomped toward the door and kicked it open, his footfalls becoming a soft rustle in the grass before fading out into nothing at all.

"Well," Shigure said, scratching the back of his neck as he stared after the cat's retreating figure, "that was both dramatic and highly unnecessary, if you ask me. Especially the bit where he put his foot through the door. I mean, really, he knows I'm just going to make him fix it later."

Tohru knew he was trying to make light of the situation, but she couldn't even bring herself to crack a smile. "I…I've never seen him so upset," she murmured, guilt and regret washing over her both at once. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Maybe I should've just left it alone.

But, no. She wouldn't accept that. She couldn't accept that. Keeping your feelings locked up is never good. Besides, would it have mattered if she'd waited to tell him? Would his reaction have been any different a month or even a year from now? Somehow, she had a feeling the answer was no.

"Try not to worry too much about it," Shigure told her. "He's just in shock. In a few hours he'll be back, and he'll apologize."

"He'd better," Yuki declared. "You don't just run out on someone like that when they finally find the courage to open up and be vulnerable with you."

"Yes, well, Kyo's used to being hated by others," Shigure pointed out. "Tohru coming along and confessing her love is disrupting and confusing, as it does not align with what he believes to be true about himself." He sighed wearily. "Kyo doesn't know how to react, and as we all know, his default response to everything is anger. Trust me," he added for Tohru's benefit, "he'll come around in time."

And that was just it. Shigure could very well be right. Maybe this is Kyo's way of processing things.

Or…

Or, maybe not. Maybe he really does just hate me.

"He does not dislike you, Miss Honda," Yuki said emphatically, and Tohru blinked, taken aback by just how well her friend could read her. "It's like Shigure said, I think he's in shock."

"Speaking of shock." Shigure's eyes twinkled as he studied Tohru with newfound interest. "I nearly had a heart attack when I listened to Hatori's message this afternoon. It seems you and he had quite an eventful day."

The thought of recounting the day's events exhausted Tohru, but she nodded her head politely all the same. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"Indeed. I tried calling him back several times, but the dear doctor appears to be too busy to answer." He gave her a soft, tentative smile. "If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind telling us what happened?"

It wasn't, and so Tohru did, though she left out her conversation with Akito in the gardens, beginning instead with her grisly encounter with Ren. While Shigure and Yuki let her talk mostly without interruption, she noticed that Shigure's face paled when she recounted her visit with Isuzu.

"Hari told me she was in the hospital," he said, his voice low, measured. "He didn't tell me why she was there, though. I called Haru because I figured he should be the first of anyone to know that she'd been found." He shut his eyes for a moment, as if praying. "You're certain she said that Ren was behind her disappearance?"

Tohru nodded gravely. "Yes. Isuzu said she pushed her out a window before having her carried off and locked up."

A smoldering fury entered Shigure's eyes. It was a look that Tohru thought was rather uncharacteristic of the dog. "No wonder Hatori had her rushed straight to the hospital. Blunt trauma to the head isn't to be taken lightly." He took a deep breath, and Tohru thought he looked like he was trying very hard not to punch something.

"No, it isn't," Yuki agreed. "But this begs the question: Why?" He turned to Shigure with a contemplative frown. "Why would Ren do something so horrible? And to Isuzu, of all people?"

Shigure pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. He looked like he was about to say something. But before he could, Yuki pressed on, his question apparently more rhetorical than not. "This can't wait," the rat said. "We have to tell Akito. Someone has to stop her before things get any worse."

"I agree that that's likely the best thing," Shigure said. "After all, once Akito learns of this, he'll tear down her door and demand answers, possibly even blood. I'll try Hatori again-"

"No!"

Tohru's desperate cry stopped him, and Shigure turned to stare at her with wide, astonished eyes. "Please," she said, "don't tell Akito what happened to me. I don't want to make him angry. I don't want-"

Yuki placed a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Honda, in this instance, I think angering Akito is precisely what we want to do. It will ensure that immediate action is taken against Ren."

"Hm. Yes," Shigure said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "But I do see your point, Tohru. If we tell Akito about this now, he's bound to go charging in to confront Ren."

"Why is that bad?" Yuki demanded, to which Shigure dropped his hand, sighing.

"Akito has health issues, Yuki, in case you'd forgotten. And he has grown quite fond of Tohru these last few weeks. I fear dropping something like this on him will be enough to finally make him snap."

Thank goodness Shigure understands. Tohru cast the dog a grateful look, and he winked back at her like they shared some kind of deep, dark secret. Which, in a way, she guessed they did.

"So what, then?" Yuki fumed. "We just let it go? Do nothing?" His hands curled into fists when neither Tohru nor Shigure answered right away. "No! I won't stand for that. Miss Honda and Isuzu both deserve justice." He narrowed his eyes at Shigure. "If you're not going to tell Akito, fine. I'll get the police involved-"

"Wait, wait." Shigure put a hand on Yuki's arm when he began moving toward the kitchen. "Let's not get carried away. I never said I wasn't going to tell Akito. I just said I wasn't going to tell him tonight."

"He's right, Yuki," Tohru said. "Akito is…" She broke off abruptly, stumbling over her words. "W-well, a lot happened to him today, and I don't think we should do anything to make him feel worse."

Shigure eyed her curiously after that. The unspoken question was evident in his slightly raised eyebrows, and Tohru felt her cheeks growing warm under his scrutiny.

Yuki didn't appear to notice the exchange. "Fine," he relented gruffly. "We'll tell him tomorrow. In fact, let's make a day of it. We'll go to Sohma House together."

"Yes," Shigure said slowly, still watching Tohru. "I think that's a good idea. In the meantime, I'll see if I can reach Hari."

"And I'm going after Kyo," Tohru said.

Disgust filled Yuki's features at hearing her say this. He didn't argue, though, no doubt because he now knew beyond any shadow of a doubt where Tohru stood when it came to the cat. "If you must," was all he said, and Tohru walked over to the door to slip her shoes back on.

"Good luck," Shigure said, and there was an earnestness in his voice that she wasn't accustomed to hearing.

"Thank you." She bowed her head before leaving, all the while praying to any god who might be listening that Kyo hadn't run too far. I need him to know that I meant what I said. In truth, part of her had been expecting Kyo to react as he did. Shigure's right. He doesn't think he deserves love from anyone.

And how could he? Growing up the zodiac cat was its own special kind of hell. Tohru knew that now, and it was easy to see how being treated like an outcast—and being called a monster—his entire life had led him to believe that he was unworthy.

And she would make it her mission to make him see that he was wrong. That they were wrong.

Once Tohru had disappeared out the door, Shigure excused himself to place a call to Sohma House. It didn't exactly come as a surprise when Yuki insisted on accompanying him, though the dog couldn't help feeling a flash of irritation all the same. He's just worried about Tohru, he reminded himself. Still, Shigure enjoyed his conversations with Hatori, and even though he knew it was childish, the fact that this one would not be private irked him a little

To Shigure's relief, the doctor picked up on the second ring. "Hari!" he shouted into the receiver. "Oh, thank goodness! Do you hear that, Yuki? The dear doctor has finally deigned to take our call!"

Hatori sounded exhausted as he replied. "Cut the crap. I left you a message, which is more than I did for anyone else. At any rate, I've been extremely busy. I just left the hospital. You have no idea what all I've had to deal with today, and I would appreciate a little less sass from you."

Shigure moved the phone away from his ear in mock-astonishment, to which Yuki rolled his eyes, using his cousin's distractedness as an opportunity to yank the phone from his grasp. "I'm sure you have, Hatori," the rat said, not missing a beat. "We'll try to be brief so that you can get some rest."

"That would be ideal," the doctor replied brusquely. A pause, and then he asked, "Did Honda make it home okay?"

"She did," Yuki said, turning quickly so as to stay out of Shigure's reach when he tried to grab the phone. "She seemed out of sorts, which I suppose is understandable, given everything that happened."

"She told you, then?" Hatori asked, sounding surprised. "About Ren, I mean."

"Yes. That's why we're calling. Did you manage to-"

"I'll take that, thank you," Shigure said, slipping the phone from Yuki's grasp. The rat quickly tightened his grip, but it was too late. Shigure smiled victoriously, and Yuki shot him a glare, though he didn't try to reclaim the phone.

"Me again," Shigure told Hatori cheerfully. "As Yuki was saying, we have lots of questions, though right now I think the most important one is: How is Isuzu? I take it she was the reason you were at the hospital."

"Yes," Hatori answered. "I have her hooked up to an IV and did a full examination. She appears fine, though Haru insisted on staying the night with her, just in case."

"What exactly did Ren do?" Shigure asked, unable to keep all of the anger he was feeling out of his voice. "Tohru said Ren locked her in the cat's confinement chamber, though she didn't say for how long or what the extent of the damage was."

"Isuzu suffered a head injury, though thankfully, it appears to be minor. She also had hair missing from her scalp. At first I wasn't sure if that was self-inflicted or not, though she confirmed tonight that Ren was responsible."

She ripped out her hair? Shigure's blood boiled. He could tell that Hatori had been confused by this reveal. To Shigure, though, it made perfect sense. Ren had beautiful hair herself, but the very fact that someone else—a perceived rival—had what she did was enough to make her want to take it. It was horrible, it was petty, and it might have been the most Ren-like thing she'd ever done in her life.

"I see," he said slowly. "What else?"

"She said that Ren was depriving her of food and drink. At this time, it remains unclear what her end goal was."

Again, to Shigure, the answer was obvious. To make her suffer, ultimately. He hated admitting this even to himself, but he was almost certain that it was true. "There are several reasons," he said with the assurance of an expert in such matters. Which, he supposed that when it came to Ren, he was. "She sees Isuzu as a threat in many regards. For one, she knows that Rin is trying to help me break the curse, and Ren made it clear to me just yesterday that she does not wish for that to happen. For another…" He risked a glance at Yuki, knowing full well that the rat would be nothing short of revolted by what he said next. "Ren believes that I have discarded her in favor of Isuzu."

"Discarded her?" As predicted, Yuki turned to stare at Shigure. He looked aghast, like he'd put the pieces together. At the same time, though, it was clear that he really, really wanted to believe he was wrong. "You mean-"

"Yes, Yuki," Shigure said quickly, as if he were already bored of the subject. "Ren and I have been an item off and on these many years. I can assure you it was never anything serious to me-"

SMACK.

Shigure's head jerked to one side, and for a moment he just stood there holding the phone, blinking and flexing his jaw as Yuki berated him.

"Idiot! Of all the stupid things-"

"Now, now," Shigure finally managed to get out. He was still stunned, even though he knew he shouldn't be. After all, Yuki was trained in martial arts, as was Kyo, and in truth, it was a miracle that Shigure had managed to make it this far without getting backhanded by one of them. Even so, had he really deserved a slap to the face like that?! "Let's try to calm down. The situation isn't as bad as it seems."

"Did you hit him?" Hatori asked. His tone gave nothing away, and for a moment, Shigure thought he was going to scold Yuki. But when the rat answered in the affirmative, Hatori replied, "Good. He deserves it."

Yuki's eyes gleamed at that, lips twisting into a self-satisfied smirk that reminded Shigure very much of Akito.

"Okay," the dog relented, lifting a hand, "maybe it was a little stupid of me to get involved with Ren. I knew what she was, after all, right from the very start. But she understood me in a way that I felt no one else could, and I must confess…I was enamored."

The rat scoffed. Shigure continued on as if nothing had happened. "Of course, that feeling fell away in time—it always does—but by then I was in too deep for there to be any real hope of making it out unscathed." He sighed. "You're right, though, Hari. I should've put a stop to this long ago. The trouble was…I was afraid. I knew that if I gave any hint of wanting to break things off, Ren would do something…" He trailed off with a humorless chuckle. "Well, something very much like what she's doing right now, I suppose."

Yuki shook his head while Hatori cleared his throat. "That's very enlightening, Gure," the doctor said in a way that suggested it was anything but. "It doesn't do much to help our current situation, however. Regardless of the status of your relationship with Ren, the fact remains that she is still on the loose."

"She's missing?" Shigure was somehow both surprised and unsurprised to hear this. "But do you know where she's gone?"

"No. Akito insisted on confronting her as soon as we learned what happened to Honda, but by the time we arrived, Ren had long since fled."

"Akito knows what happened to Tohru?" Shigure exchanged a glance with Yuki, who, for this first time in the last five minutes, did not look utterly revolted by the sight of him. "That's odd. When she came home she gave the impression that Akito had no idea what caused her injury."

"And she was very insistent that we not tell him," Yuki added, frowning.

"Yes," Hatori confirmed. "She didn't want to tell me, either. Akito…well, he essentially forced the story out of my assistant."

Shigure couldn't help chuckling. "That sounds like Akito. I take it you and your poor assistant had to bar the doors to Sohma House to prevent him from unleashing his fury onto the world."

"I certainly had to talk him down," Hatori replied. "In the end, though, I believe he handled everything that happened today rather admirably. I don't think he realizes it yet, but Honda's influence on him is quite substantial."

"Hmm," Shigure mused. "Yes, that certainly does seem to be the case. Where is Akito now, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"In his room. I dismissed him right before you called."

"And what does he plan to do about Ren? Surely, he simply isn't going to just let all of this go."

"Certainly not. In fact, he would have marched straight down to your place tonight, had I not implored him to wait until tomorrow to do so."

"And what does he hope to find here? Oh, wait," Shigure said, laughing again. "Let me guess. He wants to check on Tohru."

"I believe that is his true motive, yes. But he also seems to think that you have some idea of where Ren has gone."

There was a long pause, and Yuki's eyes locked expectantly on his cousin, as if to demand: Well, do you? Shigure ignored his accusatory glare. "I don't. And before you start letting your doubts run amok, please know that I am through with her. What she's done to Isuzu and Tohru...it's unforgivable."

Silence greeted him on the other end. Then finally, with a sigh, the doctor ventured, "I want to believe you, Gure. I really do. But I'm afraid I have to agree with Akito on this. You've been making excuses for Ren for years-"

"Hatori." Shigure interrupted, his voice firm, resolute. "I am not harboring secrets from you in order to protect Ren. Please, that much you must believe."

If you don't, no one else will, he silently added.

"All right," the doctor relented, though Shigure could tell he wasn't altogether convinced. "In any case, expect Akito and me over early in the morning. Even if you don't know anything, he'll still want to see Honda."

She found Kyo sitting alone in the grass.

She'd expected him to be alone, of course, but she hadn't expected him to be crouching with his head down, arms wrapped tightly around himself, as if he were trying to disappear. Tohru's heart ached. She knew he could hear her approaching, though even as she drew nearer, he didn't move an inch. The last time he was this upset was the night he transformed. The night she'd seen him in his true form. And she understood why he'd fled then. He was so sure I wouldn't want to be his friend anymore. That I would reject him. But that hadn't happened. If anything, the event had brought the two of them closer together. Or so Tohru had thought.

What could possibly be his reason for running away this time? There were only two explanations that she could see. Either Shigure was right, and Kyo felt unworthy of the love that she was offering him, or…

Or, he doesn't want it.

She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Please," she whispered, knowing that he could hear, "don't run away again. I want to talk to you. I want to-"

He tensed, the movement almost imperceptible, and Tohru froze, praying that he wouldn't jump to his feet and take off again. To her relief, he stayed where he was, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"Go away." His voice was gruff, not hostile, but Tohru flinched at its roughness all the same. "I don't want to hear anymore about how you love me. It's crazy talk."

Tohru took another step forward. "No, it's not," she murmured. "I see you for who you are, Kyo."

His head jerked to one side, and again Tohru stopped, half-expecting him to run. When he remained where he was, though, she continued, "You have no idea how happy you make me, Kyo. When I'm with you, it feels like…" Her eyes filled with tears. "It feels like home. What I feel when I'm with Yuki, Momiji, Hatsuharu, and the others…" She shook her head. "It doesn't compare."

Kyo stood then, turning slowly, and as Tohru gazed up at him, she was struck by just how much he towered over her. Instead of unnerving her, though, it made her want him to comfort her. To wrap her in his arms, to whisper into her hair that it was okay, that he'd reacted impulsively and he hadn't really meant the things he'd said earlier.

Instead, though, he stared down at her with cold, pitiless eyes. "What you feel for me isn't real, and even if it were, there's no way that it would ever work out, anyway. You need to understand that I'm not a normal person."

"You are, though," she insisted, tears now rolling freely down her cheeks. "Please, Kyo. I know what they've made you believe, but it isn't true!"

He groaned, turning away from her again. "So what? It doesn't matter. In the end, they're still gonna lock me up."

And there it is. That was why he was pushing her away, why he was saying all of these mean things. He doesn't want to get any closer to me. Because he's afraid he's going to lose me. No, he was sure of it. And Tohru understood why he felt this way. It was what he'd been told would happen since he was a small child. In his mind, it was inevitable.

But it doesn't have to be.

Part of her knew that it was naïve to think that she would be able to convince Akito to end the tradition of the cat's confinement. And yet, she knew she had to try. Because this was what it was all for, why she'd been trying to break the curse in the first place. It all came back to Kyo, to saving him.

If I can't end the tradition by breaking the curse, then I'll ask Akito to change the rule.

The thought of asking such a thing of the zodiac god filled her with dread, especially when she remembered the way their last meeting had gone. Will he even agree to see me? It didn't matter. She would force her way into Sohma House, if she had to. One way or another, she would have an audience with Akito.

"Okay," she said suddenly, startling Kyo. "If that's how you feel-"

"It is." He crossed his arms, and Tohru stared at his back for a moment. She didn't want to leave things this way. But she also knew that he would never agree to let her plead to Akito on his behalf. In fact, if Kyo knew she intended to do such a thing, he would probably try to stop her.

This is something that I have to do on my own. While she and Akito were not on the best of terms, Tohru believed with all her heart that they were still friends, that he would at least be willing to hear her out, even if what she had to say angered him or broke his heart.

Or, more than likely, both.

After more than two hours of trying but failing to fall asleep, Akito threw his bed sheet aside. Something has to be done, he decided. I can't just lie here and do nothing.

Doubt began working its way into his mind as he stood and crossed the room to change into something more suitable than a kimono. But what can I do? He had no idea where Ren was or what her next move would be. His mother was as unpredictable as a circling shark. When and where would she strike? Would she even strike at all?

Yes. Akito knew this with the same certainty that he knew he was god of the Chinese zodiac. Much as he loathed doing so, he forced himself to think, for a moment, about what he might do if he were in Ren's position. Everyone always says we are so alike. It was time to finally put that theory to the test in a way that mattered.

He pulled on a shirt—another long-sleeved button-down, black as night—frowning as he let his mind wander. What are her motives? Her objective in kidnapping and torturing Isuzu appeared to be clear. She'd wanted to make the horse suffer for stealing the attentions of her lover. This was no surprise to Akito. More than once, he'd witnessed his mother staring across a room with murder in her eyes at the mere glimpse of a woman who she perceived as prettier than herself. This, of course, had been while Akira was still alive.

She's always been overly possessive of the things she loves.

His breath caught then, hands freezing in their diligent efforts to straighten the cuffs of his shirt. The overwhelming urge to scream was almost enough to consume him, but through sheer force of will, he stifled it. Now fully dressed, he found he could do nothing but stand in the center of the room, so still that even the rise and fall of his chest was barely perceptible.

So have I.

And that was why…

For the second time that day, tears sprung to his eyes. They didn't spill over then, and they didn't now, despite being alone and away from the judgmental stares of others. He didn't know what held them back—if he himself saw tears as weakness, or if he simply no longer possessed the ability to cry—but it didn't matter. Because now he knew the truth.

Vile and contemptuous though Ren might be, there was one thing she'd been right about all these years, and that was that the bond between God and the zodiac was not love. It was a compulsion borne of a centuries-old curse, something that existed to keep the zodiac together, heedless of their true feelings toward one another. The reason Akito had held onto them so tightly over the years had nothing to do with love. He'd simply been terrified of losing them. Because in his mind, they were all he had. All he would ever have.

"Real love is what Akira and I shared, and that is something that a freak like you will never understand!"

That particular statement of Ren's, on the other hand, was false, and Akito might not have ever come to recognize this fact had it not been for Tohru, had she not shown him what it was to have genuine care and compassion for another person.

Ren didn't love Akira. Akito was convinced his mother had never loved anyone in all her life. She certainly never loved me. Now he finally understood why. I came between her and Father.

She'd never said as much herself, but somehow, Akito knew that it was the truth. He recalled the staggering pain he'd felt as Ren's hand smashed into his nose that day in Akira's room. All he'd wanted to do was approach his father's deathbed, to grasp his hand and hold it one last time.

She is a monster. She always has been. And I...

Akito would not—could not—deny the many similarities between himself and his mother. After all, had he not sought to possess his zodiac in the same way that she had sought to possess Akira? Yes, he had. But now...

"It doesn't matter," he said out loud to himself. No, the only thing that mattered now was that he no longer wanted to be that person.

As it turned out, the zodiac god was not born to be loved. But that didn't mean that Akito could never be loved, or give love.

Love…Tohru.

Suddenly, he knew where Ren was going next.

With a jolt, he made for the door, shoving it aside and stepping out into the cold, quiet night. It was almost eerie, how still the main courtyard was. There wasn't even the faintest wind to stir the branches of the trees that lined the main pathway. Akito remembered the last time he'd snuck out like this, how dizzy and feverish he had felt. He'd been almost certain he was going to die that night, and he very well might have. That is, had Tohru not saved him.

Tohru. Akito crept along one of the estate's dividing walls. Even though she'd rejected him, Akito couldn't bring himself to feel any ill will toward her. If anything, his need to protect her was twice as fierce as it had been before.

After he had exited through the main gate, Akito paused to assess his options. Even the most direct route would take an hour to traverse; a vehicle would by far be the more prudent choice. Then again, swiping Hatori's keys out from underneath him would be difficult to manage a third time. Still, the longer Akito thought about it, the more certain he was that it was the most sensible thing to do.

Mind made up, he turned back toward the keypad on the main gate. But before he could enter the code, a hand clamped down on his arm, yanking him back hard enough that he stumbled. What is this? Who would dare….?

He managed to right himself before he could well and truly fall, though icy dread washed over him a split-second later when someone trapped him in a headlock. He knew who the attacker was before he even heard her speak.

"How convenient. I was going to come to you, though this makes things exceedingly easier."

Akito struggled, twisting his head before he felt the bite of a blade pressing into his neck.