Chapter Two - Hide And Seek

With friends, do you live a better life? Or a worse one? Who knows? But there has to be more to life than having to do everything alone, doesn't there?

... What is that?

Tomoyo's eyes flickered slightly. There was something resting on her chest and breathing onto her collarbone.

She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times.

What the hell?! Is... Is that a dog?!

Tomoyo pulled herself together and tried to sit up, but the canine was way too heavy for her to lift off. Maybe she should try a more gentle approach.

She lifted her hand, making sure not to get it anywhere near the creature's mouth. She expected it to try and bite her, but it just crouched over her with its paws resting on her chest. Wary, Tomoyo carefully placed her hand on the canine's head and gave it a gentle caress.

Am I doomed? It this thing gonna eat me? Oh god, what do I do?

She suddenly felt something damp against her cheek and realised that the once snarling, terrifying beast had laid down its head on her breast. It was sort of... cute. She continued stroking it, scanning the area at the same time. She was in a cave, but how did she get there? The last thing she remembered was lying in the snow, so how did she suddenly end up in a cave?

"Heh. So you've tamed one of my wolves, huh?"

Who was that?

Tomoyo's eyes followed the voice until they fell upon a man. A very strange looking man. She squinted and moved slightly towards him. It was definitely a man, but what the hell was he wearing? He had... pelts of fur and armour strapped across his body. And was he wearing a skirt!?

She blinked. He had a tail! Was this some kind of cosplayer?

She backed away slightly.

He came out from the shadows and tilted his face so that the light cascaded onto it. Tomoyo couldn't have possibly known it, but this man was Koga, leader of the Eastern Wolf Pack and the most dangerous youkai of those plains.

He grinned.

"What's this? You seem quite terrified of me."

She frowned fiercely as he snatched her up by her shirt. He grabbed her chin and his sharp claws dug into her flesh. He brought his face down so it was practically touching hers, and gave a low snarl. She pushed him away roughly, causing herself to fall back onto the hard ground.

"Ouch," she whimpered, holding her side throbbing, "That's gonna leave a bruise."

She sighed and stood up, looking Koga in the eyes. She was slightly amused by his strange appearance, however, he was quite well-built and his face wasn't half bad to look at. Sure he was extremely frightening and... well, animalistic, he was attractive in a rugged handsome way.

He smirked and let out a chuckle.

She creased her brows and put her hands on her hips. "So. You." She looked him up and down. "You must be the one whose pulling all these stupid tricks on me."

Koga shifted closer towards her. He stared at her for a while, before opening his mouth and adverting her accusation by asking...

"So are you another one of the human village whores that've been wandering out into our territory?"

"What?" she blinked, "Human...?"

Had he just called her a whore!?

And her lid snapped.

"YOU ABSOLUTE ASS! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A WHORE! WHAT WOULD EVEN GIVE YOU THAT IMPRESSION—"

"Hey, I've heard that prostitution is a common and decent money making job, not that I have any need for something like money, but why else would ya be dressed like that?"

"DRESSED LIKE WHAT!?"

Seemingly bored with her outburst, Koga lifted his finger in a rather patronising manner and and held it up to her lips.

"Shh." he hissed.

Pretentious beast!

Tomoyo cursed him under her breath and then bit his finger. He jumped back immediately, shocked that she even dared to touch him.

She shuddered momentarily.

Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. He looks like he's going to explode!

She backed away, feeling a slight chill run down her spine as those cold, dark eyes of his wouldn't leave her own. It was unnerving and annoying her.

"Will—Will you stop staring at me!" She turned her head away from him.

"Heh. Foolish mortal. You're the one that's dressed up, or should I say dressed down, like a human 'courtesan', if that's less offensive of a slur to you."

He stood up and grinned at her in a way she didn't feel comfortable with. It made her blood boil.

Right. That is enough! Let's see him think a whore can do this! Misogynistic low-life!

She leapt up and tried to strike him by kicking him in the face, but he somehow dodged her attack, leaving her slightly unbalanced.

"You're really damn irritating for just a walking meal."

Alright, no more mister nice guy!

Tomoyo took a moment to breathe before throwing her next punch.

Koga sighed, "Why are humans so annoying and rash?"

She threw her bare hands at him, hoping that she wasn't going to make a fool of herself by missing. He rolled his eyes as he clenched the girl's fists tightly. She squirmed and tried to pull herself out of his grasp, and he sniggered and pinned her to the floor, digging his sharp nails into her weak flesh.

"GET OFF!" she shrieked, "And trim your nails too! Ever heard of having a manicure? They're like knives!"

During this, Koga found he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Why was she still fighting back? Why wasn't she crying out in pain or screaming for help? She was most definitely human; there wasn't a single trace of demon coming from her, yet she displayed no fear.

The image of a girl came to mind then. Another girl with raven hair and dark eyes that blazed with defiance and rage as she refused to be his.

He froze.

"KOGA!"

A voice from outside screamed for him, and there was an anger in the voice. What was wrong? Koga shifted his gaze to the exit of the cave. "Can't you guys handle a couple of weak-ass demons?"

He stood up, Tomoyo's hands still locked in his. He dragged her to the exit of the cave and threw her to the ground. He then turned around and addressed Ginta and Hakkaku.

"What is it, guys?"

He's gone. Time to escape!

She leapt up, not caring that one of her wrists was bleeding. Hastily, she peered around the corner, trying to get a clear view of what was happening outside. A bit further ahead where the three men, one of them being Koga, and the other two wearing similar fur outfits to him.

Great. More furries.

"What do you want, Ginta?" Koga grumbled, frustrated that the two annoying men had interrupted his meal time.

"Kogaaa," Ginta moaned, "When can we eat the human woman? We're starving!"

Koga frowned and folded his arms.

Good god! Tomoyo thought. They're cannibals! They're gonna try and eat me! Crap!

She looked around, checking that no one was watching. Immediately after that, she legged it out of the cave, heading far away from the furry freaks.

Back at the cave, Koga chuckled when he entered. So she'd escaped, had she? He knew from far outside the cave that the girl wasn't there. He could smell her blood.

"All right, boys. Seems we're going on a hunt!"

They grinned in response and started running after their leader.

Game on. Koga thought, following the girl's scent and the smell of blood.

Her fate had now been sealed...