DISCLAIMER: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or anything related. Please, don't sue.

Escape

By Bri-C123

Chapter 4

Kaoru walked behind Kenshin, warily eying her surroundings. His hand held hers in a tight grip, as if he was afraid she would disappear. She held onto him, with equal force. She didn't want to lose this too soon. She tensed as she felt the ki of more people coming closer and close. Kenshin neared a doorway, but Kaoru froze. She suddenly felt nervous. How would she be able to act fine when she attacked one of the pack? Would they accept her? Would they accept the fact that they have this broken girl mated with their alpha?

But she couldn't mate with this alpha. It would only bring trouble. She sighed at the reminder but didn't move. Kenshin hadn't moved either. He simply watched her. She glanced nervously at the door again. "I…I'm not that hungry" she whispered. The words were quiet, barely made any sound. The noise in the room did not let up, showing that no one in there heard it, but Kenshin was close and she figured he could read her lips.

"You haven't eaten in a while. It would be good to get some food into your system."

She glanced at the doorway once again. "I'm not sure… I just need to some bread and that will substitute for the meal. I can last a few days with that" she added absently.

Frustration seemed to radiate from the man. "Bread is certainly not a meal." All noise in the room had ceased. "I can cook you a decent meal, Kaoru-chan. Please just follow me. I promised you that you would be safe, didn't I?"

He was definitely speaking too loud. Everyone must have heard him by now. "Kenshin" she hissed. "I'm not hungry." She paused. "Don't act so familiar with me either," she said. The words were cold, ruthless. She knew they would kill the hope in him. She needed to do this. She had wanted to enjoy this time with him, but wouldn't it make it all the more painful? She just wanted the freaking bread. Then she would be gone, with or without the clothes.

Kenshin was hiding behind his bangs. She had never noticed before, but the long bangs could hide his eyes if he bent his head even just a little bit. "Kaoru, will you please just stop being so selfish for once?" This caused Kaoru to tense and attempt to pull her hand away. He held on tightly. "And if I can't call you Kaoru-chan, you are my koibito. Now come. I'm in the mood to cook now." Kaoru was shocked, to say the least. He tugged her shocked form into the room. She couldn't protest. The room turned out to be a kitchen. He led her to the stove. There was an island in the middle, where several people leaned on. Kaoru instinctively moved behind Kenshin, keeping her eyes on them.

The man she had attacked whistled. "Didn't know you moved that fast Kenshin."

She looked at Kenshin, confused. "Shut it Sano" he answered. "Nothing happened."

"Really?" This Sano eyed her and her clothes. "She's wearing your stuff."

"I'm not going to let her prance around naked, Sano. She'll catch a cold."

"She could have taken something from Misao or Meg. Or even maybe Aoshi, though it might be too big for her."

Kenshin was silent, pausing for a moment to think it over. A sudden snarl ripped through his throat. "She is mine. No other scent will surround her."

There was silence and Sano began laughing. "I totally gotcha Kenshin. I cannot believe that you tried to make me think you lent her your clothes for any reason other than that." He headed out the doorway. "There is no way you can tell me you didn't do anything with that reaction." He sauntered out. "Fox'll call me for dinner, so take your time!"

Kaoru tilted her head, not knowing what to say. What was this Sano talking about? What did Kenshin do? She looked at him for an explanation but he offered nothing. He began taking out pots and food. She watched as he began to chop some of the vegetables and dumped them into a pot. He was very skilled in the kitchen, she realized. The perfect mate for her…

No, no, no. She should not be thinking like that. She shook her head and looked away from him. Her eyes met those of Misao. Misao was grinning widely. Kaoru did not trust that smile, a smile that told of mischievous plans, and took a step closer to Kenshin. She could recognize the tall man that stood behind her. He said nothing, and nor did his expression.

She moved her eyes over to the last person standing in the room. The woman was tall and pretty. Her hair hung straight and long. Her figure was slim and she had curves Kaoru could only dream of having. Kaoru could figure out why Sano would be attracted to her in the first place, if not for the whole mating thing.

She also smelled, without a doubt, like a human. Kaoru was a few feet away and she could still smell it. It burned her senses, made her eyes slowly turn an icy blue.

She had to back away. She couldn't attack. She had to get away, go anywhere but here. She was in no danger but just the scent-

So many memories. Her mind was swirling with them. She could remember the pain, the suffering. It wasn't just her, but her family. How dare they-

"Kaoru." Her eyes snapped to golden ones. "Koibito, you need to calm down. No one here will hurt you."

She had been growling. She didn't even realize. He pulled her to his chest and stroked her hair. She could feel the purr vibrating through his chest. Her nose found his scent and she breathed him in. He smelled warm, earthy, and wolfish. It was great. "Kenshin…"

She noticed the three kis move out of the room. She visibly relaxed. She leaned into the embrace more and pressed her head comfortably against his shoulder. "Why?" he whispered. She looked up at him in confusion. "Why are you so afraid of humans? Why do you tense every time you smell them? What happened?"

She blinked. Her eyes flashed bright before she turned them away, hiding. "Aren't you cooking Kenshin? I'll be upstairs so I won't cause a scene." Kenshin had turned to eye his pot and Kaoru took the time to step out of his arms. His hands held onto her, sliding down her arms as she moved. She shivered at the feeling. Tingles shot up her spine, warming her. She glared at the man's hands. They could fit so well together. Why couldn't she have stumbled into another pack? One less confusing and without a human among them.

"Don't go Kaoru." Kenshin leaned down a little and bumped his nose with hers. His amber eyes glittered with hers. "Unless you would like me to join you upstairs."

Kaoru blushed. "Y-you…How indecent…We only j-just m-met…"

Kenshin laughed and dragged her to the stove. "I was kidding koibito. Come. What would you like to eat?"

He was an amazing cook. Kaoru was amazed at the way he could make simple ingredients slowly turn into a good full meal. He set hot plates of food on the island and let Kaoru grab some plates to help him out. There was a lot of food on the table. Kaoru eyed the counter nervously. Why would he make such a ridiculous amount of food?

As if he could read her mind, he answered. "Sano tends to shovel a lot of food down his throat. I have to make weekly visits to town just to make sure we don't run out."

Kaoru's eyebrows shot up. "There's a town near here?"

"About a two mile run in wolf form." He walked to the doorway and leaned against it, keeping his eye on Kaoru while talking to the others on the other side of the hallway. As if he was afraid she might run. "Dinner's ready. Megumi, would you call down Sano?"

There were grumbles but a few seconds later, Misao and the tall man entered the kitchen. Kaoru shrank back, instinctively trying to discreetly disappear. Misao, bless the girl, noticed and immediately set about introducing her mate. "Kaoru this is Aoshi~ He's my mate~ Handsome, isn't he? Well, too bad, he's mine. You stick with your Kenshin." Misao hugged Aoshi's arm tightly and stuck a tongue out at Kaoru. Kaoru, not used to such behaviors, smiled weakly.

"Nice to meet you Aoshi-san…" Kaoru nervously called out. "Its nice to see you again too, Misao-san."

Misao waved her hand. "Don't go to the formalities now, Kaoru. There's no point." The small girl quickly skipped to Kaoru's side and grabbed her hand. "Come; start eating before Sano gets here. He likes to hog the food."

Kenshin, who had been watching the whole exchange from the doorway, chuckled at the expression on his mate's face. She was so startled. It was a cute look. He walked to the island and began piling food onto a plate. Kaoru hadn't picked up a plate, only watching Kenshin as he did it. When he was sure he couldn't fit anything else onto it, he beckoned Kaoru over. He handed her the plate as she stood in front of him. "Eat" he said.

"B-but… It's too much!"

"You need it Koi. Look at your arms! You're too thin. Eat" he ordered again.

"Kenshin…" she whined.

"Koi…"

"Share with me then! I refuse to finish this plate by myself."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "When you say things like that, koi, you make it hard for me to keep my hands to myself." He smirked at her outraged expression.

"I didn't even say anything weird! Kenshin no hentai!"

He laughed and grabbed the plate. "Come, Kaoru. We'll sit in the living room and eat." She stomped after him, still mad at his reactions. He sat on the couch, lifting her onto his lap when she sat next to him. She glared at him, but really didn't do much. He could see the blush on her cheeks, and that told him enough. They both picked at the food on the plate. Finally, bored with the silence, Kenshin kissed Kaoru's head. "Feed me Kaoru."

Kaoru, whose face was officially completely red, stammered. "I-I refuse. Th-this is already so in-indecent…"

Kenshin pouted. Kaoru tried not to look but couldn't help herself. He was definitely handsome with a cute side to him. It made him irresistible. "Mou, you are so demanding." She picked up a piece of meat and shoved it into his open mouth. "There."

Kenshin swallowed and smiled. "Thank you. Shall I return the favor?" He picked up another piece of meat and placed it against her lips. She seemed to get redder and glared at him. Her mouth opened as she accepted the food. She chewed vigorously, while imagining all the things she could do to him, some more violent than others. She helped herself to some vegetables and stopped eating. She had successfully eaten one quarter of everything Kenshin put on the plate. She leaned against him, using the fact that he held her as an excuse. He tried to feed her some more, but she glared and looked away. He took the hint and began to eat himself. He left some food on the plate, hoping she'll feed herself but she didn't touch the food. "What's the matter, Kaoru? Is the food not to your liking?"

"Its fine" she huffed.

"So eat some more."

She blinked up at him. "I'm full."

"You didn't eat enough to make you half full."

Her expression turned dark. "Well I'm sorry I don't eat as much as others here" she snapped. "I'm full, so let me go."

"Kaoru, you must eat to regain your strength and heal your leg" Kenshin started.

"You cannot force me to do anything" she snapped. "I am my own person, and no one can force me into anything." The smell of magic was in the air, giving away Kaoru's intention of using it. Kenshin quickly released her and she leaped off his lap. She found the front door and walked out.

Kenshin blinked at how quickly the mood changed. They had gone from playful to angry in such a short amount of time. "You can't give her too much food at once, Ken-san." He turned and saw Megumi leaning against the wall in the hallway. "She was very undernourished. If she can't even eat what she already had, you might not want to force food into her. She might be used to her diet, so you have to introduce more food slowly." Megumi turned and headed towards the kitchen. "Baka tori atama! Don't tell me you're hogging all the food!" She disappeared into the area, where the argument with her mate began.

Kenshin sighed and put the food on the table in the middle of the room. Misao and Aoshi looked at him expectantly. When he hesitated, Misao rolled her eyes. "She could be running away Kenshin. Go find her. She shouldn't be out if her leg's still bad anyway." Aoshi nodded and turned back to his food. "She could be running away again" Misao said.

Kenshin was gone in a heartbeat. It wasn't hard to find Kaoru; she didn't even conceal the smell of her magic. He allowed his wolf to take over, hoping to get to her faster. He sprung into the forest, tracking her. He found her quickly, she didn't go far. She found the small spring, hidden by the many trees around it. She sat by the edge, not touching the water, just watching. The wind picked up, blowing towards Kenshin. He could smell the fresh water and the salty tears. He changed and slowly walked to her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry" he said. Kaoru did not turn. "Please Kaoru, I didn't mean anything. I'm just worried about you." He stopped next to her and knelt down. "I just want to help you." She didn't look at him, but let him reach over and wipe the tears form her eyes. They were replaced by fresh tears and he instead pulled her into his embrace again. She cried.

"I'm sorry" she sniffled. "I'm just worried. I need to leave soon. They could find me here. They might find my scent and-"

"Hush" he said. "Now isn't the time to think about this. Let's go back to the house and we'll check on your leg again, hmm?" He easily picked her up. He frowned at her light weight. He began a mental list of foods that could bring her weight up to normal.

He froze as the wind blew. Kaoru hissed, her eyes glowing brighter. "Its them" she whispered.

"Who?" Kenshin asked.

"We have to get back to your pack!" She scrambled to get out of his arms, but he held her tightly and ran. She was left breathless as the scenery blurred. They were back at his place in no time. She clung to him tightly, as the rush from the run slowly faded. He went inside and locked the door.

"Misao! Aoshi!" The two were with him in a flash.

"It seems we have a few visitors." Misao said almost cheerfully. "But they aren't our's."

"Are the wards holding up?"

"They won't last long."

"Aoshi, I want you and Misao to stay by the door. I'll see to our guests." Kenshin set Kaoru down on her feet. "I want you to stay in your room" he said.

"But Kenshin-!"

"Kaoru, they are after you right now. I want you somewhere safe." He gestured towards her leg. "You aren't even fully healed yet. Please, just go upstairs and wait for me."

Kaoru stayed where she was, crossing her arms with eyes glowing dangerously. His own eyes were narrowed and amber. "I'm not some girl that needs to be hidden away" Kaoru protested.

"Kaoru you-"

"Need to take care of my own problems. The ones out there aren't yours to fight. They are mine." She bared her teeth, showing their sharp edges. "You won't stop me." She could feel a ki coming up behind her fast. She quickly jumped and used Kenshin as leverage to flip in the air and land behind Aoshi. She glared at both men, keeping Misao in her peripheral vision. "I have a right" she growled. "This is my fight, my revenge, and my problem. You are not allowed to stop me."

Kenshin snarled, and Kaoru snarled right back. The oncoming ki was close now. They were running out of time. Kaoru was right, Kenshin couldn't stop her, because this involved her. This was her fight. That didn't mean he had to like it though. Kaoru muttered a quick spell, casting everyone paralyzed for a second before Kenshin broke through it, but that one second was enough.

She was outside, running right towards the dangerous group of kis. They stopped right at a clearing. She froze when she realized who was there.

"Well, hello Kaoru-chan. Isn't it so nice to see you again." He smiled, showing his ever growing insanity.

"I see they had to send the stronger group when I escaped the first one."

"Ahh, but I like my chases Kaoru-chan. If you run, I'll even give a head start just to have fun."

"You sick bastard" she spat.

"Ah ah ah. Such rude remarks. Alpha wouldn't like that, now would he? Perhaps I should straighten you out for him?"

"So you can get higher up in the pack" she remarked sarcastically. "Who do you think you are? You are nothing but a pawn to him. Everyone knows that."

"But it makes my job all the more fun. I get to do the dirty work. I get to kill. You should know that best, don't you?"

Her eyes glowed dangerously. "How dare you even think of them? You have no right, you blood-thirsty-"

"But are you not the same?" She snarled and stalked closer. His eyes froze her right at the center. She tried to work through the spell, but she knew it would take a while. She cursed herself for her stupidity. She was vulnerable now. He circled around her. "You, who went against your own teachings. You, who killed my men. Are you not the same as I?"

"She will never be the same as you" a voice spoke out.

Her opponent turned. "I welcome you. I could smell you from here."

"Jin-eh." The voice was cold, nothing like what she was used to, but she knew it was Kenshin.

"Battousai."

The name would have made her freeze, if she wasn't frozen already. Her concentration on the spell broke. Kenshin…Battousai? This man… her mate… was Battousai?

Before everyone kills me, let me say I'm sorry! I know its been a while since I've updated anything. Some of my work is also becoming depressing. I'm so so so sorry! Don't be mad, please. I've finally updated and will start updating more regularly. As the year ends. (I know I said this before, but now will all my college applications done, and funerals over, I can finally get back to my peaceful life.)

I'm sorry I can't reply to everyone individually, but I would still like to thank everyone for reviewing:

Kokoronagomu

ZilverWolf

Delirious599

Sentinel Tyrande

Kaoru

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Also, I'd like to thank everyone for following me and my stories~ I am thankful for all your support. I give my thanks, to everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!