Escape
By Bri-C123
Chapter 9

Kenshin woke up with heavy limbs. He knew his room was empty. He wanted to howl, he wanted to scream. He couldn't feel any emotions within him. Couldn't feel anything around him. There was a low growl as the effects of the herbs slowly dissipated. As soon as he could feel his feet, he was on them. He threw on his clothing. She had taken his shirt, but he had others. He smelled he scraps of fabric of what used to be his shirt, trying to take in the rest of her scent. Her smell permeated the room, but it was quickly disappearing.

He could feel his pack coming back. Impatient, he stalks out to the threshold of the property. His eyes are amber with his fury. He wants nothing more than to change and follow the trail he can still smell. His body is still, as Aoshi comes to a stop in front of him. The man immediately takes in his alpha's posture. He stops everyone else in their tracks. He bows low. "What would you like us to do, alpha?"

Kenshin seems to relax from this sign of submission. "She has connections with Jin-eh. She was clearly not his pack, and he has connections with humans. They've done something illegal, but I don't know what."

He is still itching to run, but he can calm the wolf in him now. He can think rationally now. He closes his eyes and lifts his nose to the air. He can still smell her. His head turns towards the clearing where they encountered the group. "We find her" Aoshi said. It was not a question. It was a statement, more to the other members of their pack than the leader. "Your orders?"

"You should all be rested. We finish cleaning the house, and then we run." His eyes turn to Megumi. She stares, a bit frightened by the determined gaze trained on her. She froze up, not knowing what to do. Sano's low growl had her blinking. She places a hand on her mate's arm. "Relax" she breathes.

"Megumi, I need you to tell me exactly what is going on. What are we facing?" He indicates for the others to head back to the house first. Once they were safely inside, he lowers his voice. "What happened with Kanryu?" She pulled in a sharp breathe and paled. "I know it's hard. I would never judge you for your past, but I need to know. My mate knows something. She knew you."

She takes a deep breath. She never thought she would have to bring up that part of her past ever again. But here she was, in a wolf pack, as someone's mate, and debating whether to visit the past. She clenched her hands. She didn't really want to… but as a part of this pack, she has a duty. She couldn't risk losing the only one who would ever care for her. "I… I think this is something the whole pack should listen to. It's essential if we are going to get that she-wolf back."

Kenshin nodded. He let her head to the house first. His eyes went back to the clearing. He could clearly remember the battle that was there. The way Jin-Eh had talked to her so familiarly. Or the way they were hinting at her past. But her magic sources did not come from him. He could tell that they were not bound in anyway, and they weren't pack mates.

He headed back to the house. Most of the things were packed already. Sano had decided to stop and sit on the couch with Megumi, rubbing her arm soothingly. Aoshi and Misao finished up the packing. Kenshin tilted his head, trying to get rid of the kinks on his neck. While his head was tilted to the right, Misao came out of the kitchen with herbal leaves in her hand. She stopped, almost dropping the leaves in her hand. "You mated her" she gasped.

Kenshin only glanced at her. "Yes."

"Then how in the world…?"

"I think she put something in my tea."

"So she used this?" The small girl held up her two handfuls of leaves. "I found these on the counter."

"Let me see them" Megumi pipes up. She holds out her hands for the leaves and inspects them carefully, sniffing loudly. She narrows her eyes. "I don't know how she knows this, but this is the recipe for a sleeping draft." She glances at Kenshin. "How much did she give you?"

"She made me a whole mug of the tea…"

"And you've been out for two hours?" He only nods. Megumi puts the leaves down on the coffee table. "She was very good. It's hard to make this draft last for a long period of time."

"You didn't hear her think about it?" Misao asks.

Kenshin shakes his head. "She was just following instincts. I figured her mind was preoccupied with something else.

"Oh, preoccupied with what?" Sanosuke smirks. "Although I'm pretty sure we can all guess." Kenshin throws him a glare and he holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay okay, joking later."

Kenshin throws his beta a displeased look and turns back to Megumi. "So, would you like to explain what we are going to get ourselves into?"

"As far as my knowledge goes" Megumi starts slowly. "Kanryuu has a pack linked with his business. In return for shelter and unlimited resources, they do his bidding. He runs a business based mostly on drugs. He does opium, but he's slowly getting into the more serious things." She brushes back a strand of hair. "Anyone he doesn't need anymore, he threw them to the wolves, quite literally. They were always eager for a kill."

"He was working with a pack? Which pack?"

"I… can't really recall. But there was always one with him. He was really tall, with white, white hair. Almost like it was bleached."

Low growls erupted in the room. Megumi was startled, and huddled a little closer to her mate. "Enishi" Kenshin growled.

"I thought he was dead" Misao says.

"So did I" Kenshin clenches his fist. "I was pretty sure I was the one who dug him his grave. And now, he has what is mine."

"Calm, alpha" Aoshi says. "We need a plan."

"Kanryuu has a large army of men. I think he has the pack at his disposal so…." Megumi trails off.

"Fine" Kenshins snarls. "We leave once we have a plan." He heads to the kitchen, thinking of preparing some food to go, to let out his temper. His wolf was close to the surface. He was ready to run, but he knew the rest of his pack was right. He can't rush into this. He had to make sure he had the perfect way to get his mate back, and to keep her safe.

Already, he could feel his connection to her thinning. He couldn't hear her thoughts, even if he tried. The string that connected them was threatening to snap. The thought made him growl some more. He wondered what the hell she was thinking, going back to a pack like that.

But no matter, she will be his once again. Maybe this time he'll chain her to him and throw away the key.

Wowza, sorry this took so long minna-san. University life is too stressful for fun. Anyway, this has actually been sitting in my laptop for a while. I just touched it up. I hope you look forward to more!

Sorry, I can't respond to any reviews today, but thank you for reviewing anyway! It really makes my day when I see that I got reviews.