Yo! Shisashiburi desune... I was very busy with my schoolwork and that's why I couldn't update sooner. But anyway, here's the new chapter. Hope you like it.

A lonely wolf (V)

Near a village was a forest. Somewhere in the forest you could hear the bird's song, or the river, could see baby animals playing or little demons playing like normal demon kids. Peace and quiet…

SLAMP.

So much for peace and quiet…--'

"You…you…PERVERT!" a female voice was yelling. Man, by the tone of the voice, the women must be very angry at someone. The female's voice was heard from a small, world-forgotten house, were no one lived. There was a small table and six chairs in the middle of the room. In another room was a dusty, broken bed, on which no one slept for ages. Too bad the woman shouted when Botan was on the edge to enter in there. Let's just say that her ears will have one hell of a pain.

"Aha ha ha! Nice one, woman! Finally someone will put that womanizer on his place!" commented another female that was laughing very, VERY loud. And that voice was the voice of none other than our favorite cat demon: Karan.

"I see you're having a nice time here" Botan said chuckling while she entered the house after her ears stopped hurting. Gatenmaru was right beside her, but with a sad, long face. When they entered they saw a: 1) furious woman that was so red that you could mistake her with a tomato. 2) a laughing Karan. And 3) a Caleb with a mark of a hand on his face. Botan was trying hard not to laugh, but Karan was even rolling on the floor and couldn't breathe normal. Caleb was sitting in a corner with his arms crossed to his chest.

"Wolf! You're back!" exclaimed Karan when she saw Botan with Gatenmaru. She stood up and shook hands with the blue-haired beauty. While they were shaking hands, Gatenmaru sat in another corner and was sitting, like Caleb, with his arms crossed and eyes closed. After Karan's greeting, Botan took a seat at the table, with Karan facing her. Botan turned to the woman that they saved and that, apparently, was the one who shouted when they (Botan and Gatenmaru) got there. She took this chance to see her features. The woman had long blond hair and baby-blue eyes. She was very pretty and looked at the age of 16. The woman tensed a little when Botan was still gazing at her.

"How are you?" the blue-haired wolf suddenly asked, startling the blond girl. Botan was looking at her emotionless, but her voice was very soft and caring. The girl hesitated at first, but answered anyway.

"Fine now" she lowered her eyes and then added above a whisper "Thank you…"

"Glad to hear that." Said Botan looking at the girl whit a small smile. She stood up and neared the bed where the girl was settled. She kneeled that she was now eye level with her. They looked intently one at other. An uncomfortable silence took it's place in the room; no one dared to say something, then Botan suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"What's your name?"

"It's Cornelia. And your's?" asked the blue eyed girl by the name of Cornelia.

"My name is Botan Okawari. Nice to meet you." She replied as she held out her hand for Cornelia to take. The blond looked at the hand for a moment and then clasped it in her own, the shacking it twice, both smiling. It was silence before a snort was heard. Both girls turned to look from where it came and their eyes landed on Karan. She was pretending that she was asleep. With a mouth open and both eyes closed she was snorting very, VERY loud. Caleb was chuckling and Gatenmaru had an amused expression on his face. Botan and Cornelia were looking at her with wide eyes after they began giggling, among with Karan who stopped pretending.

And so they made two new friends.

Gatenmaru told the group everything about the blood-lusted bat demon, about whom he was and why was Reikai hunting him. It seemed that Nakamaru Kuranosuke was caught for breaking some serious rules in Reikai and was sitting in the prison for over four hundred years (well, before he escaped a month ago). He killed a great number of humans, demons and very many Reikai guardians. On his files is mentioned of raping 57 ferry girls and 234 human females. With all this information you can guess that he was a pervert. And what a pervert!

Cornelia also told the group about her encounter with the criminal. As they all guessed it was the same youkai, Nakamaru. He tried to rape her in the same manor as he did with the other females, but, in some magical way, she managed to escape from his clawed hands. But, of coarse the price of escaping was big. He left on her body deep scars. It seemed that when she tried to escape he punched her a few times before she managed to run away in the forest and meet Botan and her team. The blue-eyed blond haired girl was a half-breed. Her mother was a human and her father was a demon who had the power element earth. She still couldn't use her powers because there was no one to teach her. Her parents died when she was a 6 and now she is at least 17 years old. She lived with an old woman that left her home three weeks ago because of some problems. Cornelia never found what was troubling the old psychic, but she never cared. The old hag was using the poor girl for her own good and never thought of Cornelia's feelings.

Botan, Caleb and Karan listened intently what their two new friends were telling them. They even told them how the three of them met, what were they doing, how they lived and who were they. The trio met when they were 3 years old. Their parents were friends and with their help, Botan, Karan and Caleb became inseparable. Like Cornelia, Botan, Karan and Caleb were orphans too. Their parents died when they were kids and, unfortunately, they don't remember who their parents were. Caleb knows that he was the child of a fire demon and a simple female demon. Karan's parents were cat youkai. Botan was the daughter of two powerful wolf demons, but unfortunately she can't remember their faces. All her memories with her and her family were blocked in the back of her mind. She said that it happened because of the pain and shock she witnessed when she saw her parents die right in front of her eyes. Botan and her friends suffered at first, but they knew that grieving over someone's death won't do any good, so they lived together and passed over their lost. They promised that they'll help each other in need and will always be by each other's side.

Gatenmaru and Cornelia listened with curiosity to their stories and learned more about their personalities. Karan was a short-tempered girl. She could be easily angered and a furious Karan is not what any one would like to see or feel. She was a skilful fighter and a little bit sadistic with her enemies and even with her friends. She likes to tease them a lot and to get them in trouble or to laugh at their foolishness. But even with the sarcastic, sadistic, cold-hearted personality, she was a very protective friend and a caring person, but, she never showed it to any one excluding Botan, who was her best friend and sister, and Caleb, who was like her big brother. She loved them very much, but it's not like she would let any one know that Botan and Caleb were her only family.

Caleb was different. He never hid what he feels for Karan or Botan. He always protected them if they were in trouble, well, mostly Karan, because of her big and rough mouth, but Botan never needed to be saved. It was her who always saved Karan and Caleb from troubles. Caleb was a funny guy that couldn't be hated. His only problem was that of being a great womanizer and with his looks, it was all harder for the azure haired wolf and the sarcastic cat to control him and his desires. The girls weren't jealous, NO WAY! They were just tired of his antics that he shows when a 'gorgeous' woman passes near him. But, there were some days that the girls were laughing at him when he gets slapped on the face or when ugly obsessed females chase him for their lustful desires. What a laugh they share after Caleb returns from running for over hundred miles! It was very funny for the girls, but not for him. And even if he was the victim, he shared their amused expressions. He also was a sarcastic person and a little bit, a clown. He would always make funny comments that will set every one on the floor laughing and he could be smart when he wants it.

At last our favorite wolf demon, Botan. She was a unique, as you may say personality. She was a gentle and caring person. The violet-eyed wolf was protective of her friends. She liked humans, spirits and demons, no matter how strong or stupid they could be. She was even protecting humans and playing with human kids when she had the opportunity. She was the loving type. But even if she tried to look happy on the outside, she was sad on the inside. Her parent's death left deep scars within her heart. Her parents died with her other two friend's parents fighting a demon. Botan was very little at that time, so she couldn't remember anything at all. Botan loved her friends in a sisterly way. They were and will be her only family. She would give her life for Karan and Caleb's happiness. She was very happy and glad to have such friends and for that she loved to live and life itself.

They kept talking, never even realizing that they were watched by a pair of soul piercing golden eyes. The person was sitting in a tree and was listening to their conversation. A smirk was played on the owners face and when a wind blew, making the leafs ruffle, he suddenly disappeared, leaving behind his promise of revenge.

A month later somewhere in a forest…

"So we met again wolf beauty." Said a voice in an amused tone. That voice belonged to the demon by the name of Nakamaru. The same demon who killed hundreds Reikai soldiers was now facing the group of three demons and a half breed. He was looking at Botan with an amused expression. 'I promised I'll get you, wolf beauty' he thought with an arrogant smirk. Botan looked at him disgusted. Karan wanted nothing more than to rip his head off. Caleb was protecting Cornelia who looked terrified. Gatenmaru wasn't with them because he went in Reikai to gather his other men to continue his search for Nakamaru.

"So you finally gathered enough courage to face me" she said in a cold tone that sent shivers on everyone's spine. She took a step forward the demon and crossed her arms, smirking at the youkai in front of her. 'I'll make sure you'll pay for everything." She vowed to herself.

Yay! Another chapter! Sorry if it's short, but it's just I don't have so much time with all those exams. Our teachers had the BRILLIANT idea to test our brains! I hate school! Who the hell invented it?! Geez…

Any way, BYE BYE! See you next time!

Ja ne!