*EDIT (because i fail) Fixed the link thing, and did a quick scan of the page again to catch some of the typos, hope that's a little better now. So if you've already read the chapter, I apologize for spamming you! *
AN: Chapter 3! Sorry I took so long ^^; work has been kicking my butt and I was cursed with writer's block for a few days. Anyway~
Thanks for all the great reviews on the first two chapters! And to everyone who has been reading and not commenting too! And Thank you to BlackStorm!
Monsters and Men came as an inspiration for her to draw a wonderful piece of art~ Check it out! (remember, just remove spaces after copy/paste) ^^
http: / blackstorm . deviantart . com / art / Grimmjow - macabre - n - monsters - 263032336
Nothing is better than bloody Grimm!
No more stalling! Enjoy~
"Wake up! Wake up!" The smaller wolf leaped across the expanse of the small cave, landing in a crouch on the single occupant's exposed stomach.
Coughing, the male rolled onto his side and curled around his aching abdomen, knocking the smaller wolf off of him. He flashed sharp teeth, ready to punish whichever of his subordinates would dare wake him in such a way.
His threatening expression quickly returned to boredom when he saw his tormentor. "I'm awake, Lilynette" He said in a slow drawl, warily eying the she-wolf as it hopped up from the ground. "What do you want?"
The female, coloring almost identical to his own, readied herself for another pounce, playfully stalking up on the larger, male alpha.
Standing, Starrk made to exit his chambers and enter the main part of the den. "Wait! I have an idea!" The alpha wolf halted, turning back to his smaller sibling and arched a brow, letting his ears perk just a little, indicating that she should continue.
The smaller werewolf excitedly expressed her ideas. "We need a larger territory, right? We should invade that damn cat's territory!"
"No."
"What! Why not?" The smaller wolf cocked her slim hip, giving him an incredulous look. The pack was growing, weather they wanted it to or not, and they needed the space. They were clashing with the humans and that damn werecat more often. Being rid of the feline would greatly expand their hunting grounds and diminish the run ins with humans and their deadly silver. It seemed like a win/win to her.
"It's wrong. Grimmjow has earned his land and he and I made a pact."
"So? That was a long time ago! Things change! And we don't have to kill him, we could just run him off!"
"I intend to keep my word as he has kept his." Starrk gave the smaller werewolf a stern look. "Besides" The alpha continued, turning back to leave the smaller room again. "Even if I did allow it, he would not relent without a fight. And he is a Deidad"
Lilynette trailed behind him, an extra spring in her step. "So are you, old man, and the Pack outnumbers him" She pointed out, and she was right. At first thought, it seemed like an easy enough task. "We could take him!"
"We wouldn't out number him by the time we finally killed him. And that's what it would take to for him to loose his territory." Starrk mumbled, not stopping as he turned down a corridor and headed further into the den. The halls were dark, too far back for the feeble, dying light of day to penetrate, yet the wolves had no trouble seeing each other.
Starrk cocked his head, waiting for a response. The she-wolf seemed to agree with his assessment, grimacing slightly in the dark. "Besides, wasn't getting three of the pups killed enough entertainment?" He asked her, still watching out of the corner of his stormy, grey eyes.
She bristled slightly, and opened her jaws to retort, but he continued, cutting her off. "And lets not forget the raid you have planned for tonight. Did you really think that would escape my attention?" His voice stayed a level, bored drawl, but his lip curled and ears flattened.
Lilynette growled a bit, flashing her teeth his way before scampering off, tail tucked between her legs. It was impossible to miss how pissed he was, with the way his ears had flattened back with his last question. There was no need to anger him further, even she wouldn't dare to do that. Starrk was strong, that's why he was Alpha, she didn't have a death wish.
The she-wolf knew he wouldn't stop the raid on the human farm, but she wouldn't push her luck by sending more members to their deaths in that cat's territory for a while. Of course, it wouldn't be terrible if the big bad kitty just happened to show up.
None of the surviving Pack knew what the full agreement between their leader and La Pantera had been all those centuries ago, nor had many questioned it extensively enough to find out. The few who tried to ask too many questions and push the subject too far often didn't survive Starrk's anger. He may have been easy going and laid back most of the time, but he rarely tolerated insubordination or disloyalty. All anyone knew was that Pantera grounds were off limits and, unless he was in their territory and threatening the Pack, so was the cat himself.
Sneering, she snapped her jaws at a lower ranking werewolf. The creature tucked it's tail and scurried away from her.
••••••
Light from the setting sun played off his silver plated hand guns. The forest was getting dark, the bird calls becoming fewer as most other creatures retreated into hiding, to sleep through the night and hope that they awoke with the next dawn.
A gentle breeze played with the leaves as Shirosaki continued to stalk forward like a pale shadow, being as silent as possible. He knew he should head back home, getting stuck in the Forest at night was a dangerous and deadly idea, especially with those monsters lurking about. But he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet, not knowing that that werepanther could sneak past their defenses almost undetected.
His brother was back at their home, desperately trying to find the flaw in his barrier that had allowed the cat through. Ichigo was powerful, a force to be reckon with and a natural talent, but he was teaching himself, he didn't have the luxury of being an apprentice. He didn't have anyone that could show him the basics of his art, or help him find his mistakes. He was completely self taught, and even if they could find another Caster, chances were high that he or she would be unwilling to help Ichigo. Too many people had heard the stories of what he had done, had heard of how Shiro came to be.
A twig snapped somewhere off to Shiro's right, shaking him from his thoughts. He spun around, one of his hand guns trained in that direction, while he kept the other at the ready in front of him. When nothing happened or showed it's self, Shiro turned back in the direction he had been headed.
The quiet sounds of the forest around him died altogether. The hushed, tense silence held a foreboding sense and he had his doubts that he was the cause. The air felt thick, heavy with fear as the fauna around him seemed to freeze in place and every living thing held it's breath. It was the calm that followed a predator around, the forced calm of all creatures hoping they would be passed by, unnoticed by the killer.
The sun sank lower in the sky, the forest nearly black now and the stars beginning to show through the gaps in the canopy over head. The albino decided he had over stayed his welcome, he turned to head home and out of the dangerous forest. As he did so, a bird cried from the branches above and flew out through the night sky, shattering the silence and making Shiro jump.
When the echos from the bird died away, the pale twin continued on his trek. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, his imagination conjuring the memory of cold, shining blue eyes. He berated himself for his paranoia, using the muzzle of one of his guns to part a few low hanging branches.
A twig snapped, off to his left and he froze mid step, raising his free gun to point in that direction. Suddenly, he found he had no desire to run into the werecat in it's territory at night, in the middle of the forest and with no back up.
He growled under his breath, cautiously stepping through the under brush. The feeling that he was being toyed with grew stronger, angering him. "Why don' ya show yerself, monster? Quit hidin' in the brush like a coward." He called out softly, not really yelling it, but not whispering either.
The breeze rustled through thick branches, carrying the soft sound of rumbling laughter with it.
Shiro froze, golden, inverted eyes widening in surprise before narrowing in anger. Maybe it wasn't just his imagination, maybe he really was being toyed with. He knew he should trust his instincts, a predator always knows when another predator is lurking about. He smirked at the thought and continued forward, keeping his eyes and ears trained on the forest around him. "Think tha's funny, do ya?" Shiro asked to nothing in particular. "I ain't scared of ya, kitty cat."
"Hnn..." The rumble seemed to come from the very forest it's self. "You don't need to be scared to die, human."
Shrio glanced around a bit, keeping his nerves in check. The deep, rumbling voice echoed to him on the breeze, making it impossible for him to pin point a direction. It had came from everywhere and no where all at once. The werecat knew what he was doing. "If ya were ganna kill me, ya woulda already." He stated, knowing it to be true.
The albino stepped through the last stand of trees, entering the clearing were his and Ichi's home was located, just as a chuckling, amused reply sounded much too close for comfort.
"You're right."
Shiro spun around at the sound of leaves from the forest floor rustling behind him, but as expected, he found nothing. Frowning, he turned back to the house and trudged through the yard, holstering his weapons under his arms and pulling his cloak close about his figure. He hated being toyed with, but it wasn't worth his life.
As he approached the marble stairs, a lone howl shattered the silent, night air. Shiro thought he heard an angered snarl from the tree line as the wolf's echo faded away. He shook his head and opened the door, locking and barring it behind him.
"Ichi!" Shiro called while he walked down the hall, toward King's study. He opened the door, peering inside. "Ya got tha' barrier fixed?" He asked, just as a heavy book was closed with a bang.
"Think so. But it's tough to say." Ichigo propped his chin on a tanned hand and glared at Shiro from his desk. "So. How did your hunting go?"
Shirosaki winced a little, he knew King would be mad at him for going after the werecat. Ichigo seemed to think the monster didn't really mean them any harm, he didn't get that the creature was a monster. None of them ever meant any good. "Aww, King." Shiro said, feigning hurt. "I didn't kill yer kitty." He added, turning to leave.
Ichigo's expression brightened. "You couldn't find him!" He said, standing from his desk and pointing at his twin.
Shiro shot a glare over his shoulder from the door way. "Nah. I found the coward. But he stayed hidin' in the trees."
Another howl split the air outside, the sound reaching through the stone walls of their home to echo down the hall. Ichigo shot to his feet and joined Shiro as he left the study. It wasn't uncommon to hear the werewolves when they were prowling the Forest, but they rarely came so close to their home. They had always been curious as to why the wolves didn't come closer, now they knew it was because the lived on the border of the cat's territory.
A happy sounding yipping sound floated from forest. The twins went about locking their home down, each grabbing their respective weapons as they went.
Ichigo stashed his silver dagger in his belt, watching as Shiro double checked the ammo in his guns. The pale twin pulled his long, ashen hair into a tail, his golden eyes flashing.
The air left Ichigo's lungs and he stood frozen for several seconds until he drew a deep breath.
Shiro was watching him, a look of worry showing on his pale features. Ichigo continued to ignore him, concentrating on his magical barrier. He could feel it pulse in his mind as multiple, large creatures ran into it. He could feel the invisible wall repel and push them back. Finally, he looked up at Shiro. "Th...The barrier" He panted slightly, still catching his breath from the unexpected assaulted to his magic. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "There's at least three big wolves. But the barrier worked." Ichigo grinned.
••••••
Lilynette bared her teeth in a gleeful smile, yipping excitedly as she and the small group of wolves she brought with her neared the large, fortress like house. As far as she knew, only a couple of humans lived in the big building, but the house it's self would make the raid a fun challenge. It had the looks of an old base, probably used as an outpost for travelers at one point. Or maybe it was a head quarters for Slayers, the humans hadn't put together a group of Slayers in a long time, decades even. Whatever the building was originally meant for, it was probably abandoned once La Pantera was discovered. Or maybe the werepanther had been the one to rid the fortress of it's original occupants.
The she-wolf shrugged. It didn't matter to her. She would have her fun one way or another.
A larger, black wolf approached her, nose lifted while it tested the air. "I thought ya said we weren't goin after the cat tanight?" He said, warily eyeing the smaller creature.
Lilynette smiled sweetly at him, taking grate joy in the way the larger beast flinched back. "We aren't, silly"
The male wolf cocked a brow, giving her an incredulous yet curious look.
"It's just a happy coincidence that the human home is so near his territory" She added happily, skipping away into the dark.
"Crazy bitch." The larger wolf mumbled, following silently after his leader. He internally cursed Starrk for sending him with Lilynette to look after the she-wolf.
As the small pack left the last line of trees behind them, Lilynette motioned three of the larger males forward first, including the one that had opened his trap to her. They would find out what kind of weapons or guards the humans had for her.
The smile was wiped from her face and her jaw dropped as the three were flung backward, the air crackling and sparking around them. Good thing she had sent them first. So, the humans were Casters, then. Rare, but probably nothing to worry about.
The first of the three wolves climbed to his feet, shooting the she-wolf a glare over his shoulder before turning back toward the barrier, his grayish hued eyes scanning the yard.
The other two scrambled to their feet, baring fangs as a deep, rumbling laughter sent all the werewolves into defensive crouches.
Lilynette straightened and bared her teeth, letting a rumbling growl leave her throat as blue eyes flashed in the dark. The larger, black male slowly stalked around to his leader's side, taking up a ready stance beside her, again cursing the Alpha and hoping tonight wouldn't be his last.
••••••
Grimmjow bared long, feline fangs and snarled into the dark as a hollow howl echoed through the air. He watched the pale man for a second longer before turning back into the Forest edge. Damn mutts, always had to ruin his fun. The werecat wondered what Starrk could possibly be thinking, sending more of his wolves into Pantera territory.
He crept around the clearing, sticking to the shadowed edge of the tree line, and listened to the beasts. The damn things were awfully noisy, almost as loud as humans, as they stalked toward the house.
As he got closer, padding on silent feet, he knelt down in the shadows, studying the raiding party. There were a half dozen werewolves that he could spot, all sembled into their Resurrections. They were all big guys too, a couple of them nearly doubling his lithe weight, not like the smaller ones that he had killed a couple weeks ago. This party meant business, these weren't the strays he had been dealing with lately.
Three of the large werewolves leaped forward, just to be thrown back by the Caster's barrier. The air sizzled and the smell of singed fur reached Grimmjow's nostrils. It appeared that the human had reinforced his magic while his pale copy had been hunting him. He was strangely relieved to see the wolves fail to get through.
When the first of the three downed creatures, a large, black male, stood up, the werepanther followed the line of it's indignant glare. His blue eyes landed on a smaller, female wolf.
That explained it. Lilynette. Starrk's only actual sibling and an Original. Most of the pack weren't originally born as werewolves, they had been claimed by Starrk or one of the other high ranking members and transformed. Though, with the way the pack seemed to be growing, Grimmjow wandered if the lower wolves were braking the rules on turning humans.
The sight of the vicious little she-wolf standing slack jawed in surprise had him chuckling and he decided there was no point in hiding from them. They would figure out he was there soon enough anyway. He hadn't bothered to stay down wind or anything, they would have picked up on his scent once the smell of magic faded.
He watched as the two, still downed wolves scrambled upright while the other wolves crouched and readied themselves, most baring gleaming fangs in his direction as his rumbling laughter reached their ears.
Grimmjow stepped through the brush, making himself visible to the raiding party. He kept a cautious eye on the she-wolf as she rose from her crouch and the large, black male joined her. The panther's pointed, black ears swiveled slightly, keeping track of the other wolves as he seemingly gave his full attention to Lilynette, looking relaxed and unaffected by the number of larger predators around him.
"What do you want?" The she-wolf growled, ears flattening against her skull in a healthy mix of fear and anger.
The feline's tail jerked in an agitated motion behind him. "Think that's my line. What the hell are you doin' here?" His lip curled, gleaming fangs showing the seriousness of his question.
The she wolf narrowed her eyes at him, taking a step forward as the wolves around her growled low in their throats at the unspoken threat in the panther's words and actions. "This isn't your territory." She shot back at him.
"It is now." Grimmjow sprang forward, no warning or indication that he was ready to attack given. The she-wolf tried to evade his lunge, but wasn't ready and wasn't fast enough.
She fell to the ground, grabbing at the panther's outstretched arms, a yelp escaping her throat. She snarled, attempting to kick the werecat off her, while the rest of her pack stood in shocked silence.
The black wolf was the first to regain his senses. He snarled, diving at the werepanther. He dug the claws of his hands into sculpted shoulders as he latched his jaws around the back of the cat's neck. Starrk would kill him Lilynette got hurt under his watch.
The panther jumped up from the smaller wolf, reaching over his head to grab at the large wolf attacking him. The wolf's weight nearly drug him to the ground as he spun, finally succeeding in dislodging the mutt when he fell against a tree.
Snarling anew, Grimmjow jumped back in to attack the black wolf. The creature's jaws snapped shut where is arm should have been, but he was quicker. Swiping a taloned paw at the beast, a strangled yelp pierced the night air.
The mutt stumbled backward, hands held to it's bleeding face. Sharp pain caused his vision to pulse white and blur in his right eye, he couldn't see at all out of the mangled left. He tore one hand away from his face, pointing to the cat, baring his teeth and snarling a command to the rest of the pack. "Get him, you idiots!" He stumbled away, pulling a stunned Lilynette from the ground as he did. "Le's get outta here, woman"
Grimmjow watched from the corner of his eye as the two retreated through the dark. The four other large wolves stalked forward, teeth bared and ears back.
Studying the creatures, he almost wished he hadn't attacked the she-wolf. He was out numbered, and each of the beasts out weighed him easily by a couple hundred pounds, one of the may have been double his weight, like the black one that had managed to slink away. Grimmjow mentally shrugged, there was nothing he could do about it now.
The panther hissed a warning that was left unheeded, then pounced forward.
••••••
"Are they still tryin' a get through?" Shiro asked, looking to his King. The sounds of snarling could be heard every now and then, and he was getting sick of waiting for something to happen.
Ichigo frowned. "No, that first assault was the last. I have no idea what they're doing now."
A pained, whimpering yelp split the air, drowning out the snarling that had previously carried to them. Shiro yanked the front door open, unable to stand still any longer.
"Wait, where are you going?" Ichigo asked, running after Shiro, closing the door behind them.
"To see what the hell is goin on." Shiro spun around to face Ichigo, pressing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. He didn't want to let the monsters know of their presence if they didn't have to.
Ichigo nodded and followed Shiro silently around the back of the house as snarling and growling permeated the still night air. A deep, rumbling hiss had the twins pausing, before rushing forward again, Shiro unholstering his hand guns.
A yelp split the air as they neared the tree line, the sounds of battle intensifying. Snarling and growling shattered the otherwise silent Forest as multiple large bodies clashed and struggled against one another. A pained growl that could have only been hissed from a feline throat met their ears.
Warm, brown orbs widened in recognition before Ichigo started to take off into the dark trees. Shiro caught his wrist, dragging his master back to his side. Ichigo glared at him before struggling to get free.
"What the fuck ya doin', King?" Shiro hissed at him. "Ya got a death wish?" He let go of his copy, bending to retrieve his dropped gun before stalking quietly into the Forest.
He should have sent Ichigo back to the house, where his King would be safer, but he could only think about getting to the monsters and seeing the werecat was still alive. He frowned, growling at his own thoughts before shrugging them away and stealthily heading toward the sounds of battle.
••••••
The werepanther had dealt minor wounds to all four of the beasts, before finally crippling one, sending it crashing to the ground with a shattered leg. That mutt was effectively out of the fight, for a while at least. Another lay dead at his feet, choking and gasping before it had finally bled out, it's throat torn away by sharp, hooked claws.
Blood pooled below Grimmjow, spreading out from the dead wolf, a few droplets of his own slid down a gash in his abdomen to join the tainted puddle. The cat panted, straightening over the torn body of one of the four wolves.
The mongrels were putting up a valiant fight, making him work for every shot he landed. The panther bore his fair share of wounds as well, though none serious enough to cause worry. They could wait until after he killed the other wolves to be tended to. Most of them were claw wounds, not nearly as nasty as bite wounds. Bite wounds tended to get infected quickly, something in werewolf saliva made them slow to heal and more painful.
A snarling drew his attention and had him spinning around to face the largest of the three mutts that still lived as it regained it's feet. Still catching his breath, the werepanther took a step forward, away from his kill so that he would have more room to maneuver.
Grimmjow was in no way small, he was a beast as well. In his current werepanther form, he easily tipped the scales at three hundred pounds of lean muscle, just shy of twice his weight in human form. But the beast standing in front of him may very well have doubled that.
The wolf, a scared up beast, lunged forward, using it's massive body weight to it's advantage.
The panther took a staggering step backward as the mutt slammed into him. Grimmjow tripped over the dead body at his feet and toppled to the ground, the wolf on top of him.
Snarling as the air was ripped from his lungs by the crushing weight of the large beast, Grimmjow grappled with it's jaws, fighting to keep dangerous teeth from closing around his throat. One clawed hand latched onto the bottom jaw, his other wrapped around the wolf's top, Grimmjow grunted as he felt sharp teeth slice at his fingers, but letting go would mean death.
The wolf snarled, laying it's ears flat as it struggled to force it's maw closed around the werepanther's vulnerable throat. It wrapped it's large hands around his wrists, attempting to pry them out of it's way.
Grimmjow felt the jaw close fractionally, bringing the deadly teeth closer to him. The cat let out an angered, growling hiss, straining to force the jaws open and away. He brought his powerful, back legs up, kicking at the larger wolf's abdomen as the two rolled and struggled on the forest floor.
The werewolf snarled, struggling to pull away from the raking claws as the werecat shredded the flesh of his torso. It dropped it's hands from the cat's wrists, trying to get ahold of those powerful back limbs. Unwilling to release it's jaws from the cat's throat, it inadvertently pulled Grimmjow to his feet in it's struggle. With the werepanther's feet back under him, the wolf was free to use it's claws, digging them back into the muscle of the cat's chest and arms.
Grimmjow hissed at the treatment, but was unable to keep the werewolf from tearing at him, still needing to keep massive canines away from his throat.
He caught movement from the corner of his eyes as another of the wolves lunged toward him. The werepanther kicked the legs out from under the large, scared wolf still trying to rip into his throat, causing the beast to loose it's footing and allow Grimmjow to turn.
The new wolf collided with the scared one, sending all three of the struggling creatures back to the ground beside the already dead wolf. Grimmjow heard the third wolf struggling to regain it's feet somewhere to the right of where they lay. He knew it to be the wolf with the shattered leg, but it would still be able to do damage to him if it got close.
Blood and saliva coated his fingers, dripping down his wrists and making it hard to keep his hold on the mutt's jaws. He renewed his efforts, again raking at the torn abdomen of the scared up wolf that refused to let go of him. Flesh gave way to muscle as his talon like claws sank deeper.
The wolf whimpered in pain even as it growled in anger and determination. The second wolf latched down on Grimmjow's arm, pulling a pained hiss from the werecat that seemed to spur the werewolves on. A thump and yelp announced that the third wolf had fallen back to the ground, it's shattered limb unable to support it's weight.
Grimmjow thrashed about under the weight of the two wolves. He tried desperately to get his feet under him, his instincts kicking in and screaming for him to get away. He knew he was in trouble, it was only a matter of time before he ran out of energy from fighting with both of the massive wolves.
When his efforts were rewarded with only the knowledge that he was unable to stand under the combined weight of both mutts, he went back to clawing at the torso of the first wolf, ignoring the teeth that dug into his forearm.
His claws raked against the bone of the creature's ribcage, gouging the solid structure and forcing pained noises from the stubborn beasts throat. He felt large fangs grind against the bone of his forearm as the second wolf began shaking it's head, pulling on his arm and loosening his grip, it's efforts spurred by the pained sounds of it's companion.
Snarling, the werepanther sank his teeth into the snout of the second wolf, still ripping at the first. The mutt yelped and tried pulling away, but Grimmjow held tight, sinking his teeth further into the beast's nasal cavity and cutting it's supply of oxygen in half. A rumbling left his throat as he struggled against the two creatures.
He finally released the second beast's snout when his claws struck soft organs and the first werewolf's jaws began to spasm, constricting against his fingers and throat.
Growling, the sound leaving his throat in a wheezing breath, Grimmjow desperately kicked at the wolf, trying to get it to release him as he panted for breath. Blood trickled from it's nose as it's yellow eyes rolled back and Grimmjow tried to get away again, managing to get his feet back under him. The creature collapsed in a heap, dragging the half crouching Grimmjow with it before he was finally able to rip the creatures loosened jaws away.
With a sickening rip, he tore the lower jaw from the already dead wolf's skull, flinging it to the side and staggering to his feet. Chest heaving, his muscles quivering slightly from exertion, Grimmjow searched for the second wolf, knowing he hadn't injured it enough to take it out of the fight.
His blue eyes landed on the already crippled wolf. The beast, smaller than the other two, more his size than theirs', still struggled to regain it's feet. Yellow, pain and fear filled eyes never left his form as the thing snarled at him. Grimmjow stalked toward it. The beast snapped it's jaws at him, but Grimmjow was able to easily evade.
Pouncing on the helpless beast, he drove a foot down at the base of the creatures back, severing it's spine and leaving it paralyzed. The injury would kill it in a few hours if Grimmjow hadn't finished the job by then.
However, at the moment, he had a more pressing matter. There was still one, relatively uninjured wolf lurking about. He could smell it stalking in the trees, the smell of it's blood mingled with the rest of the substance that tainted the air. A low, rumbling growl told him all he needed to know. The mutt wasn't going to give up and run off.
Grimmjow set off into the trees after the remaining mongrel, gingerly checking a few of his wounds as he went. Fatigue was beginning to set in and he needed to get the mutt out of the way quickly.
••••••
Shiro stalked through the quiet forest. The sounds of fighting had died away, leaving them in the hushed silence, the very forest seemed to hold it's breath.
"Too many damn predators 'round here." The pale man grumbled under his breath as he pushed through the thick underbrush.
He paused, golden eyes scanning the dark forest as a low whimpering sound reached his ears. Ashen brows furrowed, that had sounded close by. He couldn't hear any movement though, only the very quiet whimpering of an injured animal.
He took another cautious step forward, Ichigo following quietly beside him. Shiro sucked in a surprised breath, jumping backward slightly and holding his arm out to keep Ichigo behind him.
He had nearly stepped on the creature, which had yet to move. The only indication that it lived was a quiet whimper as it's yellow eyes rolled about, attempting to look at them. It's lips curled up in a near silent snarl, eyes rolling back every few seconds as it's limbs twitched in miniscule, jerking movements.
Carefully walking around the beast, Shiro could see why the werewolf made no attempt to attack them. It's spine was cleanly snapped near the base, rendering the animal immobile. Fate was cruel.
The albino could see that the animal would live for quite a while in it's condition. "Hand me yer dagger, King." He whispered, holstering one of his weapons and holding his hand out.
Ichigo stepped up beside him, handing his twin the silver dagger. He watched as Shiro crouched beside the crippled werewolf, dagger in hand.
The wolf attempted to jerk away, head barely moving. It bared it's teeth in a pathetic attempt to scare them away, a soft whimper leaving it's throat. The sight was pitiful and Ichigo almost felt bad for the beast.
Shiro cautiously a reached a hand out, grabbing hold of the animal's bottom jaw and raising it's head. "Ganna make it quick fer ya, pup." He whispered, remembering that the werepanther could speak and understand human language, the wolf probably could too.
The wolf whimpered and closed it's eyes, but stopped snarling and Shiro ran the silver blade across it's throat. Standing from his deed, Shiro wiped the blade clean and handed it back to Ichigo, then turned away from the dead wolf and continued in the direction they had been moving.
After crossing several meters, further into the dark Forest, they came across two more bodies. Both were werewolves, to the relief of both Ichigo and Shiro, though Shiro wasn't about to admit it. One had it's throat torn out, the other, a much larger one, had it's lower skull torn from it's body, it's internal organs spilling from it's ripped abdominal cavity. Yellow eyes stared sightlessly at them.
As they studied the bodies, trying to figure out where the werepanther had gone after killing these two, an ear splitting shriek erupted from the night, followed by snarling and a rumbling growl.
Shiro leveled his silver plated gun in the direction of the clash, slowly standing from his crouch. He took a cautious step in that direction, motioning for Ichigo to stay back.
The more colorful twin would have none of it, and continued to follow a few feet behind his brother.
As they approached the battle, the ground trembled slightly, accompanied by a loud thud, as the large combatants crashed to the ground. A gasping couch reached their ears, than another pained, hissing yelp. Muffled growling permeated the air, as if the creature, they couldn't tell weather it was the cat or wolf, was growling around a mouthful.
Shiro took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. He had no way of knowing how many wolves were still about, though it sounded like only one wolf and the cat. Nor could he be sure of the positions of the battling monsters. He raised his gun and crept around another tree, bring the combatants into view.
In the dark, he couldn't distinguish much detail, but he judged the larger shadowed figure to be the werewolf. The larger monster seemed to dwarf the feline as it crouched above the cat's prone body.
The werepanther hissed and spit, desperately fighting the monster off with one clawed hand. The wolf had it's jaws clamped down at the juncture of the cat's neck and shoulder, the wound bleeding freely between it's teeth by now, pooling below the struggling cat.
The panther's right hand shot out, finding the beasts face, and began dragging it's claws down the wolf's maw. The wolf yelped, retracting it's jaws and releasing the cat. Still using it's weight to hold the feline down, the wolf grabbed hold of the cat's arm, wrenching it to the side and holding it down.
The cat hissed in pain, but refused to give up, still struggling and kicking at the wolf, teeth bared in an angry, defiant snarl that gleamed in the meager light.
Shiro took another quiet step forward, positioning himself for a clear shot. He wasn't entirely sure why he cared if the cat lived or died, but he felt the need to help him. Blaming the feelings on how obsessed with the monster King was, Shiro leveled his gun, taking aim on his thrashing target.
The wolf snarled, wrapping it's free hand around the cat's throat, the feline's right arm still pinned beneath in it's other hand. In the feeble light of the moon, barely reaching through the canopy, Shiro couldn't tell why the cat wasn't struggling and fighting with both arms. Soon, it wouldn't matter. The wolf finally held still long enough for him to make a clean shot.
The sound of his gun split the air, ringing off the trees and echoing through the forest. The monsters held still, neither moving as Shiro watched shining, blue eyes widen in the dark. For a moment, he almost thought he missed.
Finally, the wolf toppled forward, landing beside the werepanther, the arm that had been pinning the cat's right arm draped in a mock show of protection across the feline's chest.
The cat struggled from under the heavy limb, staggering to it's feet, it's left arm dangling at it's side. It lurched a couple meters away from the humans before falling back to the ground, chest heaving, a low, snarling rumble leaving it's throat. It curled around unseen wounds slightly, vibrant, blue eyes never leaving the humans.
Ichigo ran around the pale form of his brother, toward the dark shape with brilliant blue eyes. Shiro grabbed at his wrist, missing as his brother ran by. "King!" Shiro took off after his master.
The two paused a few feet out of the injured cat's reach, they crouched down to the werepanther's level. "are...are you ok?" Ichigo asked in a horse voice, not knowing what to do.
The panther said nothing. Blue eyes looked from one twin to the other as the cat panted to catch his breath. A low, rumbling growl left his throat as Grimmjow warily drug himself to his feet again, keeping the humans in front of him.
He took a few steps back, his obvious intent was to leave the humans behind, to get away as his instincts, still in overdrive from the fight, demanded. He took another step back, eyeing the gun in the pale man's hand, before bumping into a tree. With the solid trunk of the tree pressed against him, Grimmjow allowed himself to sink to the ground again, sliding into a sitting position. His tail jerked slightly, in tired, yet irritated motions at his side.
In his injured and fatigued state, he concluded he would be unable to get away at the moment, there was no sense in wasting the last of his energy in running. If these humans wanted to harm him, the pale one would have done it at the same time he shot the wolf.
And so Grimmjow kept a careful eye on the two men as they slowly stood, careful to keep their hands visible, and took another few steps closer. He noted how the pale one kept his gun out, the safety off, and how he kept himself and the other from getting within Grimmjow's immediate striking range. It meant that the pale man was still wary, still fearful of Grimmjow, and the thought almost made the werepanther smile. Almost.
Instead, he grimaced as he took inventory of his wounds.
Most were just cuts and bruises, the smaller scratches and cuts already beginning to knit closed. The larger gashes would take longer, but still heal if given the time. The one on his chest was deep, tearing into the first few layers of muscle and still bled with his movement and deep breaths.
The bites were what he was really concerned about, his fingers burned and stung, lacerated and shredded from the wolf he had fought before this final one. The bite to his shoulder region was still in the numb stage, but he could feel that it would also be a rather nasty wound. The one to his forearm worried him a bit too, though not as much as the other two. The wolf had sank it's teeth to the bone and the wounds burned with each twitch of movement to the muscles.
His left arm was torn up pretty badly as well, dislocated and hanging limply at his side. He would be able to relocate it once given the chance, but he feared that with as much blood as he had lost, he would pass out if he tried now.
Grimmjow's attention was pulled back to the two men as the pale one moved to holster his weapon. The werepanther narrowed his eyes, warily watching the two men that had crept even closer to him.
The orange haired one did nothing to hide what he felt, worry and concern were evident on his features. The pale one was a bit tougher to read, though Grimmjow thought he could see the wariness and readiness of a predator, mixed with something that may have been...softer, he really wasn't sure.
He pulled the useless limb into his lap, feeling the way the joint throbbed. He let out a quiet, pained hiss with the movement. His muscles twitched, at the ready to spring from the ground, as the men took another tentative step toward him.
Ichigo held his hands out to his sides in a none threatening way, seeing the way the werepanther tensed up, as if ready to flee or attack at any moment. To his amazement, Shiro had put his gun away, and was crouched down, studying the cat's wounds.
"we don't want to hurt you" Ichigo whispered, almost afraid to brake the silence that had settled over the forest.
The werepanther's ears flicked toward him, but the beast didn't make a sound and Ichigo began to feel silly for talking to it. After what felt like several minutes of silence, he began to wonder if he had imagined the whole conversation that the creature had had with the werewolf a few weeks ago. Maybe the beast was just a beast after all, and couldn't really talk to them.
"What do you want, then?" The voice was thick and rich, like heavy waves crashing against an ocean cliff as it rumbled from deep in the creature's chest, leaving both Ichigo and Shiro stunned.
"W...Well, we... heard you fighting..." Ichigo stammered, eyes wide as he watched the werepanther that sat before him. The creature's brilliant, blue eyes were somehow dulled, almost tired looking. It took deep, even breaths, the deep gash in his chest weeping slightly with each inhale. As Ichigo looked over the creature, he realized just how wounded he really was, and how much blood was still pooling where he sat.
When the cat made no indication to speak, Shiro stood, getting annoyed. "Tch. We came ta save yer ass." He placed his hand on Ichi's shoulder, turning to leave. "Come on, King, le's get outta here."
"No." Ichigo stood, but only to move closer to the werecat sitting on the ground. He couldn't just the leave the injured creature in the condition he was in. "We can help" he said, indicating the cat's wounds.
Grimmjow and Shiro both bared their teeth and snarled at the same time, the other's reaction annoying each other.
Ichigo looked from the panther to his brother, a slight smirk on his lips. "What happens if the werewolves come back?" He asked, the question addressed to both.
"Tch. They seem pretty dead ta me." Shiro said, glancing to the one he had shot. He turned to look down at King, then followed the man's gaze to the werecat, who's eyes were slowly widening.
Grimmjow initially scoffed at the notion of the wolves coming back to finish the job. They wouldn't dare. But as the question sank in, so did his situation.
Lilynette and that black mutt had gotten away, the evidence of his attack written clearly across the face of the larger. That wasn't such a big deal, injuries like that were expected when one dealt with him, but he had attacked the she-wolf personally, Starrk's very spoiled sibling. And he hadn't even been in his own territory, but at the very edge, just outside the border.
In his shape, he wouldn't stand a chance against them. Even a single wolf might be able to kill him in this state, though he would sure as hell put up a fight.
Grimmjow lurched to his feet. He had to get up, he had to get to his own territory and he had to get to his den, where he would be safe, where he would be able to rest until he regained enough energy to heal the rest of his wounds.
He watched as the two humans jumped backward, the orange haired one falling backward to his ass. The pale one drew his gun, aiming at him. A confused look crossed his features as Grimmjow stumbled past them, paying them no attention.
He made it several meters, in the direction of his territory, before his strength gave out again he collapsed against a tree for support.
He growled, gritting his teeth when his left arm was pinned between his body weight and the tree.
Ichigo scrambled up, quickly finding his feet and following the werepanther. Shiro trailed behind him, just as confused. He wasn't hard to follow, his fatigued panting leading the way. When they caught up to him, he was leaning against a tree, still on his feet, but it didn't look like he would be for long.
The orange haired twin cautiously reached his hand out, gently laying it on the taller creature's shoulder.
The cat hissed, spinning around faster than the humans would have believed possible, only to get a face full of gun as Shiro instinctively raised his weapon.
••••••
"Wait. What the hell happened? I thought I told you to stay away from Grimmjow." Starrk pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down at the werewolf that was being treated at the moment.
The left side of the wolf's face was mangled, flesh sheared away. The doctor was unable to save the eye on that side and the wounds were too extensive for a werewolf's meager healing to repair.
The black wolf pushed a smaller werewolf away as it addressed his leader. "We weren't even in his territory! He attacked us fer tryin' ta raid that human place." The wolf was pissed, anger evident in his snarling reply.
"Where's Lily? I told her to stay away" Starrk grumbled under his breath. He had warned her to stay away from the feline's territory for a reason, this reason, to be exact.
"She's prolly hidin' in her cave. The cat scared the shit outta her." The black wolf growled, rubbing at the stitching in the flesh of his face. The wound would scar badly, the eye ball was a milky grey and completely blind, but he was lucky to be alive. The fate of the other four wolves was certain without a need to investigate, none would return home.
"Is she alright?" Starrk asked, looking a little more awake. "Nnoitra, you were supposed to protect her, if she got hurt..."
The black wolf cut him off. "She's fine. A few scratches, but I pulled Grimmjow off before he could do any real damage."
The leader of Los Lobos heaved a sigh of relief, but his good mood was short lived. Grimmjow had attacked his precious sister, his family.
"Nnoitra." He said, voice too even to mean anything less than revenge. "Get a hunting party ready." With that, Starrk turned and left the black wolf alone. He couldn't believe he was actually going to go after Grimmjow. The cat had kept to the pact for so long, he almost found it hard to believe that he had went against it now.
He planed on finding the cat, even if he had to invade Pantera territory to do so. He would have his answers.
••••••
He visibly relaxed when he realized he wasn't being attacked, that it was only the human that had touched him. Grimmjow slowly raised his right hand and pushed the muzzle of the gun out of is face, a little surprised when the action didn't earn him a silver bullet.
Dizzy and off balance, he spun back in the direction of his own home. The world spun slightly with the action and he stumbled a bit as he took a few steps forward. If only he could get his left arm back in place, at least he would have better balance then. There was nothing he could do for the dizziness, loosing enough blood will do that.
He took another stumbling step, determined to get back to safety. He could hear the humans trailing him, but knew they wouldn't hurt him. He could tell they were being honest when the orange haired one had told him they didn't want to hurt him.
"Hey, let us help you" The orange haired man tried, refraining from touching him this time. Grimmjow ignored it, his pride and instincts demanding that he didn't need help.
A deep, angered howl cut through the Forest, freezing the werecat in his tracks.
It was faint, still far away, but it was loud enough for all of them to hear. Grimmjow recognized Starrk's deep baritone and cursed himself for his stupidity when he had leapt at the she-wolf.
He stumbled forward again. Too slow. The wolves would catch up to him before he could reach the safety of his den at this rate. He needed to pick up the pace, he needed to be able to balance, needed the world to quit spinning.
Coming to a decision, Grimmjow wrapped his right arm across his body, grabbing the wrist of his useless left. He would have to try it. He needed his arm to be functional, both for escaping and for fighting if it came to that.
Gritting his teeth, a low rumbling growl leaving his throat, Grimmjow yanked down on his wrist as quickly and forcefully as he could muster. A yelping hiss escaped his throat and he shoved upward with his right arm, forcing the joints in his left back in place, just as the world went dark.
••••••
"Hey, let us help you." Ichigo said softly. He knew his voice would carry to the panther's keen ears with ease, but the creature didn't acknowledge him.
He continued to stumble forward, pace slowing, his fatigue and dizziness evident. The creature had lost too much blood for this, he needed to be resting, to be still so his body could begin recovering.
Shiro and Ichigo froze when the werepanther halted his stumbling steps. A deep howl barely reached their ears, but it was clear the panther had heard it and knew what it meant.
The creature lurched forward another few steps, the twins following, before he came to a halt again.
The two men watched as the creature trembled ever so slightly, then grasped it's limp arm with it's good one. A low growl reached their ears and it finally clicked what the cat meant to do.
"W...wait!" Ichigo tried to reach the werepanther, but the cat was already yanking on his injured arm.
A pained noise filled the silence, followed by a sick, squishy sound as joints realigned. The panther collapsed in a heap, out cold.
"Shit!" Shiro hissed, leaping forward on instinct. He managed to catch the large animal before he collapsed completely and hurt himself further. He gently lowered the cat to the Forest floor as Ichigo slid to a halt beside him.
Wide, chocolate eyes looked down on the unconscious creature, debating what to do about the situation. Ichigo gently reached out and touched the werepanther, retracting his hand like it burned.
When the panther made no move or signs of waking, he laid his hand back on a muscled arm. The thick, black fur was soft beneath his fingers where blood hadn't matted and hardened. Ichigo gently shook the large creature, making an attempt to wake him.
The werepanther didn't move. Ichigo gently shook the creature again, expecting the same thing. "What are we going to do?" He asked, looking at his pale brother.
Shiro shrugged, at a total loss. This was a dangerous monster. He still wasn't sure why he and Ichigo were out in the Forest in the first place. "Leave him ta wake up on his own?"
Ichigo frowned at him. "No. You know we can't..." His voice trailed off and eyes widened as another howl split the air, this one closer than the last. Damn things moved fast.
"Ya sure, King?" Shiro asked, jumping to his feet and trying to haul Ichigo with him. There was no way he was going to let them get caught up in a fight that involved more werewolves.
"Shiro, we can't just leave him here!" Ichigo struggled against his brother, dropping back to the prone creature's side.
Shiro arched an ashen brow skeptically, more than ready to do just that.
"Please..." Ichigo said, looking up at his twin. "Help me get him to safety... they'll kill him."
Shiro opened his mouth to protest, but what could he say to that? Ichigo was right, the wolves would most likely rip the cat to shreds. Shiro hated being compared to these monsters, but how much better than them would he be if he let the helpless cat be killed? Plus, Ichigo was making those damn cute faces at him again, he couldn't possibly refuse. "Dammit, dammit, dammit." He cursed his sense of moral under his breath and knelt beside his King. "Le's hurry then."
Ichigo nodded and grabbed the unconscious creature's upper half, hooking his arms under it's shoulders. Shiro bent and grabbed the beasts legs. Together, they hoisted the panther up, grunting under it's deceptive weight. "Damn" Shiro gasped. "Son of a bitch's heavy fer such a lithe lookin' thing"
Ichigo grunted his agreement as they carried the creature toward their home, happy that it had managed to stagger most of the way on it's own.
AN: In case you haven't noticed, I have a thing for bloody, beaten, naked sexy men (the naked comes in next chapter *wink*) I really should take it easy on the main characters, but what would be the fun in that?
*on a side note. "Deidad" is spanish, it has appeared a couple times in the story. the plurl is "deidades", which has also appeared*
So, what did you guys think of the chapter? Please let me know! I love getting feed back and comments ^_^