AN: This took way too long... for that, i apologize. And I curse work to hell. Every time I really got into the flow of things and was actually getting somewhere with the chapter, i would have to stop and leave for work. So annoying. Then I get to deal with people i despise all day. Then, six or more hours later, come home and try to pick up where i left off in writing and try to get back in the swing of things all over again. Grr.
Anyway, rant aside ^^;
oh, just going to address this here, since a few people asked about it. Grimmjow, as a werepanther is quite a bit different from the wolves. Silver can harm him, if it enters his body, but it wont kill him like it will the werewolves. Same goes with the barrier Ichigo uses. He's been targeting the wolves, so it's not as harmful to Grimm, though still not very nice to him either.
Anyway, on to the chapter! enjoy~
"Dammit, Rukia. We do this for them every year, it's the only thing I ever drag you here for, can't you just chill?" The red head huffed, walking up the pathway that would lead them to Ichigo and Shiro's place.
He had been close friends with the twins before the accident, and had tried desperately to keep close after Ichigo's family was taken away from him. That first year without his twin had nearly killed the orange haired boy, devastated as he had been.
Renji had made it his job to make sure Ichigo was ok, including forcing him to eat, for a long time. It had become tradition for him to sneak into Ichi's place and make him breakfast for his birthday.
After Ichigo had brought Shiro back, Renji had continued to stay close to the boys, though Shiro creeped him out a little and the relationship was more strained than it once was. He still talked to Ichigo often enough, and came to visit every once in a while.
"He's dead!" The petite, raven haired female hissed up at her taller friend. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defiant posture, but continued to walk next to the red head. Shirosaki, Ichigo's twin brother, had died. They had all seen it, heard about it, watched as Ichigo deteriorated before their very eyes because of it.
They ascended the marble stairs to the front door, still bickering back and forth. "He's not anymore, hasn't been for a while now. Just try to be polite at least?" Renji said, knocking on the door.
"He creeps me out. And Ichigo isn't much better. How could he do something like that?" The small woman asked. They had this argument every year, but Rukia always insisted on being there.
Their arguing was interrupted when the door swung open, revealing an unamused looking Shirosaki.
"S'up, Red? Rukia." The pale twin said in greeting, raising an ashen brow in a questioning and skeptical manner as he stepped out of the way, sweeping his arm and motioning them to follow him inside. He lead them down the corridor, stepping into the sitting room before speaking again. "King's still sleepin, so if yer here ta see him, you'll have ta wait."
"Oh, well. It's your guys' birthday, did you forget?" Renji asked, looking around the room, even though it hadn't changed much since his last visit a couple months ago. It was always a little awkward to talk to Shiro at first.
Shiro didn't make things easy on him, either. He thought about it for a while, letting the silence stretch until it began to feel uncomfortable and practically had poor Renji squirming.
"Guess yer right, red." He finally said with a smirk. "I'll go wake King up, make yerselves comfortable."
"Uh, ok. We'll go get started then!" Rukia put it, headed toward the swinging door that opened up to the kitchen.
"Sure thing, be down in twenty" Shiro said cheerfully over his shoulder, already headed toward his and Ichigo's bed room.
Renji and his smaller companion got busy with making breakfast. Rukia set the box she had been carrying on the counter, opening it to pull a large birthday cake out. She set the cake on the table, placing the candles just right, before opening up a couple cupboards. Finally finding the one she was looking for, she went about setting the table for four.
They took their time getting things ready. Shiro had told them twenty minutes and they weren't about to question why it would take so long to wake Ichigo up. Though neither man had ever said anything about it, it was easy enough to guess the nature of the twins' relationship and that was something Renji and Rukia would prefer to stay ignorant of.
••••••
A lone wolf paced the length of the deserted corridor. A frustrated growl left his throat every so often, probably the reason the dark section of cave had stayed deserted. No doubt his snarling and pacing kept the others away.
He had found Grimmjow, and had gotten his answers, but the desire for blood had quickly drained upon seeing his once friend and nemesis. Starrk no longer wished for the cat's head.
Lilynette had sustained barely a scratch, the cat had simply scared her, like Nnoitra had said. As for the black wolf himself, he lost an eye but he was very much alive and making a quick recovery.
The werepanther, on the other hand, had taken an ample amount of damage. When Starrk had followed his scent, he had been able to smell the cat's blood and knew his wolves had done well before dying. The price Grimmjow had payed became evident when the panther stumbled out of the human fortress, no longer in his resurrection.
The damage had been obvious and extensive. His blue eyes had been clouded by pain and blood loss, something Starrk had not seen in a very long time. The werecat had barely stayed on his feet during their conversation.
When Starrk and his pack disappeared back into the forest, he hadn't missed the way Grimmjow collapsed as soon as the wolves were out of range, nor did he miss how the humans had carried him back into their home.
Starrk wasn't a cruel creature by nature, and in his opinion, Grimmjow had payed enough for his attack on Lily.
He only hoped that Grimmjow was not getting himself into trouble again. The cat had walked a dangerous road with a human Caster before. That was something he wouldn't wish on anyone.
The leader of Los Lobos knew his wolves wouldn't go against his wishes and seek revenge, but they wouldn't happy about it either. He needed a way for them take out their frustration and anger.
••••••
"hnnn..." Ichigo moaned as his twin thrust forward again, penetrating deep inside him. "Sh...Shirooo–"
"Yeah, King?" Shirosaki panted out, grabbing hold of King's slim hips and picking up his pace. Ichigo thrust back against him, moaning out his pleasure. The sounds spurred the albino on and he thrust harder, wanting to hear more as those silky walls wrapped around him.
Ichigo grabbed at his twin's shoulders, crying out as his prostate was struck ruthlessly. "I...It smells good..." He panted out, still trying to form complete thoughts while his mind kept fuzzing out. He never guessed he would be woken up this way. "You...cannnn ahh..." Heat was pooling in his belly and Shiro continued to pound into him. "can't cook... while you're in here...set the place on fire..." He finally managed to pant out, his voice low and breathy.
Shiro smirked, lifting one of Ichigo's legs higher and changing his angle slightly. "Don't worry... King" He grunted out, still keeping his pace fast and brutal. He had a time limit, after all. "Red and the midget are here."
"Wh... What?" Ichigo tried to sit up, but a strong hand pushed against the center of his chest, forcing him back to the bed.
Shiro licked a trial up the side of King's neck, wrapping his fingers around his twin's erect cock at the same time.
The orange haired man gasped at the sensations, tossing his head back and arching his body. His struggle to get up was forgotten as that warm hand began pumping his member in time with deep thrusts.
"Damn... Shiro..." Ichigo panted, the heat in his belly turning into a raging inferno. "I'm ganna..." His vision pulsed and a strangled moan tore from his throat as he came hard between them.
Above him, Shiro grunted, thrusting a few more times before finally following with his own orgasm. He pulled out and rolled over to Ichi's side, pulling his master into a deep, passionate kiss. "Happy birthday, King"
••••••
Grimmjow furrowed his brows before prying his eyes open. Slightly disoriented, he lay still on the plush, over sized bed and wandered where he was. He closed his eyes against the bright light streaming in from the parted curtains to his left, racking his brain for memories of where he was and how he got there.
The room smelled familiar, the scent a bit dulled and dusty. It held the aroma of humans, two certain men, in specific.
He remembered the forest; stalking the pale one, even exchanging a few words. Thinking a bit harder, he remembered howls and blood, lots of blood. Bits and pieces of the fight came back to him. He had been running mostly on instinct, letting it guide him in the fight. He had killed the wolves, he knew that much, but it had cost him.
Carefully raising his hand, he trailed his fingers down his throat as the memory of the wolf's jaws closing around him flashed in his mind. He could feel that the skin was bruised, but not broken. The same could not be said for his palms and fingers, however. He flexed his left arm, pleased when he felt that the healing joints were securely in place. Then he brought his hand up to his shoulder, gently probing at the puncture wounds from a nasty bite.
His fingers brushed the soft fabric of a cloth bandage. Frowning, the feline opened his eyes again. It finally dawned on him that he was in his human form, not his resurrection.
He didn't remember relinquishing it. He remembered trying to get back to his own territory, and relocating his arm. Then he had passed out.
Growling, low in his throat, Grimmjow concentrated on the blurred memories that followed the relocation of his injured arm. He vaguely remembered a stinging, electrical pain, then hitting the ground. The human's had been carrying him, he was certain of it, and dropped him when the barrier's magic had shocked him awake. How had they gotten him through?
A silver dagger flashed in front of his mind's eye.
Grimmjow shot up in the bed, the crimson sheets pooling around his waist. He let out a pained gasp at the movement, but stayed in a sitting position as he looked around the room he was in.
The space was large, the four poster bed he rested in sat at the very center. Long, billowing drapes, crimson to match the sheets, nearly brushed the stone floor in front of the window. Parted a few inches in the middle, they let light in to cast a glow through out the room. A large, wooden chest rested at the foot of the bed, the top covered with a black, velvet cloth. A jar sat on top of it.
The air smelled stale and Grimmjow guessed the humans didn't use this room often.
Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed pulled a pained and irritated groan from his throat. He could feel his movements pull at the deeper wounds, ones that would take a while to heal, but he couldn't lay there all day. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on.
Standing up, he let the sheets fall from his naked form to collect on the floor. Grimmjow wrapped a tanned hand around the post at the foot of the bed, using the structure for support while he waited for the room to slow it's spinning. After a few moments, forcing his breaths to come in a deep, even rhythm, he finally stepped away.
Curiosity getting the bettor of him, Grimmjow carefully rounded the foot of the bed and snatched the lone jar off the chest. Smirking, he held it up and rattled the mangled, silver slug around in it's glass prison.
He wrapped long fingers around the jar and made his way to the large, intricately carved door that would lead out of the room. The door creaked on stiff hinges, loud to his keen ears as he swung it outward. Stepping through the portal, he padded silently down a corridor, hardly noticing the cold of the stone floor below his bare feet.
The hall way, lined with several closed doors on either side, led Grimmjow to a spiral stair case. They only led down, meaning he must have been brought all the way to the top floor. Beginning his decent, he wandered why the humans would bother hauling him clear to the third floor.
He shrugged his curiosity off and opened his scenes to the building around him, listening and watching for signs of the human occupants. Nearing the landing to the second floor, Grimmjow paused, again searching for signs of the humans, but all seemed quiet.
Blue brows furrowing a bit, he continued down the stairs, headed toward the first floor, the one he had deemed to be the most used. Halfway down the stairs, the smell of food floated to his senses, making him unconsciously lift his nose and test the air.
His belly grumbled quietly and Grimmjow hummed, a quiet, purring sound, as he followed the delicious smells toward the kitchen. He paused at the door way, listening to the men move about it the other room.
"Hey, guys" It was the voice of the orange haired human and he seemed a little uncertain. "So, uh... How are you?"
"Doin' well, how about you two?" The voice was deeper, a voice the werepanther didn't recognize.
Grimmjow bared his teeth in a silent snarl and crept passed the door way, toward the sitting room.
Entering the large room, he double checked that the connecting door between the sitting room and kitchen was closed. The muffled voices coming from the other room told him that it was.
Walking on silent feet, Grimmjow went to the fire place, setting the jar back where he had originally placed it the first time he had been in the home, before leaving the room to find a bathroom.
The smell of cooking food was luring him to enter the kitchen, but damn did he have to piss. First things first. Grimmjow entered the hall and set about finding some place to relieve his bladder.
••••••
"Hey, guys." Ichigo greeted his friends as he leaned back against the counter. "So... how are you?" He asked, feeling a little lame and embarrassed. His face was still a little flushed and he was still coming down from his pleasure induced high. Ichigo pulled a T-shirt over his head as Renji replied.
"Doin' well, how about you two?" The red head asked from his place in front of the stove. He concentrated on what he was doing as he spoke, adding a few pancakes to the stack and pouring more batter into the pan. "Isn't it dangerous around here this time of year? You guys practically live in the forest."
"It can be" Ichigo said, glancing at Shiro for a moment. Last night had certainly proven that. After they had finally hauled the panther-turned man into their fortress like house, the wolves had shown up.
The one called Starrk had tracked the werecat's scent all the way to where they had carried him through the barrier. The werewolf had sent his men flying at the magical seal for almost a half hour, howling and snarling, all the while demanding to see Grimmjow, which turned out to be the werecat's name.
Eventually, the cat had stirred and gathered enough strength to drag himself outside, pushing the two men away as he went. He had stayed in his human form and walked right up to the barrier, but never left the safety it offered. After a long talk with the lead wolf, which Shiro and Ichi couldn't hear, the werewolves had slinked off into the night and the werecat had practically collapsed where he stood. The twins had run to his side and carried him back into the house, taking him up to one of the unused rooms, where they patched him up.
Ichigo shivered a bit before forcing the thoughts from his mind and continuing. "But we manage. I'm learning to strengthen the seal and make it more effective."
Renji nodded. Of course he and Rukia knew about Ichigo's abilities, they were impossible to miss. Shiro was all the evidence needed. They had also been there when Ichigo first started showing signs of being a Caster.
"Alright!" Renji exclaimed, turning the stove off and piling bacon and sausage onto a plate. "Time to eat!"
Shiro and Ichigo smiled and handed their plates over to the chef. The red head loaded them up with eggs, pancakes and meat before passing the plates back to the twins. He then did the same for Rukia and himself and turned to the table.
Ichigo and Shiro were standing beside the table, holding their plates, matching smiles on their faces. It was almost like when they were kids, except for how colorless Shiro had become.
"What are you waiting for?" Renji asked "Dig in!"
Shiro laughed, then motioned toward the sitting room, careful not to spill the juice in his glass. "We might as well be comfortable while we chow down"
Ichigo nodded his agreement and led the way, taking his place in his usual chair. Shiro sat down next to him, placing his glass on the end table between them, the kitchen at their backs and the fireplace in front of them.
Renji and Rukia took seats to their right, facing the door that led into the hallway, which was to the twins' left.
All four dug into their breakfast happily. Renji was a surprisingly good cook when he tried. A conversation was struck up and all of them laughed and talked about whatever crossed their minds.
Shiro nudged King's arm, gently drawing his attention without making it obvious to their guests. His gold on black eyes looked pointedly from Ichigo to the fireplace.
The orange head followed his gaze, his eyes immediately landing on a glass jar that didn't belong. Eyes widening fractionally, he looked back to Shiro. They apparently had company at some point this morning and hadn't even noticed. Ichigo silently hoped the werepanther turned man went back up to the room they had given him and wasn't lurking about on the first floor. A thought struck him and prayed to every god he could think of that the man would stay a man and not veer back to his resurrection with Renji and Rukia there.
"Happy birthday, Ichi, Shiro" Rukia said, a small smile tilting her lips as she looked up at the boys who had once been amongst her best of friends. It saddened her that she hardly considered them very close anymore. At times like this, it was almost easy to forget what had happened.
"Yeah, happy birthday, guys!" Renji said, his smile much larger and his voice much happier.
The two birthday boys looked up at their old friends, smiles on their faces "Thanks!" They both said at once, in true twin fashion and startling Ichigo and Shiro.
Laughter erupted anew at the display. Renji abruptly stopped, eyes widening slightly before he cleared his throat and looked over to an equally stunned Rukia. Her eyes were wide and staring. Renji reached over and covered them with his hand. "Uhhhh..."
Shiro and Ichigo watched the odd display, Ichigo's brows furrowing. Shiro turned to follow the red heads gaze. "Happy birthday, indeed." He said, voice low and a bit husky.
Ichigo turned to see what his twin was talking about, face turning bright red as he stared at the man standing in the door way to the hall.
The werepanther they had brought in the night before stood in the entrance, still very much a man. His blue eyes roamed over each of the humans in turn, freezing them in place. The muscles in his abdomen bunched under golden skin as he flexed and shifted his stance, a very slight wince flashing across his chiseled features at the movement. In the light of day, the bruising and wounds from the fight were obvious, but they didn't detract from his looks and both twins were having a hard time not staring.
Everyone sat frozen for a few minutes before Renji finally spoke up and broke the spell. "Uhh, why the hell are you naked?" He exclaimed, covering his own eyes with his free hand.
The man's gaze shifted to the red head in a deadpan look, a single blue brow raising, and didn't justify the question with an answer.
Shiro snorted but didn't look away as he shamelessly stared at the attractive male presented to him, looking at the man from head to toe and everywhere in between.
Ichigo shot from his chair, sputtering an excuse as he rushed over to the naked man, careful to keep his eyes directed above the waist, not that there wasn't plenty to look at there too. He reached out for the man, ready to push him from the room and out of view from their guests.
The werecat instinctively tensed up, a deep, feline growl rumbling from his throat. He curled his lip, baring overly sharp looking, perfect white teeth.
Ichigo's brown eyes widened as he was reminded of what was standing in front of him. He halted his forward rush, holding his hands out to the side slightly, in a none threatening way. "Let's go find you something to wear, shall we?" He said quietly.
The man relaxed a little after Ichigo stopped moving, then stepped out of the door way for the orange haired man to walk through. "Why?" He asked, turning to follow the orange head.
Ichigo's face darkened a shade "Umm, well, because you can't walk around...like that" He said, passing by the man and leading the way down the hall.
Renji looked over to Shiro. "You should have just told us you guys had company..." He said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck and feeling very out of place.
Shiro snorted. "We don't have company."
"Who was that, then?" Rukia huffed, eyes still glued to the door way.
"Name's Grimmjow or somethin'." The albino said, shrugging and going back to his food "Don't worry about it, he ain't even human." Shiro said, stuffing the last bite of his breakfast in his mouth and acting like there hadn't just been a naked man standing in the door way.
"Weird name." Renji observed, also returning to his plate. "Wait... What did you say?"
Shiro looked up at him. "Grimmjow...?"
"No! You said he wasn't human!" Renji said, starting to freak out a little. The man had certainly looked human. The red head was starting to worry that Ichigo had repeated the event that had landed him in trouble originally. Though this man was certainly more colorful than Shiro.
Shiro seemed to catch onto his line of thought. "Don't worry, King didn't do anything." He said in a quiet voice. "He hasn't played with Necromancy since he brought me back."
"Oh, alright" The red head said, watching the way Shiro's eyes were directed on the floor now. It was a topic the pale twin had never liked talking about and Renji felt a slight pang of guilt for bringing it up. "What is he, then?" He asked, hoping to pull the attention away from Shiro's dark past.
"La Pantera." The deep, gravely voice caught the two guests off guard and both jumped and looked up to find the man they had been talking about standing in the door way again. Thankfully, the man was dressed this time, though not in much. He wore a pair of baggy, navy blue shorts that Renji recognized as being Shiro's. The rest of him was bare still.
"He refused to wear a shirt" Ichigo said, walking past the man to retake his seat. "Not that we have much that would fit him anyway." Grimmjow was quite a bit bigger than he and Shiro. Not only was he several inches taller than them, but he was also more built and muscular.
"What's a 'la pantera'?" Renji asked, looking back to the blue haired man.
"Forest monster." Shiro supplied for him, shooting a look at Ichigo then the bluenette.
The man sneered at him, the tip of sharp looking fang peeking out. His blue eyes flashed dangerously and Shiro could imagine feline ears laying back in threat.
Ichigo raised a brow at his brother. "Don't call him a monster." He looked back to the man. "You can sit, Grimmjow"
The man's blue eyes, swirling with something the orange head couldn't recognize, snapped to his form at hearing his name and Ichigo suppressed a shiver that tried to crawl up his spine.
The man watched Ichigo as he lowered himself to sit, cross legged, on the ground in front of them, in the same place he had been standing. No one said anything about the two empty chairs just a few feet away from him that he could have sat in.
The orange haired man had read that names often held power when one was dealing with ancient arts or entities and had been wondering how the werecat would react since he heard the wolf calling his name the night before. Granted, he was fairly sure La Pantera wasn't a type of demon, which the texts had said were the most susceptible to that sort of thing. But it certainly seemed like it meant something, if the man's reactions were any indication.
Grimmjow sat on the cold floor, staring at the orange haired Caster. He had felt the tug on his very being when the human had uttered his name in the command. He had felt compelled, but could have easily refused should he have chosen too. It wasn't enough to posses him or steal his free will, but it had still held power. The way his name had been spoken, laced with the magic that the man held in his palms, told him the Caster knew, or at least had an idea of what he was trying to do. The notion of how powerful this human had potential to become set his nerves on edge.
Grimmjow had dealt with a man who had held power over him before. The man had eventually let his guard slip and the werepanther had ended his life in a bloody mauling after years of struggling to free himself. He would not let that happen again. His instincts whispered that he should leave this dangerous human, but his curiosity danced with excitement that he couldn't ignore.
"So how ya feelin, kitty?" Shiro asked, addressing the werecat. He was starting to wonder if the man and King were telepathic now or something, with the way they were staring at one another. It put him on edge and a string of something pulled on his possessive and protective side. The only problem was that he couldn't tell which one the feeling was toward. Usually he felt that way toward Ichigo when King put himself in a potentially dangerous situation, but for some reason, something about the bluenette pulled at him as well. "Ya took quite a beatin' last night."
A low growl left the man's throat, his body visibly tensing. "Better than you would have faired, human."
Shirosaki grinned, but nodded his agreement all the same. The werepanther's voice had outwardly sounded like an irritated and indignant growl, but Shiro could hear what almost sounded like relief in the undertones and he wandered if it had something to do with whatever was transpiring between the cat and his master.
Rukia leaned closer to Renji, still watching the strange man from the corner of her violet eyes. "What is going on?" She whispered.
Renji shrugged and shook his head. Shiro and Ichi's new friend was strange.
A gurgling reached his ears, followed by the twins' laughter. The tension in the air disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, leaving everyone feeling lighter and breathing easier.
"Hungry?" They both asked, looking at each other with mild surprise before turning back to the large man sitting on the floor.
The man averted his blue eyes, breaking eye contact with the other occupants before nodding his head ever so slightly.
Shiro smirked and stood up, heading to the kitchen. He grabbed everyone's dirty plates as he went and returned a few minutes later with a heaping plate for the werecat. He had skipped the pancakes, figuring the man would be more interested in the meat and eggs, seeing that he was a carnivorous beast.
He crossed the room toward the werecat, but his steps faltered as he neared the still sitting man. "Do ya even like cooked food?" He asked, genuinely curious. It stood to reason that the panther hunted and killed his prey like a normal predator.
Grimmjow raised a blue brow at the pale man. He nodded slightly again. "It has been a while, but I have lived among humans. I'm used to your culture." He said, his deep voice carrying easily, even in the quiet tone he was using. He sniffed the scents of cooked food in the air as he accepted the plate handed to him.
"Oh yeah?" Shiro said, backing up and taking his seat next to Ichigo again. He glanced at King, seeing his copy's curiosity practically bubbling in his swirling, brown eyes.
The blue haired man nodded. "Twice. The first was when I was still feared and worshipped as a Deidad. I often visited the humans." He said honestly. That had been long ago, when the world was a little different. He had lived in a temple located in the forest, humans would often seek his protection or luck in approaching battles, which he usually granted. He had even participated in a few human battles, lending his strength to his favored families or tribes. Now he was rarely seen at all, and when someone did catch a glimpse, they thought him a monster. He enjoyed his solitude though, and didn't really mind that he wasn't seen as something to worship anymore.
After a while, when the man didn't continue, Ichigo prodded a bit, unable to help himself. He wanted to know more, and now seemed as good a time as any since the unpredictable creature was already talking. "And the second?"
Grimmjow made a face, something of a sneer, and shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He told them, unwilling to speak of his time in servitude. He was no ones dog.
Ichigo frowned a bit, glancing at his brother. Shiro looked equally confused by the turn in the man's temper. Neither questioned it further and Ichigo motioned to the man's untouched food. "Going to eat?" He asked.
Grimmjow winced a bit, carefully picking up the fork he had been given and glanced at it. Of course he knew what it was and how to use it, but there was one issue. He set the utensil back down as the familiar, faint burn of silver settled into his finger tips. He huffed a quiet breath. "Got anything that isn't silver?" He asked, looking up at the two men who owned the house. Just because the cursed metal wouldn't kill him, didn't mean he enjoyed touching it, let alone sticking it in his mouth.
Shiro wanted to smack himself as he jumped up and went back into the kitchen. He hadn't even thought about it, he had just grabbed a fork from the same set the rest of them were using.
Digging through a drawer, he finally found the old set he and Ichigo still had. They never used it, but had kept it for whatever reason, now he was glad they had. Pulling a fork from the case, he reentered the room and tossed it to the werepanther. "sorry" he mumbled.
Grimmjow smirked and easily caught the projectile. A soft purring sound left his throat as he began eating.
Everyone in the room stared, eyes wide at the unexpected sound, but said nothing.
••••••
Black ears laid flat against his skull, the wolf neared the exit of the den. Nnoitra growled, desperately trying to ignore the burning itch in the left side of his face and pushed a smaller wolf out of his way.
The smaller beast gave a pitiful yelp, showing submission, and tried to slink away. It's actions only served to anger the already irritated wolf further and he lashed out, leaping on the lower ranking beast. He pinned the creature down, snarling and baring massive fangs in threat.
The smaller wolf whined and wiggled, but wasn't stupid enough to make a move against the higher ranking, more powerful Original.
The black wolf's growling and rage bubbled and grew.
Footsteps approached from his left. Nnoitra snapped his head around so that he could watch the figure approach with his good eye.
"Nnoitra." A deep baritone that could have only belonged to one wolf rumbled his name.
The black wolf snarled petulantly, but stood and released the smaller creature before stomping out of the cave. He needed to get some fresh air and blow off some steam.
"Don't go looking for him." Starrk's calm voice echoed toward him.
"Tch" Nnoitra rolled his eye, wincing at the feel of the severed muscles around where his left eye was twitching and trying to match their right counterparts. "Yeah, yeah. Kitty's off limits, got'cha." He snarled and sprang forward, quickly finding a ground devouring pace that would leave the den and pack behind.
••••••
He had finally been left alone, the humans having left the room to cut a cake, whatever that was. Some other type of food, Grimmjow had gathered. They had offered him a piece, but he declined, preferring the few minutes of solitude he would gain. After decades of being on his own, it was strangely taxing to be thrown under the watchful eyes of four curious humans. Maybe he was still just recovering from his fight.
Carefully, he peeled the cloth bandage away from his wounded shoulder, wrinkling his nose at the smell of some type of salve the Caster had applied while he had been unconscious.
The wound underneath was bruised a deep purple and green, starkly contrasted against the golden skin of his human body. The punctures were deep and Grimmjow could see the vibrant red of muscle were flesh had been torn away. It burned when the damaged area came into contact with the cool air of the room and the werepanther hoped the humans had at least cleaned the wolf saliva from his injuries. If they hadn't, it was going to be a lot more painful for him to deal with now, but it would make them heal faster.
He tuned out the hushed conversation going on in the other room. That female thought she was being quiet, but his keen ears picked up her voice easily. She was ranting about the two men bringing a monster into their home.
While the red head's curiosity and confusion was amusing, the female's attitude annoyed him. She rubbed him the wrong way and he could tell that she didn't like him, nor did she care much for the pale man. She seemed to classify them in the same category, though she wouldn't say it out loud.
Grimmjow wondered what it was about the near-albino that no one liked, but he had put enough pieces together to get the general idea of the situation. Humans had always been rather closed minded about these sort of things.
Going back to checking his wounds, the werecat sucked in a harsh breath, which he held, and squeezed his eyes shut. When his dizziness faded, he slowly let the held breath hiss between his teeth and opened his eyes, continuing his check again.
The worse of his wounds were still sore, certain movements pulling and threatening to reopen them. If he were back at his den in the forest, he wouldn't even have bothered dragging himself out of sleep. He would have been resting, saving his strength and letting his body heal.
Grimmjow sighed and leaned back in the chair he had climbed into after the rest had left the room. He allowed his eyes to close, entering an almost meditative state, and tried to focus on his wounds. His hazy mind seemed to have other ideas though, and he found it hard to concentrate has sleep tried to pull at his weary body.
••••••
"Soooo..." Renji said as the swinging door came to a stop, effectively closing them off from the strange, blue haired man in the other room. He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the door "What exactly is up with him?"
Shiro snorted, turning to Ichigo and raising an ashen brow.
Ichigo rolled is chocolate brown eyes, grabbing a knife to cut the cake with. He sighed and began telling the red head what he knew. "His name is Grimmjow, I don't know if he has a last name." He said, walking over to the table that held the large birthday cake.
Rukia grabbed the knife from him, shoeing him away, and began to cut it for everyone.
"He... is a werefolk" Ichigo continued, not sure how Renji and Rukia would take the news.
Renji frowned. "Wait, he's a... like a werewolf?" He asked. This was not his expertise, but he had heard of the monsters that lurked the forest and believed the stories. He believed in magic and the arts, why not in mythological and deadly beasts?
Ichigo shrugged lightly "Kind of, but he's feline, not canine and seems to hate the wolves." Ichigo paused, trying to decide just how much to reveal. "We don't really know all that much about him. He saved me from werewolves several weeks ago and then kind of disappeared for a while."
Shiro snorted, but didn't say anything. Instead, he picked up for Ichigo. "Last night, the werewolves attempted ta get through King's defenses and the beast showed up ta take care a them." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back against the counter.
Rukia stopped cutting the cake, using the knife to point toward the door. "And you just let that monster in? You know nothing about it, it kills a bunch of animals, and you let it in?"
"He's hardly a monster, and he wasn't killing animals, he was killing werewolves." Ichigo said, trying to keep the biting tone out of his words.
"Oh, even better. So it's strong enough to kill werewolves and monsters, and you take it in?" She huffed back at him.
Shiro glared at the small woman. "HE, not IT, surely ya got the same display the rest a us did this morning." He said.
Rukia, face turning the slightest shade of red, started to speak, but Shiro cut her off. "and what were we supposed ta do? Leave him ta die? The werewolves would'a killed him if we left him out there. Ya should've seen how torn up he was."
The raven haired girl narrowed her eyes at the pale twin, but didn't say anything. She gave an indignant huff and turned back to the cake.
••••••
Starrk watched Nnoitra storm from the den. The big male was agitated, not that Starrk blamed him, but he was going to get himself into trouble. The alpha knew how Nnoitra's mind worked, the wolf would go straight to the sight of the battle from the night before, even if he didn't intend to.
The pack leader stifled a yawn and turned from the entrance of the cave to find Lilynette. She wasn't hard to find, she had either been in his shadow, or hiding in her room since she had gotten back and as he turned a corner to head to her room, he nearly tripped over the smaller she-wolf.
"Lilynette." Starrk reached down and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to pay attention. "Do not go anywhere. Stay in the den, keep the pack in the den. Do you understand?" His voice made it clear he would not tolerate any misbehavior.
The smaller wolf nodded. "Where are you going?"
Starrk gave a tired sigh and turned to head back to the exit of their lair. "Probably to save Nnoitra." He said, voice a slow drawl.
At the entrance, he addressed the sentry and gave the large beast the same commands he had given Lily. "No one leaves."
The werewolf nodded his understanding and Starrk took off into the forest.
Nnoitra's trail was easy enough to follow. It was clear the black beast hadn't tried to hide his location, probably not even realizing he was heading in the direction of the battle field.
Starrk followed his underling, careful to give the wolf his space, staying several miles behind and out of sight. He would wait and see what happened before he interfered.
••••••
Grimmjow was jerked out of his light nap by a pressure on his arm. He jumped from the chair he had curled up in, nearly knocking the thing over, and let out a warning hiss. He bared his teeth and crouched, readying himself for anything and hoping he would be able to handle it quickly. The room seemed to spin and he was dizzy, vision slightly blurred from springing up so quickly in his still weakened state.
As his vision cleared and he regained his balance, it became clear what had woken him and he settled down. He tilted his head to the side and relaxed, lowering himself to the ground.
In front of him, the Caster, Ichigo, as the others had called him, was sprawled on the hard floor. He was leaning back on one elbow, his other arm thrown in front of him as if to fend off his attacker. His eyes were wide and his breathing a little quick, but as Grimmjow relaxed, so did he.
"You scared the shit out of me..." Ichigo said quietly, closing his eyes and falling backward to lay on the floor. He brought his hand to his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart.
From near the door way, the pale man and the red head chuckled. Grimmjow allowed a smirk to cross his features as well and crawled silently closer to the Caster. He braced his arms on either side of Ichigo's head, hovering over the smaller male. "The feeling is mutual." He rumbled, looking down at the orange haired man.
Ichigo jumped at the proximity of the deep voice, opening his eyes and ready to scramble to his feet. He froze, however, when his eyes locked with deep, swirling blue. Grimmjow's eyes were captivating, colored with so many shades of azure, like the surface of a deep, clear sea. They shone as if lit by the very stars themselves.
Only a few inches separated them and Ichigo held his breath. The man was just looking at him with those eyes, studying him and... "Are you... sniffing me?" He asked, afraid to move.
Grimmjow tilted his head a little, still looking down at the smaller man below him. "Not you, per say." He said, gauging the Caster's reaction. "Your magic has a unique scent."
The room had gone strangely quiet, but the two men on the floor ignored it, wrapped up in what the other was doing.
Grimmjow raised one of his hands, balancing and supporting his weight with his right arm. He cautiously moved his hand, settling it to lay flat on Ichigo's chest. Warm, chocolaty eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. Grimmjow enjoyed how expressive the man's eyes were.
Ichigo lay unmoving, feeling the larger man's body heat wrap around him like a blanket. He moved in a careful way, almost as if he were afraid of scaring a small animal, like he was trying not to scare the Caster. Ichigo watched the way the sculpted muscles bunched and flexed in the man's bared chest and shoulders as he shifted his weight to his right arm and lifted the left.
When the man rested his free hand on Ichigo's chest, the orange head let his brows draw together. "Wh...what are you doing?" He breathed.
"I can hear your heart beat." Grimmjow answered, unmoving while he felt what his ears had already told him. "It's fast, like fear. But strong and steady, not like fear." He held still, not a single muscle twitching, as he searched the smaller man's face for clues to what he was thinking. "If not fear, what is it, then, Ichigo?" He practically purred out.
Human names couldn't hold power the way his could, but in his experience, his voice could do the same. The boy's reaction was all he needed to know exactly what was running through his head.
A shiver ran down Ichigo's spine at the deep tone his name had been rumbled in. The man's voice was as sinful as the rest of him and Ichigo could feel his body responding. He raised his own hand, lightly pushing at the tanned arm holding him down. He needed to get up, get this man off of him before he did something stupid.
Grimmjow smirked and sat back on his haunches, leaving the Caster's immediate personal space and giving the man room to sit up.
Ichigo climbed to his feet, taking a step away from the blue haired feline still sitting on the floor. He looked over at the other three people in the room, eyes a little wide. He still wasn't sure what had just happened. The looks on his guests' faces told him they were just as uncertain.
His twin wore a small smirk, though and the man shrugged his shoulders. "Kitty likes ta play wit his prey?" He said quietly, more questioning then stating.
Rukia stepped forward, shaking herself from her surprised stupor and coming to a conclusion. "He's a freak. He'll make a great addition to your collection, Kurosaki." She said, shooting a glare at Shiro and stomping past a stunned Ichigo. She had had enough. She didn't like being around the pale copy of Ichigo's dead brother, and the blue haired monster was pushing her over the edge.
Grimmjow looked up the Caster. Shock and hurt were written all over his features as he watched the small woman turn down the hall way. He looked to the red head, who was sputtering and looking from Ichigo to the door way, at a complete loss about what to do. He then turned his attention to the near-albino.
Shiro sneered in the direction the bitch had stormed away, happy when he heard the front door slam shut. He rushed to King's side, placing a comforting hand on his sagging shoulder.
Ichigo turned to him, eyes still wide, his brows furrowed. "Come 'ere, King" Shiro whispered, pulling Ichigo to him and wrapping his arms around his obviously hurt copy.
Ichigo returned the embrace, resting his head on his brother's shoulder. He was always overly sensitive to the way people talked about and treated Shiro. He hated that most of society didn't accept his twin. It wasn't Shiro's fault he was the way he was, after all. If anyone was to fault, Ichigo felt it was himself.
Renji took a few tentative steps forward, still at a loss. He looked at the brothers, and hated what Rukia had just done. "Ah, guys... I'm sorry for that, I don't know what's gotten into her..."
Shiro peeked over King's shoulder at him, his gold on black eyes shining with malice, but not toward the red head. "Don't worry 'bout it, Red. S'not yer fault." He said quietly, feeling Ichigo nod his agreement.
The sound of the door flying open echoed down the hall, followed by Rukia's yelling. "Renji! Are you coming or do I have to leave your ass here?"
Renji stiffened, about to throw an angry retort back at her, but Ichigo peeled himself away from Shiro. "Don't worry, Renji. Go ahead, we understand." He said, a slight smile tilting his lips. "I'm glad you came over, you need to visit more often."
The red head smiled, anger starting to cool off a bit at the way his friend was ignoring what the woman had just done. "Yeah, me too. I'll try not to wait so long for my next visit" He said, walking to the hall way. He turned back to face them for a moment, waving to the twins. Then he looked to the blue haired man that was still sitting on the floor. "Umm, nice to meet you" he added, then followed Rukia out the door.
••••••
Nnoitra sniffed around the carcass of one of the wolves that had died while he and Lilynette escaped. The air reeked of fear, pain and death.
Each of his dead kin had met a ghastly end at the hands of the werepanther. The cat had ever been known for his brutality and ferocity and it showed in his fighting. All the wolves had suffered grievous wounds before being finished off, but it looked like Starrk's words had been true. There was quite a bit of feline blood tainting the air as well. They had fought and died well.
He stepped around the bodies of the two worst victims, making his way toward the dark shape that announced the fourth body. This one was smaller, cause of death was a broken spine and a slit throat.
The wound that had killed the first of the wolves he came across had looked suspiciously like a bullet hole, where it had shot through the big creature's temple. Nnoitra had easily smelled the silver emanating from the carcass.
Nnoitra bent to study the beast's torn throat. It was too clean to have been made by the cat's claws. He had seen what that looked like on one of the other dead wolves. This was a blade wound. And, it seemed, made by a silver blade.
Shouted words startled him from his thoughts. The voice was distinctly female, and judging from the tone, a very angry one at that. Nnoitra let a cruel grin stretch his black lips and set off to investigate.
He silently and swiftly padded his way to the edge of the trees, to the clearing that the human home was located in. The wolf was careful to watch his steps and not get to close, he wouldn't be able to get in anyway. He would have to wait for them to come to him.
Soon enough, his patience was rewarded. A small, black haired female human and a male with a wild red mane emerged from the building. They headed around the front, toward an out building. Nnoitra knew they must have stabled horses there for the day, this building rested to far from the small roads for a vehicle to make the trip.
Horses were big animals, some of them could even be fairly fierce, but they were easy to spook and the werewolf easily matched the weight of the two the human's had.
The shouting continued, though in a slightly quieter manner than had originally alerted the wolf. They were so wrapped up in arguing with each other that Nnoitra could have walked right up to them.
He let a smile mar his scared features when the horses began tossing their heads, nostrils flared to take in his scent. The humans didn't stand a chance.
The woman screamed as he finally showed himself, catching the male's horse by surprise and spooking the beast.
The horse reared and screamed. In it's haste to get away from the large beast, it tripped and crashed to the ground, pinning it's rider under it's weight as the werewolf descended upon it.
AN: Cliff hanger? maybe a little... oops! sorry guys, can't let the characters off too easily XD
And I postponed the naked goodness, it's still on the way though, and will be well worth the wait *wink*
Anyway, what do you think?