Three months later...

Hiei sighed frustratedly as he landed in the center of the clearing he had found. Sword drawn and breathing heavily. He launched himself in the air for another series of attacks, training himself as he landed again.

Without his control, his thoughts floated back to what he had seen when he peaked into Jen's mind. Images of them naked in bed racked his mind again and he growled, throwing his hand out to destroy a near by tree.

Ever since the day he kissed her, Jen had been thinking of nothing but incredibly intimate scenarios and it was starting to drive him mad. It was bad enough that he had kissed her. Her scent and lips still lingered on the edge of his senses despite the time that had passed.

He honestly had no idea why he had kissed her. It wasn't like he was fighting for control of his body, like most people talked about when they spoke of their sexual instincts taking over. He was in control; Not necessarily thinking, but in control.

You are a pathetic fool, he chastised himself. Just blame it on something that isn't in your power and be done with it. That's what you always do, after all. He growled quietly. He wasn't in the mood for his own sarcastic wit to work against him today. Nothing was happening to him. He would train, complete his mission and go back to his life in the human world with the occasional trip to the Makai for border patrol. You really think you can go back? What about the fact that you witheld knowing exactly what was coming on to Mukuro's territory to protect Jen's pack members? Mukuro knows you knew. Why else has she been trying to summon you this whole time? Growling again, Hiei slashed at the air again, with increased vigor.

So what if he hadn't told Mukuro all of the details. He warned her of an impending attack, which was all he was required to do. "So this is where you have been hiding during the day," he heard Jen say from behind him.

He arched a brow and looked back at her. Not to mention her reaction to him telling Mukuro. His lack of information is the only thing that kept the two wolves alive and Jen was still pissed off at him. "Hn," he said, quietly. Whatever. Things were virtually back to normal anyway. They often spent nights on watch in silence together, talking from time to time. He had warmed up to her a bit and surprisingly found himself enjoying Avidan's company as well.

His conversations with Jen weren't forced, which was a relaxing change. He had actually found himself telling her about how he came to meet Kurama, Yusuke and Kuwabara and their adventures. She had listened intently, never pushing for more than he wanted to share and in turn, Jen told him stories about her family. Everything was great; Until he would try to look into her mind. With a slight growl, turned away from her.

Jen smirked as Hiei turned away from her to stare into the fading sun. He sheathed his sword and began to walk away when she felt the familiar feeling of his energy wrapping around her and sliding through her thoughts. She immediately directed her thoughts to the sight of him walking away. What a fantastic butt. I'd sure love to sink my teeth- Hiei tripped and stumbled a little and Jen stiffled a laugh. This had been so much fun over the last three months.

Hiei spun around to look at her with a glare. Oops, busted. He's still in my head. "You mean to tell me you have been doing this on purpose to me," he growled out.

Jen crossed her arms with a smirk. "I have. Kurama told me you were a telepath, when I asked how you notified Mukuro without leaving. Since I never realized my thoughts were entertaining more than just me, I figured I would be a poor host if I didn't make them more entertaining for the both of us."

She arched a brow as Hiei growled and in the blink of an eye, had her pinned painfully between him and a tree. "You have been the bane of my exsistance ever since you jumped to the defense of my sister," he said, lowering his head so his face was as close to hers as he could get without touching. His hot breath fell on her face. "I've made a mistake that could very well have cost me my immunity in Mukuro's territory, lost the hold on my control and now I find out you have been Toying with me?"

His anger was frightening, but she held strong. "Maybe you should stay out my head."

Hiei snarled, slamming his hand against the tree, causing it to splinter. "If I ever catch you thinking about that again, I will kill you."

Jen arched her brow further. "And if I ever catch you in my head again, you can garentee that that is Exactly what I will start thinking about."

Hiei looked poised to hit her but something caught his attention near by. Jen frowned as she heard an old chant of her ancestors rising from the trees to the east. She slipped out from under his hold and walked in that direction, Hiei following close behind.

The area of the forest had a blue etheral glow around it, Jen feeling the air alive. Within the glow, the image of her father formed, tall and proud. Around him, countless people formed, all staring at him "Who shall stand tall and brave the worst evils in times of darkness? Who shall lead our people from ruins to victory? Who will be our savior?"

Jen recognized his speech from her childhood, when the ancestors foretold of a dark future, when nearly all of the wolf race would fall. The ancestors said that one wolf would rise up and lead the remains of the race back to greatness.

"I am!" A small but proud voice shouted behind her. Turning around she saw the image of herself, younger than even Leta had been, fighting through the crowd to make it to her father. With a small smile, her father picked her up and put her on his shoulder. The image slowly faded and Jen sighed. It had just been a memory.

Jen turned to leave, walking towards Hiei, when a massive wave of energy swept through the trees from behind her. With a gasp, she turned to see her father's image standing infront of her. "Daddy," she asked quietly, her voice not far from the voice of the younger version of herself.

Her father smiled and nodded slightly and Jen blinked back her tears. "I'm sorry I failed you. If I had just done what I was supposed to-"

Her father cut her off and she heard Hiei scoffed behind her, no doubt frustrated that she still blamed herself. "This is not your fault, little one. This had nothing to do with you being mated or unmated. This was Carlotta's doing. The council had come to me, shortly after you left, to warn me that the future had changed course but I refused to listen, convinced that my mate would never betray me."

Anger boiled in Jen, but quickly dissapated as her father placed his hand over her heart. "Let go of your resentment. Focus on building a new life, just as you were always destined to do. Vengence is not worth the amount of loss you will suffer should you continue after your mother," he said.

Jen nodded slightly, unsure of just what to do. One thing was for certain though. "I will never trust my life in the hands of someone else."

Her father's eyes softened as his hand brushed her cheek softly. "Trust is all we have, my dear daughter. Without it, we all fall individually. Be cautious in who you trust, but never shut everyone out."

Hiei was stunned, to say the least. Never had he seen anything the likes of what he saw now. Countless beings came from the etheral glow of the forest, their power beyond anything he had ever felt before. Jen turned to the other beings as they enveloped her in energy. Kravyn had turned to Hiei and he felt his own heart rate quicken slightly. It wasn't often you saw someone, that was dead on the floor three months ago, up and moving around today. Kravyn's laugh rumbled quietly. "Don't worry, Hiei. You will get used to it."

Hiei arched a brow. "Hn. How do you know I'll even be here long enough to get used to it? In case you haven't noticed, your daughter is mad at me for betraying her trust and invading her privacy."

Kravyn laughed again. "If Jenista was mad at you, talking to her wouldn't even be an option. I know a lot of things, Hiei. Ancestors can see into the ever-changing prism of the future. Even as I am telling you this, events are shifting and changing. One thing is for certain though, you will still be around long enough to get used to the ancestral council coming around."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kravyn only laughed again and said nothing more. Well, wasn't that helpful, he thought to himself sarcastically. Kravyn turned and walked towards Jen.

The form of Leta walked up to Hiei, with her hands on her hips. She held her hand out. Confused, Hiei reached out to touch the image of the young girl's hand. A warm tingle danced up his arm, straight to his chest. His eyes widened a little as Leta's laughter filled the air. "Take care of my Jen-Jen," she said with a nod, "I know you will."

As quickly as it came, the blue glow faded, leaving him and Jen alone in the forest. He felt Jen's sadness as she looked up at the sky. She sighed and turned towards him, the look in her eyes confirming the sadness. He felt for her. Grief was one of the few emotions he understood.

Without a word, Jen walked back towards Aerisia, Hiei silently following after. What had Kravyn and Leta meant? Did they know something he didn't? Could it possibly be that Jen and he had some kind of future together? With a glare, he shook all the questions out of his head. There wasn't a chance; Especially not in the way he had briefly entertained on the morning he kissed her. He was forbidden, and she was one of very few wolf-demons left. They would need every pure-blood line they could get if they wanted to restore their race.

Without warning, Jen turned and stopped on a dime, glaring slightly at Hiei. Surprised, Hiei stopped in front of her. "I know what my father said about trust, and I know he told me I should trust you most of all. I even know he told me we were some form of soul mates that he didn't really elaborate on, but I have other plans before even thinking about mating."

Hiei's eyes widened at her mention of soul mates. Surely, such things didn't exist, did they? It may explain her unique hold on him, but there had to be some chemical explaination for that. Deep in his own thoughts, he barely heard her continue. "I want my revenge. I want a legacy to be remembered by. If you have no problem waiting through all of that than I have no problem with a companionship with you."

WHAT? Was this woman insane? What even made her think he wanted to be with her? "Does that sound reasonable to you," she asked.

No. "Sure."

What the Hell? Why did you say sure? She's crazy and you don't want to be with her, right? Are you just going to blame this on curiousity again? Or maybe the ancestral councils warm energy put you at ease so you could tolerate her, right? You are good at making up excuses for your actions. He growled silently to himself. He didn't know why he agreed, but something made him agree. Something about wanting their long nights of relaxed talks to continue made him agree.

Something in him that wanted to know what it was like to have a significant other made him agree.

Jen seemed to be just as taken back as he was as she blinked a few times, not sure how to respond. He would have said curiousity made him agree, but that would just piss himself off. Maybe it was because he was getting older and the idea of leaving the world without a prodigy was causing him to act subconsciously. Maybe you just enjoy her company and want to enjoy her more. He cursed inwardly, silently telling himself to shut up.

He sighed, fed up with his little argument with himself. At some point Jen had turned and started walking again. So, were they dating now? Was this a courtship? Or were they supposed to just exist together? He really wished she would have elaborated more. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled her to a stop.

Jen looked back at him questioningly. "What exactly are we then? What do you want from me," he asked quietly.

Jen smiled and walked towards him and leaned forward, causing him to stiffen in defense, should she try to attack him. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, stunning him. "I want to be able to do that without you freaking out that I am going to hit you. I want you to learn to trust me and vise versa. I want your support and your ability to keep me grounded and rational, like you have the past couple months. I want your affection and loyalty," she sighed. "I know, it is probably too much to ask for. I guess all I want is to just not be marked or bonded until I have finished what I need to finish." Without another word, Jen turned and left.

Hiei stood there, silently for a long moment. Did she really want all those things from him? Was he even capable of giving those things? "Well, at least she doesn't leave you guessing about what she wants," Kurama's voice came out from the shadows as his fox-friend stepped forward.

"Hn. How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you two are supposed soul mates. A lucky thing, to actually find your soul mate, you know. Most demons and humans walk the world their entire lives and never find their soul mate, or they find them and it doesn't occur to them."

Hiei scoffed. "Soul mates are just stories that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside about making a choice to stay with someone for eternity."

Kurama shook his head a little. "One day, Hiei, love is going to hit you square in the chest. It is going to scare the Hell out of you, make you feel weak and helpless, but when you see her and hold her, all of that will disappear and you will know what it is like to love and to be loved. It is unlike anything you have ever imagined."

"Hn. You sound like you know from experience," he said, arching a brow.

"Perhaps through the love of my human mother."

Without another word, Kurama walked away. Hiei stood there, thinking for a long moment. He looked up in the sky, feeling the energy he had felt earlier in the forest and turned to see Leta standing behind him. Leta giggled quietly. "Have you come to give me more riddles, little onna," he asked and Leta shook her head.

"I felt the conflict in your heart. Don't worry. Love won't happen for a long time and it isn't something to be afraid of," she said, her sing-songy voice giggling as she skipped around him.

He began to walk towards Aerisia and Leta followed with a skip in her step and humming a soft tune. For reasons he didn't know why, the little girl's presence actually calmed him, her happiness almost contagious. Enough so, that he actually voiced his concerns.

"What if I am not capable of love? People who speak of love learn what it is from their parents and family. My father abandoned me before I was born and my mother shortly after I was born."

Leta giggled again. "That is nonsense, silly. Everyone is capable of love. You love your sister, don't you?"

"Hn."

"That's what I thought," she said, very matter-of-factly. "You know what love is, Hiei. In this case, it starts small, much like one of Kurama's plants as a seed, and grows into something huge and beautiful."

Hiei arched a brow. "Most of Kurama's plants eat you alive and cause unimaginable pain and suffering."

Leta laughed, scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, I guess that isn't the best example, huh?"

Hiei shook his head, smiling slightly. The little girl's mood was definitely contagious. Leta's musical voice returned. "Either way, you are capable of love, and when it happens, you shouldn't be afraid of it."

With that, she jumped up and hugged him around his neck, warmth spread through his chest, before she disappeared. With a small 'hn' he headed back to Aerisia, making his way towards Jen. What the hell. Might as well see what the fuss is all about anyway..

Great, so now you are taking the advice of a dead six-year-old girl. You really are losing it, Hiei.

A/N~ Yeee~ :P So the ancestors have revealed a bit of the future, but will it set everything in motion, or alter the future in a way that drives Hiei and Jen apart? And what is the true motive of the ancestors telling them?

A few answers to more questions :) So many PMs, especially since I mentioned the last question I got, but not many reviews :( Thank you to Vhee and Scarlet for reviewing though :) Vhee has reviewed every chapter from the start and she is awesome :D She has some awesome stories too! Be sure to check out "Candy" and "In Loving Memory" if you want a good laugh :D But, onward to questions.

What happened between Hiei and Mukuro? Will we see more unfold from this?

As Kurama explained to Jen, Mukuro asked Hiei to mate with her and he refused. More about exactly what happened will unfold as Mukuro is brought into the story more. It is just going to take some time. :) Our little fire demon doesn't really open up easily. He's just barely starting to tell her about the team. :)

What is Vaislen's deal?

Heh, V is...well, rough around the edges to say the least. You will find out more as the team learns of each of the wolves and their past together.

I imagine Hiei would push Leta away instead of hugging her back. Isn't that kind of out of character for Hiei to not lash out at a stranger?

I think it is far from out of character. Leta's innocence and sweetness remind Hiei of Yukina, causing that rare soft side we see so few glimpses of to come out a little. Kindness has always stunned Hiei and I think with time, he is starting to learn how to accept it instead of lashing out.

Plus, as I have mentioned to a few people before, people, including Hiei, change with time as they experience new things. That change isn't always predictable. Hiei will go through many more changes through out my stories, just as he did in the actual series. By the last chapter of the last story, Hiei will be a very different man. :)

Review, favorite, PM, creep in the shadows so I never know you exist, do whatever it is you do. :)

Thank you for reading so far~

Much Love ~Jessa