Gah! I'm so sorry for not updating for the longest time. This chapter really had me at a stomp. I wanted to put Yuna leaving with the wolves in one chapter, but I don't want to make it too lengthy for you guys.

I really hope you enjoy this chapter anyhow, since this chapter mainly tries to focus on Yuna.

Oh, and to some people who asked about her parentage... this chapter should explain it. Anyways, leave a review; let me know what you guys think and thank you for adding this story to your favorites and follows:)

I'll try not to let any of you down.

"Papa! Hurry up! Try to catch me!"

Like demon possessed, a young child of vanilla hair and twin colored eyes (sapphire blue and jade green) in a pure white dress runs all her might in the meadow of lilies. Trail behind her was a tall man of physical strength, smiling happily and laughing as he tries to catch the young child. Though he could easily catch her, he lets her win at her own game. The girl did have trouble running, having to carry the hems of her dress to not worry about tripping on them. Nonetheless, she continued her escape from her father.

Through her laughter, the young girl loses her balance and lets out a terrified shriek as she falls to the grass.

"Ah-ha! I have you."

The father rushes on the fallen girl and picks the young girl up by her waist, holding in the air as far as he could reach, causing the child to shriek happily. The young girl stenches her arms out as like a bird ready for take off. Feeling brushing of the wind against her face, she never felt so alive. The two pair begin to laugh joyfully. The father hugs the young child, allow her to sit on his arm as she wrapped her arms around his head, running her delicate fingers through his soft, dark hair. The father carefully places his beautiful daughter back on her feet, with her quickly take hold of her father's hand as she gained her balance. As she looks at him with a goofy smile, the father smiles back tenderly.

"Papa, come with me. I want to show you something." The young girl excitedly exclaims as she pulls her father gently. The father laughs hearty, allowing the young girl to drag him to her destination.

"And what is this that you want to show me, Yuna?" The father asked.

Young Yuna continues to drag him, staring back at him with a secretive look. She didn't want to ruin the surprise, no matter how much she wanted to.

"I can't tell you. I want to show you."

Dragging her father to the hill that overlooked the ocean, Yuna motions him to sit in the cut grass; which he complies. "Stay here. And no peeking. Kay?" she asks with her childish pronunciations. The father gives a soft chuckle before nodding his head. "Wait, I want you to close your eye."

The father laughs at his daughter's forced seriousness, closing his one visible eye as he leaned back

"All right. If that's what you wish." he says.

Once she saw her father has covered his vision, Yuna quickly scurried away from her father and towards the area of the meadow where the flowers were the most populated. Kneeling down, the young girl quickly gathers as much of the flowers as she could, gingerly pulling them from the ground so she wouldn't damage them. Once she had the amount she need, Yuna quickly turned around to see if her father wasn't trying to peeking.

Happy to see he was complying with her wish, she carries the armful of white lilies and lays them on the ground.

In a matter of minutes, the father felt something cool and soft wrap itself around his head. Opening his eye, he found Yuna standing beside him like a child at Christmas, happily swaying back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back. The father reaches to feel what is on his head, feeling the softness of a flower petal between his fingertips.

"I made you a crown of flowers, daddy. Do you like them?" she asks with a large grin.

The father gingerly removes the crown of flowers from his head and marvels of the "neat" craftsmanship of the piece. The crown, woven together like the fabric of a cloth, wasn't without its flaws. But any good father would be happy of the effort it took to make this.

"I love it very much, but..." The father places the crown around the young girl's head, brushing away stray strings of hair that were caught in the crown. "You look so much more beautiful than I when you wear it." With faint blushes on her cheek, the young girl climbs onto her father's lap, laying lazily against his chest. The father wraps his one arm around her as he smooths her silk-like hair. Yuna nearly kept shutting her eyes from sleepiness, overly comfortable in her father's embrace.

"Oh, and before I forget..."

Reaching into his pocket, her father pulls out a tiny golden locket.

"This is for you, Yuna. Take a look inside."

Yuna gently took the locket into her hands, opening the small door of the jewelry. Inside the locket was a tiny picture, depicting Yuna as a smiling baby, being held by both her mother and father whom both were smiling tenderly down at their child. The child was a sheer resemblance of her mother, from her face, to her blonde hair. However, Yuna would look past how much she saw her mother in her and looked for what she got from her father. Not a lot, but she thought maybe the nose was a close match. Closing the door with her thumb, Yuna smiles up at her father, hugging him tightly around his torso.

"Thank you, papa. I love it." she says as she buries into his chest.

"Well, you only turn five once."

The father lays his back against the soft grass, covering his one eye from the sun in the cloudless sky. Yuna sits on top of his chest, holding the locket against her chest. The father, noticing the long timed stare of the child on his chest, leans his head up with a questioning look.

"Hmm? What is it, Yuna?" he asks.

Without answering him, Yuna slowly reaches with her free hand to the black eye patch covering his left eye. Covering the base of the leather patch with her tiny hand, the father gently takes her hand into his with a sadden expression written upon his face.

Ever since she could remember, her father has had this eye patch over his eye, even before she was born. Though he never talked about it, she has always wanted to see what was it he was trying to hide. Yuna tightens her grip in her father's hand and shyly cocks her head.

"Papa, I have a favor to ask."

"And what favor is that?" he asks kindly.

"I...Well... Why do you wear an eye patch, daddy? Mommy won't tell me, 'cause she said you wouldn't show her."

Upon her question, his face darkens. Seeing this, Yuna was regretful that she asked. The father sadly smiles as he runs her fingers through her silk hair. "Come here. I'll tell you." he says. On cue, Yuna removes herself from his chest and lays next to him, using his open right arm as a cusion. The father turns over and locks his one eye

"Do you remember the story I told you? About Paradise?"

Yuna nods. "Uh-huh. The place where wolves go when the world comes to an end." Despite talking of the apocalypse, she said it in such a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes. Your great-grandfather, Darica the First, cursed our family when he discovered a way into Paradise... This patch hides that very curse." he says as he places his hand over said patch.

"Is it a bad thing, daddy?"

"No. Of course not. But..." Her father brushes away strings of hair that obscured his child's twin-colored eyes. "I'm happy. The moment that you were born, I was relieve to see that you don't bear this curse. I was happy the moment you first open your eyes, and I saw how beautiful they were."

As he spoke, Yuna noticed how her father's expression was darkening with each word. Scooting closer comfortably into him, Yuna buries her face into his chest, inhaling his scent in.

"... Papa?"

"Yes?"

Yuna gives a soft yawn before she speaks. "What if I was born with this curse that you have? Would you... Would you not love me anymore?"

Yuna opened her mouth to speak more, but her father stops her with his index finger pressed against her lips. "A father would never hate his own daughter. I -your mother and I- are happy that you are here. And everyday, with you here I have a reason to smile."

Yuna pushes herself up and lays on top of chest, giving him her usual large grin. "Of course, silly. You're my daddy, I was born to be with you."

Her father smiles and hearty laughs. "Well, I guess that's why I'm always so happy."

Tsume groggily awoke, temporarily blinded by the morning sun that shined in through the open window. Blocking the sunlight with his arm, he sits up, stretching his arms and legs from the discomfort he had sleeping on the floor. This morning felt strange to him. He woke with almost full expectation that his gang was by his side, but he remembered their refusal to join him as he leaned against the wall and stared blankly at the ceiling. Instead of them, he found himself in the company of a rant and a stubborn bitch. But it wasn't just that.

In this city resides a beautiful girl, named "The Flower Maiden", that was created via alchemy from a Lunar Flower, a flower that has long since went extinct. The humans couldn't and didn't notice the sweet scent that radiated from her throughout the city. Only a wolf's scent could truly experience the smell. However, her scent was now nowhere in nose range. The scent was last coming from the noble ship from the other night.

But whatever the case, it didn't matter to him.

Tsume takes a quick glance at the very two that gave him company. Toboe, in his wolf form, slept soundly in the corner of the room. The pup looked so peaceful as his form rose and fell with each breath. Yuna, on the other hand, was still in her human form. Yuna had fallen asleep sitting up. Her back was against the wall, her head dangled off to the side; occasionally, she jerked her head when her weight would pull her forward.

Yuna began to lean foward, and doing so, the pale white flower fell from her hair, gently falling onto her lap.

Tsume examines her face. It was strange how much her face resembled a doll, how silk and clean she was. The she-wolf was smiling, but it wasn't like any of the smiles that he has seen in the short time he has known her. Rather, her smile was very tiny but also was very gentle and sweet. Whatever the girl was dreaming of, it was obviously a time that was happier than this.

Tsume sighs tiredly, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes for a moment. Add to his grogginess, he began to feel frustrated. He didn't know what to plan next.

With the police force rounding up every gang member they can find... it would be smart to move on.

"Wake up, you little bitch!"

On cue, a bucket of ice cold water is poured over a unconscious little girl. Yuna awoke from her slumber loudly, pushing her tiny body up as she coughs violently. Her hair and white dress soaked, the girl began to shiver. She wraps her arms around herself as she observed her surroundings. She now found herself in an environment that she didn't recognize. It was hard to even recognize anything to begin with as the room was pitch black, save for the light that seeped in from the hallway. All she could make out was that she was in a small, metal room with nothing but a steel bed in the right corner of the room.

Yuna saw a tall figure standing still and stoic in front of an open doorway. The man threw the bucket to the side and backed away from the doorway. In doing so, he slammed the cell door shut.

"Now shut up till Lady Jaguara comes and decides what to do with you."

As the man walks away, Yuna forces herself to stand, ignoring the pain that screamed throughout her whole body. She nearly falls as she stands; her legs were as cold as death and had no feeling in them. She stumbles to the cell door, falling forward and using the steel bars to hold herself. Yuna pushes her tiny face in between the bars and screams out.

"Let me out! I-I haven't done anything wrong! I... I want to go home!" she pleads as tears fall from her face. However, the halls were empty. The only thing that responded to her was her own echo. The girl knew already that none of her begging would bring anyone. She backs away from the cell door, backing away till her back hit the wall. Yuna slides down the cold steel wall, burying her face into her knees that were against her chest.

Yuna tries to backtrack the events that lead her to such a horrid place. But she couldn't remember. The only thing that she could remember was being grabbed by someone from behind, they place a cloth with a odd scent over her mouth and she began to feel exhausted... then nothing.

Slient weeping escaped her breath. She didn't want to be in this horrible place. She didn't want to be left in the dark, alone and cold. Yuna tried to remember the warmth of her father's embrace to ignore the bitter cold that coated her body. In a way, it calmed her and made her feel warmer than what she felt; but it wasn't enough. The one thing she wanted to be with was her father. Her father would protect from what ever horror was being planned for her

Yuna reaches her neck to clutch the locket. However, the oval jewelry was missing from her neck.

Yuna gasps. "My necklace! Oh no! Where is it!?"

Yuna quickly stood and looked all over the room to find the locket. The lack of light didn't help matters as she ran around in the small cell. There wasn't much place for it to hide. There was nothing in the cell besides the steel plate for a bed that was chained to the wall to stay aloft. Yuna pokes her head under said steel bed, yet she came up empty handed. Yuna's lower lip begins to quiver as she pulls her head away and rests on her knees.

"W-Where is i-it...? I want daddy's present!" she exclaims with a breaking voice.

"... Oh, do you mean this?"

Yuna shudders hearing the unexpected voice. The voice alone told it was a woman, but she recognized the voice. Yuna turns her head to the source of the voice. In her sights, just behind the cell door, a woman in noble clothing dangled the locket by the chain. The upper half of her face was hidden behind a masquerade mask-like helmet that was dazzled with clean black, white, and gold colors.

Yuna gingerly stood to her feet, feeling a sense of relief for two reasons: Her locket was in her reach. And her mother was here.

"Mommy... you came to save me." she weakly says as she stumbles towards the necklace that dangled in her hand that was stuck out in between the bars. "And you found the locket daddy gave me. Please give it back-"

Yuna tries to reach for locket, standing on her tippy toes to compensate for her short height, but the woman pulls it away from her.

"Pathetic child. Can you not tell the difference between me and that mother of yours?" Pure venom seeped out her mouth.

The woman removes the helmet, and in doing so, her long blonde hair fell almost to the floor. Yuna gasps from the sight before her. The woman was a sheer resemblance of her mother. Her eyes, hair, facial features, even her voice almost replicated her mother's more soft voice. However, there was one difference that Yuna could see from her and her mother: The woman before her had hate and insanity behind those cold eyes of hers, unlike her mother's warm and tender gaze.

"Y-You're not my mother... What are you?" Yuna whimpers, slowly backing away from the cell door. Being close to the woman, the hair on the back of her neck stood. This woman practically reeked of hate.

The woman let out a soft, yet mocking chuckle. "It doesn't matter to you who I am. You won't let you live long enough to begin with."

Yuna backs away into the wall, and still tries to stay away from her as much as possible even though there wasn't anymore room to escape. The woman's eyes narrow down at the locket in her hand, opening the tiny door to reveal the picture contained. As if she was in pain, the woman began to tremble in anger, gritting her teeth and breathing heavily. Her eyes narrow to the man in the picture, then to the baby in he and his wife's arms. Her insides began to twist, disgusted and angry by the very thing.

Yuna tries to stop the shaking of her hands and legs. She feared for whatever this woman was going to next, she looked on the verge of exploding and attacking everything in sight. However, the woman suddenly began to calm down, shutting the locket with her thumb and brushing back her bangs after a large sigh.

"You're truly disgusting..." The woman hissed. She sent her hateful glare at the girl who was on her knees. Yuna shudders under her sight. "To think my sister could produce a disgusting thing like you, and with My lord Darcia."

Yuna is taken back, to say the least, by the woman's words.

"I will have you suffer. I will have you begging for death soon enough." And with that, the woman turns and walks away. Yuna could see a sickening grin coming from her as the woman was out of view. She would be relieved to see her leave, but she still had one thing...

Yuna forces herself to stand. Nearly tripping as she runs to the cell door, she grabs hold of the bars and tries to shake them.

"No, wait! You still have my locket! Please, papa gave it to me! I want it back! Please give it back! PLEASE!"

Yet she didn't respond. The only thing that could be heard was the little girl's cries and screams...

On the verge of falling back asleep. Tsume nearly drift away as he leaned his head against the wall. Tsume woke suddenly to the sound of quiet whimpering. He sits himself up and turns to see the she-wolf, appearing like she was in a massive amount of pain. Yuna was biting her lower lip, so much so that blood was beginning to draw. Tears began to seep from her tightly shut eyes. And strangely, Yuna was covering her genital area with her trembling arm and was moaning in a rather sexual, yet painful manner.

"It hurts... Please stop... N-N-No more, please. Daddy...!" Yuna mutters. Blood began to fall from her wound onto the white flower in her lap.

Tsume was obviously taken back by what was happening before him. And even felt somewhat concerned, yet still was annoyed. He picks himself up and walks to her, kneeling down to her height and lightly shaking her shoulder to wake her.

"Hey, Yuna, wake up..."

His words didn't hit home. Yuna continued to cry and mutter incoherently. Tsume grabs hold of both of her shoulders and tries to shake her with more force.

"Come on, wake up!"

On that moment, Yuna let out a terrified scream. Toboe jolted awake from his slumber as her screams pierced his eardrums. Sitting himself up, he gasps upon seeing what was before him. Even though she appeared to be sleeping, Yuna continues to scream as she throws slaps and punches in Tsume's direction.

"W-What's wrong with her!?" The pup asked, his voice creaked from his worry. Without answering him, Tsume, trying to avoid her attacks, takes hold of both her wrist and pins them against the wall.

"Goddamn it! Wake the hell up!"

Yuna continues to try to struggle away from him as much as she could. In her head, the pain of their forced entry, the burns of their cigarettes, and the coldness of water as she was hosed down, she was remembering the pain. Not only remembering, but feeling the pain as if she was back in that cell. Tsume holding her down, for all she, her tormented mind, could comprehend, she was being held down like they usually did to her.

Just like those days, she frantically tried to escape; kicking, slapping, and throwing curses at her assailant.

Yuna's eyes shot open, but in blind rage, lunges at Tsume biting at the crook of his neck as deep as she possibly could. Tsume exclaims loudly in pain as Yuna somehow found the strength to release his hold on her. Once she pushes him back, the she-wolf lunges at him and pins him to the ground, grasping a hold of his neck and forcefully pushes his head against the concrete floor. Raising a clenched fist in the air, she beared the face of a madman as she exposed her wolf fangs.

"Yuna! Stop!" Toboe shrieks.

The young pup shot himself up and runs to their side, taking hold of her fist before she could throw it. Yuna turns to see Toboe, his expression frightful. "Stop it, Yuna! Don't hurt him!" The young pup screams, obviously trying to hold back tears. Yuna stared into his expression for what felt like hours for her. Yuna glances back down at the wolf in her hold and gasped. The realization that she wasn't trapped in that cell hit her, and hit her hard.

Slowly, Yuna released her hold on his neck and stands, backing away from him till her back hit the wall. Yuna slides down the wall and lets out a tired sigh as she slouches over, hiding her face behind her bangs. Tsume pushes himself, gently stroking the bite marks that was left on his skin of his neck. Strangely, Tsume chuckles with a mix expression of surprise and shock.

"Damn, guess I underestimated you..." he spoke.

Toboe walks to Yuna's side, kneeling down to her height and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. His hand shuddered upon feeling how much she was trembling.

"Yuna, are you... okay?"

Yuna was slient before she turned to look in the pup's worried eyes. With blood streaming down from her lips to her chin, she brushes aside her bangs allowing her eyes to be in view. After quickly wiping away stray tears and the stream of blood, Yuna forces a smile as she gently strokes his cheek.

"I'm all right. Sorry for scaring you." Yuna says as warmly as possible, but she couldn't hide the tremor in her voice. Catching the whiteness of the flower at her side, Yuna gently took the stem of the plant, observing the petals to make sure the fragile thing wasn't battered. Even when she noticed the blood splats and a stream of red on the end of the petal, it didn't bother her. Stains aside, she rather prefer that than it getting smashed. Trying to clean it off would most likely ruin the plant, even if she was careful.

After deciding to leave it be, she slips the stem back between her ear, enjoying the feeling of cool and smoothness of the stem and the petals against her head.

Yuna nearly exclaimed when she suddenly realized what she done. Before she could apologize, Yuna quickly turned to face Tsume. However, he was already standing inches from her with a questioning look on his face. Sheepishly, Yuna stared up at the stoic man with a almost apologetic and embarrassed face.

Tsume extends an open hand to her, which she followed his motion with her eyes. She didn't hesitate to take his hand, firmly grasping it and allowing Tsume to give her support to stand. Her legs were notably weak, and they would not stop shaking. If she tried to stand with her own strength, she'd plop down on her face, though she was always used to it since her nightmare always curse her like this.

Back on her feet, Yuna sheepish stared on the bite that was left on his neck. Her insides began to twist with guilt.

Gently, Yuna reaches and gently strokes the wound, hoping to at least show her guilt. Tsume no doubt gave her a very questioning look. One moment she was blood raged crazy, and now, she was like a mother wolf tending to its pup. Yet, he could see pain behind her gentle eyes, the hand that was stroking him was shaking like a leaf, and he even notice the shaking in her legs, but not as intense as her hand.

"I'm sorry, Tsume. I didn't mean to hurt you like this..." Yuna says, pulling her hand away and resting it on her chest. "I hope I didn't hurt you. If I did, I'm sorry."

For him, it wasn't painful. Well, it was, but he was more surprised by the strength and force of the attack, since she appears no more than a simple, naive she-wolf. Tsume shook his head, taking the palm of his hand and rubbing the side of his neck.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't hurt me too much. Though I am surprised that a girly pup like you would be quick on your instincts; and here I thought you were nothing more than a house dog." he says in a almost mocking tone.

He waited for her to throw a fit. However, instead she smirked at him with a proudful gleam in her eye.

"I haven't known you for very long, but I'll take that as a compliment; from you." Yuna replied.

Tsume raises an eyebrow. "Hm. You are the one thing I can't understand."

"You're one to talk, you know." she says, pushing back the ends of her hair.

"Hmph. Compared to me, you're like a rock."

"And compared to me, you're worse than a human."

"Really? A human? Coming from a bitch."

Her vein began to pop from her forehead, luckily for her, is covered by her bangs. Toboe sweatdrops as he looks upon both of the wolves, praying that the two wouldn't get into a fist fight. "A bitch...? This coming from the thug..." Her voice retaining that same haughtiness that he first heard from her. Tsume glares at her angrily, restraining himself from taking her words and shoving them down her throat.

He simply scoffs, walking away and sitting onto the window sill. "Think what you like. You're still a bitch."

Yuna restrained herself from smiling victoriously at her supposed win in the argument. But she sighs calmly, turning to him with her hands behind her back.

"I'm sorry..."

Tsume locks eyes with the she-wolf, curious upon hearing those words in a warming tone.

"I'm sorry if I've been giving you the wrong idea. Again, I haven't known you for very long, yet, you've done enough to make me thing differently about you."

Tsume gives a soft "hmph" as he turns his attention back to the outside out the window. "You might just regret those words. What I did, I didn't do it for you or that runt."

"Then what for, then?" Yuna responds, her eyes still looking onto Tsume's sitting form. "You helped both of us more than once in one day. If it wasn't out of the goodness of your heart, then what made you act?"

Tsume remains silent. His expression, though she couldn't see, still stoic and inexpressive. Yuna herself may not be fully wolf, but she understood the natural instincts every creature, even humans, have. She wanted to believe that he did what he did, because he is looking out for his own. That look in his eyes when one of his gang members rejected him and left that night made her believe so. Even if Tsume was a thug, he looked upon the human gang like a wolf would to his pack: To be there when you need them. That being no different than a family. Without that pack, you're lost like a child without their parents.

Despite the wolf's strong aura and his no-nonsense appearance, he was no different than any person or animal alike.

Yuna remained silent for an answer. However, seeing that one wasn't going to be given, she continues. "Well, to be honest, what your reasons were aren't that important. What matters is what you did and the effect it had."

Knowing she was about to do she was going to regret, she gingerly took steps closer towards him. Tsume heard her steps come closer behind, and it wasn't till the sound of her footsteps come to a halt that he turned his head to see her. Now inches close to him, Yuna place a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiles tenderly.

"I want to say... thank you. For what you did. I'm grateful for what you did, even if what you did was small. Still... thank you."

To his surprise, Yuna leans closer toward him, pressing her lips against his cheek for a few seconds before she pulled away.

Yuna immediately felt her stomach flatter as she pulls away from him, keeping her hand rested on his shoulder. She kept her composure, smiling warmly still and holding herself up. Tsume still appeared indifferent, except his eyes widened slightly. Then he smirks, giving another mocking scoff.

"You're a very strange one all right..."

At his words, the vein in her head pulsated as her anger and embarrassment filled to the brim. She rips her hand away, clenching both of them while taking steps back with her cheeks puffed in indignation.

"You...! You're such a-"

Yuna twists around and begins to walk out the door. "I may be a bitch, but you're a prick..." she exclaims behind her clenched teeth.

"Yuna, wait. Where are you-"

"Outside! For fresh air!" she interrupts loudly. Toboe jumps from her angered voice.

To Toboe, he didn't understand her reason for being so angry. What she said is what seemed true. But what she said isn't what angered her, even though she was annoyed by the fact her words didn't even process through the wolf's mind. Though Toboe wouldn't say it in fear of getting on Yuna's bad side, but he thought both Yuna and Tsume were alike... in a way. Both Tsume and Yuna put on a facade of strength and bravery in their own way. They look out for their own, even if they had their own way of displaying it.

They were on the same side of the coin.

But... he rather not risk saying such a thing out loud.

"Gah! What a prick! Throwing everything I said in the trash just like that!"

Yuna climbed the roots of the tree that grew on the outskirts of Tsume's hideout. She realized when she was younger that high heights have always calmed her spirits and made her feel more at home. Thus, she found herself standing on the large roots, staring up at the massive size of the tree. It would be difficult for any human to climb since the bark was smooth and no chips or any kind of object on the tree to climb.

Lucky for her, she was no ordinary human.

Taking a few steps back, the she-wolf lunges forward and runs as fast as she could. As she approaches the trunk of the tree, she squats down and puts all force into her jump. Yuna reaches toward a tree branch, clutching onto it and pull herself up. Gingerly, she stands onto the branch, balancing herself before she carefully sat down on the branch. Once she was situated on the small amount of space she smiles as she rest on palms on the branch, inhaling the sweet scent of the leaves around her.

Despite feeling at peace for the moment, she was troubled.

Tsume was the least of her concern. What did concern her was everything that has happen in such a short amount of time. She finally rid herself of the man that tried to woo her and even managed to scare away his cohorts. However, it's been long enough that someone must have already found the bodies. Since Yuna was known around the area, and he always chasing her like a dog in heat, she would make a prime suspect. Getting caught was one thing, but the thought of being thrown into a jail cell made her stomach churn. She wanted nothing more than to stay away from anything that reminded her of the past.

And then there's Quent, the wolf hunter. With him knowing her identity and him a witness to her crime, no doubt he was among the number of people that would be breathing down her neck.

Clenching the locket in her hands, she remembers the noble ship. The sound of the high pitch humming was still fresh in her mind. Pure nostalgia filled her mind and her veins when she remembered the scent that came from it.

He was still alive.

Her father was still alive.

Thoughts of finally being reunited with him conquered everything in her.

For so long, she wanted to embrace him. To inhale his comforting scent in. To say "I love you." so many times that her throat hurt.

With so many things that have happen and the chance to see him again, Yuna recalled the offer those two wolves made to her in the beginning...

She decided.

It was time to leave this place. It was time to fulfill her grandfather's promise.

With this in mind, Yuna clasps her clenched fist to her chest and nods.

"Finally, Grandpa. I can finally do what you wanted me to. And you gave me this chance... I can never thank you for bringing me this close." With her two fingers, she slips the flower from out of her hair, gazing upon with a longing stare with a sorrowful smile on her face.

"Thank you... Barrett."