CHAPTER 4

Days passed by as the wolf's body slowly recovered. Yamato regained his strength through the attention and care given to him by the rabbit until he felt well enough to hunt. He hunted mice, shocking Hibiki from time to time when he turned to face him, a mouse dangling from his fangs. But he kept his word that he would not eat Hibiki's friends. They visited once in a while, the raccoon still terrified of him, and the porcupine still shy and wary around him. Hibiki's other friends also visited at the news that he was living with a wolf. Hinako the fox, Joe the badger, Airi the canary, and, finally, Jungo the bear. It was quite an experience seeing the tall, stoic grizzly bear lumbering to their cave, offering Hibiki some raw fish he calls "sushi". It seemed he had an endless supply of them.

The time that went by was hardly noticed by the two. As the rabbit tended to the wolf, he would tell Yamato stories about his life in the woodland. Hibiki's stories were full of nonsensical and light things like playing dodge-acorn with his friends in the bright sunlight, laughing as Daichi choked funnily on a horrible-tasting berry, and tracing the rainbow with Joe like 'Raiiiinbooow'." The wolf hardly revealed anything about himself but he was an avid audience whenever Hibiki starts talking. The rabbit never thought that the carnivore would ever be interested in his simple tales, but Yamato listened, enraptured, every time.

Finally, the day came that Yamato recovered enough that he could leave anytime he wanted. Hibiki had been both anticipating and dreading this day. He was glad that the wolf recovered from his injuries fairly quickly but there was a sadness deep in his heart from knowing that the wolf could leave anytime he wanted to. Then he would be alone once again in his burrow. Somehow, he felt that returning to his old life wasn't the same as it used to...

"Hey..." Yamato's voice interrupted his musings as he unwound the last of the bindings on Yamato's wounds. He looked up, startled, into the bright gray eyes.

"Why did you decide to save me, Hibiki?" The sound of his name on that deep voice made him shudder pleasantly. The rabbit had no idea why.

"...You probably don't remember, Yamato, but..." Hibiki colored slightly. "That night of the full moon was the first time I saw you..."

The rabbit turned his face away from the wolf in his embarrassment. "I thought that you were really beautiful... So I..."

He heard the wolf shift a bit at his side to hear him better. Hibiki decided not to be such a mouse about it and turned to face the silver-hair. "So I..." He was struck at how close Yamato's face was to his own. So close that the rabbit's suddenly deep breaths stirred the platinum bangs framing the exquisitely handsome face.

"Oh!" Hibiki jumped, blushing madly as he turned abruptly from the carnivore.

"Hibiki?" The wolf's slightly confused voice reached his ears and the sensitive appendages twitched at the wolf's breath on them.

"I-I need to go get some more medicine to pack along the way!" He scurried rapidly from the wolf's side and out of the cave.

/What's going on...?/ Hibiki's heart beat wildly as he raced away from their dwelling. /I'm getting weird.../

He stopped running but his heartbeats refused to slow. /Not being scared of a wolf... My heart doing flip-flops at the sight of him... Staring at the quirk of his lips, the arch of his brow.../

Then it hit him like a giant acorn. /I... love... him?/ Hibiki thought disbelievingly. "I love Yamato the wolf...?" Each time he said it, the more unbelievable it sounded. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew it to be true. He, Hibiki the rabbit, had fallen in love with Yamato, a wolf.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice the impending danger until it was too late. The leaves rustled and parted to reveal three full-grown wolves, all stalking the unsuspecting rabbit.