CHAPTER 6
"What's that? I thought I smelled another wolf..." A gruff voice broke the silence of the night.
Startled, Hibiki whirled around. His blue eyes widened in alarm at the trio of wolves slowly approaching him, backing him to a tree.
"Hey, that's a rabbit, isn't it?" One of the wolves said.
"Ah, well, that's even better! I'm starved, let's eat it." Hibiki shuddered in fear as the wolf who spoke licked his chops and stalked towards him even faster, killing intent clear in his eyes.
Survival instincts screaming, the rabbit looked wildly around for a way to escape. Suddenly, he felt the bark of a tree come in contact with his back. The wolves covered every direction in which he could run. /No... No escape.../ The thought registered in his fear-laced brain. /I'm... I'm going to be eaten.../ He closed his eyes, unable to bear to look at his attackers.
Broken images of silver hair, intense gray eyes, and lips quirking to a smirk raced to the forefront of his panicked mind. /If I am going to be eaten... If it had to be a wolf... I... I wouldn't mind if it was him.../ He thought desperately. /I-I can't die here... Yamato.../
"Yamato!"
A sudden swirl of air, a fearsome snarl and a surprised yelp of pain registered through his ears. Then a warm hand gripped him and he was enveloped a tight embrace. The familiar scent of wolf, his wolf, wafted up to his nose. He opened his eyes to those of the gray that he loved so much. "Yamato..." His eyes welled with tears.
"You called, rabbit?" The wolf smirked at the teary blue orbs of the herbivore. Then he turned and growled at the wolves who were about to attack him.
"This one's my prey. I suggest you get your own." He snarled at them. One of them was knocked away in Yamato's race to get to Hibiki and is trying to get up.
"You!" One of the wolves answered with a snarl of his own. "How dare you show your face again after you betrayed the elders! They were the ones who raised you and made you leader of the pack!"
Yamato looked at them in disdain. "They betrayed the pack long ago with their wretched existence. I have no use for weak members who cannot catch their own prey. You and the others that do their bidding are even more to blame for feeding their unending greed."
"You... you arrogant bastard!" The three wolves pounced on Yamato in anger, claws slashing and fangs exposed. Suddenly, the moonlight seemed to bend away from the wolves, darkening their sight. Hibiki watched, entranced, as Yamato's gray eyes seemed to glow even brighter as the light reflected in the enemy wolves' eyes became darker then extinguished. The wolves fell to the ground, cupping their sockets and moaning.
"I can't see! I can't see!" One writhed on the ground in terror.
"What did you do to us?!" The second was too terrified to move and sat on the ground, shaking, hugging his legs.
"Bastard...! I'll get you!" The third slashed blindly at his surroundings then promptly smacked himself on a tree.
Hibiki stifled a laugh at the ridiculous actions of the wolves, quivering in mirth. Yamato smiled at his amusement then turned his attention to the fallen enemies.
"You!" He snapped and all the sightless wolves froze in fear. "You will go back to the elders and report that this forest is under my protection. If any of you set foot on this ground or anywhere near it... I will know and I will defend this territory with all of my power. Now get out of my sight!" The wolves scrambled to their feet and raced blindly away, bumping into trees and each other.
"..." Hibiki looked up at the wolf as the night became quiet once more. The silver-hair was glaring at the wake of his almost attackers. Even with his fangs bared and his eyes sharp in anger, the wolf was still unspeakably beautiful... majestic in his primal fury. Then the wolf looked at him and he blushed as he realized that they were still intertwined in an embrace. The wolf gently set him down on the ground.
"Are you alright?" The gray eyes held only concern as they looked into the blue. "They smelled my scent on you. That's what attracted them here."
"While I'm here with you it's dangerous, so don't go wandering around alone. Always stay by my side."
"...Gyu" Tears welled in Hibiki's eyes as absolute joy and relief crashed through him at the fact that he'd just been saved from mortal peril by his beloved... Then hope as he realized that Yamato said that he won't leave. That he'll stay here with him.
He leaned forward and buried his head into the hunter's warm, solid chest, tears flowing freely in gladness.
"Hey..." The wolf's deep voice echoed as he breathed on his ear, making him shiver with unexplainable pleasant sensations.
"..." For a while they held each other on the ground until the rabbit's tears stopped flowing. Yamato's warm embrace held Hibiki together and he felt the strong, even beats of the wolf's heart right under his hands. The wolf made him feel safe and warm like never before and he never wanted to let go...
"...Hibiki..." The sound of his name on Yamato's voice induced a quiver in Hibiki's belly. It was something akin to happiness but something totally different. The rabbit never felt this way before.
"...We don't owe each other anything any more..."
"...?" The rabbit lifted his head, looking at Yamato in confusion. The carnivore's features were shadowed.
"Which means..." Yamato leaned closer to Hibiki and stared straight into his eyes. Unfathomable emotion was reflected in the beautiful gray orbs. Hibiki shuddered at the closeness of the wolf.
"Is it alright if I eat you? Hibiki."