Disclaimer: Don't own KnM, never owned KnM, will never own KnM, end of story.

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Chapter 14

Himeko ran through the dark trees, not minding the pouring rain and the way it stung her eyes and pricked her fur, chilling her skin. Her paws pounded a steady rhythm against the wet grass beneath her feet as she ran, soothing her and matching the pace of her heart. The rain blinded her and she smelled nothing on the air; all scent was washed away, but she could still hear perfectly.

Her ears flicked back, detecting a sound; someone running beside her, another wolf by the sound of the footfalls. She couldn't detect a scent; the runner was still a distance away, cutting through the trees for her. She skidded to a halt and threw her head back, lifting her voice in a howl, calling out the other wolf she sensed. Lowering her head, she strained her ears, listening for a reply.

For a moment there was silence; then an answering howl pierced the dark rainy air, announcing the presence of only one wolf. Himeko's ears swiveled forward, and her eyes widened as she recognized the voice, even as the wolf ran closer and she finally picked up its scent.

Makoto.

As the realization seared through her head, the reddish-brown female emerged from the trees, raindrops dripping from her fur and clinging to her whiskers; her golden eyes gleamed brightly in the dark, but there was no joy or surprise in her gaze. Just sadness.

She knows, Himeko realized weakly, then slowly sat down, looking at her paws. Of course she knows. She's my big sister… my best friend. Of course she knows.

The soft sound of Makoto's footsteps made Himeko flinch away and she squeezed her eyes shut, prepared for the mental abuse, whatever the other she-wolf would do to her for breaking the law of the wolves and falling in love with a human. But instead of speaking, Makoto merely sat beside Himeko, opposite her so their shoulders touched; after a moment, she turned her head and nuzzled Himeko's neck. Feeling grief and relief rising in one great wave, Himeko buried her muzzle into Makoto's shoulder as her body shook with tears that couldn't fall. "You really love her, huh?" the other wolf murmured.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Does… does loving Souma hurt?"

"Sometimes. But it's always worth it in the end."

"That's good." Himeko nuzzled deeper into Makoto's fur, breathing in her scent. "That's good."

"I can't just go and beat someone up this time and tell them to leave you the hell alone, huh?"

"No." The golden wolf managed a weak laugh. "You can still try, if you want."

"Nah. I'm not really in the mood." Makoto licked Himeko's ear. "You gonna be okay?"

For a moment Himeko said nothing, listening to the pounding of the rain, feeling the way it soaked through her fur and seeped into her bones, breathing in Makoto's scent like she'd done when they'd been pups and she'd needed comfort from a nightmare about her parents after their deaths.

"Yeah. Eventually."

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"Jeez, what a bunch of jerks…"

Himeko, only six weeks old for a wolf pup and appearing seven years old as a young human girl, blinked in confusion as Makoto huffed, brushing off her pants and putting her hands on her hips. "I mean, really," the short-haired girl huffed, "picking on a little girl and then running like a bunch of wimps."

"That, uh…" The small golden-haired girl coughed softly. "That might be because you hit them, Mako. Hard. You knocked the biggest one over."

"Yeah, well, he was a bully, pulling your hair like that. I hate bullies, human or wolf."

Her lips twitched, but Himeko didn't dare smile as Makoto turned to face her, stepping toward her and holding out a hand. "Don't say that out loud," she whispered, taking her cousin's hand and letting her pull her up. "You know what Aunt and Uncle said about that."

"Oh?" Makoto's eyes gleamed. "But I wasn't the one who took on a human form… as a pup. We're not even yearlings yet."

"… Right…"

The short-haired girl laughed even as a tremor rippled through her body; Himeko felt it through Makoto's hand, and her own body reacted accordingly. She winced, her fingers tightening around her cousin's. "We should probably get out of here," she managed, grimacing. "Before we lose control."

"Yeah. That's, uh, a good idea." Makoto shivered as her skin began to itch. "A real good idea, in fact."

"Yeah. And, uh, Mako…"

"Hmm?"

Himeko finally did smile, albeit shyly and a bit sheepishly. "Thanks for saving me."

Makoto grinned back. "No problem, Hime."

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Slowly, silently, the rain began to cease; the clouds drifted away and the moon shone brightly, though the yellow and orange rays peeking overhead indicated it was near daytime. A soft sneeze from Makoto made Himeko open her eyes and slowly pull away. Both wolves were completely soaked from the rain, chilled from sitting still and letting the storm thrash all around them.

"You're going to get sick now," the golden wolf murmured, narrowing her eyes gently.

"You're fault." Makoto gently bumped noses with Himeko.

"Of course. We need to get back to the pack… and I need to speak to the Heads. I think we might have a problem." Himeko stood, shaking her fur.

"Problem?" Makoto stood with her. "What kind of problem?"

"The kind that involves large numbers of wolf hunters and a great amount of bloodshed."

"That sounds just lovely."

"Doesn't it?"

Makoto shook fiercely, and Himeko jerked back with a yelp to avoid the raindrops, but her eyes gleamed good-naturedly. The aching in her chest wasn't gone completely—it would probably be with her for as long as she lived—but it had eased, at least for the moment.

"Well then." Her eyes gleamed, and her muscles rippled beneath her brown fur, fur that contained just a tint of red. "We'd better get moving. If we need to be ready to fight, then everyone needs to know."

"Yeah."

"And Himeko…"

"Yeah?"

"If Chikane is among the hunters… she's yours to deal with, okay?"

Slowly, Himeko closed her eyes.

"Okay."

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"A wolf hunt? When the sun goes down?" Chikane blinked, leaning back in her chair. "Isn't this a little… soon, Father? I mean, we've only just begun sighting wolves from the pack, we don't even have an exact number for their size."

"I know, and there's a risk to it." Isamu's eyes were dark. "But the sooner we uproot the wolves and wipe them out, the sooner they cease being a threat to our town. We might already be at risk."

"Isamu." Kazumi's voice was soft.

"Kaz, she deserves to know…"

"Deserves to know what?"

Chikane couldn't stop the question from leaving her lips, and winced slightly as her father and mother both looked at her. "Sorry," she muttered, ducking her head and looking away. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

"There's no reason to keep it from you." Isamu and Kazumi exchanged quiet looks before Isamu spoke again. "One of our friends recently informed us that the wolves might have already sent one of their own in to keep an eye on us."

"… You mean… like a spy?"

"Something like that, yes." Isamu frowned as Chikane leaned closer, absorbing the details. "Unfortunately, if it's true and there was a wolf lurking around, it might have picked up on our meetings and figured out something was going on."

"So that's the reason you want to attack the pack now." Chikane narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"Yes."

The young blue-haired hunter said nothing, lapsing into silence as she mulled this over, obviously shaken by the thought that a wolf could have slipped undetected into her life and then could have slipped away as though it never existed. She shuddered a little.

"What makes wolves so different from humans?"

Himeko's soft voice rang in her head at that moment, her tone questioning but weary, as though she'd already known the answer Chikane would give—as though she'd known Chikane wouldn't understand what she was saying. Just the thought of the golden-haired girl made her heart throb painfully and she gritted her teeth.

No, no way, I'm not crying in front of my parents…

Oh, God. She'd already cried plenty in the privacy of her room, and the pain still felt fresh. And Himeko had only been gone for a few hours. If the other girl's absence hurt this much now, how much would it hurt for the rest of Chikane's life?

Okay, bad thought. Really bad thought. No more thinking.

"I wonder if Kurusugawa-san would be a decent hunter…" A light gleamed to life in Isamu's eyes as Kazumi sighed in amusement and weariness, used to her husband's way of thinking. Chikane forced her body not to stiffen at the mention of Himeko, despite the gash on her heart that throbbed at the mere thought of the girl. She blew out a long, ragged breath and slowly closed her eyes. "Kurusugawa-san is gone," she murmured.

"Gone?"

"Yeah." Chikane felt rather than saw her mother's eyes on her, and knew she was missing nothing. "She went home this morning."

"And you let her go?" Kazumi's voice was soft, but gentle.

"Wasn't I supposed to?"

Isamu looked between his wife and his daughter, obviously lost; after a moment, Kazumi sighed and backed down. "If you felt it was for the best," she said, "then it's probably better that she's gone. Kurusugawa-san always seemed a little kind-hearted to me… I don't think she'd have it in her to hunt wolves."

And just like that, Kazumi effortlessly switched the topic away from the golden-haired girl who had stolen Chikane's heart. "Regardless," she continued without missing a beat, "now that you have some free time, Chikane, you need to put it to good use for us."

"Eh?"

"Glad to see we're on the same page, dear." Chikane scowled as Kazumi's eyes gleamed with humor. "Tonight, you won't be the only teenage hunter out there. Three other families have volunteered their daughters."

"Okay… so what does that have to do with me?"

"They're recognized wolf hunters, just like you. But they don't have your experience. You've killed quite a number of wolves in your life, Chikane, and you're only sixteen. These three are still green. By the way we figured it, we thought it would be better to have someone their age training with them today instead of one of the adults."

Intrigued despite herself, Chikane raised a brow. "I don't recall signing up to be a mentor," she stated dryly; she ran a hand through her hair, sighed, and shrugged. "But I suppose I have nothing better to do until night falls and the hunt starts."

"That's my girl." Kazumi smiled. "They're from your school, so you should be familiar with them…"

… Wait a minute here…

Alarm bells sounded in Chikane's head just as the door to the room began to creak open; and by then, it was too late for the young blue-haired hunter to take back what she'd said and beat a hasty retreat.

"Miya-sama!"

Oh, HELL no.

Yes, it was none other than Izumi, Misaki, and Kyoko standing there in the doorway. Misaki and Kyoko really didn't bother Chikane that much; it was Izumi who made her want to run in the other direction as fast as humanly possible. She swung around. "Uh, Mom…"

"Well, since you seem to know each other, I'll just leave you…"

Ack! Wait, no! Don't leave me alone with them!

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"A wolf hunt?" Tsubasa's ears swiveled forward.

"Yes." Himeko forced herself not to look away from the white wolf's single eye, drawing comfort from Makoto, who sat faithfully by her side, their shoulders touching; the two young she-wolves had reported immediately to the Heads upon returning to the pack. "I know it's just a feeling, but I can't shake it. There's been too many meetings… it just adds up."

"Indeed." Miyako and Tsubasa exchanged quiet looks. "And in the past, wolves have survived off little else but their instincts."

Himeko felt the sigh leave her lungs quietly as her muscles relaxed, relieved the Heads weren't just brushing her worries to the side; obviously pleased and proud of her stance, Makoto tilted her head to give Himeko's ear a quick lick.

"If they are going to hunt, it makes sense that it would be sometime soon." Corona's voice snapped the cousins out of their thoughts, making the young wolves look up. She glanced quietly at Reiko, who nodded. "Wolf hunters aren't the kind to sit idle when they know a pack is nearby."

"Tonight is the best bet." Miyako's voice was soft, but confident. "The hunters would believe us to be asleep or still hunting, and not at full strength. They'd view the darkness as something that can aid them in killing. Take it from a wolf that's seen both sides of the battle."

Her implications left little to the imagination, and Himeko suppressed a shudder. Tsubasa brushed Miyako's shoulder briefly with his nose before turning his attention to Himeko and Makoto.

"You've done well, Himeko," he rumbled. "I suppose all we can ask of you now is that you prepare for the battle that will come when the sun sets and darkness falls."

Himeko swallowed and quietly prayed a certain blue-haired hunter would not be present. "Yes, First Head."

She could only hope that when push came to shove, she could deliver and not have any regrets when the sun rose again.

As though sensing her inner thoughts, Makoto gently nudged Himeko's shoulder. "Hime?" Her voice was soft, concerned. "You okay?"

Instead of replying, Himeko turned her head and buried her muzzle into Makoto's neck, closing her eyes.

Around her neck, the shell pendant suddenly felt heavier than before.

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With a sigh, Izumi lowered the smoking gun and rubbed the back of her neck, eyeing the target with pleased eyes; she turned, shouldering her weapon, and smirked at Chikane. "What do you think, Miya-sama?"

Somewhere behind her, Chikane heard one of the other two girls give a low whistle of amazement.

It wasn't unusual for wolf hunters to handle guns; even hunters who preferred other weapons always had a gun at hand, so they wouldn't be defenseless if they somehow lost their first choice. Izumi's family was one who used guns as they're method of killing, and used them well—practicing her target shooting, Izumi hadn't missed a single shot.

Chikane couldn't help but feel a little sorry for any wolf who found themselves gazing at the barrel of the young hunter's gun. She was actually surprised to discover the girl was still green by wolf hunter standards, with the ease she handled her weapon.

"Promising." Chikane kept her voice cold and neutral. "You're skilled, I'll give you that. I'm surprised you're still considered green."

"Yeah, well." Izumi shrugged, sliding her gun back to its place at her hip. "My parents haven't actually let me go on a lot of wolf hunts since I killed my first wolf. It's annoying. I mean, wolves are so damn stupid. You could probably shoot them and they'd just stare at you or turn tail and run and leave another wolf to fight." Her eyes gleamed. "Right?"

A soft murmur of agreement came from behind Chikane, indicating Kyoko and Misaki shared Izumi's view; she opened her mouth…

"What makes wolves so different from humans?"

"They're both the same. They both love their families. They both play and frolic around. They love each other, are devoted to each other. So why do they treat each other like they're different?"

"A place you can't follow."

… And promptly snapped it shut again as Himeko's voice cut through her thoughts, weary and soft and sounding almost heartbroken. Unbidden, the memory of the two wolves she'd glimpsed that night with the other girl flashed through her mind's eye.

"Believe what you will." Chikane turned her head away as her heart throbbed painfully against her ribs. "We need to keep training; lower your guard, and tonight could be your last alive."

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"Himeko! Himeko, you came back!"

The cry of delight was the golden wolf's only warning before the small ball of dark brown fur and developing muscle slammed into her legs, knocking her over; feeling an odd sense of déjà vu but unable to keep her joy bottled, Himeko rolled easily with Jin and batted playfully at the pup's ear, sitting up and lowering her head to touch noses with him. "Hey," she said, licking his muzzle. "Long time no see."

"You're really back?" The pup's eyes glowed as he gazed up at her, his baby-sitter and big sister rolled into one. "You're really not going away again?"

"Yeah, you're stuck with me until the day you die." Himeko rolled the pup with her paw and nuzzled his belly, making him squeal and squirm with delight.

Beside her, Makoto chuckled before gliding away to find Souma; briefly, Himeko lifted her head. "Mako."

"Yeah, Hime."

"… Just… be careful tonight, okay?" Himeko lowered her head briefly to nip at Jin's neck. "Because if you die, I'll have to kill the hunter who killed you."

"That so?" Makoto stepped back, and for a moment the two cousins touched noses. "Well, then, same goes."

"Got it."

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"Hey… Mako?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Now back in the safety of the trees and the shadows, their human forms dropped in favor of their true puppy bodies, Makoto shifted her small body and sat up, looking at Himeko, who was staring at her paws. "Sure, Hime."

"Why… why did you save me back there?" Himeko scuffed one paw along the grass, not daring to meet Makoto's eyes. "I mean… you could have been really hurt…"

"Dummy." Makoto puffed out her chest. "A bunch of human boys couldn't take me even if they tried."

"Mako, I'm being serious…"

Makoto said nothing for a moment, quietly studying her cousin; finally she sighed, nudging Himeko's shoulder with her nose so the small golden wolf pup would look away from her paws and actually meet her eyes. "Himeko, remember when your mom and dad first died and you came to live with us?"

"Yeah…"

"And remember what my dad said to us that night?"

"Yeah…" Himeko nodded. "He said that we were sisters now."

"Yeah. And what do you think sisters do? They protect each other, right?"

"Well… right…"

"So that's all there is to it." Makoto lay back down, resting her head on her paws, satisfied. "I was just being your sister."

For a moment Himeko contemplated this, obviously surprised by the thought; after a moment the younger pup lay down beside her cousin, her senior by only about two weeks, and rested her small head on her back. "Mako?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being my sister."

"Yeah, anytime."

"I'll make it up to you, too. I promise."

Makoto closed her eyes and smiled tiredly; sleep was beginning to taunt the two youngsters, tired from their adventure and happy to be back home safely with their pack.

"I know you will, Hime."

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Next chapter goes back to the bloodshed and angst that this story has become so well known for... I don't know if that's a good thing or not...

Read and review, please!