Wolf's Moonlight

by RadiantBeam

A young wolf, chosen to infiltrate wolf hunters. A young wolf hunter, who swore to kill all wolves. When their paths collide, old secrets will be uncovered and a wolf pack will be ripped apart from the inside out. AU Chikane x Himeko

16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own KnM, stop reminding me.

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Chapter 16

"And although we knew
This time would come for me and you
Don't say anything tonight
If you're gonna say goodbye."

-Skillet

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Wincing, grimacing in pain, Himeko slowly shifted up onto her knees, bringing one hand up to her injured shoulder to try and stem the bleeding and access the damage. Chikane's bullet had been true; it had struck the fragile area between the golden-haired girl's neck and shoulder. It was a miracle her left lung was still intact, though the pain she felt every time she drew breath warned her that she wouldn't last much longer.

Her whole arm felt numb, but the place where she'd been shot stung and throbbed against her fingers as fresh blood dripped to the grass only to be washed away by the rain. It was an odd feeling, she thought dimly. Maybe she was just in shock. She coughed and, bringing a hand to her mouth, saw blood.

Oh. Great.

Wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, Himeko glanced nervously at Chikane. The dark-haired girl hadn't said a single word since the revelation, staring at the other before her with wide eyes. "Chikane-chan?" Himeko asked weakly, waving a hand in front of her eyes. "Hello, anyone home in there?"

The past few days with Chikane had made Himeko forget that she was dealing with one of the most dangerous wolf hunters alive; in a heartbeat Chikane's eyes cleared and narrowed before her hand shot out, her fingers closing tightly on Himeko's wrist. The sharp pain made Himeko growl in protest, and for a moment her form wavered between human and wolf as she battled her own body. "You're a wolf."

It wasn't a question; Himeko swallowed and tried to ignore the needles pricking her wrist where Chikane's fingers dug in. "Yes." She met Chikane's gaze evenly, refusing to be shamed. "I am."

Those blue eyes darkened dangerously. "So you lied to me."

"Define lie." Himeko's voice was cold. "Because yes, I lied about some things when I was with you. But I didn't lie about everything."

"What the hell—"

"You're the wolf hunter. Figure it out. Now let go of me."

Chikane never had a chance; Himeko twisted her wrist, ignoring the flash of pain, and jerked it away, scooting back a little and establishing some distance between herself and the young hunter. The action cost her dearly, as almost immediately she doubled over, coughing raggedly. Blood left her mouth and spattered the wet grass, and Chikane felt her heart fly up into her throat.

Crap. Himeko's uninjured hand flew up to caress her throat as the air whistled painfully through her left lung. She closed her eyes. "You're a good shot," she managed weakly, lifting her eyes. "I think you'll still manage to kill me before the night's over."

"Then why the hell did you let me shoot you in the first place?!"

Anger and betrayal sounded loudly in Chikane's ragged voice, but above all else was guilt; Himeko's eyes widened, and she subconsciously flinched away from the dark-haired girl. "Well… I knew I couldn't kill you, so…" She swallowed. "I didn't… originally intend to show myself, you see, so I had it planned that you would kill me… since I couldn't kill you…"

"Why would I want to kill you if I lo—"

Only a second before the words left Chikane's mouth she seemed to realize what she was about to say and rapidly slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Himeko blinked and pushed wet hair out of her face, looking uncertainly at the hunter. "Chikane-chan?" she asked. "You what?"

"… Nothing."

"But you were about to say something…."

"It's nothing!"

Pursuing the topic wouldn't bring anything; Himeko knew Chikane well enough to know when the other girl was trying to shut her out or leave her out of something, and now was one of those times. She could practically see the doors slamming shut in Chikane's eyes and winced. "Chikane-chan?"

"… Can I… ask you something?"

"Yes…"

"When you said… that you didn't lie about everything… what did you mean by that?"

Himeko wasn't in the mood for this; not when her shoulder ached and her lung burned and rain soaked her to the bone, not when her pack mates were having their blood spilled for the simple crime of existing and she chased the ghost of a blue-eyed, black-furred half breed even now. She scowled and ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, gee, y'know, when I kinda leaned over last night and said I loved you, I might have possibly meant that." Sarcasm dripped from her every word even as her voice and body shook. She lifted one hand to scrub at her eyes. Damn the rain. "But, see, since I'm a wolf and apparently my very existence is a crime, you might have a hard time believing that, even if I told you now…" She faltered, took a deep breath. "… That I meant every word of it."

Himeko's lung chose that moment to act up again, and another coughing spell gripped the disguised wolf; she shuddered as she tasted her own blood and turned her head to the side, spitting to rid her tongue of the taste. She shook her head before looking back at Chikane. "Look… if you want to kill me… go ahead. I won't fight you. I'm probably dying anyway, so—"

"You're not dying!" The anguish in Chikane's voice made Himeko instinctively shrink. "I thought… aren't wolves able to take a lot of abuse?!"

"You'd be surprised at the list of things we can survive." The golden-haired girl managed a weak smile. "Damage to a lung happens to be one of those things that we either survive or die from." She winced as her shoulder throbbed. "But, seeing as it was a choice between killing you and just taking the shot…."

The rain was falling hard and fast, drowning out any sound and all but washing away any traces of scent that the cold night wind carried; despite it all Himeko's head shot up as she detected a faint glimmer of a scent on the breeze, and ignoring her pain she turned, positioning her body between the trees and Chikane with narrow eyes. The young hunter stiffened. "Himeko?" She hesitated before resting a hand on the other girl's uninjured shoulder. "Himeko, what's wrong?"

Himeko said nothing, inhaling deeply and trying to place the scent she was getting; it was weakened by the rain and faint, so she couldn't quite name it; it was a wolf, she knew that much, but she couldn't tell which wolf…

Just barely she could hear, if she focused with all her might, the sound of paws against wet grass, the breath that whistled through the wolf's lungs as it approached. Her eyes widened, and her heart gave a painful jolt. Without a second thought she surged forward with a snarl, dropping her human skin in favor of the fur and muscle of her wolf form.

A blur of white from the trees, a flash of red; a sickening crack split the night air.

"Himeko!"

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A high pitched yelp of pain shattered the air, slashing through the rain like a knife. Makoto and Souma both froze, listening intently. Makoto's eyes widened. "Himeko," she whimpered before whipping her eyes to the disguised black wolf beside her. "Souma, that was Himeko!"

His muscles tensed as he prepared to abandon his human form. "Can you run?"

Her leg throbbed steadily, blood still seeping through the clothe she'd torn from her arm to tie across the wound, but she ignored it. "Of course I can."

They looked briefly at each other; Makoto cocked her head slightly to the side and smirked, her eyes gleaming as though she dared Souma to contradict her. He chuckled and leaned forward for a moment, brushing her hair out of her eyes, before turning away. "If you say you can do it, then let's go."

With that the two wolves dropped their human forms and streaked through the trees, heading in the direction the yelp had come from.

Don't let us be too late, Makoto begged silently, ignoring the burn from her injured leg as she ran beside Souma. Please, don't let us be too late.

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Low growls echoed quietly through the clearing. Blood dripped to the grass, a mixture of the two wolves currently tangled together. Just as the large white male had streaked from the trees, his eyes intent on the young dark-haired hunter, the golden wolf had charged forward. Both had sunk their teeth into the other; his teeth in the back of her neck, hers on his shoulder. Her smaller body was bowed against the strength and weight of his own, but she dug her paws into the grass and held on.

If she noticed the fact that she couldn't feel her left leg, she ignored it.

"Well, well, well." Himeko's ear flicked as Tsubasa's deep voice rumbled through her head. "Looks like you take after Tsuki in more ways than one."

"You're the one who…" She winced as he dug his teeth in. "… Never told me we were related. Maybe this… never would have happened if I'd known."

"But… you don't regret it."

"… No."

A low sigh blew through her head like a passing wind; shooting a look out of the corner of her eye, Himeko could tell Chikane was hearing every word the two wolves were saying. The shock hadn't completely worn away yet, which was the only reason so far that she was just staring at the pair in front of her, unsure of what exactly was going on.

Another sigh snapped Himeko's attention back to the large First Head. "Then it can't be helped," he rumbled. "You brought this on yourself."

His single eye darkened and narrowed; with a snarl he dug his teeth deeper into the back of Himeko's neck, making the golden she-wolf yelp again, weakly, before he twisted his head. He felt only a sting as Himeko's teeth were torn from his shoulder. Using his size and strength to his advantage, the white wolf reared up onto his hind legs, lifting Himeko clean off her paws, before flinging her back behind him. The smaller wolf tumbled through the wet grass, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.

"Himeko!"

Completely ignoring Chikane in favor of the fallen wolf, Tsubasa swung around and walked calmly to where Himeko lay, struggling up onto her paws only to slide back into the grass, whimpering, as her left leg crumbled beneath her weight. He jerked to a halt as a bullet shot through the air, narrowly grazing his shoulder. He whipped his head around, baring his teeth slightly.

Chikane was braced on her knees again, the gun aimed for the second time that night. Her eyes were narrow because of the rain, but her grip had been steady and the shot had been sure. A low snarl rumbled from Tsubasa's lips as he turned away from Himeko. "Just can't keep out of this, can you?" Muscles rippled beneath snowy fur that glimmered wetly as the rain fell. "Seems you're just like Orihime." He snarled again and sprang, a blur of white.

"Chikane-chan! NO!"

A dark shape leaped easily over Chikane, its back legs just barely brushing the back of her head; she froze, and her eyes widened as a wolf landed in front of her, fur bristling and teeth bared. At the exact same moment a blur of red-brown crashed into Tsubasa head on, full force, sending both of them through the grass in a jumbled ball. "Mako! Souma!" Himeko howled, recognizing the two wolves.

"Hey, Himeko. Long time no see." Souma lifted his head and flicked an ear to acknowledge the golden she-wolf. "You look well."

"What are you both doing here?!"

"Helping you out." Makoto grunted as she staggered to her feet, weaving as her bad leg screamed in protest. "I figured you'd do something like this, little sister." She glanced briefly at Chikane before sighing. "She'd better be worth this."

For a brief moment Makoto had turned her attention away from the First Head to speak to Himeko. It would be her biggest mistake.

Moving fast, the white wolf rolled and whipped his head around. His teeth dug into Makoto's injured leg. The reddish-brown wolf froze for a moment; her eyes widened in stunned disbelief as pain tore through her leg before she was dragged roughly down, pinned beneath the male's larger body. A scream ripped through the heads of everyone in the clearing, and Chikane winced at how human it sounded.

"Mako!"

Ignoring her own pain, knowing what would happen if Makoto lay beneath Tsubasa's paws any longer, Himeko lurched to her feet, fighting the numbness that threatened to spread through her body. Her vision was blurry, from both the spreading numbness and the rain that fell into her eyes, but she ignored it and focused on attacking the white wolf that towered over her cousin, her sister.

Another shot from Chikane was enough to shake Tsubasa's concentration; the white wolf turned away briefly from Makoto as another bullet drove through the grass, just skinning his leg. The distraction was enough for Himeko to get in fast, and her teeth sank into his neck as the momentum of her tackle sent them rolling through the grass and away from Makoto. "Souma!" the golden wolf howled, focusing on her old friend for only a moment. "Get Chikane-chan out of here!"

"What?" The black wolf's head shot up.

"You heard me, didn't you? Get Chikane-chan away from here and take her somewhere safe! And when you do that, find Miyako, fast!"

For a moment the young black male was torn, knowing the importance of following Himeko's order but at the same time not wanting to abandon the two she-wolves to fight his brother—especially when both of them were injured. "Himeko…"

"GO! You're the fastest of us, the only one who isn't too badly hurt and can still run… so RUN!"

He closed his eyes. There was no choice now. "Dammit," he rasped thickly before taking on his human form again. Moving almost in a blur because of his speed and the rain, the boy knelt, scooped Chikane up, and ran as fast as his legs would allow. A snarl of pure rage escaped Tsubasa and he whipped his head around, gripping Himeko's shoulder even as his body dipped in a roll. Himeko screeched as she was pinned between the large wolf and the ground, and her claws scrabbled frantically against his fur, trying to dislodge him as her air flow was cut off.

Bad leg or no bad leg, Makoto was still a fierce fighter, especially when the life of a loved one dangled in the balance; she landed hard on Tsubasa's back, digging her claws into his shoulders as her teeth dug into his neck. With a howl the white wolf reared back and Himeko stumbled away, gasping and panting; Makoto gave his neck one last sharp bite before jumping off, landing next to Himeko and nearly falling as her bad leg buckled. "Crap."She closed her eyes. "My leg… shit, I'm sorry, Hime."

"It's okay."The golden wolf flicked her ear. "Not your fault."

The two wolves focused on Tsubasa. The snowy white wolf was angry; his fur bristled and his lips were drawn back, his teeth bared and low growls rumbling from his throat. Himeko swallowed, trying to accept the idea that she would have to fight the First Head to protect everyone she loved. "I've never seen him like this,"she whispered weakly.

"He hates humans, remember?"Makoto's body all but sang with tension when her shoulder brushed Himeko's. "That rage… that's what makes him like this right now."

"But… Miyako was a—"

Tsubasa lunged at that moment, cutting off Himeko's train of thought; the two smaller wolves instinctively scattered, breaking away from each other so they were both on either side of the larger male wolf. Makoto struck first, hard and fast, turning her shoulder into Tsubasa's and causing the white wolf to stagger; Himeko took advantage of the stumble to shoot in, and with a snap at his legs she sent the First Head down into the grass.

He hadn't become the First Head for nothing, though; rolling with the blow, Tsubasa managed to sweep one massive paw along the ground and smash into Makoto's legs, and the reddish-brown female staggered back with a snarl as her bad leg throbbed. Himeko scrambled back to avoid the blow, her eyes wide and her muscles tense.

They had to keep the white wolf distracted, long enough for Souma to take Chikane safely away and long enough for the black wolf to find Miyako and bring her back. From there on, whatever happened was strictly between the First Head and the Second Head. Of all the wolves, Miyako was probably the only one who could take Tsubasa on alone and possibly win.

The thought had only flitted through Himeko's brain for a grand total of three seconds, but the lapse was enough. With a snarl Tsubasa materialized in front of her, his forehead colliding with hers, the weight of his body forcing her head, neck, and shoulders down so she almost seemed to be bowing to the larger wolf; the next instant he jerked his head up, and the momentum of his attack sent Himeko flying backward, rolling through the grass yet again. Lowering his head again, Tsubasa stalked toward the fallen wolf.

Her bad leg had caused Makoto to sink to the grass, only half raised, but with a snarl she lunged forward, her teeth closing on Tsubasa's back right leg. Tsubasa jerked once before going deathly still; slowly he tilted his head to look down at Makoto, whose whole body was trembling with the effort of holding on to the larger wolf. His single eye narrowed, darkened. Makoto's own eyes widened, but she didn't dare let go.

There was a blur of white; blood splattered the grass, appearing black because of the darkness and already being washed away by the rain.

"MAKO! NO!"

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Souma stumbled to a halt in front of a large cluster of rocks, tightening his grip slightly on the struggling Chikane. "Calm down, would you?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"Let me go! Himeko is—"

"She doesn't want you there, why do you think she wanted me to take you away? Now calm down and keep still, or I'll drop you!"

Chikane glared up at Souma with narrow eyes, but he ignored her, establishing the mental link; he'd detected the faint scent in the rain as he ran, and this was the safest place he could imagine for the young hunter Himeko loved. "Jin?" he called, keeping his voice low. "Jin, you there?"

There was a rustle of movement from the rocks, a soft yip; the next instant a small, rain-soaked chocolate brown wolf pup crept cautiously through the rocks, his head shooting up and his eyes widening before he bounded over to stand over Souma, laying on his belly with his front paws dangling over the edge of the rock. "Souma? What are you doing here?" He looked at Chikane, blinked. "… Who is she?"

"Human Himeko loves, meet my nephew Jin." Souma was already lifting Chikane up, carefully setting her into the small den hidden among the rocks. "Jin, meet the human Himeko loves. Keep an eye on her, okay? Make sure she doesn't try and sneak off, and tell the pups everything's going to be okay. I need to find your mom."

"Um… okay." Jin slipped quietly to the side as Chikane shifted, wagging his tail timidly when she looked at him. "Uh, hi."

"… Hi."

Content for the moment, Souma stepped back, dropping his human form. "Promise me, Jin," he said, looking at his nephew. "You'll keep an eye on her, okay? Promise?"

"Yeah." The small pup crept closer, leaning down slightly to touch noses with the black wolf. "I promise."

"That's my boy."

Chikane watched the exchange between uncle and nephew quietly, not daring to speak lest a single word ruined what she was seeing. She felt her heart melt a little.

The next instant, a sharp, high-pitched yelp pierced the night sky.

They all froze; Souma's ears shot back as he tried to figure out who had yelped. Jin looked nervously at the black wolf, and Chikane had to fight the urge to leap down and run back to the clearing. "No," the black wolf rasped, swinging away. "Oh, God, Mako." It was obvious he intended to return to the clearing battle.

"Hey… hey! Black wolf! You!"

Souma looked back at Chikane; he bared his teeth. "What do you—"

"Himeko told you to find… what's her name… Miyako, didn't she? She said if you do, this ends, right? So find her! The sooner you do, the sooner you can actually help either of them!"

For a moment they looked at each other, human and wolf both thinking the same thoughts; finally Souma blew out a long breath before turning away, streaking in the opposite direction. Chikane watched him go before looking back in the direction of the clearing. She made up her mind.

"So, uh… hey, hey, whoa! What are you doing?! Souma told you to stay here!"

Chikane's feet hit the grass. "I'm not good at taking orders, kid."

"B… but… he told me to protect you! I promised!"

She adjusted her bow, scowled, and shrugged it off, pushing blue strands of wet hair out of her eyes. "I don't need to be protected."

"But I promised…"

Chikane paused for a moment as Jin hovered on the rocks over her, obviously torn; she sighed and looked up at him. "Kid… what's your name? I'm Chikane."

"Jin." The pup inched cautiously closer to the edge, tensing his tiny muscles. "My name's Jin."

"Well, then, Jin." Chikane smirked up at him, moving closer to make the leap easier. "Let's go."

Jin's eyes lit up. "'Kay."

The pup sprang down, landing easily on Chikane's shoulders and shifting his weight; adjusting to the warm weight, the blue-haired girl took off, running through the trees.

As she ran, the rain finally stopped falling.

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At the last possible instant Makoto had managed to twist, to roll her body so her right shoulder was torn apart, not her throat; but it did nothing at all to lessen the pain.

The pain was incredible; the force of the attack was enough to force her to release Tsubasa's leg, and the only thing that kept her from blacking out right then and there was sheer adrenaline and willpower, though darkness danced tauntingly around her vision as it blurred and spun. She became human without even realizing it, scooting back even as her breath escaped her in choked, ragged whimpers as she brought her hand up to her shoulder.

She couldn't fight, not anymore—she'd already been pushing her limits with the bullet wound to her right leg, but this last blow had completely destroyed the right side of her body. Continuing to battle on now would only be suicidal; indeed, had she not twisted, her throat would have been torn open and she'd probably already be dead, her life bleeding into the wet grass as the rain ceased to fall.

Tsubasa snarled quietly; he began to turn around, swinging his sight away from Himeko. The next instant he was blindsided as the golden-furred wolf charged past him, slamming her shoulder into his and snapping at his neck, sending him stumbling as she assumed a stance between him and her cousin, fighting to ignore the nausea that had risen in her stomach when her left shoulder made contact with his.

Himeko wasn't much better, Makoto thought grimly. While it seemed as though Himeko felt no pain in her left leg, her body stance indicated that she was finding it difficult to rest her full weight on the offending foot. The golden wolf turned her head to the side for a moment, coughing; Makoto saw blood drip to the grass and swallowed hard, eyes wide. "Hime," she whispered.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Himeko coughed again, ignoring the bitter taste of blood, and focused on Tsubasa. "I'll last until Souma comes back with Miyako."

The golden wolf bared her teeth as Tsubasa rose again, and Makoto bit her lip, closing her eyes.

Miyako can't come fast enough, she realized, but she knew it was too late.

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"Miyako! Miyako, where are you? Miyako!"

Souma's frantic howl did nothing to break Miyako out of her concentration; the chocolate brown female only flicked her ear before she gave the last blow to the hunter struggling beneath her paws, tearing his throat out in one clean bite. Lifting her head, ignoring the blood that dripped from her muzzle, she tried to gather her thoughts as Souma burst through the trees.

The battle was utter chaos. At this point it was nothing but a fight for survival; the pack had lost nearly half its members, maybe even more, judging from the scent of death that hung over the area. The humans had also taken heavy hits… but neither side was willing to back down. Miyako saw the dead body of Nekoko among the fighters and turned her head away, fighting the bile that rose in her throat as she staggered through the fight to Souma.

The black wolf's eyes widened. "Look out! Behind you!"

Miyako whipped around just as she heard the unmistakable clink of bracelets; the hunter who had been rearing up behind her, a dagger in his hand, fell with only a shrill scream as Corona dragged him down roughly, her golden eyes narrow and her ears flat against her skull. Reiko wasn't far behind her mate, though Miyako could instantly see why she wasn't currently involved in the fight; in her jaws she carried a small light gray wolf pup, the tiny body trembling. "Who's that?" the Second Head rasped.

"Her name's Shirayuki." Corona lifted her head from her kill, taking a moment to spit out droplets of blood. "She panicked when we evacuated the pups and ran back to find her parents." She looked at her old friend, her eyes pained. "They're dead, Miyako. They're both dead."

Reiko said nothing, just gently set Shirayuki back to earth so she could readjust her grip on the pup; Miyako turned back to Souma, content for the moment that they were safe. "What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's… It's Tsubasa." Souma swallowed hard, hating the way the words stuck in his throat. "He… he saw Himeko with that hunter, and he…"

"What?" Terror formed, a cold, hard ball of ice in Miyako's belly.

"He's… I don't know! Please, Miyako, you have to come! I… I left Himeko and Makoto there, they told me to leave them… he'll kill them!"

Without another word Miyako pushed past Souma and disappeared into the trees, only dimly aware of the black wolf following her, of Reiko and Corona exchanging worried glances before racing after them.

Tsubasa!

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"Himeko."

"Yeah?"

"Don't lie to me. You aren't fine, are you?"

Himeko didn't respond; she merely narrowed her eyes to golden slits as Tsubasa swung around again, a large white killing machine. She risked a quick glance back at Makoto, trying to weigh her options.

She couldn't make Makoto run; her right leg was still weak, and if she fled now there was no doubt that she'd be shot down by a lone hunter, weak as she was. As much as the golden wolf wanted her cousin away from the bloodshed, she knew it was better to say nothing and let her stay put, gather her strength; at the very least, Himeko could keep Tsubasa occupied until Miyako came.

If she had to die so Makoto would live, so be it. Around her neck, the shell pendant was already stained with blood.

With a snarl, the two wolves charged, twin blurs of gold and white. They collided, their bodies brushing with a sickening thud, snapping as they flew by only to skid around and do it again. Blood sprayed through the air and fell to the gleaming grass, and the scent of rain hung heavily in the air.

Moving in low, Tsubasa snapped at Himeko's paws; the golden wolf staggered and stumbled, off balance, as she tried to keep his teeth from hitting their mark; seeing his chance the white wolf tackled her head on, his teeth sinking into her back as he dragged her down in a cloud of dust and blood.

"Himeko!"

The sound of Makoto's frantic scream made Himeko struggle mightily, but Tsubasa had her pinned down good and refused to let her up. He narrowed his good eye and tightened his hold; pain exploded in her back, raced down her spine and spread through her whole body, and Himeko whimpered weakly.

"DAD! Dad, what are you doing?!"

The small, shocked voice made Tsubasa stiffen and lift his head away; Himeko groaned and tried to rise, but her pain was too great. She lay in the grass, unmoving, and focused only on steadying her ragged breathing.

From his perch on Chikane's shoulders, Jin whimpered and huddled closer to the hunter. "What's wrong with him?" he whispered tearfully, and it nearly broke her heart. "Why's he like that? Why is Dad trying to kill Himeko?"

"She fell in love with a human." Chikane lifted her gun, pulled the trigger. "She fell in love with me."

The bullet drove through Tsubasa's shoulder, clean through and out the other end to land somewhere in the clearing among the blades of grass. With a snarl Tsubasa's rage grew and he leaped toward Chikane, moving fast like a bullet; she couldn't see him clearly.

"Chikane-chan! Why did you come back?!"

Chikane didn't dare reply, just lifted her gun again and tried to get another shot at Tsubasa; but he was moving too damn fast, just a blur really, she couldn't tell where he was going…

"NO! First Head, please!"

"Dad, DON'T!"

Only dimly was Chikane suddenly aware of the lack of warmth, of weight on her shoulders; numbly she saw the small brown body leap down from her, leap between her body and the jaws of the large white wolf that hurtled toward her, saw the transformation happen in less than a second…

"Oh my God… Jin! JIN!!!"

Himeko's shrill scream brought Chikane crashing into reality; she stared, numb with shock and horror, at the small boy who hung limply in Tsubasa's jaws, blood dripping from his back where the white wolf's teeth had dug deep and pierced his flesh. Her eyes widened. "Jin?" she choked out, unable to comprehend that the boy before her was the same lively wolf pup she'd only just begun to know. "Jin?"

Tsubasa's single eye widened; his grip on Jin loosened, he opened his mouth, and the small boy slid into the grass without a single sound, his face pale and his eyes closed as blood darkened the back of his shirt. Without a second thought Chikane fell to her knees next to the boy, gathering him into her arms and pressing a hand to the wound to try and stem the bleeding. "Jin," she whispered raggedly, brushing loose strands of light green hair out of closed eyes. "Jin, come on, kid. Don't do this." Her voice wavered, cracked. "Jin, please, open your eyes."

Jin groaned weakly, stirred in her arms; but his eyes never opened. With a soft sob Chikane held the boy close, relieved nonetheless; he was still alive.

She looked back up sharply; her eyes widened and she shrank away as Tsubasa stepped closer.

The next instant he howled and reared back as Himeko landed on him, her claws digging into his shoulders and her teeth latching on to his neck. He spun away from the pair, snarling, and charged around the clearing, slamming the smaller wolf into nearby trees and rocks. Despite the searing pain and cracking she heard, Himeko held on tightly, her eyes narrow.

There was a ripping sound as the fur was torn clean off Tsubasa's body, leaving a bloody spot where there had once been pure white; losing her grip Himeko tumbled through the grass and sat up sharply, teeth bared and fur bristling. She had barely gotten to her paws when Tsubasa streaked past her, his teeth ripping through her side. The momentum of the large wolf's attack was enough to send Himeko clean off her paws; she hung in the air for a single moment before hitting ground again with a dull thud.

Urged on by nothing but adrenaline, Himeko started to surge to her paws, teeth bared in a snarl; only to fall back into the grass and stare, numbly, at the blood pooling beneath her body. A large gash slashed down across her side, curving sharply into her stomach, blood gushing from the wound to form a pool of red, staining her fur and the grass. Dazed, she slowly slumped back into the grass as she felt her strength fading away. Through blurry eyes she saw Tsubasa stalking toward her, felt him push her down, felt a paw crush against her throat.

Chikane's eyes widened. "Himeko!" She started to rise; then hissed sharply in pain and went back down as her side shrieked in pain. Looking down, she saw a long, shallow cut along her side; evidently, when Tsubasa had attacked her, he had managed to claw her before Jin had intervened. "Himeko! Himeko!"

"No!" Makoto's voice was anguished, but she was just as helpless.

Himeko felt Tsubasa's teeth begin to prick her throat; she shuddered and closed her eyes…

"TSUBASA!"

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Tsubasa was thrown back, a bloody gash on his chest; he flew through the air before hitting the ground, sliding through the grass without a sound. Shocked, Himeko's eyes snapped open.

Miyako towered over her, her fur bristling and her teeth bared; blood dripped from her jaws. It had been she who had screamed; she had been the one who had knocked Tsubasa away. "Miyako,"the golden wolf rasped weakly.

"Shhh."Miyako stepped back, lowering her head for a moment to brush Himeko's cheek with her muzzle. "Rest, Himeko. You've done enough."

"He… Miyako… Jin…"

Wordlessly, Miyako lifted her head again, surveying the scene quietly; Corona had already slipped past her, heading straight for Makoto just as Kazuki emerged from the trees, gasping for breath and covered in blood. Her eyes narrowed briefly when she saw Jin, cradled in Chikane's arms. Souma's shoulder brushed hers as he bounded over to the pair, with the intent of retrieving his dazed nephew.

After a moment, the Second Head stepped over Himeko and faced Tsubasa.

The white wolf staggered to his paws, glaring at his mate, his good eye narrow and dark. "Now you defend her, too?" he snarled.

"Tsubasa." Her voice was soft. "This is wrong, and you know it."

"Wrong? Wrong? She is in love with a human! You know what that means! That is a threat to the whole pack…"

"The pack is dead!" Miyako's voice was ragged with tears that could not fall in her wolf form. "They're being killed right now! There's nothing left to protect!"

Tsubasa's body began to tremble, but he said nothing; Miyako took a deep breath and lifted her head, her golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "And if loving a human is a crime," she growled, "then you can't kill Himeko without killing me."

And with that, she took her human form.

"Have you forgotten?" she hissed as Souma cautiously crept past her, carrying Jin in his jaws, as Corona and Kazuki helped Makoto limp over to the group. "Have you forgotten that I was human, once, too? Have you forgotten who I was? If what you say is true, if a price must be paid…" She closed her eyes.

"Then kill me!"

That did it; something inside Tsubasa snapped, and he surged forward with a snarl. Miyako did nothing to escape.

"MIYAKO!"

The momentum of Tsubasa's attack sent both of them down, Tsubasa pinning the dark-skinned woman beneath him easily; but Himeko could see he hadn't taken the fatal bite to kill, his teeth were just barely breaking Miyako's skin, his whole body trembling and his golden eye focused on hers. Miyako winced, her breath coming in whimpers, and slowly raised a hand, resting it on Tsubasa's neck, running her fingers through his fur. "Tsubasa…"

"I… I can't." The white wolf's voice was anguished. "I can't…"

And with that, he slipped into unconsciousness. As he sagged into Miyako and released his hold on her the woman slowly sat up, blowing out a long breath. "Miyako," Corona said uncertainly, in her human form; at this point, all of the wolves had taken on their forms, even Jin who had just been coaxed out of his stupor. "Mom." His voice was small. "Is Dad gonna be okay."

"Yeah." Miyako gathered Tsubasa into her arms, slowly rising, cradling the white wolf. "He'll be fine. Can you stand, Himeko?"

Instead of replying, Himeko narrowed her eyes and slowly staggered to her paws, weaving as blood spilled and her vision blurred, but she ignored it as she stood, shaking all the while; she focused on her human form and made the change quickly, grunting in pain.

"We need to get out of here." Miyako's voice was firm, commanding as she looked back at the small group. "The battle's lost; the only way we survive now is to run." She looked quietly at Himeko. "Himeko, if there's anything you need to do…"

"Thank you, Second Head."

Walking was suddenly a painful task, but Himeko ignored the ache and the throb and the blood and focused on Chikane. The distance seemed to last ten seconds and an eternity before she knelt over the girl. The hunter was no better off than she was; she was in pain, too, and blood loss would eventually make her pass out, but she would be okay. Himeko could smell humans on the wind, knew they would find her. "Chikane-chan…" She rested her forehead against the other girl's for a moment, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. I never meant… I'm so sorry."

"Himeko…"

Opening her eyes, Himeko pulled away slowly, lowering her head and gently touching her lips to Chikane's; as she did so she took the girl's hand, uncurling her fingers. As she pulled back she unclasped her shell pendant and gently pressed it into Chikane's palm; the young hunter's fingers closed around it of her own will, and her eyes sought out Himeko's again.

Wincing, already feeling an ache, Himeko staggered up and weaved, nearly falling; and was shocked when she felt a small body press against her legs, a small arm around her waist, supporting her; Jin smiled up at her nervously as she turned away, and soundlessly Makoto slid in and lifted her arm, letting it rest over her shoulders. Moving together, the three headed back to the group, and they headed for the trees.

Chikane tried desperately to watch them go, wanted to remember this moment; but the darkness was coming in, the darkness and she was so tired, she couldn't fight anymore, she could hear her mother…

She succumbed to the darkness as Kazumi called her name.

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"Shit." Miyako brushed loose strands of hair out of her eyes, looking back. "They move fast."

"At this rate, we'll never make it." Reiko cradled Shirayuki in her arms, the small light gray pup being the only one who hadn't assumed her human form.

There was a moment of contemplation; Kazuki bounded down the rocks, assuming his human form. Souma blinked, hesitated, then followed him, brushing by Makoto briefly as he stood side by side with his brother. Realizing what they were doing, Reiko closed her eyes, blew out a long breath, and handed Shirayuki to Corona, following the two.

"Go on." Kazuki looked up at Miyako as Yukihito caught up with them, panting and covered in blood, having used their scent to follow them. "We'll hold them off for as long as we can."

Miyako's eyes widened. "Kazuki…"

"Go."

Miyako closed her eyes, torn; cursing under her breath she turned away. Makoto and Himeko stared disbelievingly at Souma, who lifted his head and curved his lips in a wolf smirk; they hesitated, then followed Miyako, Corona and Yukihito at their heels, Corona holding tight to Shirayuki and looking back at Reiko with wide, anguished eyes. The rust-colored female just raised her tail and her eyes softened.

They watched as their pack mates vanished, not looking away until they could no longer see them; only then did the three wolves look back in the direction of the humans, ready to defend their loved ones to the death.

Overhead, the moon was blocked out by the dark clouds above.

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DUDE! Over 100 reviews for my first KnM chapter fic!! Do you know how awesome that is? (hugs all the awesome reviewers and readers who have inspired me to continue for this long) This (long as hell) chapter is for all of you!

Read and review, please!