Author's Note; Hey huns, sorry about the wait (you guys must be sick of me saying that by now, lol) but here's the eigth chapter and really hope you enjoy it; some things start to reveal themselves here...so I hope you like the read!! XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Movement, rhythmical movement that seemed to hush her towards consciousness ever so slightly as the bitter wind nipped at the skin of her exposed midriff, where her top had ridden upwards ever so slightly. There were arms around her; one placed just below her shoulders, supporting her back and the other hand was beneath her knees, holding her weight.

"Mmmm…"

Her head throbbed as she stirred slightly and Karasuke could see white lights popping in front of her eyes as she cracked them open to the dreary light of an early morning, swathed in the light fall of snow that had become the norm of this deteriorating world. She could just about make out a white t-shirt and tattered dark jacket worn by the person whom was holding her. The description was uncanny and all the seventeen-year-old could wonder was why he was holding her instead of Cheza…but then a strong gust of icy wind bit at her and she involuntarily gasped slightly, drawing attention to the fact that she was now awake.

"You okay?"

Kiba stopped walking, his green irises now trained on her fluttering eyelids as the teenager opened them fully, now totally conscious and completely lost as to what was going on- where were the other three boys? As her mind silently asked this, another person came to the fore of her thoughts, causing her to blurt out the question.

"Where's Blue?"

"Karasuke, are you able to walk?"

As she nodded her head, Kiba lowered the arm he had supporting the girl's legs until she was standing, only when he was sure she had her balance did the young man remove his arm from around her shoulders and drew in a breath before speaking.

"Jaguara's troops jumped us…they took everyone, including Blue…and Cheza-"

"Jaguara has Cheza? Why didn't you run with her?!"

"Because she told me to save you- that you were the key! What the hell is the key?"

As she made to answer him and tell him that she had absolutely no idea what the 'key' was, the teenager felt a sharp pain in her leg and abruptly keeled to her right as it gave way under her, landing heavily in the deepening snow, gasping aloud as she did so. There was a throbbing pain emanating from her right leg where a deep wound had just inexplicably opened; the red colour now seeping into the pristine snow standing as testament to this. The seventeen-year-old girl, previously of Kyrios, stared at her own blood colouring the snow and felt her tears welling and stinging her eyes as she attempted to blink them away- this sadness wasn't because of the Flower Maiden; this was her past and present catching up to her as she realized something was direly wrong with her…

"Kiba- I passed out because Cheza did! I hurt because Cheza does! I'm cut right now because Cheza is and I don't have an iota what's happening to me…my Pops hates my type- he doesn't know I'm alive and I'm too frightened to face him…Cheza told me she understood me and that I was the key; she apologised to me and I don't know why! That mad bitch, Jaguara, wants my head and I haven't a clue what I ever did to her…in the city I was the boss and knew what was happening, but since I joined up with you guys things have been happening so fast and for no reason…I sometimes wish I'd stayed in the city…"

Unknowing what to make of this sudden outburst Kiba remained where he was, eying the pitiful form of the girl crouching in the reddened snow, unwilling to move or walk on when she was like this…he was the pack leader and she was a member of his pack…but then the young man noticed something about Karasuke that seemed to stab at him- her shoulders were moving up and down slightly and then he heard the sound of her light sobs on the silent air; she was crying.

"Karasuke?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me and I don't have a clue what the hell the key is…just go find Cheza; I'll only slow you down."

It was strange to think that the girl and boy were the same age, yet so different on so many levels…she loved the life of a human and had lived as one all her life- he, on the other hand, had always valued his pride as a wolf above anything else until she had joined the pack. Cheza had easily been looked after by him and his three comrades- she'd became his epitaph of a younger sister and that was why the others had noticed how protective he was of the girl…but Karasuke was different. She was too independent to be big-bothered by them and that was why Kiba had more or less avoided speaking with her too much- he didn't know what to say, or how to respond to what she had to say. He'd been so used to thinking of Cheza as a younger sister that he'd automatically assumed that his feelings were the same for Karasuke…but he'd been wrong. They weren't the feelings of a brother he experienced for the attractive youth- no brother ever felt such strong urges for his sister…these feelings were stronger than any he'd ever had for Cheza and Kiba had tried and tried to convince himself that he was just feeling for her as a brother…but as he looked down at her crying lightly in the stained snow, he knew he cared for her more than he let himself believe.

"What're you doing?"

"Helping you up- we need to get our pack back from her…who cares if you slow me down."

Karasuke allowed her the alpha male to drape one of her arms around his neck and take her weight as he helped her to her feet, taking steps to match his as they both started out into the swirling snow of this deteriorating world.

"Where're you going, boy?"

Quent cursed under his breath as the younger male began walking forward, almost breaking into a run as he set his sights on the face of the youth staring out the back of the armoured vehicle- young, only barely a teenager with a silver bangle around his right wrist.

"You- you were one of the boys rescuing her that night! Where is she?"

"Hey- what d'you think you're doing?!"

The butt of a rifle was slammed forcefully into the blond man's chest, causing him to sink to his knees and clutch his winded stomach- two more armoured guards appeared and apprehended to the ex-sheriff of Kyrios as he attempted to retaliate to the first guard who'd struck Hubb. The rifle, along with all of his ammunition was seized as the two men were unceremoniously bundled into the armoured vehicle, along wit the other five already in there- one Hubb immediately recognised as Cheza- the other four, three males and a female, seemed to radiate around her, almost as though protecting the pink-haired young girl…but where was the lad with the jacket and jeans? And where was Karasuke? But these questions remained unanswered as the guards began barking at each other in gruff voices as they bolted shut the door through which the pair of men had been bundled.

"C'mon before anymore of Jaguara's lackeys arrive- we should reach Darcia's castle by sundown; if that woman finds out we've crossed her; she'll have our heads!"

A/n- Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter and thanks a million for reading!! XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX