Kiba bolted through the city, following the sound of vicious growls, pained whimpers and the sound of tearing flesh as blood splashes onto the concrete ground.
Making a sharp turn around the corner, he quickly saw the fight between the malicious animals. All were covered in blood; puddles painted the ground red as drops strayed away and leaked down the roads.
Toboe licked at his wounds. He was the least injured out of all, hating to fight unless he had to or was pushed to do so. Blue appeared to have a broken wrist, her ribs bleeding as she licked at Hige's badly wounded ear. He had more injuries around his hind legs and shoulders, Blue on the other hand, on her stomach.
Growls tore through two throats, barking and whining not stopping. Directing his attention towards the source, Kiba saw Tsume fighting, he, in no surprise whatsoever, was being the most injured. He seemed to have a thing for fighting and not giving up until it is either interrupted or one is dead.
Tsume fell back onto the ground, rolling a bit before he jumped right back onto his feet and snapped his sharp fangs at the midnight-black wolf.
Blood glistened on the black wolfs' fur as red stained Tsumes' gray coat. Strands of hair clumped together from the warm, sticky fluid that leaked out of their bodies like a faucet not all the way turned off.
"Tsume! Stop! Saki, calm down! They're with me, we're all a pack!" Kiba yelled, trying to grab their attention. Saki backed down after hearing they were a pack, but still kept her ears folded back, lips curled up with a deadly snarl as her fangs dripped red. Tsume took a few steps back as they all allowed their human side to be shown. Kiba could hardly see a spot on them that wasn't bloody.
"Nice welcoming committee…" Hige spoke sourly.
"Forgive me, I feel SO guilty, let me go get a parade started for your arrival your royal highness's." She hissed back.
"What the hell was that all about?" Tsume intruded.
"What do you mean? You make it sound like I'm the one that started it!" Saki yelled.
"You did!" He shot back.
"You're the one who interfered!"
"We were trying to help you!"
"You think those pesky humans could do any real damage to a wolf like me? I can protect myself, I would have sent them crying if I had wanted!"
"So why didn't you?"
"Tsume, that's enough!" Kiba said sternly before Saki could say anything more.
"Tsukiko!" A voice yelled. Saki jumped slightly and looked to the side a Kavita finally appeared. She glared down at the younger wolf.
"How many times do I have to scold you for your fighting before you get it through your thick skull that that's not we treat our fellow brothers and sisters that we don't know yet? If you plan to bring humans and wolves together and take over the pack once I'm gone then you better straighten up and fast! If we can't get along amongst ourselves then how can we do it with humans? Huh? You know better than that Saki, I'm very disappointed in you." Kavita scolded harshly.
"I'm sorry grandma…" Saki whimpered sadly as she kept her eyes averted from Kavita's.
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." She growled.
"So you're the lead dog here?" Tsume squeezed in, anger obvious in his tone.
"Tsume!" Kiba called out in slight shock.
"I am, young man. I do hope you can forgive Saki for her actions, I assure you that's not how we deal with new visitors." Kavita shrugged off the dog comment, despite Saki fuming at it.
"This city is disgusting, the smell and the residents. I hope it burns to the ground." He insulted as he turned his back to them and limped away. Kiba looked at Saki. Fury was written all over her face as he could just tell she was biting her tongue so hard it was probably bleeding.
"Tsume!" Kiba yelled out his name once more, trying to stop his friend but it was of no use, Tsume was already gone from sight.
"It's alright, I don't mind." Kavita spoke as she patted Kiba's shoulder.
"Doesn't make it right…"
"I can't do this anymore!" Saki yelled as she pulled on her hair. "Grandma! How can you sit there and let a stranger talk to you like that? I'm tired of being shushed whenever is someone is rude to you, the city or the pack, especially you! Sometimes that IS how you deal with people, wolf or human! If you aren't going to defend the city yourself, or the pack, then I will!" She announced as she reached over and grabbed Toboe's arm, yanking him forward, staring hard into his chocolaty ones. "Allow me to take care of your wounds..." She said with a slight twitch.
"Okay…" Toboe mumbled, cowering slightly under her grip. She then led Toboe, Blue and Hige back towards the hiding place.
"I'd say she's about to become one of the best alpha's this pack has ever had… It's about time, she was almost too late." Kavita said. Kiba looked at her.
"But you just said…-"
"I have been saying that just to get under her skin. She's been right, I can't defend the pack the way I should, nor this city like I want too, I'm just simply not cut out for it. This pack needs someone strong and caring, someone willing to protect their lives with their own. It's, hard to explain, it's just what they need."
"I'm sure you're a fine alpha. Saki still has much to learn from you."
"I've taught her all that I can, but my time is drawing to an end."
"What?" Kiba's eyes widened as he looked at her.
"I'm almost eighty years old, dear boy. I have far surpassed the usual lifespan of a wolf. My grave has already been dug."
"Does… Does Saki know?" Kavita then closed her eyes.
"No, she does not. I cannot bring myself to tell her, just imagining the heartbreak on her face and seeing her cry like she had when my mate died would make me wanna kick the bucket right then." She chuckled quietly. "Come, let us return to the pack before they worry."
Explaining the situation to Toboe, Hige and Blue, they all sat in thoughtful silence.
"Man, that's tense…" Hige broke the silence.
"So that's why you were fighting those humans, it was self-defense…" Toboe summarized.
The men, Kiba, Toboe and Hige, kept their eyes averted, since Saki finished tending to their wounds and worked on Blue's, then her own. In order to do that, they had to remove their shirts.
"That's right, small one. You can all look now." Saki said to them.
They all turned to see Blue and Saki wearing nothing but thick, white bandages on their upper bodies. On Blue, they covered mainly the center, around her ribs, and on Saki, covered the upper chest area, where her wounds surrounded the most. Their bandages stopped slightly higher than their belly-buttons.
A blush came across Toboe's cheeks as Hige's mouth dropped open. Kiba had no expression change on his face, but did close Hige's open jaws. Blue giggled and Saki rolled her eyes.
"That's right, you don't know their names yet do you…" Kiba pointed out.
"Well.. I know Blue's name."
"I'm Hige, nice to meet ya'! Well, you know, now that you're not tryin' to kill us or anything." Hige said as he ran his index finger underneath his nose with a goofy grin plastered on his face.
"And I'm Toboe!" He chirped happily as he also gave off a wide grin.
"I'm sure you remember Tsume." Kiba added. A growl came from her.
"How could I forget?" Then a loud grumble interfered with their conversation and dragged on for quite awhile before coming to an abrupt end. All eyes flew to Hige. He laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Oops, sorry 'bout that!"
"I take it you're hungry?" Saki said with a smile, eyebrows rose at him.
"I'd say we all are, actually.." Kiba told her as Blue and Toboe nodded.
"Well, why didn't you say so sooner?" Saki roared with laughter. "C'mon, I know a great hunting place!" She said as she threw on a shirt, handing Blue one as well. Hige whined a bit. Toboe laughed at him and Kiba just shook his head.
"Hige! Holy crap that was a full grown buck!" Saki screeched as they headed back, playfully punching him in the arm. They had managed to gain the companionship of Tsume once more once he smelled food. "We had to kill two deer back there because you ate that whole buck alone! I'm surprised you left the bones!" Laughter came from her as she shook her head. Hige scratched his cheek as he laughed as well, Toboe and Blue joining in. Even Kiba had a small smile painted on his lips, Tsume keeping the same expression he always did; annoy. Then she stopped. Her laughter died, her smile quickly vanished. They all looked at her.
"Tsuki?" Blue called out to her, trying to grab her attention. She stepped forward. Instead of looking at Blue, her head swiveled to the side. They did the same.
It was a howling baby wolf, just newly born. It wobbled around on the ground, deaf, blind and helpless. Humans laughed at it as they watched it squirm, unsure of where to go or what to do. Then they raised a gun and pointed it at the pup.
"Kira's baby…? … NO!" Saki screamed as a gunshot rang deep into the night-sky.
Tsuki stood there, eyes wide as she stared at the bloody, lifeless pup. She fell down to her knees. Blue hid her face into Hige's chest as he held her close, a serious and pained expression on his face. Toboe had tears in his eyes and Kiba's were also wide. Tsume growled at the scene.
"…Saki…" Kiba spoke up as he stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It didn't even get to open its eyes…" Saki spoke to him slowly as her head slowly lowered, hair falling around her like drapes to a window. A trembling breath came from her lips. Silence fell among them. Saki thought for a few seconds. Her head rose.
"Wait… That was Kira's pup, I know that, but Kira was hiding with the pack, and certainly would never give her pup up so easily, she'd die for them, and the pack wouldn't let Kira die… Certainly we would outnumber a pack of wolves or humans… So, that must mean the.. The pack is in serious danger! No one should know about them, this pup should never have been here!" Saki said out loud as she sprang up and raced down the streets as if her life depended on it. The rest quickly followed.
They could smell the scent of poison gas long before they reached the hidden stone. The stone was lifted up, the entrance wide open. That itself was already a bad sign. Even so, this didn't stop Saki.
Diving down into the spot, coughing soon followed. Kiba, Toboe, Blue, Hige and Tsume covered their airways as they followed Saki inside. The lively pack from before lay spread out on the ground, still and lifeless. Some had their eyes open, scared and panicked. Saki gently stepped over their bodies. They all could smell the tears that filled her eyes to the brim, her arms dangling by her sides. Then she stopped, and once again fell down to her knees. Kiba peered over. She had stopped in front of Kavita's body. He could see the tears quickly but silently falling from her eyes as she looked down at the aged body.
The black wolf emerged once more, raising it's dark muzzle to the skies as she released a long, mournful howl that shared it's tune with the sorrowful wind that sang along.
"We need to leave; if we stay here any longer it'll be dangerous." Informed Tsume as he stepped back towards the exit. Her muzzle lowered as her song came to an end. Her human form showed itself once more as she stood up.
"Saki…?" Kiba stepped towards her.
"If they hate us, fine, but allow me to give them a reason to hate us." Saki threatened as she pushed past Kiba and stepped out of there, soon vanishing into the night.
((Author's Note: Yay, Chapter three, no reviews, this makes me kinda sad.. Oh well.. Anyway~ This chapter made me sad to write. :/ We needed some action, it's a no wonder why I don't have any reviews. Anyway, hope you like it~ Chapter four will be coming soon~))