"No."
"Please?"
Ciel sighed. "Sebastian, please explain to Haru why she can't come to town with us."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, master," Sebastian replied. Ciel glanced at him. "Haru would get bored and lonely if she were left out; it is a festival, after all. Why can't she come?"
"Why are you so soft with her?!" Ciel demanded. "I thought you didn't like dogs."
"Dogs, yes," Sebastian admitted. "Wolves are much different on the other hand. I'm sure Haru will behave herself this once."
"Fine," Ciel grumbled.
Violent Wolf
The Fall Festival was going on in London. The streets were crammed with people and stands selling different foods from different corners of the world. The festival was originally held in autumn to celebrate the rich harvest of the year before the winter. It has also been called the 'food festival' unofficially for some time now.
"Look at this place! Isn't it wonderful?"
Haru stood in the cart as they rode along, her eyes scouring the several food vendors in the main square. Ciel could see her tail waving under her cloak.
"Sit down, Haru," he muttered. "And mind your tail, will you? Honestly, I don't see what you're so excited about."
"All this food it's great," Haru smiled, brushing her tail down carefully. "It's a shame you didn't go into the profitable food vending business."
"Food trading is a hit or miss business, my lady," Sebastian told her, pulling the horses to a halt and handing the reigns to a stable boy. "If the harvest is rich like this year, the riches will role in and you'd be safe for winter. However, if the harvest is scarce, the profit will be small."
Haru didn't seem pleased with his lecture. He glanced at her with a confused expression.
"Mistress?"
"Well, that's really fascinating, but… the apples… can I?"
"Oh, that's what you want," Sebastian sounded slightly displeased that she hadn't been listening to him. Ciel nodded to him and he handed her a small bag of gold. "Buy as much as you like with this."
Haru nodded and took the gold to the vendor. She returned with several crates of apples of all kinds, and the vendor was closing up his stand. Ciel gawked at her.
"Who buys that many apples?!"
"You said to buy all I wanted," Haru replied arrogantly, devouring one of the apples in a few bites.
"But still," Ciel sighed.
"If it isn't the young Earl Phantomhive."
"Oh no," Ciel groaned as Haru looked up to see two Chinese people greeting them.
"And it looks like you have a charming young friend with you," Lau noted, taking Haru's hand with a gracious smile. "Not cheating on Lady Elizabeth, are you? You sly boy."
"She's my cousin," Ciel explained, batting his hand away. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"My young lord, it's a festival," Lau smirked. "I wouldn't miss it for the world; isn't that right, Gran Mau?"
Haru glared at them childishly and hid behind Sebastian. The demon frowned and pushed her forward again.
"Haru," he whispered quietly. "Present yourself, remember."
"Shy thing, isn't she?" Lau laughed.
"Whatever," Ciel muttered. "She's only hiding because she knows you're a creep. Come on, Haru; we have things to do."
"Looks like somebody likes apples," Mau muttered as they were walking away. Haru growled at her before following Ciel down the road.
Haru didn't really pay attention to what anyone else was doing; she did what she wanted. She made a couple friends and fans in the festival, but no one really caught her eye. It was sunset before she knew it and soon the streets were dark and empty except for the three of them.
"We should get home faster," Haru said quietly, her tone firm and dark. Her ear twitched once under her hood and Ciel stiffened.
"Sebastian, what is she talking about?"
"Don't be alarmed, master, but we're being followed," Sebastian glanced behind him. "Stay here with Haru. I'll go check on it."
"Be careful," Haru smiled at him. Sebastian almost laughed; no one had ever shown concern for him before.
"My young lady, I assure you, you don't have to worry about me. You see, I am simply one hell of a butler."
With that, he left the two alone. Haru tensed, growling quietly at something Ciel couldn't see.
"Ciel, do you trust me?" she asked.
Ciel didn't answer for a moment.
"… Yes."
She whirled around and bit him on the hand, drawing forth blood and drinking the red liquid. Ciel tensed and pulled away when she released him. She then took the form of a large black wolf. And lunged into the shadows with a loud bark. Ciel heard some struggle and a whimper before blood splattered in a large pool into the light.
"H-Haru!?" he shouted. He felt Sebastian behind him and stepped back into his arms, trembling.
"Relax, young master, she's alright."
Ciel couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. Before anything else happened, he lost consciousness. Sebastian sighed as he gathered the boy in his arms.
"Master," he said quietly, as if to complain. "Why must you be so fragile?" He closed his eyes, but didn't raise his head. "Whoever you are, you can get off the roof now."
The figure dressed in red laughed and jumped down from his perch on the roof of a nearby building.
"I should have known it was you," Sebastian muttered, looking up. "Grell Sutcliff."
"Well, well, we meet again, Bassy," Grell laughed, slinging his death scythe over his shoulder. "Looks like you did my job for me tonight. Two demons with the intent to kill were defeated by none other than you and that wolf."
"What do you know about my young mistress?" Sebastian questioned.
"She's all the talk at Society," Grell smirked. "A wolf with her soul stolen by a selfish demon queen. She's not the first; usually we'd just kill the other victims. However, for some reason, Will let her live. I see her soul is being regained piece by piece, good job."
"What do you want with her after she regains her soul?" Sebastian asked.
"Actually, it has been written that she'll kill herself."
Sebastian gasped. "Why?"
"She'll just die if that demon doesn't get her first," Grell said absentmindedly. "What a shame too. She's just adorable."
"Who is this demon?"
"Sorry, but that's classified."
"And you could tell me everything else?!"