Chapter Eighteen

"Boss... Did you say her name was Kyoko Mogami and she's from Kyoto?" Kuu asked barely able to contain his excitement.

"Yes.. but." Lory told him trying to finish his sentence.

"I'm coming to Tokyo. I'm going to put my stage name to rest in a few days anyway. I want to meet this girl." Kuu told him with authority. This news. This news was miraculous. A wide smile spread across his face. "Arrange it for me." He then hung up leaving Lory completely out of sorts.

"JULIE! Kuon's in love with Kyoko-chan!" He swept his wife into his arms and twirled her around.

Julie was a bit confused. "Kyoko-chan?"

He stopped a bit out of breath. "Julie... Saena's little Kyoko..." He waited for a reaction.

3...2...1... Julie squealed. "How? I thought..." She hugged him tightly. "Kyoko-chan! This is wonderful! Oh my god! I need to get everything ready!" She scrambled for her notepad and a pencil.

"Wait.." He started, but it was too late. She was in planning mode and he wasn't about to pull her out of it. It had been too long since he had seen her this happy. "That human child damaged her." He whispered. Well, I guess I'll find out how much damage has been done in a few days anyway. He mused. Lory had told him everything that Sho Fuwa had done, according to Reino and her other Nii-san's; however, he was completely unaware of the latest interactions the young man had initiated.

Kuu sighed deeply after the girl left for home. It only took him one day to see the damage that spoiled little rodent did to her. "She shouldn't be like this." He groused. "Why on Earth did Saena leave her with them? She could have contacted us at any time and we would have helped. The pack may have been scattered because of Kazu's death, but to leave her with a human family was just too risky." Kuu's anger was starting to bubble beneath the surface. "Maybe this acting exercise will help her a bit. Let her know that she's still cared about." He pondered as he slipped into his pajamas and shut the drapes. "I still want to kill the little bastard." He growled and his blue eyes flashed in the darkness before falling to sleep.

That night he would dream of hunting down that worthless piece of human flesh and tearing little bits off as he screamed for mercy. Kuu had a wonderfully large smile on his lips the entire time. ("Ah, what big teeth you have." Said Little Red Riding Hood to the wolf.)

Kyoko had dazzled Kuu with her abilities and when Ren saw her jumping from the steps dressed as a teen aged boy, he was baffled. What made it even more stunning was, his father was there with her. He was shocked and nervous when Kuu called out his name. Ren's head whipped around for find Kuu calling to Kyoko.

"Father! Look who I met!" Kyoko exclaimed pointing at Ren. "It's Ren Tsuruga from Dark Moon."

"It's not polite to point son." Kuu scolded.

Introductions were made and compliments were given.

Ren silently thanked his father, in his heart, for not revealing his identity. Later he would agree to meet his father face to face and send a video for his mother. Things between them were starting to get better.

Later in the week, Kuu was satisfied with Kuon and Kyoko's progress. He smiled happily to himself as he peered out the tiny little window of the plane and reminisced on his week, silently making plans for his son and the little girl from Kyoto. He sighed with sadness. "You would be proud of her Kazu."

Flashback:

The remainder of the small Kyoto pack watched in horror as the pelts of their two alphas and Kazu, Saena's mate, were proudly displayed by the hunter that had shot them. Saena stood frozen as Julie and Kuu tried desperately to comfort her. It was bad enough that they had been taken while in wolf form but, to be so proudly and callously displayed like that after being brutally murdered, was too much for her to take in all at once. She fainted.

Many months after the tragedy, a beautiful little baby girl that had Kazu's enchanting golden eyes had been born. She was tiny, born only a month too early and had the signature mark of their pack. A tiny little crescent moon shaped birthmark just below her left breast. Saena couldn't bear to look at her. She would see his beautiful black fur hanging in the window of the little shop each time she looked into her daughter's eyes. Had Kuu and Julie known how bad it really was, they would have taken the tiny little enchanting creature with them and never looked back, but instead they made a pact that was traditional between alpha families and drifted apart when she was but a two year old toddler.

Kuu returned to Kyoto to search for Saena and little Kyoko-chan many years later to check up on them and offer any help that they may need, only to find that they had vanished. Unbeknownst to him, his son had met the sweet little alpha pup and played with her while Kuu continued his job and his search. Never once did he believe for a moment that Saena would leave Kazu's daughter with... Humans, especially after what they had done.

Kyoko was at a loss. Everything she did was wrong when it came to portraying Natsu and just using Mio like an interchangeable character didn't sit well with her. How do I really want Natsu to be? Hmm, she's mean but, not to the point of wanting to commit murder like Mio. Her family isn't rich but, they aren't exactly poor either. Even though she's mean, she still has close friends. How does she do it? Kyoko sat on the park bench and stared up at the cloudy night sky and sighed. Well, she's pretty. I think... and she would definitely wear nice clothes and makeup. So, I can do that much. I think she would behave and walk like a model. Hmm, who can show me how to do that? I've kinda got the walk down a bit, but it would help to refine it and maybe learn a few of their mannerisms. A little light went off in her mind and she whipped out her phone and dialed as she headed over to a familiar apartment complex in the crisp evening air.

She nervously stood out in the cold waiting on him to come home. "I really shouldn't be doing this. I'm starting to have that strange feeling again." She sighed in frustration as the little butterflies flitted about in her stomach and chest. "It doesn't feel like it did with Sho though."

"Kyoko? Why are you waiting out here?" He asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Oh! S..s..sorry. Um, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go in yet or, not." She said nervously. Stupid Kyoko. Why are you nervous? It's just Ren, your hunting partner. That's right! Hunting partner and senpai. Right... Senpai. She sighed in relief.

"You really should be more careful. It's dangerous for a young lady to be out so late alone, especially being a celebrity." He scolded. His heart had almost stopped when Yashiro called him and told him that she would be waiting for him. The only thing he could think about is her being alone at the late hour and out on her own. "Hop in." He told her and unlocked the passenger's side door.

She got into his car, shivering from the cold. He turned up his heater on full and drove the rest of the way to the parking garage of his apartment building, then made their way in.

Once he sat her down, gave her his sweater and some hot tea, he had her explain. At first he was very against instructing her on modeling. He was a guy... he had his pride. There was no way he wanted the woman he was in love with seeing him acting like a female runway model, but then it happened. The eyes, the cute little pleading puppy eyes she used to give him when they were both pups. "Do it again Corn!" echoed in his mind and he was tightly wrapped around her delicate little pinkie.