Chapter Twenty-One

Honestly, had it not been for that fateful night she walked in on him showering, Cain Heel would have never found the most exquisite form of entertainment he had ever known in his short life and Kuon wouldn't have either. If it hadn't been for that quick inconspicuous glance at the crescent shaped birthmark on his lower hip and the ever so light, barely noticeable pink tint at the very tip of her ears, he would have never known. Yes, he caught her blush. The game was on. He wanted to see Setsuka Heel blush from head to toe, just like Kyoko. It would be a personal challenge for him. The only problem for him, was that she always caught it before it spread past the tips of her ears. How on Earth did she catch it, each and every time?

She kept his mind occupied, she kept him out of trouble and she kept a close eye on his health. She was perfect. He couldn't deny that fact, ever since that first night when he had gotten into that fight with that street trash and nearly changed. She calmed him that night and lured him into a hunt to blow off steam. She always seemed to know just exactly what he needed and when. The only thing he didn't like is how Taira Murasame wouldn't or, couldn't take his eyes off of her at the cast meeting. He wanted to remove them for him and hand them back to him in his palm. Instead he gave him a very threatening, hate-filled glare that was just as effective.

Note to self: Burn those shorts. He thought wryly as her hair tickled his neck and her breath fell hot on his sensitive ear. Inwardly, the entire time, he had been banging his head squarely on the hard concrete floor to focus away from her breath and scent.

The days went by and he finally had a break from Cain. It was refreshing. No Kyoko to control himself around and no Murasame to piss him off. The day filming the final scenes for Dark Moon had gone by blissfully, at least until he had to sweep her away from Kijima and then there was her complete brush off of his compliment to her. It was as though she knew what he was going to say. He disappointedly trudged back to the site and had to listen to Kijima go on and on about how he wanted to see "this new Kyoko-chan.". Couldn't he catch a break once in awhile?

The moment his foot slammed hard onto the brakes, he went into autopilot. He didn't remember putting the car in park and he didn't know that the little boy was safe. All he could see was a pool of the red viscous liquid that haunted his dreams and Tina's screams of him being a murderer. There was silence all about him. No words got through to him, save for one far away voice. It was hers. He only heard her voice slowly pulling him out of his nightmarish state.

"Ren... Ren..." Her worried voice called to him.

"Hmm..." He responded dreamily.

She sighed in relief as he felt her warm hands around his. "Are you alright?" She asked.

He smiled softly. "I am now." He gently squeezed her hand and the tips of her ears blushed again. She didn't need anyone seeing right now. He was the only one that was important here.

She closed her eyes, smiled, then nodded. "Thank goodness."

He had no doubts in his mind at that single moment that he couldn't do without her.

The Dark Moon ending party would have gone without a hitch had she not blithely accepted Kijima's offer to dress her up. This irritated more than one male. She was lectured by Ren on what the kind gesture had meant and she had countered him in a very non Kyoko-like manner that left him stunned and very aroused. She was lectured by her brothers, thoroughly by phone, since they had been in New York recording at the time and finally she had been forcefully removed from school grounds by Sho Fuwa and handcuffed to him to prevent her escape. Fortunately Aki Shoko had called him during their little discussion and told him that if he didn't make his way to the studio for the interview, she would quit.

The moment they slowed, she quickly grabbed her bag and fumbled with the door and tumbled onto the parking garage floor. The car came to an immediate halt without dragging her.

As Ren saw her scramble out of the car and tumble to her hands and knees, he saw the shiny item with chain attached to her ankle leading back to the blond singer. Rage filled his mind and he rushed to her. He grabbed the chain attached to the cuff on her ankle and yanked finding resistance. Sho yelped in pain. It was attached to his wrist.

"Remove it or, I'll remove your arm." Ren growled. He was controlling his change but, the feral look he had on his face was terrifying and the singer could only sit there in shock. "I said take the fucking cuff off or, I'll rip your hand off to get it!" He yelled snapping Sho out of his little trance, making him hurriedly look for the small key. Sho quickly removed the cuff from his own wrist. "Now toss it here!" Ren commanded and Sho threw the small key out the door and screamed for his driver to leave.

Yashiro stood with glove on hand recording the entire scene with his phone, from start to finish. Lory was going to see this. This was unconscionable.

He quickly removed the cuff from her ankle and rubbed the area that started to bruise up. She hissed in pain, it was still a bit tender from being treated so roughly. He scooped her up and Yashiro grabbed her bag. "You can tell me later." He murmured to her as he carried her into the building from the parking garage.

She nodded, sobbing silently. "Th...Thank you, Ren." She sighed quietly and buried her face into his shirt. He smells nice. It's so calming. She thought as he carried her to his dressing room.

There was a ding for a new e-mail from Yashiro on Lory's computer. He excitedly opened it, expecting it to be progress for his LoveMe Zero and One. Instead he was assaulted by the horrifying image of his sweet LoveMe Number One being ejected from a slow moving vehicle with a handcuff and chain on her ankle. He had never heard Kuon so serious and angry when he heard his voice growl out to the young man responsible for this travesty. Lory needed to know more and wanted to know how much more he didn't know.

"This is going to stop right now!" He said as he picked up his phone and dialed.

"Yashiro-kun, I want to see Ren and Mogami-kun in my office immediately." He then hung up not giving Yashiro any opportunity to respond.

He then called the producer for Kimagure Rock and let him in on the situation. The man agreed to dismiss her for the evening. He may not have been happy with her initial performance but, he wasn't a heartless monster. Lory would send over Amamiya-san to replace her for the evening.

"Ren.. Takarada-san wants to see you and Kyoko-chan immediately." Yashiro broke the news to them.

Ren sighed and Kyoko paled.

"Alright." He answered in an irritated tone.

"Un.." Kyoko said quietly with her head down. She felt miserable. She was an Alpha for Pete's sake. Why was Sho becoming such a nuisance? Didn't anyone trust her to take care of this? He was just a bully. She had always been able to handle them or, had she? Her brow furrowed as Ren led her back to the garage and to his car. Maybe this time it was a little bit different. It seemed a bit more scary this time. She'd never been hit by a guy or, restrained like Sho did those times and it was always girls just getting catty. A guy had never tried to hurt her. She shivered a bit and a little tear fell at her own weakness. She honestly didn't know what to do.

"Kyoko..." Ren called to her gently. "You need to tell Shachou everything."

"But.." She started.

"NO... What if next time he doesn't let you go until he makes you do something you aren't willing to do?" Ren had a hunch where this could be headed and he didn't like it. He knew of scum like that when he was a teen. He would definitely end up killing him if he stained her that way.

She sighed deeply in defeat. "Alright, I'll tell him."