Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Stone ❯ Chapter 5

GW and its characters don't belong to me but to Sunrise/SOTSU Agency, Bandai, etc. etc.

Well another installment of Blood Stone. No real warnings here so it's basically safe for all to read. I just hope I'm not letting anyone down with this chapter and that it's as well liked as the others that I' have written. So I'm setting my apprehension aside and thanking Beck, Andiee, Mandy, and Saz who last night prodded me to just stop fretting and post the thing.

Enjoy.

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Relena may have not been able to break the hold of his gaze upon her, but she would be damned if she showed fear, and so she hardened her own eyes and leered back at him.

"If you think you can make me cower before you, you're wrong!" She spoke the words and with a graceful leap, jumped to the branches of the tree that neighbored the one she had climbed. She could feel the light breeze upon her skin and her ears picked up the sound of the gurgling river and not far off, roar of the waterfalls that fed it.

With a grace all his own, Heero mimicked her path and was soon in the same tree as she was once again.

"Then why are you running? Stay and fight me, or are you as much of a coward as my cousin?"

"Duo is not a coward! He's very brave!" She spat the words in her ex-friend's defense, though she knew not why, when he had so obviously betrayed her.

"Defending the man who used you? My, it must be love."

Relena jumped to yet another tree, her lighter weight barely bending the branches as she landed on them. Heero's larger frame and weight, however made more of an impact as he continued to trail her and she found she had to grip tightly onto to the limbs as the trees shook with his added presence. She found her anger and glared at him again.

"I don't love Duo! But, at least Duo was my friend…for a little while…he was kind to me!"

A deep growl bore low in Heero's throat, for he could not stand hearing her speaking so fondly of another male. He swung yet again, following her as she leapt to another tree.

"So you do love him…pity he, or no other male can feel that way about you. You are so pathetic and homely…so human, though your sudden boldness and fighting skills do intrigue me. Why keep the secret? Oh yes, daddy would not have approved. After all, his couldn't stand to see his little angel get hurt now, could he?"

"Why don't you just kill me? Why constantly torment me?"

"I have fun tormenting you, so killing you would take a good deal of joy out of my life. You need to pay for the discord you've brought upon all of us with your presence. Even turning my own father against me. I hate you and always will."

She could barely hear his words as the crashing din of the falls echoed in her ears; she looked down and saw herself right above the place where the falls kissed the river.

"Father doesn't hate you! He loves you! The imagined slights are all in your head! You are insane and cruel! How can you even blame me for events I was unable to control?" She looked back up then and saw he was nowhere to be found. "Heero…where…where are you!" Whatever remaining fear she had was now gone, replaced by pure anger, which was evident in her voice. "I'm the coward? You're the one hiding! Be a man and confront me! Stop this childish game of tag!"

"Is this what you mean?"

She gagged on her own breath as he was suddenly in front of her, so close that she could see the streaks of dried blood on his face from the wound she had inflicted on him earlier.

"You bastard!" She screamed at him as she grasped a fistful of his hair and pulled on it while sinking her teeth once again into him, though the target now was his ear. He was able to counter however and gripped one of his hands around her throat, forcing her to let go of him but not before she tucked her knee to her waist and then pushed it forward, the ball of her foot making harsh contact with his groin.

He grimaced his face but did not let go of her. "You think a little trick like that would work with me?"

"Maybe not the first time!" Her throat stung with the hoarse out cry as she slapped one hand down on his breech-covered sex, gripping it tightly making sure that her nails sunk into the material as much as possible. This time Heero did flinch back as he felt the pinch and stabbing of her fingernails. He released her with a profane cry and she desperately scrambled her hands grabbing hold of a branch. But it proved to brittle too hold her weight and it snapped in two, sending her falling down amongst the falls.

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Lucrezia Noin paced back and forth nervously, finding herself biting her nails to the quick. She turned quickly as she heard Milliardo moan and hurried over to his bedside where she wiped away the sweat from his brow with a cold damp cloth. The poison had been working its way out of his body, causing him as much if not more pain then when it actually ran through his veins.

"Just a little longer, my love, then we will be out of here for good and back home safely in Cinq."

He tried to speak, but his words were slurred and unrecognizable, though the strong squeeze that the woman doctor felt him giving her hand gave her all the hope that she needed.

Please, Rigor, she prayed silently, please make it in time.

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Odin the wolf sprang gracefully from the high bolder to land in front of Rigor. When he rose to his feet it was as his human self, physically withered with age, though the wild fire that swirled in his dark blue eyes conveyed he was still quite strong in spirit. Close behind him were other male wolves of his clan, minus Quatre, Duo and Heero.

"Lady Noin sent you I see. So that means she wishes to make the move tonight."

More than intimidated and afraid, Rigor gulped somewhat before speaking. "Y, yes, she was going to wait, but things as they are…the queen herself may soon come after her. She only waits for your assistance, as well as that of the soldiers of Cinq."

"We're here, Rigor."

The wolves and servant turned to see the captain of the guards of the Cinq army, Otto, sliding down from his horse.

"I would have expected more men with you, or are the human warriors of Cinq afraid to fight even for their own king?"

The dirty blonde haired captain leered over at the one who had spoke, a small but sturdy looking werewolf with coal black hair, and eyes that matched.

"We were told to move without drawing much attention. A bigger unit would have drawn much suspicion, don't you think? But then, being an animal I don't expect your brain to comprehend such strategy."

With a low snarl the dark eyed werewolf took a step forward, only to be held back by another werewolf with long spiky bangs that covered one of his catching green eyes. "Wufei, hold back. This is not the time. Why don't we go look for Heero?"

"Fine Trowa, but it's not like he's going to like working with these humans anymore then we will."

Just as those two had left, the other two of Heero's hunting pack arrived and when they took on human form, the one whose hair shone like the white heat of the sun questioned the one with the long thick dark braid about the scratches that marred his cheek.

"Like I told Hildie, Quatre, I was attacked, caught off guard by some animal while napping."

"What kind of animal?"

"Don't know I didn't see it."

"But couldn't you smell it? Your hair is soaked, did you fall in the river too?"

Completely aggravated now, Duo grabbed Quatre's shirt collar and jerked him forward and seethed venomously. "I was caught off guard, I told you. Let's drop it." Releasing him, he then turned from his fellow hunter hoping he did not catch the panic in his eyes; for the real reason he had jumped into the river was in attempt to rid himself of Relena's smell.

Not intimidated in the least, the blonde held his own ground and opened his mouth to ask another question, though he was cut off by Odin's voice telling them that they would approach the castle along with the human soldiers but hold back, only giving them support if necessary. Rigor had left minutes before to relate to Lucrezia that the rescue was near.

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Heero caught his breath as he watched Relena fall into the rushing river, and with reasons he did not know or simply denied, he found himself diving in after her.

Her breath was knocked completely out of her when her body hit the water and plummeted immediately down to the bottom. She fought desperately to stay aware and gain her bearings, but her head slammed into a jagged rock and, her body fell limp from unconsciousness.

"Relena!" Heero screamed, knowing it was futile, for the roar of the falls only swallowed his voice. He dove in again, finding himself panic stricken, confused and frustrated with his conduct. His views and actions had always been clear-cut except when it had come to his adopted sister. Emerging again, he yelled for her once more, his heart wanting to die when she did not respond. No, no, don't let her be… "Relena." With a final dive under the water he now saw her body floating up to the surface and when he reached her he grasped her around her waist and hauled the top half of her above the surface. Her head lulled backward over his shoulder even as he swam with her towards the nearest protruding bolder. He hoisted her atop the large rock and cupped her head between his hands bringing his face to her nose. When he felt no breath upon his cheek, he gently pried her lips apart and brought his own down upon them administering to her his own breath.

After several seconds her eyes sprang wide open and she began to cough and sputter as Heero bent her forward until she coughed out the water that had entered her lungs. The situation she was in, soon dawned on her and she tried to break away from her savior's hold, but he held tight his grip on her, pressing his body against her own, trapping her beneath him even as they lay at an angle.

"Did you only bring me back to life so that you could kill me yourself."

When he did not reply right away, she focused her eyes on his and saw the anger mostly gone, replaced by the look that she had seen in Duo's eyes, just moments before… "No you don't!" She pushed against him and struggled, but to no avail.

"You think it's so easy, but don't you see?" Heero began calmly, even as his resentful feelings for her battled with the wanton feelings that had attacked him when he had found his lips in contact with hers. "You are the one who torments me." With one long, sensuous lap of his tongue he licked at the bloodied wound on her temple. He felt her shudder at his touch and smirked devilishly, his tongue now pressing for assess into her slightly parted lips. Whether it was the attraction she had felt for him or simply the moment itself, she found that she was permitting him to kiss her however he wanted, longing for it even…what's happening to me…how is it he can make me feel so weak? He pulled away, but did not break contact as he pressed his forehead to hers, her face still cupped in his large, warm hands.

"Tell me, Runt. How can one hate someone, yet love them at the same time? This is the pain you've caused…this battle that has waged inside of me for years."

Relena's brain felt as if it were on overload and about to explode. She was finding herself lightheaded as she registered the words that he had just spoken to her. He loves me…it can't be… this is another trick of his, another way to make a fool of me. She began to struggle against him again. "You, you're crazy. How dare you…after all you have put me through…the harsh words…the threats of death! Get away from me! I hate you!"

"But don't you want me to be your friend? Even for a little while?" He lifted his head from her and their eyes locked onto each other's, and even as she hated him for mocking her, she still searched his solid blue depths for an explanation, depths that were growing lustful again, underlined with a feral anger. "No one denies me what I want…especially you. I've done a poor job of trying to kill you, so I wonder…" He leaned into her for another kiss, but his ears picked up voices that called his name. He released Relena then, but not before issuing yet another warning command.

"Get out of the water and dry yourself off. We will continue this later and you will wait for me in the cave behind the falls. You know it is not wise to defy me." He then dove back into the water and swam towards the shore.

Like hell I will! You are not my master and I will not be like the other females and obey your every command. After all, I'm not a wolf, am I Heero. She then slipped into the water herself and began swimming for shore, knowing that now she had only one option left.

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In lupine form, Heero met up with his fellow hunters who though giving him an odd look did not question why it was his fur was drenched, instead they simply told him that it was time for them to help assist in the freeing of King Milliardo from Marimeia's castle. And as disdainful as the thought that they were aiding humans was to him, the heir of Blood Stone would comply with his father's wishes.

TBC…