InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 4: Justification ❯ Fleshwound ( Chapter 74 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Gin lifted her head off Cain's chest and shook her head.  "Okay, what's bothering you?"

Scowling at the ceiling, Cain wrinkled his nose and shrugged.  "Wh—?"

"And don't tell me that nothing's bothering you when you've been acting strange since you came to pick me up."

"Your brother has a habit of irritating me," he grumbled.

Gin grimaced.  She'd tried to slip out of the hospital without her family noticing.  Unfortunately, Kichiro had taken to watching her like a hawk, and when she spotted Cain outside the building from her perch by the window, he'd followed her down the stairs and to the front doors.

"Thanks for coming to get me," she said as she stopped in front of Cain.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and narrowed his eyes.  "What the—?  Perfume?"

Gin shrugged, hoping that her cheeks weren't as hot as she thought they were.  "Do you like it?" she asked, twisting her fingers together and hoping that she didn't sound as lame as she thought she did.

"Like it?" he echoed as his menacing scowl darkened.  "Why are you wearing it?"

"I thought it was pretty."

"Uh huh . . ."

"You're not about to yell at my sister, are you?" Kichiro asked, stepping beside Gin and glowering at the youkai.

Gin gasped softly.  She hadn't realized that he'd followed her.  Her sense of smell was too overwhelmed by the perfume in question for her to notice anyone else approaching.  Casting a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one else was about to waylay her, she placed a hand on Kichiro's arm and shook her head just a little.  "Everything's fine, nii-chan . . ."

"Is it?"

She nodded.  "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Actually," Cain cut in, his tone clipped, controlled.  "I wasn't going to yell at her, no . . . why would I?"

Kichiro shrugged offhandedly.  "Don't know . . . for the same reason you've yelled at her before, maybe?"

"Nii-chan . . ."

He ignored Gin's gentle pleading.

"Watch yourself," Cain warned.

Kichiro snorted.  "Yeah, I won't fall apart if you yell at me, so by all means . . ."

Cain glowered at him for another moment before dropping his gaze to Gin again.  "Are you ready?"

She nodded, casting her brother a pleading glance.  "It's okay, nii-chan . . ."

Kichiro snorted.  "You know, can't say I blame her.  I'd rather stink of perfume than reek of a bastard like you."

Breaking into a low growl as he glared at Kichiro, Cain looked like he was considering mayhem.  Gin hurried to his side and tugged his hand.  "Come on, Cain . . . Nii-chan is just looking out for me."

Cain shoved her behind his back and stepped toward Kichiro.  "Because you love her, I won't take offense to what you've said.  Take care not to make the same mistake again.  I'm not trying to hurt your sister.  Get that through your head."

Kichiro didn't say anything else as he and Cain glared at one another.  Gin grabbed Cain's hand and pulled.  "It's okay, Cain . . . Will you take me home now?"

He didn't seem to hear her for a moment but finally nodded and let Gin drag him out of the hospital and onto the sidewalk.

But Cain's irritation hadn't ended then.  He hadn't snapped at her, and she wasn't sure if she would really call it 'irritation' quite so much as complete preoccupation that had lasted all evening.  Oddly, she had a feeling that it didn't really have anything to do with her.  She only wished she knew what was really bothering him.  Cain wouldn't say.

"I can tell there's something on your mind other than Kichiro-nii-chan," she said quietly.  "If you talk about it, you might feel better."

Cain sighed and carefully pushed her aside so that he could sit up.  "I . . . I'm not sure."

"Not sure?"

He shook his head and stood, pacing the floor with his arms crossed over his chest, prowling restlessly, as though he couldn't help himself.  "It's just . . . Bellaniece was trying to tell me something today, I think.  I don't know . . . It's just bugging me."

Gin sat up, wrapping her arms around her raised knees.  "You could go talk to her."

He shook his head again.  "She's sleeping."

"If it's important enough to concern you . . ."

Pacing the floor a few more moment, Cain considered Gin's suggestion.  "I don't think I'm going to like whatever it is she was trying to tell me," he confessed.

Grimacing at the almost frightened glance he shot her, Gin tried to smile, to reassure him.  "It can't be that bad, could it?"

Cain paused beside the bed and sat back down, reaching out to run his fingertips along her cheek as a tender little smile surfaced.  "I feel like I'm losing her, Gin, and I don't know why."

Gin caught his wrist, turned her face to press a kiss to his palm as Bellaniece's words echoed through her head.  "Will you not tell Daddy?  I know you and he are close, and I'm glad, but . . . I want to tell him.  I owe him that.  I've tried to tell him, you know?  It's just hard."

Sitting up and wrapping her arms around her legs, she propped her chin on her raised knees and shrugged.  "Then go ask her.   She adores you."

Cain hooked his knuckle under her chin and lifted her face, eyes searching the depths of her gaze as he nodded.  "You're right.  I'm being stupid."

"You're not being stupid."

Brushing his lips over hers, Cain closed his eyes, pulled her close.  Gin sighed, hands on his shoulders and let herself forget everything but the feel, the taste of his kiss.  He broke it off, leaned his forehead against hers, chuckling softly, seeming to draw strength from her to bolster his flagging spirits.  "I'll be back after I talk to her.  Is that okay?"

Gin nodded, offering him a quick hug and a smile.

He stood up and stared at her for a moment before dissolving into his energy form and zipping out the window.

Gin lay back down, pulling the covers up to her chest as she rolled onto her side, running her fingertips lightly over her lips.  A shiver slipped down her spine, and she smiled.  "Cain," she whispered, blinking quickly to stave back the mistiness that gathered in her eyes.  She had a good guess as to what Bellaniece had been trying to tell him, and while he might not like it, she knew he would try to understand.

Her smile faded as another thought intruded.  'If Bellaniece tells Cain she's found her mate, he'd be free, wouldn't he?  Free to follow Isabelle?'

'Maybe not, doll; maybe not . . . Don't dwell on that.  Just concentrate on now.  As long as you need him, remember?  He promised you that.'

'He promised me that, but what does it mean?  Every day I need him a little bit more . . . Every day that goes by . . .'

Her mother's voice whispered in her head, the words that she wanted to understand.  "Don't you know that the only way you could ever let me down would be if you didn't follow your heart?"

Gin sighed and buried her face deeper into the pillow.  'My heart . . .'

The soft gust of wind announced Cain's reappearance.  He spoke before his body had completely solidified again, and Gin sat up, brow furrowing in alarm at the panic evident in his tone.  "She's gone.  I've got to go find her.  Bellaniece is gone."

"Wait," Gin said, lunging toward him to catch his hand.  "She's not home?"

"No, she's not.  Where the hell would she be?  It's the middle of the night!"

"Oh, yeah . . . he's researching the prevention of actual mating via the use of condoms, and it works.  I mean, he says it all has to do with the introduction of semen into the woman's reproductive system, so the condoms prevent that."

Gin made a face.  "Uh . . . Cain . . .  Maybe you should wait for her."

"What?"

She sighed.  "Maybe you should wait for her.  I think she's safe."

Shaking his head slowly as he pondered Gin's words, Cain narrowed his eyes as suspicion seeped over him.  "Do you know something?"

Gin grimaced.  "I . . . um . . . I think Bellaniece should tell you.  I . . . promised."

Cain's mouth fell open, and he shook his head.  "Oh, God . . . Where is she?"

Gin bit her lip and flattened her ears but remained silent.

"I'm not going to like it, am I?"

She tried to smile.  It must not have worked because Cain winced.

"It's that brother of yours, isn't it?  Damn it, I should have seen that coming . . ."

"Cain, will you give her a chance to explain?"

"Oh, I'm going to kill that self-righteous little—"

Gin got to her feet and hurried to Cain's side before he could take off again.  Grabbing his hand, she held on tight.  "He's my brother, and he's not a bad guy."

"Depends on your definition of 'bad', baby girl."

Though he looked like he wanted to rip something to shreds, Cain finally sighed and nodded once.  "An hour, Gin.  If she's not home in one hour, I'm going to kill your brother."

Gin nodded and let go of his hand.  Cain rubbed his face and strode out of the room.  She heard the front door close moments later, and Gin hurried to find her cell phone.  With any luck, she could reach either Bellaniece or Kichiro.  She didn't doubt for a moment that Cain really would go after her brother if Bellaniece didn't show up soon . . .

Growling in frustration as she got transferred over to voicemail from Kichiro's cell phone, Gin hung up and tried Bellaniece's number.  'It would help,' she thought sourly as she snapped her phone closed and dropped it onto the coverlet, 'if people would answer their stupid phones!'

Reaching for the outfit she'd changed out of before bed, she dressed hurriedly and checked her watch.  Nearly four-thirty in the morning . . . If Bellaniece wasn't home by five, Gin would have to see if she couldn't distract Cain somehow . . .


Bellaniece swung her legs over the window sill and slipped into the bedroom.  Stopping long enough to peek outside, she waved as Kichiro grinned at her just before leaping back onto the roof.  With a soft sigh, she stared at her engagement ring, winking at her in the moonlight.

'He's really something,' she thought with a grin.  'Bellaniece Izayoi . . . I like that.'

'That's not what you told him.'

She laughed.  'Well, of course not!  I have to keep him on his toes, don't I?'

'That's just demented.'

'Not even you can spoil my mood,' she shot back, pulling the window closed and twirling around in quick pirouette.

Her stomach growled before her youkai could comment, and Bellaniece sighed but smiled.  'All right, then.  Feed us, will you?'

True enough, youkai didn't really have to eat.  Still it was an indulgence that Bellaniece loved far too much to give up.  Skipping across the room, she grasped the doorknob and turned it.

"So you do remember where you live."

Bellaniece gasped and squeaked out a sharp little scream as she jumped away from the door—and her very haggard-looking father.  "D-Daddy . . ."

He sighed, leaning in the doorway, eyes darkened in the murky shadows.  "Where were you, Bellaniece?"

She pressed her lips together, trying to think of a way to explain things to her father when the evidence that he had in front of him was damning at best.  "I . . ."

"You were with him, right?  Dr. Dipshit?"

"Daddy, he's not . . ." Trailing off when Cain lowered his chin, staring through his eyelashes at her in the 'Don't-Lie-To-Me' way that he rarely used with her, Bellaniece nodded.  "Yes."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed as he sighed once more.  "Do I want to know what you were doing over there at this hour?"

"I was . . . umm . . . I . . . lost track of time; that's all!"

"Lost track of time, doing what?"

She tried smiling brightly, hoping that she could sidetrack her father.  "What are you doing up so early?"

"Trying to figure out where the hell my daughter is."

"Oh . . . Well, I'm home now.  You should get some sleep.  You look really, really tired."

"Bellaniece—"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"I'll ask you one more time: what were you doing with Dr. Dead-man?"

Wringing her hands and trying not to fidget, she grimaced at his choice of wording.  "You wouldn't hurt him, would you?"

"Thinking about it."

"But you can't hurt him, Daddy!  He's my—"

"Your what?"

"My . . . My . . . My . . ."

Cain's face contorted as he shook his head incredulously.  "Oh, God . . . Ungh!"

Wincing as Cain's face took on a sickly pallor, Bellaniece nearly whined as she shifted from one foot to the other.  "Are you going to faint?"

Cain snorted.  "Pfft!  Hardly . . . What are your plans with . . . him?"

"I'm his princess," she whispered, gaze dropping to the floor as she waited for her father's tirade to kick into full swing.

"You're his . . .?  Do you love him?"

"Yes."

Cain looked completely horrified.  "Does he love you?"

"Yes . . . I think so . . ."

"What?"

"I mean, he hasn't really said as much, but he—"

Bellaniece's words were cut off as Cain grabbed her wrist and dragged her along behind him as he strode through the apartment and into the hallway.  Stopping before Gin's door, he knocked and glanced at his daughter as Gin opened it, eyes shifting from Cain to Bellaniece and back again.  "Watch her.  Don't let her out of your sight."

He seemed calm enough.  Bellaniece hurried into the apartment and stood behind Gin.  All things considered, Cain was taking the news far better than she had expected he would.

"Okay," Gin agreed.  "Where are you going?"

"Oh, that's easy," Cain remarked.  "I'm going to go murder Dr. Strangelove."

"Who?" Gin asked as Bellaniece gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Daddy, you can't!"

Cain rolled his eyes and turned on his heel to stalk away.

"Was he talking about Kichiro-nii-chan?" Gin asked.

Bellaniece groaned and twisted her fingers nervously.  "Yes . . ."

"He wouldn't, would he?" Gin questioned.

Bellaniece bit her lip and shook her head.  She wasn't sure.  She'd never seen her father like that before.  To be completely honest, she wasn't sure what, exactly, he was thinking; not at all . . .


Cain clenched his fists and drew a few deep breaths as he tried to tell himself that he had to remain calm for Bellaniece's sake.  'She loves him, right?  Damn it . . . That sorely limits the mayhem I had in mind . . .'

'We could still maim him.  That's not completely out of the question . . .'

'You're not helping . . .'

'I'm being encouraging.  That's what a good youkai voice does.'

Drawing another deep breath, Cain knocked on the door.

'I can't believe she chose Dr. Ass-monkey.'

'For once, we are in complete agreement, Cain . . .'

Dr. Ass-monkey opened the door in a pair of black silk boxers, rubbing the shallow vale in the center of his chest as his ears twitched.  "Oh, good.  Just the person I was hoping was beating on my door at—" he checked his watch, "—five-thirty in the morning."

The low growl that slipped from Cain had nothing at all to do with the belligerence in Kichiro's tone, but had everything to do with the overpowering scent that filled his nose as the doctor opened the door.  Kichiro, Bellaniece, and  . . . sex . . .

'Sex?  But Bellaniece—"

"He's researching the use of condoms to prevent accidental mating . . ."

'Oh, my God . . .'

Emanating from the good doctor, the smell was nearly overwhelming, and before Cain could consider his actions, he grabbed the hanyou and threw him against the wall beside the door, head thumping against the building with a loud, if not completely satisfying, thud.  Kichiro fell to the ground as Cain cracked his knuckles.  "If you're smart, you'll stay down and just nod or shake your head as I ask you questions.  Got that?"

Slowly rising to his knees before pushing himself back to his feet, Kichiro didn't take his eyes off Cain.  "Yeah, well, smart, maybe.  Then again, I'm not afraid of the likes of you."

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Kichiro shrugged but didn't retreat.  "What did your daughter say?"

"Wrong answer," Cain growled, shoving Kichiro against the wall again, and again Kichiro stood up, though this time a little slower than the first.  "I'll ask you again: what are your intentions with my daughter?"

"And I'll ask you again: what did Belle say?"

"She didn't, so I'm asking you."

"And I'm telling you that if you want to know, you'd damn well better ask her."

Cain shoved him against the wall again.  Kichiro grunted as he forced himself back to his feet.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, the scent of the hanyou's blood registered.  It didn't lessen the desire to demolish Kichiro Izayoi.  "Are you using Bellaniece in your research?"

"Of course I am, and she loves it," Kichiro taunted.

With a growl, Cain grabbed Kichiro with one hand to his throat and slammed him against the wall yet again.

"Are you telling me that you're using my daughter as your guinea pig?  You're using her?"

"For a tai-youkai, you really are stupid, aren't you?  Not bad enough that you can't quite stop fucking up my sister's life, but you don't pay a damn bit of attention to your own daughter, do you?  The research, you ask?  That's secondary.  What Belle and I do together is none of your fucking business."

Cain let go of the doctor only to swing his closed fist at Kichiro, catching the hanyou square in the jaw and sending him flying back into the wall for the fifth time.  This time Kichiro had more trouble getting to his feet.  Shaking his head as he blinked to stave back a wave of dizziness, he stood up, wiping a trickle of blood off his split lip with the back of his hand.  Cain growled and reached for him again, only to be stopped by two female voices—two female faces—two female bodies.  Bellaniece ferreted her way between the two men, pushing her father back with her hands on his chest while Gin planted herself in front of her brother, staring at Cain in something akin to acute rage.

"Daddy, you hurt him!" Bellaniece wailed, the salt of her tears assailing his nostrils.

"Yeah, that was the plan," Cain remarked dryly, trying to push Bellaniece aside.  "Get out of the way, Gin."

"No!  He's my brother!" Gin hissed as Cain strode toward them.

"Move it, baby girl.  This is between that bastard and me," Kichiro insisted though he didn't try to move Gin.

"You're hurt," Gin snarled.  "Shut up for once, will you?  Both of you are acting like children!"

"Daddy, please!  He's bleeding!"

Rounding on his daughter, pinning her with an incredulous stare, Cain waved his hand toward Kichiro as he shook his head.  "He's been using you, Bellaniece!  Doesn't that matter to you at all?"

"No, he isn't," she whispered.  "Kichiro . . . you need to tell him."

"Tell me what?" Cain demanded.

Bellaniece winced and swallowed hard.  "He's my mate, Daddy.  We're going to be married."

Growling as he stared at the engagement ring sparkling on Bellaniece's slender finger, Cain gritted his teeth, unable to trust himself to speak.

Kichiro snorted.  "Keh!  She's mine, old man, you got that?  Now get the fuck out of her way.  She belongs with me."

"Will you just shut up?" Gin hissed.  "You're just making it worse."

"Worse?  You want worse?  Might as well say it, then.  We're going to be mates; we're going to be married.  What we're not going to do is have any pups."

Cain's growl died as he swung around to face Kichiro.  "What?"

"Yeah, you heard me.  No pups.  Ever.  Period."

The snarl that erupted from Cain's throat was one borne of pure outrage.  "Move, Gin . . . Your brother and I need to . . . talk."

"No, Cain.  You've already made your point."

"Oh, I don't think I have . . ."

Bellaniece grabbed his arm again.  "It's fine, Daddy . . . We just decided that we want to be each other's family, that's all."

She wouldn't meet her father's gaze, shuffling her feet as she stared miserably at the concrete.  "Bellaniece . . . you've always wanted pups . . . ever since I can remember, you've talked about them."

"I . . . changed my mind."

"You changed your mind . . . or did that little shit change your mind for you?"

"It was my choice," Bellaniece mumbled.

Kichiro snorted.  "Not everyone is as narrow-minded as you, Zelig.  Belle and I talked about it, which is more than I can say for what you've done to Gin."

"Nii-chan, leave it alone," Gin muttered, eyes glowing as she shot her brother a warning look.

"This isn't about Gin and me," Cain growled, pushing Gin aside as he grabbed Kichiro by the throat once more, hefting Kichiro off his feet as Cain shook Gin's hands off his arm gently but firmly.  "This is about you and the price my daughter is expected to pay for being your mate."

"It was my choice, Daddy!  Put him down!  Please!"

He shook Bellaniece off, too.  "Fine," Cain said, his voice even, calm.  With a blur of movement, Cain sent Kichiro flying off the porch.  Landing flat on his back in the middle of the front yard, Kichiro stubbornly pushed himself to his feet again, chest heaving as he struggled to breathe.  Cain strode down the steps and over to glower at Kichiro as the girls ran over to try to stop the one-sided fight.  "You might be the ass my daughter chose, but until you marry her, you can stay the hell away from her."

"If Belle wants to see me, I'll come get her.  Back off, Zelig.  She's my mate."

Cain glowered at Kichiro for another moment before grabbing Bellaniece's wrist and tugging her toward the driveway.  "Come on, Bellaniece.  You're coming home with me."

"Daddy!" Bellaniece pleaded.  "You hurt him!  I'm staying here!"

"This is not negotiable."

The obstinate set of her jaw did little to dissuade Cain from his insistence.  Bellaniece jerked her arm away from him and stepped back, eyes bright, shimmering in the light of the early morning sun.  "No, Daddy," she whispered, shaking her head as tears pooled in her eyes.  "I'm staying."

Cain stared at his daughter for several seconds.  Unsure what to say to her, what to do, he sighed and shook his head before turning and stalking toward the dirt road.

Kichiro grimaced as he swayed on his feet.  Gin slipped her arm around his waist to support him.  He glared at her for a moment but didn't try to push her away.  The pain in Bellaniece's youki was tangible to him, and despite his desire to keep her right there, he knew deep down that she needed to talk to her father; to try to make things right if she possibly could.  "Belle, you need to go.  You need to talk to him."

"But—"

He shook his head and forced a smile he was far from feeling.  Head throbbing, back aching, split lip stinging painfully, all he wanted to do was crawl into a hole and pass out.  He couldn't do that; not in front of her.  "No, it's fine.  I'm fine.  Just go on."

She opened and closed her mouth a couple times then finally nodded before dashing after Cain, falling in step beside him.

Kichiro let out the pained breath he'd been holding in, leaning more heavily on Gin for a moment.  "You need to go, too."

Gin shot him a look that plainly proclaimed her belief that he'd lost his mind.  "You're hurt," she insisted.  "Let me help you get cleaned up."

"Please.  Don't let him yell at her.  Don't let him hurt her because of me."

"Cain wouldn't—"

"Gin . . ."

"Why didn't you dodge him?  You've spent years dodging Ryomaru."

"Did you want me to fight back?"

"Not fight, no . . ."

He shrugged.  "I don't know.  Maybe I thought . . . If he were ticked off at me, maybe he wouldn't be ticked off at Belle."

Gin scowled at Kichiro's reasoning but didn't comment on it.  "Will you be okay?"

He nodded.  She didn't look like she believed him, but she let her arms drop.  "I'll be back to help you.   Can you make it inside?"

"Keh!  He wasn't so tough," Kichiro grumbled.  "Go catch up with them, will you?"

Gin sighed and nodded slowly.  "Okay."

Kichiro watched as Gin ran after them.  He managed to stay on his feet until they were out of view.  Dropping face-first into the grass, he groaned and grimaced as his the pain in his body intensified.  'Just a few minutes,' he thought as conscious thought became more difficult.  'Lie here for a few minutes, then I'll go inside . . .'