Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction ❯ Lullaby for a Stormy Night ❯ Chapter 2- Dog Fight ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2- Dog fight

 

 

 

“How's Shura doing, Heart?” Akira asked as she entered the door of their little den.

 

Heart sat on a fallen pillar where Shura lay on her side in her wolf form. She was so beautiful in that form that she looked like a husky dog of the finest blood-line! She had chocolate brown fur with a light cream, off-white under belly and legs. Shura's eyes would be violet if they were open, but right now, the pregnant wolf lay sleeping under the moon ray that shimmered through the doorway.

 

Heart started to look up to Akira slowly from where she was previously watching over the she-wolf in deep thought, “She hasn't moved a muscle since she fell asleep, but her pregnancy is causing her to stay in wolf form for now. I don't think she'll be able to revert back as a human until after the pups are…,” she trailed off when she saw the girl wasn't alone.

 

Heart watched fully alert as 4 males poured into the small den. Her heart stopped when one of them was devastatingly familiar to her. Why was HE here?

 

`I thought he died!'

 

“Akira….. What's going on?” she growled in a light warning when the youngest one of the bunch started to curiously approach Shura's sleeping form.

 

Akira smiled apologetically, “Come on, Heart, don't be like Zali! They mean us no harm,” Akira tried to smooth the wolfs' ruffled fur, “They didn't have a place to rest. So I'm letting them stay here with us tonight. It's chilly anyway and it'll keep us all warmer with so many of us here.”

 

“How do you think Shura will take this?” Heart was a little angry that Akira just decided to let this group of strangers in their den so willingly. Seriously, she needed to learn to be a little more preserving!

 

“She'd bite our heads off if she found out we let them sleep out in the cold like the others were willing to do and you know it.” Akira said with a monotone voice.

 

“If we're really that much trouble,” Kiba started.

 

“Oh, don't be mislead by her words.” Akira turned to him with a roll of her eyes, “Heart's also one that doesn't like to trust people.” She then whispered so only he could hear, “And she's protective as hell!”

 

“Not like you DON'T need it with how trusting you are!” Heart shot back.

 

Kiba and the others watched amused as Akira struggled to apologize to Heart.

 

“I-I-I'm sorry H-Heart! It's not that it's just…. Well….” Akira stumbled for the right word.

 

Heart arched an amused brow, “I'm waiting,”

 

At that show of attitude, Akira bristled, “You're just so damn over bearing!”

 

“What do you expect me to do? LET you go out on your own to do whatever the hell you wish?! Not likely princess. You'd be hauled off somewhere by lord knows what with in 2 days!” Heart laughed at Akira's expanse.

 

Before Akira could retaliate, Heart waved her off to say she was just kidding, “Well, can I at least know who they are if I'm to let them stay here with out dismembering them?”

 

Hige flinched, “This chick is crazy,” he mumbled low enough she didn't hear.

 

Tsume grunted in agreement. She reminded him of someone as well, but he didn't feel like bringing up the past now.

 

 

When Akira's eyes widened and her cheeks let a light blush surface, Heart felt like strangling the she-wolf, “Akira, tell me you didn't just invite 4 strange wolves in our home without getting their names.”

 

“Uhhh…. Yes?”

 

“AKIRA!” Heart snapped.

 

“Toboe.”

 

“Huh?” Heart and the others looked at the young boy who was the wolf just out of his pup years.

 

The kid smiled and pointed to himself, “My name is Toboe.” He pointed to the others while he named them off as well, “and this is Hige, Kiba, and Tsume.”

 

Akira smiled back while Heart just stared wryly at Tsume who glared back, “Well then, this is Heart and the wolf sleeping right now is my step mother, Shura.”

 

Hige looked over the sleeping wolf and cocked his head, “she's gained a lot of weight, but I thought this place was sucked dry of any food.”

 

“She's pregnant.” Akira simply explained.

 

The others looked surprised, “Pregnant?” Kiba echoed.

 

“But even still, she looks a little bigger than normal.” Hige marveled. It wasn't very often that one saw a pregnant wolf anymore. Or even pups!

 

“The others and I believe she's with more than one pup. Maybe even three or four.” Heart explained.

 

“Wow, she got banged up pretty good,” Tsume said crudely.

 

“Tsume!” Toboe tried to sound scolding.

 

Heart glared at him, “I thought that was you.” She let a low growl escape her, “Why are you still alive?”

 

Okay ….. Now everyone was confused except for Tsume and the snarling she-wolf.

 

After a good few minutes of a staring contest, Tsume smirked cockily, “Guess you thought wrong then, huh? Here I am in the flesh and blood. So I guess your little boy toy wasn't enough to kill some one like me.”

 

“He thought you betrayed all of us! You're one to talk though, with how you ran away and all.” She shot back, “I didn't get there in time to tell him what really happened.”

 

“You actually think he'd have listened?” Tsume challenged with a light snarl which she answered just as strongly.

 

 

“Bastard!”

 

“Bitch.”

 

 

“Son of a-,”

 

“Heart!” every one looked across the small room by the fallen pillar Heart left behind to see the wolf's violet eyes open now, “That's enough.”

 

“But Shura!” Heart protested.

 

“If you really need to get out frustration that you've got so built up in you, go outside or something, but don't take it out on them!” Shura's wolf eyes bore into Hearts Autumn ones with a pleading look.

 

Heart sighed. She hated how she had a soft spot for the violet-eyed she-wolf and her step daughter, “Fine, I'm going out to vent then. I'll see you at the station tomorrow, Akira.” With that, Heart became her wolf form.

 

Her dark silvery black fur flashed and her white upside down hear marking blazed in the moonlight as the red eyes wolf darted outside and out of sight. Leaving the group behind her to watch as she left the cemetery yard.

 

“Forgive Heart.” Shura's gentle voice made everyone look away from the trail left by the angered wolf, “She's seen and had so much happen lately. I think she was just trying to find someone to vent on.” She looked up to Tsume, “She didn't anger you, did she?”

 

Tsumes usually cold stare lightened only a fraction at the she-wolfs concern even in her stressful state of being pregnant, “No. No, I'll live.” He said with an air of indifference.

 

Akira looked mournfully at the door, “It's my fault she got upset. I should have known she wouldn't take kindly to strangers I just happened to come by with courtesy.” She started for the door, “I'm goanna go find her,”

 

“Akira, give her sometime to cool off before you approach her, okay? She needs a good few moments to herself.” Shura warned.

 

Nodding, Akira also reverted to her own wolf form. She was smaller than average with a fox-like look to her. She had a blood red coat with black fur from her elbows down and the tips of her ears as well as her shoulders were also lined in black. She had a white muzzle and around her eyes was black, but her tail looked as if someone dipped its tip in white paint. She looked cute, but very strange. They knew she was a wolf, but if they didn't know otherwise, she'd be a large fox in their eyes.

 

“Look after Shura for a while, ok?” she said to the boys before leaving to follow the trail Heart had darted off to.

 

“Is she some type of Hybrid?” Hige blinked as he watched the red and black wolf bound off.

 

“I never knew her real mother,” Shura admitted, “and neither Jasper nor Sasuke were very forward with information about her, but I do know that Akira is not a full blooded wolf. Her mother is either half or full fox.”

 

“A hybrid?” Tsume whispered.

 

“Do all hybrids smell like her? Like flowers?” Toboe asked.

 

“You mean the Lunar Flower scent?” the others looked back at the older she-wolf as she lifted her head tiredly, “She was the only one of us able to go near Cheza back at the lab. Sasuke once said that her change in scent was permanent to her because of how often she was near the maiden and thought that Cheza had made a connection to her somehow. She hasn't been the same since we left Free City and Cheza, but I just thought that was due to losing her Father and getting separated from Jasper.”

 

 

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“Why does it have to be so damn cold?” Heart sneezed, “Damn it!” she held her black leather form fitting coat closer to her. Heart wore a sports bra-like black top under it and tight fitting black leather pants with a utility belt that held her daggers and other things she might need. She wore fingerless black gloves and had 2 silver stubbed earrings in her right ear while only a small hoped earring in her left. Her black boots with a small heel clicked against the road as she walked under the moonlight. She had long since reverted back to human form. She tossed her shoulder length black hair out of her face and let the light breeze carry it behind her as she took a breath of air.

 

She could tell Akira was coming after her. No doubt the young wolf was afraid that Heart would go and do something stupid in her anger. But Heart didn't feel like getting caught just now.

 

Picking up her pace, Heart made her way to the station. The many diverse smells there would confuse the novice trackers untrained senses and knock her off Hearts trail.

 

“I have to be there anyways for the morning work.” Heart sighed and made her way to the station.

 

 

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Akira smelled the ground a third time in front of the station, “God damn it! I should have brought Hige or someone with me. Kiba and the others seemed to think he had a good nose for this sort of thing ….. Or was that food?” she shrugged at her own question, “I can't tell where which scent ends and another begins! Damn it! I'm a wolf! I should know how to use my own damn nose!” she snorted at the ground and lifted up her head to the sky.

 

`If she took the time to ward me off, Heart probably wants to be left alone for the night.' She thought. Giving one last worried glance at the station, Akira started back to the Cemetery, “I'll see her in the morning. When I do, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind about how she went off on Tsume like that! Even Heat's above that kind of thing!”

 

She was passing by the alleyway Mose and the others liked to reside in when she smelt blood and looked at the pack with a gasp of surprise when she noticed it was them. She trotted over to them.

 

“Wha-What happened? Who did this to you?” she asked concerned as she made sure no one was in grave danger.

 

The other wolves flinched away when she tried to lick their wounds, “It was that damned white bastard! He came around here look'n for a fight!” one wolf said with a snarl.

 

Akira sucked in a sharp breath and froze with wide orange eyes, `Kiba?'

 

“Don't look so scared, girly,” Mose snickered, “You think we're bad, he was traveling by himself. He looks worse. We finally let him go when we figured he could barely walk.”

 

Akira had a hard time believing that. Mose and the others loved fights. They wouldn't just let Kiba go because he was wounded too much. Kiba must have forced them to let him go by knocking them out or something. But she didn't dare say this out loud.

 

“You sure you're all not hurt?” she asked only half concerned.

 

“Just get back to that over weighted bitch of yours, Girly” Mose snorted.

 

 

Akira wanted nothing more than to repeat what Kiba must have done, but she knew now wasn't the time to cause another fight. Zali and Cole would have her head for causing trouble and Heart wouldn't give her any peace about it either. Lord knows the lecture she'd be forced to listen to with Shura as well. She groaned at the mere thought.

 

Giving the ungrateful wolves an orange glare, Akira sniffed around the left over blood on the walls and streets of the mouth of the ally before she caught Kiba's injured scent and started to follow it.

 

He hadn't gotten far. Just about 2 blocks away before he seemed to stumble into another ally.

 

Akira peered into the dark, narrow ally way and spotted Kiba in his human form as he slumped to the ground and started to curl up and grimace in pain as his wounds stretched. He didn't even seem to notice her there as she stared down at him worried and wandering what she should do.

 

If she stayed with him, the others would smell him on her and could assume the worst. Hearts words earlier echoed in her head when the she-wolf accused her of having a thing for one of them after she saw them meet Zali and the others as well as herself for the first time, and they made her blush. On the other hand, if she left him, what if Mose and the others decided to track him down again after their wounds healed a little more to finish what they started. She didn't need to know he got hurt again by those bastards and she passed up the chance to defend him in his weakened state.

 

Cautiously, the red wolf entered the ally way and sniffed at the unmoving body that lay against the stone wall amongst the trash strewn around the ground. With a whimper, Akira nosed one of the larger bite wounds on Kiba's leg and gave it a timid lick, not wanting to wake him. Seeing him still not moving, Akira got braver in her treating of his wounds as she nuzzled each one in her wolf form trying to somehow make them all better.

 

Kiba awoke the feel of a wet tongue on one of his wounds on his side. He grimaced when a sharp surge of pain hit him. Akira jerked away.

 

“I'm sorry, did I hurt you?” she asked.

 

“Why …. Why are you helping me?” he asked weakly.

 

She seemed surprised at his question. Her ears flicked back and forth before she let them rest near her scull in thought, “Well….. I don't know. Am I just supposed to leave you here like this and let Mose and the others come back?” she countered and her ears stood erect again.

 

“You don't have to help me. If they come, I can take them myself.” He brushed her concern off and moaned as he let his head rest on the ground again.

 

“Yeah, you look like you're in tip top shape to go at it with that pack of roughens for round 2 tonight.” She sighed, “Is it so bad that someone wants to help because it's what they feel is right? Do you want me to just leave you here?”

 

Kiba looked her over with his blue eyes as he studied her wolf form as she waited for an answer. Finally he sighed in defeat and closed his heavy eyes to rest once more, “Do what you want.” He was so tired.

 

He opened his eyes once more as he felt her nose nudge his arm over her head and on her back as she snuggled next to him. She met his curious eyes with shy orange ones, “what? It's cold.”

 

He blinked down at her before he just sighed and dropped the thoughts running through his head. He'd dwell on it when he didn't feel so tired. Her warmth and softness of her fur was making him drowsy. He closed his eyes with a content sigh as the smell of Lunar Flower and fresh rain drifted to him.

 

Akira looked down at him slightly confused. Why did she do this? It's not like she likes him or anything. She didn't fall instantly in love with him. Maybe it was this feeling of restlessness he seemed to calm when she was near him or the others. Or the never ending urge to leave this town and follow them to paradise like she desperately wanted.

 

She was about to drift off herself when she heard a howl in the distance. It was simply a beautiful moonlight wolf song that echoed through out the city and lulled her to sleep.

 

 

 

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Tsume and Toboe wandered around aimlessly until they reached the train station.

 

“What do you say we crash here?” Tsume wasn't asking as he lounged on the bench to rest.

 

Toboe watched the older wolf get comfortable before he looked away sadly, “we're all really breaking apart, aren't we?”

 

Tsume was caught off guard and didn't answer a minute before he answered with his usual tough guy voice, “Tch, who knows. If we are or aren't, it isn't my problem. I'm leaving tomorrow. You can stay or go just like the others, but I don't care.”

 

“So you don't care if your pack never sees each other again?” Tsume sat up alert when he heard and suddenly sensed the she-wolf that sat on a couple of large crates further down in the big arenas platform.

 

Toboe perked up when he saw her too, “Heart?”

 

“So did you decide to follow us and chew me out again, bitch?” Tsume growled, still a little peeved at what she did before.

 

Heart grimaced and leapt down from the crates to approach them, “Look, I didn't mean to come at you so strong like that. Its just ….. It all added up in that moment I guess and I couldn't hold on to my anger any longer at what has happened. When I saw you, I just let it loose with out thinking.” She admitted and tucked her hair behind her ear avoiding Tsumes eyes as she muttered, “I'm sorry, okay?”

 

“You should just let your anger out as it comes to you.” Tsume chided, “Then you won't have to hold it in like this. If you let it out, it gets the point across to people, doesn't it?”

 

Heart blinked surprised that he was actually taking her apology in stride like this and even giving her advice! He had changed.

 

“You know I can't do that.” She sighed with a grateful smile that he didn't try to accuse her any further than what damage has already brought. She sat down on the other end of the bench and looked back between the two of them, “So, where's Fuzzy and Mr. Serious?”

 

She noticed Toboe's crestfallen look, “We separated after you left. We don't have a destination now.” He sadly confessed.

 

“Destination? Where were you boys heading to anyways?” she asked.

 

“Paradise.” Toboe answered.

 

“Paradise?” Heart tested it out on her tongue, “sounds like you still have a destination.”

 

“But the others said it's not real. That path killed a lot of wolves!” Toboe said.

 

“And who says it's the way to paradise?” Heart shrugged, “don't tell me you're having second thoughts just because of Zali and his own pack didn't make it. I don't know if it's the road to paradise, but what if it's just like a road that leads to the actual way to paradise? Like some sort of short cut or something? Think about it, if it really was paradise, would the rest of us just give up `cause a few of us got unlucky? Yet that drive to get there is still ingrained in every one of us. Just as it is both of you.” She accused.

 

“You're saying there's another way to paradise?” Tsume asked.

 

“I'm not saying anything. I just think it's stupid for you to give up so quickly because a few wolves died in the same area paradise happens to cross. If it's not real, why do you feel so drawn to it?” Heart asked.

 

She had a knack for using the power of suggestion on people like this. By the looks on Toboe's face, it once again worked. Even Tsume was rethinking his decision.

 

“Look we'll deal with the others tomorrow morning, but for now, I wanna get some shut eye.” Tsume yawned.

 

Heart rolled her eyes, “It figures a lazy ass like you would say that.”

 

“Shut up bitch and leave me alone to sleep.” Tsume said as if he'd said it millions of times before. It wasn't meant to offend her.

 

Toboe and Heart shared a knowing smile as the gray wolf turned his back to them on the bench he lay on.

Heart walked over to the other side of the bench to stretch out on that side and sleep while Toboe chose to watch the moon from the small crates he'd been on. He let out a soft howl as he sang his own little wolf lullaby just as Heart and Tsume dozed off.

 

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Kiba's eyes squinted when the morning sunlight peaked in the ally way to alert him of the dawn. Groaning, he ran his fingers through his hair to push his bangs out of his face and sat up to lean against the brick wall behind him. His blue eyes glanced around and he sniffed the atmosphere around him.

 

She had left, and not too long ago. Probably not 2 minutes ago.

 

“Akira?” he called as he stood up. His wounds didn't bother him anymore, but they did give him a slight ache where the light scars still remained and slightly hindered his movement.

 

Her scent traveled to the station up on the hill and Kiba gave it a critical glance before heading for it. He remembered Heart saying something about meeting her there in the morning like `always' so maybe something was going to happen up there that would show him why so many wolves flocked here like Zali's pack.

 

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“Morning, kid,” Heart greeted the red wolf as she trotted up to the larger dark gray and black wolf and the rest of Zali's pack, “I was beginning to think you'd skip today. You're later than usual.”

 

Akira's ears folded to her head as she allowed one of the humans to slip her harness on and stepped into the leg straps as she took her spot beside the old wolf; a few spots behind Heart, “I over slept.”

 

“I didn't see you go back to the graveyard last night when you left the rest of the pack.” The old one commented out of the blue.

 

Akira's fur stood on end as she knew she was caught by the sly look on Hearts face as her autumn eyes glinted mischievously, “Oh, so you didn't go back? Gee, I wander what could have distracted you so much to keep you from Shura….,” she smirked in her wolf-like way.

 

Akira's ears plastered themselves to her skull and her head arched downward embarrassed for a moment before she regained her composure, “What about you? You shook me off your trail for a reason didn't you? Could it be that you're seeing someone secretly?” Akira snickered.

 

Zali walked by his pack as they got ready for their work for the morning in the dog sled harnesses in his human form. He paused by Heart and gave her and Akira a serious look that said not to fool around.

 

“You're here to work, not to chat.” He said with out a second thought and continued on down the good sized line of dogs to hand the straps to the human who hooked it up to the large load.

 

The other men took their places around the team of dogs to herd them in the right direction when they start to pull.

 

“Alright! Get'em moving!” a man shouted. Another man with a leather bull whip at the old one's side snapped the vile weapon to signal the wolves to move.

 

Akira and the others put their weight into dragging the load up the steep ramp way up to the main platform.

 

Gramps was panting more than usual at her side and Akira started pulling closer to him to help give the old guy some sort of relief, “You okay over there?”

 

“Oh-pant-just….-pant, pant- fine,” was her reply as Gramps hung out his tongue in fatigue, “Just not as …. Pant, pant, pant- young as I use to …..Be”

 

“Well rest easy, Gramps, we're at the resting point so you can catch your breath now.” Akira sighed when the man who was in charge shouted at the others to let the dogs rest at the leveled out area before tackling another steep ramp.

 

“Through out the scraps now and well give'em the rest after we get this loaded.” The head man said and another one came up and threw a bucket's worth of meat scraps at the wolves.

 

Heart snarled when one of the other wolves dared try to consume a hefty piece that landed in front of her before viciously ripping into the gamey meat offered with a growl. She looks feral in all respects when it came to eating amongst the pack. Akira tried to do the same, but she was a push over compared to the way Heart forced her way above all else. However, Mose dirtily stole a piece of meat Gramps had been waiting for and was about to do it again since everyone else gave pity to the old wolf and didn't bother him. Gramps could barely see as it was and didn't see the younger wolf snatch each piece away until it was gone with the thief smirking.

 

Akira snarled as the wolf tried it again, “Stop picking on him!” she demanded.

 

Mose turned to her. He was in the harness in front of Gramps, “And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do, girly?” he spat back.

 

Akira's snarl became a full out death growl as her upper lip curled back to reveal her white pearly fangs that had yet to taste human blood or other wolf flesh in the heat of a fight for that matter, but she was willing to cut that small habit short with this guys blood. Who stole from the elderly?!

 

“Ohh, look, she's showing off her teeth, I'm pissing the floor already!” Mose snorted and received a few snickers from the others. He yelped in fear when the dark wolf in front of him lunged at him with a death intent if not for her leather restraints that held her a breaths away from letting her fangs and claws rip into his flesh as she snarled at him.

 

A whip cracked and made the wolves flinch back to reality as the men shouted at them to stop their behavior and once again they were on their way up the steep hill.

 

Akira was even more worried about Gramps now. He didn't get food so he didn't get the small energy boost it usually gave him, and it was showing as he stumbled over himself.

 

“G-gramps?” she whimpered and tried her best to help hold him up in their connected harness, “Come on gramps! Stop fooling around, we're almost ther-,” suddenly gramps fell to the floor with a heavy exhale of air. With him laying there, she had to stop at his side since her harness was connected to his.

 

“GRAMPS!” she barked in alarm.

 

The whip cracked near Gramps to try and jolt him to standing up again. The old wolf tried to stand, but soon as he got to his front paws, he stumbled to the ground once more with a low whimper in pain.

 

Akira nudged him when he didn't try again, “Gramps! Come on! Get up!” she begged fear written all over her features. She stepped back from the gray wolf that lay motionless on the ground, “C-come on….,” she whimpered.

 

By now, the others were forced to stop as well. The humans were calling the higher ups in to tell them what to do now.

 

Akira wasn't use to so much commotion. The only other time something this confusing and out of order happened was when her father died and Jazz was separated from them. She was breathing hard as she tried not to have a nervous break down, but was on the losing end.

 

“Akira! What's going on?” Heart called. The other wolves that couldn't see him from the crowd and confusion were also curious.

 

Mose then spoke those fateful words that set the she-wolf over the edge, “The old bastard died because he had a hybrid to take up slack for even in his weakened state,”

 

“YOU!” She snarled and bared her fangs. Unlike Heart's, Akira's and Mose's harnesses were close together and they were able to reach each other at ease, “I'LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING LITTLE BASTARD!” with that, the she wolf lunged at the older wolf and angry barks and yelps let lose as an all out dog fight was wedged between the two wolves.

 

Akira bit at Mose's neck, going on instinct on how to hurt him, her teethe were just short of sinking into flesh before she was roughly tackled off by the larger wolf next to Mose, tangling the 3 wolves straps together and pulling all three of them too close for comfort as they bit and scratched at one another viciously to get away.

 

The humans were too busy over taking a `stray loose dog' that Zali had been restraining, but now that he was free, Zali kicked the other two larger wolves off of Akira and restrained the smaller hybrid from further attacking them as she scratched at his arms, wanting more than anything to finish what she's started and rip that stupid dipshits neck in 2!

 

“AKIRA! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!” Zali commanded her as his hold on her became tighter the more she struggled, but she was so far gone, Akira didn't recognize his voice and turned on him. She sank her fangs into his arm, tasting wolfs blood for the first time and she didn't even realize it.

 

Zali gritted his teeth in pain and threw the crazed hybrid off him. Akira's world went black as she failed to recover her fall down the ramp they'd just pulled the large load and slammed into the crates below.