Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Bonds of Consent ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

- Chapter Eight -

Silence filled the tent as the group of five sat around the low table. Keiko shifted uneasily in her seat, not at all liking the looks that the Slave Camp leader kept giving Shizuru and herself. She could see him staring from the corner of her eyes as she struggled to keep them trained downward, but curiosity kept getting in the way. The looks he sent were most disturbing, making the petite girl want to get as close to Youko as possible.

Shizuru had this unexplained desire to scoot even closer to the untolerable fire demon as well, but didn't let the urge get to her. She figured it had something to do with this slave trader's aura, which was completely black. 'At least Hiei's is blue. A very nice shade of blue,' she thought, then mentally smacked herself for even comparing the two and the odd thought afterwards. She glanced up and noticed she was being watched, by both Hiei and the slave trader. And she didn't like the way the latter was looking at her. A whimper passed through her mind, but she didn't let any sound escape her.

"Shizuru, come here," Hiei ordered, knowing Shizuru would probably feel safer sitting a bit closer to him.

So he did the only thing he could at the time. When she settled herself next to him, Hiei reached his arm around her and began fondling her breast. Shizuru's eyes nearly popped out of her head when Hiei's hand landed on her chest, and she was about to protest his actions, when the pleasurable sensations hit her brain, causing her to relax into his hand.

From across the table, Youko smirked at his partner's antics and decided that he had a good idea. Snaking an arm around Keiko's waist, he chuckled in amusement at the startled squeak she gave as he hauled her up into his lap. Draping her legs over one muscled thigh while supporting her back with an arm, he wrapped his other arm around her and began to contently nuzzle her neck.

Once her initial surprise had passed, Keiko felt herself melt instinctively into Youko's arms and begin to enjoy his playful attentions. She couldn't stop a giggle from passing her lips as Youko's lips touched a ticklish spot at her neck and blushed prettily due to it.

From the head of the table, Ankoku's eyes hardened as he observed the two demons who were obviously quite wrapped up in their slaves at the moment. He held back the growl that threatened to spill from his lips at the site of the two girls cuddled up against their demon masters. Those slaves were so responsive. He wanted to know what kinds of responses he would be able to get out of the two, a plan forming in his mind for a way for him to get his hands on those two slave girls.

Hiei was rather distracted with the girl that had wiggled her way onto his lap when he felt a blow to the back of his head. Before the blackness took over his sight, he saw the fear in Shizuru's eyes and Keiko and Youko in a similar situation. Whoever had done this was going to pay dearly when he woke up.

Hiei woke up a short time later, his arms bound behind his back and tied to a beam, the only thing really holding his body in a semi-upright position. He looked to his right to see Youko bound the same way. Seeing that the fox would be fine, Hiei began scanning the rest of the tent for the girls, silently vowing that if anything had been done to them, he would personally mutilate the one responsible.

"Took you long enough to wake up," a voice growled from Hiei's left.

He looked over to see the slave trader push apart a flap in his tent, revealing a small glimpse of an inner room before it fell close behind him. Hiei wanted to rip the demon apart when he saw that Ankoku was only wearing a light robe that wasn't even tied shut and his hair was disheveled.

Noticing the look in Hiei's eyes, Ankoku laughed lightly. "Do not worry. I haven't touched your women..." He told them, sliding his gaze to rest on Youko, "...yet."

He walked around the posts they were tied to, watching with a manical glee as they struggled to free themselves of the enchanted bonds he had them tied with. They could struggle all they wanted, and unless someone let them lose, they wouldn't be getting free anytime soon.

"I thought you might like to watch," Ankoku told them once he had made his way to stand in front of the pair, basking in their heated glares. It was always such fun to torture the males by taking their favorite slave in front of them. He was never challenged by any of them.

Hiei and Youko watched as Ankoku snapped his fingers and two gaurds appeared and pulled aside yet another flap in front of them to reveal Shizuru and Keiko tied to a large bed, completely naked.

Identical, infuriated snarls escaped both bound demons as their efforts to escaped intensified as the desire to rip the leering panther demon limb from limb rose to unbearable heights. Their struggles were in vain as the enhanced ropes only tightened around them, cutting into their skin instead of loosening.

"Why don't you two just sit back, relax and enjoy the show, hm?"

With those taunting words, Ankoku turned and walked over to the bed, his attention now fully on the two naked females that were laid out like a feast for his enjoyment. Keiko whimpered while Shizuru glared defiantly, having had enough of the meek slave act.

Determined to get free and stop Ankoku before he could do any damage to the girls, Youko thought over his options. He had a death plant seed he could manipulate, but if set loose, it might go after Keiko or Shizuru, so that was definitely out. And his hands weren't free to get to his rose whip.

Hiei growled low in his throat, daring the hack demon to lay one threatening hand on his mate. He could already sense the invisible mating mark on her neck flaring to life. He just hoped it keep the demon distracted long enough for him to get lose and save her.

Ankoku leaned between the two luscious beauties and grinned at his luck. He would have liked to test the koorime as well, but these two would keep him satisfied for a few hours. More than long enough to break the spirits of the two demons watching behind him.

His hand hovered over the kitsune's slave's chest, his fingers itching to touch her bare flesh. He waited until he heard the distinct growl from the kitsune behind him and his grin widened as his hand dropped to her right breast. He harshly manipulated her flesh for a few minutes, enjoying her small whimpers of pain, before he turned his attention to the fire demon's slave.

Sensing that the fire demon held more contempt for him, he decided to increase his actions. Already hearing the growl coming from the fire demon, the panther demon dropped his head to her chest. Or at least he tried to. As soon as his lips were an inch from her flesh, a blue flame sprung up from the junction of her shoulder and neck and hit him square in the forehead, knocking him off of her.

Ankoku turned to glare at the fire demon, snarling in anger. "You mated with a slave!?" He demanded.

Hiei smirked at the enraged panther. "Something like that."

"What do you mean 'mated'?" Shizuru demanded, struggling against her bonds to sit up and failed miserably as Ankoku shoved her back against the bed.

"Well, then I'll just have to do something about that," Ankoku sneered before turning his full attention back to the two 'slaves'.

'We have to do something. NOW,' Hiei mentally growled in Youko's mind.

'I know. I have an idea,' Youko responded. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when they opened again, there was a red headed Kurama standing where the silver kitsune Youko had been a second ago.

Pulling his hands free from the now too large ropes, Kurama rubbed his wrists where the ropes had tightened painfully. He untied the rest of the ropes around his body and then moved behind Hiei to free him, keeping an eye on the panther demon as he molested the two girls' bodies.

After Hiei was free, Kurama transformed back into Youko, relieved that Ankoku had been too focused on the girls to notice the changes in his energy.

Youko and Hiei turned their attention back to the panther demon and his unwilling captives and an unholy growl immediatley erupted from the Spirit Fox's chest.

During their inattention, while they were freeing themselves from their bonds, Ankoku had climbed on top of Keiko, lavishly licking a path up her quivering body as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, obviously trying to block out her captor's actions. One clawed hand was trailing dangerously close up Keiko's inner thigh, barely an inch from the center of his intended mate's legs, trampling on forbidden territory.

Shizuru was struggling frantically beside her captive friend, screaming heatedly at the demon. Insults like, "Get away from her you fucking ass hole or I'm going to have you spayed!!" reached Youko's ears, but he seemed to notice this at a distance, because he was already moving... already creating his rose whip. His vision swam red as the picture of that thing that had dared to touch what was his burned in his mind. Moving too fast for the panther to be warned of his intentions, Youko positioned himself behind the trespasser and wrapped his fully formed weapon around the demon's throat, forcefully dragging him away from the terrified Keiko.

"I am going to make you suffer an eternity of a hell you've never imagined." Youko gowled menacingly.

Ankoku was struggling with the whip around his throat,the razor sharp thorns to ripping and tearing into the tender flesh, causing blood to flow freely down his chest.

Hiei moved as well, advancing on the panther demon's stunned guards. Blood lust shining in his eyes, he ruthlessly slashed through all of them in an instant, blood splashing across his face. Hiei wasted no time. As the bodies dropped, he quickly moved to the two girls restrained on the bed.

Just then, Yusuke and Kuwabara came bounding in through the front flap of the tent, ready to fight at the drop of a hat and were stunned with what they saw. All the gaurds were dead and Youko had the slave camp ring leader by the neck with his rose whip, though it looked like the panther demon would die of blood loss if he wasn't let loose soon.

Youko, noticing the other spirit detectives entrance, tossed the unconscious panther demon at them, blocking their sight further into the tent. "Take that back to Koenma for us, would you?" he asked, though he didn't give them a chance to answer as he and Hiei disappeared deeper in the tent, closing the flaps behind them.

Yusuke was going to chase after them, and demand that they tell him where Keiko was, but the demon bleeding all over his clothes reminded him that this guy needed to be taken to Koenma first. With a growl, Yusuke tossed the demon over his shoulder and motioned for Kuwabara to follow him.

"No way. What about my sister and Keiko-chan?" Kuwabara demanded.

"I get the feeling those two won't let anything happen to them. They'll be fine when we get home," Yusuke said as he continued out of the tent. "Hiei and Kurama will just have a ton of explaining to do."

Koenma jumped nearly ten feet in the air, which was impressive considering his small stature, when the doors to his office were slammed open forcefully for the second time that day.

"Where do you want this?" Yusuke demanded as he hefted the demon on his shoulder up once again. "And make it quick. He's getting heavy."

"Darn it, Yusuke! Do you have to use violence even when you open a door!?!"

Yusuke glared at the diminuitive prince. "Look pacifier breath, either tell me where you want this guy or I'm going to throw him at you and break your nice prissy desk! Now how's that for violence?"

"Oh, alright," Koenma cleared his throat reprovingly. "George!!!!" Immediately, the faithful blue ogre appeared at Koenma's side, looking at his boss questioningly.

"Yes sir?"

"Ogre, I want you to arrange for the Slave trader to be taken to the interrogation room right away." Koenma ordered.

George looked apprehensivley at the unconcious demon bleeding profusely in the spirit detective's arms. "Uhh, sir? I-"

"You'll do as I tell you ogre or I'll be forced to punish you again, and you don't want that now do you?" Koenma asked, casting a devious look at the now stuttering ogre.

"NO SIR!" George answered frantically. Quickly, he called for two other ogres to help him and they unloaded the unconcious demon from Yusuke's arms and slowly dragged him out of the room.

As soon as Yusuke had been relieved of the demon, he promptly turned on his heel, Kuwabara right behind him, both muttering about needing to go home and get some explanations from a couple of thieves, with some very colorful language added in.

Hiei had quickly untied Shizuru from the bed and wrapped a silk sheet around her before picking her up and carrying her off, fully intending to take her home, ignoring all questions from her, even the one about her brother. He didn't want to talk. He had to think. He knew she would want to know exactly what the slave trader meant when he had said Hiei had mated with her.

He would have no problem explaining what the slave trader meant. Hiei just didn't know how he would explain why he had. And that was the question he didn't want to answer.

Hiei landed outside Shizuru's home, her larger body held securely in his arms. Noticing that she had fallen asleep, he nudged her shoulder, regretting having to wake her up. She had been through enough because of him in the last few days. She deserved to sleep. And he would let her sleep just as soon as they got inside.

Shizuru blinked awake and looked at Hiei. "What's the matter?" she mummbled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You need to open your door so we can get inside," Hiei told her, motioning with his head towards her closed and locked front door.

"There's a key under that fake plant in that flower pot," Shizuru told him. "Just make sure you put it back. I doubt baby brother remembered his keys."

Hiei moved to get the key, balancing his mate on his knee while he unlocked the door. Putting the key back in its place, Hiei quickly entered the house and closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it before he continued further.

Five steps into the house, Shizuru mumbled, "take off your shoes," and Hiei paused long enough to kick off his boots.

He found his way to her room, after opening a few wrong doors, and pulled back the covers to place his mate in her bed. He was prepared to pull back and just watch her sleep from a corner in the room, but her arms around his neck forced him to stay close, and he ended up curling up on the bed next to her, falling asleep soon after.

Youko clenched his fists tightly, drawing blood from his palms as his sharp talons scored the flesh, and enjoyed the pain.

He deserved it.

She had come to harm, had almost been raped, and he had failed to stop it. He, Youko Kurama, had failed in his promise. Now, all he could do was stare fixatedly upon the face of the girl he had sworn to protect, her face contorted in fear as she continued to keep her eyes clenched shut.

'We both failed her, Youko.' Shuichi said quietly.

~No, I failed her. I failed to protect her... and that is unacceptable.~ Youko replied in a dead voice.

His heart was constricting painfully at the pathetic sight that Keiko made on the bed, but he still could not bring himself to get any closer to her...

~Shuichi, please... take care of her.~ Youko whispered before he retreated into the darkest depths of their consciousness.

With a small gust of wind, Kurama returned to his human form, his gaze filled with sorrow and pain as they looked upon Keiko. Kneeling beside her, he gently smoothed one hand over her scrunched up brow. This caused Keiko to whimper and tense up even more.

"Sssshhhh... it's alright... it's over. I'm here... you're alright, Keiko..." He whispered soothingly, never stopping his loving caress over her delicate skin.

Keiko's brow immediately smoothed out and she slowly opened her eyes, blinking dazedly.

"K-Kurama?" She whispered in a small, frightened voice.

Kurama felt something inside him break at hearing such fear in her voice. Unable to bear it, he scooped her up into his arms as he buried his face into her neck.

"Please, forgive me, Keiko..." He whispered raggedly, wrapping his arms tightly around his lover as if he could meld her body to his and keep her safe forever.

He felt her arms wrap tightly around his neck as she began sobbing against him. Something inside him felt as if it were dying with every sob and tear that she shed. So he stayed there with her wrapped in his arms, his mouth never leaving her ear as he whispered words of love while his hands softly caressed her back in long, soothing motions. This action seemed to calm her and soon her trembling subsided and she stopped shaking altogether.

Even though her shaking had stopped, Kurama never ceased the action of his hands or his words. "It's going to be alright... I'll never leave you, I swear it! I'll protect you... Please, stay with me..."

Suddenly, Keiko leaned away from him and Kurama unconsciously tightened his hold on her, afraid to let her go. Lifting her face to look at him, he could see her eyelashes were sodden with tears, making them sparkle in the light.

"Thank you... for saving me..." She said softly.

Kurama was sure that he had heard wrong. How could she forgive him? Bu soon, the question was answered for him whether he liked it or not when she leaned forward with a sob and placed a fervent kiss upon his lips.

Momentarily shocked, Kurama soon recovered and returned her kiss desperately, pouring all of his love and fear into it. After a minute, they broke apart and Kurama reached for a nearby sheet and carefully wrapped Keiko in it like the most precious of packages.

Placing a soft kiss upon her lips once more, Kurama whispered, "Lets go home...together."

Keiko simply nodded and cuddled into his arms as he rose and carried her out of the tent, cradling her to his body closely.

Ignoring the rest of the inhabitants of the camp; those that had not vacated the area upon Ankoku's capture, that is, Kurama bounded off in the direction that Hiei had previously taken. Intent on taking his delicate flower as far away from the horrible memories as he possibly could, the kitsune moved gracefully as he made his way back to the portal to the Ningenkai.

The second that his feet touched ningen soil, Kurama used his demon speed to make it to Keiko's home in record time. Her parents must have been gone, if the lack of vehicle in the driveway as well as lack of any internal lights in the house were any indication.

He glanced down tenderly at the now slumbering girl in his arms, not wanting to wake her for nothing in the world, but knowing he had to in order to gain entrance into her home.

Jostling her gently, Kurama couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him with sleep filled eyes. The moonlight filtering down caused her eyes to shine, giving them the appearance of pools of dark chocolate.

"Keiko," He whispered, when her gaze turned questioning. "I need you to unlock the door. I don't think that your parents would appreciate me using my special skills on their door locks, now would they?" He made his words teasing, wanting to lighten the mood and possibly make her smile.

His efforts won him more than he could have hoped for when she giggled softly and buried her face in his chest. "Kurama... you wouldn't!"

"I would..." He began meaningfully, a slight smile curving his lips as he continued, "...for you, Keiko, I would."

Keiko's smile widened as she looked up at him again. "Well, my dear thief, I don't believe that will be necessary." She said, her voice thankfully devoid of any fear whatsoever.

Kurama arched an eyebrow at her. "Oh? And why do you say that?"

Keiko snickered as she glanced up and over in the direction of her bedroom window meaningfully.

Kurama followed her gaze, his eyes drifting shut as a slight blush rose to his cheeks as he noticed the glass plated window was thrown open welcomingly.

Sighing softly, Kurama offered Keiko a quick smile. "As you wish."

Without another word, Kurama braced his legs and propelled Keiko and himself to her open window. Keiko gave a loud squeaked and clutched to him tighter. Once they landed safely onto her window sill (which thankfully had a window bench beneath it) Kurama chuckled softly at the girl still hiding her face in his neck.

"Well, it was your idea" he said softly, the barest hint of amusement lacing his voice as he made his way to her bed.

Keiko pulled back and huffed indignantly. "You could have warned me that you were about to do that!"

Kurama couldn't supress a chuckle from escaping. " I'm sorry...I suppose that I will have to make it up to you." He said, placing her on the soft mattress before pulling her coverlette up over her.

At his words, Keiko's face took on a soft expression, her eyes searching out his when he began to straighten. Her hands stalled him though, latching onto his forearms in an almost desperate grip. "Don't..." She began, a bit panicked, but managed to calm her voice again before continuing. "Please.... don't go."

Kurama did not reply vocally, instead, he wordlessly crawled into bed beside the woman he loved, pausing only long enough to remove his shoes before wrapping her once again in his arms. The couple remained cuddled that way as the night progressed, sleep finally overtaking them only moments after final words of love for one another was whispered into the darkness.

TBC...