• CHAPTER 18 - READY, SET, GO

    The intensity of a happening cannot be measured so simply. Sometimes it depends on the measure of the emotions, the stress, the danger, and even the fear. A small incident could be colossal depending on how others feel like treating it.

    I opened my eyes slowly and caught the fact that we were back home already. It felt like it took longer than usual. I looked up at Kai.

    "Is it me, or did it take longer than usual?"

    "It took a little longer since the house is a ways away from Akatsuki's," he avoided eye contact and carried me into the living room, "I have a limit as to how far I can teleport."

    It confused me for a moment. It didn't take so long to teleport to the meadow we were at earlier by the river. Oh, it was probably closer to home than Akatsuki's was. Kai put me down and I turned around to see Matsuda standing at the bottom of the stairs with Orihime. Matsuda approached me.

    "Arisa, are you okay?"

    "Um, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I confirmed. He was probably asking me because my hands were shaking.

    Matsuda looked over at Kai seriously, "The wolves might attack this place, whether we're in it or not. We need to get Arisa far away."

    "Why would they not attack if I'm here?"

    "I don't know," Matsuda shook his head, "That's just what they were thinking but now...," he paused for a long moment and mused into space. He slipped back into consciousness, "it won't hold them back. They don't want to wait for Arisa to come outside. We need to get her away, hide her scent."

    Kira entered the living room and stared at Kai and I and how close we were standing next to each other. I peeked at Kira from the corner of my eye and when I did, Kai grabbed my hand and started pulling me up the stairs behind him.

    "Kira, go upstairs with Kai and Arisa and try to find Arisa some other clothes to wear. Anything to hide her scent the most." I heard Matsuda stay to Kira.

    I didn't hear Kira behind us, but when I turned around after Kai and I arrived in the bedroom, he was standing behind me. Kai released my hand and looked away.

    "Take your clothes off," he was being serious. There was no joking or child's play in his voice or on his face.

    "Kai, but--,"

    "Kira, go get a pair of Orihime's unused pants," Kai was ignoring me and Kira left.

    I wrapped my arms around myself, "I don't want to get undressed with you in here,"

    "Arisa, we don't have time for arguments! If I leave the room, the Werewolves could attack you! I'm not taking that chance!"

    After he finished what he said, he unbuttoned his shirt and took it off and handed it to me. I was too awed by his figure in the moonlight to take the shirt. He threw his shirt at me.

    "Put it on,"

    I nodded and dropped the shirt onto the ground and hesitantly removed my own shirt. Kai had made his way to the dresser to find anther shirt to put on and had it all buttoned up and ready on him before I could remove my shirt. I slipped his on and fondled with the buttons with my shaking hands. Kai groaned and did the buttons for me in a fraction of a second. Just as he did, Kira came back into the room and handed me a pair of Orihime's pants.

    "These will probably fit you the closest,"

    Kira stood by the door and looked away and Kai looked away as well when I removed my pants, trying to cover up my lower half with Kai's shirt. I couldn't help but turn maroon and allow my face to heat up at the thought that there were two unbelievably enamoring boys in the same room as me as I was getting dressed, revealing my pathetic body. The pants fit perfectly, except that the waist was a little loose. I grabbed the belt from my last pair of pants and put it on again. As I stood by Kai and he turned to face me, Matsuda pounded on the door.

    "Kai, Kira, we need to remove Arisa now!" he sounded partially panicked, which only made me panic more.

    "Arisa, let's go," Kai rushed. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away.

    I grabbed onto his shirt, "Wait!" he looked down at me, "Do you need...blood?"

    I knew it was a bad thing to ask in front of Kira, but I couldn't help it. I would probably offer my blood to Kira too if I wasn't Kai's Blood Bride. Kai caressed my neck and leaned in.

    "Let me know if it hurts," and he bit me.

    It only stung for a moment before it went numb. I could feel Kira's gaze burning into my back, burning into my conscience. I tried not to think about the pain I was probably causing him. Kai had his fill and pulled back and covered the marks on my neck.

    "We need to get your blood cleaned up and your wound covered now," he stated as he wiped off the remainder of blood from his mouth.

    When I looked back, Kira already left. I looked back at Kai, "Where did Kira go?"

    "He's going to get the bandages,"

    After Kira came back in and bandaged me up, Kai took my hand and drug me down the stairs at a faster pace than I could keep up with. We stopped at the bottom where Orihime was standing. She handed Kai a pistol.

    "You might need this,"

    "Tch, what good will that do?" Kai scoffed.

    "If the time comes to kill one of the Werewolves, then you will need it," Orihime confronted him, irritated.

    "What about Takeuchi? What if Kai accidentally kills him?" I squeezed Kai's hand. Obviously nobody but Kira noticed our sudden closeness.

    "We'll be able to tell if it's him or not. You don't have to worry, Arisa. We'll be meeting him where we're going." Orihime reassured.

    "Where are we going if we can't be here?"

    Kai looked at Orihime with a worried look which only made me assume he didn't know where to go either.

    "You, Kira, Arisa and Takeuchi will be in the forest, the big forest to the north. Akatsuki will meet you there; we've already contacted him. Matsuda and I will stay here and protect the house. You left Arisa's clothing in the room, right?"

    Kai nodded, "Good, because we need the wolves to think Arisa is still here," Orihime continued.

    I was still puzzled. Kai looked down at me, "We made you change clothes so your scent is extinguished momentarily. It will buy us time to get you far away."

    Oh, I understood now. Kai pulled me closer to him, "So, Orihime, should we get going?"

    Orihime nodded. Kai released my hand to unlatch the ammunition in the pistol to make sure it was full and he shoved it back into the pistol and stuffed it into his belt. He grabbed my hand again and we headed towards the front door.

    "You and Matsuda take care of yourself," Kai demanded without looking back.

    Kira followed closely behind us as we exited the house. I heard Kira load his own pistol and it sent shivers down my back. We stopped in the front of the house and Kai looked down at me.

    "Climb onto my back,"

    "Why?"

    "I know how nauseous you get when we teleport so I'm going to run instead," he crouched over, allowing me to jump onto his back.

    I backed up and shook my head, "No way, I'd rather teleport,"

    "The forest might be out of my range. Just close your eyes, okay?" he was getting pissy.

    I didn't want to piss him off anymore so I unwillingly climbed onto his back. He locked my legs in his arms and I secured my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. I looked over at Kira.

    "Kira, can you try and teleport to see if it's within range?" I asked with a shaky voice.

    Kai groaned and I could tell he rolled his eyes. Kira reappeared as fast as he disappeared. He shook his head.

    "I can't,"

    I winced and prepared myself for the run, "Kai, how far of a range do you have?"

    "Just close your eyes," I was on the verge of setting him off, so I shut my mouth.

    I closed my eyes and buried my face in his broad shoulder. In a flash I could feel the wind rushing by, trying to pull the hair out of my head. It felt like a steady jog, but I knew it wasn't. I could hear grass blowing and Kira running next to us. I tried to concentrate on other things, like how the temperature was well below 40 degrees and dropping as the sun fell lower and lower. My knuckles were freezing and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to release my grip from Kai's shirt when the time was needed. I was angry that I didn't notice the cold until we started running. I'd have grabbed a coat if I had known it was so cold.

    "Kai, hurry," I whispered.

    I felt Kai turn his head to the side to look back at me from the corner of his eye. I didn't want to look at him, afraid I would become sick from seeing all of the images blur past us. Kai looked ahead again and bound faster into the forest.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    When I opened my eyes again, we were in the forest and the running had stopped. My hair was a mess and I still had my death grip on Kai's shirt. I breathed deeply and slowly, still afraid of becoming nauseous. I looked over Kai's shoulder and there stood a massive black-haired Werewolf. I panicked and started hyperventilating, wishing Kai would notice the Werewolf and run off. Kai slid his hand over mine and his touch felt warm compared to the dropping temperatures.

    "Arisa, it's okay. That's Takeuchi." he reassured.

    I refused to release my grip, still uneasy. It scared me to see Takeuchi as a Werewolf, the same creature that tried to eat me and kill Kai. Kai pryed me off of him, careful not to break off my frozen limbs. I stood next to Kai as close as I could and I couldn't remove my eyes from Takeuchi.

    "He won't hurt you, Arisa," Kai reassured me again, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and inching our way to the Werewolf called Takeuchi.

    I would have fought my way out of Kai's grip and run away. I knew I would never win. I wouldn't be able to leave Kai's grip, Werewolves would catch up with me and tear me apart, Vampires would even find me with my luck, and I had forgotten to put shoes back on so I was barefoot and I wouldn't be able to run far.

    "It's okay, Arisa," Kai sighed, annoyed.

    We stood only a foot away from the colossal wolf and my hands were shaking uncontrollably from the cold and the fear. I summoned up my courage and extended one hand and Kai subtly removed his arm from around my shoulders. I touched Takeuchi's shoulder and his fur was unbelievably flocculent, not knotting once when I ran my fingers through it. His jet-black hair was even darker than Kai and Kira's hair but had an unbelievable burgundy shine to it. I was confused at why his hair was black as a Werewolf, but only figured it looked black from the night sky. His hair was almost black as a human anyways.

    "Hey, Takeuchi," I breathed.

    Takeuchi turned towards me and nudged me with his giant nose. I laughed half-heartedly, still astonished at seeing him like this. His forest green eyes sparkled like they always did and just by seeing that, he felt like a little brother again. I wrapped my arms around his enormous neck and buried my face into his fur.

    I chuckled half-heartedly again, "I've always wanted a dog,"

    Takeuchi turned his head towards me and I could see the laughter in his green eyes. I smiled back at him. I barely noticed Kai pick me up, but I was in his arms again.

    "Takeuchi, follow me,"

    I was in a daze the whole time Kai walked with me in his arms. We didn't walk far, then Takeuchi curled up against a tree. Kai lay me down against Takeuchi's side and Takeuchi curled up around me. I looked up at Kai with confusion.

    "I won't be able to keep you warm, but Takeuchi will,"

    "What about the other Werewolves?"

    Kai smiled, but not too reassuringly, "They don't know where we are right now, but we will alert you and Takeuchi when they get here. You need to sleep for now."

    I was skeptical when he said "when they get here". I was too tired to panic and I curled up against Takeuchi's incredibly soft and thermal fur and I drifted off into a slumber.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    When I woke up again, it was still dark outside, but darker than it was before. I sighed at the relief that I hadn't suffered from hypothermia. Takeuchi was doing a pretty good job at keeping me warm. I looked over at Takeuchi and he was sleeping peacefully. I smiled and sighed again. I could hear wolves howling in the distance and I felt Takeuchi stiffen underneath me. I heard a rushing through the forest and started panicking but calmed down a bit when it was Kai that appeared before me. His face looked serious and urgent.

    "They're here," I didn't know if he was talking to me or Takeuchi, but he picked me up in his arms again and Takeuchi stood up immediately after him.

    I shivered as the cold from the wind and Kai's arms coursed through my veins again. Kai rushed over to where we had arrived and there stood an awaited guest; Akatsuki.

    "Akatsuki!" I breathed.

    Kai hesitantly lowered me to my feet and I ran up to Akatsuki and embraced him. I buried my face in his shoulder.

    "Promise me you'll be safe," this was only my third time seeing him, but I already felt it would be too much of a loss to lose him now.

    "Of course I will," he chuckled.

    "Arisa, you're coming with me. I'm going to hide you." Kai held out his hand and I grabbed it.

    "Where will you--?" Kira was interrupted by thunderous snarling coming from the forest just a few meters away from us.

    Everybody including me glanced over at where the sound came from and I was the first to react. Three large menacing Werewolves inched their way into our view. I backed away and winced. Kai held my hand firmly and backed up slowly with me. Takeuchi stood in front of us protectively by setting his front paw in front of us, blocking us with his shoulder. Kira crouched in front of Takeuchi and Akatsuki pulled out his gun and aimed it at the hungry wolves.

    "Kai, what's going to happen?" I whispered.

    Kai ignored me, never losing his focus on the three wolves. Takeuchi snarled and Kira growled. I heard a low-pitched growl crawl its way through Kai's teeth that gleamed in the moonlight. I stood, shaken and petrified of the possibility of losing most of the people I've come to love on this fateful night.