Disclaimer: Typical disclaimer applies…

Summary: After a gruesome war that nearly brought the two races to extinction, vampires and werewolves have been locked in an unstable truce from centuries. But when a certain vampire suddenly finds a certain werewolf's blood is all that he can consume palatably… Will it result to another bloody war or something else entirely?

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Chapter 30

It was already some time passed midnight, but the town was still buzzing with activity. People were busy running errands and bartering their wares. It seemed werewolves weren't the only ones preparing for the coming winter.

Natsume placed a hand on the small of Mikan's back, steering her through the masses. Now he remembered why he hated coming into town at times. He hated crowds; didn't like people bumping and coming in contact with him every time he had to pass by them. Ahead of him, he heard Mikan utter a sound of distress, before she collided back against him.

The feel of her slender body crashing and rubbing against his front, sent a pleasurable shock to his system. Maybe this wasn't so bad, he thought to himself. His hands automatically catching her and running on the curve of her waist and hips.

"Sorry," she looked up at him sheepishly. "Got swept back by the crowd."

He rolled his eyes, hiding his pleasure behind a veil of irritation. "Yeah, right," he said, putting her back to her feet and reluctantly letting her go. If she used her strength, the crowd would be the one getting swept away, not her. But knowing her, she was just too damned nice to do that.

Mikan suddenly felt herself enveloped in a pair of strong arms. She looked up to see that Natsume had placed himself between her and the crowd, using his body to protect her from the oncoming flow of people. Without a thought, she leaned closer against him, savoring the comfort and safety he provided.

When Mikan moved closer within the circle of his arms, Natsume felt power surged though his body. It made him felt like he was strong enough to conquer the whole world and lay everything at her feet in tribute. He pulled her closer, liking the way her body molded against his like a missing piece.

They rounded the finally corner, taking them out of the crowded street and into Tono's busy tavern. It was a little less thronged than the streets outside, but it was still packed with more people than usual.

"Why don't you find us a place," Mikan told Natsume over the loud background. "I'll go over and talk with Tono."

Crimson eyes narrowed. "Why don't I just go with you?"

She shook her head. "He might freely give me info, but those with me usually don't count. I don't want to have to haggle with him if he charges you admission." She reached up and cupped the side of his face. "Don't worry. I'll relay anything concerning the rogue to you." And with a smile and a short wave, she stalked towards the bar Tono was tending.

Natsume glanced around and shrugged. Might as well do what she said and find a place for them to sit. But still, he glanced over towards the bar, seeing Mikan leaning against the counter talking with the tavern owner. He'll just make sure to keep his werewolf within sight.

Tono looked up from polishing a liquor glass just in time to see Mikan headed his way. "How's my favorite werewolf tonight?" he asked with a wide grin, carefully placing the glass aside.

Mikan scoffed. "There are only a couple of us werewolves who're anywhere near your age. And I'm the only one who still visits you from time to time."

"That's why you're my favorite," he winked. "So, what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

"Business," she uttered gravely.

The long-haired elf's expression turned somber. "I see."

"I need some info in, and around, the demon realm."

Tono's brows furrowed. He picked up another liquor glass to polish, wanting to keep his hands busy. "The demon realm's been quiet as of late." Then he hands suddenly stopped, as if in deep thought, before he stared her in the eye. "A little too quiet, in my opinion," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear above the noise.

He placed the glass on the rack and selected another one to start drying. "That's all I can give you right now. But I'll keep my eyes peeled and ears open. You might want to ask around with the other elves though. They might know more about what's up with the demons. After all, those guys over there still keep tabs on them."

Mikan nodded. "Will do."

A ruckus sounded behind her, making her look over her shoulder at the crowded joint. "I see that business is doing well around here."

"Yeah, the autumn trade's good for commerce, as always." He stared at the crowd, his eyes peering into a darkened corner. "And I see you brought someone with you, again. From the looks of it though, you haven't claimed the vampire yet."

"No, I haven't," she admitted dejectedly.

Tono frowned at her in disappointment. "I know you have your reason. But that isn't fair to either of you, especially to your mate."

"I know it isn't," she sighed. "But I don't know if I should. What would happen if I do? Will we both go in exile like the ones before, or stay with my pack and his coven? If we stay, I'm scared that the past would repeat itself sometime in the future," she whined, slumping onto the bar in front of her. "Besides, I know that in the event anything happens to me, the pack would still be settled, I made sure of that. But his coven still needs him."

Dark, ancient eyes gave her a long, assessing look. "You're still bent on keeping that secret and taking it to your grave?"

She somberly stared back at him. "Yes. The cause of that war," her eyes took on a dull, far-away look, "I want to keep it buried in the dark forever."

"But you're not the only one who knows that secret. Anyone who existed before or during the start of the war, and still exists today, would still probably remember why it all started. In my opinion, you're over-thinking this whole thing," Tono sighed. "I think you need to be reminded of werewolf rule number one."

Mikan rolled her eyes. "I don't need to be reminded of rule number one. I personally declared that rule to top all else ages ago, and it's still in effect to date."

"Just humor me. Now, recite it please," the elf smiled. His grin almost reaching his pointed ears.

The alpha gave him a glare and grumbled. "Werewolf rule number one." She paused, inhaled, and then continued. "Your mate comes first above all others."

"Bravo," the elf applauded. "Now, practice what you preach, and go apply that rule to yourself. Off you go," he winked at her and waved her off.

"Easier said than done," she muttered. "See you around, Tono," she said, pushing away from the bar and heading towards the corner where Natsume was waiting for her.

XOXOX

Natsume sat on one of the couches, eyes fixed on Mikan's form. The noise of chattering people and the blaring music effectively drowned out any distant sound, preventing the conversation from the bar across the room from reaching his ears.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, knowing the futility of straining his hearing in this place. Thankfully though, none of the establishment's ladies-of-pleasure were bothering him. A few had glanced his way and smiled, but after that they moved on to propositioning another customer and left him alone.

A smirk fleeted on his face. It seemed they either saw him come in with Mikan, or they remembered him from the last time he and Mikan visited this tavern.

A presence neared and eventually slipped into the spot beside him, cuddling against his side. Natsume didn't move from his spot, just draped an arm around the slim body. "You finished your talk with Tono?"

"Yes," Mikan answered and frowned up at him. "How did you know it was me?"

Crimson eyes opened and met hers. "Because I know it's you," he elusively smirked. "So, how did the talk go?"

"Tono didn't have any news from the demon realm, but he pointed me to a direction where I could ask around some more."

"Seemed like you two had a long talk for only that much info."

Mikan shrugged and shifted in her seat, pulling just a fraction away from him. "We just had some extra chitchat." Well, she did say she'll relay to Natsume anything Tono's got related to the rogue. However, she promised nothing about the other stuff they'd talked about, even though it concerned him.

"Now that that's done, we can order a meal and eat before heading back to the highlands," Mikan declared, stretching her arms up wide.

"I think you're forgetting that it's only a couple of hours before dawn. I can't move that quickly for long distances," he glared at her.

"And I think you're forgetting that you're with me," she grinned at him. "I can take you on my back and run from here to the stronghold with time to spare. Now," she reached out and grabbed the menu on the table. "Let's get some food."

Natsume rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You're just thinking of your stomach again. Give me that," he said, taking the menu away from her hands, and then proceeded to hail a waiter and order for the both of them.

Mikan just smiled adoringly at him as Natsume went on interrogating the waiter about certain dishes in the menu. She knew he'd see it her way.

XOXOX

Lying awake in bed, Mikan motionlessly stared at the ceiling overhead, feeling content and completely sated. Natsume had just rolled off her as they'd just finished making love. He now lay on his side, facing her. His breath regulating back to normal as sleep overcame him.

Propping herself up on her elbow, she stared fondly down at Natsume's peacefully sleeping face. With her carrying Natsume on her back and running at top speed, they'd returned to the stronghold long before dawn. More than enough time for the two of them to get a private, intimate moment together.

Her eyes rose pass Natsume's shoulder, towards the special UV deflecting windows. The soft smile slipped from her face.

The sun was already some distance above the horizon line, signaling that it was already around past-seven in the morning. The sun would have been up more than an hour ago. And Natsume had just fallen asleep!

Thankfully, Natsume had rolled to his side facing away from the window, or else he would have noticed the round fireball in the sky lighting up everything outside.

She sat up and laid her forehead on her raised knees. This was what she was afraid of. If she stayed with Natsume, he'd one day notice he's able to stay up way past sunrise. Knowing Natsume, he'd consider everything that happened to him these past few months and deduce that she was the cause. Then she'd have to explain it to him.

The secret – the knowledge – that she wanted to silence forever.

The root cause of the war between werewolves and vampires so long ago.

XOXOX

Natsume woke up feeling cold. Very, very cold. His hand instinctively reached out, groping for the nearest source of warmth he could find.

His bedmate gave a muffled scream as she was suddenly yanked on top of him like a blanket. It took everything in her not to reflexively kick him off the bed in self-defense.

"Shift," he mumbled at her, still half-asleep.

"What?!" she asked incredulously. Her sleep-fogged mind not really grasping what he's telling her.

"I told you to shift to your other form," he grouchily growled at her, thinking she wasn't complying fast enough with his request. Can't the woman see he's freezing his ass off?!

"Oh," she said in response, somewhat managing the shake off her sleepiness to comprehend what he wanted her to do. Without really thinking about it, she flashed to her wolf form and was instantly enveloped in a bear hug that warded off every ounce of her drowsiness.

Somewhere beneath her wolf body, she heard Natsume sigh, then he stared moaning in pleasure and burrowing himself deeper and deeper into her luxurious, warm fur.

She silently cursed. If he starts humping her, she swore she's going to bite him.

A chuckle emanated from the vampire underneath her. Her eyes narrowed. She must have projected her thoughts hard enough for him to telepathically hear them.

Natsume wiggled, shifting around until his mouth was positioned just over her pointed ear. "I told you I don't mind the fur coat being occupied," he whispered seductively in a sexy, husky voice.

Pervert! She screamed in her mind, since her current form lacked the needed vocal cords for human language.

His rumbling laughter though indicated that he heard her thoughts just fine.

XOXOX

Wearing a thick, dark, wool-lined coat, Natsume came down the stronghold's main staircase and paused on the landing. His eyes instantly zeroing-in on gold-brown hair among those in the hall by instinct.

Feeling the gaze boring into her back, Mikan suddenly stopped talking to the pack leaders and turned towards him. She briefly noted the coat he was wearing, the coat she'd left on the bed for him while he was shaving, before meeting his eyes with a smile. After that brief interaction, she occupied herself with discussions with her commanders again.

"I have to admit, she seems livelier with you around," a voice said, coming from beside. He turned to find the beta standing a yard away from his side. Close enough for a private talk, but far enough to keep out of the other's personal space. The two stoic persons kept their gaze on the main subject of their conversation. "Just don't let me catch you using her for your own interest," she warned. "I'll be first in line to rip you to shreds, master vampire or not."

Natsume nodded and remained silent. He supposed this talk was way past due.

"Glad you understand." Hotaru turned and walked away, accepting his curt acknowledgment. But suddenly paused and looked over her shoulder at him, as if recalling something. "Just a friendly remember. Mikan hasn't officially claimed you as her mate yet. Be sure to keep that little fact in mind," she added.

Crimson eyes that were glued to Mikan narrowed. He'd already claimed her in every way a vampire could claim his lifemate. But he supposed werewolves claim their mates in their own way, too. Taking a step forward, he then proceeded down the stairs and headed towards Mikan's side – where he rightfully belongs. He'll just find a way to fix this little "unclaimed" problem soon enough.

XOXOX

When he and Mikan stepped out that evening, Natsume looked around the settlement. His mind's telling him that there was a face missing amongst the crowd tonight.

"I haven't seen Koko around tonight," he casually mentioned.

Mikan scoffed. "He volunteered to have himself stationed in the lowlands indefinitely."

"And you allowed it?" Natsume asked with a raised brow.

"Of course not! He hasn't even showed himself to me since that little 'happening'," she growled. She still can't forgive him for that "pedophile" incident. "When I'm not available, Hotaru acts as my substitute. Since I've been keeping to your schedule, he must have waited until I was asleep and went to Hotaru for permission," she muttered then paused, thinking about it some more, an evil smile creeping into her face. "I wonder how much it cost him to get Hotaru to approve," she chortled sinisterly, rubbing her hands together.

Natsume rolled his eyes. From what he'd come to know about the beta, it must have cost Koko a small fortune.

They walked some more, visiting places around the settlement to see how preparations are going. After the inspection, Mikan led them towards the back of the stronghold and pass the arena. The area ended with a cliff, overlooking a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below, dramatically lighted by the waxing moon above.

The couple spent a moment taking in the scenery, before Mikan looked up at moon. "It's going to be full soon," she said out loud. "We'll be starting the hunt tomorrow. We want to get it done and be back here before it fully waxes." She turned to face him, giving him news she knew he wouldn't want to hear. "The hunt usually lasts a few days, and hunters don't come back to the settlement until it's over. You might have to get use to me not being around for that duration," she said, forcing a smile to lighten up the mood.

The look on Natsume's face told her in no uncertain terms that he didn't like it.

"Oh, come on," Mikan groaned. She came over and hugged him by the waist in an effort to soften him up. "I promise I'll try my best to come back at nightfall. But I can't guarantee anything."

"Can't I just come to the hunt?" he asked hugging her back.

"Well, you can. But we stay out in the open. I can't be sure we can find you some kind of shelter for daytime."

Natsume sighed in resignation, wishing like hell that he wasn't a vampire right then. That he was someone who can walk freely in daylight. "Just don't you dare do anything reckless while you're out there," he said, kissing the top of her head.

She grinned up at him. "I'm never reckless," she confidently declared, which got her a head flick on the forehead from Natsume. "Ouch, that hurt!" she whimpered, pulling away from him to rub her abused forehead.

"Don't give me that crap. I've been with you long enough to know you're reckless, impulsive, not to mention an all-out moron at times," he glared down at her, but softened the insult by taking her back in his arms and placing a quick peck to her forehead.

"You make me sound like I don't use my head to think," she pouted.

"No, of course not." He suddenly smirked at her with a teasing glint in his crimson eyes. "I highly believe you think with your stomach."

She gave him a whack on the chest, regulating her strength so as not to cause him serious damage. But it was enough to elicit a grunt from him, making her laugh heartily and cuddle against him.

XOXOX

The wolf peeked between foliage tall enough, and thick enough, to hide its form. Feral eyes watched as its prey approached. Body tensed, ready to pounce. Its hind legs coiled back then released like a spring, launching the huge wolf into the air and onto its unsuspecting prey.

"What the...?!" Natsume didn't get to finish his expression as he was knocked off his feet by a large bundle of gold-brown fur. Lying on his back, a canine snout entered his field of vision, before he felt a tongue – big, rough, and wet – enthusiastically swept across his cheek.

"I swear, one of this nights, I'm going to drain you dry for this," the vampire growled. However, the wolf on top of him just flashed him a very wolfy grin.

A laugh came from atop him as Mikan had shifted to her human form. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist," she said as she got off him and helped him to his feet.

"Why the heck are you here?" Natsume asked, dusting off his pants. "Shouldn't you be out hunting? Pouncing on some poor animal in the wild, and not me," he glared pointedly at her.

"Aww, I told you I'm sorry," she gave him a pleading, pitiful pout.

"Quit with the pout. You're making your already ugly face uglier." But he contradicted himself by kissing her softly on the lips, wordlessly telling her how beautiful he thought she was.

He took a moment to bury his nose in the crook of her neck, unable to resist breathing in her scent. He remembered this scent from long ago. This was how she smelled at that time, the tale-tell scent that she'd spent the whole day outdoors. A mix of leather, sandalwood, freshly-cut grass, and the underlying subtle scent of strawberries that he really liked.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" she asked with a smile as his nose lingered on her neck.

A nondescript grunt was his reply. He had to admit to himself that she probably couldn't do anything wrong in his perspective for the some time. Not when she'd taken the effort to ensure he'd wake up comfortably tonight. It would have been better to wake up with her by his side, but the double layer of comforter and the hot bricks she'd place with him in bed were satisfactory substitutes in his opinion.

"You haven't answered my question," Natsume reminded her, straightening. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh yeah, I came to ask you if you want to go watch the hunt," she grinned.

Before Natsume knew it, he was seated on the slope of a grassy knoll. His eyes glued to the bunch of wolves stalking their wild prey some yards below, fascinated as the pack members positioned themselves in strategic spots. Once they were in position, Mochu signaled that another round was about to start by flashing into his wolf form, and then starting his lope down an adjacent hill, gaining speed as he headed straight towards the herd of bison.

As soon as the bison caught a whiff of him, a stampede started. Mochu darted in front of the selected target, causing it to panic and ran the other direction, effectively separating it from the rest of the herd and straight into the line of waiting wolves. After that, the wolves spring out consecutively. One by one chased the prey a short distance then left the next pack member to continue the chase, giving the bison no rest. Soon enough, their quarry's tired out, and the pack descended on it, bringing it down. One member clamped down on its throat and began the process of suffocating it to death.

"So, you enjoying the show?" a voice asked as he felt someone sit down beside him.

Natsume shrugged nonchalantly. "It's been a while since I've been to hunt." And it really had been.

"I'd forgotten that you vampires used to hunt wild game for blood before you'd established the cattle herd as your blood source," Mikan chuckled. "I used to come down to the border and watch your fledglings fumble around hunting. Too bad you'd ended all that entertainment for me," she teased.

He scoffed. "I say you got enough of that kind of entertainment around here." His eyes focusing on some of her pack's more inexperienced members, who were making a fool of themselves on their turn hunting. Instead of them chasing the bison, a group of bulls were charging them, leaving them no choice but to retreat and take refuse in a wooded area.

Mikan laughed and stood up, dusting the back of her pants. "I'll just head over for a talk with older members. I think we need to formulate a rescue plan for the cubs," she joked, as the bison bulls circled the perimeter, executing mock charges on any wolf attempting to leave, preventing the trapped wolves from escaping.

As Mikan headed over to where the older members of hunting party were laughing hysterically, Natsume noticed a gray wolf inching towards the bulls. He deftly got to his feet and looked around for Mikan, but she was some distance off busily talking with Mochu. If the size of the wolf was proportionate to its age, as Mikan once mentioned, he'd easily say the wolf was the youngest one in this hunting party.

A frown marred his face. He supposed it would be a bit premature to sound the alarm when nothing has happened yet. But he sensed trouble ahead and followed some distance behind the gray youngling.

Mikan had been talking with the more experienced hunters of her pack for a long while, when a gray-haired member suddenly excused himself from the assembly. She nodded but couldn't help noting the color of his hair, reminding her of something, or rather, someone. "Who's in-charge of Youichi for tonight?"

Mochu paused mid-speech, taken aback by Mikan's sudden change in topic, but quickly recovered. "I'm not sure. He did quite well in the deer hunt last night." He scratched the back of his head. "Wasn't he supposed to sit out the bison hunt? I don't think he would have been placed in anyone's charge if that's the case."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she said, making an irritated sound at the back of her throat. Without another word, she strode away in search for the teen, implicitly telling Mochu to take over.

XOXOX

Youichi crouched down low behind some tall grass, keeping himself hidden from the bison. If he timed this just right, he should be able to distract the bulls long enough for his trapped comrades to escape.

He didn't get why Mikan had forbidden him to join the bison hunt. So what if he still can't shift to lycan form, he'd done really well in yesterday's deer hunt for someone his age. That should had been proof enough that he could take down any prey, just like the rest of the hunters.

The muscles on his legs coiled and tensed. Once a bull wandered close, he pounced. His jaws snapping just a hair's width shy of the animal's nose. The bison gave a startled cry and reared up. The ground shook as its front hooves came crashing down followed by its one-ton body.

Youichi leaped to one side, just barely avoiding being trampled. To his surprise, unlike deer, it seemed the bison wasn't going to turn tail and run the opposite direction when attacked by a single predator. He was about to pounce on it again, this time from the flank, but he was surprised to find another bull charging straight for him. Out maneuvered, the werewolf had no other choice but to turn tail and run.

But even retreat was no easy task. Youichi soon found himself getting charged at from all sides as the other bulls joined in. Before long, he could feel himself tiring out but forced his body to keep moving, knowing that he'd be done for once his legs give out. If he survives getting gouged and trampled by the bulls, Mikan's going to kill him for this stunt.

He could see some of his packmates had already shifted to lycan form and were try to distract the bull from him, but at their age, their strength was not yet a match for full-grown bison bulls rampaging for werewolf blood. All they got were horns and bulky bodies hindering their attempts.

Things got even worst as the rest of the bison herd deemed to join the bulls in harassing the werewolves. They could only hope that their elders would notice what was going on.

Exhaustion soon got the better of Youichi. As he tried to dodge another bull, he found his legs to be as heavy as lead. He growled in frustration, angry at himself for reaching his limit at such a moment. His body tensed, preparing for the impact and the pain, knowing that he won't be able to evade the oncoming bull.

Just as sharp horns, thick skull, and hulking body were about to make contact, Youichi felt himself yanked away from the bull's path by the scruff of his neck.

"You bit off more than you can chew, kid," his rescuer told him in a low but casual tone.

Youichi glanced up to find Natsume crouched beside him. The bison circled around them, wary of the newcomer. He didn't smell like a werewolf, but they could sense he was also a predator.

"You've rested enough?" Natsume asked and waited for Youichi's nod. "Good. When I give you a signal, dash for the trees where the others are," the vampire ordered.

The young werewolf stared at him for a quick moment, as if considering, but then nodded again. The man had just saved him from some serious damage, and Mikan seemed rather fond of the guy, so he didn't think there was any harm with placing his trust on him.

Once Natsume gave the signal, Youichi ran straight for the trees. A few bison tried to get at him, but they soon scattered in fright as flames suddenly flared in front of them out of thin air.

When Youichi reached the trees, Natsume conjured up a roaring fire, high enough off the ground so as not the burn the grass, and made it sweep across the field. The heat of the fire and the smell of smoke were enough the make the bison herd instinctively stampede away in panic.

As Natsume turned around to check if the teen was alright, a bundle of fur suddenly pounced on him. Disrupting his balance and sending him crashing on the seat of his pants.

"Good job on single-handedly rescuing the pups!" Mikan enthusiastically greeted.

He glared up at her. She was getting way too many tackles on him tonight. "You were there all this time," he accused as he dusted off the back of his pants.

"Yep," she admitted. "I was about to step-in, but you got to Youichi before me. What was I to do but seat back and enjoy the show," she grinned, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered soft enough for only him to hear. "I have full confidence that you'd rescue Youichi."

She tiptoed and planted a peck on his lips, before pulling away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I got to have a little talk with a wayward young werewolf," she said, smiling at him then walking away, leaving a still stunned Natsume behind.

Youichi sat to one side, still a little shaken by his harrowing experience. He was still spaced out when someone plopped down beside him. A quick glance to his side and he knew he was about to feel guilty as hell.

"Didn't we have an agreement about the bison hunt," Mikan softly uttered, staring straight ahead into the dark distance around them. She didn't spare him a glance, knowing that the teen was smart enough to know the wrong he did.

"But I didn't join the bison hunt," Youichi argued stubbornly. But he quickly piped down with a look from Mikan. "I only wanted to help," he muttered, laying his forehead on his raised knees.

"I know," she said, ruffling the top of his head and standing up. "I'm just glad you're okay. But if you break our agreement again, I'm banning you from joining the hunt until you turn twenty-five," she warned, holding her hand out for him to take. "Are we clear?"

The gray-haired teen stared up at her for a moment, as if gauging how serious she was. He seemed to have determined that she was serious enough in her threat, since he conceded with a nod and allowed her to help him up.

In the distance the heard the soft rustling of grass under padded paws. Looks like she didn't have to call the rest of the pack over. The scent of fire was effective enough to send them running towards the area.

"What's going on around here?" Mochu asked as soon as he got there, shifting from wolf to human in a flash.

"It's nothing," Mikan quickly assured him. "We ran into a little emergency, and Natsume had to scare the bison herd away from the pups. Well, the herd's moved out of the area. I think it's about time for a little break for us anyway," she declared to the rest of the pack, going into alpha mode. "Make sure the meats are properly packed in the freezing units. I want the full units transported to the stronghold tonight, and unloaded freezing units get shipped back here so we can reuse them." She waited for them to nod then continued. "Now, get to work everyone, then get some rest. The hunt will resume at daybreak."

With those words, the werewolves headed straight for the freezing units, knowing that they were dismissed for the night. And the sooner they picked out who'll transport the freezing units and sent them off, the sooner they'll be able to relax for the rest of the night.

As her packmates moved away, Mikan grabbed Natsume's hand and gave it a tug, silently telling him to follow her.

Natsume shot her a curious look but wordlessly trailed behind her. He supposed she'd rather show him than tell him where she's leading him to, as always. They walked for about fifteen minutes, passing through rock slopes and dense underbrush. When he finally looked back, he couldn't decipher where they came from. All he could see was a dark forest with tall grasses hiding the trail they'd taken, if it could be called a trail that is. It certainly wasn't a path commonly used by anything save for the wildest of forest creatures.

They emerged from a last layer of thicket, and Natsume finally saw their destination. At a glance, it looked nothing more like just a man-size crack on a rock formation. But upon closer inspection, you could see that the cave ran far deeper than first meets the eye.

Mikan walked straight inside, unmindful of the pitch blackness. Natsume followed her in. Just enough moonlight shone through the entrance for his nocturnal eyes to catch, allowing him a glimpse of the interior. The entrance was just wide as a single person, but on the other side, the cave extended deeper and higher, forming a narrow, high-ceilinged passageway.

As they head deeper inside, it became darker and darker, until he could barely distinguish Mikan's outline in front of him. The narrow opening of the cave was certainly deceptive, effectively concealing the expanse within. Holding up hand, he summoned a small flame to light up the place.

"No! No! No light!" Mikan quickly protested, extinguishing the flame and plunging them into darkness. Even if she couldn't clearly see him, she knew he was frowning down at her. "Please, we're almost there. Just a bit further," she pleaded. She could just imagine the frustration on his handsome face as he released a sigh. But she beamed up at him when she felt him yield to her request with a nod. "Just follow close behind me."

Natsume really felt like he didn't have a choice but to give in to her. Not when he could feel how excited and happy she was right now.

She led him a bit further until they rounded a sharp corner, into a wide cavern.

The scene in front of them stopped Natsume in his tracks and made his eyes widen. He could stop himself from stepping further in and looking around. The sight before him was surreal. It looked like a place that was out of any world he knew.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Mikan uttered softly, a smile evident in her voice.

A nod was the only reply Natsume could give her, still speechless as he took in their surroundings. Now he knew why she didn't want him lighting a fire.

The cave was literally glowing!

The high ceiling of the cave glowed with pinpoints of bluish-white light, looking like a replica of a starry night sky. And on the crevices of the floors and walls, balls of glowing green light seemed to grow right out of the fissures just to illuminate the area.

"What are they?" Natsume quietly asked still staring up at the cave's ceiling, at the specks of light.

Mikan went to stand beside him. "Those on the ceiling are glowworms. They hang silk threads down with glowing drops to help catch prey. The green lights are from luminescent mushrooms." She grinned at him. "But what I really came here for is this," she said, taking his hand and leading him to a secluded corner of the cavern.

His ears were quick to pick up the sound of water, just as the small, clear pool came into view. The pool was made from water trickling down the cave wall into a semi-circle depression. From what he could make out from the light given off the luminous mushrooms nearby, it looked to be just around waist deep.

Looking around him again, he couldn't stop a smirk from creeping up his face as he licked his lips in anticipation.

The place was perfect for a little romantic tryst. He was already imaging the possibilities of what he and Mikan could do around here. He gave his companion a quick glance. Judging by her carefree look, his little werewolf didn't have a clue yet as to what was going on inside his mind. A predatory gleam entered his eyes. Oh, that's good. All the better to get that adorable surprise look on her face.

"I thought you'd like to see the hunt," she told him, her eyes glued to the shimmering reflected light on the surface of the pool. Not at all aware to what the vampire with her was planning. "The hunting party will be camped near the area until tomorrow night," she continued. "You can pass day-sleep here until then."

She turned to see his reaction, only to come face-to-face with hungry crimson eyes that reflected the meager light in the cave. An involuntary intake of breath and an audible gulp, before she took a step back in retreat. Damn if the leech didn't look like he's going to devour her!

"So," he uttered husk, low voice of his she finds oh so sexy. "You're just going to leave me here for the rest of the day?" He circled her, like a predator stalking his quarry. "Alone?" he breathed right over her ear.

Mikan stood as still as she can, even as a delightful shiver ran down her spine. "O-Of course not," she stuttered as Natsume deliberately brushed the back of his fingertips against the side of her breast. She fidgeted, feeling as if his touch had seared through her shirt. "Well, I might check in with the pack a time or two. But I'll stick around in here," she added breathlessly.

Damn it! As if she wasn't having difficulty thinking and breathing enough! He just had to wrap his arms from behind her and start trailing butterfly kisses along her nape and the column her neck.

"Won't the others be worried about you?" he asked, trailing open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck.

It took a moment for her brain to register the question. "No, I don't think so." She tilted her head to give him better access. "They'd probably guessed that I'm with you. Besides, they're all used to me disappearing all of a sudden. Mochu will handle things with the hunting party while I'm not around."

"That's good to know," he said, nibbling on her earlobe, making her moan.

She turned in his arms and sealed her lips against his for a hot, passionate kiss. Grasping hands tugged at each other's apparel, as tongues entered a fervent duel.

As clothing were discarded, the last thought in Mikan's head before she gave in to the mindless bliss was that she certainly wasn't going to be returning to the rest of the hunting party anytime before dawn.

XOXOX

Mikan stretched out her spine and gave a toothy yawn, then lay back down on the shaded grass. Flattening back her pointy ears, she closed her eyes. With enough meat provisions for the pack to last the winter, the hunting party was already headed back to the stronghold. They were currently on a noontime break though. With the freezing units sent ahead, the group really wasn't in any hurry.

A cold breeze blew by, ruffling her thick fur. The cold weather was a sure sign that winter was approaching fast. Well, the pack was stocked and prepared for the changing season. The hunting party had been away for roughly two weeks. That should be enough time for the rest of the pack to finish preparations. If not, then they'll just all help out and get things done.

Another gush of wind passed by, and Mikan's thoughts turned to a fortnight earlier. Her body gave a delighted shiver as she recalled that episode of her and Natsume in the cave. Damn if she'd look at that pool the same way again.

The corners of her mouth turned up into a wolfy smile. She wondered how her leech was doing.

After she'd brought him back to the stronghold, he didn't get an opportunity to watch the hunt again since the hunting party had embarked further to the base of the highlands, where it was more difficult to find daytime shelter for him. She did ran back and forth from the stronghold until a few days ago, when she'd informed him that the group had to venture quite some distance away tracking a herd of elk. A distance too far even for her to ran to and from the stronghold at a reasonable time.

He'd frowned at her, not at all happy hearing that bit of news. It made her hurriedly appeal to him, telling him that she'd left a couple bags of her blood in the small fridge in their bedroom in case he needed to feed while she's away. She thought he was going to be more difficult, but was delightedly surprised when he gave a resigned sigh and told her that he'll see her when the hunting party got back, and proceeded to kiss the hell out of her.

She rolled to her side, savoring the feel of the cool grass. After a more than two weeks of being out in the open, of sleeping in the cold, hard ground, she couldn't wait to climb on to her soft, comfy bed. But she supposed she could give the others an hour of rest before they get back on their way.

The grin on her face grew wistful. Or maybe it wasn't her bed she really missed, but the pair of muscular arms wrapped around her while she dozed off.

XOXOX

The exhausted hunting party arrived at their destination a little before sunset. They didn't know which had drained them more – two weeks of hunting or the grueling pace Mikan had set going back to the stronghold. They could have just let her go ahead by herself, but they were the pack's hunters. It was a matter of pride that they could at least marginally keep up with their alpha.

But they couldn't help sniggering among themselves at the way Mikan was acting. If any of them were as impulsive as Koko, they'd say that their alpha was in a big hurry to return to the stronghold for something – or rather, someone.

After their brief stopover, Mikan ran at her usual breakneck speed towards the stronghold. She hadn't sent any signal that the hunting party will be returning today, and she wanted to surprise Natsume when he woke up tonight. What she didn't expect was the others would keep up with her pace.

She had inwardly laughed. She was sure that the others, especially the young ones, had found it as one wild ride.

When she got to their bedroom door, she placed her hand on the latch, and a smile broke out in her face. At least she knew he was cautious enough to lock the bedroom door when she wasn't around. She tried the latch again then stopped in thought. A chuckle suddenly came from her as she laughed at herself.

Damn! If Natsume's going to stay in the stronghold, and she'll be away again anytime soon, she'll have to get the bedroom door spelled. But for now, she needed find where her spare bedroom key was. A much better alternative than irreparably destroying the door. Thankfully, Hotaru was easy enough to find. After a whack or two from the beta's contraption, her best-friend was kind enough to handover the spare key to her.

As the door swung open, Mikan stood by the portal and smiled as she took in the sight of the bedroom. The sight beckoned her inside, towards the immense centerpiece of the room. The bed.

Natsume was sprawled on his stomach on the king-size bed. His head was turned towards the door, allowing her a glimpse of his handsome face in peaceful sleep. He was even accommodating enough to sleep on his side of the bed. Though, his arm was stretched over to her side, as if waiting for her to climb into bed, and into his arms.

A grin stretched across her face. She really wouldn't mind climbing in. But she first needed to wash away the accumulated sweat and dust from travel off her body.

Natsume woke up with something warm curled against him. But the warmth didn't feel foreign. In fact, it felt like a missing part of himself had returned to his side. He turned to his side and wrapped an arm around the body beside him. "Mutt," he sleepily whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"How did you always know it's me?" she mumbled. A pleasured shiver ran through her as he trailed kisses all over her face and down her neck.

"I like keeping track of what's mine," he answered, taking the skin on the curve of her neck into his mouth and sucking. His sharp fangs grazed the area but not hard enough to break skin. He pulled away after a while and contentedly inspected the redden mark he left on her for all to see.

"You gave me a hickey, didn't you?" she accused as soon as she got down from her pleasured state.

"Undoubtedly."

She laughed at the arrogant look on his face, before pushing him away. "I guess it's time to get up," she declared, giving her body a final stretch before rolling out of bed.

Natsume sighed, knowing that he didn't have a choice but to get out of, too. No point in him staying in bed alone.

With most of the pack's preparations done, the two of them planned to spend the evening lounging in front of the stronghold's huge fireplace, reading books. From the time she'd been away, Natsume had discovered her extensive library, which was tucked away in a secluded corner of the stronghold. And he'd been frequently raiding her collection of books since then.

But right now, he wasn't too happy with her books. She was so engrossed with what she was reading that she'd bluntly ignored him the six times he'd asked her if she was hungry. He let the first couple of times slip, thinking she wasn't hungry. But as the night deepened, and he kept asking her again and again, he found that he didn't like her ignoring him for a goddamn book. Didn't like it one bit.

At the end of his rope, he snatched the book out of her grasp and savored the moment as Mikan stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. He smirked. She definitely wasn't ignoring him now, was she?

"Hey! What gives! Give that back!" she shrilled at him and attempted to grab it back. But Natsume had already stood up and was holding it above him. She was tall, but sad to say, Natsume beats her when it comes to height, hands down.

"You've been ignoring for a while now. Makes me curious what the heck you're reading," he remarked, keeping the book out of her reach and flipping it around so that he could read the title. A dark brow rose. He held a hand up to make her stop fussing. "You've been ignoring me of a romance novel?" he stared at her incredulously.

"I'm already in a good part," she protested. "And don't you lose that page that I was on!" Hazel eyes glared at him. "I'm seriously contemplating picking you up and tossing you down on the floor right now," she grumbled.

Natsume's response was to bluntly ignore her warning. "Let's see what you find so interesting in this," he said, quickly scanning the page she was on. His face blanked as he took in what he was reading.

Mikan stood by and crossed her arms over her chest defensively, knowing the part he was reading right then. "Will you just give the damn book back to me?" she gritted out.

Crimson eyes stared at her. "Mind explaining to me why the hell you're reading a love scene when I'm right here?"

She shot him a disgruntled glare. "I'm interested in the story!" she defended herself. "It just so happens that you snatched it away while I was at that part!" She tried to reach for the book again but Natsume was quick enough to spin out of the way and keep it out of her reach.

"Then again," Natsume commented, his eyes browsing though the written text. "Maybe reading this isn't such a bad idea." His head tilted to one side. "I wonder if it's really possible to do it in this position," he pondered before smirking at Mikan. "I got to try it with you later."

"I like your suggestion," she slowly approached him, making sure to give her hips a seductive sway, knowing it'll distract him. As crimson eyes focused on her body, she stopped merely a foot away. "But give my book back right now!" she bellowed and launched herself at him.

Natsume snapped back to his senses just in time to keep them from toppling over. Instinctively, he dropped the book and caught his lifemate in his arms to prevent her from getting injured. "Stop struggling!" he growled as he carried her a foot off the ground by her waist. "And stop impulsively launching yourself at people! You could crack your stupid head on the goddamned floor!"

She stopped squirming and grinned at him, draping her arms around his shoulders. "Aww, is my little leech worried about me," beaming her hundred-watt smile at him. She really did appreciate that he'd protect her, even if it's from herself.

A cough interrupted them, making them turn to the newcomer. Mikan slipped down to the floor and took a step away from Natsume, before nodding to signal her pack member to approach.

Natsume studied the advancing male. The werewolf was shorter than average for a guy. He had a head-full of shaggy, snow-white hair which sets off a pair of wide emerald eyes. Top it off with a pale, flawless face. The guy certainly could rival any girl in terms of looks.

"Alpha," the male briskly greeted her with a deep bow, before giving a silent, respectful nod towards Natsume's direction.

"Good evening, Itsuki," Mikan greeted back. "Anything the matter?" she asked as she watched the male fidget nervously.

"I-I-I…" Itsuki started stuttering out, as if he couldn't grasp what he wanted to tell her first. "I found my mate!" he finally blurred out before embarrassment tinted his face red.

A huge smile broke out on Mikan's face. "Congratulations! That's great news! When do we get to meet your mate?"

Just when Mikan didn't think his face could get any redder, it did. It wouldn't surprise her if steam started coming out of his ears right then. "Well, I actually brought my mate for introductions today," he confessed.

Before Mikan could ask anymore questions, he turned towards the nearest doorway and signaled for someone to come in.

Natsume had been quietly standing back and observing, but he couldn't stop his eyes from widening in disbelief as another male with dark hair and even darker eyes stepped forward. There's got to be some mistake, his mind kept telling him. He glanced at Mikan to gauge her reaction.

Certainly enough, Mikan was also subtly gawking at the male who'd just entered. But after a moment, she blinked away her shock, and the smile was back on her face again, more brightly than before, if that was even possible.

"Welcome to the stronghold," Mikan greeted with a toothy grin, closing the distance towards the man.

"Thank you. I'm Eisei," he bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, alpha." He then spared his mate a glance and smiled. "And I apologize for Itsuki's stuttered and sordid foreword," he teased, earning a glare from his mate.

Mikan laughed, charmed by Eisei's sense of humor. "Nice to meet you, too. It's great to know that our Itsuki is in good hands. So, you're human, I presume."

"Yes, ma'am. That I am," he said, giving her a wink and a flirtatious grin. A low, barely audible growl came from Itsuki. Alpha, or not, he didn't like seeing his mate flirting with another person. "Uh-oh, looks like someone's getting jealous," he chuckled and walked back to his mate, wrapping an arm around Itsuki's shoulder and giving him a sideward hug.

Amusedly, Mikan watched as Itsuki instantly calmed down as Eisei pulled him in for the half-hug. "So, what can I do for the two of you tonight?"

Itsuki's face turned a bright shade of red again. He tried to say something but no word was coming out. His tongue seemed to be tied into knots. Thankfully, Eisei was there to take over speaking for him.

"What my speechless mate here is trying to say is that we need your blessing as his pack's alpha, and…" he cleared his throat, "we also need your help, since Itsuki wants to claim me but can't. Not as I am right now, that is."

"Oh! Yes, of course!" she confirmed quickly. "Why don't the two take an hour to go prepare, then come back here. I'll have some preparations to do, too."

"Thank you, alpha." The two uttered in unison and bowed, before exiting.

When the footsteps faded, Natsume turned to Mikan. "What do they need your help for?"

"Itsuki's fairly young. Not even a century old. He wants help transforming his mate," she clarified. "Our mating process is brutal and bloody. A fragile human body is not suited for it. Eisei would most likely bleed or be mauled to death if Itsuki claimed him now."

Natsume's brows furrowed. "What does his age have to do with anything? I thought all a werewolf had to do was bite a human to change them?"

"Yes, but age comes into play with potency. The younger the werewolf, the less potent his bite," she explained, as she bent down to retrieve her book, frowning because she lost the page she was on. "The transformation is painful and hard on the human body. The less potent the bite, the longer it takes the human body to undergo the transformation, and the longer the human suffers."

Natsume was quiet for a minute, before going ahead and asking what had really been bothering him about that short meeting. "Don't werewolves mate as a means to procreate? I really don't think there's going to be any pups arising from the union of that pair."

Mikan just shrugged. "Well, it doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. No one really knows why. My guess is it might be nature's own way of population control. But it certainly helps out when those couples adopt orphaned pups as their own. Besides, the werewolf mating instinct is never wrong. If Itsuki claims Eisei is his, then it's legitimate."

"Couldn't a werewolf just verbally claim anyone as his mate if he's desperate for one?" he asked inquisitively.

"No," Mikan growled out. "That would be a blatant insult to their real mate, punishable by nothing short of death. If they could insult someone as important as their mate like that, they're better off dead anyway."

It was getting more and more interesting for him. A wealth of information about werewolves he'd never known before. "How would you know if they're just faking it?"

"Everyone in the pack would know by scent when the time comes," she answered vaguely. Natsume stared at her, wordlessly prompting her to explain further. "When a werewolf mates, something about their scent changes. It's hard to explain it to someone who doesn't have our sense of smell," she sighed. "It's like, it's still their unique scent, but entwined with it is their mate's scent and something else that marks them as taken."

Giving the conversation a break, Natsume guided her back to rug. He waited for her to get settled in, getting ready to go back to her book, before he dropped the bomb of a question on her. "So, speaking pups," he started slowly. "Is there a chance you might be carrying them now?"

Mikan looked up and started blankly at him. Her mind very slowly processing what he just said. "Me? Carrying? Carrying what?" she frowned, until a rusty clog in her head turned with a soft click.

Natsume amusedly watched her reaction. First, she gaped at him, her mouth working mutely, like fish out of water. A blush crept up her neck to the top of her head, tinting her face a bright shade of red. She then spattered and stuttered, trying to get some words out, but miserably and adorably failing. She might be bold, and at times nonchalant, when it came to physical intimacy, but it looked like pregnancy – her pregnancy to be exact – was something of a lot more sensitive and personal to her than that.

"T-T-That's not possible!" she exclaimed when she finally got her tongue untied. The statement just earned her an incredulously raised eyebrow from Natsume. "W-Well, it's not possible r-right now, anyway. Werewolves need to be mated to sire or conceive pups."

"And we're still not mated, why?" he inquired, leaning in close to her – so close to the point that it was intimidating.

"B-Because, I-I d-don't think the timing's right," she brokenly stuttered out, before quickly skittering away from him. "I-I forgot. I need to inform Hotaru about helping out Itsuki. I'll be right back!" she called out and zoomed out the door.

Natsume chuckled to himself. He didn't like that she's avoiding the topic of their mating. But, oh, he was going to have some fun using this as ammo in mercilessly teasing her while it lasts. He did love seeing that adorably confused then flustered look on her face.

XOXOX

Itsuki studied the towering, gold-brown werewolf in front of him then glanced at his mate – who was bravely keeping up the front that his knees weren't trembling. But Eisei's stiff posture and the fear in his dark eyes betrayed him. Okay, so maybe any sane person would be even just a bit scared by the fact that they were about to be bitten by a fifteen-foot-tall lycan, with proportionally large jaws and teeth.

Eisei mustered up enough courage to stutter out, "I-I don't t-think this is going to work."

"Don't worry," his mate reassured him. "Your leg will be taking the bite. It's far enough from any vital organs."

"You can only say that because you got crazy healing and regeneration capabilities!" Eisei snapped at him and cried out, "I don't want my leg severed!"

Hotaru glared at the hysterical man. "She's not going to sink all her teeth in you." She glanced at Mikan. "She'll need both your legs to fit all her teeth anyway. Besides, we're here to make sure she doesn't put too much pressure on it." But being her sadistic self, she added with an evil smirk, "Well, at least not enough pressure to amputate your leg. But we're not saying that it isn't going to hurt like hell."

"Hotaru," Mikan grumbled out a warning. They didn't need anyone making the situation worse, especially with Eisei already as panic-stricken as he was.

The beta shrugged. "Just stating some facts."

Mikan sighed. "Let's just get this over with." She made a move to lie down on her stomach, giving Natsume a gentle nudge with her muzzle to move him out of the way. Natsume frowned up at her but yielded, stepping aside. "Hey, Natsume," she murmured in her guttural lycan voice. "Can you help Hotaru make sure my teeth don't sink in too deep?"

"As if that beta of yours needs any help," he scoffed at her, but dutiful went closer to her jaws.

"We're ready over here," Hotaru mentioned nonchalantly as she squatted beside Eisei, who was sitting on the floor with Itsuki anchoring him down with a tight hug from behind. She tapped the side of Mikan's snout, wordlessly telling her to open up, and indifferently propped Eisei's leg between Mikan's gaping jaws.

"Bite down to a third and hold," the beta told her. Mikan rolled her eyes, feeling more and more like she was at the dentist by the minute.

Mikan did as she was told. Eisei squeaked in reaction, squeezing his eyes shut and gripping on to Itsuki with all his might. Hotaru studied the result and frowned. The bite wasn't deep enough. It only grazed the cloth on Eisei's pant leg. "Bite down a bit more," she instructed. "Wait!" Before she could give out a more exact instruction, Mikan's jaw was already moving. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop Mikan in time before it resulted in a disaster for Eisei's leg.

Her teeth sank into flesh, followed by a yelp of pain coming from both Mikan and Eisei. Mikan quickly released the leg and sat back to rub her aching jaw. "That hurts!" she complained, pouting down at Natsume. He'd stuck his fist into the corner of her mouth, in between the place at the back that doesn't have teeth, only gums, preventing her jaws from slamming down fully.

Natusme just shrugged. "Either that or he loses a leg," he explained indifferently, wiping his fist on his pant leg.

"The bite's good," Hotaru declared after inspecting a whimpering Eisei's leg. As soon as she said it, Eisei started to convulse. Itsuki quickly grabbed a clean towel he'd brought with him and stuffed it into Eisei's mouth to prevent him from biting his own tongue off in the earlier stages of the turning. After the convulsions, Eisei screamed into his gag with the excruciating pain as his muscles stretched, bunched, and crawled beneath his skin, seeming to have a mind of their own.

"Pull out the towel so he can breathe properly!" Hotaru ordered, helping to hold down Eisei's legs so that he can't trash them and pull a joint. Mikan shifted to her human form and pulled the towel free without hesitation.

The whole transformation process only took fifteen minutes instead of hours thanks to Mikan's bite. But it still felt like days to Itsuki who could only watch helplessly, cradling Eisei and holding him down so that he wouldn't hurt himself, as his mate convulsed for the first five minutes and wilt in pain the next ten. But after that, Eisei finally quieted down, and Itsuki breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your help, Alpha. Beta," Itsuki bowed to them after they got Eisei onto his back so that he could take him to home to rest. He also gave Natsume a silent, respectful nod of thanks before he went on his way, easily carrying his now-unconscious mate.

"Well," Mikan breathed out. "That went well enough."

"It's a lot of work helping out with these cases, in my opinion," Hotaru scoffed as she started packing up the stuff she brought for any eventualities. "I should start charging my participation in these by the minute."

Mikan laughed. "Thanks for your help, Hotaru." The beta acknowledged her gratitude with a wave before her left the hall, mumbling something about making a new invention. Mikan was about to go back to the book she'd been reading when Natsume stepped up to her, catching her in his arms.

"Where were we before we got interrupted?" he murmured, holding her close.

Thinking that he was about to kiss her silly, she seductively leaned closer. "Um, yes, where were we?"

"Oh yeah, we're taking about you being pregnant," Natsume innocently grinned, but you can see the deviltry in his crimson eyes.

Mikan pulled away in shock, before she let out a shrill, frustrated screech and stomped away, leaving Natsume with a face-splitting grin. Ah, he was really going to enjoy teasing her about this for weeks, or even months, to come.

XOXOX

His arm reached over to fumble beside him. Expecting his hand to come in contact with a warm body, he jerked awake in frustration when all he could feel was empty space. "Come back to bed," he growled as he saw the warm body he was looking for prancing around in the room.

"Can't. Need to head somewhere tonight," she said, putting on her boots. "If you don't get up and get ready in time, I'm heading out myself and leaving you here."

Natsume grumbled, but threw back the sheets to get out of bed and get ready. No way was he going to let her wander off alone without him. Besides, he found whatever place she takes him to highly informative into who Mikan was.

That night, he found himself following right behind her as they trekked through some unseen trail in the forest. The night deepen, and their destination still seemed nowhere in sight. The only consolation he had was watching her, mesmerized by the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. He smirked to himself, wondering how she'll react if he starts groping her then and there.

He was still contemplating if he should, or shouldn't, act on the impulse when Mikan suddenly stopped, snapping him out of his perverted train of thought.

"Don't react when you find arrows trained at you," she warned him as if finding one's self an archer's target was an everyday occurrence. "They're just going to verify our identities and escort us in."

As they stepped into the clearing, Natsume's keen hearing pick up more than a dozen bowstrings being cocked, though he couldn't see a single archer around them. It took everything in him to keep still as his survival instincts screamed for him to grab Mikan and duck behind the trees. He calmly followed Mikan's stance and raised both his hands, a sign that they mean no harm.

Before long, his ears heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. A group of five men, all clad in light soldier's armor, came forward, lead by a tall man with strawberry-blond hair long enough to brush against his shoulder. By their pointed ear, Natsume could tell they were elves, elven soldiers at that. Looks like his darling werewolf just lead them straight to the territory of the Elven Kingdom.

The blond elf stopped a few yards away from them. "Who goes there?"

"Just me and a guest, Shuuichi," Mikan answered with a smile in voice.

Natsume brow rose. She was on first name basis with the captain of the elven guards?

Shuuichi raised his right hand, and the soft creak of tense bowstrings being slowly released permeated the around them. "You should have sent a message first that you were coming, so you don't get greeted like this," he scolded Mikan.

Mikan just shrugged. "Seems a little redundant to me, since I would be the one headed here with the message myself."

A pair of gray eyes narrowed at her. "You're the werewolf alpha, you can send one of your minions over with a message."

"My so-called 'minions' are afraid to come close to elven territory for fear of finding themselves with an arrow through their hide," Mikan rolled her eyes.

Shuuichi was quiet for a while. "That was an accident of long ago. When one of our younger archers failed to properly maintained his bow. And the arrow barely grazed that werewolf's tail," he muttered.

"The story's still being told in exaggeration amongst the pack. I think the damage is currently being described as 'arrow pincushion' to the younger ones," she grinned impishly.

The blond elf grumbled. "You should stop such false rumors. It doesn't do well for elven relations with your pack."

"I do try. But you know how rumors and gossip goes. It's hard to stop. Besides, it serves as a warning for our younger pack members not to wander aimlessly into elven territory," she laughed.

"You're hopeless," Shuuichi chuckled. "You here to see Kazumi-san and Shiki-san?"

"Yes, I need to talk to them about something," she said, suddenly serious.

Shuuichi nodded. "Come then." Gray eyes then directed their gaze at Natsume. "Vampire?" he glanced back at Mikan. "He's with you?"

"He's with me," Mikan confirmed with a nod as she moved to walk beside him. Natsume followed closely by just behind her. They were escorted by the other four elves on all sides.

"I'm not sure how the others will react to his presence," he considered when they arrived that the capital's imposing gate. Thick, stone walls and towers rose high above the ground, and spanned the horizon as far as the eyes can see. "Maybe you should prepare them first."

"Don't worry, I will," Mikan stated as Shuuichi signaled someone in the gate house.

There was a clank, followed the sound of thick chains moving and the squeak of hinges as the heavy wooden gates slowly swung open.

Though he didn't outwardly show it, being his first time to enter the Elven Kingdom, Natsume's eyes glazed around in awe. Even though it was nighttime, the elven kingdom was flooded with light emitted from magic crystals found all around. Elven traders were still hawking their wares in the marketplace they passed; they won't be packing up their stuff until later. Elven children roamed around playing in the streets, too early of their bedtime yet, safe within the kingdom's fortified walls. And not a few glances were aimed their way as they passed by some residents. Looks like visits from outsiders were very rare.

Beyond the market place, their escorts led them into an electric powered tram, which allowed for faster travel across the kingdom. Seated down by the tram's window, Natsume calmly observed the places they passed through and asked Mikan about some structures that made him curious.

Mikan readily answered his questions, pointing out some areas and what they do, satisfying his curiosity. "I forgot this is probably your first time travelling here," she looked at him apologetically.

"You two seem to get along well," Shuuichi observed.

Mikan blinked at him then turned to Natsume. "Well, we do, don't we?" she grinned and laughed, leaning her head against Natsume's shoulder.

Shuuichi incredulously shook his head. Mikan had always been the happy-go-luck, impulsive type to being with. He was just glad to see that the strain of war was fading from her. But his keen eyes also didn't fail to notice how the vampire's countenance had softened when Mikan leaned into him. He had been dead set on not liking the vampire at first, but something tells him he was going to be seeing the leech again and again, probably every time Mikan comes for a visit.

He kept his smile to himself. Glad that Mikan had found her mate at long last.

XOXOX

By the time they reached the central citadel, Natsume pretty much learned the basic layout of the Elven Kingdom, which was built like a humongous medieval fortress.

The outermost area of the kingdom was the lower bailey. It consisted of the marketplaces and residential areas of the common folks. The next and largest area to that was the upper bailey, which was separated from the lower bailey by another line of thick walls. Located there were the fields, in which they grew crops and graze their livestock in, and the mines, where they get minerals for use and trade. The lands of the upper bailey were divided among the elven nobles, their manors residing within the area, too. The common workers travel to the upper bailey daily to work the fields and the mines for wages.

Beyond the upper bailey was what they call the outer ward. Here was the city proper, where the nobles and rich middle-classmen reside, and where the streets were lined with large townhouses and extravagant shops. Further in was the inner ward, which was occupied by royal nobles and their grand mansions. The center and highest structure of the inner ward was the central citadel, where the Elven High Council, the ruling body of the Elven Kingdom resided. Its walls were painted pure white, and the structure's moldings were inlaid with gold; a magnificent sight to behold of anyone seeing it for the first time.

When they arrived in the citadel's courtyard, Natsume was too busy processing his surroundings that he didn't question why they were led to the citadel in the first place. It only popped into his mind when Mikan asked him to wait in the courtyard while she met with someone, and happily skitter off. By then, it was too late to ask.

Natsume rolled his eyes. Just like her to make him wait out here. Shuuichi and the other guards seemed to have also left. With nothing to else to do, he glanced around the courtyard, only to have his curiosity perked by a group of children, of varying ages, and of varied social classes from what he can tell of their attires, huddled around a distinguished-looking man with dark-brown hair and a thick beard . Judging by the man's loose, flowing dark attire, he'd guess he was a scholar or teacher of sorts.

The children all looked engrossed in what the man was saying, so Natsume skimmed closer for to eavesdrop on the topic. Only for him to find that the man was telling the children some kind of story. He shrugged and listened, slowly realizing that it wasn't just any story. It was a history lesson. The story of the war between demons and elves the occurred eons ago. Something he'd read in one of his books long before.

He stared at the storyteller. He supposed it was hard to tell how old someone was when they stopped aging at a certain age. But he got to hand it to the man; the children would remember a story better than a history lesson full of dates. Teaching through stories might be a part of the elven education system.

The man finished the story with Natsume learned a bit more about the elven-demon war than what he'd read in his books, and leaving the children clamoring for another story.

"Alright, alright," the man conceded. "Just one more then you best start heading home. Some of you would still need to take the tram to the lower bailey." He cleared his throat and began the story with flourish. "I got a story to tell all of you, about a time long, long ago. It was a time when werewolves and vampires lived together in peace."

That last statement got both of Natsume's brows rising. Now this story, he's got to hear.

One of the smaller children raised her hand. "Haven't werewolves and vampires been enemies since the beginning?"

The man chuckled. "Yes, they seem to be at it forever. But in truth, the feud between them only began with the war. Long before that, werewolves and vampires live in harmony with each other. So much so, that each vampire coven used to reside together with a werewolf pack!"

Natsume slid even closer to the group, intrigued by the news that his ancestors had co-existed with werewolves. He was an avid reader of books, but never had he found a book regarding how vampire and werewolves lived before the war. Though it might be because all records of that time had been destroyed during conflict.

The narrator continued with the story, recounting how vampire castles during those days weren't protected by ward spells. Their werewolf companions would protect them and their castles while day-sleep was upon them. In exchange, vampires open their castles as a save haven for the werewolves and help hunt for prey to feed the entire pack.

It was another child's turn to raise his hand. This one was older, nearing his teens by Natsume's estimate, and dressed in the finer clothes that spoke of a noble's child. "But isn't there only one werewolf pack and vampire coven situated in the highlands and lowlands outside?"

"Nowadays, yes. Sadly only one pack and coven remained after the war. And I believe it will remain so to centralize the rule power and laws both groups are to follow under a single alpha and coven master. But before the war, the highlands and lowlands didn't have a boundary; it was a united land in which both werewolves and vampires are free to roam. In that land, multiple covens and packs existed along side. It was common then for covens and packs to go into contract for their mutual benefit."

The storyteller paused. His eyes took on a far off glaze before he gave his audience an impish smile. "Then again, it was also common back then for feuds to erupt among – coven against coven, pack against pack, or coven against pack. Of course, any feud a coven or pack enters would automatically involve the counterpart they're contracted with. But it was truly a sight to behold as werewolves and vampires fought alongside either. A vampire in full armor riding and armor-clad werewolf in lycan form into battle was fearsome spectacle."

"Even more fearsome than demonic nightmare horse riders?" one little boy in the crowd inquired in awe.

"Well," the storyteller stopped for a moment to think. "Nightmares do look more ghastly with their fiery manes and glowing red eyes. But lycans can grow much, much larger and are more deadly in the battlefield, able to tear through enemies with their huge claws and teeth." The narrator mimicked the motion of claws and fangs with his hands and mouth, and swooped towards his front audience, causing a few shrieks and fits of laughter from the crowd.

When his audience settled down, the storyteller continued. "But then arguments started occurring between the two species, which escalated to the infamous war we all know off." He began to retell certain events during the war.

In Natsume's head, he was filing new information he's receiving like crazy. Most of which were never mentioned in any of history books he'd previously read. And some of which were so brutal, he wasn't sure if it was really appropriate for the storyteller's young audience.

A third faction before the full-blown war who remained neutral to the fighting and had protested the animosity between the two species. Werewolf packs raiding over vampire castles and keeping captured vampires, young and old alike, alive; so they can feast on their flesh and limbs every night once regenerated in day-sleep. The failed werewolf tribunal, which was supposed to have ended the war on an earlier note. The subsequent vampire attack on the werewolf sanctuary, and the massacre of defenseless werewolf mates and pups. And finally, the agreed upon truce, and separation of the highlands and the lowlands between the werewolves and vampires.

Natsume's brows furrowed. There were some missing pieces of the whole picture though. What was the argument between the vampires and werewolves all about? What was that something that both parties thought was worth going to war for?

Apparently, Natsume wasn't the only one who thinks there's something missing from the story. "But what were the werewolves and vampires arguing about in the first place that caused the war? You only mentioned about an argument but not the cause of it," one of the older children raised his hand and asked.

Natsume almost went over and applauded the boy for asking that question. Now, to find out storyteller's response.

The storyteller smiled mysteriously and proceeded to recite a cryptic rhyme.

My mouth is shut, sewn, and soldered.

Search high and low none may discover.

For combatants the secret quelled,

Thus none like me may so retell.

After his recitation and a conspiring wink to his audience, the storyteller proceeded to usher his young charges to go home. The children seemed satisfied enough with his obscure answer; however, it felt a certain vampire fuming.

Natsume was so frustrated. What the hell kind of answer was that?! It made him want to march over there and shake the really answer out of the guy!

He was about to rudely probe the guy's mind, when someone grabbed onto his arm. He sighed, knowing instantly who it was without looking. But wait a minute, his eyes narrowed at the woman clinging to his arm. For combatants the secret quelled. If it's about the vampire-werewolf war, the only one's involved who have the power to suppress information that absolutely would be Julius and Mikan!

A growl escaped his throat. His sight roamed around and finally pinpointed the storyteller within the courtyard.

"I won't do that if I were you," Mikan grinned. "That guy's more ancient than he looks. I'm pretty sure he'd have already built up a resistance to mind probes."

Natsume sighed and turned back to her, not at all happy to be thwarted. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Oh, just a little bit before the last child asked about what really caused the war, I suppose," she answered, aiming wide innocent eyes at him. "You looked so preoccupied listening to the story; I didn't have the heart to disrupt."

He stared at her for a long moment. "You're not going to tell me the real cause of the war, aren't you?"

A happy-sounding "nope" was her reply. It made his want to throttle her so badly. And he probably would have done so if she hadn't distracted him with her next words.

"Come on," she tugged at his arm. "I want to introduce you to some people," she said, leading him towards the front door of the citadel.

He gingerly followed her, already spotting the four men she was most likely dragging him off to meet. Before they arrived, he was already assessing the men with a keen eye. One of them was the captain of the guards who Mikan calls Shuuichi. Beside him was a black-hair man wearing glasses. The scent of the wild was emanating from him, making the possibility of him being a werewolf very high. Not to mention those pair of cold, amethyst eyes were eerily familiar.

The two other men were members of the Elven High Council as far as he could tell from the gold-trimmed white robes they wore, which were exclusively for the members of the high council. One of the men had light-brown hair and similarly colored eyes. The other was the tallest among the group. He had light-blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The two high council members stood rigidly. Their eyes filled to the brim with knowledge gathered since ancient times, and with stares so intense it felt like they were probing your very soul.

"You already met Shuuichi, Baron Sakurano, at the front gate. He's the captain of the elven guards," she started. "The werewolf him is Subaru. He's Shuuichi's mate. Subaru's currently residing here and learning techniques from elven healers all over the kingdom. And if you haven't noticed," Mikan continued with a grin. "He has a striking resemblance to Hotaru; that's because he's her elder brother."

Natsume raised a brow at that tidbit. No wonder those eyes gave him the creeps. None the less, he nodded to black-haired werewolf in greeting. Good thing he was already forewarned by Itsuki and Eisei's case, and wasn't all that shock.

"And this guy over here is Lord Masachika." She guided him towards the man with light-brown hair and eyes. "He's known as Duke Shiki around here and prefers to be called Shiki rather than his first name. He's also my godfather," she said with a huge smile on her face. "And this one," she resumed with hardly any pause. But this time, she went over to side of the tall man with light-blond hair. "This is my Uncle Kazu. Known to other's as Kazumi, Grand Duke Yukihira, Chancellor of the Elven High Council."

To say Natsume was in shock was a mild statement. He vaguely registered himself giving a formal bow and a "pleasure to meet you" greeting. But he's mind was numb as he listed off a couple unbelievable facts. One, Mikan had direct relations with the elven ruling body! And two, if he'll use Mikan's age as basis, her godfather and uncle were ancient!

Damn it! He was going to really throttle the woman when he gets her alone for this!

Mikan didn't seem to notice, or was ignoring, his shocked state as she continued on with the introductions. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Natsume, the current vampire coven master."

Kazumi stepped forward, but Shiki hanged back, preferring to just observe. "The last master vampire we know of was Julius. It's nice to finally meet his successor in person." Kazumi gave Mikan a fleeting look. "Your presence here was unexpected." He paused. Natsume could almost hear the unspoken words in the silence. Especially tagging along with Mikan, of all people. "But we hope you find the kingdom welcoming enough."

"The Elven Kingdom has been very accommodating to my unanticipated presence," Natsume answered, having snapped out of his stunned state. "I hope my visit would bode well for future vampire and elven relations."

Kazumi nodded, satisfied with his diplomatic response. "Regarding the information you seek, we haven't heard of any news about a vampire, rogue or otherwise, in the demon realm. However, we've been receiving reports about some suspicious activities going on with one of the demon lords. We were thinking it was just someone getting restless. But since we heard from Mikan what has transpired in the lowlands, we'll be confirming it with the Demon High Council. But it would still take some time for them to investigate and get a reply from them."

"That's well enough," Natsume responded. "You have mine and my coven's gratitude for your aid."

"Yes, for now though. I would suggest you consult other avenues for information," Kazumi pointedly suggested, staring at Mikan. "I think you where to find other sources best." The alpha nodded, understanding what her uncle was insinuating. The chancellor nodded back. "Now that's out of the way, Mikan, I'd like to speak with you privately please. Shuuichi and Subaru, the two of you come along."

Mikan followed her uncle into the citadel's front foyer, Subaru and Shuuichi entering behind her. Kazumi turned to her as soon as the front door shut behind them. "So, my dear niece, what does the vampire really mean to you? You have your impulsive moments, but you don't just take someone here on a whim. At first we thought it was for political reasons he's with you, but it seems there's something more."

Mikan sighed. She knew an interrogation was coming. "I guess you could say he's someone important to me."

"He's your mate," Subaru stated. He's been silently observing how his alpha and the master vampire behaved with each other, and was certain of his conclusion. Any other werewolf seeing the two together would probably reach the same deduction. "Unclaimed though he may be."

Kazumi turned back to Mikan, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Is that true?"

"Fortunately, or unfortunately, yes, it's true," Mikan groaned. "It's just that…."

Kazumi's sharp eyes bore into her. "You're afraid of what might happen. So you're holding back," he told her in Gaelic.

Shuuichi and Subaru kept silent. Feeling that the conversation was getting more confidential, they both stepped away from the other pair in sync, giving them some privacy. They know Mikan was keeping some information about the war a secret, to the point of having track down and sworn everyone who knows the details to secrecy. They both just didn't know what that secret was. Not that they didn't, at some point, tried to find out, only to find that everyone who should know was keeping mum about it.

"I just want to prevent any future wars from erupting," Mikan uttered in return. Softly. Tiredly.

Kind, blue eyes studied her. "Just think of it this way then. What if some of the current wolves from your pack realize that their mate was a vampire? Would you deny them from their mate? And what about those from your pack who would benefit from it?" he asked, giving a subtle glance towards Subaru and Shuuichi.

"It is nature's will for werewolves not to be immortal," she bowed her head and whispered, soft enough for only her uncle to hear.

"Yes, but it is also nature who provided them a means on how they can be," Kazumi replied back.

"I need to think about this some more," Mikan said resignedly.

Kazumi patted the top of her head. "Don't spend too much time on it. Time is precious. Don't deny yourself happiness any longer, when it's already within your grasp."

"Got it. Thanks, Uncle Kazu," she said, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

XOXOX

In the citadel courtyard, Natsume was left alone with Shiki, who made no move to follow the other elves and Mikan inside. After a moment, the duke moved away from the pillar he was leaning on. "Take a walk with me," he uttered bluntly, walking away without looking back to see if the vampire would follow.

Natsume trailed behind him dutifully, finding them headed towards a small garden located to the side of the citadel. He was still taking note of the seemingly alien varieties blooming in the garden, as Shiki sat himself in an old, wooden bench situated in one corner of the garden, leaving Natsume standing in front of him.

"This may seem a little rude and outdated," the duke started with a low, masculine voice. "But, on behalf of Mikan's father and mother, who were both my good friends, and had entrusted me to be their daughter's godfather, I would like to know your intentions towards Mikan."

Natsume brought himself taller. He can't believe he's answering this, but heck, he'll give a candid response to it. "My intentions with her are serious. I want her acknowledge me as her mate, as I've already recognized her as my lifemate and would like to spend the rest of my existence with her."

Crimson met assessing light-brown eyes unwaveringly, as the elven duke gauged the truthfulness of his words.

After what seemed like hours to Natsume, the elf finally nodded in acknowledgement. "Knowing my goddaughter, you will need to overcome a few obstacles before you can get her to acknowledge you as her mate. You don't live pass nine millennia without carrying a few baggages with you," he stated, seeming to be speaking from experience. Light-brown eyes spoke volumes of knowledge obtained from a very long existence.

Natsume had a feeling the elf was saying something more than just Mikan being the alpha werewolf and him being the master vampire as the complication to their relationship. He was about to ask what kind of obstacles and baggages Shiki was talking about, but was interrupted by Mikan and the others coming towards them.

"I'm done with business here," Mikan declared as soon as she reached Natsume and Shiki. "If you're done chatting," she turned to Natsume. "We should start heading back, so we can get you to some shelter before dawn."

Natsume nodded to her before turning to Kazumi and the rest. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Are you taking the tram back to the front gates?" Shuuichi asked.

Mikan shook her head. "It'll take too long. We'll just take the werewolf express," she grinned.

Shuuichi gave a defeated sigh. He could already foresee he'll be receiving some calls from all over the kingdom about sightings of a large, furred beast roaming about after this, but… oh well… "I'll alert the gate house," he said, walking briskly towards the citadel.

She turned towards Subaru. "Don't hesitate to give a howl if you need anything."

"Don't worry, I won't. Have a safe journey back, alpha," Sabaru bid with a bow.

"Farewell," Kazumi said, stepping towards Mikan to give her a hug, which peeved Natsume off, but he thumped it down. "We'll send you a message if we got any news from the demon realm. And visit us more often, at least once or twice a year would suffice."

Shiki came towards them, too. But instead of going directly to Mikan, he made a detour first. "Take good care of her," he said, giving Natsume a pat on the shoulder, before enveloping Mikan in a brief hug. "Kazumi's right, you should visit more often. And you know to contact us for anything."

"I know. And I promise I'll try my best to visit more often," she laughed. "Goodbye. We'll be taking our leave now." She gave her body a stretch and shifted to lycan form.

Natsume nodded to the elves in farewell, before climbing up on Mikan's back. Grasping onto the fur on her nape, he felt her muscles coil then spring into action as she bounded out of the garden.

The elves were treated to a symphony of shrieks and screams coming from the citadel courtyard. They were sure that it'll be like that all the way to the kingdom's lower bailey. Shuuichi's job is going to be very busy the coming days.

"I think you better clear things up by announcing to the kingdom that Mikan came for a visit," Shiki told Kazumi.

"But of course. It's good to have some upheaval around here though. It gets too boring otherwise." The chancellor shrugged. That's why I like my niece visiting more often. It was something implied but left unspoken. "I'll announce it next week. Let Shuuichi handle it for a while," he said, walking away.

Shiki and Subaru sweatdropped. The chancellor was feeling a little mean it seemed.

XOXOX

They were out the Elven Kingdom gates in less than a quarter of the time it took for them to arrive at the citadel via the conventional means. In no time at all, they were back in the highland woods.

"Are we going to someone else tomorrow for information?" Natsume asked. Mikan had shifted back to her human form and they were making their way to the settlement slowly on foot.

"No, I won't be able to head out for the next few days." She looked up at the sky where the moon was only missing a small sliver of its round self. "The full moon starts tomorrow. Moving about will be cumbersome for me then, since not everything is made for my lycan form."

Before the reached the stronghold, Natsume pulled her to one side. "About our visit to the Elven Kingdom tonight," he started slowly. His fingers feathering over her face then trailing down, until his hands encircled her neck. "I'd like to throttle you for it," he gritted out menacingly. "Unwittingly leading me there and withholding information from me." His hand tightened, so that they snuggly fitted around her neck, but not tight enough to hurt her. "You need to be punished."

She smiled up at him, not the least bit afraid. Knowing that he's incapable of mistreating her. "Oh, yes. Please do punish me." She wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered seductively, "I know you like punishing me."

Crimson eyes glazed with lust. His thumbs caressed her throat. "Oh, I will." Leaning down, he gave her a mouth a fleeting kiss. "I definitely will," he murmured before taking her lips again for a longer kiss.

But before their passion can deepen any further, a shrill scream coming from within the stronghold interrupted them. They both pulled away and gazed at each other in question, before charging towards the stronghold in hurried steps.

They both slipped in through a side door, since the main door was packed full of werewolf onlookers observing something of interest inside the main hall. The sight before them seemed to root the couple's feet to the floor in shock.

In the middle of the hall was a craze-looking woman with green-permed hair, decked out in an old-fashioned lady's gown decked full of ruffles and laces. The gown's hem was torn, tattered, and muddied, and seemed totally mismatch to its wearer, since its owner was currently acting in the most unladylike manner.

The werewolves, while content to watch, gave her a wide berth. No telling what an apparently unstable vampiress might do to them if they come too close. But then, Koko seemed happy enough to be put by the woman in an uncomfortable-looking chokehold, while she screamed, nagged, and blamed all the evils of the world at the dirty-blond werewolf.

"Permy, cut it out!" Natsume finally broke though his surprise at seeing one of his coven members in the stronghold, and barked out the order.

Sumire turned towards the familiar voice. Seaweed-colored eyes twinkled as she saw Natsume. "Oh, Natsume-sama! It's been so long!" she exclaimed, pitilessly dropping Koko on the floor, and rushing at the master vampire.

Natsume stood his ground until the last second, then sidestepped as she flung herself at him. He remorselessly walked towards the dais, where Mikan had already seated herself on her chair, unmindful of the sound of a body hitting the wall behind where he'd just stood.

"We need to get you a chair up here," Mikan amusedly commented when Natsume sat on the dais by her feet and leaned against her leg.

"As if that's not gonna get me in trouble with your beta," he scoffed. It'll be too bothersome to get into a spat with Hotaru regarding pack ranking and all that. And he was sure the beta doesn't want to bother with it either.

Mikan smiled at him then turned to Sumire, who had slowly disengaged herself from the wall and was now rubbing a sore spot on her forehead. "What do we owe the honor of this visit, Sumire?"

"This!" the vampiress walked forward, grabbing Koko along the way and dragging him in front of Mikan and Natsume. "This... thing!" she spat out, "has been driving me insane since he'd been stationed in the castle. I'm here to return him."

Mikan stared at Koko, who'd been dropped into a heap in before her. "Hello, Koko," she grinned maliciously.

Koko, who was looking up at her from the floor, gulped nervously. Seems like Mikan still hasn't forgiven him for that little "pedophile" incident. He just hoped her anger had cooled enough that she doesn't skin him alive and decorate the hall with his pelt.

"Well," Mikan leaned back on her chair and looked out the nearest window. "Dawn is only in a couple of hours, I guess Sumire's staying here until tomorrow night." She raised her brow at Koko. "Since you're the reason she's here, I'm placing you in charge of her accommodations."

Koko nodded in earnest, relieved that Mikan's postponing any talk regarding that issue, and led Sumire away with her threatening that he'd better place her in the best room he could give her.

Mikan slipped down from her chair, setting herself beside Natsume on the dais. The werewolf spectators were starting to disperse, sensing that all the drama was over. She leaned her head against Natsume's shoulder. "That was unexpected."

"It's never boring around you," Natsume softly chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. He can actually see her keeping him on his toes for the rest of their life.

XOXOX

An eerie howl went out as the moon peeked though the thin, dark clouds shifting in the night sky. Natsume in front of the stronghold's front door and watched as the werewolf settlement bustled with activity as always. Just this time, the occupants were larger and furrier than before. It was a little unnerving, seeing and being in the middle it, for the first time. Everywhere you turn, you end up coming across huge sets of claws and teeth, and a pair of glowing feral eyes.

He didn't feel the least bit threatened at all though. Probably because he was at present casually leaning against the largest lycan of the bunch. Comparing Mikan's size, he never have doubt her position in the pack at first glance. Standing at fifteen feet tall, she was at least twice the size of the others, the largest of whom only managed nine feet.

A shrill voice broke through his thoughts, making him sigh. If she doesn't keep quiet, he was liable to burn the damn woman to ashes. He had no doubt Permy was obliterating beyond repair the dignified image of every vampire in existence. From what he could pickup from her tirade as she and her escort headed their way, she was complaining about being placed in Koko's room.

"But you told me to place you in the best room I can give you," the eight-foot-tall, dirty-blond lycan ambling beside her grumbled out in a rough voice. "My room's the best I can give out."

"Well, you didn't have to stay in the same room as me!" she scolded, glaring up at him. She nearly had a heart attack waking up from day-sleep greeted by the sight of a lycan with a very toothy smile.

Koko griped something about where the heck was he supposed to sleep as the pair blindly passed by him and Mikan, seeming to be occupied in their own little world. That was until they finally stepped out the stronghold and Sumire noticed her surroundings. She let out a loud gasped and clung tightly onto the fur on Koko's arm.

It took everything in Koko to hold back his beast and keep from snapping at her. His body tensed from the twinge of his fur being pulled, but let out only a pained whimper.

Natsume felt Mikan chuckled. She was crouching on her hind legs and moved on all fours to keep from towering over everyone else. "Better keep an eye on her Koko. She's bound to attract trouble reeking of fear like that."

Koko glanced at her with pleading eyes, but dutifully picked Sumire up and carried her inside the stronghold again.

Mikan smiled as Koko passed by them again, before turning to Natsume. "You better stick close to me. It's not really that dangerous since we're in the settlement. But the younger ones, especially those who are experiencing the full moon's effect and turned lycan for the first time, tend to let instincts get the better of them. They're more likely to get in trouble and pick fights during these times."

"I can take care of myself," he scoffed, not liking the thought that she needed to protect him from danger.

"I know that," she said without hesitation to pacify his ego. "But since you're currently smaller than them, they might not be able to help themselves. That's why the pups who are still unaffected by the moon are currently staying in Hotaru's sub-pack, while the newly turned ones are being kept in check by Mochu's."

"And what's your role in all this?" he asked.

"Me?" she grinned down at him. "I go hunting."

She chuckled when he raised a brow at her. He knows that, lycan form or not, the food supply from the last hunt was more than enough to last the whole pack till mid-spring. "I'm not hunting for food. I go on patrol and make sure that everything's in order. And if some from Mochu's side go missing, I track them down before they get in trouble."

"Then what are you still doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on the job?"

"Well, I'm waiting for you to get accustomed then I'm dragging you to go on patrol with me," she answered coyly.

He rolled his eyes and wordlessly started walking. She maintained her strides short and slow, easily keeping in pace with him. Inwardly, he was smiling; glad she wanted him tagging along with her

XOXOX

It was nearing dawn, just after the last day of the full moon. The werewolf settlement was resuming activities with its occupants back in human form.

Natsume leaned back on the piled up pillows against the headboard, and grabbed one of the books on the bedside table to read. He and Mikan were about to get read for bed, but something came up that lead to one of her pack members asking her to come look at the problem.

She told him that she'll just be a while, and he could go to sleep first if he wanted to, which didn't suit him at all. But

He shook his head. It can't be helped that Mikan was the alpha. Either of them is bound to have some duties intruding on their private time every now and again. So he did what he could – dragged his patience out, occupied himself in the book he was reading, and waited for her to return.

The book's plot was actually engrossing, and time flew by without his notice. The next thing he knew, a light coming from somewhere was creeping across the page he was reading.

He squinted as he tried to find the source. The bright light was hurting his nocturnal eyes. Laying the book on the bedside table, he got up to investigate, deducing that the light was coming from outside the window.

Hesitantly, he stepping into the light's path and came closer, wanting to see what was emitting the intense radiance. He looked peered out with his straining eyes then paused in shock. His mind was barely processing what he was seeing. Being a pureblood vampire, it was something he'd only known described in books and depicted in paintings.

There in the sky was a brilliant ball of fire, illuminating the landscape outside.

The bedroom door creaked open. "I'm sorry, it took longer than…" Mikan didn't continue on as she took in the sight in front of her. She'd been discussing something with her pack member in the downstairs hall, and hadn't had a chance to take note of the exact time. She'd first thought it was only half an hour or so. But damn if she'd been dreadfully wrong!

Natsume stood by the panoramic widow of their room, the UV film on the window panes allowing him to be bathed in sunlight without it doing him any harm. He was turned towards her direction, looking intimidating with half of his handsome face covered in shadows. His crimson irises more prominent than before since his pupils have shrunk needle-point small, unaccustomed to the glaring light of the sun.

In a husky, rumbling voice, he uttered softly, threateningly. "You've got some explaining to do."

CHAPTER END

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A/N: Well, this chapter took long to complete. lol. I was actually hoping to finish this chapter before the New Year, but… oh, well. Okay, so no more plagiarisms you hear me. If you want to share this story, you can refer them here, but no more copying it and posting it somewhere else. I think I'm getting rusty in the storytelling area, so please do review. And, as I customarily say: constructive criticism, but no flames, allowed…