THE LONG RUN

- God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you

(The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts)

Chapter Two | THE STRIKING BASTARD

"I want you to bring her, this wolf, into your room since I couldn't find any suitable place for it to stay over the nights," his uncle had said.

"You can tie her to a random post outside," Natsume replied, earning an icy glare from the direction of the wolf. He simply ignored her, but quite amused inside. He guessed this was no ordinary lone wolf, probably a spoiled one. He wanted to test her, see if she could actually survive. After all, she's still a wolf, lone or not. She's supposed to survive, especially outside where there's a good view of a place she's most comfortable at.

"I need her to be healthy," his uncle answered.

"Why? You don't want her to die like your past lab rats had after receiving the injection?" Surely, the last part made the listening wolf shudder with utmost fear. Natsume could sense it. The way her hazel eyes widen from shock, he could see it from his peripheral vision. He inwardly smirked. Besides, he also had no intention in sharing his room with a complete stranger, an animal at that. He hates having pets in his room, along with its dirty paws in his bed.

"Well, yeah! It's only until I find a good place for it to stay, or until I finish fixing the damages to start another good operation."

"What do I get in return?"

"How 'bout I'll give you anything you ask?"

"Fine," the teenage lad said, finally sealing off the deal. When there were no words left to speak, he took boring steps towards the cage. Mikan neither moved nor growled at his approaching figure. In fact, she was like an obedient lost puppy throughout the day. She couldn't believe it either. Maybe it has something to do with the concoction they gave her. Or maybe it's just that she's too tired to protest. Whoever these people are, she wasn't quite sure whether they are of the good or the bad side. There are instances when they showed her kindness and instances when they uncover plans that tell her otherwise.

She just lay still inside the cage, wallowing in her own emotions. Even as he lifted the cage with ease, she just looked at him, not quite surprise to see him as striking as his uncle, probably more. When he closed the door of the lab behind him and traveled quietly towards his room, Mikan merely stayed silent as she observes the new path he takes. Instead of heading right, to the room she first stayed, he head straight –towards the right wing of the intersection.

He stopped in front of an ordinary-looking room and placed her down before opening the doors. The moment the knob clunk wide open, she was expecting to see a blue-painted wall with blue sheets and whatnots. Probably even nude or robot pictures, a big flat screen TV and hard metal disks. After all, that is what commonly greets her every time she visits her brother's room once or twice. Oh, his brother! The thought of him made her think back of home, of family and warmth.

Except that… this time, the warmth she'd probably feel would be less than before. Her smile wouldn't be as genuine and as true. She can't even probably look straight at a particular lad with deep blue eyes, the boy who she once deeply trusted and the same boy who broke her into million pieces. No. That is not home. Well, maybe it still is, but less than it was.

She came back to her senses the moment she felt the cage move, not carried. When she turned her head back, she saw the lad kicking the cage with complete annoyance. It got her annoyed too, especially when her head would jerk and hit the steel due to his intentional strong kicks. But this irritation was immediately replaced with awe the instant she saw his room.

It wasn't like how she had first expected. Nope! There were no nude pictures. But there still was a flat screen TV. Except that it was hanged. The room wasn't painted blue, or red, just simply white. His bed was king sized, and the total area would probably be enough to fit a family of four. Books and DVDs were arranged neatly in shelves. There were sofas around a glass table just in front the TV. Imagine a better and bigger picture of Edward Cullen's room and that would probably be it, plus the bed.

After he settled her in an empty space beside his bed, he took off his shirt before placing it in a laundry basket somewhere near a door that probably leads to the bathroom. She instinctively looked away. If wolves could blush, that's what is probably happening to her right now. She only regained her composure when he settled to lie in his bed, hiding his godlike face from her.

You can transform now, a voice spoke in her head. This made her turn left and right, wondering if it was pure hallucination or if there is indeed a hidden person talking to her. Her face lit up thinking of a possible rescue team.

Who are you? She asked, not really sure if she's doing the right thing.

Who do you think? Look ahead of you. She did, slightly inclining her head up. But the only thing she sees is Natsume's bed with a sleeping Natsume. Well, she really isn't sure if he is indeed sleeping. But his eyes were closed, from the way he covered his face with his arm, as if shielding it from the light.

I can't see you. All I see is that lad, Nat-. Then, it hit her.

H, how did you do it? Wait! Better yet, tell me how you knew about me.

It's obvious the way your eyes twitch and widen as if you understand human conversation, little girl.

Don't call me little! Before she knew it, she was already staring right in those mesmerizing red pools, sending unknown shivers of excitement and sudden down her spine. Somehow, he had woken up and went near her cage at such amazing speed. How he does that, she doesn't know.

Mikan just studied him as his lips curved to a smirk. Indeed, he is handsome, hot even. The way he held himself could make any girl turn to a puddle at his very feet. He is a god, a sex god who had the power to pull and hypnotize any girl he passes. With that black hair and red eyes, it was that striking combination that made him look dangerous and at the same time handsome.

"You look cute for a wolf," he suddenly commented, earning a blush from her.

Now, the problem with Natsume is his unpredictableness. No one could exactly point out what he's thinking at the moment. He is just as he is. There are times when he's angry, arrogant, soft or teasing. Also, there are times when he ignores you for a certain reason. And yet, no one still knows what that reason is. But despite these things, there is still something about him that draws other people towards him –besides his looks, that is. She just couldn't put a finger on it.

"Shut up!" she finally said as she transformed into her natural human appearance.

The cage was still a little smaller vertically-wise for her size she had to bend and curve herself down. At the time she realized the door was open, she slowly crawled her way out of it. Then, she stretched herself like there's no tomorrow after she got out.

But that moment was short-lived the instant a hand grabbed her and spun her around.

"Natsume," she whispered as he held her tight.

Her breath was caught after realizing how madly close they were. The way she looked at him and him at her made her lose control. Animal instincts. She could already feel his breath, his warmth seeping inside her, making her think about some reckless actions.

Damn her! She cursed, referring to the wolf part of her.

Mikan, get a grip of yourself. This guy's a stranger, a HOT stranger!

"And I thought your human self would also look cute. Guess I was wrong," he uttered out of the blue, intercepting her witless thinking. Then, he released his grip before heading towards his bed.

"What?"

"I bet you already know what to do" he said, not quite sure if it was a statement or a question.

"Excuse me?"

"You need to transform back to your wolf form, for you to fit in that cage," he explained, turning back just so he could point at the cage behind them.

"You expect me to sleep there? At this very early hour?" she questioned.

"What else do you think it would be? Well, unless you want to wander around the house and meet my uncle by surprise. Maybe, this time, he's already done with the fixing and you'd save him the trouble of going to my room. I don't care," was the last words he said before covering himself with a blanket.

"Hey! I'm not done yet, bastard!" she yelled, pulling his blanket down.

When she's already satisfied seeing him annoyed, she went beside him before folding her arms, ready to give him another piece of her mind.

"You do know how awfully loud you are, right?"

She didn't even have the time to react when a hand held hers and pulled her towards the bed. Her aching back met the soft sheets of the bed she couldn't help but let out a sigh of comfort. A familiar scent greeted her nose, and that same warmth her whole body had ached for. She was satisfied at this position. She knew she'd be able to sleep. But-

"I didn't know how perverted this girl could get," a voice spoke in front. She slowly opened her lids. At the sight of him made all the blood in her drain out.

"NATSUME? Get off of me!" she struggled, half-wanting to get herself free from the awkward position. When he didn't move, she looked at him and glared –HARD.

"Look at your hands," he instructed with a smirk, clearly amused. She did so. But by doing so made her blush before she released her death grip on his arms. He fell beside her with a thud and a sigh.

"If you wanted to sleep here, fine," he said before turning his back on hers.

"Natsume?" she managed to call minutes after. There was no answer.

"I, I'm sorry."

When he didn't reply, it made her think he was really angry, or probably just asleep. And after another minute of thinking, her lids began to fall and she finally slipped into another world of both darkness and fantasy.

Chapter Two ends | TO BE CONTINUED