This is a horribly late birthday gift fic for my dear LC Rose. She requested something with "dark Kenshin." I'm not sure if this exactly fits her idea of "dark," but it's what the muse provided. Blame it on reading too many Nalini Singh novels :D.

Many thanks to Ravyn for helping me get the feel of this just right and to Pos-sess-ed1 for helping keep it coherent.

I hope you like it!

[For those over 18, the MA version of this will be posted to my account over at dotMoon (you can find the link in my profile).]

Ensnared

She needed air…and water. Someplace generally less crowded would be nice too, Kaoru thought. She felt a line of sweat trace its way down her backbone, disappearing beneath the edge of her corset top. The club was packed tonight and dancing close to so many hot, sweaty bodies… well, she needed a break. She may have lived in a city full of wolves for nearly year now and befriended many in the local pack, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with the crowds. Their need for pack – the constant companionship and lack of privacy – grated on her instincts.

Tapping Misao on the shoulder, Kaoru pointed up, forgoing any attempt at verbal communication. The music was so loud in this part of the club, it was doubtful the shorter girl would have been able to hear her anyway. Misao nodded her understanding and turned back to her tall companion, but not before shooting Kaoru a knowing look.

"Not going to happen," she muttered with a shake of her head. Her voice was lost to the cacophony as she made her way through the pulsating crowd to one of the two wide, curving staircases that led to the club's upper levels. Kaoru wasn't a fool; she knew why Misao had dragged her to this particular club and it had little to do with the "wing man" excuse she'd been fed earlier. The hyper little wolf was trying to play matchmaker again, though, for the life of her, Kaoru couldn't figure out why.

Kaoru had already made it perfectly clear where she stood, but Misao was nothing if not persistent. Kaoru knew perfectly well that the chances of running into one particular wolf were high tonight, but she wasn't about to let his pushiness dictate where she went and how she spent her time. Making her way over to the bar on the second floor, Kaoru squeezed her way in and reached over to snag one of the many bottles of water on the counter behind.

"Hey! This ain't no free for all!" A deep voice shouted over the music. Kaoru looked up, pausing mid-grab to see Sanosuke pouring drinks for a trio of giggling girls who were ogling the spiky-haired wolf.

"Oh yeah?" Kaoru yelled back, unscrewing the cap and taking a deep drink.

"Yeah!" he shouted back, throwing a wink at the girls as he placed their drinks on the gleaming black granite of the bar before making his way over to her.

"Let's just say we take this off what you owe me for countless nights of mooching off my generosity, m'kay? Besides," she said, poking him in the chest with the bottle, "you wouldn't want me telling Meg that you were flirting with pups again, would you?"

"They're hardly pups," he grumbled.

"Barely out of the den, those three," she said, turning to lean against the bar, her elbows resting on the cool surface. "You're never going to get Megumi to mate with you if you keep this up. Geez, Sano, are they even legal?" she said laughing as she watched the scantily clad triplets lean over the railing to shout at someone on the dance floor below.

"Kenshin's here tonight."

Kaoru raised a brow. Well, that was one way to shut her up. Touché, Wolf Boy, she thought, but said aloud, "Thanks for the water, Rooster." Smirking at the nearly inaudible growl emanating from Sano, she pushed off the bar and walked over to find her own place at the railing. She wasn't about to broach the subject of the wolf alpha with one of his pack. She already had to hear enough of it from Misao.

So he really is here, Kaoru thought, watching the dance floor below. She hated this – the stupid attraction she felt, the inability to keep her eyes from searching for the bright color of his hair. She realized early on that it would never work between them, no matter how pretty he might be. He was a pack animal while, by nature, she was a loner. That she had stayed in the city as long as she had puzzled even her, except that no one would think to look for a cat amongst dogs. Her need to hide was bone-deep, though from what or from whom was a mystery.

She had no memory of exactly how she'd come to be within his pack's territory. The time before she'd awoken Megumi's clinic was riddled with holes. What little she did have consisted of fleeting memories where images faded before they could be firmly grasped, leaving behind only the cold sheen of caged terror. It was the pack's healer who had put her back together, healing her wounds and doing her best to mend Kaoru's broken spirit. Megumi had told her that her memory might return one day, but it was clear that her mind was trying to protect her from something.

Kaoru had left it at that, using the asylum Kenshin granted her to start a new life in his pack's territory. Much to her surprise, she'd even befriended a few of the wolves that were close to her age, like the small one she'd come with tonight and the crazy bar tender she liked to called The Rooster just because of how much Sano hated it. She did so love seeing just how riled up she could get him, she thought, smirking as she took another sip of her water.

She knew the wolf pack was responsible for giving her back some of what she'd lost, but for some reason, Kenshin now thought he owned her and that was not okay. The mind of the woman understood this, but the heart of her – and the animal that lived within – did not. Who he was – and the incessant pull she felt toward him – had the capacity to break her… and she'd vowed she would never be broken again.

Pulling herself back to the present, Kaoru looked for Misao, finding her plastered against her tall dance partner. Kaoru felt the corner of her mouth quirk. There was no doubt in her mind those two would be leaving together tonight. Misao had been after the handsome wolf since she was a juvenile. Apparently, her pursuit was something of a pack legend. Tonight, Misao had vowed that she would "seal the deal or die trying." The tiny wolf must have finally done something to catch his attention, or he'd finally decided to end the game between them, because while Shinomori was definitely had a reputation for being lethal, Kaoru knew that pain was the furthest thing from the man's mind. In fact, if the look Kaoru had seen in those icy eyes earlier meant anything, Misao was in for a night she would never forget.

Too late, Kaoru sensed the one person she'd hoped to avoid tonight. She felt the heat of him along her back, felt the brush of his animal close to the surface as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, arms braced on the railing to either side of her.

"Jealous?"

Warm breath brushed across her neck and it was all Kaoru could do to suppress the shiver that threatened to race down her spine. Rather than answering immediately, Kaoru took a long, slow drink of her water.

"Hardly," she replied, attempting to push herself free. She didn't like being hemmed in and Kenshin knew it. Turning her head, she met him nose to nose, glaring. "Kenshin move or I swear to God I'll shred you."

Laughter she felt more than heard rumbled through her back. "Feeling snarly tonight are we, kitty?" But he pulled away, leaning back against the iron-work next to her.

"Not particularly, but you have a way of bringing out the worst is me," she said, straightening as she looked steadily into pale eyes. "Was there something you wanted, Kenshin?"

Kaoru was proud that she managed to keep her voice steady, colored with just a tinge of ambivalence, despite what his proximity was doing to her heart rate. God, she hated the way her body reacted to him. The intensity of that look, one that told her he wanted to eat her up, it threatened to melt her from the inside out. Her cat paced restlessly, pushing against her skin because, really, it wanted nothing more than to pounce on the man in front of her and find out if he could make good on the promise she saw in his eyes.

But she wasn't about to let him know that, though she had little doubt he could probably hear the hammering of her heart against her ribs, even over the noise of the club. He was the kind of man who would consume her if she didn't stand her ground against him and so she made sure her beast was firmly on its leash. She'd fought too hard to regain her freedom to let any man lock her up again, no matter how he made her feel.

"The same thing you do, if you would only admit it, Kaoru," he said, her name rolling off his tongue in a way that made it sound utterly exotic.

"I don't want anything from you, Kenshin. I thought I had made that perfectly clear."

He hummed thoughtfully, reaching to trail long fingers over her cheek before cupping her jaw and running his thumb over her lip. "Such a lovely mouth. Too bad it lies."

"Stop it, Kenshin." She tried to turn out of the touch, but he curled his fingers around her nape, tangling them in her dark hair as he stepped closer. She was forced to brace her hands on his chest to put any amount of distance between them and meet his eyes.

"And if I said no?" he purred silkily, he free hand tracing up the bare skin of her arm.

Her fingers curled into his shirt and she let him feel more than a little prick of claw in answer.

"You are mine, Kaoru," he said, his eyes brightening to wolf-gold. "The sooner you come to terms with that, the better off we'll both be."

"I belong to no one, Kenshin. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be." Retracting her claws, Kaoru ducked out of his hold. She knew she was able to walk away only because he'd let her, but she'd take what she could get. This was only one battle of many in a war Kaoru knew she wasn't sure she would win.

The wolf alpha was on the hunt, and what he hunted was her.

Bright eyes followed Kaoru as she walked away from him, watching the way her hips swayed in those black pants that seemed to be painted onto her body. Kenshin made a mental note to find out where she'd gotten them so he could purchase a replacement pair. He was pretty sure this pair wouldn't survive his claws if he managed to get her alone with him in a less crowded place.

Leaning against the balcony railing, he kept his eyes on her as she met up with Misao. Though he couldn't hear what she said to the other girl, he had a pretty good idea when Misao looked up at him a frown marring her face before she turned back to Kaoru.

"That looked like it went well," Sano said as he sidled up next to his alpha.

"Don't you have a bar to look after?" Kenshin was in no mood to deal with the other man tonight. More than a little sexually frustrated, thanks to the wall Kaoru had thrown up between them, he was constantly on edge. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to be around her without stripping her bare and claiming her.

"Nope. Sou took over." The bartender pointed over his shoulder to where the human was putting on a show that was quickly drawing a crowd of spectators. "He's improved a lot."

"Indeed." They watched for a moment as the boy spun bottles with an ease that took most bartenders years to master. Soujiro's confidence had grown exponentially since he'd been brought into the pack, no trace of the frightened orphan remaining. His tendency to take in strays was not lost on Kenshin. There were several in his pack, both human and were, but only one of those strays, the one who refused to actually become pack, seemed intent on torturing them both.

"So…" Sano turned back around, letting the unspoken question hang between them. When no answer was forthcoming, he broke the silence again. "She's a cat, Kenshin. They're stubborn."

"Obviously, but there's a difference between stubborn and being deliberately difficult, Sanosuke."

"Cat. Female." Sano ticked off the points on his fingers. "Neither species uses normal logic like the rest of us, but combine the two and we men are doomed. I dated a cat once. Somehow she made two plus two equal five. It worked in her brain, but hell if I could figure it out. Look, man," he continued turning to face Kenshin fully. "Using common wolf sense isn't going to work. Because. She's. A. Cat. Which means you have to think like a cat."

"And just how am I supposed to do that?"

Sano leveled him with a flat stare. "Seriously? You're worse off than I thought. This girl's got you so frustrated the only thing you can think about is getting her into bed."

"What hell are you talking about, Sanosuke?" he growled, growing more irritable by the second.

"Are you really so hard up that you've forgotten what you already did?" Clapping his alpha on the shoulder in support, the tall wolf walked back to his bar leaving Kenshin to consider his words.

Of course, Kenshin thought with a shake of his head. How could he be so stupid?

Kenshin turned back, scanning the crowd for Kaoru, a frown pulling at the corner of his mouth. She was still with Misao and Aoshi, but now there was a fourth person – an unknown male – dancing with Kaoru. Or at least he was trying to. Kaoru didn't look pleased by the attention. Kenshin's wolf bared its teeth, snarling at the stranger, who, from the way he moved, appeared to be some sort of cat, but which species he couldn't be certain. Not that Kenshin really cared, either. All he really wanted was to leap in there and rip the insolent cub away from Kaoru, but he waited. Maybe the boy would get the clue and back off.

But when Kaoru turned to leave, the boy grabbed her wrist. Kenshin saw red. He was between them in a blink, hand around the other male's throat as he pulled the guy away from Kaoru. The club went instantly quiet, save for the dance music which still pulsed around them for a few more seconds until the DJ realized something was amiss and cut the sound.

"What the…" The tawny eyes of the stranger, wide with surprise, looked into the face of a very pissed off wolf. The younger man grappled at Kenshin's wrist trying to free himself, but the alpha's grip was iron-strong. Recognizing instantly that he was outmatched, the juvenile relaxed in Kenshin's hold, head turning in a gesture that was clearly submissive.

"Kenshin, stop it!" Kaoru growled, moving to where she could face him.

"He touched you." Eyes bright with wolf-gold never left the other changeling's face face.

"Let. Go. Now." she hissed, feeling every eye in the club focused on them.

Kenshin shifted his gaze to Kaoru, holding her own a moment before slowly releasing his captive's throat, but not before tightening his grip in a last, brief warning. The boy rubbed at the redness on his neck as he took a step back.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled turning to Kaoru.

"Just go, alright?" she replied as the music started up again. Kaoru glanced quickly up at the sound booth, making a mental note to thank Sano later. Curious eyes turned away, some of the club goers returning to their dancing while others clustered in pretending nothing had just happened. None of them wanted to be on the receiving end of Kenshin's attention right now. Kaoru watched as her would-be admirer and his friends quickly made for the exit, waiting until they were outside before rounding on Kenshin.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded, crossing her arms as she stared at the redhead who now had his eyes shadowed by the fall of his bright hair.

He looked up at her, the wolf still very evident in his pale gaze. Reaching out, he unfolded her arms and curled his fingers around the same wrist the other man had grabbed, rubbing his thumb over the rapid pulse beating beneath the skin, replacing the boy's scent on her with his own. Twisting, she attempted free her arm, grinding her teeth when he continued to hold it – his grip light, but unbreakable. She squeezed her eyes shut, working on controlling her own temper. It was worse, because there too many people, too much noise and he'd just... what the hell was that just now?

Curling one hand into a fist, Kaoru let the bite of her claws against her palm brace her. "Where the fuck is your office, Himura?"

It was clear that he wasn't getting the picture and she needed to make things very clear this time no matter what her cat thought about it. Someone was going to die if he didn't back off and this wasn't a discussion that could be held in the open. He wanted complete ownership and she needed to be free, and another possessive display like that… well, it couldn't happen again.

Without a word, he turned around, her arm still firmly in his grasp and began to walk off the dance floor with her in tow. She let him, because picking a fight now would end with claws and teeth… or them completely naked. There was too much heat between them and too much anger to be rational.

And she needed control she wasn't sure she had any more.

Kenshin remained silent, keeping his hold on her wrist until he ushered her into a dimly lit office, tucked in a dark corner of the second floor. The wall to her left was made of smoky glass that looked out over the entire club. She stepped to the window, taking in the scene that gave no evidence of the confrontation that had happened just moments ago. Kaoru kept her back to him, waiting until she heard the click of the door behind her before speaking. She was unwilling to trust herself if the look on his face was anywhere near what she imagined it would be.

"This has to stop, Kenshin," she said fighting to keep control. The animal inside her was content around this man, didn't mind his blatant claims of owner ship. But the woman couldn't shake the memories of the past and would never let them be owned by anyone again. "You don't have the right to do what you did down there!"

"You're right about one thing, kitty. This does have to stop. As to your other claim, you're mistaken. I have every right to protect what is mine." That the words were spoken with such calm – as if they made perfectly logical sense – only served to piss her off further. Rage throbbed against her temples.

"How many times have I told you, I don't belong to you!" she yelled, rounding on him. "I can take care of myself just fine. I'm not going to be caged by you or anyone else."

Kenshin tilted his head, eyes narrowing at the corners as he considered her carefully. "It occurs to me," Kenshin replied, stalking across the room until he was close enough that Kaoru had her back pressed against the glass, "that there's something here you still don't quite understand, Kaoru."

"And what's that?" she asked, her throat suddenly dry. He was too close, the scent and heat of him seeping into her and she was helpless to fight against it. She was furious with him and herself, her cat's contended purr an insistent thrum on her mind as it lapped up the feel of him. The contradictions left her a tangled knot of nerves and fury.

"I am a wolf, Kaoru," he purred, running long fingers along the racing pulse in her neck, the golden eyes of his wolf locking with hers. "We don't do cages."

All of Kaoru's anger disappeared under a crash of sudden memory so visceral that her vision fractured and the room around her disappeared.

The stench and decay of a dark alley, the scent of her own blood thick in the air. Heavy iron wrapped around her throat. Raw, bloody paws where she'd tried to gnaw her way free of the shackles and desperation threaded with such terror and pain that it threatened to suffocate her.

"I'm a wolf, little cat. We don't do cages. Let me help you."

Blinking away the worst of the memories, Kaoru found herself on the floor gasping for air. Kenshin held her arms, his hands warm on skin gone cold from shock. She could half-hear him saying her name in soft, patient tones, but her eyes were locked on the exposed skin of his chest. She had no memory of ripping his shirt, but it was clear she did. Sucking in another deep, shuddering breath, she reached for him – for those wicked slash marks – before she could stop herself, her trembling fingers brushing against the marred flesh. There were four of them, left by claws that had torn deep enough to scar the skin of a changeling.

An angry hiss, the flash of claw as the scent of another's blood filled the air.

"Oh God…" she whispered, jerking her hand away as if she'd been burned. She'd done this to him. She scrambled, trying to move back, away, but there was a wall of glass at her back and his hold on her kept her still. Her breathing ragged, Kaoru blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep those sharp edges of memory from pulling her under again. Bright, wolf-colored eyes shifted into her focus and somehow grounded her.

"You're alright," Kenshin murmured, his voice a low rumble of sound that soothed the cat frantically pushing against her skin. "You're at my club and you're safe."

And having a panic attack. Biting down on her lip, Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut until she had gathered together the ragged edges of her composure.

He'd found her. Kenshin had found her and soothed the worst of her fear, broken the iron at her throat, freeing her from the last of her shackles. He had carried her bloody, broken body to the healer… Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she shook with the effort it took to hold them back, fighting against the tide of angry embarrassment and a nameless something that came with the knowledge that it been Kenshin who had found her.

No one had ever told her; she'd never asked because, until now, it had never mattered. Why did it hurt so much knowing that he had been the one to see her so damaged, at her most vulnerable, her human mind buried so far behind the instincts of her leopard that she'd almost lost herself to it? And now she'd panicked in front of him and he'd held her through it… again. She needed to get away from him, hold on to what little dignity she had left.

"Let me go," she whispered, twisting in his hold.

"No, I won't," he said with a quiet firmness as his hold on her arms tightened a fraction. "When I say that you are mine, Kaoru, I mean just that. I won't cage you – can't cage you – but I can't let you go, either."

She shook her head, blocking out his words. She wanted so badly to believe… but even after everything he'd done, even though she now knew the truth, Kaoru was afraid. It was better to end it now, before they were trapped in something that would destroy them both. "Whatever it is that you're looking for from me, Kenshin – whatever it is you think is between us – it's a fantasy. It will never work. Cats and wolves… we don't mix well. I need space that you're just not able to give me."

"I don't believe that," Kenshin replied, his eyes narrowing at the corners, considering her carefully. "I don't think you do either. I think it's just a convenient excuse for you to hide behind." He shifted his hold to her shoulders, one calloused thumb tracing lazy circles over her collar bone, the intimate touch inciting a flurry of butterflies in her stomach.

Kaoru swallowed thickly, desperately trying to tamp down on her body's traitorous reaction. "I'm not hiding," she replied, her voice a little more breathless than she would have liked.

Wolf-gold eyes sparkled bright as long fingers curled up to bury themselves in her hair. "Aren't you?" he said, slowly closing the space between them until his lips were a whisper's breath from hers. Her heart skittered, frantic as a hummingbird's, but she didn't move away.

"He can't hurt you, not any more." Darkness clawed at the edges of her vision as the memories of her imprisonment threatened to engulf her again, but Kenshin cupped her face, forcing her to meet his eyes, holding her in the present.

"I know you're afraid," he soothed, his voice rich, deep, a solid anchor. "Afraid to touch…" A warm hand smoothed slowly down the length of her spine, her leopard arching into the touch. "Afraid to trust…" Her eyes fluttering closed as knuckles grazed across her cheek. "Afraid to feel…" Lips glided across hers in a feather-light touch making her gasp, the sensation a shock to her already edgy nerves. Resolve cracked. It took everything in her not to bury her fingers in that rich red hair, to pull him back to her and taste more of him. It had been so long since she was well and truly touched by a man, by anyone. She longed for – needed – more.

"I know exactly what you are, Kaoru, and what you and your cat need. Do you think my wolf and I would just ignore that? We are fully prepared to give you everything that you need..." Kaoru met eyes glittering with heated promise that made her skin flush hot. "…if you'll just let us."

Kaoru opened her mouth, but long fingers touched her lips, halting her protest before it began. "I have something I want to show you. Will you come with me?"

Kaoru wasn't quite sure what brand of insanity had made her go with Kenshin, but here she was, sitting in a sleek, black car that fairly purred with power as they made their way through the rain-lashed streets of the city. Maybe she was just tired, the constant tug-of-war between them an exhausting thing. Maybe it was just curiosity – that fundamental flaw inherent in feline nature – driving her to see if Kenshin could really live up to his promises. Likely, it was a good dose of both.

Next to her in the driver's seat sat a predator that she should have been running from, but one which drew her in with an impossible hope. Her species might be solitary by nature, but that didn't mean she wanted to be alone forever… and though she might be fighting it tooth and claw, there was no denying the sexual pull between them. The question was really if there was something more beyond just lust and sex… something lasting.

The silence in the car stretched as she stared out the window on an unfamiliar part of the city. "Where are we going?"

"Patience, kitty. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would you?"

There was a mischievousness in Kenshin's tone that had her blinking in mild surprise. She studied him for a moment, taking the clean lines of his profile in the brief light of the streetlamps they passed, the slight quirk of his mouth as he met her eyes in the semidarkness. She never pegged the wolf alpha as the teasing type – she'd always felt more like prey when it came to Kenshin – but then again, she should have known. He was wolf, after all, and it appeared her cat appreciated that more playful side of him.

"I don't like surprises," she replied, turning back to study the darkened city out her window, hiding the smile that threatened to show on her own face.

"And yet here you are… with surprisingly little protest, I might add. You should be careful, Kaoru, or I might start to think you're warming up to me."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, wolf."

"Toying with me then? How very cat," he rejoined, and she could hear the laughter in his voice, the sound wrapping around her rich and warm.

"Don't flatter yourself. If either I or my cat was toying with you, it would mean you actually matter to us. The jury's still out on that score."

"Pull the claws back in, kitten. You did promise to give me a chance."

Kaoru hummed thoughtfully. "We'll see…"

Silence reigned for another ten minutes as Kaoru contemplated this turn of events. Not thirty minutes ago, she was telling the man next to her to piss off. Now she was alone in a car with him heading heaven knows where. What was wrong with her?

Strike that. She knew what was wrong with her… and it had everything to do with the conflicting feelings she had for the man sitting next to her. From the moment she'd met him, Kaoru had wanted to tear into him with teeth and claws, just to vent her frustration. He rankled her like no one she'd ever known. Unfortunately, her cat wanted to crawl all over him, rubbing against the hard maleness of him until…

Oh dear… Kaoru sighed quietly.

Then there were the memories, those that had come crashing down on her less than an hour ago. She had no idea what to make of them, or how to deal with how they were tipping the balance of the scales in Kenshin's favor. Kaoru closed her eyes and rubbed her aching forehead. She didn't know what it was that Kenshin wanted to show her, but maybe – just maybe – whatever it was would end this tug-of-war between them, because she really, really wanted it to end… one way or another.

The slowing of Kenshin's car pulled Kaoru from her thoughts and she realized they were descending into the harsh electric glow of an underground garage. Her breath went shallow, her throat dry. Being a leopard, she naturally hated being underground – high places were better – but he'd kept her underground.

"My Menagerie." The sibilant whisper echoed through her memory and Kaoru fought to keep her breath even, keep her heart steady even as the cat in her was clawing against her skin.

"Where are we?" she asked again as they pulled into a stall marked as reserved. Turning away, she pretended to look out the window, instead closing her eyes in an attempt to pull herself together. A fleeting touch against her cheek drew her eyes to Kenshin.

"We'll get above ground soon enough." The wolf-amber of his eyes caught her, grounding her. "Trust me?" Swallowing thickly, she nodded, though she wasn't sure she believed it. She watched as the corner of his mouth ticked up ever so slightly. "Good."

Forcing her muscles to obey, Kaoru opened her door and stepped from the car, locking her arms across her torso in self-protection. Kenshin joined her, carefully prying one hand free to tangle fingers together… and to her surprise, she let him. There was something comforting about the warmth of this rough skin and the feel of her small hand being encompassed by his larger one.

Kaoru felt the wall she'd erected crumble just a little more. Not. Good. With a gentle tug, he led her the few feet to an elevator marked "Private." Extracting a key card from the inside of his leather jacket, Kenshin slid it through the reader before placing his palm against the ID pad.

"Fancy," Kaoru quipped in an attempt to cover her fear.

Kenshin turned violet-gold eyes toward her and smirked. "Of course."

Following a quietly distinguished "ding", the doors slid open on near-silent tracks, revealing the stylish interior of the carriage. The breath froze in her lungs and her vision fractured dark at the edges, her world narrowing to that small, confining space.

It's just an elevator, not a cage. Just an elevator… the doors will open again…

"Kaoru…" A voice echoed on the edges of her consciousness, deep, familiar. Warm fingers gripped her hand hard enough the make her wince, shattering the spell. Kaoru blinked. Wolf-gold filled her vision. His nose millimeters from her own, Kenshin blocked her view of the elevator so that he was all she saw. "You okay?"

Terror clawed at her throat for a second longer, but she swallowed hard, pushing it back to where it belonged, focusing instead on her cat's anger at being trapped underground. "Just fine," she replied, tugging on their joined hands in an attempt to free her own. Kenshin held firm. "Do you mind?" she growled. She wanted to get out of here, but on her own terms, not because she'd had to rely on him – again – to get through something.

Kenshin cocked his head to the side slightly, amber eyes watching her for a moment before he released her hand. "Thank you," she said. Rubbing her hand against her leg in an attempt to rid herself of the clinging warmth of Kenshin's skin, she pushed by him into the elevator. Kenshin followed her in slowly, turning his back to her so that he could punch a code into yet another security pad.

The doors slid closed and Kaoru stiffened. She was trapped inside the small, moving box with a wolf that was dangerous in more ways than one. The tension radiating off of him filled the small space until Kaoru could feel her claws pricking under her skin in response. This was crap. She bit her tongue to keep it in check. No sense in pushing his buttons when enclosed in such a tight space, especially since he wouldn't even look at her. So instead, Kaoru occupied herself with studying her surroundings – the plush carpet, the paneled walls – as the elevator slowly climbed upward.

Since it appeared the elevator didn't stop on any floors other than its destination, Kaoru had no idea just how high they were going, but the higher they climbed, the more content her leopard became. Finally, they slowed to a stop and Kaoru followed Kenshin out, exiting into a dark room. It took only seconds for her night vision to kick in. Relieving her aching feet of her too-high heels in the entry area, she stepped further into the large sprawling space, her steps sinking into the luxuriously deep pile of the carpet. The sparse furnishings consisted of thickly cushioned furniture, the kind a person would be happy to curl up in into for hours, basking in the sunshine that no doubt streamed through the two glass walls during the day. She could almost feel the warmth of that sunlight against her fur and her cat purred insistently in anticipation.

She stepped closer toward the ceiling-high windows, absently running her fingers along the back of one of the plush chairs. The view of the city below was magnificent. At least fifteen stories up, the lights of the city sparkled below against the dark sable of night. It was a place she would have killed to possess, but there was no way she could afford the rent such a place no doubt commanded.

"Who lives here?" she asked, because it certainly wasn't Kenshin. Wolves preferred to den with their pack. He would never live in a place so isolated from the rest of his wolves, perched high in what, to Kaoru's eyes, amounted to a glass tree house, high atop a tower of luxury.

"Do you like it?" The question was quiet, edged with something that caught her off guard. She turned toward him. His wolf was clear in his eyes which glowed in the dim light coming from the city outside of glass. Somehow, Kaoru knew she had to answer carefully. Whatever she said next would carry far beyond her like or dislike of the physical space.

She opted for what she hoped was neutral non-commitment. "Who wouldn't?"

A low rumbled filled the room as he stalked across the plush carpet toward her. "That doesn't answer my question, kitten. I asked if you liked it." He was close enough now that she could feel the heat of him seeping through her clothes. She swallowed heavily, her throat dry. He looked down at her with eyes that consumed and she had to fight the urge to look away.

"Kaoru…"

"What would it matter even if I said yes?" she bit out, her hackles rising again. "I can't afford it anyway." Truth was, she loved the penthouse. She hadn't seen more than this one room, but if the other rooms were anything like this one, it was a cat's paradise. She hated him for showing her something she could never have.

"It matters."

She side-stepped him, moving to sink onto one of the thick cushions that were strewn in front of the glass suddenly exhausted, wanting nothing more than curl up, fall asleep and pretend this night, with all of its revelations, its emotional ups and downs, had never happened. "Why, Kenshin? Why does it matter? Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?" The questions came in a tumbling rush, leaving her feeling even more drained and confused.

"It matters," Kenshin said again, joining her, "because this is where I live. This," his arm swept to encompass the room, "all of it, was done for you."

"What?" Disbelief filled the whispered question. It didn't make any sense. A place like this… it went against everything she knew about wolves.

"I want you, Kaoru. Just you." He reached out to tuck away a stray lock of hair, fingers grazing gently across her cheek. "Nothing more; nothing less. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you."

Everything she thought she knew, everything she'd convinced herself to be true crashed around her in that moment. If he was willing to do this… Kaoru shook her head, unwilling to accept the truth of it. After everything she'd been through, did she even have the right to hope? She wanted to, so badly.

"Kenshin…"

His fingers trailed along her jaw. "Remember what I said, kitten. No cages. Just you… just me… and what's between us." Calloused fingers brushed over her lips, the touch careful, but firm enough to halt any attempt to interrupt. The wolf in his eyes was vibrant and wild, holding her still. "No more running, Kaoru. I've tried to let you go. I might have tried harder, if you hadn't shown any interest. Deny it all you want, but I've seen the cat in your eyes. I know what she wants – what you want."

Kaoru pulled away and bit her lip, swallowing hard. Once upon a time before her death, her mother had told her that life was about taking risks. You might fall a few times, get bruised and scraped, but you picked yourself up and tried again, because if you weren't willing to leap, you could never learn to fly. Maybe this was one of those times. If she fell again, if Kenshin didn't catch her, she might shatter forever, but if he did…

"I'm not running." It was a last, feeble attempt to win the fight she knew she was losing.

"No?' He edged into her space, bangs brushing along hers as his lips curved at the edges. "Then prove it." The heat of him brushed against her skin and she stilled as his blatant challenge washed over her.

Prove it.

He'd been chipping away at her defenses all night, keeping her off balance and aware of him. The apartment was a direct blow to her defenses – her insistence that they wouldn't work – and he knew it. Her brain still struggled to comprehend that kind of sacrifice, leaving the pack and the low, shadowed places they loved to play in for this – a cat's plush, sun-filled high-rise that called to every instinct that lived under her skin. That he'd apparently been living here without her with no guarantee that she'd ever agree to this… whatever this was between them, well, her excuses were starting to look thin even to her.

And he was right. She did want him. Had wanted him from the moment she'd opened her eyes in Megumi's clinic and seen him. Taking a deep breath, she licked her lips. He'd destroyed her defenses, removed her excuses and was challenging her… to accept or deny this.

Maybe it really was time to stop fighting and just take want she wanted.

Pulling back slightly, she let her eyes roam slowly over his face, taking in the finely chiseled features. It was his lips, the fleeting memory of them against her own, that caught her. Heat pooled in low places at the thought of those lips brushing against other, more intimate skin.

"Prove it?" she asked, letting the deep rumble of her leopard's purr color her voice as she slowly raised her eyes to meet Kenshin's, now gone pale. "Did you have something specific in mind?"

She heard the growl a split second before she found herself flat on her back, Kenshin over her, his wolf barely held in check. "Many things come to mind," he growled, settling his weight between her legs, pressing her into the thick down of the floor cushion.

"Is that so?" she replied, smoothing her hands up his chest, feeling the taut muscles beneath the dark shirt he'd changed into after she'd shredded the first one. Suddenly, she was hungry to feel them against her own skin. Fisting her hands in his collar, she pulled, angling up to meet him halfway. Mouths crashed hard enough to sting, but none of that mattered when she swept her tongue inside, drinking in the taste of him.

Kenshin's growl vibrated through her, spiking her own need. The hand gripping her nape supported her head as Kenshin quickly took over a kiss that consumed. Helpless to stop the moan that escaped her throat as Kenshin's lips blazed a hot trail down her neck, Kaoru arched, pressing into him desperate for contact. She'd taken the leap, tasted heat of him and Kaoru knew, she was lost. Once would never be enough.

Kaoru awoke the next morning, deliciously warm and – for the first time in longer than she could remember – content. Sometime during the night, a blanket had appeared to cover them, though Kaoru couldn't remember how or when. What she did remember from the previous night brought a flush of pleasure to her skin. Now in the early light of morning, the sun bathing the room in gold, she curled closer to the man next to her. Listening to the steady beat of his heart Kaoru traced lazy patterns over his chest, trying to ignore the pain she felt seeing the rough skin where her claws had marked him. Gentle thrumming filled her ears and if Kaoru hadn't known it was impossible, she would have sworn her wolf was purring.

Her wolf. Hmmm... Biting her lip, she rolled the thought around for a moment and decided she liked the taste of it. Her wolf. Yes, she liked the sound of that very much. Kenshin belonged to her now, just as she belonged to him… though Kaoru would never openly admit it. Oh, she remembered well the claim he'd made on her just before she gave in to sleep's pull, but she was cat after all and no one ever truly owned a cat, she thought with a smile.

Humming her own contentment, she pressed a kiss to the skin beneath her cheek. Strong arms pulled her close until she was half laying on him. "Good morning," Kaoru said, folding her hands across his chest so that she could prop her chin on them. She met violet eyes that were sprinkled liberally with the mischievous gold of his wolf. "What?" she asked.

The arms encircling her squeezed tighter. "Just making sure you know you're well and truly caught," he replied smugly.

The words didn't frighten her as they would have yesterday – was that really only yesterday? Instead, her leopard batted playfully at the words. "Oh really. You obviously don't know much about cats, Mr. Himura."

Long fingers traced their way up her spine from the small of her back before burying themselves in her hair, scratching at the base of her skull, eliciting an involuntary stretch before she melted into a purring puddle on him, forehead resting on his breastbone to give him the best access to her scalp. "Maybe I know them better than you think?" Kenshin chuckled.

"Cheater," Kaoru mumbled, swatting at him weakly even as she pushed into his touch. "But you may be right," she conceded.

Kenshin paused in his attentions. "I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't quite hear you."

"Don't push it, wolf boy," she replied, nipping at him in reprimand before soothing over it with her tongue. Kenshin's breath hitched and the fingers tangled in her hair tightened. Kaoru smiled against his skin loving that she had this power over him. She planned on taking advantage of it at every opportunity from now on.

"You know what else I was right about?" Kenshin said, his hand stilling.

"Mmm?" Eyes closed, Kaoru lifted her head, pushing against his hand silently begging for renewed attention.

"Us." His free hand trailed slowly down her cheek, coming to rest feather-light against her jaw. Kaoru opened her eyes to meet his pale gaze.

"Perhaps." She wouldn't give in so easily or he'd lord it over her for the rest of their lives. Instead, her smile was slow, seductive as she turned to press her lips against the fingers on her jaw, loving the way his eyes sparked gold when she flicked her tongue lightly against one. She pulled one into her mouth and sucked gently, just so she could see those sparks again. "You sure about this?" she asked. "I can be a real bitch, you know."

Kenshin laughed, but didn't deny her assertion. In a quick move, Kaoru lunged for one of the smaller pillows that lay scattered about intent on bringing it down on Kenshin's head. But Kenshin was that much faster, pinning her on her stomach beneath him, her hand mere centimeters from her target. If she just extended her claws, she'd be able to snag the corner. That would show him. Then again, it would be a shame to ruin such a pretty pillow with its glittering embroidery.

"Damn it, Kenshin. Get off me!" she growled, trying to wiggle out of his grip but meeting with little success.

"Hmm… no," he murmured, his breath ghosting over her ear. Sparks of anticipation danced along her skin, making her hyper-aware of the position Kenshin had trapped her in. "I rather like it here." He settled his hips more firmly against her butt, demonstrating rather clearly just how much he liked it.

"Oh do you now," Kaoru purred, wiggling again and reveling in his moan. "What's the matter, wolf boy, didn't get enough last night?"

Tracing his tongue along the shell of her ear as he gently moved her left hand to where her right was stretched above her head. Trapping both wrists in one hand, Kenshin whispered "never" his free hand gliding feather-soft along her arm, tracing the sensitive outer curve of her breast. That single word, it was an oath that promised a lifetime of passion. Kaoru shuddered, his name escaping her lips as she surrendered to him once again.

When Kaoru woke for the second time that morning it was a slow rising, the smell of coffee and bacon that filled the room gently pulling her from the darkness of sleep. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear Kenshin clattering around in the kitchen. Eyes closed, she allowed herself to bask in the warmth of the sun on her bare back. She could only imagine what it would feel like against her leopard's fur. The very thought had the cat within her purring in pleasure. The smell of coffee grew stronger, and Kaoru cracked an eye to find Kenshin clad only in a pair of loose sweats crouching beside her nest of pillows holding two mugs of coffee.

"Thanks," she murmured, taking one and setting it on the carpet before closing her eyes again and sighing contentedly. She felt Kenshin settle in beside her and she reached out blindly toward him until he caught her hand, tangling their fingers together. "You're crazy, you know that?"

Laughter rumbled quietly from deep in his chest. "So I've been told." He must have set his own mug down because fingers started stroking slowly through the length of her hair, carefully pulling the tangles from the ends. She was quickly falling in love with those hands and the many different pleasures they afforded her. Kaoru wriggled closer until her head was cushioned in his lap, her other arm wrapped around his waist.

"This won't be easy."

"The best things never are."

Kaoru laid there a moment longer, before detaching herself from Kenshin. Pulling the blanket from her waist and securing it over her breasts, she sat up cross-legged next to him. Picking up her mug, she faced the wall of windows looking out over the city. Last night, the view had impressed her. Now, in the light of day, it stole her breath away. The enormous bank of glass faced full east. Set higher than the buildings surrounding it, the apartment was designed to catch the first light of day. The terrace off the dining area, which had gone unnoticed the night before, was carefully landscaped with potted plants and flowering vines, the lush greenery softening the hard cityscape beyond.

"I still can't believe you live here," she said.

Kenshin remained silent, but she could feel his eyes on her, studying her face. It was only when his hand curled around her nape that she looked at him and saw the wolf staring from behind his eyes. "It's yours."

"I know." Turning away from the intensity of Kenshin's gaze, Kaoru sipped slowly at her coffee, trying to process the past twelve hours – the reawakening of her memories, the truths they'd revealed, her acceptance of Kenshin – but it was too much.

"I have a temper."

"Mmm," he hummed his agreement

"And I don't follow orders well," she added taking another sip of her coffee

"I gathered that." Kaoru didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling. She could hear it in his voice, the contentment there mirroring her own.

"So long as we're clear on that," she said, leaning against his shoulder. Turning her face into his skin, she breathed in the scent of him.

"So that's a yes, then?" he asked, pulling her into his lap.

Kaoru hummed her own agreement.

"Good," replied Kenshin, massaging his way down her spine. "Because Sano should be here with your things in about..." – he craned his neck to see the clock across the room – "ten minutes." Kaoru sat up, nearly spilling her coffee, and stared at him disbelieving. He was moving her in?

"Arrogant wolf."

And this time when she reached for the pillow to hit him with, she didn't miss.

Thanks for reading. As always, reviews are welcome, wanted, and most appreciated. :)