A Wolf for Haru (4 page)

Shocked at the noise, Haru trailed the fingers of one hand down and softly stroked the shell of one point ear with his nail. The wolf’s reaction was instantaneous. Saitou ground his arousal against Haru’s, one hand maintaining a firm grip on the smaller male’s ass while the other continued to explore his nipples and chest.

Finally, Saitou retreated from his mouth and Haru breathed deeply, drawing in heaps of blissful air. He felt teeth on his throat in the next instance, scraping across the skin and leaving trails of fire in their wake. His eyes flew open without his permission, thankful that Saitou was bent over his neck and unable to see his face. The mouth now nibbling deliberately on his throat felt erotic, consuming, and beautifully dangerous all at once.

Haru knew he had to stop this, knew that he had to free himself before Saitou did something irreversible. He had to stop it before he actually began to bleed. His hands were on broad shoulders then, pushing against them with what strength he could gather. An echoing growl was his answer, loud and saturated with displeasure.

Rallying his courage, he continued to push until finally that mouth retreated again even if the hands that held him seemed determined to remain.

He ducked his face, always conscious of his eyes and the truth that they would tell. Feebly he shook his head, hands still pushing, trying to get his message across without words.

“Why stop?” Saitou’s voice was dark, husky with passion and promise. “I can feel your need.”

He ground himself against Haru once again.

The action drew forth a moan despite the smaller male’s protests.

“I can hear it.”

His head dipped down, running his tongue from Haru’s exposed collarbone all the way up to his ear.

“I can taste it. You want this as much as I. Why stop?”

Haru could think of a million reasons, but only one stuck in his mind. “You don’t even know who I am.” His voice was a whisper, distorted by passion and a fresh wave of grief at the truth in his words. He was a stranger in Saitou’s mind and no amount of wishing would change that. The truth was a much harsher reality.

Saitou’s arms loosened, allowing Haru to slide down his body until he stood once again on his own feet. He promptly scrambled back, desperate to put some space between them, anything to cool the heat that still raced through him. A large hand reached out once more across that newly formed space, fingertips playing gently with the ends of his disheveled hair.

“Then make this easier for the both of us.

Surrender. Give us both what we want and we can handle the rest later. You can run from this, little one, but I will chase you. You will not out pace me for long.” Persuasion oozed from his every word.

Haru was confused. Situations like this did not happen in real life, especially not to people like him. It had to be a joke, some sort of cruel game that he would not fall for. Not this time. He refused to be used in this manner no matter how much his body screamed for it. Finally, he had found his resolve. His hand was surprisingly steady when he yanked the zipper of his coat back up.

“No,” his voice was harsh now, not the passion-dazed tone of before. “I won’t be used, not again, not in this way.” He ducked down and gathered up the bag that he didn’t remember dropping in the first place. He was leaving this time and Saitou was not going to stop him. Spine stiff, even while his face was adverted, he brushed past Saitou, his focus on leaving the room and running back to his housing.

“Where are you going?” The question was sharp, the words barbs coated in demand. A heavy, no longer completely gentle hand clamped down around his wrist.

“Away! Back to where I belong,” Haru’s voice rose, no longer taking care with its volume. After all that had happened, he was beginning to doubt that Saitou really remembered him no matter what he had said earlier. If Saitou knew the truth, he would either be pushing him to leave the room or beating him for his deception. He tried to tug his arm free, but the wolf was too strong and refused to release him.

“You belong with me.” The statement was slow, measured.

It sparked the temper that Haru fought so hard to repress. He felt his blood heat, a different fire than the one he had felt only moments ago. This one was destructive, yearning to consume everything and turn it to ash. He slammed his eyes closed once again. He knew they would be glowing now, slivers of his abilities apparent in their depths.

He needed to leave now, needed to get far away from Saitou and the gamut of dangerous emotions that he provoked. He gathered a fraction of that fire close to him, channeled it outward until it vibrated directly beneath his skin. It went against his nature, against the calm and control he had worked so very hard to maintain through everything, but he had no choice. Saitou was stubborn and would never willingly release him without some form of persuasion.

He unleashed it, felt the burning arch through his body and his skin heat like flame. A sharp yelp followed by his arm being released and the smell of lightly burning flesh let him know his plan had worked. He darted toward the door, knowing better than to linger since the wolf would recover quickly.

“I belong only to myself. You have not earned the right of ownership.” He threw the words over his shoulder as he scurried out of the room, dark growling sounding against the walls behind him.

He was tired of being subservient to everyone, tired of the abuse.

He would bow down no longer.

In many ways, life probably would have been easier for him if he hated his gift. If he could have rejected it, buried it deep within himself and never used it, he might have had a chance at being normal. He loved it regardless of everything else and had never been able to bring himself to do so.

In spite of the torment and pain it brought him, Haru cherished his abilities. He didn’t flaunt it, didn’t draw attention to himself, but didn’t forsake it either.

When he was small, it had been his only friend until he had met Saitou. It had kept him company, protected him, and nurtured him. The wind had whispered to him, a happy playmate, giggling and adventurous. The plants had spoken to him, their voices blending together to form a single sound, the gentle delicate whisper of a teacher speaking to a beloved student. They had taught him so many things. He had never been hesitant to admit that they were better company than anyone else he had ever met. Until Saitou. It seemed like so many things in his life could be defined that way.

They were…until Saitou.

He had practiced it in secret, learning early on that the things he could do would not endear him to the people who surrounded him. Not even his own family had been able to accept him. He had thought it would be different with the youkai, Saitou had given him hope for that. Their friendship had made him believe, if only for a short while, that he could belong somewhere. That he could be loved. His childish naiveté had brought him only pain. He had been more than willing to accept it all the same because he had found Saitou and that made it all worthwhile.

He’d been alone one day, as he often was growing
up, playing in the grass at the local park. He’d been
practicing his flower growing, smiling in delight at the
delicate buds that had wormed their way upward
through the thick grass to nuzzle his palms. The wind
had tugged playfully at his hair, ruffling his bangs and
giggling in his ear. He had been happy, content with
the company he normally kept, when it happened.

The winds had stilled suddenly, the flowers going
ridged as if straining against some outside force. It had
lasted for only a moment, but it had alarmed Haru. It
was a warning he knew, a warning that things were
going to change. He knew it with every fiber of his soul
and yet he did not know how. Things had returned to
 
normal too quickly, before he had a chance to really
consider the situation, so he had pushed it back,
choosing in the way of the young to ignore the problem.

Two days later it had happened and something deep
within him had made the connection. Haru had been
busy relaxing in his normal place in the park, one hand
stroking the grass gently as he stared at the clouds.

There was a flurry of movement followed by a loud
thump and suddenly his view was blocked by warm
amber eyes. He’d squeaked slightly as he stared up at
the face above him in confusion.

The eyes had left as quickly as they’d appeared, but
he had been once again startled by the feel of someone
snuffling his hair.

“You smell good,” a slightly gruff voice whispered
in his ear.

“T-thank you.” He had forced the words out,
embarrassed and slightly scared.

The person had pulled back and Haru had once again
been staring into warmhearted amber eyes in a
mischievous male face.

“I’m Saitou. I liked your scent when you were here a
couple of days ago so I had to meet you.” Saitou’s voice
was cheerful, his smile showing off pointed fangs.

Something about the male had put Haru at peace so
his answering smile had come easily. “I’m Haru.”

Things had been simple after that. They’d been friends, close companions who spent almost every possible moment in each other’s company. They had talked about everything, whispered secrets and made promises for the future. Saitou had been everything to Haru and he had thought the wolf felt the same way about him.

The only thing they had never really spoken about had been Haru’s abilities. Saitou had been happy to watch Haru work his powers, had even requested it often enough. The wolf never actually asked about them, seemingly content with having very little knowledge about their origins.

It had been that way for years, through their shared childhoods up until the summer before they began high school. Haru had been waiting for him in the park as usual, but Saitou had never showed. Not that day, or the next, or the next.

Haru phoned, but Saitou wouldn’t take his calls, he visited, but wasn’t allowed in the door.

Haru received no information or help from Saitou’s parents for they had never truly approved of their association. They had been aware of what he was, had known about his powers and been pleased when their son had finally decided to end their association. They had always considered Saitou and Haru’s relationship to be a taint upon their house.

Haru had been desperate then, his mind fractured and his heart torn as he had tried to make sense of the situation. He’d begged Saitou whenever he had managed to get close enough to him. He had apologized without knowing his crime, had cried and pleaded all to no avail. He had never received an explanation, just a curt dismissal and a door slammed harshly in his face the last time he tried to visit Saitou.

It was in this way that their friendship ended as suddenly as it had begun. Then during the school year the persecution had been even worse with Saitou no longer protecting him, instead, he had sat passively by as Haru was tormented. He had even participated on one rare occasion. Haru had been unable to think of any other explanation outside of the fact that finally Saitou was ashamed of him. Finally his abilities, the unnatural power that he possessed, had driven the wolf away.

Still he loved his talents, could not bring himself to hate them, and continued to practice them away from the prying eyes of his classmates and family. He was strong now, stronger than he ever could have become if he had ignored and repressed his abilities. His years of using had given him a level of control that most did not bother to achieve on their own.

That was the very reason for his current position. Seated cross-legged, hands spread against the trunk of a cherry blossom tree, he concentrated on his powers. The tree was old, its trunk too large for him to wrap his arms around. It was a wonderful and majestic example of nature and all of her glory.

It was dying.

It always pained Haru to see such a thing happen and even if he knew it was the way nature worked, that death followed life in a never-ending circle, sometimes he could not help himself. When he stumbled upon such a beautiful monument of nature dying a slow and painful death from being poisoned by some careless youkai or human, he tried his best to help.

It was night now, the moon half-covered and casting deep shadows over his position. He preferred it that way, the dark night making him more difficult for any who happened to pass by to see. He doubted there would be many walking through the courtyard at this hour, midnight having long since passed.

He flexed his fingers gently, letting the comforting feel of rough bark against his skin calm him. He looked within himself, focusing on that same pulse of power he had gathered to get away from Saitou. This time it was different, he imagined it not as the fire that had raced through him before but cooler. The healing rain after a harsh summer’s day. He imagined it flowing out of him and into the bark beneath his hands, washing away the sickness and leaving only fresh growth behind.

He felt it when it happened, felt the chill well up beneath his skin, felt his breath frost on his lips.

He knew the moment his efforts paid off. The sickness swirled beneath the tree’s surface, a mini typhoon of disease and encroaching death. He willed it into himself, to flow from the bark and into his body. The queasiness hit him the moment the infection flooded his blood stream. He held on despite it all, willing his body to stay strong, to maintain contact with the tree’s core until the process was complete.

The more sickness that drained from the tree, the worse he felt inside, but it was worth it. Deep beneath the crushing feel of the tree’s pain and the loud death cries it had been shouting only moments before, he could feel new life flourishing.

He continued on, biting his lip until he could taste his own blood, one pain to try and distract himself from another. Finally when he thought he could maintain contact for no longer, the tree seemed to give a mighty sigh and Haru felt only life and strength within it.