FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A/N: WOW!! Its been a 2 months since I started this story. It has been great hearing from everyone and what they think about my story. Please keep up the good work at commenting and now on with the show.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Something in her snapped.

Gira sprinted out of the cave, ignoring the calls from the other wolf demons. The stony cave lip protruding over the lake wasn't long, but it was enough for Gira to gather speed.

She planted one foot on the rocky edge, every muscle in her legs coiling and bunching, and launched off, using all the strength she had. She aimed diagonally for the edge of the lake instead of traveling down the mountain. The thin ice crumbled under her weight but it wasn't more than thigh deep and she ran out, water splashing and surging, getting most of her body wet.

Snow crunched, weak from the warming weather. It stuck to her wet clothes but she couldn't feel the cold nips. Her breathing was steady, icy air drying her mouth and throat. Her senses merely took over, trees whizzing past her but never registering. The sounds of the forest led her, the silence of birds in areas guiding her, signaling that there was danger ahead. She could smell something faint, a certain scent that frightened her. What it was wasn't connecting in her mind but as she passed into Kadell's territory cat demons clicked in her mind. She smelled Liolyn and that was all she needed.

The wind streamed her hair behind her in waves, rippling white and silver Black streaks muddled in it, brown tips contrasting the silver.

Something came up behind her and she turned her head slightly. Silver eyes met Katsu's and the male gave her a small nod. Four other wolves followed him and the five dropped behind to flank her.

She led them, her speed surpassing theirs. They fell behind naturally, accepting her superiority. For now, she was their leader. She had the scent. She had the power.

Golden eyes glared at milky blue and not a sound came from the two demons or the forest. Two powers were clashing and everything sensed it. Even Daemon's labored breathing hushed, fearful of what it could provoke.

"Leo."

The name was hushed, whispered, rich in its own way. The tongue purred it, like she purred all her words. This ancient creature of noble blood and powerful heritage was now an outcast, shunned by her own kind for her love.

"Huntress." The Prince of Cats answered, trying to keep his voice neutral. "You followed me."

CRACK!

The slap was swift and unavoidable. Liolyn's head whipped to the side with the force of it, the side of his face stinging and red. He wondered if it would leave a mark.

"You foolish boy." The panther hissed, sharp canines flashing. "You have endangered everything. You have threatened everyone's lives. You threatened our peace! And for what? Sex? I smell that putrid musk on you. You defiled yourself with a wolf demon."

"Don't tell me-" Liolyn began to snap back but he immediately cowered from the look and roaring words from the older cat demon.

"YOU THREATENED EVERYTHING FOR SEX! EVERYTHING THAT YOUR MOTHER WORKED FOR!" Unseeing blue eyes rolled over his body for effect. "You are not worth her sacrifice."

That stung. Liolyn trembled with emotion, tears stinging at his eyes. He swallowed the honey that had accumulated in his throat but his mouth still felt sticky. He didn't trust his voice to speak.

The Huntress smelled the salty tears and she sighed. "Leo... do you even understand what could've happened? War, Leo. War could've happened."

"You don't understand." Liolyn growled, fists clenched and trembling. "I have to do this. I have to avenge her. YOU JUST DON'T GET IT!"

"I don't understand?" The Huntress whispered. "Do you still believe that only you were affected by the Tigress's death?"

Liolyn looked away with shame, feeling foolish and childish. "I just want to see my mother's murderer put to justice."

"It was war, Leo. War is full of murder and injustice. I would love to see that wolf killed slowly and painfully for the Tigress's death but they won't give him up. I was there. I led the negotiations for their surrender. They wouldn't give us a name. Not even after we led that devastating last slaughter that we called a battle. Her death was their victory and us agreeing to leave them alone and not trying to kill her assassin is what keeps them in these mountains where they're dying. Their numbers aren't even half of what they were when they lived peacefully in the southern lands next to us. They're dying, and that's their punishment."

"IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" A tear spilled free and Liolyn hurriedly wiped it away.

"I miss her too, Leo."

"It's Liolyn, now."

"You can't disown your blood."

"Watch me."

"What about the Tigress? She died so you could live."

"I'm alive, aren't I?"

"You know what I mean."

"I'm not going back."

"Stop being scared."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are! You're scared but you're forgetting about the hundred of cats that would lay down their lives to protect you."

"I don't want anymore lives to be sacrificed for mine"

"What about my life? I live for you."

"Huntr-"

"Why don't you call me 'Adiah' anymore?"

That paste returned to Liolyn's mouth and he found himself unable to speak. Those milky blind blue eyes were staring straight into his and he didn't know how. They made him want to fall into her arms like he did when he was a child and weep helplessly.

His Huntress.

His protector.

His adoptive mother.

Adiah.

Blind eyes suddenly shut and that broad panther head cocked to the side. "Something is coming. Strange..."

"What is it?" Liolyn asked, shaking his head to rid himself of all sentimentality.

"It's here... And I didn't sense it until now."

Gira's speed surged as the scent of blood registered in her mind. Pictures flashed before her eyes as she connected them. She started to pant, fear taking over. Tears stung at her eyes and she choked but she refused to admit it.

There was a break in trees. Crimson flashed everywhere. Bodies mingled the ground. Branches lay shattered on the snow. And two figures stood standing. Two. But only one had a certain scent.

Gira roared, launching into the air. Claws flexed. Fangs bared. Eyes flashed white.

The black creature growled and leapt back.

Snow exploded as the she-wolf landed, feet digging into the ground to go after the retreating pure blood. Claws sliced through the air, each attack dodged or countered. She punched, her forearm grabbed. She spun with it, elbow lashing out and colliding with a back. The panther snarled, whipping around and slashing her own claws towards Gira.

The leather shirt ripped, blood spraying but clotted almost as soon as air reached the wound. By the time the she-wolf regained her footing the slices was already partially healed.

The wolf demon growled deeply, crouching down. Hair cascaded partially over her face, blocking one eye, leaving one white iris and black pupil to glower at the panther.

The panther was already on her hands, one farther back than the other, and balls of animal feet. Her stomach and chest grazed in the snow in her crouch. Lips curled back in a snarl, long canines visible. It had been a long time since the last time she had a worthy opponent to fight and it had been a longer time since her animal instincts had awakened. The blood that mingled on her claws smelled familiar, a faint memory of the days when her sight was just barely there. It took her back two hundred years and she had to pause, head cocking to the side.

"You wouldn't... you wouldn't be the current Fang, would you?"

The she-wolf snarled, eyes still pure white and menacing. There was no reasoning with this wolf demon now.

"No..." Adiah whispered to herself. "No... the blood isn't pure enough. It's just the instincts. The instincts in her are confusing me."

Gira launched her next attack. She didn't take more than three steps before something hard collided into the side of her.

She crashed to the ground, rolling to a stop before regaining her senses. She skidded, claw digging into the snow as she recovered her footing.

She snarled, glowering at the Prince of Cats.

Liolyn tried not to look apologetic before his senses went off. He dodged, barely missing Katsu's claws. He was barely aware of his movements as swipe after swipe of deadly points came his way. Something told him to duck and roll and he did, a second pair of claws slicing off a few strands of hair. His foot swung out, catching the second attacker in the side. His attacks went with the momentum of his roll, body flattening out and free arm swiping at Katsu's feet.

The wolf jumped, missing the claws. When his feet landed on the ground his arm swung in arch down in a new attack.

Liolyn hissed rolling again. Pain spiced into his arm and he felt blood pool out and down his skin.

And then there was a third wolf.

Liolyn roared, catching the downward punch. He pulled, the wolf stumbling and falling into it. Liolyn slammed his arm up, his fist making full contact with the wolf's face. There was the satisfying crunch of a nose breaking and he kicked the bleeding demon off.

There was a shrieking roar and Liolyn turned in time to see Adiah grabbing another wolf that had been inches from catching him off guard. She threw him, the remaining unharmed tree cracking with the impact of the body.

He smiled thankfully up at her before remembering that she was blind. She grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him up.

He stood back to back with the Huntress and faced the circling wolves. Adiah crouched down, hissing sharply before a rumbling growl rolled out of her throat. Liolyn flexed his claws to their full length. Impressive and glinting, they caused one wolf to inch back. He drew one hand up while widening his stance, keeping his other one low. His tail swished from side to side, prepared for anything.

He felt the Huntress twitch before he heard a deep, dark, hissing. "Raklyn."

The sound of clapping caught his attention but he refused to take his eyes off the circling wolves.

"Well, well, Adiah. Good to see that you're still spry." Raklyn smirked smugly.

"Raklyn." Adiah answered dryly but there was a hint of venom in it. "Good to see that you're still alive. And here I thought that last attack I gave you finished you off."

"Oh, that scratch? That scar faded long ago. How's the vision?"

"Sight is for the weak." She smirked. "As you know."

Raklyn twitched but did little more. "I find it quite useful. It allows me to see your face contorted in agony when I beat you."

"I don't think you've ever gotten that pleasure before. If anything, it distracts you from you opponent and the smell of fear they try to hide."

"And I don't believe you've ever gotten that pleasure."

"I think I smell fear now."

"You're sadly mistaken."

"Oh... I think not."

Raklyn's jaw tightened. "You're depraved."

"You're old."

"You're older."

"That just makes me wise."

"Why have wisdom when you can be cunning."

"Cunning is easily beaten by wisdom combined with strength, which I actually possess."

"Strength, however, is weak when faced with a master of weapons."

"You can't strike what you can't catch."

"Try to catch something that can use the earth to it greatest extent."

"But ground fighting only does so much against those who can fight in trees."

"So can I."

Adiah scoffed. "You couldn't fight in trees if your life depended on it."

"Watch me! Oh wait... you can't."

Adiah roared and Raklyn answered with his own.

"Umm..." Liolyn dared to interrupt. "Children? Mind keeping this mature?"

"Like you're one to talk!" Adiah snapped.

Raklyn's eyes rolled over the Prince of Cats. "My... it's uncanny."

Adiah hissed.

"He's... just like her but different coloring."

"Keep your fucking mouth shut, Raklyn."

"It is true..."

"RAKLYN!"

"You're the Tigress' son."

All the wolves' eyes landed on Liolyn and he felt naked. Low growls came from each of the four remaining men, lips curling back to reveal fangs. He was exposed and more frightened than he thought.

Raklyn circled the circle of wolves, watching Liolyn with a curious look. "This is odd indeed... we were led to believe that you were dead."

Liolyn didn't say anything, just glared at the older man.

"What brings you out here to this dangerous territory?"

Adiah growled lowly.

"You must be looking for something..."

Katsu was trembling with rage, looking ready to shred Liolyn to bits.

The Prince of Cats straightened, standing tall and regal. He glared down Raklyn. "Who killed my mother?"

He heard Adiah groan but the pure blood said nothing.

Raklyn paused, a smirk spreading across his lips. "Oh, that's what you want?"

"Yes."

Raklyn stroked his goatee, looking thoughtful and eyes measuring up the Prince of Cats. There was something in his eyes that made Liolyn's skin crawl and hackles rise. He knew his tail was puffed up.

"Only a few people know that information." Raklyn whispered loud enough for Liolyn's ears to pick up. "And almost all of them are dead... except for me."

"Is the wolf still alive?"

"Oh yes, very much so."

So Gira had lied after all. He knew it. "Who is it? TELL ME!"

Raklyn smirked. "If you want to know, come to the den. Alone. Only then will I tell you what you seek."