{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain situations were created by Rumiko Takahashi, so don't try any funny stuff!}

Nabiki opened her eyes, the soft light piercing her eyelids. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't think straight. She tried to sit up in the bed, but the pounding in her skull made that an unwise decision.

The bed was comfortable enough that she didn't care though, and she settled back into it. She glared at the lamp on the other side of the room, wishing it wasn't there. It was that lamp that had awakened her, disturbed her dream about...

Just some vague faces and names that didn't mean anything to her. Still, it had been a nice dream even if she didn't understand any of it.

Nabiki closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep in the softness of the luxurious bed.

A soft knock roused her from her sleep this time. Nabiki opened her eyes a little and looked at the door as it opened.

"Excuse me, Mistress," a young woman said, peeking into the room. "The master requires your presence in his chambers as soon as possible."

Nabiki sat up and yawned. "As soon as I get ready," she said, stretching.

The young woman bowed her head. "I shall inform the master, Mistress." The servant left the room, closing the door.

Nabiki slipped out of bed, the rug soft on her feet, and went over to the ornate bureau. She avoided looking at herself in the mirror and got out some clothing to wear.

She shed the light, gauzy pajamas she had slept in, leaving her naked for a moment in the cozy room. She shuddered from a non-existent breeze and slipped the thin tunic over her head. Pulling the pants on, Nabiki tied the brightly colored sash around her waist and went to the wash basin. She felt something distinctly... not right about things as she looked in the water.

'I don't belong here. I shouldn't be here. This is not my place,' she thought suddenly. Strange.

Where did she belong then? The castle was the only place she had ever been safe. Under the master's protection was the only place she could find safety and happiness. It was the only place she could remember finding it before.

Dismissing the wayward thoughts, Nabiki finished getting ready. The master was waiting for her after all.

"Now, my lovely, you must understand," Maxim said, allowing Nabiki to assist him in getting dressed, "that a wife is a weakness."

Nabiki nodded, handing him his cape.

"That is why I keep you as my concubine. It doesn't mean I think any less of you; I treat all my concubines equally."

Nabiki nodded again, looking at Maxim with something close to adoration.

"Excellent. I'm glad you understand." He smiled and it approached sinister. "Later tonight, my lovely." Maxim drew one finger under Nabiki's chin and lifted it.

"I understand. Should I wait for you here?"

"No, you can go about your regular daily business. I'll summon you when you're needed." He adjusted his cape appropriately.

"Yes, Master."

The day passed slowly. Nabiki waited in her room for a little while, but was quickly bored. She left her room and wandered the halls of the castle. It was strange because she knew the layout of the castle perfectly, but she didn't know what everything really was.

Maybe it was from when she hit her head on the... Hit her head, that must have been why.

The various guards she saw at every turn of the hall ignored her, but the servants all gave her a short bow as they went about their duties. Many of them she recognized and gave guarded smiles to. In truth, they were the closest things to 'friends' she had in the immense castle.

"Mistress, are you hungry?" the young woman from that morning came up from behind and asked her. "There is lunch being served in the dining hall."

"Lunch? Yes, I am hungry."

"Excellent, Mistress. If you'd like to follow me..."

Lunch was delicious, as it always was, but Nabiki was beginning to wonder how she had managed for so long in the castle alone. There just wasn't anything to do inside. She ended up back in her room, but had requested a quill, some ink, and parchment.

Even though she had never been much of a writer, Nabiki liked to do a little of it now and then when she was bored, and this counted as one of those times. She jotted down the first thing that came to her head and a few connecting thoughts. They were fine for an uneducated peasant, but Nabiki held a higher opinion of herself than that.

Then, seemingly on its own, her hand began to sketch something. A face. A young man with a short braid. Then another face started to form. A girl with short hair and a warm smile. More faces took their place on the parchment; each was very well done, as if they were faces she had seen every day.

And the words... Ranma. Akane. Kasumi. Tofu. Tatewaki.

Nabiki tore her hands away from the paper and stared at what she had drawn. So familiar, yet so... foreign. Setting the quill down, Nabiki decided that that was enough for the day and stowed the parchment where it wouldn't be seen.

Maybe she should just lie down and try to rest. It wouldn't do if she was too tired for her first night with the master.

That damn knocking again. Nabiki opened her eyes as the servant from that morning opened the door.

"The master requires your presence, Mistress."

Nabiki sat up, worried. Had she been asleep that long? "Is it..."

"Yes, Mistress. He gave me these for you to wear." She came into the room with a bundle of clothing in her arms. "If I may be allowed to assist, Mistress?"

"Come in," Nabiki said, rising from the bed.

"Mistress, if I may speak?"

"Go ahead." Nabiki waited until the servant shut the door to begin removing her clothes.

"Mistress, I feel I must warn you," she said hesitantly, "that the master is not always..." The servant stopped, not sure how to phrase it.

"He what? What about the master?" Nabiki asked, looking at the older girl.

"Mistress, please be careful. The master... he has a terrible wrath. Do not raise his ire." The concern in her voice was plainly evident.

Nabiki looked at the young woman who had been her servant ever since she had arrived in the castle. Her own fears started to surface then. Maybe... maybe this wasn't such a good thing. Maybe the master was not as nice a man as he seemed to be.

"Mistress, I have been partially charged with your welfare. I can not help but be worried. I am sure that you will be safe on this night, but in the future..." She was busily laying out the clothing she had brought, not looking at Nabiki, as she spoke.

"Noted for future consideration, and I guess that type of behavior is to be expected from a man with his power." Well, that was working. Nabiki was getting her confidence back even if she had to make excuses for the master's behavior. And maybe she was feeling a bit of that worried excitement that she had been feeling earlier.

"Here, Mistress. The master likes things done in a certain way." The servant was holding up a white gossamer top.

Removing the last vestiges or her clothing, Nabiki held her arms up and allowed the servant to put the top over her head. As it slid down her arms and settled into place, Nabiki smiled at the cool caress of the material. It was barely long enough to cover her breasts, but it was just so comfortable.

The next article of clothing was little more than a dark gray loincloth that sat low on her hips. It fit her perfectly, and Nabiki wondered just how many things were tailored just for her.

Next was a blouse with loose, three-quarter length sleeves and ties in the front. It narrowed at the bottom, leaving itself open down the front. The servant the blouse appropriately and made the ties into a loose knot, leaving Nabiki's navel bare.

Lastly, the pants that were quite baggy around the thighs and more fitted around the ankle. There was nothing in the waist to keep them up.

"Please, Mistress, hold these while I do the sash," the servant said, holding the pants up.

Nabiki held them, the top just below her navel, as the servant wound a brightly-colored sash around her waist multiple times and tied another loose knot.

"Am I ready?" Nabiki asked, turning and looking at herself in the mirror.

"You are, Mistress. The master has no need for perfumes or other decorations."

Nabiki took a deep breath, feeling more nervous than before. "I'm ready," she said, her voice shaking lightly.

"Yes, Mistress. Shall I escort you?"

Nabiki, wanting the final moments of companionship before she performed her duties as concubine, nodded.

The door opened before her, revealing Maxim's innermost chambers.

"There you are, my lovely." Maxim said, smiling widely at her. "Don't be nervous. Come in."

Nabiki entered the chamber slowly, her hands held together in front of her. As she stepped through the door, it closed behind her, locking her in with Maxim.

She looked around nervously, a bit surprised by the decor; she hadn't expected it at all. It was somber and elegant with simple decoration. The floor was dominated by a bed of sorts, formed by many silken pillows, and against one wall was a table with a crystal pitcher of blood red wine on it.

"Would you like something to drink?" Maxim asked, walking over to the table.

Nabiki nodded. Maybe some wine would relax her a little.

"Good. I think you'll find it to your taste." Maxim began to pour two glasses of wine.

Nabiki watched Maxim as he filled the crystal goblets. He was dressed as she had never seen him before in a loose red silk shirt, open in the front, tucked into the black suede breeches.

Maxim finished filling the goblets and handed one to Nabiki. "Are you worried?" he asked, noting her gentle tremble as she took the goblet from him.

At first, Nabiki considered denying it, but that wasn't a good way to build trust. Instead, she nodded.

"What about? There's nothing to be afraid of." Maxim's voice had a different quality to it; it was almost fatherly.

So what exactly was she afraid of? Nabiki wasn't sure, so she shrugged.

Maxim stepped forward and placed his free hand on Nabiki's stomach. "Is it because of these?" He stared intensely into Nabiki's eyes. "Is that it?"

She looked back at him and suddenly her eyes got wide, like those of an animal caught in a bright light, and she nodded vacantly.

"You remember how this happened to you, right? You remember who did this to you?"

Nabiki nodded again, then began to speak, her voice devoid of emotion or feeling. "Of course. I was attacked before I came to be under your protection. It was a monster, black like night, a rogue and a mutant. It raped me. I decided to keep the... the..." She couldn't manage to say it, like her mind was blocking out what they really were. "They deserve a chance to experience your goodness."

"Indeed." Maxim was smiling at that little speech. "Well, they won't be hurt at all by any of what we're about to do, so why don't you finish your wine for me."

He watched her drink down the entire glass without pausing. "That's it, my lovely," he encouraged, taking the glass from her.

After setting the glasses on the table, he began to disrobe. "I can see you're no longer worried, so why don't we begin..."

***

Nabiki woke up and was sore again, but it was a good kind of sore. At least she thought so. She was naked under a sheet made of the same material her clothing had been, on Maxim's bed. She thought it was his bed, though there was no evidence of anyone ever having slept there before her.

She stretched briefly and yawned. Again that dream had come upon her, the one of people and places she knew nothing about... It was much less vivid than before though, and Nabiki couldn't really remember much of it. There was only the feeling that it was pleasant and comforting, and that she had cared deeply for the people in the dream.

She got out of the bed and looked down appreciatively at the tray. Her discarded clothing from the previous night was gone, but there was a fresh outfit laid out along with a robe.

She put on the robe before she began to eat.

"She sleeps the sleep of the dead, does she not?"

"Aye, sir. An impressive addition, truly."

"You realize your toadying will get you nowhere."

"Of course, sir."

"I want you to watch her. Make sure she doesn't remember anything. If she does, it'll be on your head."

"Of course."

The two watched Nabiki sleep for a few more moments.

"You couldn't convince her to get rid of those two maggots inside her?" Maxim asked.

"No, sir. That was the one thing she clung to most tightly. Even after the 'memory' of the rape, she steadfastly refused."

"Once they're gone, get that disease out of her," Maxim said, looking down at her stomach disgustedly, then turned and left the room.

"As you wish, sir. Though if I may speak..."

Maxim waved his hand, allowing the other to speak.

"It lends her a certain... strength. Does it not?"

Maxim paused. That it had. Strength and... adaptiveness. Stamina, durability...

"A certain... presence. She is innocent, yet she is of the beast."

"Enough! Point taken. You said she has..."

"Sixty days by my estimation, sir."

"Then I have sixty days to consider it. Leave me."

"Thank you, sir."

"My lovely," Maxim said as he entered the room, startling Nabiki.

"Master, I thought you had gone."

"I had, but the memory of your pleasures has brought me back."

Nabiki blushed and looked down at the floor. "Thank you, Master."

"'Tis a trifle. But now that I am here..." Maxim walked over to Nabiki and opened her robe.

"Yes, Master," Nabiki said and shed the robe entirely.

And so went the days. Nabiki, bored, but relatively content, dreamt each night of people and places she didn't know anything about. Yet, she could feel the dream fade every night, become less vivid, less substantial, the faces becoming less memorable.

One morning, she awoke and was disturbed to realize she didn't remember the dream at all. She still felt the same as she did other mornings, so she figured she had had the dream and just didn't remember it.

It saddened Nabiki as it was a pleasant, warm dream full of life, and the castle around her seemed to be so soulless.

There were still a few places in the castle Nabiki hadn't been. One was the dungeon, which she didn't care to visit, and the other was the immense North tower. She had been quite curious about it, but the servant girl had warned her away from it.

No matter. Nabiki had almost free reign in the castle; if she wanted to investigate, she could. And would.

The thick wooden doors that granted access to the tower were unguarded, but that didn't make them any less daunting to approach.

Nabiki tugged gently on one huge iron handle, but the thick door didn't budge. She took the ring in both hands and pulled, not stopping until the door eventually opened enough for her to slip through.

It was not the most pleasant place, with low ceilings and very little in the way of light. In fact, it was how Nabiki would have pictured the dungeon, not the vaunted North tower.

Hearing no noise except for some dripping water, Nabiki decided to see what the upper floors were like. There was probably a nice view from up there since it was the tallest of all the towers.

She climbed the wide stone stairs quietly. She wasn't exactly sure why she was trying not to make any noise, except that it seemed to be the smart thing to do.

As Nabiki reached the second floor, the halls were still empty. That in itself was strange because the rest of the castle had people passing through the halls all the time, but in the tower there was no one. Maybe she shouldn't have come.

The soft sound of a woman sobbing reached Nabiki's ears then. It was very faint, so faint it probably shouldn't have been audible, but to Nabiki, it was. And it was coming from somewhere down the corridor in front of her.

The first instinct Nabiki rejected was to leave and never come back to the tower; it wasn't a nice place. The second instinct that was also dismissed was to go help whoever was crying. That wasn't really any of her business to interfere in though.

The third instinct that was accepted was to just go and see what was going on. Why was there a woman crying in the tower? And why was it so gloomy there? No windows, no real light, no nothing.

Nabiki tip-toed down to the end of the hall. The sobbing was coming behind the door to her right. There was a small window in the door that she could barely see through if she stood on her toes. Her eyes widened as she peered into the room.

It was a semi-circular room, well lit by torches, but completely devoid of windows. It was dominated by three things though: two men and a woman strapped to a large table.

The table was tilted slightly up at one end so Nabiki could clearly see that the woman was naked and extremely pregnant. The look of utter terror and pain on her face burned into Nabiki's mind.

The man standing on the right side of the table was dressed in ornate military garb, but Nabiki didn't recognize him. He must have been a high-ranking officer in her master's army.

And on the opposite of the table... Nabiki knew him better than she would have liked to. He was dressed in long glittering robes, giving him an air of mystery and menace. His short black hair was swept back, making his face look even thinner than it was, especially with his mouth in a scowl.

Konstantin. Merely the sight of him made Nabiki's skin crawl.

"You don't have long now. Tell us and we can still save you," Konstantin offered, his voice sounding as smooth as a snake.

The woman couldn't answer. She only shook her head and continued to sob. She knew her torturer was right though; her time was running out. She was able to steel herself against the pain of the contractions, but soon...

As if her thoughts had been read, a searing pain ripped through her and she screamed aloud.

"It appears to be too late," the military man said coldly.

Konstantin nodded. "Foolish woman. They never know what they're getting themselves into."

The woman screamed again as more pain accompanied her contractions, and it felt like she was about to be turned inside out.

Nabiki watched with wide, tear-filled eyes as she actually watched the baby move inside the woman. She could see, but didn't want to, as the movements became more insistent, the baby held by only a delicate barrier of flesh...

Nabiki put her hand over her mouth to quiet the whimper she let out when the long gashes appeared across the woman's stomach. Gashes made from the inside that sent a torrent of blood gushing out. Slowly, Nabiki's whimper was growing in volume, turning into a moan, and one hand had strayed to her stomach.

The woman's screams were constant now as the blood poured down her stomach and onto the floor., the gashes tearing open more with the struggling of the baby. Screaming and begging for mercy, begging for death, but the two men only watched her with dispassionate eyes.

Nabiki's entire body was trembling, wanting to scream and run away, and not stop running forever, but her eyes... Her eyes would not be drawn away from the small squirming shape visible in the woman's ravaged abdominal cavity.

It made a mewling sound unlike anything a baby would make, and its tiny body was covered with silvery fur. Nabiki was on the verge of hysteria as the small distinctly lupine baby crawled out of the woman.

Finally, it was the need to vomit that made Nabiki run. She ran back down the corridor and down the stairs, tears running freely down her face and gagging.

"Mistress?"

Nabiki let loose a short scream when the servant appeared in the door to the tower in front of her.

"Mistress, what's happened?" the servant asked, looking worried. "I told you it was unwise to come to the tower, Mistress," the servant continued, approaching Nabiki and taking her arm.

"Come, Mistress. The things that are done here are not meant to be seen by you." The servant began to lead Nabiki away slowly.

"I... I want to talk to the master," she said finally, her breathing ragged, still crying. She had to know if the same thing would happen to her.

Nabiki laid in her bed, huddled in the fetal position and staring at the wall. She had remained that way for the previous two days.

"I thought I told you to watch her?" Maxim growled at Konstantin.

"Sir, I can only do so many things at a time." The look on Maxim's face suddenly grew very dark. "And at the time, I was questioning that girl on her... lover's whereabouts."

"And I'm sure it took all your concentration. Just don't let it happen again. You're lucky this didn't destroy all my work." Maxim still looked annoyed, but not as angry. "Still thirty..."

"Thirty-eight, sir," Konstantin volunteered.

"Thirty-eight. This is turning out to be almost more trouble than it's worth. Don't let this happen again."

"Yes, sir." Konstantin watched Maxim enter the bedroom, then walked away.

Nabiki didn't move as the door opened and Maxim walked in.

"My lovely," Maxim said as he sat on the bed next to Nabiki, "what's happened?" He put his hand on her thigh.

For a time, Nabiki didn't answer. When she did, her voice sounded distant, disconnected. "Is that going to happen to me?"

"Is what, my lovely?"

"Am I... are they going to... I don't want what happened to that woman to happen to me!" She looked at Maxim with fear in her eyes.

"Of course not. You're far stronger than that common lawbreaker. I wouldn't let such a thing happen. Though..."

"No. I can't. I just can't."

"Why not? If it concerns you that much then we can... dispose..."

"No! I don't want to! I have to keep them! I just have to!"

Still resisting... Nothing it seemed would convince her to dispose of her 'children', though he could barely call them that. "Very well. I won't let anything happen to you. I know you don't like Konstantin, but he is very skilled in medicine; he will not let you be harmed." Maxim stroked Nabiki's cheek. No, her physical charms were definitely worth the trouble.

"You just get some sleep. We'll start fresh in the morning," Rhodes said, patting Kuno on the shoulder. "We're going to bed ourselves."

Kuno nodded and walked to the back room. Shutting the door once he was inside, he looked at the small bed. It looked so comfortable, he just wanted to lie down on it and never wake up again.

Pulling back the blanket, he was about to get in when he thought that he should probably try one more time. So Kuno concentrated, willed his body to change form, wanted to be human again...

But there was nothing. His entire being felt stagnant when he should have felt energetic and powerful. He felt and empty and lifeless, though he didn't think that was strictly from the drug.

Kuno laid down on the bed and wrapped himself in the blanket, even though he didn't need it. Nabiki's scent was still on it, and it pierced him to his core, but he couldn't help himself.

"Boy!"

Kuno was up immediately and flung the blanket off himself.

"Boy, get out here now!"

The urgency and concern in Rhodes' voice was unmistakable, so Kuno didn't wait for more than a second before going out into the other room.

Rhodes and Anatalia were standing by the fire, their eyes wide and looking not at him, but the other end of the room. Kuno turned to see what the threat was and was amazed at what he saw.

"Boy, do you know this..." Rhodes whispered.

Kuno could only shake his head as his eyes met with those of the ghost-like wolf.

Kuno and the white wolf stared at each other. That had remained that way for well over four hours as if they were having a long, unspoken conversation. And maybe, in a way, they were.

"What are they doing?" Anatalia asked.

Her husband could only shake his head.

It was daybreak before the two finally stopped. They each stood up, next to each other, and looked at the two humans. Apparently, they had reached some sort of understanding.

"What is it you want?" Rhodes asked tiredly. He couldn't manage to get any sleep while their "guest" had been there, and his nerves were desperately frayed.

Neither one gave any sort of intelligible answer, but the ghost wolf did something, started to, at which Kuno had never been more jealous of. He started to change.

For whatever reasons, they all watched the ghost wolf change into a relatively young man in very little clothing without making a move. His eyes were the strangest shade, devoid of any real color and only one step up from being white. His hair, amazingly short-cropped and well groomed, was a dusky white; it wasn't really gray, but not white either.

"Long time," he said slowly in a deep voice. It seemed that he struggled with the words and pronunciation, that his mind was willing, but his body was was more hesitant. "Long time," he said again, nodding his head.

"I know your problem. Many of us like that. Sometimes human, sometimes like you."

"Why should we believe you?" Rhodes asked warily, eyeing the young man.

"Simple truth. Everything they say... Lies. I am not monster. We live up on the mountain and want to be left alone." With every sentence, his speech was improving. It had just been such a long time since he had actually held a conversation with anyone.

"Who are you really?" This was nothing like the stories Rhodes had heard of the infamous ghost wolf, and he was blown out of the water that the tales had been exactly that.

"My name..." His name that he hadn't used in so long. His name that he had only heard his mother speak until he had been ripped away from her. "My name is... was... is Tomas."

"All right, Tomas, so you know what's wrong with him?" Rhodes asked, pointing at Kuno. "Can it be cured?"

Tomas nodded. "Yes. Very cruel. Used to..." He seemed to search for the word. "Used to break will and the spirit. Used to make slaves and victims of sport.

"Cure is difficult to get though. Usually it is called just catalyst. More of that and everything will be back to normal."

"Well, that's great! Where can it be found?"

Tomas was shaking his head at Rhodes' enthusiasm. "Not so easy. Only vampires have this. Only they can make it. It will be found in the nearest castle."

Hearing that it could be found in the nearest vampire stronghold effectively crushed the optimism that Rhodes had begun to feel. Yet...

"Where is the girl? I saw her before, but not now. Where is she?" Tomas asked.

Kuno, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, got an angry and saddened look on his face and looked down at the floor.

"Is she alive still?" Tomas asked, unphased. He had experienced many tragedies during his stay in the mountains. There was very little time for regret or mourning he found.

Kuno nodded, though what kind of humiliations she had suffered through, what things they might have done to her, might be worse than death.

"Maxim, yes?"

Kuno could only hang his head.

"Maxim likes pretty girls. She is safe for a while, but I don't know about the little ones. They may be in trouble."

The noise Kuno made would have been a sob if he had been human.

"The first step is getting the cure. The blend of human and wolf is more effective than one or the other."

Rhodes was nodding, making a decision for himself. "Then we'll go. Have to leave as soon as possible and get there during the day..."

"No! You won't!" Anna yelled when she realized what her husband was talking about.

"No," Tomas said calmly. "Not good. You're too fragile. I'll take him."

Surprised, Kuno looked up at Tomas, meeting his firm gaze.

"They are afraid. Afraid of us. Black and white... Strange colors to them." He looked at Rhodes. "Strange, right?"

"Yeah, strange..." Like his conversation with Alex.

"They are like sheep. Everything is the same, quiet and no one makes trouble." He pointed to himself. "A white wolf, they think I am dangerous because I look different. They think you, black wolf, are a danger too."

That made sense to Kuno. He nodded, with a single ray of hope shining down on him.

"Tomorrow. We must have food and sleep before we go."

"Good luck. I think you're going to need it in bulk," Rhodes said as Kuno and Tomas left the house. "Come back when you've finished your business. We'll be waiting." He tried to sound cheery and upbeat, but there was a certain heaviness in his chest that knew how impossible things really were.

"We will not fail. Everyone will come back," Tomas answered.

Kuno had to wonder just how much was confidence and how much was foolish bravado.

"Boy..."

Kuno stopped and looked back at Rhodes, accepting the diminutive form of address from only him.

"You take care of yourself. I expect to see you and the girl back here."

Giving a solemn nod, Kuno walked off into the night with Tomas, disappearing into the darkness slowly.

The last thing Rhodes saw of the two of them before he closed the door was Tomas changing and the two running off.

The castle loomed overhead. It was not as large or as impressive as Maxim's, but it was daunting, nevertheless. There was a relatively small door in the back that Tomas indicated they would be going in that would lead them quickly to the tower.

"We wait until day. Even without the sun, their power is lessened. Don't know where, but it will be in the tower. Probably orange in little bottles." Tomas grinned wryly. "They like to be organized."

He looked up at the tall stone tower. The towers. They were always where the important things were kept. They were never all that difficult to get in to, but getting out was the real trick.

"The woman here, don't look at her. Her eyes... Her eyes steal even the strongest of souls. If that happens, you can not win. She will have you."

Tomas knew the questions the other was exploding with. "You want the girl back. I want Maxim. We work together and do this. Other... they are all afraid and will not come. You... you want Maxim too."

Kuno looked at Tomas. Their pairing had all been by unlucky accident, but right now, it was the only thing they had. He nodded.

"Good. We will meet back in the cave on the first peak. Remember, orange in small bottles. It will be hard to miss." Tomas prepared to run around to the other side of the wall. "Good luck." He moved off through the quiet forest.

Kuno counted to 25 slowly, trying to keep himself under tight control. If not, there was no doubt that he would bungle something in the process.

Twenty five. He ran silently up to the door he had been staring at, hoping he hadn't been seen. There was no cry of alarm or sound of guards. Yet. Kuno leaned flat up against the cold stone anyway. This was a moment of truth; could he really make himself go through with it all?

He tested the door briefly, but found it locked. As in Maxim's castle, it was probably an iron bar on the inside, and he might be able to break through it.

The first thing he tried was steady force, pushing the door, trying to force it open. Yet, the door was solid and did not move at all. Well, Kuno knew he wasn't at his full strength, so he decided on the violent force option.

Taking two steps back and lowering his shoulder, he ran at the door. He was rewarded with a loud noise, pain in his shoulder, and maybe the door shuddering a little.

Holding his shoulder, Kuno stepped back to take another run at the door. There was no time to sit and complain about his shoulder, he had to get through the door.

Shrugging off the pain, Kuno lowered his shoulder and charged the door again. This time, he slammed into the door and bounced off, his shoulder going suddenly numb. And still the door remained solid.

Holding his shoulder again, the numbness spreading down his arm, Kuno sat on the ground, contemplating his failure. Things had been stopped before they had ever started, but they couldn't be. He just had to get inside.

The door opened slowly and a guard stuck his head out. "Hey, who the hell are you and what do you think you're doing?" he asked irritably.

Seeing Kuno on the ground, he immediately acknowledged him. "Shouldn't you be in here with the others? They're reviewing the new assignments."

Kuno looked up at the guard slowly, not quite understanding what was going on. Upon seeing the expectant look the guard was giving him, Kuno realized what was going on: the guard thought he was one of them. Nodding twice, Kuno got to his feet and released his shoulder; he didn't want to appear too suspicious.

"Hurry up then. It started over 20 minutes ago. Dmitri won't be happy that you're late."

Figuring it safer to play up his role, Kuno nodded, then stood and rushed inside before the guard could change his mind. Once he was actually inside, he didn't wait for the guard to say anything else and went to hide until he was alone.

He was very aware of the numbness in his arm and just how disastrous things would be if someone who knew he wasn't supposed to be there found him. So when the guard finally went back to his rounds, mumbling something about the worthlessness of dogmen, Kuno breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking out from his hiding spot, Kuno was pleased to see that Tomas had been correct about the entrance to the tower because he was staring right at it. This was one of the more important things he would do so he composed himself, hoping Tomas was able to get things done on his end.

They stood apart from each other, glaring. Neither was willing to give even if they were so mismatched.

The look on the smaller's face was simple: you don't know what you've gotten yourself in to. It moved back, but not as a retreat; it was just to put more room between them, to be able to make its own moves.

They circled each other, their bodies flowing like rivulets of water. Smooth and powerful, there was no mistaking their animal nature.

The multi-colored one suddenly lunged forward at its smaller adversary, sending it leaping back. They both growled, eyes glowing in the burgeoning darkness.

No. It refused to be defeated and lunged back, snapping its jaws very near the neck of the other.

Yet, the experience eventually overcame the determination, and the larger beast managed to pin the smaller. Several moments of snarling and snapping, tense moments when the relationship of the two was uncertain, and then there was silence.

The larger changed his shape until he reclaimed the body of a teenager. He leaned down, resting his body against that of his former combatant's, and sighed deeply. A large hand stroked the back of his head as he listened to the heartbeat of his companion.

Silently he mouthed the words 'I love you' because he knew his feelings weren't returned. It didn't bother him much because he knew it wasn't natural, but he also wished things could be that way, no matter how it was.

Kuno stood up, trance-like, and walked toward the figure beckoning him. As he got closer, the figure became less obscured, seemingly coming into focus until he could see it was...

"Come here... Kuno-chan."

He walked slowly, feeling like he was floating, toward her, her outstretched arms. The memory, still very fresh in his mind, drove him onward.

"It's not true," she said, her voice ghostly. "The feelings are returned. Let me prove it to you."

Kuno melted into the waiting arms, feeling like he was actually becoming one with her in a deep, spiritual way. It was almost like he was losing himself...

"I love you, Kuno-chan," she whispered in his ear.

He felt her lips brush the skin of his neck and something about it was just wrong. In fact, it all felt wrong, but so inviting and comfortable too.

"Just give in. It will all be so much more pleasant if you just give yourself to me," she whispered as her hands moved sensually down his back. Her lips moved over his neck again.

Still, it was all wrong. Kuno pulled away to look at her, and she was smiling up at him with the most gentle, caring look on her face.

"Give yourself to me," she repeated. "I need you." Her eyes flashed golden for a moment. "So sweet..." Her finger brushed across his cheek and her voice was somewhat dangerous. "Take what I need and keep you for better things..."

Better things. Like the way it used to be, before they had decided to make this journey. So much better...

"So much better," she said. "It'll be so much better, Kuno-chan. You don't have to do anything. You can just stay in bed and I'll take care of you as long as you last..."

That wasn't right. When had Nabiki gotten so generous? But her lips on his neck again gently brushed that thought away. He had never quite felt...

And then he felt the twin points of fire on his neck. Kuno screamed and pushed Nabiki away. Except, he didn't scream, he yelped. And it wasn't Nabiki, but some strange woman smiling at him. Putting his hand to his neck, he stumbled away from her, his legs feeling somewhat weak.

She continued to smile at him and licked her lips, cleaning the blood from them. "Yes, very sweet," she said, her smile never wavering. "Don't run away. Come here and be mine." She held her arms out in front of her, waiting for Kuno to enter them again.

"You'll be special. The others will be jealous because you'll be better than them. Just come here and stay with me. Be my special companion..."

Finally Kuno figured it out. Losing himself, tempting him... The on that could steal souls.

"I never steal," she answered his thoughts. "It's not necessary. They come to me willingly, and so shall you..." She smiled, small and unassuming, her red lips in stark contrast with her pale skin.

Kuno shook his head, trying to free himself, but he knew he was caught in her trap because he couldn't take his gaze away from hers.

"Not the eyes!"

That had been exactly what Tomas had warned him of, but he hadn't been able to guard himself from her mind tricks.

"I told you not to look in her eyes!"

Something like a bag or a hood was thrust down over the vampire woman's head, and it felt like a vice was being ripped off Kuno's brain.

"In the tower! Hurry! While I hold her!" Tomas yelled from behind the woman, trying to control her.

The woman was struggling violently and hissing, threatening to break Tomas' grip, but he held tight.

"Hurry! I don't know how long I can hold her! The vampire's struggles were straining Tomas' arms almost to the breaking point. In fact, he didn't think it would be too much longer if the little witch kept up the struggling.

Kuno watched the battle for a moment, wondering if he should help, then turned and entered the tower. Dark stairs curled upwards and he quickly raced up them.

'Beheading them is not enough, but it will immobilize them for a time.'

Kuno smashed through a door, and swung with all his might at the room's occupant. It wasn't quite a hot knife through warm butter, but the head of the vampire went sailing through the air and landed on a table.

Quickly checking all visible storage places and finding nothing, Kuno moved on to the next room. And when the entire floor turned up empty, he moved to the second floor of the tower. Then the third and the fourth.

Through an innocent looking door on the fourth floor, killed a pair of surprised vampires, examined a small cabinet against one wall and hit the proverbial jackpot. Inside, there were at least 20 vials filled with the bright orange liquid.

So now that he had found the stuff, he had to get out of the castle with everything intact. It could very well end up being a test of self-control since any fighting would probably break the precious vials.

Luck seemed to run in his direction though, and there was a small case used for transporting such things. Kuno filled it with all the vials, the shut and secured the lid. He could hear the commotion coming form the lower levels, and was concerned about just what was happening. They were probably finding the remains of his searches...

Clutching the case tightly, Kuno peered out the door to say if they had reached his floor yet. Seeing the hall was empty, he looked to the stairs. They were clear, but not a viable exit. There had to be some alternate escape.

No windows. There weren't any windows at all, which made some sort of sense, but it put him in a bad spot. Kuno looked at the outside wall, wondering just how thick it really was. Only forty feet or so... He could probably handle that jump. Or the floor...

And what about Tomas? He was supposed to be making a distraction.

More commotion and loud noises. And not just noise, but an uproar. That must have been Tomas' distraction. Kuno went back to the stairs and listened. There was a lot of shouting and sounds of fighting, and then a definite signal: a howl, loud with the tones bloodlust and rage.

Kuno headed down the stairs quickly, pausing at the bottom briefly to check for any stray guards. Apparently they had all been drawn by Tomas' distraction because whoever had been making the noises earlier was gone. Which meant that Tomas was probably in the middle of a large, very large fight at the moment.

Practically leaping past the rest of the stairs, Kuno descended to the very bottom and could see just what was causing all the noise. He had to stare for a moment, couldn't help himself as Tomas seemed to be a living grinder, tearing through anything that got too close to him.

Carefully moving around the battle royale, Kuno headed to the door he had entered through. He picked his spots and disabled a few unwary vampires from behind, tearing through the backs of their necks.

Lifting the huge iron bar, he threw open the door and wedged a dropped weapon in it to keep it open. Now to help Tomas; they both had to get out. Tomas' escape would be pointless without the potion/serum, and Kuno's would be without Tomas' knowledge.

Snarling, Kuno charged forward to clear a path for Tomas to retreat. He swiped with his free hand and nearly split a vampire in half, blood and gore spraying its comrades and alerting them to Kuno's presence.

At once, Kuno was caught in the middle of his own battle, and with only one arm. His other arm was protecting the little case at all costs. He fought as best he could, but he could feel them dig under his skin, claw and stab him, and the wounds weren't healing.

As he wore down, more quickly than he would have imagined, the realization that he wouldn't last much longer began to sink in. The nicks and cuts that wouldn't bother him otherwise were taking their toll, and black dots were dancing in his vision.

There was a savage growling, louder even than the sound of fighting, and half of his assailants dropped to the ground at once. Tomas emerged from the carnage to grab his arm and pull him to the door. Everything seemed to fly by, Tomas dispatching guards with a single swipe, red and black gore everywhere, and the exhaustion gnawing at him. It was only when they were outside that the shouts of alarm could be heard, spoken in a strange language he couldn't understand. And then they were in the woods with the darkness and sounds of nature all around his. Finally back to the peace of the cave.

"Bad shape," Tomas said, looking at Kuno's various wounds. "You need this immediately."

By some sort of miracle, none of the bottles had been broken, still nestled safely in the case.

"Hold still. This will hurt a lot." Tomas had what looked to be a quill in one hand with a leaf rolled into a cone stuck into the end.

Not waiting for a response, he jabbed the quill into Kuno's arm, near a vein, then opened one of the vials and poured some of it into the leaf. "Don't need too much. Just enough..."

At first the only thing Kuno could feel was the slight sting from the poke in his arm.

"Don't struggle. Relax." Tomas sounded almost concerned.

Odd. There was no reason for Tomas to be concerned if... Something that could have passed itself off as a lightning bolt ripped through Kuno's body. His every nerve felt like it was on fire. It was impossible for him to hear that Tomas was speaking; that was too much to contemplate with the pain that was gripping him.

"Good. It's working. Don't fight it, do whatever you have to. Let it go..."

Those words penetrated the pain, sounding too loud and echoing. In this case, Tomas made a pretty crappy cheerleader considering the only thing Kuno wanted to do was hurt something severely, make something besides himself hurt.

How he could make anything feel worse than he was, he wasn't sure. It felt like like all his insides were being pulled apart and mashed back together again repeatedly and violently. It felt just like... like the first time he had changed.

It was working! That little magic potion was actually working. That didn't make it hurt any less, but it made Kuno feel a bit better. He fell to the floor of the cave, a slow burning sensation tearing through him, but imminently more bearable with the knowledge that he would soon be human again.

"How does it feel to be human again?" Tomas asked as the change completed.

Kuno stood up, noting with satisfaction that all his wounds were in the midst of healing, and nodded. "Verily." The concept behind taking things for granted was becoming crystal clear to him.

"Good. We have no time to waste. The path back to Maxim's castle will be long and he may be expecting us." Tomas looked at Kuno seriously. If Maxim didn't know about them, they had about a 50-50 chance. If he learned... Things would not be good.

"I understand." Unable to meet Tomas' pale gaze, Kuno looked around the cave instead. "And what will we do with this?" He picked up one of the vials he had worked so hard to get.

"I know people who would be very happy to study, some who need it." Tomas took the vial from Kuno and put it back with the others. "We'll drop it off on the way."

Slowly, Tomas sat down on. "But first, we rest. Give some time to let those wounds heal up."

"What if they follow? We should stay alert." Kuno turned his attention to the cave mouth and the darkness beyond.

Waving his hand, Tomas wasn't worried. "They won't. They can't. Did you detect any trackers? Anyone following us?"

Kuno shook his head. If Tomas wasn't concerned at all, then maybe it was acceptable for him to relax for a bit.

"We both need rest. Sleep now and we'll get started in the morning." Tomas stretched out on the cave floor, rolled with his back to Kuno, and fell asleep.

Sitting down, Kuno tried to relax, but the thought that someone might follow, might... hurt him again prevented him from it. He was tired, and knew that if he did sleep, it would not be restful.

It was a dream. It had to be. Kuno didn't want to believe it could be anything more. This wasn't like his other dreams though; it wasn't so much visual, seen, as much as felt. And it felt like a nightmare.

Things started out hazy and indistinct, the feeling of pleasure distant. As the feeling grew more intense, Kuno's surroundings seemed to take shape, revealing everything that was happening.

Nabiki was there, with that beast, and Kuno was on the verge of being ill.

"Nabiki," he called out, but received no response. The desire and stimulation continued to mount, making his stomach churn. He should have never left her; death would have been preferable to knowing what was happening, knowing what that... monster was doing to her.

The image in his dream solidified and Kuno tried to look away, tried to close his eyes, but the tenuous connection he shared with Nabiki could not be broken.

Kuno's eyes snapped open in the darkness, and he found himself growling at nothing. He could feel the compulsion in his limbs to do act, to hurt something, to hurt Maxim.

But that faded quickly, leaving him feeling empty and sickened. Any doubts he might have had about returning to the hellish castle and seeking revenge had been banished by that dream. Sitting with his back against the cave wall, he pulled his knees up to his chest and began to shiver slightly.

After sitting that way for some amount of time, Tomas returned, though Kuno hadn't noticed he was even gone.

Dropping a large animal, Tomas sat and started to remove a haunch. "Eat," he said gruffly before tearing into the flesh.

Kuno looked at Tomas, then at the meat. His stomach was telling him he was hungry, but he just didn't feel that he could eat. Not after that dream.

"What's wrong? You need to eat. Can't have you falling down from hunger."

Kuno nodded, but didn't speak.

Noting the dark circles under Kuno's eyes, Tomas stopped eating for a moment. "You didn't sleep well?"

Kuno nodded, but felt foolish explaining why. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Tomas.

"Bad dream?" Tomas asked, pulling the other haunch off for Kuno. "I know what happened," he said sympathetically. "It happened to me before..."

"How... Why does it happen?" Kuno finally accepted the offered food.

Tomas shrugged. "I'm not one of those damned scientists, I don't study this stuff, but I think it's got something to do with only taking one mate."

"One m..."

"One. For life. You take one and she dies, and that's it. You'll have this dead spot in your heart that no one will be able to heal. There are good things and bad things that go along with this existence..." Tomas shrugged, trying to appear casual. "I think it's some sort of link, you feel each other's emotions sometimes."

He added, very quietly, "And no matter what happens, you never forget your mate... No matter what." Looking away, Tomas shrugged. "I felt it once. Agonizing pain. They killed her and I had nothing left to live for. Nothing except revenge." He ate a little before continuing. "Was it pain? Did you feel pain and suffering?"

Kuno shook his head. It definitely hadn't been pain.

"Sometimes, then, that can be even worse."

"What will we do when we reach the castle?" Kuno asked as they walked through the snow-covered forest.

"I don't know. I don't know how to defeat Maxim, and that's the only way you'll get her back." There was no point in making very extensive plans. Maxim could very easily reach into someone's mind and pluck out every thought, every plan.

"How..."

"I don't know. I just don't know." Ideas roared through Tomas' mind, but they all depended on the fact that he was foolish and overly arrogant, which he wasn't necessarily.

And that took Tomas back to one question he always asked himself: why were the vampires afraid of him? Because he was different? He had figured that out, but it still didn't explain why.

That had never been a question he could answer.

Nabiki opened her eyes slowly and grimaced at the pain. Only a month and a half more and... And then what? Her pregnancy didn't really have anything to do with the way she felt, and she knew it.

Maybe if she was lucky, Maxim would find favor with someone else later that night and give her a chance to recover. That pleasant ache of the first night was becoming more of a distant memory, and what it was being replaced with was not as nice.

Though last night... The combination of pain and pleasure had been overwhelming, and during... Nabiki had thought it was a hallucination, but as the feelings had grown more intense, the vision had appeared.

Shimmering into existence on the other side of the room was a young man, unlike any she had ever seen before. Yet, she had. The picture she had drawn. His face had been one of them.

She had wanted to call out to him, to ask him who he was, but Maxim... And then the look on the young man's face had changed from confusion to horror.

He had reached out with his hand and called her name, his voice ghostly and ethereal. Then he had winked out, all traces of his presence gone.

Finally the overload of sensation got to her and she had cried out. Sleep had claimed her shortly after that, thankfully, as it always did.

Sitting up slowly, Nabiki looked over at the table where breakfast was waiting, as it waited every morning. Every morning.

Wrapping the sheet around herself, she stood and felt more insecure about her nudity than she thought she should have. Even just walking across the room made her skin crawl, like she was being watched. Just as long as Maxim didn't come back, as long as she could have some time alone...

Maybe today she would get the courage to go outside. It was forbidden for her to go outside the protection of the castle, but no one would stop Nabiki. She had only to fear Maxim's wrath, and that was starting to bother her less and less.

Eating hurriedly, anxious to leave the vault-like inner chambers, Nabiki barely finished enough to tide herself over until lunch. She tossed on whatever clothing was waiting for her, not paying any attention to its fit or quality, and left the room.

Kuno sat up suddenly, this time in his wolf form, panting slightly. It had been another dream, only this time the pain had been very evident in it. And still there was nothing he could do. She was hurting, and they were hurting, and the bastard wouldn't stop, and there was nothing he could do... Yet.

Nabiki was outside, outside the castle walls, and it was refreshing and invigorating. She knew they were watching her, but it made little difference. They would not try to stop unless she tried to run.