A Wolf's Embrace

‘thoughts’

“dialogue”

I don’t own Rurouni Kenshin and I don’t profit from writing this.

A Wolf’s Embrace
Chapter 2

Kaoru again became aware of sound before she regained her sight. She heard water lapping and felt something being softly dragged across her skin. Blinking, she focused her eyes. Looking through her lashes, she recognized the furo in her bathhouse. Gazing down, her eyes widened to see the tops of her naked breasts and below them, a tanned arm wrapped around her. Whipping her head around, surprised sapphire eyes met burning gold.

“Finally awake, I see,” the gravelly voice of Hajime Saitou said.

Kaoru pushed away from him and dropped below the water’s surface. Coming up sputtering, she tried to cover herself. “Out,” she screamed.

Saito cocked an eyebrow. Rising, he stopped at the door. “There’s a yukata here. I’ll be waiting outside,” he said, going out the door.

Kaoru growled. After the door shut, she sat still for a moment. Looking down, she noticed the pink-tinged water. Suddenly the events at the shrine came flooding back. Kaoru sat with her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth while the tears dropped to the water below.

‘I came so close to being raped. Another moment and he would have broken through and I would have lost my maidenhood. So close…,’ As her thoughts tumbled, the tears fell harder. One memory struck her, the burning gold of Saito’s eyes as he rescued her. ‘I should thank him, I owe him that,’ Kaoru thought, beginning to pull herself together. Scrubbing the tears from her face, Kaoru emerged from the water. Grabbing a towel near the yukata, she began to dry herself. The bathhouse door slid open.

“You done yet?” Saitou asked.

Kaoru screamed, pulling the towel around her. “Get out!” she yelled, her eyes flashing with rage. Stomping over she grabbed the door and slammed it shut. ‘Forget thanking him! How dare he! That self-serving, arrogant…ooooh…,’ Kaoru’s thoughts raged.

Outside Saitou smirked. The girl was so easy to get a rise out of. She didn’t possess anything he hadn’t seen before, although what she did have was rather attractive. His manhood twitched as he thought of the pale, firm skin he’d been cleaning. She was lucky he was keeping that group under surveillance. He’d seen her come to the shrine and when he heard her screams, he intervened. Yes, she was very lucky indeed. Saitou’s eyes burned as he recalled the sight he’d just seen. Her wet hair and skin kissed with drops of moisture. She was quite attractive really.

A movement by the dojo gate caught Saitou’s attention. Walking over, Saitou saw one of his rookie officers waiting.

“Officer Goro, I was told you were here. Please see this, it’s from the sergeant,” the young man said, extending his hand with a piece of paper in it. Saitou snatched the paper. Opening it, he quickly read through the contents. He thrust the paper back at the rookie. Turning, Saitou began to walk away.

“Officer Goro?” the young man questioned.

“Return to headquarters. The sergeant will have a new assignment for you,” Saitou commanded.

Kaoru slid open the bathhouse door. Her eyes widened as she saw Saitou approaching. “What are you still doing here?” she snapped.

Saitou snorted. “That’s a fine thank you.”

“You were touching me without my clothes on,” Kaoru hissed.

Saitou cocked his eyebrow. “You’d prefer to have awoken covered in blood?”

Kaoru glared at him. “Why are you here?” she questioned.

“It would seem tanuki that you’re the target of a criminal gang. I’ve just received word that the men I disposed of earlier were part of a larger group. Officers have spotted suspicious people in the area. Where’s your precious Rurouni?” Saitou asked.

Kaoru bristled at Saitou’s wording. She hated being called a tanuki. Glaring at Saitou, she answered his question. “Kenshin’s not here.”

“I see. So you’re alone. From what information we have, that’s not going to be acceptable. I’ll be remaining here until the threat is eliminated or the Rurouni returns,” Saitou said.

Kaoru blinked. “You…stay here?” she questioned. “I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head.

“You’d like a repeat of this afternoon then?” Saitou asked.

Unbidden a memory flashed through Kaoru’s mind and a shiver went down her back. “No…,” she said.

“I suggest you show me where I’ll be sleeping,” Saitou said, walking toward the house. Kaoru growled and stomped off behind Saitou. Reaching the porch, she overtook him. Taking the lead, she led him to an empty room.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” Kaoru growled. “Wait here.” Saitou glanced around the room. It was spare, but clean and warm. Kaoru returned with a futon and linens. She shoved them into Saitou’s arms.

“You’ll need these,” Kaoru said. “I suppose you want food too?”

Saitou merely stared at her.

“Ugh. Fine. It’ll be ready soon,” Kaoru said, stomping off down the hall.

Saitou set down the bedding and sat. His thoughts turned to the young woman whose home he was in. He’d always dismissed her as another pathetic hanger-on of Battousai. The few times he’d seen her temper he’d dismissed it as childish. However she was beautiful when angry. She had a fire that spoke to the wolf in him, revealing her untamed spirit. His own wife Tokio, had no fire. She was a proper woman who would not raise her voice or reveal any emotion that might be detrimental to the peace of the house.

Saitou thought back to the days he’d looked on his marriage with anticipation. How wrong he’d been. Their marriage had been arranged and to date had been far from pleasant. Saitou wondered if their situation would have been different had they had children. Would a child have tied them together and brought some measure of joy? As it was, Tokio remained barren and Saitou was certain he wasn’t the one contributing to it. To date none of Tokio’s lovers had gotten a child on her either.

Saitou snorted. His wife had never been terribly discreet. He recognized that it could be difficult to be married to a man whose work kept him away for long periods of time. However Tokio had compounded the issue by taking on lovers. Add to that fact her open distaste for Saitou’s past and it made for a miserable marriage. Saitou had lost track of the number of times Tokio had hissed under her breath, “murderer” at him. Saitou wondered why it was he hadn’t divorced her yet. As it was he rarely sought his marriage bed. The few whores he’d visited relived the pressure that arose, but never truly quenched the fire within him. He briefly wondered what the tanuki would be like. His manhood reacted almost instantaneously.

At that moment, Kaoru slammed the shoji open. Saitou turned toward her and gave her a sharp look.

“Your dinner is ready,” she said, slamming the shoji closed and stomping off. Saitou smiled. Dinner should be a wondrous affair.

Entering the dining room, Saitou was assaulted by the smell of Kaoru’s cooking. It had a pungent smell of spice and smoke. Seating himself on a cushion, he accepted the tray Kaoru shoved at him. Taking a bite, Saitou pushed down the urge to choke. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Kaoru. “Trying to poison me with bad cooking won’t make me leave,” he announced.

Kaoru growled. “I wasn’t trying to poison you. This is how I cook. Speaking of which, when exactly will you be leaving?”

Saitou picked at his plate. “As I told you, I’ll leave when the threat is eliminated or Battousai returns. Didn’t your mother teach you to cook?”

Kaoru threw her chopsticks to the table and stood, unshed tears shining in her eyes. “My mother died before she could teach me, you ungrateful bastard,” she said, fleeing the room.

Saitou sat quietly watching her retreating form. He knew Kaoru was orphaned, but he’d never looked into the deaths of her parents. Saitou mulled over the conversation and realized his tongue had been sharp. Perhaps he deserved Kaoru’s reaction. Sighing, Saitou stood and began to clean the dining room of dishes. Finishing cleaning up, he walked down the hall to his room. Coming to Kaoru’s door, he paused for a moment. All was quiet inside. Saitou brought his hand up to the door frame, preparing to knock. Shaking his head, he dropped his hand to his side and walked to his room.

Dawn broke the next morning and greeted two restless souls. Try as he might, Saitou was unable to sleep the night previous. He’d been plagued with remembrances of Kaoru’s skin and replays of the scene in the dining room. Kaoru had also found sleep elusive. She found herself flashing back to the events at the shrine. Each time it came back, she saw Saitou’s golden eyes rescuing her from hell on earth. Thinking back to the events since their return to the dojo, Kaoru felt guilty. Yes, Saitou had acted inappropriately, but her reaction had been swift and dropped her to his level. She needed to rise above it.

Getting up and dressing, Kaoru vowed that today she wouldn’t let her anger get the best of her. Entering the kitchen, she was surprised to see everything was cleaned up. She’d fully expected to see all of the dishes from dinner still out. ‘Saitou cleaned up?’ the thought caught her off guard, but there could be no other answer.

‘Alright, one good turn deserves another,’ Kaoru thought, resolving to make the best breakfast possible. Bustling around the kitchen she pulled out all the ingredients for miso soup. Lighting the kitchen fire, she stood and noticed a figure in the doorway-Saitou.

Kaoru bowed slightly. “Good morning,” she said. “Breakfast will be ready shortly.”

Saitou nodded. “What are you making?” he asked, careful to keep his tone bland.

“Miso soup,” Kaoru replied.

“Do you want some help?” Saitou offered.

Kaoru blinked. “You know how to cook?” Saitou nodded once.

Kaoru smiled. “I’d appreciate it if you’d chop the vegetables on the table,” she said, indicating some sweet potatoes and daikon radish. Saitou nodded again and moved over to the table. Kaoru returned her attention to the pot in front of her. She heard the knife chopping and she smiled. A few moments later as she prepared to add the seasonings to the soup, she felt a presence at her back. Turning, she gasped slightly. Saitou was standing right behind her, looking over her shoulder.

Saitou forced himself to keep his attention on the pot in front of Kaoru. The girl was distracting. The smell of jasmine wafted off her skin and her plump lips were slightly parted and so close to his own lips. He tried to force the images of her naked skin away from the forefront of his mind.

“You only want to add about half a bowl-full of the miso to the soup,” Saitou said, reaching around Kaoru and picking up the full bowl. Kaoru shook slightly as she felt Saitou’s arm brush her shoulder. For a moment, her eyes remained fixed on the golden eyes from her dreams. Kaoru felt a strange flush come over her. Turning her attention to the pot, she tried to concentrate on what Saitou was showing her. She jumped slightly when Saitou’s other arm came around her to work on the dish. Saitou’s chest was slightly pushed into her back and his face was so close to her own. Kaoru knew she should be uncomfortable with the situation-after all it wasn’t proper, but somehow she felt…safe, protected within the circle of Saitou’s arms. Her mind wandered again and she noticed small details. The cleft of Saitou’s chin, how long his lashes were-these things she’d never paid attention to. He was truly a handsome man. His chest was radiating heat and Kaoru was tempted to lean back into it.

Suddenly, Saitou pulled back as if burned. Kaoru looked at him with confusion and whatever spell she’d been under was broken. Her eyes hardened. Spinning around, she watched Saitou leave the kitchen. As he was walking out, he turned toward her.

“One of my men are here. I’ll only be a moment. Let the soup boil for a few more minutes and then take it off the flames,” he said, noting the hard set of her eyes. He’d noticed her change in ki while standing so close to him. From the corner of his eyes he’d noticed her staring. Something was happening and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. When he’d put his other arm around her to work on the soup, somehow it had felt…oddly right. As though she fit in that space and was meant to be there. Saitou shook his head. It had just been too long since the last visit with a professional. The tension must be at boiling point if he’s getting this worked up over the tanuki! Silently, Saitou thanked the officer who was waiting at the entrance to the dojo.

The officer noticed Saitou approaching and stood up straighter. Handing Saitou a paper, he waited while the older man read it. Saitou’s expression gave nothing away. Crumpling the paper, Saitou sized the younger officer up.

“Stay here with the Kamiya girl. If she needs to leave for any reason, accompany her. If she’s abducted on your watch, pray they kill you,” Saitou said, making his way toward the gate. The young man watched him go, gulping. A threat from Officer Goro was not something you took lightly. Hurrying toward the house, the young man looked for his charge.

Kaoru had felt a bit of surprise at seeing the young officer come back instead of Saitou, but then again maybe it was a good thing. Whatever had transpired in the kitchen between herself and Saitou was…strange. For a moment she’d even found Saitou handsome! This all must be left over trauma from her ordeal, Kaoru decided.

As Kaoru progressed with her day, she became thankful for the company of the young officer. His name was Masashi Uto and he was a sweet young man. Kaoru tried to ignore the strange looks she received as she went from her dojo to the one she taught at across town. It wasn’t everyday someone had a police escort. Kaoru smiled at the stories that Masashi told. It was apparent that he held Saitou in a god-like regard. Kaoru wondered what the young man saw to lift Saitou to this level. He’d always seemed like just another arrogant swordsman from the Revolution and he was Kenshin’s greatest rival. What inspired this kind of adoration?

Kaoru banished thoughts of Saitou as she came home. A bath was going to feel so good right now! Kaoru listened with one ear to Masashi’s compliments on her sword style. The young man had been very impressed with the way Kaoru had taught her class. Kaoru thanked him as he held open the gate. Gazing up to the house, Kaoru saw Saitou standing with his back to them. As they neared the house, he turned and was bathed in the orange glow of the late afternoon sun. Kaoru forgot to breathe. His eyes glowed and as he stepped off the porch and approached them, Kaoru noted the graceful movements of his body. He was truly a wolf embodied and Kaoru wondered what prey he was stalking.

Saitou watched the tanuki like a hawk. He saw her breathing halt and internally he smiled. Her gaze was intense and Saito felt drawn to those sapphire pools currently trained on him. The late afternoon sun gave her hair a bright shine and Saitou resisted the urge to touch the silken strands.

Turning to Masashi, Saito addressed him. “Looks like you’ve kept her in one piece. Tomorrow report to the sergeant, he’ll have a new assignment for you.”

“Yes sir,” Masashi said, bowing. Rising he turned to Kaoru. “It’s been a pleasure Miss Kaoru.”

Kaoru nodded and watched the young man leave. Seeing him close the dojo gate, she turned her attention back to Saitou. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Saitou examined Kaoru’s face for a moment before answering. “It would seem the group those men yesterday were working for is better connected than I previously thought. I’ve got several of my best officers looking into their dealings, but so far it’s been difficult. I’m guessing their plan was to use you to lure the Battousai. Why, I don’t yet know. I’m setting up a trap but it will take time. Given what’s occurred previously, I feel better ensuring your safety tanuki.”

Kaoru sighed. Someone after Kenshin, yet again. This time they were looking to use her against him. Did they even know he wasn’t here? Did they realize it would do them no good even if they caught her? Kaoru’s thoughts were interrupted by Saitou’s chuckle.

“I never thought I’d see the day the tanuki wouldn’t worship the Battousai,” Saitou said.

Kaoru’s anger rose. “I’ve never worshipped Kenshin,” she said, pushing past Saitou.

Saitou watched her walk toward her room. His eyes gleamed with the look of a predator. ‘That may be tanuki, but something has changed and your reaction just now was proof of it. What has changed, I’m curious to know.’

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Japanese Words Used

Furo : bathtub

Yukata : article of clothing that wraps around the body and ties in front. Usually longer in length, i.e. Ankle or calf length.

Tanuki : Raccoon

Miso : Soybean based soup