I'm not completely happy with this part.  It's still kinda
rough and needs some work.  Oh and sorry about leaving off at 3 for
so long.. I forgot how I stopped it.. :)  Anyway, past and future
parts are on my web page (http://www.emich.edu/public/llb/fanfic.html)
and I always welcome comments of any sort, unless they mentions
anything about ice cream, nipple clamps, Mike Loader, and how icky
it makes you feel.  :P




{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!}

                     A Wolf in Samurai's Clothing 4

                            by Lara Bartram
                            ---------------


	"Kodachi, I don't..."
	"You know very well what I speak of. Please do this for me."
	"Kodachi..." He just didn't know what to say. "I can't."
	"Please, I beg of you. Change me, give me the ability to fight 
back." Her face was sorrowful, her eyes large and pleading.
	"Fight back? Kodachi, what do you mean?" It was all so unlike her.
	"I never said anything... I was too ashamed..." She looked away, 
unable to meet his gaze.
	"You must tell me what's happened. Why do you feel this is what 
you need?"
	She stepped up to him and put her head on his chest, her nudity 
forgotten. "I never said anything because you were so angry."
	"Angry?" He took her by the bare shoulders. "Kodachi, tell me 
now."
	There were tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "Three men..."
He squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as possible. "How?" he asked, 
his voice a dangerous whisper.
	"It was night and I didn't..."
	"Who?"
	"I don't know. I've seen them before by the Nekohanten."
	"Describe them."
	"Tall, muscular, colored hair, leather jackets, boots, tattoos..."
	"Of what?"
	"Skulls with wings, barbed wire..."
	He had seen them too. They were definitely powerful enough that if 
they caught his sister off guard... So they had defiled her. That meant 
they had to be punished, dealt with most severely. "Why did you not 
speak of this before?"
	"You... you were angry when I returned home and my uniform..."
Kuno's anger turned to illness. He remembered that night about three 
months ago. She had come home, her clothes in disarray, her uniform 
ripped and stained. He had really popped off on her about taking care of 
herself, never seeing the tears in her eyes. "Oh... little sister. What 
have I done?" He hugged her then, a wave of protectiveness coming over 
him.
	He pulled her kimono up and covered her. He looked in her eyes 
before speaking. "You do not want what I have. It can only bring more 
trouble..." He hesitated for a moment. "And pain."

***

	Kuno stood in front of his window, watching the sun leave the sky. 
It wasn't happening fast enough for him; it hadn't for the last two 
hours. He had put Kodachi in her room and commanded her to get some rest 
and to most definitely not disturb him.
	She agreed and given him a sad smile. Then he had gone downstairs 
and cleaned out the refrigerator. After that, he had returned to his 
room and waited in front of his window for the sun to go down and night 
to fall.
	Thankfully, Kodachi stayed in her room the entire time. She wasn't 
asleep, but she was laying down, probably fantasizing about Ranma. Kuno 
shook his head. Her love life was not his concern, but her safety and 
well-being were.
	He watched the sun finally sink below the horizon and the darkness 
begin to gather. It rather matched the darkness in his heart at the 
moment. "My little sister..." His fist clenched and his eyes narrowed. 
"Will have her revenge."

***

	"He told me he was not to be disturbed, but I believe he had some 
business to attend to near the Nekohanten."
	Nabiki wasn't sure how much she should believe Kodachi, but for 
some reason, she did. Even though Kodachi was highly unpredictable, the 
sad look in her eyes was enough to convince Nabiki.
	"Could you tell him I was looking for him next time you see him? 
Just in case."
	"I shall." Kodachi owed him a little something for what she knew 
he was going to do.

***

	There were a lot of people around. That was something he didn't 
like. He didn't like potentially being exposed, and he knew there was a 
safety risk as well. Kuno watched the street below him and all the 
people; he didn't see the three thugs he was looking for. So he would 
wait, because revenge was something he could be patient for.
	Every so often, he would skip to another rooftop to look for the 
criminals from another vantage point. So far, nothing. His tail swished 
back and forth angrily; it was more like a cat's than a dog's, really. 
Mostly it helped him with balance since his weight was shifted all over.
	It was getting later and he still hadn't seen the culprits. They 
were surely going to die when he found them, and by his hands, but he 
was starting to lose his patience. He wouldn't be able to stay much 
longer, but it was so important. Kuno was almost ready to leave when he 
espied the mop of oddly shaded hair in the crowd.
	All his senses went on red alert as he watched the vile criminals 
mingle among the thinning crowd. He could hear their mocking laughter 
and rude comments they directed at each passerby. A schoolgirl, not much 
older than 14, a good girl he could tell, was the target of their sexual 
suggestions and rude gestures.
	These were definitely the people he was looking for. He watched as 
the Nekohanten closed up for the night and the streets began to clear. 
He whined quietly before he even knew why. Then all the fur on his back 
stood straight up as Nabiki rounded the corner.
	What was she doing? Why was she out so late? He couldn't reveal 
himself though; he had to stay where he was. He couldn't let anyone see 
him, but his legs were tensed for immediate action anyway.
	As Nabiki walked down the sidewalk, Kuno followed her along the 
rooftops. He knew she was now the target of the very men he meant to 
kill. Precariously clinging to the side of a building, he tried to get 
closer by hanging on to every nook and protrusion. From his vantage 
point, it appeared that she wasn't paying much attention to what was 
going on around her. She appeared lost in thought.
	Nabiki kept as far away from the three seedy characters as she 
could, but Kuno watched them keep pace with her, making comments to each 
other loud enough for her to hear. He knew there was going to be trouble 
when the street suddenly emptied and only Nabiki and the three men were 
left.
	Then they made their move, quickly flanking Nabiki and grabbing 
her arms; one of them put a hand over her mouth. They moved toward the 
alley along the Nekohanten, holding her tightly so she couldn't escape.
	Immediately, Kuno released his hold on the building and plummeted 
head first toward the ground. He landed on his hands and dropped lightly 
to his feet, feeling no ill effects from the 20 foot drop. He bounded 
across the street, into the alley. He could see all of them had their 
backs toward him. Their mistake.
	Kodachi couldn't have lied about this. She wasn't that evil; 
Nabiki just couldn't believe it. The hand was removed and she opened her 
mouth. "He..." she started to yell.
	She doubled over as a fist was driven into her stomach. The men 
began laughing, but she didn't hear; she was too busy trying to breathe. 
She looked up, her vision somewhat hazy, at the leering faces.
	The face she was looking at changed from mean-spirited mirth to 
pain and terror. His laughter shifted to an ear-piercing scream. The 
eyes bulged and Nabiki felt a warm wetness splash on her skin. The 
laughter from the others stopped as their companion's screaming changed 
into a pained gurgling. There was no other sound, except for Nabiki's 
labored breathing and the growling.
	There was a wet smacking sound and the thug fell face first to the 
ground at her feet. The sight almost made her vomit. In the guy's back, 
a sizable hole was punched through the skin and a large portion of his 
spine was missing. A hefty chunk of skin and bone was also missing from 
his side.
	Nabiki looked up quickly, away from the gore at her feet, and let 
her eyes settle on the blood-spattered wolf beast. It was staring 
maliciously at the other two men and growling. She couldn't make herself 
be happy at being rescued or at seeing her savior again; she was too 
busy not puking.
	The two would-be rapists were concerned by their adversary but 
unaffected by their partner's death. One pulled out a large knife from 
his boot and the other held a blackjack. They stepped apart to attack 
more efficiently.
	The one with the knife lunged and Kuno sidestepped, turning his 
back to the other thug but catching the wrist of the knife-wielder in 
his mouth. He reached back and grabbed the incoming fist, holding it 
painfully tight. Kuno closed his mouth until his teeth met and twisted 
his head. There was a crunch, then a tear and the hand separated from 
the rest of the arm.
	He squeezed the fist he was holding until he felt a satisfying 
crunch. The man without the hand was quickly succumbing to the shock, 
his mouth working noiselessly. Nabiki had fallen to the ground, her legs 
completely without strength.
	Kuno stood about an arms length away from the man with the crushed 
hand. He wouldn't stop screaming, cradling his hand and staring at up 
with crazed fear at Kuno. Kuno lashed out with one claw, the brutal 
talons slicing through the thug's stomach like it was so much Jell-O.
	The man stopped screaming and looked down at his stomach. There 
were four gashes clearly visible through his clothing that were slowly 
getting wider as his internal organs threatened to escape.
	Kuno watched the man realize he was dead then turned to Nabiki. 
Unable to handle the situation, she slumped down, unconscious.
	She was perfectly fine, but she needed to be removed from the 
carnage. He lifted her gently, cradling her head between his body and 
arm. With a sense of urgency, he ran out of the alley and headed towards 
his home.

	Nabiki opened her eyes, revealing nothing but more darkness. She 
sat up, feeling her head. Nothing wrong there; she had simply fainted. 
That was when she also noticed she was naked. She quickly pulled the 
blanket that had been covering her up, over her chest. She looked 
around, trying to figure out where she was. The room was so dark though, 
it prevented her from seeing any details.
	She was most definitely not at home and not at any hospital. 
"Hello? Is anybody here?" Nabiki listened, but there was no reply. She 
strained her ears, trying to pick up any noise at all and was rewarded 
with the sound of slow, heavy breathing.
	"Who's there? Where am I?" She wasn't willing to get up from the 
bed she was in; it was some sort of comfort and familiarity.
	Kuno didn't move. He hadn't had time to change back before she 
started to regain consciousness. He watched her, wondering if he should 
show himself or not. She wasn't afraid of him, but...
	"I know you're in here. If it's you, then come out. I'm not 
afraid." It... he was in there with her, she was sure of it.
	When Kuno had removed her blood-stained clothes, and had been 
unable to stop himself at her pants and shirt, he had cleaned the blood 
off himself as well. That was where the root of his problem was; he was 
too worked up over the deaths to calm himself. He couldn't change unless 
he was calm. And he couldn't let her see him in his current state.
	"Don't hide. There's nothing wrong; you saved me."
	Yes, he had. But who would save him? Resigning his fate, he walked 
toward her slowly until he was visible to her.
	"I knew it was you." She looked around again. "Where are we?"
	It was nothing special; he had simply taken her to one of the 
basement rooms that she wouldn't recognize. He shook his head.
	"You're not going to tell me? You're not going to tell me 
anything? You're just going to follow me around and keep showing up when 
I need help?"
	He looked down from her slightly heated gaze at the bed.
	"So I guess it's not going to help to ask who you are or why I'm 
naked?"
	Kuno shook his head. He just wasn't ready yet.
	"So why do you keep saving my life?"
	He kneeled down next to the bed and bowed his head, supplicating 
himself to her.
	Nabiki tentatively reached out and stroked the fur of his neck, 
feeling the taught muscle and bone structure beneath. It was 
frighteningly similar to her dream, an idea she wasn't sure she wanted 
to consider. It was far too surreal. She continued to pet him anyway and 
listened to him sigh contentedly.
	Amazingly, his instincts were keeping quiet as her hands ran 
across his fur. It was a pleasant sensation, one that didn't feel like 
anything he felt as a human. He gave in to the feeling and laid his head 
in her lap. He felt the blanket fall away from her, but he kept his head 
down and allowed her to explore him.
	He snorted as she ran her hands down his back, her fingertips 
raking his skin gently. Nabiki didn't know what to do. She didn't know 
where she was, she didn't know where her clothes were, her rescuer 
didn't talk and didn't seem inclined to want to help her. "So what do we 
do now?" she said quietly.
	He looked up at her, a little ashamed that he didn't have any plan 
for what to do. Not that it really mattered because they were at his 
house and she would find out the truth eventually. But at the moment, 
her hands on his back felt really nice.
	Kuno's eyes shifted down from her face to her bare chest and he 
licked his chops. She looked down at him and where he was looking.
	Nabiki stopped petting him and started to pull the blanket up, but 
he lifted one hand to stopp her. He sat back up on his knees, holding 
her hand. He could see the trace of fear and doubt in her eyes, but was 
that also... excitement?
	"What are you..." She couldn't quite form the words because she 
knew what he was doing.
	He stood up, gripping her hand firmly but gently, and pulled.
Nabiki pulled back and shook her head. "Why are you doing this?"
He only pulled more, forcing her to rise to her feet, the blanket 
falling away, blushing heavily. She wasn't sure if she was just being 
modest or embarrassed over the whole situation. But the red eyes were 
looking at her and they were almost... kind.
	His other hand settled on her hip, and for the first time, she 
noticed how truly soft and warm his skin was. If her dream was vivid, 
then reality was about to send her into sensory overload. He pulled her 
close to him, then released her hand and slipped his long arms around 
her slender body.
	That was when his instincts started to kick in, with her body 
pressed close to him. There were some parts of him that were male and 
they refused to be suppressed no matter how delicate the situation. He 
fought down the urges for the time and enjoyed the feeling. He knew, 
however, that he had committed himself to something more by doing this 
and not changing back. He had let things go too far to stop now.
	She pulled out of his arms and put some distance between herself 
and... she couldn't call him a beast. "I know you're hiding something. 
Why won't you tell me who you are?"
	He lowered his eyes and nodded. He sighed heavily then looked back 
up at her. She would never forgive him... Much to his surprise, she put 
her hand on his chest, working her fingers into the fur there. He closed 
his eyes as she began to rub his flesh.
	Nabiki lifted one of his unresisting hands and placed it over one 
of her breasts. She saw his eyes open wide and she smiled a little. So 
it wasn't something he had been expecting; that raised her confidence. 
She wasn't sure why she was allowing things to happen, even initiating 
them, but there was something...
	He squeezed lightly, getting his first good feel of her with his 
super sensitive touch. He could feel the rapid beating of her heart as 
if he was holding it in her hand. He made an animal groaning sound as he 
felt her body react to his touch. Obviously there was something in her 
that knew it was him even if she couldn't see that it was.
	Nabiki sighed under his surprisingly gentle touch. She just wasn't 
sure what to do. It wasn't right, and it sure as hell wasn't normal, but 
there was something familiar about the way he was fondling her. Not that 
it wasn't enjoyable, but it was the same insistent, teasing touch that 
Kuno always used. She couldn't say she had a whole lot of experience 
though, so maybe it was just her.
	His hand trailed across her skin as he maneuvered himself behind 
her. This was the dominant position he liked to be in, where she was 
easily holdable. And at his height, he could see all of her assets quite 
clearly.
	Kuno tickled her neck with one claw, gently breathing on her skin. 
He saw a little wave of goosebumps travel across her back and put one 
arm around her with his hand on her stomach. It was easy to tell she was 
enjoying things which made him feel better, if still hesitant.
	His other arm went around her so that his forearm was supporting 
her breasts and he had her in a comfortable hold. He began licking her 
neck and shoulders lightly, snorting in her ear periodically. Kuno 
lovingly cupped one breast as the hand on her stomach moved lower.
	Hovering somewhere between human desire and animal lust, he closed 
his mouth on the back of her neck in the manner common for the dominant 
male to do when he's preparing to mate. He gently pinched some skin with 
his teeth when she jerked away from him.
	She turned and stared. "What the hell?" That was the last straw. 
"I want to know what the hell is going on!"
	He tried to take her hand but she ripped it away from him. "I 
don't want you to touch me until I get some damn answers!"
	He did his best frown, which consisted of flattened ears, furrowed 
brow and a slight snarl. He got as close as she would allow him to, his 
frown soon replaced by a more neutral expression. Without words, he 
couldn't adequately express himself, so he raised one hand and cupped 
her chin.
	Her eyes got very wide at the familiar gesture; she looked ready 
to faint. "K... Kuno-chan?" she asked quietly.
	He nodded sadly and averted his eyes. Kuno managed to catch her 
before she hit the floor. He laid her down on the bed and covered her 
with the blanket. It was as good a time as any to change; she knew his 
secret and would either have a ton of questions or want to see him dead.
	It didn't matter. He wanted himself dead at that point; someone 
else might as well get some pleasure from killing him. He sat down next 
to the bed and tried to concentrate. Tried. Whenever he closed his eyes, 
tantalizing visions presented themselves. Images that drown out all his 
thoughts of being human. The images... they were so pleasing, and he 
never saw them when he was human; there was nothing enjoyable about his 
human life. Except...
	"It wasn't a dream this time."
	He opened his eyes and looked at Nabiki. She was staring at him 
with curiosity and amazement. He was fairly surprised himself that she 
hadn't attacked him yet.
	"It wasn't a dream, right? It's really you?" She sat up a little, 
keeping herself covered this time.
	He nodded, wishing he could speak. Then he shrugged in 
frustration, his body beginning to tremble. Things were going exactly 
the way he didn't want.
	Nabiki was nearly speechless. Could it be Jusenkyo? She had seen 
him in hot water and cold and no changes took place. He had seemed to 
stop obsessing over Ranma, though, like he knew the truth. Then again, 
he had dumped Akane as well. She flinched internally and shoved that 
thought away. "All I want to know is how, Kuno-chan. How did this 
happen?"
	He got a strange look on his face, trying to appear apologetic. He 
started to gesture but soon realized it was futile. He held up one 
finger, asking her to give him a minute.
	That was what he needed: a reason, a focus, something beyond his 
physical wants. He underwent his change right in front of Nabiki, 
managing the pain admirably.
	"Holy shit!" Nabiki said after he was done. "I..." She shook her 
head and blinked her eyes. "I don't believe it." She reached out with 
one barely quivering hand and touched Kuno's arm.
	He took a big breath and released it. "When I was attacked... 
That's when it all started." His stomach growled angrily; he hadn't 
eaten in quite a while.
	"I don't know what to say." All that time... She had seen the 
changes but ignored them. She should have known... She had known, but 
what was she supposed to do about it? She couldn't possibly have known 
what was happening exactly. Yet, he knew. For how long? How long did he 
plan on lying to her? She really hated it when people withheld 
information from her.
	She was about to get furious in a very controlled manner when she 
saw the pathetic look on his face.
	"I did not mean to deceive you... ever. That day in the garden, I 
was ready to tell you. I was ready to face your judgment, but I was 
overtaken suddenly and could not..." It was very difficult to admit how 
frightened he had been and still was of losing control.
	"I did not want you to think of me as a monster. I just wanted to 
be left alone from the very beginning, but this thing inside me refused. 
It called out... and you answered it.
	"I never meant for anything to happen, I never wanted anything to 
happen. You know that. But it has and now..." This would be the hard 
part. "I know you care nothing for me, and I have said the same about 
you, but I..."
	"No. Don't you even say it. I don't want to hear those words out 
of your mouth. I'll deal with this, but that's all. Anything more and 
you can just forget it!" It was all just a dream. Just relax and wake up 
and the dream will be over. Kuno will be back to his normal idiotic 
self, still pining away after Ranma and Akane... No worries...
	"I know you feel something, some attraction. Otherwise we wouldn't 
have..."
	"Shut up! That was never my choice! You dragged me down in your 
own perverted little world and now I'm stuck." Nabiki laughed bitterly. 
"You know, and this was so stupid of me, I thought you'd changed. Just 
maybe, if you'd changed, I wouldn't have to feel so bad about what we 
were doing. But you haven't changed at all. Now you've just got someone 
who's willing to let you screw them!"
	"No! It's nothing like that! I l..."
	"Don't say that! Ever! Never say that to me!" She was shaking with 
rage. "You're so stupid. You think I care how you feel after the way 
you've treated me? I don't care about you at all!"
	"But what about all I've done for you?"
	"All you've done? If it wasn't for you, I would have NEVER been in 
any trouble in the first place. Those thugs in the alley because I was 
coming back from YOUR house. The thing with Kinnosuke and the truck 
because of what YOU said. By the Nekohanten because I was looking for 
YOU." There were tears of anger in her eyes. "I don't ever want you to 
talk to me again. I just want you to leave me alone!"
	He had felt the ache build in his chest until it felt like his 
lungs and heart might explode. And when his chest was no longer capable 
of containing it, it traveled up his neck and throat to his head. His 
face flushed and the blood pounding through his skull was very loud.
	Then he did something he hadn't done in over eight years: he 
cried. "I knew..." He gasped for air, sobbing silently, unable to look 
at Nabiki. "I knew that wh... when you left... I wou... would rather 
d... die." He covered his face with his hands. "If you do... don't want 
anything to do wi... with m... me, then k... kill me."
	"What? Don't be so melodramatic."
	"I'm not!" His sobbing had slowed. "But I can't help myself. I 
can't help the way I feel. I can't control myself anymore!" He looked up 
at her, his face red. "I killed for you! I killed for my sister... But 
no one cares... I didn't want any of this, I didn't ask for it. Just 
kill me. I don't want to live any longer like this; it's not worth it." 
He hung his head and tears hit the floor.
	"You can do it any way you want, I won't resist. Just... make it 
painless. I've caused so much pain... I'm in so much pain already..." 
Then he bowed over so his forehead touched the floor and stayed that 
way, shaking like a leaf.
	Nabiki didn't move. She wanted to hate him and be angry beyond the 
bounds of heaven and earth, but she couldn't be. She had said it before: 
he was too stupid. He never did things like this on purpose, he never 
tried to be hurtful... the way she had just been.
	Why would he want to die? He had everything SHE had ever wanted. 
So why? "You really want me to?"
	He nodded, not lifting his head. "Please. I've caused you so much 
trouble. My sister will make sure you are not connected with my death." 
He was waiting, waiting for it all to end. "I never meant..."
	If any of it ever got out, Nabiki would have to leave the country. 
"I... I can't." She was getting too soft, she couldn't be mad at him. 
"Hell, I don't hate you. For the most part, you're not a bad guy..."
	He didn't respond to her at all. He just waited for her to kill 
him; one more body on the pile wouldn't matter, no one would care. His 
sister had been avenged, Nabiki didn't care about him, he didn't care 
about his father... and that was all. The fact that his life was so 
pitiful only made him feel worse.
	"Oh no you don't, Kuno-chan. Don't do this. Snap out of it." She 
was out of the bed and at his side with one arm over his back. "I don't 
want to kill you."
	"Whether you want to or not means nothing. If I can't have you, if 
I have to live without you, I can't live. There is no in between. It's 
not my choice. Ask Kodachi, she knows."
	"Come on, we can talk about this later. Just get up." She pulled 
on him sideways, rocking him a little. He wouldn't move for her. "Don't 
act like this. Get up and we can go get something to eat." She pulled 
harder. "Damn it, get up!
	"I swear, if you don't get up now, I'll..." What? Make him? 
Hardly. "I'll..." It didn't look like he was even listening to her. "Get 
up!" And then she hit him.
	He grunted, but that was his only reaction.
	Nabiki hit him again, her hand curled into a fist, impacting on 
his back. "You're so damned stubborn!" She hit him again. "Bastard! 
Can't you hear me? Answer me when I'm talking to you!" She hit him 
repeatedly, leaving red marks all over his back.
	"Do you feel better?" Kuno said, finally lifting his head.
	"No! I feel worse now!" She smacked him once more for good 
measure. "You're still as stupid as ever. You'll never understand." She 
went back to the bed and pulled the blanket off. After wrapping it 
around her shoulders, she gave him a cross look. "Now where are my 
clothes?"
	"They are in the wash. I did not want them to stain."
	"Oh." Silence. "Are you feeling better now?" Too damn soft.
	"If you do not hate me."
	She sighed. "I don't hate you." Way too soft.
	He stood up slowly, as if he didn't trust his legs. "You do not 
hate me, I know you do not love me..." He approached her carefully. "But 
would you allow me to touch you?" He fingered the edge of the blanket 
running down the middle of her chest.
	"Well..."
	He lifted her hand to his face, parting the blanket, and kissed 
it, licking her knuckles lightly.
	"Picking up right where you left off," she said, suddenly matching 
his overheated gaze.
	"Is that a yes?"
	"Don't tell me you did all this just so you could have your way 
with me."
	"Of course not. You know I would never do that. I do not need to 
deceive you to have my way with you."
	"Maybe not, but I would have liked to known the truth."
	He started to pull the blanket apart but stopped. "What are your 
feelings on this? I must know that you are confident."
	"About..." She made a circular motion with her hand. "Not being 
able to control myself?"
	He nodded. "I know how adverse you are to not being in full 
control of a situation."
	"Yeah, I hate it, but it could be worse."
	He grimaced, thinking that it just might be. He would wait and 
make his concerns known after they were done. One more time wouldn't 
make it any worse. He slipped his hand inside the blanket. "So you are 
not opposed?"
	"I suppose not." She shivered a little. "But."
	"But?"
	"No more secrets, OK? I know this isn't... an ideal situation for 
either of us, so I think we should be straight with each other."
	He nodded, a somewhat blank look on his face. "No more secrets. 
And in exchange..." He pushed the blanket off her shoulders. 

***

	"So I want to know more about this." Nabiki ran her hand down his 
fur-covered chest.
	Kuno shrugged. It wasn't the right time for any explanations.
	Nabiki laughed a little. "You can tell me later then. Personally, 
I think the puppy needs a bath anyway," she said, smiling mischievously.
	The statement was very strange and scared him a lot. They had been 
getting around, he had put his pants on, but Nabiki had not claimed any 
clothes yet, when he found himself changing. Out of the blue, for no 
apparent reason. It had been completely unexpected and quite painful. 
Nabiki had yelled her concern but she had watched with intense 
curiosity. And now, she was looking at him with intense... something 
else.
	He fidgeted a little as she ran her hands over him. A bath? But 
that would mean... It was a frightening, yet exciting idea all at once. 
His sex drive didn't seem to slow when he was changed, so it wasn't like 
he was unwilling...
	"What's wrong, Kuno-chan? Are you out of flea powder?" she joked, 
taking hold of his forearm. Her hand wasn't even close to encircling the 
mass of ropey muscle that was rock hard.
	That did it. He swept her up and put her over his shoulder as if 
she weighed no more than a bookbag. He walked out of the room and into 
the darkness of the basement. The air was cool and dank, the carved rock 
walls looked fairly inhospitable.
	"Can't you give me some clothes? It's cold down here."
	He grumbled a little and shook his head, but didn't walk any 
faster. He turned left at another hallway and headed for a set of 
rickety-looking stairs.
	Nabiki craned her neck to see where they were heading. Her eyes 
got wide when she saw the stairs and the little door at the top. "You 
are not taking me up there like this. You are NOT..."
	Kuno nodded his head, a movement she could feel against her bare 
leg. So she was a little naked, he didn't mind. He had his pants on so 
what was the big deal? He didn't think she'd mind so much when she saw 
where he was going anyway.
	He went up the stairs, ignoring all of Nabiki's protests, and 
opened the quaint looking little door. He gave an animalistic chuckle 
when he felt Nabiki freeze on his shoulder. He ducked out the door into 
the night air and closed it behind him.
	He walked down the little path that led to the private hot spring. 
Naturally, the paralyzed girl over his shoulder had no clue as to where 
he was headed. All she knew was that they were outside and she was 
naked. She wasn't pleased.
	He got to the edge of the spring with the water steaming in the 
crisp night air. He removed her from his shoulder and held her so she 
could see the water.
	"You better not drop me in there," Nabiki warned, though she 
didn't figure he would listen to her. She felt him pull her back a 
little, then she was rocketing forward, straight into the center of the 
spring.
	She hit the water, letting out a yell, and submerged. Disoriented, 
she finally managed to get her head above the surface, sputtering. 
Nabiki swept her hair back and cleared the liquid from her eyes. There 
was a large splash behind her, sending waves up her back.
	She turned around and saw a very wet wolf wading towards her, a 
twinkle in his red eyes. Behind him, on the rocks around the spring, 
were his pants. She wasn't quite sure about things yet, but... While the 
water was just below her chest, it was only slightly higher than his 
belly button.
	Which meant she had never seen a body like his exposed in full 
view. Actually, she had never seen a body built like his. The 
exquisitely sculpted, beyond belief chest. The long muscular arms with 
large hands she knew were so delicate and gentle. The stomach with each 
perfectly defined abdominal muscles covered with fine, soft fur. It 
almost made her whistle. Would that be a wolf whistle?
	"And just what do you think you're doing?" Nabiki moved back as he 
got closer, trying to keep out of his reach. She idly wondered, watching 
him get near, if playing hard to get was making her look like his prey.
	He surged forward and grabbed her, then fell back into the water, 
taking her with him. There was much splashing and struggling before the 
two came up for air.
	Nabiki coughed then hit Kuno's arm, almost hurting her hand. "Do 
you mind? Water isn't my chosen source of oxygen."
	Kuno splashed her once, then shook himself, sending water 
everywhere. He hadn't realized how warm the fur kept him until he was 
wet and the water soaked him to his skin. It was also somewhat 
uncomfortable, so he shook again.
	"What's with you, Kuno-chan?" Nabiki was shielding herself from 
the flying water. He was like a whole different... person, sort of. He 
was being playful in a way she had never seen him act before. She had to 
wonder if his mind wasn't being affected somehow.
	She watched him wade over to edge nearest the house and sit 
against a seat carved from an immense stone. The regular bath was 
perfectly fine, but when he had the time, there was nothing that beat 
the spring. He settled down in the water, vaguely irritated, but content 
none the less.
	"You never got tired out this quick before. What's with you?" 
Nabiki sat against a smaller rock, next to him. Under the water, she put 
her hand on his muscular thigh.
	He looked at her, still unsure. In her eyes, he could see that she 
was uncertain as well. Kuno reached over to Nabiki and put his hands on 
her sides, then pulled her toward him. Something flashed in her eyes 
that he read as fear, but it was quickly gone.
	He set her across his lap and lightly ran his hands over her ribs. 
She squirmed a little, which didn't help at all the restless feeling in 
him. He snorted. Restless. What a laugh. He was horny as hell and the 
naked female in his lap didn't help.
	Kuno put one finger to the side of Nabiki's chin and turned her 
head towards him. How badly he wanted to speak then, to tell her not to 
be afraid, to tell her he would never hurt her. He didn't want to hurt 
her, that was the last thing on his mind.
Kuno didn't allow her to resist his powerful arms as he pulled her 
closer.
	"I... I can't do this." Nabiki tried to remove herself from the 
hold on her hips. She struggled in vain though, unsure if it was from 
Kuno's hold or her own unwillingness. The feeling was hitting her hard, 
and the feel of the firmly muscled but softly furred body was breaking 
her control.
	Kuno pulled her closer still until he could feel her leg brushing 
his rapidly stiffening penis. He leaned forward and put his chin on her 
lightly shaking shoulder. Nabiki was still shaking her head, but he 
could tell, just by the way she was holding herself, that she wanted it.
	Closer still, her resistance flagging... Kuno lifted his chin from 
her shoulder and tried to turn her body. Unfortunately for him, Nabiki 
was too close and couldn't swing her leg over. Yet, he knew the limits 
of her flexibility quite well and raised her right leg, bringing it down 
on the other side of his body. Finally face to face, his manhood... 
wolfhood?... his cock was pinned between them.
	Nabiki looked scared, very scared. To Kuno, her fear was... 
unpleasant. It was nothing at all like he found his sister's to be, or 
that of the men he killed. What he thought were his human sensibilities 
made Kuno want to kiss the fear-covered face before him and make things 
all right again, but that really wasn't an option.
	Hands on her hips, he looked in her eyes. Bitter fear, sweet lust, 
intoxicating physical pleasure... Kuno lifted Nabiki's body easily, then 
roughly forced her down on his erection.
	Nabiki cried out in pain at the sudden violation by the huge 
member. She fell against her furry lover and put her arms around his 
neck.
	Kuno felt her grab him. He hadn't realized how big his 
transformation actually made him, and he hated the fact that he had 
caused her pain. Smothering her in his embrace, he did his best to 
comfort her, while also savoring the sensations. He was that much 
bigger, which meant she was that much tighter and it all felt that much 
better.
	Letting out a choked whine, Kuno used inhuman will to control 
himself. Feeling Nabiki shake against him, he held her gently; he was 
quivering a bit himself. He felt her fingers grip his fur, coming close 
to pulling two handfuls out.
	Nabiki groaned quietly in the tufted ear, feeling uncomfortably 
full and achingly stretched. The whole thing had most definitely been a 
bad idea since she just didn't feel like she could accommodate him. 
"Ouch," she said quietly as she breathed heavily.
	Kuno made a growling noise that was meant to be comforting, a sort 
of lupine purring sound in her ear. He couldn't believe how stupid he 
was to think he could just do something like that and that there'd be no 
problems. They were two different species. One and one did not equal 
two! His rough purring got louder and more insistent when Nabiki didn't 
move.
	"I'm OK," she said, her head resting on his shoulder. "It just 
kind of hurts."
	He whined and hugged her tighter. It would have been better if she 
had killed him. Kuno licked her neck, hoping she was really OK. If 
Nabiki needed medical attention, there would be big trouble. He'd have 
to get Kodachi's help, and he just didn't want to do that under the 
circumstances.
	"I'm fine. Just give me a minute." Nabiki's voice was stronger 
than before and she wasn't as afraid. Sure it had hurt like nothing she 
had ever felt, but she figured it was just that she wasn't used to his 
size.
	Taking two deep breaths, she pulled away from his shoulder and 
looked at his wolven features. By animal standards, he would be 
considered cute. But from the perspective of her fogged brain, he was 
handsome. Even though his eyes were red, they were quite expressive, he 
had big perky ears that begged to be pulled, and the thick, glossy fur 
all around his neck and down his back...
	Pleased that Nabiki had finally moved off his shoulder, Kuno 
stared at her, waiting for her to say something. He was still making the 
purring noise, concern on his face.
	"Next time," she said, her voice still strained, "warn me."
	Kuno nodded and made a little clucking noise, bumping the side of 
Nabiki's chin with his nose.
	"I said I was fine. Now stop that."
	He nuzzled her neck only to have her push his nose away.
	"Stop acting like a dog. I don't like that." Because if he acted 
like a dog, it was too close to actually... BEING with a dog. Yuck.
	Kuno's ears drooped and he looked hurt.
	"Don't give me that..." She started to remove herself from him, 
and he shifted his position... A bolt of pure pleasure ripped through 
Nabiki's body. She shuddered at the sensation; it felt like fireworks 
were going off in her arms and legs. She moaned loudly, unable to 
control the feelings surging through her.
	It was Kuno's turn to squirm as he felt a similar feeling run 
through him, all the way to the tip of his tail. It felt like his heart 
was going a mile a minute and he was panting heavily. He moved his hands 
back to Nabiki's hips, nearly drawing blood with his grip, and lifted 
her again.
	It had only been two inches, but it was the most mind-blowing two 
inches Kuno could have ever imagined. He lost control of his voice and 
howled loudly, his eyes closed, his ears back, and his face turned up at 
the sky.
	As if in response, Nabiki leaned her head back, her hands still 
tugging on his fur and moaned again. It was still somewhat 
uncomfortable, but the slightest movement was now the... The feeling was 
simply indescribable, but it was well worth the pain and discomfort she 
had felt initially.
	Again Kuno lifted her and squeezed his eyes shut from the electric 
shock it sent through him. He was barely able to pant now, let alone 
howl. Then he did it again, and again, his long tongue hanging out and 
his eyes still closed as he concentrated on the imminent explosion in 
him.
	"So close..."
	Kuno's ears perked up when he heard Nabiki speak. If she was 
close, then he would try harder. With the combination of raising Nabiki 
and grinding his hips at a speed he could never accomplish when he was 
human, he drew close to the edge. He snarled as the pressure mounted, 
the sense of urgency growing within him.
	As for Nabiki, she couldn't think. She couldn't move, except for 
her fingers sporadically, and she could barely breathe. The only thing 
she could even come close to comprehending was the intense combination 
of extreme pleasure and throbbing ache in her that combined to be so 
unreal... She clutched at the fur around his neck and started grinding 
her body against his.
	Kuno snorted and laid his ears back as his efforts increased 
further. The feeling was incredible, and he wanted to let go, but he 
didn't want to lose it either. Soon he was overcome by his lust though, 
and whatever had been holding him back snapped.
	His claws dug into Nabiki's sides as his whole body spasmed, 
drawing a bit of blood from her flesh, and he began howling. Then Nabiki 
joined in with her screams, and soon enough, lights were going on all 
over Nerima because of the noise.
	After the two had settled down, with him leaning against the rock 
and her against his chest, almost asleep, he carefully removed her from 
his lap and held her. They were both messy and the spring would need a 
good cleaning, but he didn't really care.
	Kuno cradled Nabiki's head as she rested and felt the process of 
his transformation begin. Once returned to his normal form, he found 
himself starving.
	Nabiki's eyes opened and focused on him. "Kuno-chan?"
	"Yes, my l..." He put a clamp on that very quickly. "It is I."
	She looked up at him for a few moments then slapped him weakly 
across the face. "Don't ever do that again. At least not without telling 
me."
	"I'm sorry." He was sorry, but the image of her quivering against 
him, yanking on his fur as she screamed just wouldn't leave his mind.
	"Don't even try to play innocent. I can see right through you." 
She attempted to sit up, but was still too weak. "Get me out of this 
water. I don't want to sit in..." She blushed.
	"Of course." Kuno stood up, holding her securely, and went to the 
edge of the spring. It was strange. Aside from being hungry, he felt 
perfectly fine. He wasn't winded in the least. Nabiki looked like she 
had been run over by marauding elephants and he was fresh as a daisy. 
"Wait here while I retrieve some covering." Gently, he set her down in a 
large flat rock.
	"Hurry back," she mumbled. "It's cold out here."
	He chuckled. "I shall." 

***

	"I wanted to speak with you about something."
	"Oh really? What?" Nabiki stretched out luxuriously on the guest 
bed, the cool, silk sheets enveloping her.
	Kuno watched her relax on the bed, a massive construct, far 
surpassing his simple futon. He had balked at the idea of a guest bed; 
it was an unnecessary expenditure at the time. And oh how he had raged 
over the dark green silk sheets. Yet, it all seemed worth the price as 
Nabiki settled in. Getting in bed and mounting her was starting to look 
like a very good idea... No! That was not a good idea. That was not what 
he would do.
	Still... No! He had to fight for control of himself. One part 
wanted to do what was most pleasurable for an animal, one part wanted to 
remain the noble person he thought himself, and one part was really 
turned on. But that part never seemed to be turned off anymore. It was 
all quite embarrassing.
	He sat on the edge of the bed, carefully maintaining his cool. 
"Now that we are each..." Kuno cocked his head to the side. "More 
relaxed, I wanted to discuss some things I have been considering."
	"I'm listening."
	"I think I know why things have proceeded in the manner they 
have." This would be touchy, he would probably be hurt a lot.
	"Really? Do tell."
	Kuno cleared his throat. "Yes. You have been affected by powerful 
urges, have you not?"
	"You know I have."
	He nodded. "As have I. And they were directed at me?"
	"Yeah. So what's your point?"
	"Allow me to finish. I felt urges, desires, but for any attractive 
female form." Kuno's hand was running up and down Nabiki's leg. "But 
when you started spending more time with me, it was you that I thought 
of, dreamed of, fantasized about more often.
	"And then, the first time we... Well, I felt a much stronger 
connection with you. Your sister and the pig-tailed girl were 
uninteresting, unimportant to me. The only thing that mattered was being 
with you. Why, I didn't know, but I could not stop the way I was 
feeling. Whenever I was with you, I felt content, even... happy. Happy 
even though we held no feelings for each other.
	"Then, as my condition began to worsen and I realized my nature, 
things became clear. The beast does not go away while I am human, it 
only hides itself. It is still lurking, still affecting me and those 
around me.
	"That explained several things. My extreme hunger and violent 
outlashes were accounted for. I was still an animal, after all." Kuno 
stopped speaking and took a deep breath. "An animal I am, and to some 
extent, I am forced to obey the laws of nature. One of these laws, one 
that the beast in me has not failed to obey, is the selection of..." He 
couldn't say it. It was so impersonal, so inhuman. "The choosing of a... 
mate."
	"What?!"
	Kuno cringed away from Nabiki.
	"I've been elected to be your MATE?! I don't think so!"
	"I know you are unhappy, but I don't know what can be done. It is 
by no effort of mine that these things are happening, and I would not 
wish for you to be my... mate if it makes you angry."
	"Stop calling me that. I am not your mate, and I never will be."
	"Don't you see? It has already been decided for us... or by us. I 
can not live without you, and you... you..."
	Nabiki closed her eyes. 'Shit, he's right,' she thought. She laid 
in the bed and didn't say a word. How degrading it was that she was his 
'mate' of all things... Did that mean they were going to have to get 
married? It was impossible to consider a normal life with him, but 
without him... She'd probably end up a gibbering fool. Those three days 
before had been akin to hell.
	"Fine," she said suddenly. "So what do we do about it?"
	Kuno could only shrug. "If I knew, it would have been attempted."
	Nabiki sighed and tried to relax; it wasn't easy. "Well, under 
normal circumstances, I'd be out of here in a second. This isn't even 
close to being normal and I'm too tired to be running off."
	He watched as she gave him a strange little smile, her eyes closed 
in a look of peace. His heart started beating faster. "In fact, I am 
finding you nigh unto irresistible as we speak. I am constantly yearning 
to have you close to me, to touch you..."
	"Is this how you felt about Akane and your pig-tailed girl?"
	Kuno blinked. "No, never."
	"Oh, so was that true love, and this is just..."
	"No. That was... I do not know. Those were crushes. This is 
something more; it's turned into something more for me." Why had she 
asked? Was she jealous? Did she actually care? He wasn't sure, and while 
she had never been his first choice, or even his third, she had grown 
very important to him.
	Kuno looked at her somewhat frowning features. "Will you stay?"
	"Do you want me to?"
	"I would like it very much."
	"I suppose I can."
	"Would you mind terribly?"
	"I suppose not."
	Kuno slipped off his pants then slid under the sheets. He stared 
up at the ceiling in the darkness of the room. Nabiki didn't protest at 
all when he put his arm around her and pulled her close. He could not 
continue the way he was. Even after revealing the truth, things could 
just not stay the same. His one main goal in life would be to become 
human, fully human, once more. That he vowed. 

***

	"Saotome!"
	"Aw, geez... Whadya want, Kuno?"
	"To see your defeat at my hands. Now..." Kuno assumed his most 
threatening posture.
	Ranma gave him a bored look. "Whatever, sempai." He tensed for his 
attack.
	"Hey, Kuno-chan!"
	Ranma saw Kuno's head turn toward Nabiki's voice and took the 
opportunity presented to him. He jumped forward and kicked Kuno in the 
head, sending the dazed kendoist off into the trees.
	"You owe me one, Ranma," Nabiki said, walking into the school.
	"But I... Aw man..."

***

	"I would appreciate it if you would not make such a mockery of 
me."
	"You don't own me."
	"That is true. For if I did, you would find yourself severely 
punished for such insolent manners."
	"It's a good thing you don't then."
	"Aye. 'Twould be a shame," he said quietly.
	Nabiki looked back at Kuno, surprised. That was a rather 
unexpected answer. It seemed he was full of surprises. 'Duh. Of course 
he is,' she thought. 'One of them has to do with sprouting large amounts 
of fur and growing...' She chuckled to herself. Really though, it was 
about time actually try and do something about Kuno's problem. 

	He should have felt like the king of the world. He didn't. More 
like a royal lapdog. Slowly, eyes heavy and mind wandering, he began to 
fall asleep.
	Royal lapdog... That made him feel inferior and that wasn't good. 
He would find a cure... by any means...

End Chapter 1