Happy Winter Solstice.

Disclaimer: I barely own anything.

Chapter 2: Furry Thumb

And here I was wishing for something to happen. Kenshin thought as he snapped three necks in a single sweep of paw. I should know better, tonight of all nights

But really, the night had been almost torturously slow. There had only been three attempted spiritings, one overly amorous Taurus, and four sacrificial eviscerations. Even the humans were unusually subdued in their worshipping.

It had been too quiet, so he had sent word to keep all channels open. A night this quiet usually meant someone was up to something. Or maybe Sano was right, he was being paranoid.

Of course, the moment he'd let his shades go. He'd caught the scent of Cerberus blood.

Given that particular species was half way around the globe from its native hunting grounds and didn't usually stir from their posts without cause… Kenshin veered from his course abruptly. Sano could handle the latest faerie struck on his own.

Shifting track, Kenshin had a split second to decide which direction.

He opted for the fresh floral scent. Someone or something had managed to severely damage one of Echidna's get and it was more important to detain it before more destruction resulted. Besides, the mutt would probably be back in one piece by dawn if its blood was a potent as the scent indicated.

Kenshin mentally revisited court politics as he ran. Which factions had the sway to move Hades? Or maybe it was Echidna? The three-headed hounds had always been a bit of mama's pups. And why? From the whispers on the wind, it seemed like the entire pack was out this night. Unusual, and perhaps an explanation for why the night had been so slow.

An unearthly howl split the silent air.

Kenshin redoubled his speed. The hounds were gathering for the kill, and he intended to find the troublesome little target before the Hunt ripped it to shreds.

His nose twitched as the faint sweet scent he'd been following intensified with fear. He found he didn't like this new layer to the determined sweetness. Neither did he like the stale scent of exhaustion slowly creeping through the cracks of stubborn determination.

Kenshin felt a snarl start in the back of this throat as another howl reverberated through the air. He would not lose to a pack of hedonistic mutts. There were faster ways to track.

Pulling his magic around him, Kenshin stepped through the shadows to the source of the scent.

Blinking around the dingy, filth coated alley, Kenshin allowed his poor canine vision a fraction of a second to adjust to the poor lighting. A task made all the more difficult by the faint sweetness overwhelming his olfactory system. Shaking himself off, Kenshin concentrated on the labored breathing coming from the wall opposite the dense shadows cloaking him.

The assailant had a surprisingly delicate ki. Feminine but strong. Stronger, even, than some of the pure seelie.

Kenshin never considered himself sexist, but he couldn't help the surprise that flared in him when he finally spotted the slight woman catching her breath against the wall. She was short, a half-hand shorter than his admittedly diminutive humanoid form, with long dark hair slipping obstinately from a ponytail secured high on her head.

This was the creature who had maimed a Cerberus? This tiny mortal woman? And with what weapon?

He scrutinized her form closely and blinked.

The woman was clutching a pipe in her right hand. Her grip so well adjusted and posture habitual that his first scan had dismissed that length of metal as an extension of her arm. And as he watched, she adjusted the desperate grasp into an expert defensive stance. Kenshin hufffed silently in approval and suddenly found his eyes trapped by her cobalt blue stare.

The woman was glaring into the darkness as if she could sense him lurking in the shadows. Interesting. Despite the obvious exhaustion engulfing her body, she was projecting a very believable air of "take one step closer and you will lose your head."

Secure in his abilities and the knowledge that he did not mean her any harm, Kenshin steeped smoothly out of the shadows. He took a perverse satisfaction in the flicker of fear that flickered behind her eyes, then an inordinate swell of pride as she marshaled her confidence. Determination taking over her face not a second later, even as the weight in her ki told him she knew herself to be out of her league.

Curious as to how far her bravado would last, Kenshin stalked towards the woman while maintaining eye contact. He knew his eyes to be unnerving, even amongst the Faye. But this slip of a woman was meeting his gaze steadily, even as her heart rate spiked and she took a defensive step backwards.

Instincts triggered, Kenshin prowled towards her until she hit the wall with a soft thump that sent a wave of her deliciously distracting scent towards him.

Sidetracked by the sweet smell, Kenshin nuzzled his nose into the curve of her neck, taking a deep whiff of the sweetness he'd been tracking. It was faint and wild, and he had a sudden irrational fear that if he tried too hard, the scent would simply slip away.

His gaze flickered to her eyes, which were clenched shut. He had a fraction of a second to register pale skin and long dark lashes before her eyes snapped defiantly open once more.

Kenshin blinked as her glare bore into his face. He could almost feel his fur catching fire from the venomous rebellion he saw there. Shaking his head slightly, Kenshin could not stop the tooth baring grin that split his face. This girl had courage beings twice her power could not boast.

He was further surprised when a flicker of annoyance crossed her face, and her arm, the one holding the pipe, flew towards his head. He dodged. But for some unknown reason, this attempt at bodily harm only served to please him more.

He pranced around, finding her annoyance at his affected flamboyance endearing. Maybe she'd try to take another swing at him? It was refreshing to find a female with such spunk—as Sano would put it.

To his delight, the creature took an annoyed step towards him. But froze mid-step, eyes caught in the darkness behind him.

Kenshin growled at the interruption. He had been enjoying himself. The Cerberus had no right to interrupt. But perhaps now he could see this intriguing woman's skills in action. It would be enlightening to fight alongside her… Nonetheless, it would be better to settle this without bloodshed. Court politics could get sticky if someone's favorite footrest was killed permanently.

But as Kenshin paced the perimeter and more pack gathered around them, the death-free option was starting to look less and less likely. He could feel his fur standing on end and his power leaking through his eyes and skin from the sheer numbers of enemy around him.

The rumbling growing in the base of his throat intensified.

Looks like he was going to get his first wish after all.

AN: I'm sorry for the wait. There were deaths in the family right after I started to write. It's taken my years to get back to a good place. I remember wanting to do alternating POVs. So this chapter worked out as a way to get back into the story. Working out kinks in my old time line, but I think I know where the story wants to go.