Chapter Thirty-One

Natalia wasn’t sure when, but at some point, in their escape she had lost consciousness. She woke in the first aid center of the barracks. She jerked herself up to sitting, claws extended, a wave of vertigo washed through her.

“Woah! Easy. It’s alright your safe now.” She heard a female voice say, it was familiar, Natalia shook her head, and she felt muzzy. A pretty dark haired Kitsune woman came into her line of sight, dressed in casual clothing.

“The painkillers we gave you are probably making you a bit dizzy, so try not to make any more sudden movements.”

“K-kay?” Natalia whispered her throat dry.

“That’s right.” The Kitsune woman popped open a can of water. “Here have a drink; it will help clear your head.”

The water tasted like liquid gold, but training told Natalia not to drink as much as she wanted, but to sip the water and let it settle.

“How long…have I been…gone?”

“Three days, One and a half captured, and one and a half here.”

“The others?”

“Rei and Saki are fine, Shido…well he will be alright, but his arm is not going to be functional for a while. He took a sonic stunner on full power; it pulverized the bone. It’s going to take a while for even a fifth dan to shift heal that much damage.”

“How damaged am I?”

“Not that badly. After we filtered whatever chem they’d injected you with out of your blood you started healing at a nice rate. The bruising is gone and the piercing wounds in your wrists and ankles are mostly healed; though they are going to be tender. You have some burns from the antimicrobial spray they used…But Rei and Shido got there in time. They didn’t… touch you. I examined you myself. You should be finished healing in the next day or so.”

Kay sat on the bed next to Natalia, watching as the younger woman processed her words. It was hard for her to believe that this competent soldier and leader was only twenty. She had learned Natalia’s age asking Shido the medical questions she had needed answered to treat Natalia. Shido had giggled when he saw the look on her face,

“Dang if you think Talia’s young, Saki will blow your mind!” The drugged Kitsune had chortled. “She’s sixteen.”

There had not been much she could do for Shido, so he was working with Saki training the Deep Dwellers on how to use the weapons that Alexander had horded for them.

“Were is Rei?” asked Natalia pulling Kay out of her reverie.

“Avoiding me. He is annoyed at me for yelling at him about…”

“Rescuing me?”

“Yes…I-I am sorry but the risk-“

“I understand. I would have done the same thing…Well I would have tried to sneak someone into the autopsy room to see if I had gotten the data...”

“Did you?”

“Yes.” Natalia concentrated and a tiny slit appeared low on her belly. She reached in carefully with two claws and pulled out the tiny green chip.”

“Neat trick.” Kay said in an appreciative tone as she took the chip from the injured woman. “Natalia, Shido brought something to my attention, something that…I had a hard time believing. And I want to talk to you about it now.”

“What?”

“It’s called Kaori Kizuna. I’m sure you know or have been taught that every Kitsune has their own distinctive scent. That is their Kaori. That’s how we recognize each other, since visual recognition means nothing to a shape shifter.

“I’ve never heard it called Kaori, but I know about scent.”

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“Kaori is more than just how you smell, its how your scent is perceived by other Kitsune. It’s why to some people you smell, good, but to other’s you smell bad. Kaori can tell up how powerful a person is, if their related to us, or even if they are mated.”

Natalia was watching her with calm green eyes, Kay knew she had the other woman’s undivided attention, and it was kind of creepy. “Kaori is what allows us to recognize Kizuna. Kizuna is an old word for bond or fetter. We, Kitsune, use it to describe a force that is part biological, part emotional, and most believe part spiritual.

“I have never heard of this term. Why is it important to me?

God, this is awkward Kay cleared her throat nervously, “Sometimes when two Kitsune meet, their Kaori goes beyond pleasant, it becomes almost intoxicating. Kizuna happens almost immediately. Biologically it means that the two Kitsune are perfect genetic mates, the children born of Kizuna couples are always stronger. In fact after Kizuna is reached the chances of one of the bond mates, becoming pregnant with anyone else is almost negligible.

“You are talking about Rei.”

“Yes, and you. Kaori Kizuna goes two ways. You and he… are bonded, I’ll admit that this is the fastest bonding I have ever seen, but you two are also the only seventh dan I know about.” She noticed worry on the younger woman’s face. It was nearly incomprehensible to Kay that Natalia would be afraid of something most Kitsune girls dreamed of.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of, Kizuna is actually helping you. Rei told me about your…training.” She hissed the last word, letting her anger and distain caress it. “Because of the bond that you are forming you have a chance to be with Rei in a way that you couldn’t be with any other male. At least not without major psychiatric help. Your instincts are telling you that Rei is safe, even though that’s contrary to everything you’ve been taught.”

“I have no choice?” There was an odd despair in Natalia’s face.

“Of course you have a choice. If you don’t act on it eventually the Kizuna will fade, and his Kaori will no longer affect you. Having it happen so quickly is rare, usually people grow into Kizuna, over years.”

Natalia relaxed. “I have a choice. That is all that matters.”

“Rei wanted to know when you woke, but I wanted to talk to you first, I figured you would need an explanation for….why your instincts and your training are at odds. Do you want me to get him?” Please say yes, please don’t break my brother’s heart. He needs you.

“Yes please.”

“I’ll go get him.” Kay fled the tiny thrown together hospital to get Rei, and to take the data chip to Shido and Alexander so they could start planning the attack to win the Diana.

Natalia sipped the water. Kizuna, Saki would have just called it love at first sight…I guess Kizuna is love at first scent? Am I in love? Is that why I feel the way I do? I would gladly kill for him. She stared down at the can. Can love happen so quickly?

Rei walked into the room. “Hey Talia…how are you feeling.”

His scent drifted across the room and Natalia felt the last knot of worry in her stomach release. Seeing Rei... smelling him... was the proof that she needed that everything was right in her world. I am in…love. Gaia guard me.

“I’m doing a lot better. Kay told me I should be completely healed in the next twenty four hours.

“That’s good. I’m glad.”

“Me too.” She waved at the bed next to her “Come sit down, I’m getting a crick in my neck from looking up at you.”

Rei sat next to her, as close as he could without actually risking touching her. Natalia could almost sense him vibrating.

“Thank you, I know you got in trouble with your sister for going after me.”

Rei chuckled. “She actually thought I was going to listen to her…Your people are really good…Is it wrong that Saki scares me?”

“No, she scares a lot of people; she was top of her class in the Ranger units.” Natalia shrugged. Exhaustion began to weigh down on her again, reminding her of how much she had left to heal, and how much she had already instinctively shifted to repair “They were rather annoyed when she got transferred to ISF.” Rei chuckled.

Kay said I might be able to be with Rei in a way I can’t with any other man…Not without several decades of therapy. Do I take the chance? Do I risk hurting him?

“Rei…”Natalia’s voice was soft, uncertain. “You like me, don’t you? Me, not just my smell.”

“Your scent is what drew me to you in the first place, but I…like you for you. If you were not who you are…I don’t know if I would like you as much…crap. That made no sense.”

“Rei…will you…” Natalia swallowed. I will not be ruled by fear, I will not let my training destroy this. “Rei, will you….kiss me?”

She could smell his surprise as his eyes widened. Slowly he reached out and caressed her cheek, cupping it in his hand, his touch sent shivers of fear and anticipation through her. Rei pulled her forward, as he leaned towards her, “Are you sure?” His voice was husky, and his scent, his Kaori, had become more potent. “Are you sure this is what you want? I-I don’t want to scare you or hurt you in any way.”

“I know.” Natalia closed the distance between them, hesitantly brushing her lips against his, part of her marveled at her boldness, but all she could really think about was how soft his lips felt, and how warm his hand was on her skin.

Slowly Rei wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her deeper. His hand slid away from her cheek to hold her to him. As the kiss broke Natalia rested her head on his chest, and he stroked her red hair. She could hear his heart beating hypnotically. She yawned, and then blushed. She didn’t want to sleep, she didn’t want to dream. She wanted to stay were she was, wrapped safely in Rei’s arms.

“It’s alright, sleep; heal. I won’t leave you. I’ll keep the nightmares away.”

“I trust you.” Natalia whispered as her eyes closed... She drifted off to sleep breathing his scent, wrapped in his arms. I love you.