Tiger's Blood
Chapter 9- Noah

I open my eyes and look up at the grey sky. Snow sprinkles the ground around me or what’s left of the ground. I stand up and my body aches miserably. I grab my shoulder in pain and hiss loudly. I grunt as I brush the debris off of me. The hole I’m in looks deeper than last night when I fell.. The ground still trembles in fear from the quake last night. Snow melts upon my cheek as I scratch the back of my head. I push the nearest tree out of my way and something jingles in my ear. I look underneath the tree and replace a small, purple backpack covered in dirt and dust. Kira… I have to get out of this hole and search for her.

I sling Kira’s backpack over my shoulder and I begin climbing out. I grab a rock and hoist myself up onto another chunk of land. I use the broken trees and rocks to make my way up the steep hole. What felt like an hour later, I manage to pull myself out of the hole. I turn around and gaze at the deep empty crater and shiver slightly as the snow starts to pick up heavily. It looked as if a monster from underground came up and bit off a piece of the land. How the hell did I manage to survive this? That doesn’t matter, right now I need to make sure that Kira is safe.

I walk for hours and there is still no sign of her. I really hope she’s alright. I know that the quake scared her; I could see it in her eyes she was terrified. She is hardly afraid though. She has been aggressive and tough ever since we met, it was frightening to see her scared. It’s very weird to see a strong, rough and fearless person cry and be scared like they were never that strong person in the first place. Well, I guess you can’t be brave without being scared. Most people can act like it, but some rarely take off the mask and show who they really are inside. I think underneath Kira’s brave face is a frightened and emotional girl.

I keep on walking when my ears detect a noise. I mutate into my Wolf Blood and listen closely to the sound. I carry Kira’s backpack between my jaws. My paws become damp and colder with every step I take. I lower my nose to the ground and see if I can catch a scent. I inhale deeply, but the deep snow is stuffing up my black nose. I sneeze lightly when the noise becomes louder. I start to pick up the pace and follow the groaning noise. I then stop when I see a person in a cave curled up in a ball.

I walk up to her and she sits there shivering violently with her eyes closed shut. I nudge her with my wet nose and she opens one eye nervously. She must be freezing out here alone in the middle of the cold. I crawl in the space between her and she shakes more. I’m right here Kira, I’m here for you. Kira’s freezing hands stroke my grey fur as I watch her eyes open slowly. Her quivering lip forms into a smile. I lick her rosy red cheeks and try to warm her up. “N-Noah…” she could barely say. I then crawl away from her and mutate silently. I put the backpack down, take out her blanket, and wrap it around her pale body.

I crouch down next to her and slide my arm around her waist. I pull her body closer to mine and hold her tightly. She puts her cold face against my neck and closes her eyes. I watch as tears slide down her red, puffy cheeks. She wraps her body around mine. “N-N-Noah,” she struggles to say. “Shhhh, I’m right here, Kira. Try and get some rest,” I tell her. I stroke her hair and her face gently. I look down into her beautiful green eyes, and I kiss her cheek. She begins to fall asleep, trembling in my arms.

I watch her silently sleep while I warm her up with my body heat. I hope she didn’t catch a cold or something worse from being out here too long. I’ll make sure to take care of her and get her better as soon as possible. She’s fought through so much already; it would hurt me to have her get sick at all. I stroke her soft brown hair and I hum a gentle tune in her ear. She starts shaking again, so I bend down and kiss her forehead. “Calm down Kira you’re ok. I’m here,” I whisper in her ear. I’m here for you little Tiger, don’t worry you’re safe now.

She keeps on shivering and I nudge her a little bit to wake her up. She opens her eyes and holds me tight. I could see tears racing down her face. “Kira what’s wrong?” I ask worryingly. “I just had a bad dream is all. I’m fine,” she says trying to hide her tears. I pull a long string of hair out of her face and put it behind her ear. “I’m here for you don’t worry,” I say. She nods and looks up at the sky then at me. “Did you see Ethan anywhere?” she sniffles. “No, I’m sorry,” I say. Hahaha, like I would even bother to look for him. We would have been fine if we didn’t have to look for him.

She looks up into my eyes and I look right back at her. She looks so beautiful when she looks up at me. I feel like she actually cares for me. I then slowly lean down and kiss her lips lightly. She kisses me back softly then pulls away and closes her eyes. “Did… you not like that?” I ask her. She opens her eyes and chuckles. “I did like that idiot,” she nudges me. I giggle and she kisses me one last time. “Let’s go and replace Ethan,” she says and winks at me. She stands up then helps me up on my feet. I hide my frown from her. Anything for you Kira…Even if it means replaceing Ethan.