ALEX'S POV

It was early morning and I was taking a stroll through the forest in my wolf form. I had a little think about Sasuke's last night's visit and I decided now might be a good idea to visit him and the others. Just then, I heard Kenshin's voice from the bushes after I had caught a rabbit for breakfast.

"Sasuke, you won't believe this, my men came back to me and they failed to kidnap that woman."

"I'm not surprised and I did try to warn you that she wasn't easy to capture."

"And you were right, she isn't easy to kidnap than I first thought."

"Lord Kenshin, maybe you should forget about trying to Alex as a hostage."

Kenshin sighed in defeat and then I sniffed the air and then two more familiar scents caught my attention. I looked to the side and it was Yuki and Shingen. I laid on the ground while hiding in the bushes. 

"Kenshin, I'm surprised at you, trying to kidnap a poor innocent woman from Azuchi."

"Wouldn't you have done the same, Shingen?"

"I might have done if she stole my heart."

"Ugh, your cheap pick-up lines are the worst as always."

I frowned a little and then Yuki spoke up.

"For once I agree with Lord Kenshin."

"Yuki, you're so mean and if I remember correctly, you were a little rude to that beautiful goddess."

"Ugh, I can't stand here listening to those ridiculous flirty pick-up lines, let's get out of here before I throw up our breakfast."

"Sounds good to me, Shadow."

I tried to sneak away from the enemy until I accidentally stepped on the twig. My eyes widen a little and then I heard Kenshin shouting.

"Who's there?!"

I saw a blade near the bushes where I was hiding and I then leapt out of them and I stood my ground. I growled loudly at the four men and then Yuki shouted.

"What the?! a wolf?!"

"It can't be a wolf, it looks too large."

Shingen commented as he stared at me up and down. Sasuke carefully approached me and he said to me.

"Where'd you come from, girl?"

Sasuke knelt on the ground and he held out some raw fish for me. I carefully and cautiously approached him and I sniffed the meat to make sure he didn't do anything to it. 

"Hey! Sasuke careful, she might eat your hand instead of the meat!" Yuki shouted at him.

"It's all right, Yuki, she may look like a wolf but, I think she's a hybrid."

"A what?"

Yuki asked him and I was surprised that he knew what I was. I looked at the meat again and I licked it a little. I took the meat from his hand and I ate it and the meat wasn't poisoned. I then felt Sasuke's hand on top of my head and I let him pet me. 

SASUKE'S POV

'Wow, her fur feels so soft, I never knew they had wolfdogs in the Sengoku like this one.'

I thought to myself as I gently patted her head without startling her. Yuki came over to us and he asked me.

"What in the world...? she's friendly?"

"So it would seem, I was right, she is a wolfdog."

"Wolfdog?"

"It means this wolf is actually half domestic dog and half wolf."

"I guess that kinda explains it but, she won't bite, will she?"

ALEX'S POV

I barked at Yuki before running over to him. He stood frozen in fear at first but then, I rubbed my head and the side of my body against his legs. Yuki was surprised by this before I sat down in front of him and lifting my front paws while wagging my tail. Yuki was surprised by this and then he smiled at me.

"Is this wolfdog trying to be cute or something?"

Yuki scratched my chin and I wagged my tail and whimpered happily. Shingen chuckled while Kenshin stood there with a surprised expression on his face.

"Well, well, this is certainly unexpected, you're a beautiful wolf, aren't you girl?"

Shingen tried to pet me but, I didn't want him touching me and then I growled and I tried to bite his hand. Shingen pulled his hand away from me in time and I started barking and growling at him. Shingen backed away from me and he pressed his back against the tree.

"What?! what did I do?!"

I growled at him while baring my teeth at him while the others chuckled and laughed at him.

"Finally, there's someone doesn't fall for your flirtatious behaviour, Shingen."

"It's not funny you guys! do something!"

I stopped growling and barking at Shingen and I turned my attention towards the other three. I ran over to Kenshin and I hid behind his back while giving Shingen the evil look in my eyes. Kenshin looked back at me and he gently ran his fingers on top of my head. 

"Hmpf looks like she gets along all right with us three but, it's clear she doesn't like you, Shingen."

"Oh boy..." Shingen mumbled.

I glanced at the sky and it was starting to get brighter.

'Uh oh, I better get back to the castle before someone notices that I'm gone.'

I thought to myself as I ran towards the forest and then Sasuke shouted.

"Hey! wait! come back!"

I looked back at Sasuke and I smiled a little at him even though he couldn't see it. I ran into the forest and I ran back to the spot where I left my kimono. I reverted back to my human form and I got changed back into my kimono while wiping the leaves off my clothes before heading back to the castle before someone noticed that I was gone.

TIME SKIP...

After doing my usual day's work, I decided to pay Sasuke a little visit. I looked at the name of the place that Sasuke gave me and I headed to the Inn. I finally got to the inn but, right when I was about to enter the inn, a familiar flirtatious voice spoke up.

"What this? a beautiful goddess has arrived on our doorstep?"

"Ugh, oh no, that irritating scent again!"

Shadow grumbled angrily and I frowned a little. I looked over my shoulder and no surprise, it was Shingen.

"Oh great, it's the flirtatious tiger."

"Now what kind of way is that to greet someone who gave you a compliment."

"Sorry to break this to you, Takeda, but, I'm not here for you, I'm here to see Sasuke. Is he here or not?"

I demanded. Shingen looked at me surprised and then he gave me that sad puppy eye look.

"Now you've gone and broke my heart, goddess and here I was hoping to win you over."

"Nice try you big flirt, but, your little cheap pickup lines don't work on women like me so..."

I grabbed Shingen by the ear and I demanded.

"Instead of trying to flirt with me! tell me where Sasuke is before I mess up that face of yours and believe me, the last time someone who tried to flirt with me wasn't so lucky."

Shingen sweatdropped a little when he saw the dark aura surrounding my body. 

"OK, Ok, you win, if you let me go, I'll show you which room he's in."

"You promise this is not a trap?"

"I promise!"

"Break it and I'll make sure Yuki doesn't find your body."

Shingen laughed nervously when I told him this before releasing his ear. Shingen rubbed his ear and he mumbled.

"Why are you so mean?"

A tick mark appeared on my head and I followed Shingen. We got to the room where Sasuke was staying and then Shingen spoke up.

"Hey Sasuke, you've got a visitor."

Sasuke looked up and he saw me but, before I could say something, someone drew their sword and held it at my neck. 

"You've got some nerve, showing your face around here."

"Oh, hello to you too, Kenshin," I spoke with a smile.

Yuki looked between me and Kenshin and shouted.

"Lord Kenshin! put that sword away!"

"Not now Yukimura! I'm trying to deal with this trespasser."

I moved Kenshin's sword away from my neck and I told him.

"Firstly, I am not a trespasser, Sasuke invited me over and secondly, I'm not here to cause trouble. It's too bad..."

I went into my kimono and then Kenshin stood at the ready until I pulled out a bottle of sake that was given to me by the old man at Shiki.

"And I came all the way out here with a bottle sake as a peace offering too, but, if your attitude is gonna be like-"

"Hold it!"

Kenshin shouted before snatching the bottle from my hand. I smirked a little and then Kenshin.

"Fine, you can stay but, don't even try anything funny."

"Understood."

I chuckled a little and then Shingen whispered.

"How did you know Kenshin loves sake? did someone tell you?"

"No offence to him but, he kinda smells of alcohol and pickled plums."

"Seriously, you can tell from his smell?"

Shingen asked me with a confused look.

"Hehe, my senses of smell are sharper than yours, don't believe me, take a whiff yourself."

Yuki, Sasuke and Shingen looked at Kenshin and they started to sniff him.

"Hey! cut it out you three!" Kenshin shouted at them.

"She's right, you do smell like Sake," Yuki said with an impressed look on his face.

"And there's a hint of something...bitter there too, must be the pickled plums, did you eat some recently?" Shingen asked Kenshin.

"I did."

The three men were surprised by this and then Sasuke asked me.

"Alex, since when did your senses of smell get stronger?"

"Let's just say it's a hidden talent of mine that I discovered six years ago."

"Is that so?"

Sasuke looked at me suspiciously and I then frowned a little.

"Stop giving me that look, four eyes, I told you before, there's nothing going on with me, now stop worrying."

I flicked his forehead and he yelped a little.

"Ow! man, your flick to the forehead still hurts as always."

"Oh you big baby, I hardly touched you."

I said as I sat next to Kenshin. Yuki looked between me and Sasuke and he asked me.

"You two seem to know each other so well."

"Sasuke told you before, we're childhood friends."

"So how exactly did you two meet?" Yuki asked me.

"That's what I wanna know too."

Kenshin mumbled and I told them.

"When I was 7 years old, I was on my way home from helping my Father with his work until I saw Sasuke getting bullied. Poor guy didn't know how to fight back and no one was around to help him out so, I ran up to those bullies and I beat the crap out of them until they ran off with their tails between their legs."

"*Chuckle nervously* she's not kidding, the bullies were twice her height and somehow she was able to fight them, I never knew a woman who was able to beat them so easily."

I smirked proudly and then Shingen spoke up.

"Sasuke got saved by a woman? you do realise that sounds a bit..."

"Pathetic, I know but, I was only a kid back then."

"Sasuke you were 9 years old when we met and even back then, especially when I tried to teach you, you were still the pathetic four-eyed idiot that I saved."

Kenshin nearly spat out his sake when he was close to laughing while Shingen and Yuki laughed at him. Sasuke glared at me and he said to me.

"It's not like you have room to talk, as far as I can remember when we were teenagers, you going through a rebellious phase. Painting on the wall that was saying bad stuff about our sensei and picking a fight at every chance you got."

"Really? I don't remember that stuff."

I spoke with a cheeky smirk on my face. 

"You do remember! you just don't want to admit it! remember that time when booby-trapped that stink bomb in our sensei's desk?"

"That wasn't me! it was one of the girls who picked on me from before."

"Exactly my point, just like a little weasel you blame it on someone else to save your own skin."

 "Hehe, what can I say? I love causing trouble."

"I take it back, she's not a goddess, Alex is a she-devil," Shingen commented.

I gigged a little and then Kenshin mumbled.

"Definitely."

"I'll be sure to take that as a compliment."

I told them before taking a sip of the sake. Yuki then asked me.

"Hey, we saw something interesting this morning, we saw a black wolf with blue eyes and for some reason, it acted like a friendly dog you see in the villages, Sasuke called it a wolfdog or something."

"That's exactly what it is, you know, one my friends around here actually encountered that same wolf."

"Really? I've never known a wolf to be so friendly before, it was weird."

"It's not weird if it was raised properly by humans, maybe it lives in that forest."

I told them and then Sasuke nodded his head in agreement.

"That does make sense but, we didn't see a camp or a cabin in the forest where we were earlier, it could be a stray."

"Maybe, but, it's as they say, the world is full of surprises."

We continued to eat, drink and talk at the inn all night until it was time for me to head back to the castle. Thankfully, Kenshin made no attempt to kidnap me this time and for some reason he decided to walk me home, which was odd for a woman-hater.

"This is weird, why would Kenshin walk you home? I mean he hates women doesn't he?"

"He does, maybe he realises that I'm useless as a hostage and he's gonna  leave me alone."

I told Shadow and as we got closer to the castle. Kenshin came to a halt and he told me this.

"This is as far as I can take you if I go any further Nobunaga's soldiers will try and attack me on the spot."

"Fair point, thanks for walking me home and see you around."

I was about to head back until Kenshin spoke up.

"Wait."

I stopped in my tracks and then Kenshin asked me.

"Why didn't you tell Nobunaga and the others about me and the others being here in Azuchi? you know there's a war coming up?"

"I'm already aware of this but, what's the point telling Nobunaga about you guys being here, I mean you are going to attack Azuchi eventually, aren't you? where's the fun in that?"

Kenshin looked at me surprised as the night breeze blew against my hair.

"You're a strange woman," Kenshin said with a small smile on his face.

"Hmpf, and you're an odd one yourself, drawing your sword to greet someone you know and trying to get into a fight for no goddam reason."

Kenshin looked at me surprised and I told him.

"Yukimura and Sasuke told me what you do to them."

"Those two blabbermouths," Kenshin mumbled while I giggled a little.

"Don't worry, if that's how you behave and what you do, who am I to judge?"

"True, see you around, She-devil."

I giggled a little and I waved bye to him before heading back into the castle. Once I got there, I was on my way back to my room until Mitsunari came over to me and he said to me.

"There you are, Alex, Lord Nobunaga was looking for you."

"He was? what does he want?"

"I don't know, but, he told me to find you and bring you to the Tenshu."

"It's all right, I can make my own way there, you can go and take a break."

"Arigato, Alex."

Mitsunari said before I headed to Nobunaga's room. Once I got there, I opened the sliding doors and I called to him.

"Nobunaga? are you here?"

"Out here."

I glanced at the balcony and I smelled the familiar scent of pine leaves and sweet candy. I smiled a little and I headed onto the balcony. Suddenly, I was pressed against the wall with my arms pinned above my head. I wasn't expecting that and when I looked up, it was Nobunaga and he looked grumpy.

"N-Nobunaga? is something wrong?"

"Where were you all day? I had Hideyoshi and Mitsunari look all over the place for you."

"I'm sorry if I had missed them, I bumped into an old friend, well, a childhood friend actually and then I lost track of time."

Nobunaga understood this and he released my wrists.

"I see," Nobunaga said after calming himself down.

I sighed in relief and then Shadow said to me.

"Well, that was odd, I don't think I've seen Nobunaga that angry with you before."

"Tell me about it, for a moment there, I thought he had that possessive look in his eyes."

"You might be seeing things."

Shadow told me and I asked Nobunaga.

"Anyway, what was it that you wanted to see me about?"

"I've received a report from Mitsuhide about Kenshin and Shingen, after four years thinking they were dead, they've been alive all this time and now, the Wat God is marching towards Azuchi boarders with Kenshin leading a band of small mercenaries."

"And you're telling me this because...?"

"Because you'll be coming with me."

"What?!" I shouted in a shocked tone.

I glanced at the moon and I noticed that it was gonna be full soon. Shadow then shouted at me.

"Alex! you can't go! the full moon is gonna be here tomorrow night! if you go with them then-"

"I know! I don't need reminding about what happened the last time when I shifted in front of humans."

"Is something wrong, Alex?"

Nobunaga asked when he saw my panicked expression.

"Oh no, nothing is wrong but, I don't understand why you're dragging me into this battle."

"It's because you're my lucky charm."

I felt an arrow piercing my heart when he said this and frowned a little.

"Is that all I am to you? just a goddamn tool like the rest of them?"

Nobunaga looked at me confused and I told him.

"You can unify this country by sacrificing a few pawns here and there but, using someone like me and your soldiers as your tools for war, that's something I won't stand for."

"Oh? and why is that? don't tell me you're afraid of the battle."

"I'm not afraid of a battle, I've seen a lot of bloodsheds before I came to Azuchi but, I've got better things to do other than wasting my time by following you into battle where I might get killed."

I turned my back towards him and before I left, Nobunaga called out to me.

"Alex, you can't deny me, I'm taking you with me to the battle whether you like it or not."

'Then I'm gonna make sure that I'm not gonna be around when you go into battle.'

I thought to myself while glaring at Nobunaga. I left his room and I headed back to my room. Once I got there, I growled in frustration and then Shadow spoke up.

"Alex, what are we gonna do?! the full moon is going to be here tomorrow night and you're still unable to control your shifting during the full moon!"

"I know, but, we'll go along with Nobunaga and once he has set up camp before the battle starts, I'll sneak away from him and once we're far away, we'll let the shifting takes it course."

"All right, but, be careful where and when you shift, it's as you said, we can't let humans know that we werewolves exist."

"Now you're starting to sound like Zeus and Dominic."

"Hehe, well, we learned from the best didn't we?"

"True..."

I frowned a little when I remembered that dream I had about Dominic and Josh being alive along with their wolves playing with Shadow and when he asked me to be his mate once we got back to Modern world.

"What's the matter? aren't you happy?"

"I wanna say yes but, I don't...feel anything towards him."

I heard Shadow gasp and then she sighed a little.

"To be honest when Zeus told me what he and Dominic wanted, I was excited at first but, now that I think about it, even if we do become a Luna...how can we happy knowing that there's nothing for us to feel towards him."

I stood there in the darkness with Shadow keeping me company. I don't know how the others will react if they saw me shifting into a werewolf but, I did know is that I can't be around them when they see me become a monster.