Preference

Koga / OC (Yuiko)

We were waiting for the mutt to return with Kagome. I was told they would return nearly three suns ago. What could that Inuyasha have done to cause my sweet Kagome to be running this late in schedule? She was normally so very punctual and considerate and kind and-

What was that? A flash of red jumped right outside of my line of sight. My eyes stayed unfocused, following it back and forth. Everything seemed zoomed out, and I couldn't help but stare. And then it stopped. It was brought up to a… mouth?

I whipped my head from side to side, pawing at my head that was beginning to ache. I could now focus on her. I felt my skin warm just looking at her. My blood bubbled and I refused to match her obnoxiously charming grin. She munched obnoxiously away at a bright red apple.

"What's wrong, Cujo? Got places to be?" Yuiko mused just loud enough for my ears to catch. I always thought Kagome's human expressions were cute. There was something mysterious and alluring about it. All Yuiko's expressions gave me was a migraine. And although I had never felt more compelled to learn the language of their time, the fiery frustration I felt at her teasing tones could most certainly not be described as cute.

"I need to be here; thank you for asking. I will be waiting until my Kagome returns." I huffed, my tail angrily patting against the ground beside me. She approached leisurely from the dense foliage behind her. The red apple bounced from one hand to the other. I scoffed at the sight.

"Just… sitting here?" The way she spoke made the idea seem even a tad foolish to me. I assume I should be attending to my duties as leader of the eastern wolf tribe. To be honest, those responsibilities always seemed to leave my mind whenever Kagome was involved.

"Right here." I muttered, shaking the thoughts from my head. Kagome was goodness. Kagome was light. Kagome was everything I've ever wanted. Kagome was returning and I was going to be the first person to greet her as she arrived. I just had to devise a plan to get rid of her friend.

"Lunch?" she queried rather friendly. The gentle sound chilled my spine. I relaxed inside the shade, watching her squint at the sun peaking between the heavily clouded skies. She offered me the apple resting in her palm. My nose scrunched in disgust, but my tail thumped anxiously. She made me uneasy. I could always tell what Kagome would do; Yuiko was an unknown.

"No, thank you." I nodded to her as I would any other peasant offering an undesired gift. Because she wasn't special. I only had room for one woman in my heart and that place was already taken. I forced my eyes shut to ignore the girl. My ears twitched at the thud of her sitting to rest beside me.

"Come on. I only took a bite. My cootie's aren't infectious, pinky promise." She hummed, brushing her shoulder against mine. I could feel her arm snaking across mine, but I didn't open my eyes until I felt our fingers touch.

"Come on. When was the last time you ate?" She was attempting to transfer the apple from her hand to mine. I pushed her away from me and watched as her side collided with the ground. My feet stumbled to stand as they dug holes into the damp patches of grass beneath us.

"I don't need-" I was interrupted by her moving to stand as well. My hand instinctively reached out to assist her, while she reached out a hand to take a second chance at passing the apple onto me. My hand recoiled and my balance shifted. One foot slid under the other, and I was back on the ground again. My tail was trapped snuggly under my rear and my arms crossed in front of my chest.

"I only like the green ones!" I knew it was childish after I said it. I felt the embarrassment warm my cheeks, but I stayed firm in my beliefs. This woman wasn't enough to politely feign illness or fullness. I noticed a flicker of disappointment pass across her face before understanding rested there.

"Only… oh." She replied. A leer appeared on her face as the information sunk in. My pointed canines scraped against my lower lip as I watched the thoughts collect in her mind.

"Well, you are a leader." She uttered as an afterthought. Her eyebrows scrunched together in realization. Shame painted my looks and my hands twitched with ire. What was that supposed to mean? Royalty brought me honor. Royalty brought me purpose. I was never ashamed to be the remarkable leader that I was. Why would I be? I could get anything I want at any time that I want. With my lovely Kagome at my side, one day I could rule the lands.

"Excuse me?" I growled. There was a quickening pulse at the temple of my skull. No woman had every made me just this angry.

"Hm? Oh, you're a leader. You have the luxury to be picky like that. A preference over apples-" She took an extra bite for emphasis after surmising her thoughts. "That's cute."

I didn't have time to bite back a retort before another voice was interrupting us.

"Yuiko?" a gruff sound brought Yuiko up and away from our resting place. My eyes flashed upwards to find another human. His fur was combed neatly back, reminding me of a pup arriving to his first day of training. His muscles weren't anything to covet. And although his armor easily labeled him a warrior, his eyes didn't sweep the surroundings before approaching, only falling upon the human woman beside me and staying there.

"Lunch is finished. I was sent to retrieve you." As he spoke, he finally dragged his eyes away from her to glance at me. He shifted uncomfortably as I turned to meet his gaze. My chest puffed at the sight of his challenging stance. He transferred his weight to his hind leg and bowed his head in resentful subordination.

"That's alright. I'm not feeling very hungry." I heard her speak from somewhere nearby. The noise didn't loosen any of the tension. I believed she noticed because next thing I know her knee was leaning against my thigh and her apple was thrust past my lips.

"What are you-" I gasped out as I held her arms still and tried to ignore the happy scrunch of her nose as she giggled. I attempted to shift my glare from the pup to Yuiko but my annoyance hastily cooled.

"I will be waiting then." The brat piped up. The apple fell unwanted to the earth below. The woman wouldn't react accordingly to any of my tactics to prove my superiority. She just grinned that toothy grin that pressured me to do the same. I overheard the man leaving and my stiff limbs finally relaxed. I took a brief moment to level my breathing, before detangling our arms from the recent squabble.

Eventually, the silence fell uncomfortably around us.

"He's right. You should probably get going." I uttered after a while. Although I tended to prefer my solitude, I never regretted the small incidents between Yuiko and I. She was a nice girl and, although insufferable at times, she did not deserve to be shunned by her people for spending time with the wolf demon.

"I think I can make that decision for myself, thanks." Her answer was curt but I could feel the underlying offense taken beneath her words. She rose to her feet once again and padded over to lean against the enchanted well. She scanned the darkness below, straining to see something I did not know. The wind picked up as trees rustled in the lush area. The sun had begun to set and the soothing sounds of nature began to arise.

The peculiarly unique aroma of humans wafted from the nearby village. I could just barely catch the bustling as they winded down for the night. An easy hum drifted from Yuiko's lips as she traced the weeds sprouting up from between the aged wood of the well's rim.

Everything happened so quickly. There wasn't time enough to ensure my brain was in accordance with my body. I sensed the demonic energy and my feet had dashed to where my eyes last saw her. I almost missed when we collided, her front shoving painfully into the firm rim of the well. My lungs pumped painfully against my chest, but my body wouldn't give an inch. I could feel the cold sweat collecting between us as her body shook against mine. My nose dug into the crook of her shoulder, dragging her further into my embrace. I jutted my back out towards the enemy and waited for impact.

Silence.

My curiosity eventually got the best of me and I pried my eyes open. I took a hesitant glance over my shoulder, maintaining the tight embrace with the woman in front of me. A lower-level demon sat stunned a good fifteen feet away. The demon's arms were littered with small abrasions and lower degree burns.

"You scared me there for a moment. I almost forgot. This is Inuyasha's Forest. A safe perimeter around the well is always protected if he's not present when Kagome or I return." Yuiko whispered in the small distance between us. I could tell that she was attempting to calm the pair of us; however, my concern only grew at the crack in her voice. She turned in my arms and guided my hands back to my sides.

I didn't know if it was the sudden chill at the lack of her touch or the fact that Inuyasha once again saved my damsel, but I no longer appreciated any company. Even when Inuyasha was not here, he was in their thoughts. He was in everyone's thoughts. Inuyasha was a name to be feared. I thought Koga was as well, but I was not the source of relief filling this woman. I was not prepared and he beat me, again.

"Leave." My demand was short. I spoke with absolute dominance.

"I wish to be alone." I quickly gathered her things. I heard her protesting, but the sharp pounding of blood pulsed in my ears. I didn't give myself time to think about my actions. I just relived the feeling of my stomach dropping to my ankles again and again. My sole priority at this moment was spreading distance between this girl and the shadowy forest behind me. I would tuck her away in her safe little cot and come back for the sad sap beyond the barrier. And that's exactly what I did.

"Goodbye." I murmured a farewell as I laid her down to rest. Although the stress of the demon incident clearly left her visibly weary, her eyes shown with absolute alertness. Somewhere inside of me, I knew I shouldn't have left her alone that night. But, surely tomorrow Inuyasha would return to protect her better than I.

"Good morning."

The greeting roused me from my sleep. My claws raked through the dying grass beside me. The night before came back to me in flashes. I dug at the dried blood caked under my claws as I scrutinized the person willing to wake a sleeping demon.

"Kagome!" I yelped. The black-haired beauty stood before me in the mid-day sunlight. In her hands, there was a water pouch and a bag of the greenest apples I had ever seen.

"This is-" I struggled to find the words to say. "Thank you."

Her face creased heavier than normal. She looked angry. I moved to comfort her, but she spoke first.

"They were from Yuiko. A bed was prepared last night but it appears you never came." Her words were sharp as she looked over me with scorn. I felt my limbs curl back into myself. I tried to swallow the dryness from my throat.

"I left for her safety." The words tumbled past my lips. It was what I had been repeating to myself until late into the morning, as the betrayal in her eyes haunted me until I found repose. We weren't very close. We would speak from time to time when needed. We mostly just had our arguments.

"You left to pout." Her tone was that of a mother. She set the gifts in front of me. Although she was the one I was waiting for, my thoughts still held the same priority.

"Thank her when you can." She left me with that command. My ears twitched at the thought. When I saw her, would she yell? Or worse, would she not speak at all? Would she speak of Inuyasha again, because if she did-. My thoughts halted as my feet itched to take me to her. Whatever it was, we would fight about it. That's what we did best. We would fight, and we would share these apples, and I would ask her what 'cujo' and 'cooties' meant, and we would fight about that.

I made up my mind as I trudged to the entrance of the village. I attempted to avoid the burning gazes at my back. I heard Inuyasha's gang somewhere to my left. I held my chin high and continued on.

I found her. My grip on the bag tightened. She was laughing at something the pup had said. He rubbed the hairs at the back of his neck as he watched her smile. They stood outside of the hut where I assumed he lived.

I felt the snarl build in my throat, but a grin spread across my face. I was about to give her something to fight about. She was worth fighting for.