Unwilling

By ShadowYoukai87

Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter One

Kagome felt horrible, both mentally and physically, as she replayed the wolf's words in her mind. The pain in her head was outweighed only by the sharp pain in her neck. Surely, he couldn't be telling her the truth...yet, there was a part of her knew it he was. Still, she needed to hear it again, just to make sure her ears were working properly. She was more awake now; the wolf's statement had caused that.

The wolf, perhaps because he knew she needed it repeated, though it was more likely to brag, he grinned and repeated himself.

"You're my mate, Kagome, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

It was a bright, sunshiny day and there was nary a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately, the little group didn't notice, or just didn't care in some cases. They were too busy moping for even Shippo to smile and Miroku to grope.

Why? Oh, esteemed reader, can you not tell? It was a loss dealt to them by their arch-foe, the foul, nauseating, feminine-looking Naraku and his rather annoying, if spunky, wind goddess Kagura. At least this time, despite grievous injuries, they managed to retain all of their shards of the Shikon no Tama, few as they were.

Despite his injuries still being unhealed, InuYasha had insisted they move. To understand why, one must understand that lying down and healing after a battle with Naraku made him think of Kikyo, who led to his relationship with Kagome, which always left him upset and depressed. Oh, Kagome alone was fine, unless she had a 'test'. He hated 'tests', whatever they were. Kagome left to do them instead of finding him the shards of the jewel she broke. Oh yeah, she was useless. Her arrows didn't count... neither did the ramen...or the potato chips...or anything.

Miroku and Sango, both still healing, rode Kilala as their strength faded with the sunlight. Though they had protested leaving the 'safe' hut so soon, they agreed it wasn't wise to stay where their location was known to their foe, and could be killed with one well planed sneak attack. Dying wouldn't avenge their families. Both hoped, for the half-demon's health as well as their own, that they would be permitted to stop soon, each knowing there was no chance of stopping him.

Kagome, it seemed, didn't realize that.

"Can't keep up, wench?" called their leader, stopping and turning back to her, some thirty feet back.

"I'm tired, InuYasha," she stated coolly, "and my feet hurt, so I can only imagine how Sango and Miroku must feel, not to mention you."

"I ain't tired, wench!"

"No, but your bandages need changing," her logic was flawless there, "and you should have another dose of antidote. Now, I'm not taking another step until you agree that we'll set-up camp here for the night."

As usual, InuYasha was surprised. Kagome was immune to his normal intimidation tactics. He was certain it had something to do with the beads around his neck, but that was a story for another time. With her, he had to compromise or she'd cry(which he couldn't stand) and/or storm off to the well(which he also couldn't stand as it meant she wasn't there to shard hunt for him) and he didn't know which was worse, though, with the tears, he nearly always gave in. Whether or not she realized it was her problem.

"Fine, we'll stop," he mumbled annoyed, "but we get an early start tomorrow."

She grinned as she removed her bag. "Fine. Now, you want ramen for dinner, ri-" The pause said what, her eyes where, and her face who. Shards, from the west, most likely Koga. InuYasha didn't hesitate to run to her side. Unfortunately, the wolf was faster and, in the blink of an eye, she was gone, kidnapped by the wolf demon.

The quick grab had caused her wound, a bump on the head, to shoot pain through her head for a moment before she blacked out. Then, she woke on a bed of straw. It could have been hours later, it could have been minutes, and the wolf made his declaration, after the cliched observation that she was awake, of course.

She didn't know what to do, what to say, but she knew she couldn't accept it. He had said a hundred times she was 'his woman' and she had corrected him that she wasn't, supported, of course, by the half demon, normally in the form of a threat or a physical attack or an attempted attacked, stopped by her word. She'd end up having to tear the two apart every time, and now, she wished she had let them fight it out. She knew the change in title was important, even if 'mate' was no better than 'woman'; if anything it was worse, implying she was an animal kept around for breeding.

"Look," she began, finally finding her voice, "Koga, I am not your mate, not your woman, not yours, period."

"Of course you are," Koga replied, rather too smugly for her liking, "I marked you."

"Marked?" She asked disbelievingly.

He nodded and looked at her like she was a child, or crazy, or a crazy child, "On your neck?"

"M-my neck?" she asked as a hand tentatively reached for the sore spot on her neck and felt two small indentations surrounded by a bruise. "YOU BIT ME!?!"

"Well, duh," he said leaning back so his was face was inches form hers. "How else would I mark you?"

"YOU JERK!!!" she shouted, moving away from him and causing her head to spin even worse, "YOU CREEPY JERK!!!!" The cave soon joined it. Yelling with a headache is a bad idea. Where the hell is InuYasha when you need him to pummel someone? What am I saying 'pummel'? I mean destroy! Rend! KILL!

As she held her throbbing head, a wolf approached Koga and howled softly. From the look on the demon's face, it wasn't good news.

"Already? Blast it, I was hoping for some more time, but if he's here.." Koga shook his head and held out his hand, "C'mon Kagome, let's go see dog turd."

She got up, ignoring the hand, and grabbed the wall for support. Standing with a migraine was a bad idea too. When Koga's hand took hers, she retracted hers instantly.

"Don't you dare touch me, wolf," she growled, hoping she sounded fierce as she walked ahead of him to the mouth of the cave, trying to steady the room as she walked. She wouldn't show weakness to Koga, not when she was alone.

Walking through the waterfall, Kagome saw a crowd of wolves, demon and animal alike, loosely surrounding a boy with dog ears holding a seven foot long sword ready for battle, and a little fox demon child resting on his shoulder, partly hidden by the boy's waist length white hair. The fox spotted her first and called her name before leaping from the boy into her open arms, nearly knocking her over in the process, but she didn't care. Shippo wouldn't let anyone hurt her; InuYasha would be better, but, for now, Shippo would do.

InuYasha's eyes had followed Shippo's fight and had stayed on Kagome for a moment until Koga appeared from the waterfall and went to stand beside the girl. As soon as Kagome noticed him, she moved until she was behind InuYasha, or she would have if Koga hadn't grabbed her arm.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH ME!!!!!" she yelled as she struggled to get free before there was a flash of bright pink light radiating form the spot where Koga's hand had her arm.

"Shit!" cursed the wolf, blowing on his smoking hand before thrusting it under the waterfall, "What the hell was that?"

"That was Kagome's spiritual powers, dumb ass!" InuYasha bellowed, suddenly in front of her. He hadn't seen her use her powers without a bow in ages. It made him wonder... "Now, if you don't mind, we'll be on our way." Sunset or not, he was getting Kagome out of there.

"Whatever, just leave my mate."

How dare that wolf call Kagome his mate!!

"I AM NOT YOUR MATE, YOU IDIOT COWARD!!!!"

Finally, she's seeing him for what he is.

"That's not what your neck says."

Her...neck? N-No.

"Shut up!"

"Kagome," He said quietly and her frightened kitten eyes rose to his, "S...show me your neck." He had to see for himself, that the wolf was lying, that he hadn't marked Kagome.

Kagome looked up at him with large, frightened eyes, like a rabbit before the kill, and nodded, placing Shippo on InuYasha's shoulder. He visibly flinched when she revealed the purple bruising caused by Koga's fangs and Shippo gasped in shock. He could almost see the smug look on Koga's face, almost hear the bragging speech he'd give when he turned around, saying how he would have to leave his mate there for a time at least for consummation, how he'd join the hunt to stay near his mate, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I...just woke up with it, InuYasha," she whispered nervously. "Wh...what does it mean? Am I...really bound to him? Am I?" she demanded a little more forcibly when he didn't reply, tears beginning to well behind her eyes.

"Oh no!" Cried Shippo, a look of panic on his face. "That means Koga is my new Daddy! He's even worse than InuYasha! He tried to feed me to his wolves! But don't worry Kagome! I won't leave you! Never ever ever! Are you okay, Mama-Kagome?"

The girl didn't answer the child's question. She just looked pleadingly at InuYasha, praying there was something he could do, something he could say, and he wanted to say there was, to the very bottom of his heart he did, but he couldn't think of a single thing. There just had to be something he could do. There just had to be. He wouldn't lose Kagome to such an unworthy adversary. He couldn't; but he knew he couldn't do a thing. Koga had made the mark and now, she was his. He didn't even have the right to carry her anymore. If he so much as tried to take her away now, Koga could rightfully have his head by night fall, and Kagome would never go home, never see her friends, never do anything but what Koga dictated. Kami, he was a horrible protector.

"Inu...Yasha?"

"I..I'm sorry, Kagome, but..."

"But he's helpless, my mate," beamed Koga appearing at her side and taking hold of her arm. "Just let the mutt be and come back in the cave like a good little mate."

"How old are you, Koga?" Kagome asked pulling away from him.

"What?!"

"I think it is a simple question. How old are you, in years if you can."

"Well, uh, I'd have to say...about 125 summers, give or take a few."

"Well, I'm 16. In my country, I am much too young to marry, which is the human equivalent of mating," she explained. "I am even too young to partake in any action related to mating. You see, there is a matter of my traditions of my country and family to consider, don't you agree InuYasha?"

"Uh, yeah." he replied dumbly, "Your country has lots of weird traditions and crap."

She nodded appreciatively. "Even if I were from a village nearby, I am human, and as such, I need the permission of my family to marry, and you must make a gift of some kind to them. Do you understand, Koga?"

"Yeah!" Koga replied a little too enthusiastically, "I must travel to your country, present myself to your family and ask for you to be my mate!"

DUN, DUN DUUUUUUNNNNN!

R&R Please!!!!