Chapter 1

Best Intentions

Three days.

For three days Koga found himself in absolute Hell. He couldn't sleep, refused to eat anything, even his own men were beginning to worry as to his despondent mood. But, that meant little to the Alpha. For three days, his woman remained still and had yet to open her eyes.

Despite the reassurances from the hoshi tending to her that Kagome was healing, Koga couldn't see any improvement. She slept like the dead and gave no indication of waking up at all.

His people had been victorious in the war again their enemies, the Birds of Paradise. They had claimed their old tribes' home-den and had saved his people from complete annihilation. But, the price of Kagome's life was more than Koga was willing to consider.

She had to wake up. She just had to.

As gently as if he held a butterfly's wing, Koga cupped his woman's pale hand in his own sun-darkened one. It was the only touch he allowed himself to do with her like this. Koga feared harming her otherwise. It amazed him how small she fit into his roughened palm, how fragile and delicate she looked in his clawed hand.

It was hard to remember Kagome was human while she was awake. There was such fire in her rich eyes, it made her seem invincible to those around her. Like there was nothing that could defeat her, if given the chance. To see her this helpless wasn't right.

"She looks stronger," a familiar voice replied in a soothing tone.

Koga found it more irritating every day.

"Maybe to you," the alpha snapped as he covered his woman's hand with his other, holding it as reverently as a sutra.

"Humans need time to heal," the hoshi explained patiently, for had to be the hundredth time. "She's not yokai that can heal quickly."

"She has before," Koga argued, not even bothering to look back at the waiting monk. "But, she won't wake up."

"Her bleeding has stopped," the monk replied. "It is an improvement. And, her spirit is growing stronger every day. You must be patient."

Chuffing in irritation, Koga decided to simply ignore the male. It was nothing he hadn't heard before. Every day the hoshi said the same thing. She was healing and he needed to be patient.

Koga was finding he hated hearing those words. They meant nothing. In fact, the only reason Koga hadn't just gutted the human in his frustration was that Kagome didn't seem to be getting any worse. And, right now, Koga was willing to take what he could get.

"Your men are looking for you," the hoshi added as he waited passively at the cave entrance. "They found something and wanted your opinion on what to do."

Releasing a breath between tight lips, Koga gave his woman's hand a final squeeze before gently laying it back on her fur bedding. In one fluid motion, he rose to his feet and stalked from the room without a second glance.

Might as well get this over-with.

SSS

Miroku released the breath he didn't realize he was holding once the young Alpha was out of sight. Even after being amongst the ookami these last few days, it still left him on edge how closely the alpha, Koga, was staying to Lady Kagome. Each time, Miroku wondered if the Ookami leader would discover what the tiny priestess held inside her still healing body.

Miroku knew worrying wouldn't solve anything. His training had taught him that from the beginning. Everything in life had a purpose for happening and all you could do was accept it and try to bring about the best outcome. The only thing in life you can control is you.

Be calm and you will be in control of yourself.

The words were his mantra, a promise to keep him from giving into the fears that followed him. The fear of failure, the fear of death by his own hand, literally. The fear that he'll never get to avenge his ancestors that suffered terribly from the curse that passed down his line.

But, the hoshi had more immediate worries. Like how to get this innocent priestess out of a den of wolves.

Ah, the struggles of a truly noble hoshi.

SSS

She felt hot. In fact, Kagome felt near to absolutely stifling as her chest heaved to try and take a full breath. Why did it feel so hard to breathe?

Thoughts scattered in a thousand different directions like leaves in the wind as the young priestess struggled to piece together what was happening around her.

The ookami were at war. They'd been attacked. Koga wasn't with them.

Koga! Was he alive? Was he alright?

Kagome fought to open her eyes but the lids felt too heavy in her head. How was that possible?

The weight on her chest was growing heavier. Gulping the shallow puffs of air, Kagome forced her lungs to work. She needed to wake up. Koga could be hurt. He could be dead.

She'd promised to save his people. No-matter what, she had to wake up!

"Miko?"

The soft question caused Kagome to still in hesitation as she struggled to place the voice with a face. Did she know it?

"Miko? Lady Kagome, can you hear me?"

She didn't recognize it but, the calm that surrounded her gave Kagome the peace to push towards it. She was safe. Somehow, Kagome just knew. The voice wouldn't hurt her. The voice wanted to help. It had to.

"Lady Kagome, if you can hear me, you need to wake up."

Yes, she did. She needed to wake up and find out what happened. She needed to see if Koga was still alive. If his tribe was still there. She needed to wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up!

"Wake up…."

Blinking tiredly to the sudden light beside her, Kagome groaned in pained frustration. Why was it so hard to do just that?

"There you are….," the voice replied in a warm tone. "We wondered how long you would be."

Turning her head slightly, Kagome came face to face with a young man she'd never seen before.

Gentle violet eyes smiled at her from a smooth, serene face. Dark robes of a simple hoshi wrapped about a lean form crouched beside her pile of warm furs acting as a bed.

Kagome quickly blinked the piercing pain behind her eyes. Why was her head pounding?

"What….." she whispered between dry lips. "…..happened?"

"You were wounded during the battle with the Birds of Paradise," the hoshi replied. "Quite….badly, in fact. You were brought into the Ookami den to heal. That was some days ago."

"Days?" Kagome asked, not yet willing to open her eyes again yet.

She'd been out that long?

"Koga?" she demanded. "Where is Koga?"

The hoshi went terribly still at the question, causing Kagome's panic to double within her pounding heart. It couldn't be!

"He is well," the hoshi finally responded. "He's looking into something his men had found."

"The war—"

"Is over," he finished patiently. "Thanks to you. The tribe have been waiting anxiously for you to awake, so they can celebrate their victory. The Alpha, Koga, especially."

A deep sigh of relief flowed through Kagome as she felt her whole body relax. They had won. She'd kept her promise. And, Koga was still breathing. Thank the Kami.

"Forgive me but…..what is your relationship with the alpha?"

Kagome turned her furrowed brow towards the curious monk, his own eyes sharpened with observant confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just… you seemed worried for him," the hoshi replied carefully. "And, he has made it quite clear you are his mate and I just assumed—"

"Don't assume anything," Kagome scolded, feeling her already heated face warm considerably more at what Koga could have possible told the monk beside her. "Koga and I are….."

Unfortunately, Kagome couldn't find the word to use to describe her and the alpha's odd relationship. She'd kept her word to him but what would he do now? He didn't need her anymore. Would that mean he'd take back his claim? This who scenario was just too weird for her to piece together at the moment.

"Has he forced you?"

Kagome snapped wide eyes back at the hoshi. He couldn't actually think…..

"I mean, does he hold you prisoner or keep you against your will?" the monk quickly corrected.

Kagome shook her head slightly. "I chose to help him," she replied quietly.

"I see," the hoshi replied. "And,…. do you wish to stay?"

Kagome felt the breath freeze tightly in her chest. Before her injury, she wouldn't question her answer. She was trying to escape before she was captured, for Kami sake! But, now, she was wondering what the right move was.

Not that she felt any romantic notions towards Koga, she wasn't that foolish. She just wasn't sure where she was to go, if she left. Besides, Koga would most-likely try and come after her anyway.

She needed to convince him to let her go. That was Kagome's best option. Once he realized this wouldn't work, he'd release his claim and she could leave with his blessing.

It was her only chance.

"If you don't," the monk quickly added before Kagome could answer, "then, I would help you. I could get you away from here, from him. I would take you somewhere safe, where you wouldn't need to fear him finding you or harming you for leaving."

Kagome found herself stunned by the earnest offer. Was he serious?

"All you need do is tell me, and I will save you from this den."

SSS

Fury like he'd never known before roared inside Ayumu as he heard the human male's seduction of his Apha's woman.

He didn't care how powerful the monk was, he wasn't stealing Koga's mate from him. No-one stole an Ookami's mate unless they had a death wish.

While the young hunter considered lunging into the dark cave and gutting the monk from behind, a grin of grim satisfaction spread across his smooth face.

This was Koga's kill. And, kill him, he will for trying to take Kagome away from them.

Turning quickly on his heel, the young hunter raced down the shadowed tunnels, to warn his alpha of the danger they harbored all this time.