Beneath the Moon

Chapter One: Rules Suck

XXX

A lone wolf made his way through the forest taking care to make little to no sound. He had one goal in mind, his nose glued to the forest floor—searching. Were it not for the snuffles of his nose as he overturned leaves and small vegetation in search of that one particular scent, his trek may have gone unnoticed.

For this young lone wolf, his routine was the same, night after night. When the moon was high in the sky he left the safety of his pack to venture into the dangers of the forest. It was a call he could not ignore, a need that had begun just over a year before.

He would search for his treasure in hopes that he would find it. On most nights he wasn't successful, but on nights where he was….

He almost missed it, the scent he longed for. It was faint, but she had been here and recently.

With an excited howl he picked up the pace, following the scent along the damp forest floor, his pace quickening as the scent grew stronger and stronger.

And then he broke through a final patch of trees and underbrush with one quick leap, and there she was. Sitting a few feet before him. Waiting. Waiting for him, he was sure of it.

Where she was black as night with eyes as blue as the deepest oceans, he was a white so striking it rivaled the purest of snows with eyes as vibrant a gold as the setting sun.

"InuYasha…" She said in greeting. "It has been awhile."

"Yes." He agreed, not quite believing she was there. It had been over a month since they had last met. InuYasha had almost given up hope of ever seeing her again and yet he couldn't stop himself from searching, hoping.

Tentatively he took a step towards her, inhaling her sweet scent while trying to be discrete, though he was sure she was aware of his actions. As her scent enveloped him, he was able to relax. The tension left him in waves, as his fears were finally able to be put to rest. She was still unmated, thank god.

The thought of her mating anyone else but him made him surge with a possessiveness that he tried to keep at bay, knowing such behavior would upset her and he did not want her to leave. Not yet, at least.

Their eyes met, and she gave him a knowing smirk—as best as she could in this wolf form.

InuYasha came to sit beside her then, as close as she would allow

"I missed you." He said. "I was worried…. I thought you forgot…or…" He trailed off, unable to finish the thought verbally—his worry that she might have found someone else.

"I know." InuYasha saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes that she failed to hide. "But as I have said numerous times before I will never forget my promise to you. And no matter how many days pass, I will always come back. And should anything happen… you will be the first to know." She said with certainty.

In a moment of weakness, InuYasha's anger got the best of him. He growled, and turned away from her. He wanted to believe her but how could he? He knew so much about her, and yet at the same time, so little.

"How can I believe that when you won't even tell me your name! You know what I want, you know what I desire! I don't know why we must go through all these games! You must want the same thing or you wouldn't be here!" He snarled.

The female wolf let out a soft chuckle, which only served to anger InuYasha even further. However, his anger was short lived when she did something she had never done before—she allowed him to touch her. Or rather, she touched him! InuYasha barely registered the ground shift beside him seconds before he felt the warmth of her body resting against his.

Unbelievingly, he looked her, shocked at their never before allowed closeness. She had rules for their meetings. He was not to touch her, and was not to sit too close. Yet here she was breaking the rules she adamantly stood by the whole year they had known each other.

They were so close that their noses were almost touching, if he just moved his nose even a centimeter closer… she looked away then, and InuYasha huffed in disappointment.

"You know the rules," She said, looking at him out of the corner of her sapphire eyes, teasingly. She was daring him to say something about her breaking her own rules, but he was too angry to play into her games tonight. Sighing deeply, she got up then, making sure to coyly rub against her companion as she went and sat a few feet away.

It was InuYasha's turn to let out a deep sigh of his own. He did know the rules. And they were stupid! InuYasha wasn't just a wolf. During the day he and his pack hid among the humans, but at night, they ran with wolves both wild and of their own pack.

The female wolf before him was very much the same, and an unmated female. Despite how long they had known each other, InuYasha was ashamed to admit he that knew little about her. Not what pack she was from—if she had one. Not her name…. not where she lived. Nothing. But she called to him in ways none of the unmated females of his own pack did. She was special, and he wasn't about to let her go without a fight.

InuYasha remembered their first meeting. It seemed to so long ago now…

It was late into the night, and it was his turn to do the patrols around their territory for signs of danger. But this night seemed different…. He felt someone was watching him but found no trace of a scent or sound to prove his suspicions to be true…

The moon was high in the sky when he heard it… the most beautiful howl ever to reach his ears. It sent chill of excitement down his spine and he knew he had to find the owner of such an enchanting yet sad song to the moon.

Their first meeting began much like the one today….

XXX

InuYasha broke through the clearing, coming to a screeching halt. Before him stood a young female wolf. She was black as night. He knew immediately what she was—that she was like him. The truth was in her eyes. They were soulful and intelligent—those oceanic blues that he would never be able to forget.

And her scent—it was the most amazing thing he had ever come across. He just wanted to drown himself in it for the rest of eternity! InuYasha growled pleasurably, taking a tentative step forward.

"Who are you?" He asked, letting his interest seep into the air before him. He wanted her to know his desires, in hopes she would desire the same thing.

"Hello, InuYasha…"

The snow colored wolf started then, halting his movements. "How do you know my name? What pack are you from?"

How did she enter his pack's land without his notice? And where did she come from?

"I cannot answer those questions."

InuYasha sensed the sadness in her. Why was she sad? He wanted in that moment to make that sadness go away. And he knew then. InuYasha knew without a doubt that he had found what he had long since desired. For years he had searched for a mate of his own now he knew he had found her.

He knew he should be upset at her refusal to answer his questions, but his happiness at the prospect at finding his companion in life overshadowed any concerns he should have had at her secrecy.

Yet even still, he asked a question his nose already told him the answer to. "Then answer me this: are you mated?"

Her blue eyes lit up with mirth then. "You already know the answer, InuYasha."

"Then be mine." His response was less of a proposal, and far more a demand.

"You hardly know me, yet you want me for a mate? What if we are not compatible? Or you realize too late you have made a mistake? A bond between our kind is not easily reversible, and very painful for both sides—should it not work out."

She was flattered by his declaration. He could feel it.

"That will not happen." InuYasha said arrogantly. "We are made for each other. I know you feel it just as strongly as I do."

"Hm. We shall just have to see then won't we? I require a task from you before I will commit myself to you so intimately."

"Anything." The young male wolf was certain he would succeed no matter what she required of him.

"If you can guess my name, I shall be yours just as you shall be mine."

XXX

It was something allowed of the females of their kind. Though nowadays, most chose to forgo it and either refuse or accept the offers from the males, it also wasn't that uncommon that females requested something from their suitors before they accepted or declined their offers of companionship. It was a test of sorts to see how dedicated the potential mate was.

Her request was unusual, but not one InuYasha thought was especially difficult, given that most required their suitors to prove their ability to provide or some show of strength to win the females over. Discovering her name (at the time, at least) didn't seem like such a tricky endeavor.

She told him, if he could find her each night, she would allow him several attempts to guess her name.

But now a year later and still he no closer to his desired outcome, the young wolf began to feel hopeless but still was not willing to give up. This felt too right to quit. And as long as there was a glimmer of success… he would be here.

"I don't have much time tonight, InuYasha." She said, breaking the hold InuYasha's memory had on him.

"You never do." He returned good-naturedly, trying to hide the sour turn his mood had taken. "Alright. Let's get started."

InuYasha moved to sit closer, before the game began.

XXX

Tired from the late night before, InuYasha was barely able to force himself out of bed the next morning.

Were it not for the several cups of coffee he sucked down before heading out the door to his first class, he was certain he wouldn't have made it to out the door.

By the time lunch rolled around he was slightly more alert, but more than ready for the day to be over so he could run home and catch a few Z's before he had another late night.

InuYasha sat alone in a booth at one of the college campuse's cafeteria; his head in his arms, trying not to fall asleep (but failing) as he waited out the 45 minutes before his next class was to start.

"Wake up, Sleepy head!"

InuYasha jolted up at the unexpected wake up call, just as a familiar body settled in the booth next to him.

"Damn it, Kagome! Why do you do that shit?!" InuYasha snapped angrily at his best friend. Though they both knew he could never truly be angry with her.

"Because I can!" She giggled, setting her backpack on the table as she settled comfortably next to him. "It's my job to keep you on your toes, and to make sure you don't miss your classes because you've fallen asleep again in some strange place." The raven-haired girl tugged playfully at his exotic silver locks.

"Late night?" She asked, nudging him teasingly.

"Yeah. Is there a reason, you have to sit RIGHT next to me when there is a perfectly good seat across from me? Ever heard of personal space?" He said, changing the subject quickly. He didn't want to have to make up some excuse as to why he didn't get much sleep. He couldn't tell her his secret. It was one of yet another set of rules, he was expect to follow…

Outsiders must not know their secret. And Kagome, being a human, was what those in the supernatural world called an "outsider."

InuYasha hated these rules… and he hated lying to his best friend.

"Why would I do that when I know you secretly enjoy my closeness?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

InuYasha snorted, checking his watch for the time. "You wish. Now get up." He ordered. "Our next class is in thirty minutes and it's gonna take us at least 20 minutes to walk there.

"Ugh. You're so mean! I don't know why I put up with you!" Kagome said with a roll of her eyes.

But she got to her feet, and InuYasha allowed her to pull him along with her as they headed to their next class. She chattered on and on the whole way, while InuYasha only half listened.

His mind was elsewhere, though he never took his eyes off his best friend. He wished she too, was like him. Now more than ever he hated keeping secrets from her. She had become such an integral part of his life that he couldn't imagine his life without her. InuYasha dreaded the day he knew would soon arrive.

The day he would have to say goodbye to her forever.

Yeah… It's been awhile! Life kinda got the best of me and my muse is well… somewhere else. So I figured maybe if I started something sorta new it might help jumpstart my other current stories and get me writing them again. I've actually had this idea for a while (about a year… lol) but wanted to finish what I had posted first. (You see where that went… sorry to those reading my current stories! I am working on them… just super slowly...) But lately… this story has been nagging me again so I thought… why not!

Please review, and give me your thoughts! I have tentative ideas about where I want this story to go, so if there is enough interest…