Chapter 2: The second moment and Kouga's choice

Around sundown Kouga stirred. He felt content with no desire to wake and move from his position. Something about that very thought irked Kouga. It was such a weird idea for him. He slowly pried his eyes open and yawned. What he saw caused him to eep and fall backward. In front of him stood a very amused looking Ginta and Hakkaku. As he rubbed his head, which he had just banged against the ground, he tried to figure out why they looked so amused. Then it hit him. He had been asleep curled up like a content puppy with Inuyasha. During their sleep the two of them had shifted their positions so Kouga was holding Inuyasha firmly to him with Inuyasha molded to his body as he used Kouga's shoulder for a pillow. Inuyasha rolled over and whined softly at the lost warmth but remained asleep. For a moment it evaded Kouga of how he had even ended up in such a weird position. Then the memories of what had happened hit him and his hand flew to his neck where he could feel the now sealed mark Inuyasha had left. It was a neat scar of raised flesh that perfectly matched Inuyasha's bite. Kouga let out an unconscious whimper at how his life had just taken a drastic turn in a new unwelcome direction. Ginta and Hakkaku's smiles were wiped clean off their faces as they heard Kouga and saw what he was covering. In Inuyasha's half asleep state he reached out to Kouga hoping to help comfort him with a soft purring sound. His demon knew its mate was distressed and wanted to help sooth him. To Kouga's dismay he started to relax.

After a moment Inuyasha snuggled against Kouga's leg and with a sigh inhaled his scent. Paused. Sniffed again. Then his eyes snapped open and he jerked his head away from Kouga with shock obvious on his face. The complete shock on Inuyashas face saddened and hurt a part of Kouga but he pushed that foreign part away violently. "What the fuck?" Inuyasha yelled shoving Kouga away as he jumped away slamming his back painfully against the wall. Inuyasha's demon side growled in irritation at his actions and demanded he go sooth the man and apologize for his actions. "What..." Inuyasha cut off his sentence as memories started running rampant through his head. "What happened? How did I end up here with wolfboy? The last thing I remember is …." Inuyasha visibly paled. "Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara..." he whispered each name. His pack. His family. "I …. I couldn't do anything... I tried but could only watch as they died one after the other..." his form visibly slumped in depression. "Kagome..." A soft sob could be heard from the boy. A part of Kouga's heart broke and he moved on instinct. He motioned for Ginta and Hakkaku to leave and keep what they had seen a secret. Both of the wolves left quietly feeling the pain and loneliness come off Inuyasha in waves. Their instincts screamed to go help comfort their alpha's new mate but they suppressed those feelings and obeyed Kouga's wishes.

Kouga pulled the whimpering boy into his arms. He released a soft growling sound from his chest similar to the sound Inuyasha had made mere minutes ago to help sooth him. Inuyasha distraught and lost in his own mind didn't voice any objections as he slowly molded to the wolf's form and openly cried. There was no shame in the overwhelming grief Inuyasha felt. He had lost everything and Kouga let him cry as he did what he could to try to sooth the boy.

After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes Inuyasha rubbed his eyes and pulled gently out of Kouga's grasp. "I'm not going to ask if you're alright because there is no reason you should be." Kouga said looking at the inu's downcast face. "I will ask if you'll eventually be alright?" Kouga patiently watched as Inuyasha slowly raised his head and looked at Kouga with still glistening eyes. After a second that felt eternal Inuyasha silently pulled himself out of Kouga's grasp and Kouga released him easily.

"Kouga …" Inuyasha bit off his sentence and thought for a second. "Did anything happen after I lost control?" Kouga bit his lip. Inuyasha didn't remember. Kagome had told him that it happened occasionally when he completely shut down. "What I mean to say is did I hurt anyone?" The sound in Inuyasha's voice nearly broke Kouga's heart.

"No you didn't." Kouga said softly. If Inuyasha didn't remember what had happened Kouga wasn't gonna tell him. He pulled his hair loose of the binding to help cover up the mark on his neck. He'd need to find a better solution if he didn't tell Inuyasha soon he thought absentmindedly. Inuyasha hadn't meant to and Kouga couldn't find it in himself to tell Inuyasha what he had done. "By the time you regained conscientiousness my pack was on the scene. I left them to care for the village while I lured you out into the forest where I let you release your built up rage." Kouga said thoughtfully. Technically he hadn't lied he just worded what Inuyasha wouldn't want to hear in a way he'd never think to translate.

Inuyasha sighed nodding obviously relieved. "Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked surprising himself. Normally he wouldn't even give a second thought to the fleabag but for some reason he did care. Inuyasha mentally shook himself saying it was just because he was used to protecting those around him and now there was no one that needed his protection.

"I'm fine. You think I'd let you physically injure me?" Kouga rose to his feet with a smirk. "I'm not that weak." He paused thinking for a moment. "Though I do got to say when your demon takes over wow you got some stamina. You even had me tiring out." He said with a smirk. "Take your time here. I need to return to the village and check on everything. Return when you're ready." Kouga said as he looked in the direction the village was. He saw Inuyasha give a small nod from the corner of his eye and he was gone.

Kouga let out a sigh. This was not going to be easy. 'I can't just dump yet another life altering incident on him. Let alone one that neither of us wanted.' Kouga shook his head. 'Just for a little while … I'll tell Inuyasha soon now just wasn't a good time.' He nodded having convinced himself that he was right even though his demon snarled at the idea but it finally subsided excepting that Inuyasha wasn't ready to know what he had unconsciously done. It might just break the boy.

As he neared the village Kouga let out a howl that would call his pack together. When he arrived in the village it was a very different sight then he had left it as. All the stray debris had been cleaned up, the villagers were bandaged some were even working already, and work had already begun to fix the damaged huts. Kouga looked on in amazement. He knew his pack could complete a lot but apparently when demons and humans put aside their differences amazing things could be achieved. Before Kouga stood every demon and wolf that had come to help. They seemed tired and a little ragged but all seemed to have a proud glow around them. Kouga couldn't have been more proud of his pack if he tried. Shaking himself from his thoughts Kouga motioned for his pack to follow him. Once they had reached a clearing in the woods that Kouga approved of he stopped and turned to his pack. They waited patiently for him to speak.

"I have something to tell you all." Kouga began and stopped to gather his thoughts. This was going to be hard he knew that.

Kouga's mother stepped forward with concern evident on her face. "Pup what's happened?"

Deciding there was no easier way to tell them what happened Kouga flicked his hair away from his neck revealing the mark that lay there. His pack stood there shocked as they stared at the mark. There was no mistaking what it was.

"Pup." the healer said looking at the mark. "Who?" Then a new light came to her eyes. "I've got a daughter!" A smile burst out on her face. She had been eagerly awaiting the day her son took a mate. She couldn't wait to have a daughter and be a grandmother. The others in the pack had broken out of their shock and started howling happily and congratulating Kouga.

Kouga winced and held up a hand. They quickly quieted eagerly waiting to find out who the lucky woman was. "I don't know how to tell you all this..." He said then squared his shoulders and looked at his pack again. "My mate..." Kouga almost choked on the word but pushed himself to continue "is Inuyasha." Kouga braced himself for his packs reaction. They stared at him in silence complete shock showing on their faces.

"Kouga explain quickly." His mother said with a blank expression on her face and a hard tone to her voice. She knew for a fact just how much her son supposedly detested the boy.

Kouga gave his mother a nod and proceeded to tell them everything that had happened starting from the village, which they had all been witness to, and ending with his decision. The pack stayed quiet taking in everything he said. A few of them went to open their mouths but quickly closed them and looked at Kouga's mother. How she reacted would determine everything. Even though Kouga was the alpha and leader his mother was wise and held their utmost respect. She had led the pack for years before Kouga had been old enough to take over after her mate, Kouga's father, had died and during that time the pack had flourished.

The woman let out a sigh and looked at her son slowly thinking about what she would say. "I don't approve of this." She said slowly and concisely. Kouga's shoulders slumped but the woman held up a hand to indicate she was not finished. "I do not approve of your decision not to tell Inuyasha he has a right to know what has happened. Though I have not seen the boy since you left the village so you might be correct in thinking he wouldn't be able to handle the news." She thought for a moment. "We will do as you ask and keep this a secret from Inuyasha and the village." Kouga felt instant relief but stiffened when his mother gave him a sharp look. "But I demand you tell Inuyasha as soon as possible. That is not a request." She said and Kouga could feel all of her years of leadership in that one sentence. It was the tone of someone who expected and was use to people taking their orders. Kouga nodded slowly. Kouga's mother let out a sigh. So much for good news. "If I determine Inuyasha is able to handle the news now you will tell him immediately. Am I understood?" Kouga gave a weak yes. "Everyone except Kouga back to the village and not a word about what has happened." She said not letting her eyes leave her son. All the wolves and demons gave nods of understanding and left the two alone.

"Mother." Kouga said looking up at his mother with a lost look on his face. "What if..." his voice trailed off. He didn't know how to word all of his thoughts and fears. What if Inuyasha didn't except him? What if he did? How would he react? What would the future hold for them now? Wolves mate for life and even though they hadn't actually had sex Kouga's wolf considered Inuyasha his mate and wouldn't stray from him. Suddenly he felt alone and his wolf demanded he tell Inuyasha everything that moment.

"Oh pup." She said pulling him into a hug. What was she going to do with this boy? "Things like this have a way of working themselves out. Now what do you plan on doing with that mark?" She said looking at it closely. "I assume since you had your hair down, which you normally detest, that you plan to hide it." Kouga nodded glad his mother had latched onto a topic that could be remedied at the moment. She pondered it for a moment and started to dig through a little bag she always had with her in case of medical emergencies. She pulled out a fresh bandage and started to wrap it around Kouga's neck. "For now we will say that after you returned to the village you went for a run. Because you were lost in thought you didn't notice a demon sneak up behind you. You weren't able to respond until you felt its claws rake across your skin. Obviously you easily downed them but due to the poison the wound wont heal quickly." She said slowly and concisely as she expertly bandaged his neck and part of his back to make it look convincing. "Inuyasha probably wont think too deeply about it so that should provide you with a few days maybe a week at the most." She replaced the rest of the bandage in her bag and looked at her work with a pleased eye. To anyone it would look like he had taken a rather serious wound. "I will inform the pack so they don't stick their noses into the matter." Kouga nodded it was a decent plan. Simple and to the point. Not to mention once that exact thing had almost happened to him so it was within the realm of possibility.

So here's chapter 2 :)

Hope you all like it. The next chapter should be more exciting I promise .

Please R&R! I can't promise how fast the next chapter will be out since I'm also trying to work out the next chapter of Innocents (if you haven't read it check it out!)

Ok side note! After reading over the first chapter then this one and looking at some of the reviews I realized that the roles in Inuyasha and Kouga's relationship are a little confusing. ;P

I promise next chapter it'll become easier to understand! . So please just bear with me for a little while. You'll enjoy it I swear ;3

Anyway!

Till next time in chapter 3: The third moment.