A/N: Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited, and/or reviewed the prologue to this story! You've all made me feel so happy about writing this! Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts! :) love to you all.
-sugarythought
Kagome clung to Inuyasha as he leapt up the side of a cliff. He landed gracefully on edges and rocks while carrying her over his shoulder. Her legs dangled in front of him and her fingers dug into his red fire rat coat. She stared with wide eyes down at the ground as it got further away the higher up they went. Inuyasha hadn't said a word to her but she knew he was still in his demon form. Hanyou Inuyasha was aggressive but never this brutal. She couldn't remember him being stuck in the transformation for this long. The thought that he might never go back to normal crossed her mind several times. As soon as Tessaiga had been knocked aside she should have run and grabbed it. Kagome cursed herself for not learning from their previous mistakes. If only she had been able to grab the sword before he took her away. This could've all been over.
Inuyasha grunted as he landed on the edge of the cliff. He dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. Kagome pulled herself up and took a look around. A cave loomed dark and ominous before her. She glanced behind her. They were above the tree line. The open sky stretched wide in front of them. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky shades of pink and orange. In any other circumstance, she would've found the sight to be quite breathtaking. The reality of the situation though overruled the scenery. Night was almost upon them. There was nowhere to go. Inuyasha was staring down at her, his eyes pure red. He was smirking. His fangs were sharp against his lips.
He strode over to the side of the cave entrance where a small group of trees were growing just off the cliff. With a single swipe of his claws, he tore the trees into pieces. He carried the pile of wood with one hand and grabbed her arm with the other. He started to drag her into the cave.
"Inuyasha! No! Please stop!" Kagome screamed. She tried to pull away from him but his grip was too strong. She felt her bare skin scrape against the rock as he pulled her into the cave. She yelped in pain.
Somehow this seemed to register with Inuyasha, even in his demon form. He lifted her from the ground by the arm he had in his grasp. Her legs merely grazed the ground instead of scraping against it.
The darkness enclosed upon them. The only light came from the cave opening that was getting smaller the further in they went. Inuyasha stopped and dropped her. Kagome immediately crawled away from him, towards the wall.
She stared at him. What was he planning to do? He wouldn't really hurt her… right? She thought of all the other times he had transformed. They were lucky enough to snap him out of it before he became too much of a danger to them and himself. After all, they had been told that if Inuyasha remained in his demon form for too long, he would be lost to it. He wouldn't be able to recognize friend from foe. They had been so careful lately. How did they let this happen?
Inuyasha put the wood together neatly in a pile. He grabbed two rocks and with a few strikes a fire began to grow within the wood. He nursed the fire for a few moments until it was able to sustain itself on its own. Kagome was shocked at his ability to perform such a normal task in his current form. Inuyasha stood and she felt his eyes linger on her. She averted her gaze, feeling nervous. He was walking towards her. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She kept her eyes on his bare feet as they headed in her direction. She was surprised however when those feet walked right by her to the entrance of the cave.
"Where are you going?" She asked, uncertainly. He turned his head at her voice. His eyes burned bright in the darkness of the cave. He growled once at her and then leapt off the cliff's edge.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome scrambled to her feet and ran outside. She stared down towards the ground. She could just make out his red figure before it disappeared into the trees.
Kagome sat herself down on the rock, letting her legs hang from the edge. She thought about escaping. It would probably be the only chance she'd get. As she looked at the mountain of rock underneath her, she couldn't fathom how she could possibly manage it. She sighed and turned her gaze up to the sky. The moon illuminated the night, dotted by the many twinkling stars. She lost herself in her thoughts. What if he wasn't coming back? Had he abandoned her? She should be happy that she was safe but she felt even more uneasy. What would she do if no one came for her? How would she survive if she couldn't get off this cliff?
A chilled breeze rushed past her and she shivered. She didn't realize how cold the night had become. Her fingers were numb and goosebumps covered her bare skin. She sighed again, her breath a white cloud in the cool air. Kagome stood and went back into the cave to warm herself beside the fire.
Sitting by the flames, feeling the heat made her feel the slightest bit better. She may starve to death but at least she wouldn't be cold. Kagome hadn't even known she had drifted off to sleep until she was startled awake by the sound of a growl.
She looked up. Inuyasha was standing in front of her, his glare penetrating. Purple still lined his cheeks and red fire still blazed in his eyes. He tossed a skinned, cooked rabbit in front of her and then went to the other side of the fire. He stared at her from across the flames. He bared his teeth and nodded towards the rabbit. Kagome sat up, taking the small animal. She picked at the food. She hadn't intended to eat much but didn't realize how hungry she actually was. She started taking big chunks of meat off of the rabbit. She hadn't eaten since earlier on in the day before they had encountered the bear demon.
Seeing her eat seemed to satisfy Inuyasha. He peeled his fire-rat coat off and the shirt he wore underneath. A number of cuts marred his chiseled body. Several of them were leaking blood. He closed his eyes. His body began to relax though his ears twitched at every crack of the fire.
Kagome sat watching him for some time. He must be in pain, she thought. His body almost never went into youkai form without an immediate danger to his survival. A particularly large gash across his chest caused by the bear demon's claws was seeping a steady stream of dark blood. Inuyasha remained still and silent as though it didn't bother him. Maybe he really couldn't feel it. He looked almost like he would have as a hanyou with his eyes closed and his face relaxed. The tell-tale signs that he was still lost to her were the purple streaks across his face, the long claws, and the sharp teeth protruding from his mouth.
As the night wore on the cave grew colder and damp, making the fire seem miniscule. Kagome crawled closer to where Inuyasha sat, watching him carefully. He was radiating more heat than the fire. He might have a fever, she thought. She couldn't just sit there while he was ill or wounded. Even if he didn't feel it, he was in danger. Kagome ripped an already torn piece of her shirt. Her uniform was beyond saving. Gently, she began to dab her makeshift cloth over his wounds. His body tensed and Kagome paused, cautiously. When he continued to remain still, she resumed tending to his wounds.
She was in the middle of cleaning the slash on his chest when Inuyasha's hand came forth and grabbed hers. Kagome's breath hitched in her throat. She glanced up at him. He was staring at her intently. His eyes were still demonic but they no longer held the same maliciousness that she had seen before. She was startled when he grabbed her around the waist and stood, lifting her up with him. His hands grasped her waist and he pushed her against the wall of the cave gruffly.
"Inuyasha!"
Kagome was shaking, her cloth dropped from her hand. Was this it? Was he going to kill her? No… she had to trust that her hanyou was still in there. She stared into his unfamiliar red eyes, pleading with them.
"Inuyasha! Snap out of it!" Kagome screamed at him. Inuyasha responded by taking her legs and wrapping them around his body. She wrapped her hands around his enchanted necklace to steady herself. She thought about commanding him to sit but feared his reaction. He dipped his face down. She felt his nose skim her skin and down her shirt, hovering over her breast. Her chest heaved. She felt like she couldn't breathe properly. She couldn't hear anything other than her own heart hammering hard against her chest. Inuyasha was breathing steadily and deeply. He seemed to be taking in her scent. His nose rose higher as he reached her shoulder. One of his hands came up and tore at the top of her shirt, leaving her shoulder exposed. His claws were careful not to harm her. Kagome gasped and her legs tightened around his body. She was afraid he would drop her. She let out a shaky breath as she felt his mouth graze her neck.
The graze turned into kissing. He was kissing her neck. His mouth was warm as he moved it from her shoulder to her neck. She gasped and shivered when he nipped her ear. She could feel his mouth form a smirk as though he was pleased by her reaction.
Kagome certainly didn't feel cold anymore. She felt overheated. Inuyasha pressed himself against Kagome, pinning her to the wall. She became very aware of her thin clothing as one of his hands moved to the hem of her shirt while the other one slipped across her bare leg towards her bottom. Her mind was a fog. She couldn't think straight. She knew she should be stopping him, after all this wasn't really him. Somehow, she just couldn't find the will. His mouth felt so good on her neck. She had never known this feeling. No one had ever done this to her before. She hadn't realized how much she had wanted this… needed it.
"Inuyasha…" Her voice was a wisp. She was out of breath, though she had done nothing to exert herself.
Inuyasha halted his motions for a moment. She felt relief as she tried to catch her breath. It was short lived. A sharp gasp escaped her as he licked the muscle between her neck and her clavicle. Her pulse quickened. Inuyasha opened his mouth and sunk his teeth into her skin.
"Oh!" Kagome cried out. The bite hurt but at the same time it was the most pleasurable feeling she had ever experienced. She shut her eyes and let out a moan.
Almost immediately Inuyasha pulled away. Kagome's eyes sprung open. She tried to look at him but he cast his eyes downwards hidden beneath his hair. She felt his hands loosen their grip.
"Kagome…?" He glanced up at her with concerned, amber eyes.
