CHAPTER THREE

I woke up suddenly, something was wrong, I lay still and kept my breathing even trying to figure out what was going on. Something warm and small was wrapped around my waist and what felt like a head was snuggled into my stomach. I was just about to throw the thing or person off of me when everything from the day before rushed back into my head. I felt my body which had unconsciously stiffened, relax as I realized that it must be Shesshomaru snuggled up against me. I could hear birds chirping in the background and a cool breeze blew up against me. I yawned and opened my eye's wondering where Inu-no-Taisho was and was surprised to see the sun was only just rising. "Darn inner alarm clock!" I mentally thought with a scowl, before trying to slowly sit up so I didn't disturb Shesshomaru.

Inu-no-Taisho was nowhere to be scene, but I knew that he must be somewhere close by, probably hunting. I tried to unwrap Shesshomaru's tail, which I had first mistaking for a boa, which was wrapped around my waist, but Shesshomaru started to wake up so I gave up trying and just lay back down after a couple of minutes of watching the clouds I grew bored and instead decided to study Shesshomaru. I hadn't really looked closely at either of them the day before but now I realized just how adorable the kid was. He had a blue crescent moon in the center of his forehead, long white hair two magenta strips on both cheeks, his face was delicately shaped and to be honest he looked like a living doll, he was wearing the same clothes as his dad but his feet were bare and he had two magenta strips on both hands, as well as claws on his hands and feet.

After a few minutes I heard someone approaching and I knew that it couldn't be Inu-no-Taisho since he didn't make a sound when he walked.

I picked up Shesshomaru who thankfully didn't stir and stood up his tale still firmly wrapped around my waist, his head now resting on my shoulder. I quickly walked over to the forest and walked several feet in before picking a large tree and hiding behind it peeking out a bit from its huge trunk. I was unsure of who was approaching and I would rather not take any chances in this strange place.

It's a good thing I hide when I did, three men cleared the small hill not twenty feet away from me, I thought they were human until I saw them begin to sniff the air. They all turned to look at me and they started walking my way, growling and laughing one even taunted me. "Come out, come out, where ever you are human." One sang out with a chuckle. "Give us the demon child and we will let you live." Another said.

I looked down at Shesshomaru, I had to protect him, he was just a child no matter his being a demon. I looked for a place to hide him and noticed a small hole in the roots of the tree I was hiding behind, it was just big enough to fit Shesshomaru's small body in there. He begin to wake up as I pulled his tale off of my waist but I had no choice, I shoved him into the hole feet first, as gently as I could, making sure to get him completely out of sight before I ran out from behind the trees.

I saw them look at me in surprise and in their surprise they hesitated just for a couple of seconds but that's all I needed. I pulled out the hunting knife I always kept strapped to me, just above my knee underneath my shorts. I knew that as demons they would be faster than me but hopefully with a little luck and all of my martial arts training I could get a sword from one of them and then kill them.

As I raced towards them everything slowed down and I mentally pictured everything that I was going to do within the next minute. First I would go after the nearest demon who was reaching for his sword, sliding down feet extended as one does when sliding for home plate, I bring up my hunting knife and plunge it into his heart, while grabbing the swords handle and pulling it out as his body falls backwards to the ground dead, the second demon was on my right, bringing his sword down towards me, I flip myself up and over him, twirling in a 180 and cutting him in half, ducking I avoid the third demons sword and I bring up my sword piercing through his body and just to make sure I use my hunting knife to slice his throat finishing him off.

After planning it in my head in that brief few seconds I went into action. My plan worked and I stood a minute later surrounded by three dead demon bodies. I felt someone coming at me from my left and with my adrenaline still pumping I went down backward, my back almost touching the ground while bringing up my steel-toed boots and kicking whoever it was just under the chin knocking them back several feet while I rolled backwards before jumping up, sword and knife ready, when I saw the long white hair and golden eye's.

I stopped just in the knick of time, I had almost thrown my hunting knife at Inu-no-Taisho. I took a deep breath trying to shake off the left over adrenaline, and stood up. "Are you okay?" I asked, not bothering to apologize, it's not that I was trying to be rude but he should have known better then to come at me after I had just got done fighting.

Inu-no-Taisho looked shocked and amazed as he slowly came towards me I guess he learned his lesson about approaching me quickly and without warning. "How did you do that? You were moving as fast as a full demon." Inu-no-Taisho said amazement in his voice. I blinked in surprise at that and shrugged, "I dunno, I just wanted to protect Shesshomaru…oh!" Here I ignored him and turned back towards the tree where I had hid Shesshomaru only to see that he had crawled out and he must have seen the whole thing because he was giving me a look of amazement that rivaled his dads. Then a look of determination replaced his amazement and in the most command and serious voice a child could have he declared, "You will be this Shesshomaru's mate!"

I blinked, "The heck is this kid talking about? Is he tripping?" I thought. Then I turned to Inu-no-Taisho who was looking slightly amused and put off at the same time, "Dude. Is your kid wack? And what's up with the whole 'this Shesshomaru' thing did you teach him that?" Then my stomach rumbled causing me to completely forget the previous subject in favor of my hunger. "Hey I'm gonna try and find something edible if you wouldn't mind waiting here for a couple of minutes I might even be able to get some meat." I said before turning and heading towards the forest. The sound of two growl's had me raise an eyebrow and turn slightly towards the sound, Shesshomaru was looking extremely put out his eyes were glowing crimson and the marks on his face were jagged and beside him his dad was looking the same way, their hair was floating in a breeze only the two of them seemed to feel.

I was going to turn back towards them but something stopped me, so instead I turned around and walked into the forest. What I didn't know was that by ignoring Shesshomaru I was challenging Shesshomaru's claim on me and by hunting for my own food I was challenging Inu-no-Taisho's position as alpha of our little group.