A/N: A thousand apologies for not updating for… *counts on her fingers* Um… 9 months. Damn, that's a long time! A lot of real life stuff has happened, including yours truly getting engaged and still having to work at her crappy job. Alas, here is the next installment of "A Savage Kind of Love."

DISCLAIMER: I protest that I do not own either Inuyasha & Co., nor do I own Edie Carey's "Violently." You can listen to the song at www. ediecarey. com. (Remove spaces after copying and pasting into your browser.)

Italics: song lyrics or flashbacks

Warnings: sisterly/brotherly bickering

Chapter 4: The Edge of Reason

So I'll just make you braver than you are

I will paint your eyes a prettier green

I will watch you fall

Violently… for me

The sinking of her blade into the orange flesh fell into a rough motion as she began to carve out a pattern. She emitted a growl low in her throat as her knife fought with the tough, thick exterior. Snatching the sharp utensil from its wedged into place, Kagome battled the gourd just to stab it once again. Sounds of frustration reverberated from her edge of the table.

"That poor pumpkin!" Miroku exclaimed from his seat across from Kagome.

"Now you know why I'm sitting all the way over here. I fear for my life!" Souta cried from his perch on the porch, cradling his pumpkin against his stomach.

Kagome sent him a death glare, promising him silently acts of violence against his being. Souta shivered visibly, causing Miroku to lift his brow at the two.

"Souta, what did you do to Kagome this time?"

"Nothing! She's psycho, that's all. I'm completely innocent."

"Uh-huh. Kagome just enjoys committing gratuitous acts of carnage on pumpkins for fun then?" Sango spoke up, eyeing Souta suspiciously.

"Listen, I'm claiming clemency on this. She just can't take a joke." Souta turned his nose up.

A loud 'thwap' was heard as a handful of pumpkin guts collided with Souta's face, followed by a high pitched scream.

"Serves you right, you meddling insect." Kagome climbed to her feet and placed her carving utensil down next to her mutilated pumpkin. "I'm going for a walk. Alone."

Sango's eyes traversed over Kagome's pinched expression. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out exactly which sore spot Souta was able to provoke. Perhaps it would be best to let her cool off before tackling her with questions.

The crisp air of the autumn breeze danced with the fallen leaves that littered the hills of the forest. Simplicity and solitude were offered to a very rattled girl as she kicked at a lone acorn. Her companions watched her storm off into the thick of the trees. An audible sigh of relief was released as soon as she was out of sight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The purr of his engine steadily climbed into a roar as he sped up the winding hills. He felt the wind at his back, as if fate were pushing his closer to his goal. The nervousness that drummed in his heart steadily rose with each mile he gained.

"Are you still in love with her?" Karin's words echoed in his mind. It was a subject he had kept under lock and key hidden within the depths of his soul. The honest truth was that he was never 'out' of love with Kagome. Her scent made his head giddy, her voice eased his heart, and her touch enflamed his passion. There wasn't one aspect of the silly girl that didn't affect him.

Before, this had made him feel vulnerable. To become completely undone by one person was unnerving. It left Inuyasha wide open, able to be struck down by deceit or a bad twist of fate. The idea that he could be left bloodied and beaten emotionally scared him even more than losing an argument with his older brother. (And he –never- lost.)

This infuriated him more. Pure, raw fear was what kept his feelings at bay. A man of his magnitude afraid of his own feelings seemed ridiculous. His fingers clutched the wheel as he stepped on the accelerator.

It was time. Time to let go of the senseless fear and take a leap of faith with the only woman who ever cared for such a cold bastard.

He had placed a call ahead to ask a favor of an associate. A cottage deep within the forest would be ready and awaiting him as soon as he got there. This week, he promised himself that he will find Kagome and try to get back at all costs. Seven days was plenty to plead his case and ask for the mercy his heart ached for. It would be a gamble, but it would be the first step to figuring out what to do with the rest of his life.

A figment of a rather large cottage flitted in the distance. The creamy white panels etched with dark criss-crossing wood stood out among the thick of autumn colored trees across the landscape. It was a welcomed site compared to the roaring urban jungle that usually housed him.

Turning left onto the winding pebble covered drive, Inuyasha began to sneak into the refuge the forest provided him.

*~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~*

The thick expanse of trees cloaked her vision as she climbed furiously up along a ridge of the forest. Boulders sprung out of the earth, providing excellent steps towards the top of the plateau.

Exercising her body had released a sense of relief throughout her. Kagome always felt better after running her body ragged. The tension in her muscles from the anger and confusion had been replaced with an exhaustive calm.

Although there was calmness that swam through her veins, it was soon vanquished by anxiety as her eyes enveloped the landscape. She was lost. And dusk was settling in quite quickly.

Cursing herself silently, she wondered how she could've let her emotions cloud her senses. Running on pure raw anger had clouded her vision and she had led herself far from the gravel path to a cliff of all places. Kagome began searching through the thicket for a way past the knotting fauna to the road.

The darkness that drifted down from the canopy of trees began to swallow any of the light the setting sun had left behind. Sounds of night creatures started to crescendo and shadows danced around her vision. Any perspective of the path now was blocked by the veil of night, and her mind began to play tricks on her.

"Is… is someone there?" Kagome spoke out edging westwards to a figure. "Look, I've lost my way from the path and I could really use some hel—"

The shadow reached out frightfully fast, causing her to jump her and a loud crack resounded below her feet. The earth began to give way as all of Kagome's thoughts vanished into the consuming blackness beneath her.

A gigantic thud resonated around her, vibrating through her body. Soft, wet grasses hugged her limp body. Her ears hummed with white noise as her mind tried to process what exactly had become of her. But through all of this, she sensed someone.

The last vision Kagome had before the darkness claimed her was a pair of bright golden eyes widened in surprise.

A/N: Alas, I know it was a bit short and uneventful compared to the last chapter. But the exposition needs this bit of suspense! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping (keyword: HOPING) to post another chapter to this tale. I will also be working on "A Gathered Storm," so if YOU haven't read that one yet—I insist you do. *winks* Anyways, leave comments if you please!