Two dark, beady eyes stared at her. Beneath them was a long, hairy snout and sharp, gleaming teeth. The creature looked like a cross between a pig and a beaver. It seemed to leer at her as it stepped into the pool and smacked its long, hairless tail in the water. It was the size of a small pony and was clearly youkai. Kagome choked on another scream as she floundered beneath the surface. Terror galvanized her into action, and she slapped and struggled through the water across the pool, getting as far away from the hideous thing as she could.

She stumbled onto shore and, heedless of her nakedness, ran from the pool as quickly as possible. Branches and bushes hindered her progress , snagging her long hair and scratching her skin. She desperately looked for the treehouse… but she realized with a horrified start that she could no longer see it. She struggled on, frantic to find the hut, or at least make her to the beach. She could find her way from there easily enough.

After some time, Kagome finally admitted that she was hopelessly lost. She was about to call for help when all at once, something dropped down in front of her. She opened her mouth to scream, but didn't. It was a man. He'd jumped down from some great height in the trees and landed no more than ten feet away. A soft strangled sound came from her throat and Kagome thought she might faint. She closed her mouth and willed herself to stay calm even though her heart was beating as if it were about to burst. She'd never seen a man who looked like him.

He had long white hair, trimmed into ragged bangs over his eyes. He was half naked, wearing only loose, faded red pants. His skin was tanned and muscled and his eyes were the most odd color. They were gold, like amber. But the strangest things about him…he had claws and on his head were two white dog ears. His general appearance was wild, uncivilized. Kagome swallowed hard. His features pronounced him youkai, even if he did bear the resemblance of a man. What was he going to do to her?

They watched one another carefully, and instead of danger , she saw… curiosity. And perhaps concern. Neither spoke or moved for a long moment. At last, seeing nothing in his eyes or posture to alarm her, Kagome relaxed a little, despite being mortified at standing naked before a man.

Gathering her courage, she asked, "Can you help me?"

He made a noise, soft and growly, and then stepped closer. Kagome forced herself to keep from fleeing, knowing instinctively that he could catch her easily. As he stopped in front of her she smelled sharp freshness, like grass and leaves and nature, and something that could only be described as male.

He sniffed, lifting his face like a hound scenting the hunt in the air, and she watched his expression change as he seemed to recognize whatever it was he was smelling. Her? Her soap? Something else? Whatever it was, it turned his eyes darker and his nostrils flared as if wanting to draw in as much as possible. Kagome swallowed and tried to stay calm as she read the rapidly changing look in his eyes.

"Please," she said again. "Help me."

He seemed so wild and primitive. Would he understand? Was he more man than beast, or would the animalistic side of him win out? She knew there were natives who lived in small villages, deep in the jungle, but he didn't seem to be one of them. The man/youkai reached out and she braced herself, expecting a killing blow.

But instead, he touched her chest, just above her breasts and right below her throat with his forefinger. She was very aware of her nakedness, but fear held her still. He made a low, growling, rusty sound: "Uh-mun." She didn't move. What was he saying? She shook her head minutely, not understanding. He looked at her, and she could see concentration in his expression. Fierce concentration, and then determination.

He touched her again. "Wuh… mun," he said, more clearly this time and with less effort. Then, "Wo… man. Woman."

Kagome sagged in relief, then felt a spark of empathy for the man. He was trying to communicate with her! She could see intelligence in his eyes as his mind worked quickly. Before she could think how to respond, he thumped himself on the chest.

"Man."

Oh, yes. You are definitely… man. The thought popped into her mind and she blushed. Then she nodded. "Yes," she said, and tried out a wobbly smile.

"Woman," he said again, the word surprisingly clear and intelligible as he touched her once more. "Man." He touched himself. This time he smiled. Kagome's breath caught as a wholly human, completely male expression of pride and arrogance accompanied the grin. Aside from that, it had the effect of turning his face into a pleasing, handsome one with surprisingly bright teeth including canine fangs and attractive creases at the corners of his golden eyes.

"Er, that's right," she said, swallowing hard and nodding as she kept her smile in place. "Perhaps now that we have that settled, you'll help me? I'm lost and I really need to get home. Only, I don't have any clothes so I actually need to return the pool first." She finally stopped, aware that she was babbling mindlessly.

Listening to her, he tilted his head to the side very much like a dog, cocking an ear as if trying to understand. She saw furrows of concentration in his forehead, and then he winced slightly, as if something had flitted just beyond his grasp. Kagome would have spoken again, but he reached toward her once more. She stilled, holding her breath, as his hand aimed for her face and she waited for him to gauge her eyes out or rip her face clean off. Instead, he merely traced her brows and lashes with his clawed fingers. Infinitely gentle, overwhelmingly careful.

He fought to find words. "Bleh…Bloh….Blue," he said.

Kagome wasn't certain why the wonder in his voice made her feel her own sense of pride for him. And why the deep, rusty sound of his voice made odd fluttery feelings come to life inside her belly. She sensed this man didn't mean her harm. That he was studying her just as her grandfather studied the delicate tropical birds.

She tried again, gesturing slowly behind her even though she was unsure of the correct direction. "Please, I really need to get back. Can't you help me? Do you know where the hut is, the treehouse?"

She realized he was staring at her again, examining her with his eyes. A whisper of sensation swept over her, raising tiny bumps on her flesh, as if he were brushing his fingers over her skin. Yet he wasn't touching her… merely looking. But the look, the expression in his eyes was something so avid, so dark and deep and wild that she shivered.

Her skin prickled under the steady heat of his gaze. She could almost feel the sensation of light fingers brushing over her sensitive flesh, sending warm tingles down her spine, spreading over her torso and down.

She struggled to keep her breath steady, but something was happening inside her. Something warm and insistent was unfurling in a long, slow roll of heat inside of her. He moved and made a soft noise deep in his throat… husky and rough, and the very sound made the fluttering and unfurling stronger and faster. Demanding. Kagome realized her lips were parted and her knees were trembling… and that her attention had fastened avidly on the hands that hung at his sides: motionless, large, capable, clawed.

Touch me.

Kagome gasped at her lewd thought.

What's wrong with me?

Her skin prickled as thoughts and images flooded her mind. Thoughts of his hands on her body, and then his mouth. She felt hot and trembly and lightheaded. She wanted to close her eyes and hide in shame. She wanted to open them and arch toward him and offer him everything she was. And then at last, he reached out.

She stared at his hand, her breathing growing shallow and fast as his fingers came closer. They were fanned open, and she saw, through the haze of anticipation, that they trembled slightly. When he touched her, his fingers light and gentle against her belly, a shock of awareness jolted through her.

Kagome gasped softly, stunned by her reaction. Her skin leapt and trembled beneath the touch of his fingertips… but she was so aware, it was as if she could feel the texture of every ridge on the pads of his fingers. She looked up at him and found his eyes fastened on her face, wary… yet with blazing heat in their depths. She couldn't speak. She could only breathe shallowly, trapped by his gaze, as his hand moved over her belly… over the curve of her hip… and then up over the swell of her breast.

His hand, rough and calloused, continued up, brushing over her chest and along her throat. She swallowed hard as he used the back of his hand, a softer side, to trace the long, sensitive length of her neck. The warmth of his body emanated, heating her skin across the slight distance between them. She smelled forest and musk and some undefinable essence clinging to him. Something she wanted to bury her face in, to inhale and take deep inside of her forever.

His palm was warm and his fingers sure as they slid up into her hair, gently rubbing a curling lock between them. By now, Kagome was fairly vibrating, she felt as if she were more alive, awake and aware of her own body than she'd ever been before… and yet in the midst of some slow, erotic dream. "Please," she whispered desperately, not knowing what it was she begged for. Oh please!

"Please," he repeated roughly, his response low and guttural and not at all desperate. His voice was taut and he moved closer to her, reaching out with his other hand. She trembled, hardly able to breathe, as he cupped her face with two large, powerful hands, then slid them down along her neck and over her shoulders. They traced down, over the curve of her waist and hips, slowly traveling down and up… down and up… sending tickling sensations over her until Kagome was shaking with impatience and wanted to scream.

She wanted him to touch her everywhere, she wanted to flee to the safety of the treehouse. But she could only stand before him, helpless to the feelings he woke in her. Desire blazed in his face. He drew in a long, slow, deep breath, as if attempting to inhale all of her essence in one gulp. His golden eyes had gone nearly rust, and his mouth was so tight it was white at the corners. The intensity of his expression made her lightheaded.

Frustrated as she'd never been in her life, she gave a small, inarticulate cry. This must have spurred him into movement, for something changed. The hesitance evaporated and all at once, he was covering her breasts again. But this time, he touched her with purpose. He cupped her breasts, then skated his fingers up and over her nipples. Sliding over the tops of them, seeing them rise, he gently pinched and tweaked and, when she moaned in relief and need, he paused. Then, experimentally, he brushed the tip of his finger over the very top of her nipple. And then, he stopped.

"More," she begged, her eyes closing as she tried to capture every bit of pleasure. She knew she should be mortified to be reacting this way, to willingly stand before a man naked and allow him to touch her, but she could not seem to care. When his hands moved from her breasts, Kagome's eyes flew open.

"No," she moaned. But he knelt at her feet, his hands settling at her waist, his eyes locked on that most private of places, and Kagome could only whimper and hope.

"Please," she begged, staring down at the top of his head. She found herself looking at the silky strands of white hair, the broad tanned shoulders, and watching those large hands on her creamy skin. He didn't seem to hear her. His attention was fixed on her womanhood.

When he at last brushed his hands along the insides of her thighs, she nearly cried out with relief. She shivered, wanting to grasp him to her, take what she needed. He took his time, his hands light and careful on her skin, gently parting her thighs, sliding up to the heat and wet that was waiting.

Kagome bucked and arched sharply toward him and finally, finally, he touched her there. A light, feathery, slippery caress. She was so hot and needy that this little bit of pressure sent pleasure shuttling through her, exploding into a hard, sharp orgasm. She jolted and cried out her release. He yanked his hand away as if he'd been burned.

"No, nonononono," she begged.

He frowned. "No," he repeated. His voice was hard and tight and there was no longer any warmth from him touching her.

He was about to stand, to move away from her when she reached for him. "More," she said.

His ears, which had gone flat at her previous words, perked back up. He did not seem to mind her touch, but rather studied her face trying to understand. She was about to gently maneuver his head where she wanted it, when the man stilled. He lifted his face, sniffing the air, tilting his head as if listening intently.

Kagome didn't hear anything but the rustle of wind through the leaves, and the soft click of branches as they swayed against each other high above her head. When he turned his attention back to her, she recognized a different, intent expression

In an instant, and as she watched in open-mouthed astonishment, he leapt up into the trees. One moment he was there, and the next, he was gone. The last thing she saw was a flash of red as he swung through the air, high above her head, to a different tree. And then he disappeared into the jungle.

Kagome stood, hardly believing what had just happened. Disappoint roared through her as her body cried out for fulfillment. Then, she heard a shout.

"Kagome? Kagome!"

Oh, no. It was Naraku and her grandfather. They were coming toward her. And she was naked! But before she could scramble off into the jungle to find her clothes, something fell with a thump at her feet. Kagome gave a soft exclamation of relief and surprise as she recognized her clothing and small satchel. How had he retrieved it so quickly?

There was no time to wonder. The men were coming closer. She could hear them moving about, thrashing through the jungle. She looked up into the branches and vines, but the thick, dark leaves obstructed any view of the wild man. He was gone, but she was safe. Soon she would be back at the treehouse, with her family. She was almost sorry for it.

SSSSSSSSSSssss

So, in honor of the new year, I doubled up chapters. You've got both 4 and 5 right here, and I hope they satisfy. Or at least whet your appetite for more, lol.

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, I do read and appreciate all of them.

Happy New Year!