A/N Ok, so it's been a while, but not as long as it had been my last update. To be fair, I have a reason. Well, two or three actually. One: S.p.O.d. hadn't reviewed, and Mexican didn't make me. They're the two who really harass me into writing (S.p.O.d. just reviewed, hence me writing). Two: I had writers block. I have no clue how to rescue Kagome. To quote my drill team commander, "I'm gonna pull it out my ass" for what I'm about to write. And three: For the first time in my life, I'm being separated from my brother. My parents are divorced. But my bro and I have always been together. Since September, he's been at Marines Corps. boot camp and I feel kinda down without him here. So yeah, if someone dies, it's cause I'm sad… and kinda mad, but that's 'cause I'm in pain till wed.
But now, I'm writing again. This is me not on painkilers (I can't write the whole chapter at once, so this is kinda like a new AN), but the first half of the chapter is me writing on them, so please excuse me. Painkillers make me loopy as all hell.
Shout Outs (reviews):
Genius- Dude, Kouga is friggn' hot. Why purify? Plus, she would then have all the tribe on her and the political ramifications would be ginormous. No, she had the sensible idea. I have a feeling you might not survive in this world.
Demoness-MarlstonWells69er
Jessiskags
Kaoru's sister
Luvssasuke- Lol, I know, Kagome is so lucky. Kouga can "capture" me any day. Well, I'm trying on the whole updatin' thing.
Alexa- Well, I prefer Sess/Kag over Kouga/Kag, so no worries chica.
LiYinBlake- Drools with you
Llebreknit- Well, Mexican has promised to do better, and speaking from personal experience of having a mac, they suck and I don't particularly trust the word programs on them (I use my mom's work laptop). Can I keep you in reserve? Because I really do appreciate your offer. Definitely Sess/kag… it just might take a while.
Albinocuriousity- Ummm… they eventually find her?
Sesshoumarus fluffy mate- But of course the fluffmeister is better, but he's also an icicle. You have to work to get him to like anyone, so it'll take a while, whereas Kouga is a giant bag o' hormones. And no, I can't update sooner. Writer's block takes hold, but I feel all bubbly inside knowing you want me to.
Devil mouse- Well yes, that would be the normal reaction, but then again, she hasn't had much of a normal reaction yet. Finishing the story will take quite a while chica. I mean, I'm on chapter 6, and they haven't even got to the palace or met Sesshy or Inu yet. And yes, Kags has it good right now.
S.p.O.d- I am not a ditz you psychopathic freak! I'm on drugs at the moment (yay painkillers), but that's doesn't make me forgetful, just giggly as all hell. I haven't updated 'cause I was all discouraged 'cause you hadn't reviewed and I felt unloved and 'cause I had writers block. And just so we set the record straight, I have no computer either. I use my mom's, so take that! And you are not the most screwed up author on the site, me or Mexican is ya chipmunk lover (llamas still can squish chipmunks).
Dark Painting- I'm with you on this whole writer's block thing. Suck don't it? Thanx for the compliment, it means a lot coming from an author such as you, and by that I mean a good one, and of course you get a shout out. Anyone who forces S.p.O.d to work deserves one.
Loveneverdies- I would kill to be in her place. I have a question. What's with the capitalizing of every word? Not that it matters or anything, but it's just kinda weird. I don't mind you reviewed so late, I just feel special you reviewed. And did I mention I love you? I checked my reviews, and you've been here since like, the fourth chapter.
Disclaimer: I own it all! (sees lawyers), And by all, I mean all the pain meds I have right now. All those pretty white pills are mine! Mine, and you can't have any!
Warning: I'm loopy as hell on pain meds while writing this, so it may seem a bit different or even stupider than normal. I should be back to normal next time I update. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Runs around in circles with arms out like an airplane giggling like a moron.)
Chapter 7
You Belong To Me
"So this is where the wolf clan lives?" Miroku said as they approached the den. They had already taken care of the scouts, and it was almost too easy. Miroku simply put them to sleep, no harm no foul.
"No, I just took you here for fun while our ass is on the line because the wench is gone." Wolset drawled sarcastically. Were all humans this stupid or was he just cursed? They looked at the waterfall and Miroku and Naru sighed. Miroku because it was beautiful, and Naru 'cause he was a water demon, and it looked great to him. Large sources of water are to water demons what catnip is to cats… addicting.
Wolset glared at the all too familiar surroundings, and then glared at his companions, clearly wanting to get moving. The quicker they grabbed the stupid wench the quicker they could go home. The quicker they got home, the quicker he could forget this horrible trip. "Lets go, now." He snapped when they didn't move fast enough for his liking.
"Wolset," Naru suggested firmly in his gentle manner, "maybe you should leave the lands for this. It would be a big insult to the Eastern Wolf Tribe if you entered their home. We're already pushing it by having you on their land. It would not be wise for you to come with us. Miroku and I can retrieve Kagome, so you need not worry."
"How can I let you go in there? You don't know Kouga like I do, and I know these types of politics better than you. I grew up with them." Wolset replied, slightly irked that Naru wanted to get rid of him. How dare he think a thing like that! Did he really think a human would be of more help to him than he? Miroku watched the confrontation in interest. He didn't really care one way or another, since all he really wanted was information. He had no clue why Wolset had been banished from the land, and that bugged him.
"And because you've lived them, you should know better than to enter! Think for a minute! Kouga is already angry that you're on his lands, and you would now enter his home? By your stubbornness alone you would cause what could turn into a war that would kill hundreds of people! At the very least, Sesshoumaru would have to give something very large in a gift to Kouga, and then Sesshoumaru would know we lost Kagome. He'd be furious. At least if only Miroku and I go in there there's less of a chance of Sesshoumaru finding out." Naru snapped, irritated that his friend was not seeing logic.
"…Fine, but I still don't like it." Wolset reluctantly relented.
"Not to be rude or break up the nice little "I'll protect you" thing going on here, but we really need to get going now so we can get Kagome and get going." Miroku broke in. Naru nodded in agreement while Wolset gave him one last glare before leaving.
"So, what's our plan of action?" Naru asked.
"… I don't know. You come up with one." Miroku replied as he scratched his head.
This is a partition
Kagome woke up to what seemed like mass chaos… or maybe she was exaggerating. Maybe it was just extremely loud. Of course, that could have something to do with the fact that her pillow, also known as Kouga, was yelling orders in her ears. She was sure that her didn't mean to (Kami help him if he did), but that didn't stop the fact that he had woken her up… again.
"What is it?" she mumbled sleepily, while curling deeper into Kouga's lap. Many people would take this as strange, but one has to keep the circumstances in mind: 1. Kagome had yet to really sleep, 2. she was consistently tired anyways, 3. he really was very comfortable, and 4. he still wouldn't let her move from his lap. Kouga immediately reacted to the petite woman in his lap's distress.
"Ssshhh, it's nothing pet." He crooned softly into her ear while stroking her hair like, well… a pet, "I am only worried for the safety of some of my tribe members who I sent to patrol and who have yet to return." Kagome instantly awoke upon hearing this. Not because she was worried about the wolf-guy, although the thought did cross her mind. Oh no, it had to do with something else he said.
'We better hope for his safety that he did not just say that to me.'
"What did you say?" Kagome inquired innocently.
"I said that it's nothing, just a missing tribe member. Don't worry your pretty little head off though; I already have people out looking for him." Kouga swelled slightly with pride as he explained. Not that he was being cocky or anything (no really, he wasn't), but that his little woman was taking interest in the tribe. And she was his woman, after all, was he not in possession of her right now?
"No,no. Before that." Kagome said, still as innocent as an angel on a spring morning.
"… Don't worry?" Kouga said, trying to figure out what he had said.
"No, after that." Kagome said, still as sweet as sugar.
"…Pet?" Kouga guessed, having no blue what he had said. He just wasn't that good with the whole short term memory thing.
"That's what I thought." Kagome replied with a huge sigh, before turning around and beating him with her fists, "I- am- not- your- pet!" she screamed, punching the shocked Kouga in-between every word. As she finished up her little rant, Kouga came to is senses and grabbed her hands so she could no longer punch him.
"What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.
"I am in no way, shape, or form your pet! Kami, I shouldn't even be here! I don't belong to you for Kami's sake you twisted wolf!" Kagome yelled, while struggling wildly to escape him. Kouga had no clue what do with the feisty little spitfire in his arms, so he starred at her until finally an idea popped into his head.
"Control yourself pet, or I will control you." Kouga said in a sing-song voice, delibretly provoking her. Kagome sputtered in indignation, so Kouga fixed the problem. Yet again, his lips locked with hers and his tongue delved into the cavern of her mouth. Kagome froze.
'Oh, he is so not doing that to me again… ooohh, he's good. Wonder where he learned that trick with the tongue… NO! Come on girly girl, we've got to focus. How do we make him stop… and why in the world am I saying we when I'm talking to myself? Focusing! Ok, make him stop, make him stop, make him stop, make him… ooh, that idea might work.'
Kagome's eye's lit up as she finally figured out that if she bit the offending appendage really hard, it would probably go away. Just as she was about to execute her brilliant, well thought out, and no problems that would resolve because of it plan, she heard a mildly familiar voice echo out behind her.
"Wow, I had no clue that this was standard guest treatment for the Eastern Tribe. I have to say, if this is what you offer to all guests, I'll have to decline." Miroku sang out, "Unless of course, the one giving it is Lady Kagome there or one of the other fair ladies you seem to have in abundance here." He ended lecherously.
Upon hearing his voice, Kagome jerked her head violently away from Kouga, who let her go. She did her best to shrink into a corner and shrivel up and die, but Kouga refused to let her go. How was Kagome supposed to understand that he was using her to hide a very noticeable something that had snapped to attention a while ago?
"Weeellll, this is an interesting situation we have here." Kouga drawled, "I would have to guess that it's because of you that my guards have yet to return."
"That would be a good guess." Naru replied.
"Then do I have further reason to believe that Sesshoumaru will owe me a payment of some kind? Perhaps his new miko in favor of my guards?"
"So sorry, but you will have no reason to need payment. Your guards are simply asleep." Miroku cut in, happy as a cat on catnip since he had done the sleeping spells. One must always allow room for a man's ego, as he will have one whether you like it or not.
"You left them asleep, defenseless, in the wild, with no protection, and you expect them to be fine?" Kouga snapped, severly worried about the health of some of his tribe members, "Ginta, Chulu, Wong; go check the guard posts and see to their safety."
"Not defenseless, we put up a protection circle that only one of your tribe's blood or I may break." Miroku chimed, immensely proud of himself. It had been a piece of mildly complex magic, and he always felt glad when he accomplished those. Kagome snorted from her place on Kouga's lap. He seemed so proud of a piece of magic that was extremely simple for her. Keying in spells for certain things was quite simple if you had something to anchor them to. Getting a prick of blood from the wolves and using it to close the circle would have been the simplest thing to do to protect the wolves, but Kagome was willing to be that Miroku had done something more difficult, but to the same effect.
"Something to say?" Kouga asked the petite woman.
"Almost always. Will I get in trouble for saying something now?" Kagome responded. Kouga thought about it, and you could see him weighing the consequences.
"No, I have a feeling that your guards would not like it."
"Oh, so them not liking you kissing me matters more than me not liking you kissing me?" Kagome growled, now thoroughly pissed at him. Kouga struggled to find a way out of the trap he seemed to find himself always in around the little woman.
"Can you truly say that you did not enjoy me kissing you?" he asked. Kagome's cheeks flamed up red, she was blushing so hard.
"Yes." She replied sullenly, trying hard to fight the blush that was trying to spread to her ears. Kouga sniffed lightly at the air, and a cocky grin grew on his face. He leaned in closely to her, and whispered so softly on her ear that no one else could hear him.
"You know, demons can smell it when you lie. Your scent changes. I can still smell the jasmine, but it is suddenly covered in guilt. You don't like lying to me, do you Kagome?" Kouga emphasized all the syllables in her name, and Kagome finally gave up on holding back her blush. It was a losing battle anyways.
"So sorry to interrupt the touching moment and all, but we really need to focus here. We need to be leaving soon, and Kagome must be with us when we do." Naru cut in, getting mildly annoyed that Kouga could not seem to focus. Sesshoumaru never lost focus. Naru had heard rumors that the leader of the Eastern Wolf Tribe wasn't good at politics, but he had discounted that when they met in the field earlier. This seemed to prove the rumors true though, and that was kind of sad. It would only hurt the tribe to have someone not versed in politics in this new and changing world.
"Why should I return her? Quite frankly, I want to keep her. I got her before Sesshoumaru did anyways, so I have first possession." Kouga whined, for all the world like a pouting child.
"Sesshoumaru bought her from her parents, so what you have is not first possession, but theft, a crime which is highly punished in the Western Lands. The Loletta laws dictate that Sesshoumaru may administrate any of the punishments allowed in his lands if you try to keep her Kouga." Naru said, going into politician mode. Miroku cocked his head slightly to the side in thought. He hadn't thought that the Loletta laws would be brought up so soon.
The Loletta laws were written long ago, when all of Japan was ruled by one family. The Hsu dynasty (AN: I don't normally interrupt, but I have to put in that all this history is fake, and yes, I know Hsu and Wu-Tsing are actually Chinese names, now, back to our regularly scheduled program) gave birth to an emperor, Wu-Tsing Hsu, who married a great woman, Loletta. Loletta Hsu wrote laws to dictate behavior between countries, and officials. When she and her husband died, the country was divided between their sons, but the laws, which became known as the Loletta laws, still dictated behavior and common courtesies. Every leader had to swear on oath to follow these laws before taking office, or the other countries were obligated to war on that country until either the leader relented and swore an oath to follow, or they could replace the leader with another who would swear an oath to follow the Loletta laws.
Kouga's face tightened at the reminder of the Loletta laws. Not even he, as brash and stupid as he could be, would dare disobey them.
"Why don't we let Kagome decide?" Kouga finally said, as he still didn't want to let go of his new prize. He was confident that she would chose to say with him. After all, who would want to go live with Dog breath when they could stay with him?
"I get to decide?" Kagome asked.
"That could work." Naru replied slowly, carefully saying neither yes nor no.
"Well then, I guess I have to go to Sesshoumaru huh? I mean, I can't let Kikyou starve because I didn't want to go there." Kagome said with forced cheerfulness, hopping out of Kouga's lap. Kouga was up in a flash, his arm around her waist, holding her in place. Although Kagome couldn't hear it, a low growl was trickling out of his lips.
"You would leave me for Mutt-face?" he managed to growl out, his voice an octave deeper than it had been before.
"Mutt-face?"
"Inuyasha." His name was said like a curse.
"Ummm, as far as I know, I'm leaving you for Sesshoumaru. Hey, didn't you mention something about an Inuyasha earlier?" Kagome abruptly turned to Miroku, who had been pretty much left out of the conversation.
"Yes I did, he's half-brother to Sesshoumaru and lives in the castle as well." Miroku replied.
"Oh. That's useful to know. Well," she turned back to Kouga, "I don't know how this Inuyasha is involved with Sesshoumaru buying me, so I will have to stick with no, I'm not leaving you for Inuyasha. As a matter of fact, I'm not really leaving you. You never really had a right to me in the first place. Remember? You kidnapped me?"
"Why?" Kouga growled out, his voice going painfully low, his arm tightening possessively around her waist.
"Why did you kidnap me? I have no clue, that should be something you knew."
"No! Why leave?" he growled again, losing the power of speech in his anger.
"Ummm, that's a hard one to explain. Let's see, well, my family's pretty poor, and Sesshoumaru bought me from them, Kami knows why, and although I don't really like my parents, would you like someone who sold you into slavery?, I don't want my sister to get in trouble, so I have to go to Sesshoumaru so my family gets their payments. Hey, this sounds kind of familiar, like I already… HEY! I already told you this stuff. You know, if you had been paying attention to me earlier, I wouldn't have had to explain." Kagome said all this really fast, like, in 4 breaths fast. While Kagome's temper was rising, Kouga was simmering down. She wasn't leaving him willingly; she was doing it for the sake of her family. That, he could understand, even if he didn't have to like it
"Alright then, let's talk payment." Kouga said to Naru.
"How about this? You give Kagome back, and we won't tell Sesshoumaru. If he doesn't find out, then he can't punish you. If you make us give you something in return for Kagome, I'm afraid Sesshoumaru will find out, and even though you returned her, he could still have you punished. Sound fair?" Naru replied, all smiles as he screwed Kouga over.
"Agreed." Kouga finally said as he looked down at the petite woman still in his arms, "Until we meet again, Kagome."
AN Alright, so it's a bit late, and the first half is written while I was on pain killers (hey, they were prescribed). But, I do have four good things to say,
1.) Dude, I actually wrote it.
2.) Mexican beta'd this one (we're both bored, so we both have free time)
3.) Its really is longer, I did word count before I even wrote this AN.
4.) My brother's home, my brother's home, my brother's home… he was at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) but he graduated and we get him till Jan 2nd… by which time I'm sure he'll have driven me insane (Older brothers are such a pain), and I'll be glad to see him go.
So, this is ya'lls belated christmas present from me. Be happy. Merry belated christmas ya'll!
So anyways, that's my good news, I hoped you liked the story and please review, 'cause I swear I write faster when I get those things.