Snowbirdyoukai – I did not say that he brought the merchant back with him, did I? If so, sorry for any confusion, but no he just left him unconscious in the street, too injured to move for some time. They're going to be on the move from now on anyway, so it really does not matter.

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I have decided this story really needs more love! Hehe, I'm shameless with no modesty.

Meet the pack

Kagome was going through the daily rituals of washing her clothes when Sesshoumaru appeared out of nowhere, tapping her shoulder, scaring her half to death. Once she had calmed her wildly beating heart, and he had finished smirking at her, he started telling her of her adventure in the neutral village. "My friends have been captured, my beta told me, they relied on me to protect them as their Lord and alpha, and I tried, but being captured myself left them vulnerable, so I have failed them in a way. I need to free them, save them."

"You mean go to their slave market?" Kagome questioned, wringing out her favourite top and hanging it over a line she had drawn up. "You know there are demon slayers and mikos not like I, they won't be on your side, and warriors there don't you? It is dangerous for one like you, I mean just look at you, you would fetch a high price. I don't want you to be captured again I would have a hard time getting you back. I mean yes you are very strong and skilled, but even with my help you cannot possibly hope to win against everyone.

"I shall have help, from the remainder of my pack. There are only two members left alive and free in the village, yet they are the strongest. I have been training too, regaining and relearning my power and strengths, I shall win this battle and free my pack. They have come to stay with us for a couple of days until we are ready and rested to depart. You do not mind I hope, though the wolf is prone to eat more than is needed."

Then suddenly there was a swirl of energy and a wolf demon appeared in the garden and snatched up Kagome's hands in both of his. "Kagome," he said in surprise and affection, "it has been a long time, and how is my woman today?" Of all the wolves he could have been talking about, Sesshoumaru had to go and make pack out of this one. This was just her luck, and here she was thinking her life was going to be peaceful once she convinced him to leave her alone. He had to come charging back into her life in a swirl of dust, his trademark entrance, he did it just to show off his speed, his only redeeming quality.

Oh she had nothing against the wolf; really she loved him very much. But she loved him as a good friend, and a friend only, the same way she loved all of her friends, like Sango and Miroku, Keade and now Sesshoumaru. Yet it was clear that he wanted something more every time that she saw him, or he saw her. The constant 'my woman' claims got on her nerves because she belong to no one but herself and she did not like him in the same way he seemed to like her., and it did not help that he was the densest male on Earth.

"Hey Kouga," Kagome said, lifting her arms and giving him a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek, the way she always greeted her friends. She'd greet Sesshoumaru that way too, but she was not as familiar with him yet, and to be honest, he freaked her out kind of badly still. He got stronger each day, and it was clear to her he was an alpha and a Lord and was never meant to be a slave. He was way out of her league and in normal circumstances, 250 years ago, she would never have met him, she was glad for that chance at least.

Of course she probably should not greet Kouga in that way either seeming as he took everything the wrong way, but it would feel as if she was shunning him otherwise seeming as she greeted everyone else in that way. Besides, she was glad to see him in a way, it had been a long time, but he was someone who she did not mind only seeing once every month or so, his presence and persistence in his claims wore on her.

Eventually the young man let her go, the girl he had claimed as his woman ever since she was thirteen years old. "You two know each other," Sesshoumaru stated, it was not a question, and very suddenly wrapping his arms around her from behind in a territorial claim, not that Kagome knew that, and Kouga just ignored it. He said no more but it was obvious he was expecting an explanation and Kagome did not see why he should not know. After all they were all friends here, in fact they were more than that, and they were all pack now.

"Yeah, I met Kouga during my last year studying under Keade. He was injured by some humans who tried to make slave out of him. They got a collar on him and he somehow managed to get it off, and you know how they work, so he started to bleed to death. I found him in the nick of time; he only had seconds left when I got to him even with his superior youkai healing abilities. I managed to heal him with my miko abilities and established a friendship. Though I have never actually agreed he had been calling me 'his woman' ever since."

"Kagome is a coy girl; she still needs time to come to terms with being a mate of a demon such as myself, it is enough to make anyone shocked. She'll realize her place with me eventually though, rest assured of that." He was so confident in himself she almost believed him herself, but she was far too young to even think about all that sort of stuff, it was too mature a subject, and he had been known to openly talk about sex and pups with her before.

"By the way runt," Kouga was talking to Shippou now who had appeared from the house after a nap, "Hiten should be arriving any moment, he has strict orders to lay off and be nice, if you even want to stick around." Hiten was known to be a little over the top in his 'love' for the boy and succeeded in scaring him rigid. His problem did not lie in his lack of love for Shippou but rather his exuberant way of expressing it, out of guilt more than anything else.

Shippou puffed out his chest and glared at Kouga with his big green eyes. "Hiten does not scare me anymore, I'm a strong demon now."

"Of course you are."

"I mean it Kouga! I can take whatever he throws at me!"

No sooner had he said that when said thunder youkai appeared. "SHIPPOU KUN!" He boomed in a voice that was a cross between a shout and a squeal. He rushed forward after dropping from the sky and scooped the fox child up in his arms, squeezing him close in a tight hug. Shippou immediately lost all of his confidence and bit the thunder youkai holding him, and jumped onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder, seeking safety in his alpha.

Hiten looked put out and rubbed his wrist, "what was that for Shippou kun, I was only saying hello," he grouched with a pout. Shippou was not fooled and glared daggers at him, hiding behind Sesshoumaru's curtain of silver hair. While Shippou hated him, Kagome and Kouga found the antics rather cute, Kagome disliked Hiten, but felt sorry for him too and had been trying to get Shippou to accept him for a long time now.

Hiten's brother, Manten, killed Shippou's parents, by accident mind you, and Shippou promptly tried to kill him. Hiten defended his brother fiercely, not knowing why that powerful if young cub was trying to kill his beloved family. While he would let no harm befall Manten he was disappointed he had killed innocents in his plight to get away from the humans. Manten had run away after he learnt that while his brother still loved him it would never be like before, and he had not been heard of since now... he too had been captured. Hiten had been trying to take in the fox as his responsibility ever since, but Shippou was terrified of him and traumatized, the great 'love' he expressed for the kid only served to frighten him further.

"Kouga! Hiten!" Sesshoumaru called them to attention, not at all fazed by the kit on his shoulder behind his hair. "Let us go into the garden, I want to test your strength." With that he stalked away and went into the garden. Kagome made to follow and Sesshoumaru wrapped an arm around her waist, snarling at a particular wolf in reprimand as he grabbed for her. He was going to have to keep a careful eye on that particular pack mate. They were pack brothers and close friends, they always had been, they were both Taiyoukai after all once upon a time and their lands were allied, this was before the fall of the youkai. He refused to let their affections of the same girl get in the way of their rather strong relationship; it could prove to be fatal.

The 'test' of strength was one of the most vicious things Kagome had ever seen. Two minutes into the testing of Kouga's strength, speed and skill, Kagome called a stop to it. It involved Sesshoumaru throwing his whip at him, trying to kill him and Kouga sparring back, only there was nothing jokey about it, it was very serious. "This is a barbaric test Sesshoumaru," she said as she beckoned Shippou who was shivering in a tree to her open, waiting arms. "I understand this is some Taiyoukai thing, but not in front of my son please."

"You son is no stronger to battle, he should be allowed to see this, though I shall not test him, I already know the kit's strength." He knew though that the real reasoning for Kagome's will to leave was more to do with the fact that she was a miko who did nothing but heal and did not want to see such barbaric measures herself. Still, the fact still remains, she needs to see this as well, soon they will be going to war, she needed to get used to seeing bloodshed. He would not hurt his pack mates badly; surely she knew that, he just needed to know how much training, if any, was needed before they went to war with the humans.

"Fine, do what you want, but I am Shippou's guardian and I do not think he needs to see this, we are going inside, enjoy your test," she said with finality and stalked away with her kit in her arms. "I shall prepare a salve for all your injuries and some food, and with our new additions to the pack, we are going to run out of said food very soon. Come tell me when you have finished, Shippou and I shall be inside," the words fell on deaf ears; the 'test' was back on.

Once Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Hiten were all panting on the ground outside, Sesshoumaru admitted he was impressed with them all and their skills. "We are ready to fight now," Sesshoumaru noted to his companions, we shall leave at dawn. I have heard rumours from the village that the slave market containing the rest of the pack is not far from here, about half a day's trek."

"It will be a week or more with a human hindering our process. She will be coming won't she?" Questioned Hiten. It was not that he wanted her to come, or wanted her to stay, Sesshoumaru was not her slave anymore, but it had become clear to him his alpha showed affection for the girl and therefore she belonged to him now, ironic, but to be expected from Sesshoumaru.

"She will be coming, and she will be carried by this one to save time."

"Oh, we know you are free now, you are reverting back to the third persona," Kouga smiled.

"Sesshoumaru," Hiten cut in, "where the slave market is, you do realize we will be passing right by, you know... her."

He just nodded, yes, to say her name in front of him was forbidden, his pack mates could tell that, yet they all knew of her, his previous mistress.

"I think," Sesshoumaru smiled, and it was the smile he always showed when he was about to kill something, "it would not hurt to pay her a little visit."

"Well I don't know about you," Kouga said, getting up and heading for the house, "but I fancy some of my woman's cooking after that work out. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow, I want to get fed and then go to bed."

"Another thing wolf," Sesshoumaru snarled, "she does not belong to you."

Kouga narrowed his eyes but knew better than to argue with his alpha.

Two hours later four demons and one human sat in the lounge part of her house. Kouga and Hiten and Shippou complimenting and thanking her for the food, and Sesshoumaru just sat there staring at the exchange, saying nothing and basically being Sesshoumaru. "I do not have places for you all to sleep, I mean I have my room and Sesshoumaru has my father's, there aren't really any others. I guess one of you can have the settee and the other chair. Well, it is only for one night and I guess you will be sleeping rough tomorrow night if you want to set off and rescue your friends."

"It is fine Kagome," Hiten assured.

"If you are that worried about it I could share with you," Kouga suggested hopefully.

A snarl from Sesshoumaru put an end to that comment.

"I share with Shippou anyway, not enough room for another one. Well it is getting late," Kagome said, suddenly tired, "Wake me in the morning when you want to leave, but I am not an early morning person, Goodnight Kouga kun, Hiten san, Sesshou."

They waited until they heard the click of the bedroom door and then both Kouga and Hiten turned on their alpha with confused and incredulous gazes, "SESSHOU?"