Forever Yours

Chapter Ten: Full Speed Ahead

Kouga, though momentarily dazed by the attack from the half-demon, regained his senses just in time to witness the slayers fly over his head with a passed out Kagome in their clutches.

He took a few moments to crack his sore joints before he was off, intending to beat them back to the Higurashi estate before anyone knew he was missing.

Angry at the hanyou at the lucky shot he managed to use to knock him out, Kouga poured all his energy to getting home, anxious to see Kagome free from the clutches of the mutt.

"Soon, Kagome, you'll be mine again." Kouga promised before disappearing into the forest.

When her awareness finally came back, Kagome first felt pain and discomfort. It was like a scorching liquid fire had taken root in her veins, and even the slightest movement caused the burning heat to spread through her body.

With a groan, she rolled over, trying to sort out what had happened to put her in such an uncomfortable state. Was not too long ago that she was happy and content in the arms of her hanyou mate?

Slowly Kagome's senses came back to her as the sounds and scents of the forest reached her senses. The first thing she became aware of was the oppressive pressure on her wrists that sent an electric fire through her body every time she moved them.

Groaning again, Kagome rolled onto her back.

"It wakes."

The unexpected sound of an emotionless female voice jolted Kagome's eyes open as everything came flooding back with startling clarity.

'InuYasha gone. The slayers. Kidnapped.'

Kagome's ever alert gaze took in every detail of her new surroundings. A small fire burnt in the middle of a recently made campground. Across from Kagome sat Sango, carefully cleaning her precious weapon. A few feet to the female slayer's left sat the boy, Kohaku, stoking the fire, and keeping watch over the food being cooked. The man, Miroku, sat across from Kohaku, his staff nestled across his lap, starting intently at Kagome.

"I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we will have you back home sometime tomorrow, Princess. Daddy Dearest will be so pleased to see you!" Sango continued, looking up momentarily from her task at hand to send the inu youkai a snarky look.

Home. The thought alarmed Kagome greatly as remembered the events that had caused her to leave in the first place, and then no doubt the wrath her father would soon bestow upon her upon reunion. But, being stubborn woman that she was, Kagome didn't want Sango to see her momentary lapse of fear and instead scoffed and rolled her eyes, choosing not to respond

Kagome then focused her attention on the cuffs upon her wrists. She could see that they were made of the strongest of youkai bones—perfect for subduing powerful youkai. She tugged on them slightly, testing that strength. A startled yelp left her throat at the shock she received.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Demon." Sango said smugly. "Those cuffs were specially made to prevent demons like you from ever being able to remove them. They were blessed and enchanted by a powerful priestess."

Kagome growled in annoyance at the taunting, and decided to hold off any attempt to remove the new offending pieces of 'jewelry' she was forced to wear, for the time being. The shock she received wasn't too painful, but at the moment it wasn't something she wanted to experience again. It certainly wouldn't help the pounding headache she could feel coming on.

"What? Don't have much to say?" Sango continued, doing nothing to hide her enjoyment at her dominance over Kagome.

"Sango, I don't think it wise to provoke our lady guest." Miroku scolded lightly.

Sango scoffed and rolled her eyes before opening her mouth to make some angry retort.

"Sister, please." Kohaku interrupted, his eyes pleading with his sister. "I don't think she's a bad demon. We shouldn't be so harsh to her. I think she's been through enough as it is for today."

Kagome smiled at Kohaku who returned the gesture shyly.

Kagome hadn't been mean too him despite the fact that she had used him has a human shield. Kohaku couldn't find it in himself to fault her for her actions when he was almost certain he would have done the same thing, were he in her shoes. And the fact that regardless of that, she had been kind enough to joke with him, made the young boy believe Kagome couldn't be the evil demon his sister deemed her to be.

"A demon is a demon, Kohaku. They're all the same. You're too young to understand. But you will one day." Sango responded with an air of superiority.

Miroku looked like he wanted to argue, but instead kept his thoughts to himself, knowing better than to question Sango when she was in one of her moods.

Kohaku frowned but wisely chose to stay silent, lost to his own thoughts. Kirara wasn't a bad demon… and Lord Higurashi did save their clan at one point… so his sister's statement couldn't be true. Right?

About an hour later, the group was on the move again. Sango had tugged Kagome to her feet, and forced her to walk in front of her, while at the same time she was required to follow behind Miroku and Kohaku. Kagome did her best to ignore Sango's eyes boring into her as she walked. One day someone would knock the hardened woman off her high horse… Kagome hoped it was sooner rather than later.

The farther along they got in their journey, the stronger Kagome's dread became. She knew the reunion at home would not be a happy one, and the fact that InuYasha was missing made the situation even worse. She knew this day would have come eventually, but had hoped to have InuYasha by her side, supporting her.

Would he find her? Did InuYasha know what had transpired after he left? Was he hurt? Silently she began plotting possible ways of escape, and listening for any moment where she could break away from the slayers in hopes of seeking out her mate. If she could just get away…

A sudden twig snapping jolted Kagome from her thoughts just in time for her to realize they were being followed. Being that she was highly vulnerable due to being bound, Kagome's senses were on high alert, tracking the source of the disturbance. This could be the moment she had been looking for!

Just as the thought came to her mind, some massive, yet simple-minded demon charged through the trees and brush. Its lumbering gait seemed to be headed straight for Kohaku.

Kagome ran forward, and used her shoulder to push the boy aside, taking the full brunt of the attack for herself. She went sprawling to the ground, but managed to disorient what she now new to be an ogre demon long enough for Kirara to kill the rogue beast.

The attack happened in mere seconds, and left the female slayer and monk momentarily stunned before Sango regained herself first, and ran straight for her brother.

"Oh my goodness, Kohaku! Are you alright?" She said worriedly, checking him over for any wounds. When she found none the tension seemed to leave her form, and she reached forward pulling her brother into her arms in an almost bone crushing hug.

"I'm fine." Kohaku replied, locking eyes with the dark-haired woman over his sister's shoulder. "Kagome is the one who took the attack. You should ask her if she's okay, not me."

Sango let her brother go to turn her gaze to the inu demon still sprawled on the forest floor. She stared at Kagome for several seconds, as if trying to assess her before grudgingly offering a small "thanks" and helping her to her feet.

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement, choosing instead to address the young boy. "You okay, kid?" She asked.

He nodded and gave her a small smile that she returned.

"Good." She said, and then after a short pause added, "You remind me a lot of my kid brother. And I know I'd be just as devastated as your sister here would be for you, if anything happened to him. Take care of yourself, okay?"

Now in her much smaller kitten form, Kirara took that moment to bump her head against Kagome's leg affectionately, before jumping into Kokaku's waiting arms. The inu youkai smiled, bringing up her cuffed hands to tweak the neko's ear in return.

Sango watched the interactions with concealed interest. The moment had changed something within the slayer's heart, not that she would ever admit it. Perhaps she had been too hasty to judge Kagome.

Sango sighed deeply, just as she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"She's not what you expected, is she?" Miroku asked.

"I suppose not." Sango shrugged dismissively.

A smirk graced the monk's lips. "Perhaps not everyone is who they seem." He suggested, his eyes darkening with mischief.

What happened next sent flocks of birds into the sky, as Sango's enraged cry traveled through the forest.

"Hentai!"

"Oomph!"

Kagome stared at the angry Sango and now passed out Miroku with shock and disbelief. Kohaku just rolled his eyes as his sister stormed off into the trees mumbling about the wandering hands of perverted monks.

"Might as well take a break." Kohaku said, plopping himself down on a fallen tree. "He'll be out of it for a while, anyway."

"Does this happen often?" Kagome wondered.

"Unfortunately. I'm surprised he lasted this long."

Kagome shook her head, deciding not to question him further and made herself comfortable at the base of the nearest tree until it was time to set off again.

Sango returned a few minutes later with a freshly filled flask of cold spring water. She poured it over the unconscious monk without a second thought. Miroku sputtered awake and they were on the road again shortly after.

It wouldn't be until several hours later, when the group finally settled down to sleep, that Sango would find herself up late into the night, lost in her own thoughts, and questioning herself and the life she had lived up until this point.

The slayer recalled the moment she questioned her brother privately shortly before bed, asking him how he could be so calm and at ease with Kagome, given their upbringing.

"I trust her, Sis." He had said without the slightest hesitation. "She's not the monster you seem to think she is and she has feelings too—as hard as that is for you to believe. Her heritage doesn't change that. I think there is more to her than we know." He then turned to head back to camp but stopped, his back to her. "It's okay to let your guard down sometimes, you know."

Sango watched her younger sibling walk away, wondering when he had become so grown up without her even noticing.

The next morning, when the group of three humans and two demons finally started off again, Sango trailed behind, her eyes taking in Kagome with fresh eyes

InuYasha was panicked and quickly becoming overcome with his demonic blood. He had somehow managed to lose Kouga's scent trail, which meant possibly losing Kagome forever and that wasn't something the hanyou was ever willing to accept.

Her lack of nearness to him was already putting his instincts on edge and the father she got away from him the more he wanted to kill something. He was supposed to protect her, keep her safe. How could he continue to go on living knowing it was his fault she was put in danger?

The half demon's blood boiled dangerously, his nails elongated and fangs sharpened. The hanyou shook his head, as if to shake the fog from his mind.

InuYasha couldn't wait to have those slayers and the wolf demon begging for their lives when he found them.

The problem was, the hanyou only knew the direction from which Kouga's trail had led him thus far…. East. Now that the trail was going cold, fear began to creep into InuYasha's chest. What if he never saw Kagome again?

No. That wouldn't happen. The half-demon picked up the pace as he continued east, trying to pick up Kouga's scent again.

It was then that a long forgotten memory resurfaced—a time when his mother was trying to teach him of his heritage—of the clans and how social hierarchy worked. As an easily distracted pup, he hadn't been paying much attention at the time. But his mother's mention of another prominent inu clan to the East had momentarily caught his attention. The memory was so old and faded he barely remembered what she had been saying…

Perhaps…

With this as his only sense of where he should be headed, the hanyou picked up his pace. Inu's were known to have large territories that they ruled over. If his memory rang true it would only be a matter of time before….The hanyou smirked when his sensitive nose finally picked up Kouga's scent trail again.

"Kagome…. I'm coming for you. Hold on." The hanyou's soft whisper carried through the trees, hoping to find the one he had lost.

The moment had arrived. Kagome was home.

All too soon, she was being lead through the gates surrounding the massive estate she had grown up in. Within seconds, Kagome could feel the oppressive youki that belonged to her father, and then the comforting ones of her mother and brother. They were waiting for her and knew she was close.

Kagome wished InuYasha was with her to support her in this, and the fact that he was absent and she had no idea where he was did not help Kagome's nerves in the slightest.

Her emotions were a swirling mess of fear and anger, switching randomly between the two as she tried to sort everything out. It was almost too much for her to handle. Were it not for the miko blessed shackles around her wrists, preventing her from transforming into her more primitive youkai state, Kagome was sure she would be a wild and raging mess, destroying everything in her path in search of her other half.

After Kagome had saved Kohaku from that ogre, Sango seemed more inclined to speak with her. And Kagome took advantage of this change to learn that the trio had not run InuYasha in their search for her.

That meant they were not what had caught InuYasha's attention when he left her to bathe alone. So where was he, and what had taken him away from her? The new information had only caused her more distress, as it did nothing to soothe the worry she had over where her mate had gone.

Kagome's claws dug into the tender skin of her palms and she struggled to keep her emotions at bay. Now would not be the time to loose control of herself. She had to be strong until she could find some way out of her current predicament.

How did everything go so wrong so fast?

'InuYasha, I need you.' Her heart pleaded, knowing there would be no response.

The final minutes ticked by as Kagome was lead through the familiar castle doors, flanked on all sides by each of the slayers, and then finally down the hallway and into the throne room.

"Daddy," Kagome whispered upon seeing the man she had grown to adore sitting regally at the far end of the room. Her heart was an odd mixture of fear and yet a yearning for acceptance from the man she had always admired and loved.

The youkai lord's eyes roamed over his daughter's form with nothing but resentment and disappointment, before he began barking orders.

"Have my daughter escorted to her room, and make sure she is heavily guarded. Escape this time is inexcusable." He ordered his loyal servants.

Kagome's heart sank at his quick dismissal. Her shame increased tenfold and she bowed her head, refusing to meet the worried eyes of her mother and brother as she was led away.

It hurt the lord to see his daughter in such a state, but he would not show it. He refused to illustrate such weakness, as this was a lesson his daughter needed to learn—that his word was law and she was to obey.

"You have done well." The youkai lord praised the slayers. "Your debt is paid in full. You may return to your clan without worry."

Sango nodded, her face blank of all emotion as she turned to leave, Miroku not far behind her.

"What's going to happen to her?" Kohaku asked bravely. He had come to really like Kagome and felt guilty over what he had been a part of. "Is she going to be okay?"

"She will learn the consequences of her actions. That is all you need know." The youkai lord then waved his hand in dismissal, telling those he had hired he wished to no longer be in their presence.

Kohaku frowned, but turned to leave, realizing that was all the answer he would get.

Sango sent her younger brother a look of warning and took him roughly by the arm, leading him out the doors as if afraid he would do something stupid.

Kohaku spared one last glance to the demons before he allowed his sister to lead him away.

Kouga had watched Kagome's return from the shadows, choosing to listen to the goings on from outside the throne room.

Kagome's scent when she arrived told him all he needed to know—and it angered him thoroughly. But he wasn't willing to give up on his betrothed just yet.

After hearing the lord's orders to have his daughter brought to her room, Kouga made his move quickly, deciding to confront her when she was alone.

The wolf demon entered her room and hid from her initial sight, choosing not to show himself until she was safely locked inside.

Kouga watched as she was thrown into the space, only to have the door slammed in her face when she failed to regain her footing in enough time to keep it from being shut.

It was then that he stepped from the shadows, waiting for Kagome to notice him. He didn't have to wait long.

She seemed to scent Kouga before she saw him, once her anger at being locked up started to dissipate. She turned slowly to face him, a threatening growl making its way through her curling lips.

Their eyes met and Kouga had never before been on the receiving end of such disdain from the inu youkai he had grown up with.

"Kagome—" was the only thing he managed to say before she was on him.

"ITS YOUR FAULT, YOU BASTARD!"

Her claws dug deep into his chest, as if she intended to tear his heart right out of his flesh. Kouga was caught off guard, not expecting such anger from his friend and the woman he thought of as his.

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING." Kouga struggled to pry her hands off of him; surprised at the strength Kagome seemed to have. Perhaps Hell really did have no fury…

"EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT UNTIL YOU CAME ALONG! COULDN'T YOU SEE I WAS HAPPY?" Kagome raged as all the emotions she had kept pent up for so long came pouring out in waves.

"You're MINE!" Kouga finally managed to sputter, shoving Kagome off of him and putting some distance between them.

His betrothed had officially lost her mind, the wolf demon decided.

"That stupid mutt thought he could have you! I couldn't let a half-demon steal what was to be mine!"

Kagome was slowly getting closer and closer to her target, and he watched her every move with calculating eyes.

"I refused to let that filth think his actions were okay! Telling your father of your little tryst was only the beginning! But luring him away so the slayers could bring you home was the icing on the cake!" Kouga said arrogantly, his anger getting the best of him.

"You…. What…..Did you…?" The gears were turning in Kagome's head as she sorted this new information out. Suddenly everything clicked together and Kagome snapped. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you!"

And with that, the inu youkai charged just as Kouga made a move to dodge her assault. Unfortunately, Kouga over estimated his jump to freedom—something that would cost him dearly.

His back hit the swinging doors of the balcony. They gave under his weight, causing the wolf demon to trip and stumble backwards. The momentum sent him reeling to the ground, and Kagome was on him in a fraction of a second.

Her hands were on his throat, digging into the sensitive flesh there and drawing blood. "How could you?!" She screamed at him between growls.

Her vision was tinged with red as her fury grew. "We grew up together! We were friends!"

Kouga choked and gurgled, trying to pry Kagome's hands off of him for the second time that day, once again surprised at her strength.

Kagome's adrenalin was off the charts. She wanted to kill the wolf demon beneath her in retaliation for the pain he had caused her.

Finally after what seemed like minutes, but in actuality was only several seconds, Kouga managed to pry himself free from her grip just as the guards stationed outside Kagome's room finally rushed in.

They separated the two demons, pulling them to different corners of the room. Kagome fought against the two male inu youkai keeping her from her target, her eyes never leaving Kouga's form.

"You've destroyed everything!" She continued to shout aggressively. "I hate you! When I get my hands on you…!"

"Kagome!"

The energy in the room came to an abrupt halt before dissipating as the lady of the house seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Mama!" Kouga immediately forgotten, the young inu youkai female was in her mother's arms before she knew what she was doing.

Her anger crumbled as if it never existed as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Oh, my dear child, what have you done?" The older youkai whispered, stroking her daughter's raven locks tenderly as Kouga was led out of the room and the two were left alone.

Much later, as the sun began its descent from the sky, a lone half-demon stood on the edge of the massive Higurashi estate—unaware of the trouble quickly headed his way.

Um, hi? Is anyone still there? No? I'm REALLY REALLY SORRY!

BELOW ARE MY EXCUSES:

A lot of things happened since I last updated… I have graduated from college, begun the difficult task of job hunting, my mom got engaged, moved my aunt into her house, moved my mother's fiancé into our house…. And now work is busy. I've just failed to find a concrete schedule to be able to update like I'd like…. But I think I'm okay now. Maybe.

I've missed you all, truly! In an attempt to make up for my long absence I tried to make this update as long as possible! Ten pages are all I can stand to edit at a time without going insane so…. I hope this is acceptable as I begin work on the next chapter! Please let me know if there are any errors! I did edit this chapter several times, but I did not edit it as much as I usually do because I did not want to keep you waiting any longer!

Also, a special thanks to those who reviewed during my long absence and forced me stop slacking on my writing duties… XD

I know it's been forever but I hope you can find it in your hearts to review!