Disclaimer: Inuyasha isn't mine.

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Run.

Kagome didn't stop to think or to even catch her breath. She grabbed a fur cloak and boots from the annex near the main entrance and dashed out the door. The sky outside was dark, but perfectly clear. The moon reflecting off the sparkling snow lit her way. The sudden rush of frigid air made her cough, but she didn't dare stop.

Run.

Inuyasha would have taken everything from her. Her virtue, her heart and finally her freedom. Then he would have left her to rot in this eternal winter forever. And she'd fallen for it, hook line and sinker. Where he'd grabbed her burned like brands and she hugged herself tightly. She'd been right the first time. He was a predator, and she was nothing but his prey. It had only been for a moment, but she'd felt just how strong he really was. He could kill her without breaking a sweat. She might be acting crazy, but dammit, she couldn't stay in these mountains for another minute!

Run!

Kagome skittered to a stop when she heard the howl of wolves. Or was it wild dogs? She giggled hysterically and looked around. A sudden gust of wind showered her with snow. Through the glittery sheen, Kagome thought she saw movement. She wiped her eyes. Five shapes stalked through the snow towards her. Wolves. Kagome looked around wildly for an opening or a weapon, but there was nothing. Nothing but snow as far as she could see. She had no choice. She had to run. Her breath came in short pants and she felt dizzy.

Her foot slipped on an icy patch and Kagome found herself tumbling down a steep hill. She grabbed frantically for anything to hold on to and came to a stop at the top of a cliff face, mere centimeters from certain death. Her legs shook so badly she wasn't sure they would support her if she tried to stand. Her vision was still spinning from her jarring journey down. She looked up. The wolves were still coming! She struggled to her feet and glanced behind her. She couldn't see the ground at the bottom of the cliff.

A strange calm overtook her. She was going to die. One way or another. A snarl from the pack leader snapped her out of her reverie and she instinctually inched away. The ground beneath her gave away and she went over the edge.

Mom. Grandpa. Sota.

Hot tears streamed from her eyes. Either from the rush of the fall or from sadness, Kagome wasn't sure. Or maybe it was relief. She'd missed them so much…

She vaguely heard someone scream her name. Suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore. An arm hooked around her torso. There was a flash of light and a horrible screeching sound that echoed through the mountains.

"You'd better be alright, you stupid girl." Growled a familiar voice. Kagome cracked an eye open and she let out a shriek before she could stop herself. She could see the ground now, but that was small comfort, considering how far she still had to go. Inuyasha was holding her with one arm and using the other to hang on to the large sword he'd jammed into the rock wall.

"Be quiet!" Inuyasha snapped, "Listen up. We'll be ok if I can pull this off perfectly. But I need to concentrate. So, don't fucking scream. Got it?"

"Ok." Kagome whimpered, wrapping her arms around him, her literal lifeline.

He didn't give her any warning. With a snarl of effort, he wrenched the sword from the cliff wall. Kagome bit down on her arm to keep from screaming, eyes open in terror. The endless stretch of white came closer.

Fifty feet.

Inuyasha shoved the sword back into its sheathe.

Forty.

Kagome sobbed and tightened her grip, turning her knuckles white.

Thirty.

Inuyasha's arms tightened around her and he cradled her head.

Twenty.

Kagome thought her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

Ten.

They hit. Inuyasha grunted and they collapsed in a heap. Kagome's vision went black.

She awoke on a bed of fur, wrapped in a red cloth. Sitting up slowly, Kagome surveyed her surroundings. The cave was barely a cave, more like a large indent that provided enough shelter from the wind to make a fire. Which someone had, Kagome realized dumbly. Lounging in the entrance, with his back against the wall and an arm draped across his knee, was Inuyasha. Looking closer, Kagome noticed something strange. Inuyasha's other arm hung limply by his side and his white undershirt was stained deep red.

"You're awake." He said flatly. "Are you hurt?"

Kagome wiggled her fingers and toes and poked tentatively at her head.

"Um, I don't think so." She whispered.

"Good. Fucking moron!" Inuyasha snarled furiously, "I told you a human couldn't make it back on their own! And what's the first thing you do? Take off in the middle of the goddamn night, alone! Idiot! Idiot!" He harrumphed and looked away from her. Kagome's hands tightened in the robe he'd given her and tried to bring her fogged brain up to speed. Something wasn't quite right. She tilted her head, trying to get a better look at his face. Then she realized it. She'd frightened him. It was almost funny, in a way. But laughing was probably not the thing to do right now.

"You're hurt." She murmured instead.

Inuyasha snorted.

"I'll be fine."

An awkward moment of silence passed.

"I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to scare you. I just...can I explain?" His voice was soft, and he still kept his face turned away, but he snuck a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"I'll answer any question you ask." He continued, "In the morning, if you still want to go home, I'll have one of my men escort you. It will take a few hours for my arm to heal, but until it does, we're stuck here."

Kagome looked down at her hands. He had a hell of a lot to explain, in her opinion, but he had jumped off a cliff to rescue her, and apparently broken his arm in the process when he could have easily just let her die. Besides, they had nothing else to do to pass the time.

"I want the truth." She said firmly. She couldn't let him off too easily, she reasoned.

Inuyasha angled his body to face her and crossed his legs. She could barely make out the scene behind him.

"You'll have it. I swear." He replied. "Who were you talking to?"

Kagome chewed her lip nervously and answered.

"Koga. I was talking to Koga."

Inuyasha's jaw fell open, pain and shock clear on his face.

"Koga?" He exclaimed, "What the hell? Why would he do this?"

Kagome took a breath and relayed everything the wolf-demon had told her, carefully watching Inuyasha's every reaction.

He furrowed an eyebrow at the details of the curse, but didn't interrupt her. He had the grace to look a little ashamed at the mention of the demon charm ability, but still, he let her speak.

But when she reached what Koga had told her about half-demons, Inuyasha seemed to shrink before her. His ears flattened against his head and he avoided her eye, staring into the fire instead.

Kagome let a moment pass, but Inuyasha said nothing. He only brought a hand up to his forehead and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, feeling the twist in her stomach building again. "Please, say something. You're freaking me out. Just tell me, was Koga lying to me?"

Slowly, Inuyasha met Kagome's eyes. The sadness and guilt in his amber orbs made Kagome's heart stop. She knew what he was going to say, but didn't know if she could bear to hear it.

"No, Kagome. He wasn't."

TBC