I have updated once again! Sorry for the long wait-but all the fantastic reviews I received made up for my anger in not getting my stupid internet browser to come up! I was astounded at how many I've got for just last chapter! I Love you guys! Okay here's Chapter 11: Two more chapters to go! Plus an epilogue!

Here's all last chapter's wonderful reviewers:

Saria Forest14- *Gasps* Perish the thought! No, nobody is going to die I promise! Thanks for the lovely words!

Sailor Peach- Why didn't you include your review with the rant? Anyway, Thank you for reviewing and liking my story-and the fluff! Inu+Kag fluff is my specialty! LOL!

animetears4- Sorry for making you cry! These next few chapters might be intense so watch out!

CasedClosed621- Here comes some action! And where the fun and suspense begins! LOL!

S0me18skittles- Hyper much? LOL! Glad you "enthusiastically" loved the chapter and I hope you like this one!

InuKag4eva- Sorry its late but I hope you enjoy this!

Sassy618- Suspense got ya, huh? LOL! Here we start to get more suspenseful, more intense! Enjoy!

WezL- You're definitely right, drama coming right up! Here's where the action ball gets rolling!

Raine04- Exactly! I completely agree with you! Thank you so much and hope you read on!

LovesDepp- Squeal right back at ya! I never get enough of Inu+Kag cuteness! LOL!

glon morski- No, I like when people guess and end up totally surprised after reading! Note: I never end a story with a sad ending: hint hint :)! Glad you enjoyed it! You're not too far from the truth but I won't spoil anything! LOL!

AnimeFreak- All your questions will be answered in due time! I won't leave anything out! LOL! Enjoy!

Coka Cookie Cola- Yes, a little proposal-never thought of it that way, but yes I enjoyed it myself! It was cute to write!

JhadaLove- A new reader! Yay! Glad you love it so far! Hope you continue reading!

purduepup- A very long review this time! Your "female dog" mode said a lot and I thank you for that! It means a lot! But as always your reviews never fail to make me smile-always something sweet and kind to say and never a dull moment! LOL! Thanks so much! P.S., where is the last chapter of "Fruit Basket"? I am dying of curiosity and suspense here! LOL!

KikyoWillDieByMyHands- Too much fluff for you? You can never have too much Inu+Kag fluff! Never! But I'm happy you liked it!

Shab- I know, all that stuff just adds all sorts of complications and gets boring after a while! Don't worry, a lot more action-wolves included will be here shortly! All is not lost..!

*Wipes sweat from forehead* Wow, there were so many this time around! I think I'm getting better at this! So anyway, here's another chapter to read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: The silver haired sunny eyed hanyou hunk is not mine! InuYasha and co. are sole property of Rumiko Takahashi-oh you know the rest...

Chapter 11: Trouble with the Wolves

Her eyes constantly swept back and forth from the recipe card to the measuring cup and the bowl. This was something she wanted to do right, without error or fault. Baking was something she wasn't really experienced at but Kagome was hoping that she would do well. So far she measured the right amount of flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar. They were all on one side of the counter, all prepped. And now she was trying to carefully get together the main ingredients.

Wiping her forehead of sweat now dusted lightly with flour, Kagome got together fresh almonds and coconut. She was remembering what Izayoi told her about this particular recipe. It looked simple but it required time and patience. She wanted to do something extra special for her boyfriend and Izayoi suggested over the phone she try baking him his favorite cake.

Letting out a deep breath, she concentrated on the task at hand while humming a song, one that played in a movie she and Sango watched the other night. That movie made her reminisce all night long. She and InuYasha were from different worlds, literally. But the romance and the emotions she witnessed reminded her greatly of what she felt for her boyfriend. Kagome had already risked her neck and hide once to save him six years ago. And she'd gladly do it again; whether she remain human or return to her native woods and forever become a wolf, never to walk among the humans again.

She sighed. And shaking her head from future doubts and a certain hunk that was always in her mind, she got back to work and looked down at Izayoi's handwriting. After thoughtfully nodding, she was taking the next step when the apartment door opened.

"Kagome-chan!" She heard Sango call. Kagome heard a few sniffs and heard light footsteps walking toward the kitchen. "That smell delicious. What are you making?"

Kagome finally looked up and smiled at her friend. "Hey Sango, I was just trying to make InuYasha a cake. Izayoi sent me the recipe for the almond and coconut cake he loves so much."

"I'm sure he'll love it." Sango pulled her coat off and put down her bag. "The boys not here?"

Kagome shook her head. "InuYasha said something about a gym and they took off with their bags in tow."

"Men…"Sango muttered. But her frown was quickly replaced by a smile. "Hey, want to have another popcorn night? I rented more movies!"

"Sure why not? Just let me finish getting this cake together. I could use a break."

So after getting the batter whipped up and into the oven to bake and when the icing was done and in the fridge, Kagome took off her apron and let down her hair, glad to let it loose. Sango already had the popcorn, drenched in butter and salt with a few sodas on the table.

"What do you want to watch? Chick flick or bloody horror?"

"Chick flick." Kagome answered immediately.

"You always pick the chick flick. Why, because you can't watch a horror film without your man pillow?"

"Sango!" Kagome blushed to the roots of her hair. Her friend only chuckled as she grabbed the remote and turned the flat screen on.

But when it finally turned on, it was on the local news with "BREAKING NEWS" flashing on the bottom of the screen.

"This just in. A local hunter has been brutally mauled by one of the mountain's local wolves. Kurokumo Naraku and a fellow cameramen who was also attacked, were hiking along one of many streams fed by the Musashi River when this attack occurred." A sky view cam appeared next, below it was a scene on a dirt road with police tape, squad cars and an ambulance nearby. "Both men are said to be unconscious, with major injuries that are not life threatening and are expected to be okay. But what caused such a malicious attack? The mountain wolves are peaceful enough and are said to be populating and under protection. Investigation is underway now. And we did manage to retrieve the camera Kurokumo's cameraman managed to capture before failing. And I must warn all viewers, this is quite a horrifying assault."

Sango and Kagome were both silent as the film began rolling. It showed a man in a green hunting uniform, with long back hair and deep black eyes walking through the woods, whispering so to not attract attention. A while later they were wading through a stream, a stream Kagome immediately recognized as the one she was familiar with; one which her pack usually drank from. It stemmed from the Musashi River, one of many coursing through her woods. Then not long after, a growl was heard. The camera was suddenly being turned this way and that frantically. You could hear each man's breathing pattern, irregular and tense. Both were still in their tracks, the man Naraku holding his loving rifle in front of him. The person holding the camera slowly turned a full 360 before focusing on the green capped hunter again. Naraku was grinding his teeth, his palms sweating on his gun- Kagome out of habit shivered at the sight of it. She nearly escaped death by the hands of that weapon as a pup.

And just as Naraku was whispering low on what it could possibly be and what he planned on doing, a viscous snarl came from right behind them and both immediately turned in time to see a pitch black wolf, teeth bared and growling as the animal jumped and pounced on them. The camera and cameraman were knocked down to the hard forest floor. You can see the struggle Naraku was having as the wolf tore into his arm, tossing and ripping at the jacket to get to flesh.

The former wolf sitting straight up instantly knew who that was and was shocked. That was her blood sister, she was sure of it. She recognized the deep menacing snarls and the white tips on her coat. Kagome covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing.

'Kikyou, what have you done?' She knew her near twin pack sister had a deep hatred and harbored such ill will towards humans but has never outright attacked before. Something must have upset her terribly to cause such foolish and dangerous behavior. Then she barely spotted something from the corner, a pure white coat and a deep brown coat running from the scene and into the forest behind them.

"Rin and Shiori." Now she understood. Kikyou was attacking them so her sisters could flee to safety. They must have been unknowingly cornered when the hunters came close. So Rin, Kikyou and Shiori were out separated from the pack, probably to hunt for some decent prey. And Kikyou was defending her sisters while risking her life.

Blood was streaming from Naraku's arm now. Kikyou had successfully ripped into the flesh and had her razor sharp canines in his forearm. But as soon as the camera moved, Kikyou turned her head and dashed for the unprepared camera person, who screams were combined with the wolves bloodthirsty growls. Naraku was holding his arm, watching and struggling to move without further injury to himself. He grabbed his rifle which he dropped and since he was unable to shoot, walked over to hit the beast, causing a yelp and a sudden growl. Then there was running, and the camera captured the fleeing black she-wolf into the woods following her pack members, a glimpse of blood from her muzzle barely visible.

"Police are now grouping and confirming to go find and humanely euthanize the wolf who viscously attacked Kurokumo Naraku and the cameramen, whose name is unknown. Nothing of this sort has ever happened before so extreme measures are being taken to make sure that this won't happen in the future...

"They can't do that!" Kagome shot up. "They didn't see that she was protecting two other wolves. I saw them running away as she attacked them! Didn't you see them too!"

"Kagome calm down." Sango stood up

"No you don't understand! They're going to kill that wolf because she was protecting her pack! Her family that was probably trapped by the hunters. They didn't know it but they were too close to those wolves!" Kagome was now pacing as her heart beat erratically. She didn't want to see her twins sister killed. They may not have been the best of friends the past six years but she was still her family. To hear they were going in there and search to kill Kikyou…she couldn't handle it. Kagome was starting to go crazy, her breathing became uneven and her mumblings were incoherent to Sango's ears.

Sango tried to coax her friend to sit down but was unable to get a response from Kagome. She was in her own world, affected greatly by the news of the wolf. Why she had no unearthly idea. Of course Sango herself was wide-eyed at the footage and a bit fearful of the wolves for what they can do. But she didn't see what Kagome obviously saw. And that puzzled and frightened the female immensely.

Calming her down was doing no good so Sango whipped out her phone and immediately dialed InuYasha, someone who could help calm her erratic friend down. After talking in detail about what was going on and Kagome's reactions thereafter, InuYasha said he and Miroku would be right home. She sighed and asked them to hurry. Kagome was possibly having a meltdown, all the while clutching her amber diamond around her neck tightly in her fist, never letting it go.

Images of her pack-Kikyou, Rin Shiori, Souta, Shippou, her parents and her uncle and aunt, all shot and killed, laying on the forest floor with eyes open and blood dripping from their fatal wounds. They wouldn't stop. They kept coming and coming, haunting and torturing her mind. She could even hear their distinct yelps and howls as they ran from the men with guns, shots ringing through their once peaceful woods, birds flying, crows cawing in the distance. The sky dripping with dark and deep shades of blood red and menacing orange. Kagome clutched her head, trying to get them to stop. The seemingly endless film of different scenarios raced behind her tightly shut eyes. Never had she has such horrid images before. The guns wouldn't stop shooting, her family panting and desperately running away, the sky growing darker and darker. Tears were leaking from her closed eyelids as she hissed and screamed incoherent words, oblivious to the world outside her living nightmares.

She didn't know how long she was pacing or crying her eyes out, but when she felt a pair of arms around her, she immediately began to thrash and struggle. Her hands kept beating the hard muscle of the body who held her. Her screams became frantic, kept trying to shove the person away. The grip became stronger as outside sounds were trying to penetrate her dark world.

A man's voice was calling out to her. "Kagome! Kagome, settle down. It's okay!"

The voice was familiar. The arms that embraced her were warm and familiar to her. Kagome tried to listen, trying to get back and get out into the world she was living in. Her thrashing gradually lessened, her fists that pounded the hard flesh ceased.

"Kagome can you hear me? Babe answer me, are you alright?" The masculine voice was stronger now. It was deep, worried, confused and scared. Her eyes remained closed. Then she felt something soft on her head, a pair of lips…

She was shaking quite badly as she finally opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry from her tears and her gasps were quickly replacing her painful sobs. Her mouth opened as she finally realized whose arms she was in and whose lips kissed her forehead. "Inu…Yasha…?"

When he heard her say his name, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm here Kagome, I'm here."

"InuYasha!" She cried and buried her head into his chest, holding him tightly.

After holding her and putting her in his room to sleep all the tears and stress away, after kissing her lips before she dozed off and tucking her in, he closed the door softly and leaned against it. He ran his hand through his messy silver mane and slid down to the floor where he put his hands over his face while his hair covered him from view. The sight of seeing his girlfriend, crying and whimpering and shaking so terribly he thought she was having a seizure, it was too much. He wanted to cry himself but he held back. The retelling of what happened from Sango and seeing the video of the attack on the news and hearing of what they planned on doing ran through his mind.

He wondered, what could have caused her to react that way? According to what Sango said, Kagome started panicking after the news of the hunt for the bloodthirsty beast that attacked the two men. When he held her, she kept murmuring, kept whispering and whimpering. He couldn't understand her, all he knew was that she was suffering and he was helpless to stop it. Whatever was troubling her was deeply enrooted in her mind, something only she knew of. So the only thing he could do was embrace her, rock and kiss her until she fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion.

InuYasha's eyes were closed but he still remembered; about his rescue six years ago and the recent wolf attack. They looked exactly alike. But there was one difference that he knew immediately. While his wolf was pure black with river like eyes, this one had two white spots and probable blue eyes. Plus his wolf wouldn't attack a mere human if he was saved by her warmth. The instant flashes between Kagome and his wolf kept coming, comparing that to the wolf that wounded the men on the news. Could it be that his wolf and that blue eyed one were from the same wolf pack? It was possible, considering how much they looked alike. And if so, would he find her then?

It was worth a shot. Wolves didn't attack without reason. They were vicious predators but took great care in avoiding any contact with humans. Everybody knew that. What had caused such a need to attack? Then he remembered Sango, saying something about how Kagome mentioned a couple of wolves running away from the scene at the far edge of the camera's view. Could it be true?

Then he promptly stood up and ran into the living room just in time for another showing of the attack. Miroku and Sango were watching as well, having only to look up to see who it was. Inuyasha carefully watched, taking in anything he missed before. When the attack came and the camera fell, he squinted to the far left upper corner of the screen, and that's when he saw it: a flash of white and a flash of dark brown; both figures running into the deeper part of the woods.

Without another word, he made a grab for his red coat and grabbed his keys on the foyer hook on the wall. Knowing cell reception in the mountains was terrible, he would leave it.

"Where you going, InuYasha?" Miroku asked. He and Sango only watched their friend as he silently moved about with purpose.

"I'm going up there to try and stop them. They're going to kill them for wrong reasons."

As he tied up his boots, Sango's mouth dropped. "I'm sorry, I didn't just hear you say you're going up on that mountain? When it's nearly dark out?"

InuYasha gave a brief nod and zipped up his jacket. "You heard right." As he stood up he looked outside and did see the darkening sky. And he briefly looked at his closed bedroom door. He didn't want to leave Kagome when she was so vulnerable and mentally exhausted. But it was best she didn't find out. If she reacted as badly as Sango claimed she did, if he told her she would demand to go with him. InuYasha couldn't let her go, not when it was going to be risky enough.

"Yasha, man please think about what you're doing-"

"I don't want either of you telling Kagome about this." Inuyasha cut off his best friend. He was already anxious and frankly quite nervous to be going into those woods again. "I'm going to try and convince them to stop the hunt and I don't want Kagome up there."

"She'll want to know where you've gone, InuYasha." Sango pointed out.

He stopped in his tracks, his hand outstretched for the knob. The image of her calling out to him, a sad lonely face wondering where he was made his heart clench. All he needed for her was to shed more tears. He vowed to not make her cry. Her tears this afternoon nearly made him weep.

He turned around, something akin to guilt and torment on his face. "I know." Then he glanced longingly at the door once more-their door where memorable moments between him and her happened, behind that door.

Following his gaze, Sango sighed. "Why do you want to go up there? If she finds out, she's probably going to follow you."

"That's precisely why you can't tell her."

Miroku and Sango knew something was up. InuYasha not wanting to tell Kagome of his whereabouts, how guilty he looked...

"Why though? Why are you going up there then, if you know what Kagome might do?" Miroku crossed his arms.

InuYasha shook his head. "I have a feeling Kagome has a connection with those wolves. I don't know why or how but I just have an uneasy feeling." He blew out a breath and stood straight. "Just please, don't tell her. If you do…there'll be hell to pay."

"We'll try and keep her calm as long as can." Sango spoke.

"I only hope to be back in time so she won't suspect where I've gone." And with that declaration, he opened the door and departed from the home without another word.

"I hope he knows what he's doing." Sango sat back down, watching the current news that's been running nonstop for hours now.

"No one knows what goes on in that head of his. When he has an idea, no one can stop him from not doing it." He joined her on the couch, grabbed her hand and began soothing her by rubbing her palm with his thumb. "He must a valid reason for doing this."

"I want to believe that nothing's going to happen, that he'll come back safely. But he's so stubborn. Plus I'm worried about how long it will take for Kagome to realize where he went and why. She's not stupid. She'll go after him without another thought."

A few hours later, sleepy gray eyes blinked open. She groaned and tossed to the opposite direction, trying to go back to sleep. The day had emotionally and mentally drained her; her horrific nightmares eating at her until she passed out in her boyfriend's protective embrace. His heartbeat and his voice lulled her to go to sleep, trying to soothe her frantic nerves and to make the ugly realistic visions disappear. And after she relaxed, after his hands continued to massage and caress her back and her face; which was wet with her tears and her sweat, Kagome finally was able to close her eyes and not see the blood, or hear the yelps or the gunshots.

Her eyes were red from her tears, cheeks no longer stained of tears but still puffy from her sobbing. Her hair was a mess and her body felt as weak as when she was sick. Needing some brand of comfort, she blindly sought the familiar body of her boyfriend whose warmth and presence was always there when she woke up. But all she felt on his side of the bed was nothing, nothing but bare and void of her boyfriend's body heat.

She once again blinked her eyes open. "InuYasha…?" She whispered his name in the quiet room. Using her arms as leverage she leaned up to look around the room. "InuYasha, where are you?" She covered a sudden yawn and removed the soft red covers. 'Where are you?' She asked herself and swept some hair back behind her ear and let her bare feet touch the carpet. Then the gray eyed beauty walked to the door and pressed her ear against it, holding her breath still to listen for any movement outside.

There were some footsteps, and a few voices talking quietly; probably for her sake. Pressing closer, she recognized Sango's voice and with a little more effort Miroku's. But she sighed in disappointment when she didn't hear the one she wanted to hear. His gruff and deep masculine voice that sent shivers down her spine wasn't among them.

'That's strange. He doesn't leave my side when I'm sick.' That was a fact. Whenever she became ill from the side affects from her transformation, Inuyasha made it a point to stick to her side until she was better. He would smooth and brush her hair back, caress her cheek and whisper things to distract her from the pain. But this time, he wasn't. For him to not be there meant something's wrong. Terribly wrong.

'I hope it isn't something too horrible. Miroku and Sango must know what happened.' And with that little hope, she opened the door and walked out to the living room. The T.V was no longer on the local news channel-'Thank Kami', instead Miroku was watching one of the films Sango brought over for their movie night. And the cake…the cake she was baking for InuYasha as a surprise-the bare cake sat on the counter, not burnt as she turned the corner. But she wasn't here to see her non-damaged cake, she wanted some answers.

"Kagome!" Sango walked from the kitchen and went to give her a quick hug. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay…" Kagome shrugged, eyes wandering around the room. "A little tired from everything but yeah."

"You had us worried." Miroku came up to them. "Freaked out on us. InuYasha wouldn't let you go when you passed out." His hand gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "You feeling any better?"

She nodded. Looking around and finding nothing for what she was seeking, she turned to the couple. "Where's Inuyasha?"

The couple paled, looked at each other before answering, "Why don't we go and rest until he gets back huh? He just went to get medicine for you and should be back soon." Miroku then pulled her to the couch, Sango following close behind.

But she pulled away as they reached the couch. She was not going to be dissuaded so easy. "Where is he?" She looked back and forth between the two. "You know where he is, don't you?"

Sango nibbled her bottom lip before saying anything. "We can't tell you, Kagome. He made us promise-"

"WHAT?" She screeched in disbelief.

"We just can't tell you. He didn't want you to know because you were so hysterical earlier and he didn't want you to hurt anymore." Miroku calmly explained.

Kagome was silent. Her bottom lip trembled, frustrated and confused. She clenched her hands and shook her head as if to understand why. Why would he leave? Where did he go? Why did he make them swear not to tell her? All these things weren't making any sense. Unless…

'Does he know?' Did he figure it out? Did the video somehow cause him to react? Sure she and Kikyou were alike but she knew he knew what she looked like and would assuredly tell the difference between them. He isn't stupid. What was his motive for leaving? Where…?

Then the answer struck her like lightening. "He went to the mountains didn't he?" That must be it. Her friend's guilty silence proved she was right.

"InuYasha went up there, for his own reasons I think other than to stop the killing of that wolf." Sango answered. She sat back down on the couch. "I think he wants to look for that one wolf that saved him long ago I think, right?" She turned to her boyfriend for confirmation.

"I suppose so. We all know how he is where wolves are concerned. He loves them, so I can figure his reasoning for going up there to try and talk them out of the hunt." He blew out a breath and turned his attention on the woman standing. "I'm sorry Kagome."

Kagome heard but she didn't respond. InuYasha was going up, to her mountains-her territory to try and call off the search for her sister. If Kikyou was caught, the rest of her family could follow. No, they wouldn't do that would they? He was going there, endangering himself. The winds up there could get nasty around this time of year plus other predators besides her wolf pack would be roaming about. There were bears, wild boar, even mountain cats. He wouldn't last up there without proper protection. Plus there was no way of knowing what her pack would do to him even if he did find them. InuYasha could very well end up hurt, or severely injured-maybe even killed.

And she was risking her status as a human. If she went back to her forest, there was no way to go back to living as she was now. As a human being. She closed her eyes painfully at the thought. She didn't know what to do. Of course she wanted to stop Inuyasha and bring him back, to protect him from the dangers she knew well of. But there was also the fact that she would revert back to her wolf body; her heart human forever. But imagining her boyfriend at the mercy of the elements and wildlife of those mountains caused her heart to pound fearfully. She would shatter if anything happened to him. She had saved him before, out of sheer will. Now that she lived and breathed as a human woman, one whose grown to love with all her heart, for the man that wanted her and possibly loved her back, would she risk it all, just to make sure he would remain safe? Would she risk him seeing her in her true form?

The answer was obvious. She wouldn't question her feelings for him. Yes. She would sacrifice anything and everything, because she loved him. She gave him everything but her secret. With all her soul, all her heart and mind, Kagome would dare to sacrifice her happiness to keep him safe and alive, like he did for her on that same mountain eight months ago. Then she felt lighter, more determined. Her feelings for him outweighed the inevitable risks she was taking. Her love, her joy, her happiness that lay in InuYasha…it was everything to her. He meant everything to her. His life was worth more than her own. If he died, like he almost did years ago, Kagome wouldn't ever forgive herself.

Looking out into the evening, a misty shroud blue as the coming night, she made her decision. Kagome didn't care what lay ahead, no matter what was going to happen to her she was going up there after him. She deeply appreciated his concern to keep her away from this mess. And she loved that he didn't want her hurt and distraught anymore than she already was. And to tell the truth it still bothered her. But that didn't matter anymore.

She was going after him. Careless of what interference she would run into. Kagome was firm in her decision and nobody was going to stop her from running after InuYasha. Despite her viciously pounding heart in her chest, Kagome strode forward; head held high, uncertainty grasping her but not holding her back. Fear and concern raging through her soul but not stopping her.

This was her battle. A battle to once again save the human boy that possessed her heart. And she wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Not my best but hey, I still enjoyed it! Let me know what you think because the main action is happening next chapter! Here we go! It could be a long one so it may take me a while to write and post it but it will be out! So I dropped a cliffhanger to chew away at your brains! Evil LOL!

Next Chapter: The Truth about Me(I think we all know what might happen here...or do you?)LOL! Wait and see next time!

Until then...

Sayonara!