"Why the hell did Sango bring that sorry excuse for a wol-"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome interrupted in a surprisingly offended tone as she shot him a look of distaste.
"What?! I was only tellin' the truth!"
"It isn't nice!" The miko shot back as she stood approaching the blabbering hanyou, "He's sick!"
"Does it look like I care? Hell, Sango should have left him to die! Have ya seen him?!"
Kagome glanced back at hut. "I...don't know how to fix this, Inuyasha..." She stammered over her words, looking down at the ground below her feet.
Inuyasha's eyes lowered as he cupped the miko's chin and lifted her face, "Kagome...He's a youkai, It's up to him if he survives this or not. If he doesn't it's not your fault...It's not worth getting upset about."
"But he's a dear friend of Sango's...with the lost of her village and family, I don't think she can handle another lo-"
"She's a taiji-ya. What makes you think she'll get all cozy with a youkai!?"
"Inuyasha..." The miko gave the hanyou a knowing smirk before stepping out of the way and motioned her hand to the cabin, "Look for yourself..."
"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted as he marched inside the cabin, "After we prove my point, your making me more of that ramen stuff! Got th-" The hanyou's golden eyes grew at the scene that played before him.
Sango sat before Kouga, allowing him the rest his head on her lap as she brushed a few moist hairs from his sweated forehead.
"What the hell?!" The hanyou yelled, shocked by what he was witnessing.
Sango shot Inuyasha a intense glare as she placed a finger to her lips gesturing for him to shush.
The hanyou twitched as his mouth hung open, "Ehhh...?"
Kagome giggled victoriously as she stepped into the hut, placing her hand below the hanyou's chin and gently pushed his mouth closed, "Careful, Inuyasha. If you keep your mouth hung open like that a fly might get in. Now, you were mentioning something about ramen?"
Sango's eyes quaked as she took in the miko's words, "Nothing you can do?" She repeated emotionless as she quickly looked down at Kouga who still layed rested on her sleeping bag with his head rested in her lap. He stirred momentarily, his face twisted slightly as if he was experiencing pain, but after a moment it reverted back to peaceful as he breathed slowly.
"No, I'm sorry...I wish there was...perhaps, Kaede can help him..." Kagome spoke softly as she too glance briefly down at the resting wolf-youkai.
"Perhaps..." Sango repeated passively as her softened gaze return to her friend.
Kagome smiled as she reached over and gently placed a hand on Sango's shoulder, "Or perhaps your love for him can mend his illness..."
Sango's eyes grew wide slightly as a defined, red tint took to her cheeks, "My...love?" She reverted her gaze back to Kouga who snuggled closer to her warmth.
Kagome wagged a daunting finger in Sango's face as she gave her a blissful, knowing look. "Your not fooling me, Missy..."
Sango gulped silently, as she blushed and a nervous smile spreaded over her features.
Kagome grinned joyfully as she stood to make her leave, "Don't worry..." She glanced at Sango from over her shoulder "Your secretes are safe with me..."
Just as Sango fixed her lips to ask just what 'secretes' she spoke of, the miko had gone.
Left to her own thoughts, Sango gazed down upon Kouga's resting face.
'Your...a youkai. Why do I have to urge toward you...this urge to hold you and protect you...And this feeling...this feeling as though you need me?'
"The most dangerous youkai you will ever encounter is one that masquerades as a human being...not only extremely deceiving, these types of demons will stop at nothing to reel you in and destroy you..."
Two pair of hazel brown eyes grew wide as they took in there father's words.
"Sango? Kohaku? Are you paying attention to me?"
Both children nodded quickly as they began to ponder on the thought of a human-like youkai.
"It is important that you know how to identify these crafty types of youkai, Children. Why, I myself could be one, right now as we speak."
Wasting no time, Sango bolted to her feet and removed her hiraikotsu from her back, "I shall slay you, vile beast!"
Kohaku followed suit, picking up his sickle from the floor quickly, "Yeah! Prepare to die at our mercy!"
A playfully smile spreaded across their fathers lips as he watched the duo with pride.
Both children stood battle ready before him. Their bodies began to shake as the fell to the ground in fits of hysterical laughter.
Their father chuckled as he clapped his hands,"Well done! Well done!"
"Are you positive he's still living?" A dark figure spat as he peered over his shoulder at the white-haired female wolf-youkai that stood behind him.
"Affirmative..." The female's eyes flickered with concern as she gazed at the darkened figure that stood before her. "Oh, Taichi! We have to find him. Hayate would be so disappointed to know how we have abandoned his son...I feel like I've failed him, Kouga, and the rest of the Kyōryokuna o mono. If word gets out-"
"If word gets out? If word gets out?!" Taichi spat as he turned sharply to face the now shaking girl, "Child, If word gets out, it's on your head! Do you know the consequences for our actions? The whole clan will be at risk!"
"But, Kouga's our leader! We can't just leave him to die!"
"I'm our leader!"
"But-"
"But what, Amai?! Am I not as qualified as Kouga is to lead?" A curled smirk graced Taichi's lips as he chuckled cruelly through clenched fangs, "You and I both know that's bullshit."
After her conversation with Taich, Amai thought it would be wise to talk things over with who other than Ginta and Hakkaku. After all, nobody in this tribe knew Kouga better than those two.
As she made her way through members of the tribe, she heard a few conversations being held about their leader. One in particular stood out to her the most. It transpired between two, teenaged members. Not much younger than her or Kouga himself.
"I heard he's with that human girl? Figures, right? When you think you know a guy..."
"Oh yeah, that chick. She is a taiji-ya, you know..."
"I know! How-"
"I-I'm sorry to intrude but, I could help you mention something about the taiji-ya girl?" Amai interrupted as she approached the gossiping pair.
"Yeah! There are rumor that Kouga ran off with her...That taiji-ya bitch."
"Fasinating...I hope 'that bitch' you speak of is showing him kindness, and nursing him back to health. You know...something we failed to do!" Amai growled as she swiftly turned away from the two, "Don't be hypocritical idiots. Think of your own wrongs before you focus on others."
The two youkai scoffed as began to walk away from her, "Traitor..."
Offended, Amai began to run after the pair and give them a piece of her mind, but before she could she spotted just the two guys she was looking for, "Ginta! Hakkaku!" She called as she ran toward the two.
"Well, If it isn't Amai." Hakkaku smiled as he greeted her.
"What brings you to us?" Ginta questioned as he eyed the female that stood before him, admiring her beauty.
Amai blew her white fringes out of her face before she spoke, they had fallen from their usual curl when she lost her temper with the other's gossip. Her silver eyes darted between the two, "We need to talk."
"About?"
"Kouga."
Ginta and Hakkaku glanced at each other, exchanging worried looks before returning their attention the Amai.
Pale blue eyes began to open slowly, causing Sango to gasp lightly. She watched him as he slowly began to rise to his elbows, looking around the hut.
"Where the hell am I?" Kouga asked in a gruff, hoarse voice.
"The hut of a friend of mine...you've been here since last night." Sango responded, placing a supporting hand against his back.
"I've been out that long?" He questioned, peering back at her.
Sango nodded, adding on a small smile, "Yeah. You slept like a cute, little, innocent, baby."
"Damn it. Why the hell didn't you wak..." Kouga's eyes grew as he took in the taiji-ya's words. A smirked played across his lips as he tilted his head back to look at her, "Cute?"
Sango's cheeks reddened as she looked about the hut, "I-I umm..." She looked for something, anything that would distract him from his eyes that seemed to began to regain their passionate, darker blue tone, "umm..."
Defeated, Sango gave in. Giving Kouga direct eye contact, "I have made up my mind..."
Perplexed by the taiji-ya's sudden change in body language, Kouga raised both of his eyebrows as his eyes flickered wide, "Huh?"
"...Remember how you 'asked me to be your mate'? Well, 'claimed me' anyways..." Sango spoke clearly as she held their eye-contact, "Once you are one-hundred percent again...and things are back in order...I-I can't deny my feelings toward you so umm...I wil-"
"Sango!" She heard Inuyasha call out, his voice laced with urgency as he bolted into the hut, "I think you take a look outside..."
X X X
A/N: I know, not long at all right? Sorry about that . I'll have three, nice, long chapters for you over the weekend! I give my word as a writer!
Kyōryokuna o mono: The powerful, tailed ones. Kouga was born with a tail. In this story taht is something that is very special amoung his kind. His father, grandfather, and so on also were born with tails. This symbolizes special, hidden talents and also strength. You shall hear more about it as the stories progess.