Kagome growled in frustration, the youkai she was pursuing was tricky much to her distaste, Sesshomaru had challenged her beastly self to seek and kill a deer youkai to improve her hunting skills. It had been a few months since the day at the lake where he had marked her with his bite and since then he had been teaching her to hunt in her four legged form. She was improving and could now kill an animal without being repulsed by it in her natural form, this hunting of a fleet footed and nimble deer youkai was her latest test in her hunting abilities.
She thought she was gaining on the demon when she caught the scent of Kouga coming from the east, she groaned and snapped her jaws in irritation. The wolf youkai hadn't been seen or heard from since she had bandaged his wounds and he apparently caught her scent and thought the hunt was still on for her. The wind shifted to blow from the west and she lost the scent of Kouga.
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Kouga was determined to find the female weredog that had humiliated him so several full moons ago. Her scent came back to him on the breeze and he put on a burst of speed, the darkness was lit by the light of a half-moon and the stars. It was almost as bright as day to his wolf like eyes as he scented and drew closer to his quarry.
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Kagome sensed the shards drawing closer to her and decided the deer youkai would have to wait, stopping she waited to see what the wolf youkai would do when he came into view. Her throat vibrated with an irritated growl, because she had been gaining on the deer at last and now she had lost ground and time because of Kouga.
He came barreling at her claws extended and a vicious growl tearing from his throat, Kagome snapped her jaws shut as he rushed past her. Her fangs missing him by mere inches, he whirled teeth bared and leaped into the air intending on slashing her across the shoulder. He missed her by a hair as she leaped back and snapped her fangs in irritation, a growl tearing from her throat.
The fighting went on neither seeming to land a mark on the other, both irritated and getting desperate to finish off the other, when at last Kouga managed to slash her across a hind leg. Kagome was totally lost now her blood rage sweeping through her with the smell of her own blood in her nose, she lunged and would've hit her mark. But something unexpected happened next, she went limp hitting the ground with an resounding thud.
Kouga stood there staring in disbelief as the female weredog hit the ground unconscious, looking around he saw nothing unusual. There wasn't enough blood for it to be blood loss, the once bright half moon was hidden from view, he had forgotten that tonight there would be an eclipse.
Suddenly he was airborn, striking a tree hard enough that it snapped, Sesshomaru was in his face snarling at him.
"What have you done to her?"
"I haven't done anything to her" Kouga gasped out with what little air her could get in or out past the fist clenched around his throat.
"I smell her blood wolf, do not LIE to this Sesshomaru."
"I cut her in battle just now, but I swear that's all I did to her"
"Why is she unconscious wolf?" Demanded Sesshomaru, his eyes glowing red with rage.
"I swear I don't know she was lunging for me one second and hitting the ground the next."
"I swear if you harmed her more than you say, I will kill you."
Releasing Kouga Sesshomaru turned and strode to Kagome's side, she lay nude face down on the leafy ground, blood seeped slowly from cuts on her thigh. Other than that he found nothing else wrong with her, shedding his outer haori he slipped it over her and lifted her into his arms. Turning he glared at Kouga who had not left after being released, he was far too interested in what lay in Sesshomaru's arms.
He took in a sharp breath and strode forward, reaching for the young woman in Sesshomaru's arms, horror in every line of his body. "Ka…Go….Me… oh god, what have I done?" he cried out as he stared at her laying limply in Sesshomaru's grip.
"You wear on my patience wolf, remove your hand from my chosen female or risk losing your life." Came Sesshomaru's quiet warning followed by a baring of teeth.
Kouga's eyes widened as he snatched his hand away from the woman he had wanted for so long, pain lancing through him as he stepped back and watched Sesshomaru walk away with the woman he loved.
-33-33-33-
Sesshomaru carried Kagome to a cave where he could build a fire, he looked to the sky searching for the answers to his questions. He noticed that the moon was eclipsed and wondered if it had anything to do with her being unconscious. He set Kagome's still body onto a pile of leaves and pulled a whistle from his sleeve blowing it summon Ah-Un. He settled down and waited for the two headed dragon to arrive, an hour passed before the dragon's aura could be felt.
Sesshomaru stood and walked out of the cave meeting the dragon he told him to seek out the flea Myoga and to bring him quickly, that it was of the utmost importance. Ah-Un nodded before taking flight to do as bid by his master.
Three hours passed by before the flea made an appearance, with a bow he said "Lord Sesshomaru, to what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned to you for?"
"Do you know of weredogs Myoga?"
"Well yes, your sire dealt with a few of them long before you were cutting your first teeth. Why do you ask?"
"Are you aware that Kagome has been turned into one?"
"Are you certain of this?"
"Of course I am" sneered Sesshomaru "I am no fool flea and would recommend you not talk to me as if I were one."
"Of course my lord, if what you say is true then I assume that you must be her Alpha otherwise why summon me?"
"Yes I am her Alpha, I summoned you to find out if there is an explanation to her suddenly dropping unconscious during a fight earlier this evening."
"Well it was a very rare rumor that during an eclipse the weredogs would drop like stones no matter what was occurring around them, it was said to be the only time they were totally vulnerable to attack."
"I see, well now we can't have that becoming common knowledge now can we?"
"No my lord it can not become common knowledge since Lady Kagome is now truly the only one in existence and under your control. I understand that you intend to take her as your mate?"
"Yes I intend to, but no one needs to know, so lets keep this a secret until the time arrives when I do claim her as my mate. I appreciate your information flea, now be gone."
With that said he turned his attention to the woman laying amongst a pile of leaves, the fire he had built after summoning the dragon made dancing shadows across the cave walls and made her look younger than she was. Sighing he settled down next to her and pulled her body into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. He glanced at the arm that had finally regenerated right before Naraku's demise and smiled grateful that he had the ability to hold the one he cared for so close to him.
His thoughts drifted as he realized that he hadn't told her yet of just how he felt about her, true it hadn't been but a short time in his long life, but somehow he grew to care for the small female cradled in his lap. He was surprised at how suddenly it seemed to have happened, but he remembered something his father once said "Son one day you're going to meet someone worthy of you and she will conquer you in a very short time"
He had scoffed of course, no female anywhere would ever bring him to her heel he had thought snidely at his father's retreating back. Sesshomaru watched as the skyline gradually lightened into the barest touches of dawn and he felt Kagome stir as golden orange light slowly grew brighter. Glancing down he waited for Kagome to open her eyes, as they opened and she looked around in a dazed way she said "What happened? The last thing I remember was fighting with Kouga... Oh my is he okay?" She asked looking to his face with worry.
"Yes, the wolf is fine." Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear gently with a claw he said "And as for what happened, well as it turns out there was an eclipse that made you lose consciousness. It would seem that it is one of the greatest and well kept secrets of your kind, it would be most appropriate to say that most everyone would be stupid not to take it as an advantage to kill weredogs. So I would recommend keeping this to yourself."
"Oh, well that explains a lot. I suppose I should try hunting the deer youkai again, hmm?"
"Yes you should, I will leave you to it then." Unfolding his arms from around her he let her stand before doing so himself.
"Sesshomaru?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you come here a moment?"
He could smell her nervousness as he drew closer to her and wondered what it was that she wanted of him, he came to a stop in front of her and said "What is it Kagome?"
She fidgeted before reaching up and grabbing him by the back of the neck and pulling herself up to place a kiss on his lips, startled he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her snuggly up against him. His lips parting as he took over the kiss she had initiated, god he wanted her, but not yet. Pulling away he noticed she was breathing a little hard and smiled to himself for being able to so thoroughly kiss her breathless. He gave her the smallest brush of fang on her neck before whispering so quietly she barely caught the word "mine"
