(Thank you everyone for the support and patience. I'm so sorry it took a while. I suck at fighting scenes, but here is the newest chapter. I'll do my best to make them a weekly update like in the beginning.)
Kouga growled as he used his strength to keep the rocks around them from crushing them. Curled against him was Kagome as she tried to use her powers to push back. Yet it seemed like it was futile.
The earthquake had been caused by a mysterious black mass that could morph into anything. Kagome had said that it was a creature that under normal circumstances was passive. A mindless manifestation of the same powers she used. However, the one that had attacked had in some way been enraged. They held no minds, no thoughts. So it would attack and kill without stop. They had gotten the children out of the way. By now they probably were hiding in the caves. Jaxis had tried to stay behind to help but Ari came to help. The battle had been rough and Kagome did her best. The foe was just a bit stronger than her it seemed. It was made purely of the very power she weilded. It could call upon more than her.
Their eyes snapped up when they heard a loud crack. Kagome's eyes shone with dispair as she saw that her barrier was breaking. Kouga looked around for a way out of this. Yet couldn't find any way out of their current position. With an aggervated scoff he layed his forehead against the back of Kagome's head and said,"Shit... Baby, just hold out a little longer. I promise i'll find some way to get us both out." Yet he felt the shift in her aura. She gulpped and then replied,"No..." Kouga cautiously looked up to her. He was about to say something to inspire some kind of hope in her but she cut him off,"There's only one way out of this Kouga... I want you to promise that you'll take care of Jaxis for me."
"Kagome.", he tried with his stern voice. Yet she didn't yield to it. She merely said,"Kouga... No matter how this goes down... The chances of me coming out of this alive are slim. But with what I have in store, we get a slim chance. Either we do it... Or we stay here and this thing will crush us in this ball of stone." Another crack brought their attention to the growing weakness. She looked back to him and finished,"Jaxis will be left with no one... You need to live to teach him about his demon side. I've given him all I can from what he gets from me. He doesn't need me anymore." At this Kouga couldn't help but snap,"Don't be stupid! Jaxis will always need and want you. We'll find a way, we'll-"
"There is only one way!"
"... What are you thinking?"
Her eyes were determined as she said,"I want you to do it again." He was confused. So she turned her body to face toward him. Her hand grasped his and led his claws to the middle of her stomach, right where her scar was. His eyes widened in horror and he yanked his hand back as he cied out,"NO! I'm never doing that to you ever again. I promise. We'll come up with something else-"
"Kouga...", her hand grasped his. It was shaking and he just stared in horror as he watched her put it back against her scar. She then said,"If you stab me and channel your demonic energy into me, it'll overcharge my powers. I'll be able to break us through and kill that thing in a single move... I can't die knowing that you'll die also. You need to live. Not just for Jaxis but for me too. If you die, I will never be at peace... Please." His eyes held a deep sadness. Yet in the next second they were determined as he pulled her closer and whispered into her ear,"Fine... But your going to live. That's an order from your alpha!" Before she could protest she let out a pained cry as his hand stabbed into the scar. Tears ran down her cheeks yet she also could feel the swell of his energy rushing straight into her veins. It was a drug and her powers reacted to the sudden foreign influence. Her eyes shone bright and a magical flame burst forth from them. The same fire flowed from her mouth. He watched as her markings once again shone, but this time they spread to the rest of her body. He watched in awe as she just transformed into this ethernal being of power. As it seemed to be growing close to its limit his hand that was inside her burned slightly. He looked down at it to see that the same markings now were forming on his own skin.
It burned and it felt like a thousand needles were carving themselves into his arms. He looked up to Kagome as she started to cry out in pain. He leaned forward and sealed his lips to hers and kissed her with all the passion he hand. He didn't care that the pain just increased. He'd give her something for her soul to stay for.
His eyes snapped open, his skin was in a cold sweat and his mind was desperately trying to piece the information together. Ignoring the pain as he moved to look around. Immediately his eyes spotted Jaxis curled in a ball at the foot of his bed. He was in his den and looking to either side revealed that Kagome was not by his side. His heart stopped in his chest. Then his attention switched to the pain which was his skin. Everything hurt when it moved. Looking down at himself he saw the markings. They were a bit faded at the edges that made it seem like them were blending into his skin. Yet the clearly lighter skin showed what the markings were. Their blue hue having been lost when her powers stopped overflowing into him. Now all that was left were the markings in his skin, almost looking like scars of a sort.
As he struggled to leave the bed Jaxis woke up. He looked relieved and quickly crawled on the bed over to him. Jaxis wrapped his arms around Kouga as he cried out,"Dad! You're alive!"
It was then that Kouga noticed Kagome's glaive resting against the wall in one piece. His arm wrapped around Jaxis to comfort his son as he asked in a hopeful tone,"Your mother?"
"She's in the medical den... But-"
Kouga rose and said,"Thank kami. Let's go." He motioned for Jaxis to follow as he pushed his body to stand and walk. Staggering but continuing. Jaxis followed but said as he did his best to help the elder male,"She's really bad... I mean they said they don't know if she was going to make it through the night." Kouga narrowed his eyes and asked,"How long were we out for?"
"Three weeks."
He needed to see Kagome. See that she was breathing, that she was still alive. After everything, she had to be alive. He wanted to see her breathing.
Upon walking into the medical den he froze as he saw her. He barely was able to pick up the slight rise of her breathing. Her skin was deathly white and slick. Kouga walked over to her and kneeled down. Her skin was almost the exact same as his. Except that along with the symbols, she also had what seemed to be veins on her as well. It was for the simple fact that he could see them and they were white that worried him. Jaxis merely confirmed his fears as he lightly said,"Her... Her powers are barely there anymore. They don't even know if she'll pass one night or she'll pull through."
"She'll live. She did it once and she sure as hell can do it again."
There was a look of determination as he stared down at Kagome. His hand rose to stroke her hair as he nodded and said,"It's going to be alright. This is nothing that can kill her." Jaxis shakily nodded behind him. He turned to Jaxis and then to Kagome. With a heavy heart he rose from beside Kagome to walk with Jaxis out of the healing den. He held his gaze on her for a while before leaving. He didn't want to do it, but Jaxis was becoming too affected by her state of being. There had already been too much stress for the day. His glare held onto the ground as he walked back to his den. His thoughts turned murderous. His inner demon was screaming to be let loose to try and hunt down how had set the creature on them. His gaze went down to Jaxis to clear his thoughts. Their son needed them here, on the mend. Once Kagome was back to her fully glory then they would go on the hunt. Still he could only thing of one person who could possibly be this obsessed to go out and find something like that. His glare returned but he and Jaxis both entered the den. Kouga laid his weak body back down on the bed and stared up to the cieling. Then he looked back to his scarred skin, admiring the patterns that had formed.
With a heavy sigh, he closed his hands into a fist and let them fall limp to his sides. His eyes closed and he fell back into slumber. He wanted to join his mate in the world of slumber.
His nostals flared as he glared at the red haired female standing with her pack. A coy smirk on her face as she said,"I wish..."
"Shut it, whore!", his inner demon snapped at her.
Indeed she was silent for a bit. But her gaze upon him, said it all. It was all for dramatic effect. Then she shot out, "I wish to challege her place! Your bond isn't complete, she has failed to mark you back. By ancient rules, I am within my right to take you. If she shall not mark you then I will gladly do so." His inner demon was pissed. It really was beyond the point of him gaining control over it. Kagome still had yet to awaken after two more weeks. Kouga was in full fighting order. His demonic blood made him heal faster. Yet her powers were still shot. She only just recently started showing colour in the markings and viens. His eyes narrowed as he growled out, "She is in no condition to fight. Come back later."
Ayame chuckled before she said,"An alpha female should be ready at all times to defend her position. No matter what, once a challege has been issued, it has to be accepted."
Her grandfather the elder nodded and said,"That is our way."
Kouga snarled viciously. Bitch had played this to her own preference. She knew that Kagome was a very formitable opponent. If she was left that she physically couldn't accept the challege then Ayame would win default. His claws were digging into his skin. He heard Jaxis behind him also growling. The entire pack was pissed yet the ancient laws were clear. Ayame had played dirty. His thoughts were snapped away when he heard the pelt to the healing den pull back. Instantly, he was shocked and looked to see Kagame. Her trusty glaive was in her lands and her eyes were lifeless. Still that flicker of a flame took over the glaive's blade. His attention snapped to a very shocked Ayame. Yet seeing Kagome stagger emotionlessly to the front of the group make her smirk. As she used to glaive to hold her weight some Kagome then said,"Alright... You wanna challege me? Let's go." With that she swung the blade and got into an offensive stance. Kouga rushed to her side and then harshly whispered into her ear,"You are in no position to fight. Your body is wrecked, your powers are struggling to keep you alive as it is."
"Either way...", her eyes bored into his. It sent shivers down his spine as he saw the utter void that he saw. Then she continued,"I'll be damned if I let this play out that I don't fight to keep you... At least it'll be known that I didn't just give up. I fought, even in this deathly state." With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly moved away from her. Both knew what the outcome of the fight would be. Kagome just hoped that her long term plan would pull through for her. She took in a deep breath and rolled her shoulders.
The two females stood staring at each other. Both ready to get into the fight. Kagome knew that she was in no condition to fight...
Ayame barked before she shot out running to her. Kagome narrowed her eyes and brought her glaive to swing out. The female ducked her head under and went to claw at Kagome. She moved her body with the glaive and barely moved just out of the way. Then she brought the blade back to stab into her. Ayame jumped back a bit before coming again. She was met with a blinding ball of weak flames before being met with a harsh punch. Her head was flung back a bit but she clawed again. This time she caught the cloth covering Kagome's stomach. She reveled in the faint smell of blood coming from the stitched up wound. Kagome took her brief moment of victory to swing again and sent her far away. Enough to give her a breather.
She knew the result of this battle from the beginning...
Ayame cackled wickedly and lunged back. This time she collided with the female and sent both tumbling to the ground. Her eyes turned pure red as a wide smile took over her facial expression. Kagome held no fear, didn't cry as Ayame's claws ripped the stitching of her wound open again. Didn't react as she dug her claws into her torso to try and rip away the flesh.
Yet she knew what she was doing...
Kagome swung the blade again and followed up with another fire ball before rushing forward. Ayame countered and slammed her down upon the ground. A gust of dirt prove of the power she had put into taking down Kagome. When it cleared Kagome was failing to stand up. With a shaky breath, she collapsed onto the ground. Ayame smirked and then said as she walked away,"The battle is finished." A couple of the pack came to Kagome and helped her to her feat. The white elder said nothing at first before he said,"Kagome has failed to defend her position. Ayame won fair."
Kouga wanted to laugh at that. He knew, as well as the rest of the pack, that she was a damn dirty player. The reason for Kagome's condition was all her. Yet there was nothing anyone could do. The elder turned to Kagome and then said,"You are banished from the pack lands. You shall be escorted out." They had barely won and not they thought they could call the shots. The pack looked to him but Kagome made the last call. She turned and said,"Fair is fair. I will abide by your laws." He was confused now. Ari and her mate were the ones who went with her. As Ayame approached and tried to snuggle into his neck, his eyes were locked on the retreating and very bloody figure of Kagome. She struggled with every step and Jaxis followed closely behind. His eyes dulled down and his inner demon growled from beneath the surface. He felt like something bigger was at play. That was the only thing keeping him from slaughtering the wolfess and rushing after her. He would bide his time and do as his instincts told him. But for now, it was a dagger through the heart. The greatest pain he had ever experienced, it was watching them go. After nearly a year of fighting tooth and claw, this bitch just ruined it all. His glare went down to the oblivious female. His demon told him not to worry yet his mind was telling him that no matter what. It was hopeless. She was going to mark him and then they would be gone forever.
His eyes closed and he as well as the rest of the packs turned to go back to their dens.
Ari huffed angrily as she said,"I can't believe that bitch played that low. How can the elders honor something so filthy." She looked to her side and saw that Kagome was smirking.
Instantly she was confused.
Yet Kagome didn't just stop there. She went on to chuckle. Once she was at the edge of their lands she left into the darkness without another word. Leave two very lost and empty demons behind. As well as an entire pack of mourning wolf demons.
