21

They lost thirty members of the Wolf Pack that day. A devasting loss, everyone felt the pain because the Wolf Pack was family.

Kagome awoke to the sound of Kougas yelling, his voice hoarse. Her eyes flew open as he cursed, almost screaming. He was a good distance, but somewhere outside the cave but she could still hear him. His voice was filled with agony. Why?

"Dammit, Kouga. I have to set your knee. Stay still or it's going to heal like it is and you won't ever be able to run again. Do you want that?"

Kagome remembered the mangled mess of Kougas knee. It was a miracle that he'd survived. If he had died…she didn't want to even imagine. With a groan she lifted herself up onto her elbows.

"Don't move too much, Kagome. I think you have a concussion and with all the blood loss, you need to rest. I'm sorry." Kagome shifted her gaze to Ginta and his wife. They'd taken care of her. Ginta looked worried. Sad.

"We didn't even know, Kagome. I'm sorry. We all would have…" What Ginta didn't say was that if they'd known she was pregnant with Kougas pup, they all would have put their lives on the line for her.

"I never thought Kumiko was capable of such treachery. None of us did." Kumiko had always seemed so kind.

"Not Kumiko, Kagome. The pup…the baby. If we'd known, we would have taken precautions." Ginta frowned, trying to reassure her. None of them wanted her to think losing the pup was her fault.

"What baby?" Against their urgings Kagome sat up and almost wished she hadn't. Her head pounded and a thin white bandage had been wrapped around her head. Her body ached everywhere, scrapes and bruises that would—for her—take a while to heal. "What baby?"

Ginta stared at Kagome, confusion marring him. Then realization dawned and pity. Poor Kagome. "Kagome—" He sat beside her. "You didn't know you were pregnant?"

The words "baby" and "pregnant" echoed in Kagomes mind. One hand dropped to her stomach. "I was pregnant?" Her words were weak, as if she was moments away from fainting, almost not believing. Pregnancy had been a high possibility. She and Kouga had slept together and he hadn't pulled out once. Kougas pup…his baby.

"Oh my God." She whispered hoarsely, her voice filled with pain. She remembered the twisting, burning pain in her stomach when they'd hit the ground and then the heavy gush of moisture between her thighs not too long afterwards. She'd lost the baby.

She hadn't once given thought to having Kougas pup but now that she knew that she had been pregnant and the child was…gone…she wanted it more than ever. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"No, don't cry Kagome. Not here. If Kouga smells your tears he'll come running, no matter if he's able to walk or not. He can't do that, Kagome. He's likely to kill himself."

Kagome wasn't sure how she did it but she did. She drew in a breath that was half a sob, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Somehow, her life had turned upside down.

Kouga clenched his teeth at the pain threatening to tear him apart. There wasn't a part of his body that didn't hurt. It was amazing—a miracle—that he was still alive. Being a Wolf Demon, he'd heal, of course, but it was going to take a while. He'd been wounded before but never like this.

His right arm was broken, two of his ribs cracked and numerous other wounds. Hell, he was black and blue. His leg hurt like hell, the bone that had broken and protruded through the skin was the worst. Pain, a burning agony had him cursing and yelling as Hakku and two other wolf demons holding him down as Hakku pressed his hand above the protruding bone.

"Fuck! Shit!" He arched and half twisted away from them and the pain.

"Dammit, Kouga. I have to set your knee. Stay still or it's going to heal like it is and you won't ever be able to run again. Do you want that?" Hakku growled out the words and cupped Kougas knee again, above and below it.

Kouga clenched his teeth at the agony he knew was coming but it was nothing compared to the the piercing, burning pain as Hakku snapped Kougas knee back into place. Kouga screamed, his voice hoarse.

He knew they would never be safe—as safe in a world full of demons that is—with Kumiko alive. All he wanted was to have Kagome in his arms again, to assure himself that she was alright.

His body was covered in sweat and blood, his chest heaving as he fought to ignore the pain. With a groan he staggered to his feet, favoring his good leg. "I'm going to see Kagome."

Hakku dragged one of Kougas arms over his shoulders but instead of turning him towards where Kagome was, he turned the opposite. "Kouga, you're injured. You nearly died. I know you want to see her and comfort her over the loss of the pup but—"

Hakku felt Kouga tense, his body so still and hard that he felt like stone.

"The pup?" Kougas eyes were cold—hard—and Hakku swore he saw some emotion—pain—swirling in the depths. He didn't have to say anything else. Kouga KNEW.

"I'm going to see her." Kouga said again and this time Hakku didn't stop him.

Kouga didn't want to believe it. Joy unlike anything he'd ever known had filled him when he'd learned Kagome was carrying his pup. That joy, apparently, was short living. The life that had been growing inside her, so innocent, so short a life…

It wasn't fair. And Kagome hadn't even known she was pregnant. He winced at the thought and hurried before he finally stopped at the sight of her. His Kagome was covered with bruises like his, though his were more pronounced and intense. He ached at the sight of her beautiful body in pain. The stark pain in her eyes ate at his self-control. The knowledge in her eyes broke her heart. Never—NEVER—should Kagome have had to experience such loss in her life.

"Kagome…" His voice was low and the moment he took a step towards her he opened his arms. He braced himself for the pain as a sob tore from her lips and she flew into his arms. The impact jarred his body but he kept the pain carefully hidden from her. He kept his face steady, nothing to show the pain he was in as he closed his arms around her.

"I didn't know, Kouga. If I'd known that I was…" Kagome, so humanly frail, couldn't even bring herself to say the word. "…I wouldn't have suggested we go."

He could feel her tears against his bruised chest, smell the saltiness. "I didn't know either." He whispered against her hair. "Not until right before."

"There won't be a next time, Kagome. Next I see him, he's dead." The words were final. Kumiko had hurt them for the last time.