Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.

Chapter 25

The moment Yuki and Hiro stepped into Kaze no Kizu, they were swallowed up by the pulse-pounding beats. The crush of people was enormous and Yuki hated to admit it, but the place rocked. He'd have to do some work on Netsu when he got the chance.

Right behind him, Hiro was nervously looking around. He had a really bad feeling about this. They'd gone out to dinner and while dessert was being served, Hiro had noticed a rather striking-looking man with glossy black hair sitting a few tables over, giving them occasional glances. The glances were fleeting, for the man appeared to be deep in conversation with his companion. But all the same, Hiro had a distinct feeling that the guy was secretly watching them, or rather... watching Yuki.

Hiro sighed inwardly. He was imagining things, he told himself as Yuki dug into his cherry covered cheesecake with relish.

But his gaze flitted back over to the black-haired man, who, even though he was laughing with his dinner companion, had his eyes fixed on Yuki. The look in those dark eyes were hard and cold... murderous. Hiro felt slightly afraid for his foolish brother. Even as they made their way through the nightclub, he felt as though they were being watched.

Very, very unsettling...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was Ginta who had to be the voice of reason when his brother and Inuyasha tried to make a dash for the door with the intent on beating Yuki down. His arms snaked out, snagging the idiots by their collars.

"Hey! Pull yourselves together, you morons!" he snapped, yanking them backwards. The two fell on their rumps and sputtered furiously up at Ginta, who regarded them disdainfully. "What the hell are you thinking? Are you trying to shut this place down before we've begun to enjoy its success?"

"What are you going on about?" Inuyasha grumbled, getting to his feet.

"Yeah! We need to avenge Kagome-neesan!" barked Hakkaku angrily, giving his knuckles a good crack.

Ginta sneered at them. "Heh. Have you two even thought this through?" When the other two looked at him curiously, he went on. "We've got a bunch of people out there, fueled by hormones and booze and you two bozos go and start a fight. What do you think will happen? We'll have a huge fight on our hands, the cops will get called in as well as the media because this is a new club, just opened for business and because he's Morikawa's little brother." Ginta pointed at Inuyasha, who flinched away from the accusing finger.

The elder Kawase continues ruthlessly. "There will be an investigation on just who started this mess and why. They'll discover that it just so happens that Inuyasha, Morikawa Sesshoumaru's little brother, beats the shit out of some crippled guy after he's been accused of beating up his step-sister. The exposure won't be positive, gentlemen. Sesshoumaru would be furious; not only because his brother had to go and be stupid, but also because it would drag Kagome out into the open." He took a deep breath. "I don't suppose you want to go back to Kagoshima so soon after leaving there, do you, Inuyasha?"

Inu glared sullenly at a very smug-looking Ginta. "So what do you propose we do instead, Einstein? From the way you talked earlier, it sounded like you were itching for a fight, too."

"Oh, I still am," Ginta replied, reaching for his cell phone and dialed a number. Putting the phone to his ear, he waited for a moment. "Hey, Sesshoumaru? Yeah. Listen, I know where Yuki is."

oooooooooooooooooo

Naraku was parked outside of Kaze no kizu, one of his associates sitting beside him, peering through binoculars at the crowd that gathered in front of the doors.

He reached out to grab his phone in order to call Sesshoumaru, but it went off just as his hand touched it. The name on the caller id made him smile. Naraku flipped it open and put it to his ear. "Well, well, speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you. Have you been thinking of me too, Sesshy? You know, if I wasn't straight, I'd go after you, you sexy bastard," he purred into the phone.

"Shut your hole, pervert. I'll refuse to have anymore to do with you if you keep that up."

"Aww, you've broken my heart, Sess."

"What heart?" Sesshoumaru shot back.

Naraku grinned. "Ouch. What can I do for you?"

Sesshoumaru grunted. "Yuki's at a nightclub right now. The--"

"Kaze no kizu. Yeah, I'm sitting right outside it at this moment. Yamadera's with a guy, tallish, with curly brown hair."

"Okay. That'll be his younger brother, Hiro. Don't do anything to that young man, Naraku. He's got nothing to do with this."

Naraku shrugged, his eyes still trained at the club's entrance. "Sure, okay. If you say so."

"I do."

Naraku let a moment of silence go by before asking, "How's Kagome?" he asked softly, staring hard out of the window. "Is she okay?"

Sesshoumaru, too, said nothing for a minute before replying. "She's fine. Kouga's still with her."

"Hmph. And you're okay with this?"

"What do you mean?"

Sliding one cigarette out of his pack on the dashboard, Naraku snatched up his lighter and lit up. "I already told you about that, Sess. The guy's a murderer."

"Was. He was a murderer." There was a note of impatience in Morikawa's voice. "What has that to do with anything?"

Naraku exhaled, sending a stream of smoke out through his nostrils. "And that doesn't bother you? Having a murderer looking after one of your most prized possessions? Thought that'd be something to keep you up nights."

"Let me make it clear to you that Kagome is not a possession. Just what are you getting at anyway, Naraku? Look, I've had time to get to know him and yes, for a long time I disliked him wholeheartedly because Kagome preferred him to me. I was so jealous of him I could barely see straight. But I know this for certain, Kouga loves Kagome with all of his heart and he'd do anything to protect her."

"You actually believe that?" Naraku chuckled. "You've never seen him in action, have you? I'm talking about when he and his buddies would mack on the ladies. He was smooth, Sess. The women couldn't get enough of him and he couldn't get enough of the women." He inhaled. "I hope that little ward of yours is being smart about this. After already making one huge mistake--"

The sound of a chair hitting the floor could be heard on Sesshoumaru's end. "What are you saying, huh? That she would be safer in your company?" he snapped furiously. "You're not exactly an angel yourself."

"Oi, oi, don't get so upset. Sheesh..." Naraku cracked his window open just a bit and tapped his ash outside the car. "I never said to place her in my care, although I wouldn't put up a fuss about it. Look, all I'm saying is that I think it would be wiser if you were the one watching over her. If he's alone with her and she's practically helpless... Well, I would hate it if he took advantage of her position, that's all. She doesn't deserve that sort of treatment from a man she trusts."

"Shut your filthy mouth, Naraku!" Sesshoumaru snarled through gritted teeth. "You have absolutely no idea about this... or about Kouga. I realize that he lied to my face about his past and I realize that Kagome is utterly vulnerable right now, but you've never seen him with her. You've never seen how looks at her, as though he can't stare at her long enough, or how gently and lovingly he treats her when they're together. I've never seen a man so in love with a woman before. Everything I've seen in him, I've seen in myself because I can relate to what he's feeling. I trust him to take care of her, Naraku. That's all I'm going to say."

"Okay, okay, I hear ya." Naraku lifted his hand to take another drag when his assistant nudged him in the ribs and pointed in the direction of the club. He turned to see the line of people waiting outside of the Kaze to get in back away from the door suddenly. "Shit! I'll call you back, Sess. There's trouble brewing." He hung up and quickly got out of the car.

He and his assistant, a young woman with flashing scarlet eyes, ran up just in time to see Inuyasha and Yuki locked in combat. Hiro was off to the side, brandishing a black and gold cane like a weapon, yelling at Inuyasha to back off. Hakkaku was being held back by Ginta, who looked about ready to explode.

Inuyasha, silver hair flying wildly about his red, fury-contorted face, managed to break out of Yuki's embrace. Cocking his arm back, he slugged the blond man on the nose. As Yuki fell backwards into Hiro's arms, blood spurted out of his nose and onto Inuyasha's clothes.

"You asshole! You coulda fucking killed her!" screamed Sesshoumaru's little brother in a vitrolic rage. He lunged forward, going in for the kill.

But before he could touch Yuki, Naraku rushed in and grabbed him from behind. Inuyasha, still in his berserker rage, fought against his captor to free himself. "Let go of me! Let go of me!" he shrieked as Naraku dragged him away.

ooo

Two hours later, all the participants in the debacle were safely ensconced in Sesshoumaru's home. The fight had broken out when Inuyasha, unable to sit and wait patiently for Naraku to arrive and nab Yuki, had bolted from the office and down to the dancefloor. Ginta and Hakkaku ran after him and had made it just in time to see Yuki sock Inuyasha in the face.

After they'd taken the fight outside, Naraku had managed to wrestle Inuyasha to the ground with the help of Hakkaku, who was proudly sporting a black eye. Apparently, while they were dealing with Inuyasha, Yuki had gotten off a shot as soon as Hakkaku straightened and before he had time to react. Hakkaku had responded by tackling Yuki to the ground and giving him a good kick in ribs before Ginta could stop him.

Now they were in Sesshoumaru's study, awaiting the appearance of the man himself. Naraku and Kagura stood on either side of Yuki, who sat quite calmly in his chair, smoking. Across the room, Inuyasha was being subjected to the tender mercies of Souta, who was treating his step-brother with neither tenderness nor mercy.

"Ow, goddamn it!" howled the silver-haired man, jerking away from Souta and covering one swollen eye with a battered hand that sported bloody knuckles. "Where the hell did you learn to care for injured people? The Angel of Death Nursing School? Shit, that hurt."

Souta jabbed the patient on the forehead, causing him to wobble. "Don't bitch, Inu. If you'd actually listened to Ginta, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't have hurt your pretty face."

"Yeah, I told him not to go down there, but would he listen to yours truly? Of course not," grunted Ginta, who couldn't resist slapping Hakkaku on the back of the head. "The same goes for you."

"Man, whatever," snorted the younger Kawase brother, crossing his arms over his chest.

A knock came on the door of the study and it was opened by Jaken, who immediately stepped aside to allow Sesshoumaru to enter. Hiro, who was standing by the window, turned to see his employer.

"Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama," he said, bowing to the imperious looking man.

Sesshoumaru nodded and went over to his desk, where he sat down in his swivel chair and eyed everyone in the room carefully. His piercing gaze finally settled on Yuki, who was disheveled but looked completely unaffected as he sat, one leg crossed over the other, his green gaze hard on Morikawa's face.

"Do you like my house?" Sesshoumaru asked nonchalantly of Yuki.

Yuki took a drag of his cigarette. "It's passable. Seen better, though."

"Hm. Well, you'd better get used to it because you'll be imprisoned here for awhile. Or at least until I'm ready to release you into police custody."

"Really." Yuki blinked once, his face the epitome of cool. With a flick of his thumb, he deliberately sprinkled ash on Sesshoumaru's carpet, his half-lidded eyes watching to gauge his host's reaction. "On what charge? I've done nothing."

Sesshoumaru's face tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek. "For beating Kagome, you son-of-a-bitch." He studied the blond man's thinly veiled smugness creep slowly across his face. "You can't deny it, you know," Sesshoumaru said when Yuki opened his mouth to speak. "Akira is with Kagome as we speak and several hours ago, he asked if you had been the one responsible. She confirmed that it was you."

Yuki said nothing and Sesshoumaru continued. "But before you start in on your cousin, there was another person in the room when he asked her so you can't accuse Akira of lying on you."

"And who, pray tell, was this other person?" Yuki asked, his smug smile faltering just a little.

Sesshoumaru smiled innocently, waiting to see his reaction. "Kouga."

The sound of breaking glass could be heard coming from the center of the room where Yuki was sitting. Sesshoumaru frowned slightly and leaned forward over his desk. Yuki's left hand had been holding a glass ashtray, but now it lay in pieces on the ground, some of the larger shards were covered in blood. His hand was clenched in anger.

"Do not say that name to me," Yuki hissed, unclenching his fist.

"What's wrong? Do you not like Kouga?" Sesshoumaru sat back in his chair, a gleeful expression in his eyes. Ignoring the pallid look on Yuki's face, he went on, "You know, Kouga really is a very nice man. Yes, yes, I'm well aware of his past but that seems so irrelevant now. All I know is that he really loves Kagome and I'm positive, that at this very moment, he's holding her while she sleeps."

The room fell silent except for Hakkaku's snickers. From his spot at the window, Hiro watched his brother with concern. Yuki did not look very happy. His head was bowed, the unruly golden locks falling forward to hide his eyes.

Before Sesshoumaru could speak again, Hiro moved across the room and pushed Naraku away from his brother's side. "Stop, Sesshoumaru-sama. Don't do this."

"Hiro--"

"I said leave him alone!" Hiro grabbed Yuki's injured hand and held it to his chest as he knelt down beside him. "Yuki? Does it hurt?" He flinched when Yuki lifted his head just enough to allow him to see...

Tears.

"Are you forcing him to stay here, Sesshoumaru?" asked Hiro quietly, keeping his back to his employer.

"You know the answer to that, Hiro."

Hiro bowed his head. "Fine. Then I will stay with him." He reached down to pick up Yuki's cane which lay beside his chair. "Please, would you show me where he'll be staying?"

Sesshoumaru watched the tender scene with some consternation. "Certainly. Jaken, would show our guests to their rooms, please?"

Hiro shook his head. "One room, if you don't mind. I'll stay with my brother. He needs me."

"Of course." Sesshoumaru nodded at Jaken, who helped Yuki get to his feet. The blond man leaned heavily on Hiro and together, the three of them walked out.

"What's up with him?" Hakkaku asked, making as though to follow them, but Ginta grabbed him by the mohawk and pulled him back.

"I don't know," murmured Sesshoumaru, a thoughtful expression on his face.

ooo

When they reached their designated room, Hiro thanked the little butler and asked him to get some bandages and antiseptic for Yuki's hand.

Jaken nodded and took himself off, leaving Hiro alone with Yuki. Later, after cleaning and bandaging his injured hand, Hiro helped his brother to the bed and forced him to lie down. Yuki followed his brother's lead with no argument, keeping his head averted to hide his face from Hiro's eyes.

Hiro watched his brother turn over on his side, away from him. "Yuki," he said quietly, sitting beside him on the bed. He put his hand out and ran his fingers through his big brother's silken locks. "Please, be honest with me. Do you love Kagome?"

Yuki said nothing but only curled himself up into a ball. The sound of sniffing could just be heard and Hiro shut his eyes briefly.

"I see. You don't have to say anything, Yuki. Just try to get some rest, okay?" Hiro patted Yuki's shoulder and turned to move away when the other spoke suddenly.

"Don't leave me."

Hiro stayed his movements and turned back to look at his brother, who'd turned his head and was gazing pitifully up at him. "I'm not leaving, Yuki."

A flash of relief lit up those green eyes as Yuki grabbed Hiro's hand. "I don't want to be alone," he whispered just before his face crumpled.

Alarmed, Hiro jumped to his feet. "Yuki? What's wrong? Is it your leg? Does it hurt?" He reached out, but Yuki sat up, grabbed him around the waist and buried his face in Hiro's abdomen.

"She was supposed to have loved me! Why did she lie?" Yuki's arms tightened around Hiro as the sobs wracked his body.

Hiro shook his head helplessly and returned his brother's embrace. Yuki was so like their mother; so helpless and needy, so desperate to be loved. But fortunately for their mother, she had a husband who adored her more than anything and two sons who loved her dearly. As he looked down at the bright yellow head pressing itself into his shirt, the similiarities were again brought home to him. His mother had done this very thing earlier in the day, grabbing onto him and refusing to let go.

All Yuki wanted was to have someone who loved him and only him. He'd put so much trust into Kagome, invested all his hopes and dreams for a happy life with her... and then he finds out she'd been with another man, a man he'd once trusted, and that she loved him, too. That had to hurt Yuki like nothing else.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Yuki," Hiro told him softly, running his fingers through Yuki's hair. "But you need to understand that before your accident, you had hurt her so many times before. I know you must remember that, right? If you want to know, Kagome blamed herself for your accident, but it wasn't her fault, Yuki. That's something you've got to take responsibility for."

Yuki's body ceased shaking, but he did not pull away from Hiro. "So why didn't she stop me from leaving? Or Kouga either? Or were they hoping I'd die in an accident on my way back home?"

Grabbing Yuki by shoulders, Hiro jerked him away and glared down into watery green eyes. "That's not true! That girl had always tried to be kind to you, but you always treated her cruelly. That night was no exception, Yuki." Releasing Yuki's shoulders, Hiro backed away. "You said some awful things to her. Really awful things. You told her about Kouga's sordid past; you blamed her for my leaving you and ruining your life. Then you told her that you wished she'd died..." He broke off as he watched confusion flit across his brother's face.

"I told her that?" Yuki asked and looked away, put a hand to his head. "I... don't remember saying anything like that."

"Well, you did. You made her cry, Yuki."

A fuzzy picture of Kagome with a tear-stained face flashed in Yuki's mind and he frowned. It returned a moment later and he realized that there was a devastated look in her big brown eyes. "Oh god," he breathed, stunned by the memory. But then he remembered that she'd never told him about seeing Kouga and anger flowed through him. "She still lied to me, Hiro. I can't forgive her for playing with my heart like that."

"Oh, come on, Yuki," groaned Hiro with exasperation, but Yuki shook his head obstinately.

"No. She could have told me at anytime that she wasn't interested in me. I won't bend on this, Hiro."

"You've got to be kidding me. Have you forgotten all the 'mystery man' bullshit you put us through?" Hiro walked over to the window and stared out into the night.

"No, I haven't forgotten. But I was right in thinking that there was."

Hiro shot his brother look over his shoulder. "Yes, and do you remember the vow you made? To have him removed so Kagome would be free to be with you?"

"So?"

Hiro turned back to the window. "So... Kagome heard about it and naturally she didn't want anything to happen to Kouga." Yuki flinched at the sound of Kouga's name, but Hiro went on anyway. "Kouga even had them separate to keep her safe from you. He was afraid that you would do something to her out of revenge. Well, it seems that he was correct in his thinking, too."

There was no answer from the golden one. Hiro swung around and found his brother once again lying on the bed.

"Heh, you can pretend to be asleep, Yuki, but I know better. You know you were completely in the wrong and I hope that one day you can begin to make amends to her for what you've done. Otherwise," he said, lying down on his side of the bed and facing away from his brother, "you'll be alone for the rest of your life."

On his side of the bed, Yuki stared off into space. It wasn't until Hiro's breathing had slowed and deepened that he began to cry silently into his pillow. Again he thought of that night, when he'd burst in on Kagome and Kouga. He could see her face, so pale and full of pain as he screamed at her, telling her that he wished she had died.

He recalled that he'd regretted what he'd said the moment the words had passed his lips and that the look in her eyes frightened him, sending even more guilt flowing through him.

Oh god! So that's why he'd run away!

Yuki lay perfectly still, his leg throbbing in time to the pounding of his broken heart. He ran away because at that very moment, he had discovered that he loved her, truly loved her and he hadn't known how to deal with such an unforseen and unexpected blow to his system. He'd never meant to love her; hell, he'd never wanted to love her. It just happened and when it did, it freaked him out... so he had run away. He'd said all those hurtful things to her because maybe his heart knew why he was so jealous of Kouga before his head did, so he didn't stop to think.

Kagome... his mind whispered her name over and over again until he thought he would go crazy. It was useless to think of her, he told himself severely. She'd never want him in her life again, so he should just stop thinking of her. Right? Just stop thinking of her.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. That's all he needed to do. Just stop... thinking... of...

Kagome...

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The sound of thunder woke Kagome suddenly, waking her from the nightmare she had been having. She rolled over and found herself alone in Kouga's large bed. It was still night time and the house was strangely quiet.

Where was Kouga?

A sound came from somewhere outside the house, causing her heart to jump into her throat. Without thinking, she tried calling out to Kouga, but then remembered her voice didn't work. Now panicking, with the vivid memory of her dream where Yuki was following her with a blood-covered machete, she scrambled from the bed and fled from the dark bedroom into the equally dark hallway. She didn't know where she was, but she knew she had to get out of the house. He was here...

With tears streaming down her face, and the certainty that Yuki surely must be lurking in one of the rooms in the too-silent house, she felt her way down the stairs and through the living room. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear having taken a firm hold of her senses.

A soft sound came from the second floor and to Kagome, it sounded like a stealthy footstep in the plush carpeting. Her heart nearly gave out when there was a nearly inaudible creak from above and she turned, continued on her way through the house. Sporadic flashes of lightning lit up her surroundings and she made her terrified way through to the back of the house.

She came to a set of double doors that seemed to lead out to a back yard or a garden. After fumbling with the lock, she dashed outside when the creaking came from above again. Blindly she ran, trying to put as much distance between herself and Yuki...

The wind was blowing hard and one particularily strong blast very nearly knocked her off her feet, but she kept running until she reached a small grove of trees. Here she stopped, for there was a path that lead into the trees. Perhaps Yuki wouldn't find her here...

oooooooooooo

Outside, the front door was illuminated by two beams of light, the sounds of footsteps coming up to the front porch.

A set of keys rattled.

"I hope Kagome's still asleep," Kouga told Akira as he unlocked his front door. The two men went in and when he tried the nearest light switch, he sighed. As expected, the lights were still out. "Damn, I hate when the power goes out."

"Well, I hope that nice old lady will be okay," murmured the doctor as he shut the front door behind them and locked it. "I'm surprised the thunder didn't give her a heart attack. It was awfully loud. But it was really kind of you to give them that little generator for her husband's oxygen machine. I certainly hope the power comes back on soon."

"Me too." Kouga yawned and stretched. "Hey, thanks Akira. For coming with me to check on Mrs. Hamashira, I mean. She's been really good to me ever since I moved into my parents' house and she always tells me stories about them when they were kids. I was worried about her and her husband."

Kouga and Akira walked up the stairs and just as they reached the master bedroom, the lightning flashed, allowing them a glimpse of the entire room. Kouga ran into the room with a cry and checked the bed. Empty!

"Kagome! Kagome, where are you?" he yelled, fear clutching at his heart.

Akira dashed in and quickly checked the bathroom. "She's not here," he said calmly. "Come on, let's search the house."

They searched the second floor thoroughly and as they headed downstairs, Kouga's phone went off. It was Miroku.

"Kouga, do you realize what time it is? Where have you been? Sheesh," muttered the monk without waiting for Kouga to say hello. "Kagome had a nightmare and she's scared to death. She thinks Yuki's in the house with a long... knife or something like that. She's been freaking out."

"Where is she?!" Kouga cried, close to tears and pacing wildly about the room. She was terrified and all alone... oh kami!

Miroku was silent for a moment. "Hmm, she's outside somewhere, hiding. She said she tried calling out to you, but she couldn't. What's happened to her voice, Kouga?"

Kouga ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Forget about that! Just... tell me where she is, damn it! I'll tell you about that later, but right now her safety is my top priority." He and Akira had walked to the back of the house, shining their flashlights all over the place.

"Okay, I'll try. Give me a moment, please," Miroku requested, falling silent once more.

The two men came upon the back door and their light beams came upon the back door, which was opened slightly.

"She's showing me shrubs, flowers... trees. She doesn't remember what exactly she saw because she ran by them rather quickly. Damn it! She shut her mind off from me! Fear just spiked through her. I think she saw something that scared her."

"That's fine, Miroku, thanks. I think I know where she is. I'll call you later." Kouga hung up and opened the back door so he could step through. "She's in the grove of trees," he told Akira, handing him his flashlight and pointed towards the back of his property. "It's back there. You can't miss it."

"Wait! Don't you need this?" Akira asked, taking the long-handled flashlight from him hesitantly.

"No. I know this place like the back of my hand," Kouga said and took off in the direction of the trees. When he reached them, he called out to her. "Kagome? Are you here, sweetie?" He went along the path, following it until he came through the other side, which overlooked the valley below. This spot was his favorite place to be; it was the place he'd spent time thinking about Kagome when he'd disappeared for a few weeks.

And right now, the object of his thoughts was crouching in the very spot where he'd sat for hours on end, contemplating his life without her.

"Kagome? Oh honey, I'm so glad you're okay. I thought something bad had happened to you."

Her head jerked up from the hands covering her face and stared up at him. Lightning flashed brilliantly, illuminating her tear-stained face and he noticed that she was watching him with disbelief. "It's me, darling." He approached her cautiously, holding his hands out to her.

When he got within arm's length, Kagome launched herself at him, clinging to him as though she were drowning. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up, cradling her to him. "Forgive me, Kagome," he told her apologetically, "I had to go see about an elderly neighbor. The power went out around one in the morning and she called me because she was afraid that her husband--"

Kagome was tugging at his collar to get his attention. He looked at her questioningly. She shook her head and gave him a small smile, her hand moving up to touch his cheek. Kouga sighed, allowing his face to lean into her hand. "You had me worried, little girl," he told her, his voice lightly reproachful. He bent his head and kissed the remainder of her tears away. "But it was my fault. I should have let you know before I took off. Forgive me?"

He turned and was about to take her back to the house when another flash of lightning came and her body convulsed suddenly. She grabbed at his shoulders in an attempt to shove herself away from him.

"K-kagome? What's wrong?" he cried, trying to keep the struggling girl in his arms.

Kagome's face was tight with fear for a split second, her eyes staring past Kouga into the darkness of the grove of trees. But a moment later Kagome fainted, her head lolling to the side where it rested against his shoulder. Kouga's head whipped around and saw a dark figure coming towards them, briefly lit up by more lightning. The figure held something about a foot long in one hand and the other appeared to be holding something longer... like a cane.

"Yuki?" he called out tensely, wishing he had his gun on him. A loud clap of thunder rolled overhead.

After the thunder passed, there was a chuckle, soft and deprecating, emanating from the semi-darkness. "No, no, it's just me." Akira stepped out from the shadow of the trees just as lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the entire landscape below. "Wow," he said with a gasp. "I'd love to come out here during the day. I'll bet it's pretty amazing."

Kouga clicked his tongue impatiently. "Damn it, man, you scared the hell out of Kagome! And me too, if you want to know." He would have slapped Akira on the head if his hands hadn't been full.

"Oh, sorry!" Akira laughed cheerfully. "I kinda got freaked out being by myself at the house so I came out here to look for you." Akira shook the flashlight in his hand. "But then the flashlight went out when I was going through the garden and the moment I stepped in the grove, I tripped on this bloody branch." He held up the offending piece of tree for Kouga's inspection. "It hasn't been my night, I tell you. Crap, I think I got a splinter, too."

"Where's the other flashlight? The one you had?" Kouga was trying hard not to laugh at Akira's misfortunes, but knew he was losing the battle.

Akira frowned. "I left it on the table on the veranda. I figured what's the point of having two flashlights? But damn it, how was I supposed to know this one would fail?"

While Kouga laughed unabashedly at the doctor, the two men went back to the house with Kouga leading the way. By the time they stepped inside the house, the sound of the air conditioning unit on the far side of the house could be heard coming to life.

"Oh, thank god," moaned Kouga as Akira flipped on the lights. The living room flooded with light.

At this moment, Kagome stirred against Kouga's chest and looked up at him, eyes blinking furiously in the light. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. "Hi sweetie, welcome back."

Her enormous brown eyes darted nervously around the room, then back at Kouga's face, the soft chocolate depths sending him a questioning glance. He chuckled and turned around to let her see Akira, who had his tree branch tucked under one arm while he took the flashlight apart and tinkered with it, a look of studious concentration on playing upon his face.

"That was just Akira that you saw, darling. Yuki's not here, okay? No, don't freak out again! Calm down, Kagome. Akira and I already searched the house looking for you and found nothing. Miroku called a little while ago and told me about the nightmare you had. It was just a dream, baby. That's all. I'd never let him come after you, alright? Never. Now come on, let me put you to bed."

But Kagome shook her head and tried to squirm out of his arms. Kouga only frowned and held her tighter to him. "Where do you think you're going, short stuff?"

Kagome turned her face and frowned back at him, pointing down to her stomach. The second she did so, her stomach growled.

Surprise widened Kouga's blue eyes and he chuckled. "Oh, you're hungry. Duh, Kouga." He set her down on her feet. "Come on, let me take you to the kitchen--" he said, but she was off, already making her way to the kitchen.

Akira, who had finally put the flashlight back together, grinned over at Kouga. "Well," said the doctor as Kagome disappeared into the kitchen, "I guess she was really hungry then. If you think about it, she hasn't had a decent meal for a few days now."

"Yes, Akira, thank you," muttered the black-haired man irritably as they followed her into the kitchen.

oooo

Kagome had made omelettes for all three of them and would have stayed to do the dishes, but the second she put her fork down after eating her last bite, her eyes drooped heavily and she swayed tiredly in her seat. Kouga scooped her up in his arms and carried her up to bed where again, she refused to let him leave. When he tried telling her that he needed to clean up the kitchen, the tears began to flow and her bottom lip trembled. He couldn't ignore the look in her eyes, begging him to stay with her.

"Don't worry about the kitchen," Akira said from the doorway, "I've stuck the dishes into the dishwasher already and turned it on. Now if you'll both excuse me," he yawned mightily, "I'll say goodnight." He shut the door behind him.

"Okay, lay down baby," Kouga said, pushing her gently down onto the mattress, peeling her arms off of him.

But Kagome took it the wrong way and pulled back from him, scooting quickly over to the other side of the bed out of arm's reach, hurt etched all over her face.

"No! Wait, I didn't mean..." He groaned softly. "Sweetheart, I just need to go the bathroom. That's all."

One of Kagome's eyebrows twitched slightly and she squeezed her eyes shut, putting a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Kouga grinned ruefully and went to the bathroom. When he came out, Kagome was lying on her side facing him. She was staring off into space, eyes drooping slightly.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked before he remembered she couldn't answer him. "Oh, damn it. Never mind, sweetheart. I forgot." He removed his clothes and emptied his pockets, putting his keys and cellphone on the nightstand before turning off the light and getting into bed beside her. "C'mere," he said, pulling her against him.

As she settled comfortably against his warm, bare flesh, Kouga thanked kami things had turned out this way. Perhaps everything would be going his way after all.

He placed a soft, fleeting kiss on her head. "Hey, have I told you I loved you today?" he whispered, his breath disturbing her dark hair.

She shook her head and tilted it back to stare up at him in the near darkness.

His sharp eyes studied her as best he could in the darkness. "I love you, Kagome." Bending his head, his lips sought hers. "I love you so very much," he said, his voice muffled against her partially opened mouth. Once more he dipped down to cover her mouth with his, deepening the kiss. With his heart racing within his chest, he reluctantly let go of his self-control little by little. Although he'd told himself over and over again he'd wait until she got better to try anything of this nature with her, he couldn't help himself now that she was here with him and was kissing him back.

Opening his eyes, he could just see her sweet face, her eyes closed in bliss and he couldn't resist a grin. This proved it, didn't it? That she'd wanted him all along?

Pushing her onto her back, Kouga was very careful not to crush her beneath his weight. She clung to his bare shoulders, her fingers lightly squeezing his firmly muscled flesh. Her hands softly kneaded him before making their feathery way over to his throat, her fingertips skimming slowly up along the sweep of his smooth neck. He panted against her as he felt her hands slide up into his hair and grip the back of his head.

Kouga felt his body begin to shake. Kami, she felt so soft and warm beneath him, so small and delicate. He wanted to take her roughly in his incredible need for her, but he just barely managed to keep his animal desires at bay, reminding himself that she was recovering from a cut throat, amongst other things. "Kagome," he whispered hoarsely, breaking the mesmerizing kiss. "I want you," he moaned against her cheek, with its flesh so warm and smooth beneath his lips. For a moment, he completely forgot that the skin he was touching was black and blue.

The meager amount of light that filtered into the room from the windows allowed him to see her face as she stared up at him, eyes wide with desire, lips trembling softly and parted slightly. One hand untangled itself from his ebony locks and dropped down to caress his face lovingly. Watching him languidly, she ran her fingertips slowly over his forehead, cheekbones and chin, as though she was trying to memorize his features, before ending at his lips. As her delicate little digits flitted over the contours of his lips, he opened his mouth and caught her fingers gently between his teeth.

With a delighted smile, she pulled her fingers away and reached up, sliding her fingers once more into his silken hair and kissed him, sucking lightly on his lower lip. He moaned into her mouth and pressed his body against hers, letting her know just how much he wanted her. Her breath caught in her throat and she lifted her legs up, wrapping them around his waist.

Several minutes later, Kouga had managed to get her out of her nightgown and himself out of his boxers. As he was enjoying himself immensely, trailing warm, sensual kisses all over her body, his cell phone went off. It broke through the sounds of their labored breathing and anger suddenly burned through him. He stilled, his entire body tensing; his tongue in mid-lick on the soft flesh just below her navel. With a scowl, he pulled his tongue back behind his lips and growled unhappily against her smooth belly.

"Yes!" he snapped when he answered the phone.

"Oi, baka, leave her alone." Miroku's voice was full of sleep and irritation.

"Huh?!" Kouga shot straight up and looked wildly about the room, wondering if the monk had a surveillance camera in the room somewhere. "What are you--?"

Miroku snorted unkindly. "Oh, please, like I wouldn't sense what's going on. Look, I can feel her excitement because she's cheerfully and unknowingly broadcasting it, and it's keeping me awake. Please put that thing away so both she and I can get some sleep, or else I'll tell Sesshoumaru you're putting the moves on her while she's still practically helpless."

"Miroku, you bastard!" he cried, but he was speaking to dead air.

Kagome propped herself up on her elbows, watching Kouga intently. He shut his phone and turned to her. "Um, that was Miroku. He says I'm keeping you awake, which in turn is keeping him awake." He very nearly sobbed in frustration. "God, he knows how to kill the mood."

She lay back against the pillows and stared up at him, a small smile on her lips. She seemed to be waiting for something.

But even as his eyes dropped to the swell of her lovely breasts just hidden beneath his silk sheets, Kouga knew that Miroku was right. "I am taking advantage of you," he admitted to her sadly. His gaze swept back up to her face. "Kagome, you have no idea of just how much I want you to be mine... but I shouldn't take it from you this way. I want to do this the right way, with my ring on your finger and you bearing my family name." He moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. "Now I feel as though I've been treating you the way I used to treat the women in my past. Damn it, I feel horrible."

Bowing over, he lowered his head and covering his face with his hands, he rested his elbows on his knees. "I never meant to do that, Kagome. I respect you too much to put you in the same class as those other women. You're so sweet, so classy, so unlike those stupid, slutty females who would throw themselves at me, so willing to do anything just to share my bed for the night."

His voice fell to just above a whisper. "Do you know, when I saw you for the first time, I felt my whole world come to a screeching halt. You were so beautiful, so desirable, but I knew you were totally out of my league. You were far too good for someone like me; hell, you still are. When I scraped up the courage to ask you out and when you said yes... damn, Kagome, you have no idea how thrilled I was. You'd just given me the chance to see what heaven was like close up. Me, a guy who'd led such a disgusting, jaded life who couldn't begin to ask forgiveness for all the wrong he's done, for all the crimes he'd committed. But there you were, this lovely little angel who wasn't afraid to dirty her pure little hands in order to touch him; who wasn't scared to be around him or to be alone with him. I was scared, though. I'd never thought in a million years that a real lady would give a chance to a hardened bastard who was rough around the edges. Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? The story of the loser and the princess."

Kouga laughed with a lightness he did not feel, then bowed his head and shut his eyes, feeling tears streaking down his face. His breath hitched in his chest and he put a hand over his heart. His chest ached all of a sudden, the pain searing through him. He knew he didn't deserve Kagome. He didn't deserve her love or kindness or--

From behind him, he felt the mattress shift slightly and suddenly her arms were around his shoulders, her warm, naked breasts pushing themselves up against his bare back. His eyes flew open when he felt her lips press lightly against the side of his neck. He brought his hands up to grab the slender forearms that rested against his chest and held them against his body.

In a trembling, uncertain voice, Kouga said quietly, "I... adore you, Kagome. I worship you. You could ask me to commit the most heinous, vicious crimes imaginable and I'd willingly do them to please you." He chuckled when she quickly pulled away from him and smacked him on the back. "Sumimasen," he said turning to face her, reaching out for her. Grabbing hold of her waist, he lay her down on the bed and crawled on top of her. "I'm kidding," he said, kissing her gently. "I'd rather spend my time worshipping you, my little goddess."

After studying her wide-eyed little face for a long moment, he rolled to the side and scooped her up in his arms. "I want to make love to you so badly, but I'll wait. I know you probably aren't ready after what Yuki put you through and I'm sorry I pushed myself onto you the way I did. Let me put my shorts back on and find your nightie, okay? I just know I'll end up doing something to you."

He tried to get up, but Kagome clutched at his arms, keeping him from moving away. When he asked her what was wrong, she turned in his arms and looked up at him, her eyes welling. She shook her head and moved up to press light kisses on his chin, his cheeks and the tip of his nose. Then leaning back, she tilted her head slightly and with a tremulous smile, began stroking his hair back behind his ear. After a moment, her eyes met his, the smile still playing upon her face. She opened her lips and mouthed to him, "I trust you".

That simple phrase stunned him and he crushed her to him with a sob, burying his face in her hair to hide his tears. "Now I'm really sure that I don't deserve you," he said with a small laugh. Her hands snaked around his body and lay flat against his back, gently stroking his smooth skin, causing his muscles to ripple in response. He very nearly began purring at the sensation. "That feels so good. Do you know how you've completely enslaved me, my adorable sorceress?" He felt his eyes began to close. "A few more minutes of this and you'll put me to sleep."

Kagome smiled against his neck and continued stroking his back. It did not take long for his body to go limp and for his breathing to slow and deepen. When she was certain he was asleep, Kagome slipped from his embrace and out of his bed. She went over to the windows and stared out. The electrical storm from earlier had abated considerably, but now it was raining quite hard.

A twinge of pain in her neck caused her to flinch. Gingerly, she put a hand up to touch her throat, her fingers encountering her bandage. Lightning flashed and in the glass, she caught a glimpse of her reflection. Another flash soon followed and this time, it was not just her face she saw.

Yuki was standing behind her.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream, she whirled around and found him standing behind her, a long, blood-covered blade in his hand. Oh god, the dream wasn't just a dream! It was real!

With a furiously pounding heart, Kagome flattened herself against the glass, still trying to scream but her voice was unable to come out. Yuki stared at her through strands of his blood-soaked blond hair and lifted the blade in the air, allowing her time to get a good look at it.

'No! No!' she screamed in her head and tried to move away from him, but his arm shot out and grabbed her by the shoulder, pinning her to the window. His lips were moving...

ooo

Kagome felt someone shaking her.

"Kagome! Baby, wake up!" It was Kouga, his voice frantic in her ear.

Her eyes flew open and found his sweet face close to hers, worry dominating his handsome features. She grabbed him and sobbed into his chest, holding onto him in a death grip.

"Oh, honey! You were having a bad dream! It's okay now!" He rocked her tenderly in his arms. "I'm be right here, sweetie. I'm right here with you..."

Despite being wrapped up in Kouga's arms for the rest of the night, she couldn't fall asleep. Seeing his blood-covered face was a terrible shock to her system.

It took Kouga a long time to get her to fall asleep again.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: Sorry this is so short! I'll try to make it longer next chapter. :)