Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

The Restless

Kagome disliked the way her sodden clothes clung to her, making the wind that much more cutting; that much more cold against her flesh as the pack raced through underbrush. She knew Kouga could feel her shivers as she lowered herself to press into his damp fur, searching for the heat of his body, and he yipped something that sent a couple of his pack-mates splintering into another group that took off into the trees.

"Where are they going?" she asked, leaning down to speak directly into his ear, and he merely woofed in reply, lengthening his gait momentarily to leap sharply over a log.

And they continued this way for a while -probably less time than she thought as the minutes dragged on in her discomfort. She was used to being uncomfortable; that was a fairly good one-word summery of her entire existence in the warring states era, really. But it wasn't pleasant.

She didn't have to actually voice a complaint though, as soon enough, she heard the telling pounding of feet rather than paws gaining on the pack, before they disappeared for merely a moment, and she felt Kouga stumble beneath her and snarl ferociously, a warm hand coming about her waist as Ginta landed hard on Kouga's back behind her.

The great dark wolf slowed until his feet stood solidly on the ground, the pack stopping as well and scattering as they sniffed he area for anything that might have been considered a threat.

Ginta leapt to the ground then, grabbing her about the waist to swing her onto the grass at their feet.

"Sorry about that; he doesn't like to listen to other people when they tell him to slow down."

Kouga turned and snapped sharp teeth inches from his face, making Kagome rear back from the head that had fitted it's way between them, pressing her back into the fur of his side.

"Oh calm down, old wolf; I brought her something dry, as instructed." He laughed, holding up a large fur pelt; and the alpha just snorted and shook his fur out in disgruntlement.

"That'll just get wet with my clothes, though!" she cried in dismay.

"That's why you're going to strip." he replied matter-of-factly, holding the pelt out as if a shroud with Kouga's large body as a wall at her back. "I'll take all your wet clothes. All of them Kagome, don't give me that look; you'll get sick and then he'll really kill all of us."

"I feel so naked though." she muttered as the last of her sodden clothing fell to the ground and Ginta rather gentlemanly wrapped her tightly in the pelt that looked to have some from something much bigger than a mere wolf.

He stepped back though as the restless alpha behind them took one look at the wound on her back and crouched low on the ground, growling to gather their attention so that she might climb back up upon his back.

"Someone's impatient."

Ginta just shook his head. "He's worried. He won't really feel like he's got you safe and secure until you're wrapped up to your ears in pelts in our den with the pack all around you."

Note: Sorry for the delay guys! But I'm here, I'm writing, and I've got plenty of delicious plottings for you. Smells like late night plotting. Tastes like verbage. A huge thanks to Lyrainthedark, my glorious writing partner for helping me to decide what i was doing with need to check out her delicious writings if you haven't yet; it's worth this trip over to her profile.