Growing up, Gome often wondered why her family had cloudy fragments imbedded inside their necks, and according to them, she was born with otherworldly powers. Powers which allowed her to sense the Shikon Jewel, a gem wanted by both good and evil. They explained little regarding the subject, though they seemed pleased her powers had surfaced at twelve years of age.

This led her to asking something personal, something which had plagued her mind over the years. Where was her birth mother? Gome lived with a family of brothers who cared for her, with Jakotsu acting as a surrogate since she could remember, but where were her actual parents? And what happened to them?

The question left Jakotsu in tears, but they pulled her aside and explained the situation. When she was born, her village was massacred by bandits, and her brothers stumbled upon her. They found a wounded woman cradling her child, and as she neared death, entrusted her child to them. They had admitted their hesitance, as their point of existence surrounded massacring, but Jakotsu insisted on raising Gome.

That was their story, and Gome believed it. Since she first started training under her brothers, she connected the dots. This wasn't just about numbing her mentality through brutal massacres, but also strengthening her entire well-being, to prepare her for the day she would set out to search for the last remaining jewel shards.

There was more to the story than her family let on, but with time, she knew they would open up to her, and in the meantime, she continued her training. It became easier as the days progressed, and just seeing their proud smiles filled her with joy. They were proud of her, and she couldn't be happier.

On one particular sunny day, Gome hunted in her father's place, prepared to capture the biggest prey possible to please him. And lucky for her, she didn't wait any longer than two hours! An enormous boar had fallen into her spike trap, which she had dug days prior, and pleased by its writhing form, she bent down and removed a fragment from between its eyes.

A jewel shard.

"Another shard! How did you get one of these?"

Pleased, she hopped in place and clasped her hands around the fragment, spinning in circles. How lucky! This made the third one in two months! Though she had yet to start her journey in search of the fabled treasure, as of late, they fell into her hands with little difficulty.

"This is easier than I expected! I wonder how many are left—"

An unexpected gust of wind sailed through the trees, and taken aback by its velocity, she covered her face. When it subsided, she squinted through the holes of her fox mask at the strange individual standing a short distance away. Who was that? And was that a tail? What sort of demon was it?

"I'll be taking this, thank you," His masculine voice said with a slight smirk of his lips, his aqua eyes staring at her.

Gome's eyes narrowed in on the fragment clutched between his two fingers, and she gasped. "Hey! Give that back! That's mine!" She said, growling as she unsheathed her sword, but the demon leaped out of her path. He's fast! "Give it back! That's a gift for my father!"

"Sorry, kid, but these aren't toys! They play an important role than just a trophy!"

A pink glimmer shifted her gaze to his legs, and her eyes widened. It couldn't be… But why were the shards pink? It differed from the ones back at the cave on the mountain. "You have jewel shards in your legs!" She said, and his expression faltered. "In that case… I'll bring your head back along with the fragments of the jewel!"

"Y-you can see them?!"

"I sure can, handsome," She said. "You look like a wolf… but you aren't bad looking. Your head will make a lovely assemble in father's collection!" She said and jumped at him, her blade raised.

But one by one, he evaded her swings, jumping with great momentum from tree to tree. Those jewels probably enhanced his speed, that much she assumed, but she wouldn't let him get too far. And yet, during this battle for dominance, he didn't attack her, much to her confusion. Instead, he only looked at her and sniffed the air, and she wondered what caused his hesitance.

"Fight me!"

The wolf demon jumped from the trees in a raging wind, but before she could jump away in time, he caught her wrist and pressed her against the bark of a tree. From there, he leaned in closer and inhaled her scent, and she fought to free herself.

"Get off me! What are you doing—" But before she could say anything more, he yanked the mask off her face. "H-hey!" Just as she was about to give him a mouthful of insults, he stared at her strangely, his mouth agape, but he didn't relinquish his hold. "You got a problem, pal? Am I drop dead gorgeous or did a cat bite your tongue?"

He blinked at her. "Kagome! Kagome… is it really you?!"

Kagome? It sounded similar to Gome, but the wolf probably mistook her for someone else. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm not that person. My name is Gome! Go-me!"

And then he did the unthinkable. He hugged her, and tightly too. Gome blushed at the overwhelming feeling of his muscular arms pulling her close, his breath fanning across her neck. What was he doing? Why was he holding her? This was the first time she'd ever been in such a compromising position with someone other than her family. Even more so with a demon! It was strange and warm at the same time.

"Kagome! It is you! I've been searching everywhere! Kagome…"

The moment he started petting her hair, her blush darkened, and she kneed him between the legs. That put some distance between them, and she scowled at him and wiped the imaginary filth off her. "Geez! I keep telling you I'm not that person! You have the wrong girl! You're lucky my brothers didn't see that, or you'd be in big trouble!"

"Brothers? Kagome…"

She sighed. What would it take for this wolf demon to get it through his head that she wasn't this Kagome? It was as if he was love struck with someone who looked identical to her. Maybe it was a lover of his? No way would he hug someone of the opposite sex like that. Gome could still feel his arms tightening around her.

"Wait, Kagome!"

She huffed and thew her boar over her shoulder. "I won't forget this! Just you wait! I'll get my revenge on you for stealing my jewel!" She said, and tossed a smoke bomb onto the ground between them, compliments of Renkotsu.

As soon as the smoke made it easier for her escape, she quickened her pace back up the mountain to the cave where her brothers awaited her. When she arrived, she tossed the boar onto the floor by the campfire and enveloped her arms around Jakotsu.

"Gome! You're back already?" Bankotsu asked, drinking his sake beside Suikotsu.

"Gome? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Jakotsu asked, and the other brothers stiffened at the scene.

She sniffled. "A stupid wolf demon attacked me!"

The explanation brought her brothers to their feet in an instant, and their gazes traveled to the exit of the cavern. Jakotsu gasped and shared a glance with the others, and smoothed back Gome's hair.

"Gome? Did he hurt you? What happened?"

"Is that mutt still around?!" Suikotsu asked.

"N-no… I was hoping to get father a surprise present. I caught a huge boar, and it had one of those jewel fragments on it. Then, out of nowhere, that wolf demon stole the jewel from me! And he took my mask!" She said, crying.

"Was it just one wolf demon? Or were they more?" Renkotsu asked.

"One… He had two jewels on him, imbedded in his legs, but he was too fast for me to bring his head back to you, father…"

Though they seemed on the verge of leaving to hunt the demon, they did the unthinkable. They sighed, as though the very mentioning relieved them, and she didn't understand. Regardless, she apologized to Bankotsu, but he hugged her and explained he was proud of what she had brought back.

"You did the best you could, Gome. If you didn't fail, how would you learn?" He asked.

"So, you're not upset?"

"Of course not. I'm proud of you! Now dry those tears and help me skin this boar. Okay?"

She sniffled and smiled. "Okay!"

Ψ

Gome never imagined the wolf demon would return and visit her during her hunting expeditions. But he did. In fact, he visited her for three days straight, with open bouquets of wild flowers to boot! At first, she wasn't sure how to interpret the gift, as she had never received such offerings before, but it made her happy. It was a feeling she'd never known before, something warm and embarrassing, enough that it made her heart pound in her ears.

The vengeance she wanted to take against him for stealing those fragments days before melted away quickly enough, and she was enjoying her outings more and more. This flirtatious bantering between them drew her interest, and she saw him as less than an enemy and more of a friend.

Strange.

Friends with a wolf demon? Who would have guessed it?

Dare she say it, but she liked the wolf demon. Gome kept this secret from her brothers, worrying it might cause some overprotectiveness that might ruin this moment of happiness. If only for the time being, but that happiness dissipated on the third day when Kouga told her goodbye.

According to him, he had to return to his pack as soon as demonly possible. The thought of him disappearing and never returning left her numb and cold, and but he wasn't a possession. He was more than that. A friend. Someone she thought highly of, if even more than the little time they spent together.

"Will I see you again?" Gome asked, her voice wavering. Couldn't he stay longer?

The inquiry brought a smile to his sullen expression, and he nodded. "You'll definitely see me again," He said, drawing her into his arms, his lips pressed against her forehead. "I know you don't remember me, but I will return for you."

The feeling of warmth flooded through her, and Gome relished in his embrace. It reminded her of the times she snuck peeks at the couples from the villages below the mountain. And now it was happening to her. Gome understood the giddiness that followed from the touch of a loved one, and she returned the embrace.

"Here… I almost forgot to give this back," He said, handing her the mask he took previously, and Gome laughed. "I'll see you soon. Okay?"

"Be safe, Kouga! I'll wait for you!"

Maybe the wolf demon wasn't so bad. Until then, she looked forward to their next encounter.

Ψ

Author Notice:

I'm glad I got these two chapters written. Look forward to the last two chapters of this story!