A/N: Hm, yeah, yeah. Another one. T.T Blame Nikki please. I was inspired by Living. And thank you to my peeps for the title shout out match.

Runt of the Litter

Part 1

That fucking bastard. He had done it again.

Her body was cold, limp in his arms, as he cradled her to his chest. The scent of fresh blood was everywhere as it continued to spill from her sliced throat, staining the grass beneath their bodies. He buried his nose in her hair, clinging to a sign of life. His salvation came in the form of a hitched breath, barely audible. She - she was alive! His heart raced while he pulled her away from his chest, her head swinging as though she was a lifeless corpse. Her eyes were closed, shielding her sparkling blue orbs from his sight. M-maybe he didn't have to lose her again? Maybe he could save her this time. He licked at his lips as he put her down on the ground. He pressed his ear to her chest, waiting to sense the familiar heaving of her chest. It took a moment, and he was nearly hopeless, but he felt it.

"K-kagome?"

Silence.

The nearest hospital was too far; even with his speed, she would be dead before he made it. There was one thing. One hope to save her. It was that or watch her die again. He didn't have the strength to pull through that again. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Tears pooled in his eyes, their amber colour darkening while his hatred for his older brother grew in his heart. Why? Why did he want him to be miserable? Why did he have to be alone? Even if he saved her… he'd never see her again… not if he wanted her to live. Gently, he brushed her bangs out of her face, watching her pale skin shine, illuminated by the full moon hanging above their heads. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, his fingers trembling as he pulled down the blue collar of her shirt. "I'm so sorry, Kag."

She had only wanted to be his friend.

She had only wanted to be there for him.

And it cost her the ultimate price; her life.

He leaned forward, his silver locks covering her body, and he gulped, guilt sinking in, making him sick to his stomach. His fangs slowly pierced the flesh, the blood from the fresh wound masked by the one from her wound. The familiar metallic taste overflowing in his mouth, he shut his eyes closed. Almost. He could feel the blood pumping through her blood vessels, signalling that there was hope for her. Once the blood spilled from his lips, he pulled away, the fang marks on her neck visible. His chin dipped to his chest as he rose from the ground. He allowed his nose to twitch, surveilling their surroundings. She should be safe here. No one should come for her. The moon was full; she would not keep this form for long. They were in a no-man's-land; this was no one's territory. It was why Sesshomaru had opted for this location as the ground of his execution.

Inuyasha had to believe she would live.

If she died, this time, he would follow her into the depths of hell.

His eyes lingered on her a moment longer before he forced himself to tear away from her. He couldn't let his brother tracked him down or give him a reason to be suspicious. Memories of her laugh, her smile, all filled his mind as he walked away. Biting her was not enough. Sesshomaru had to think she was dead. He retrieved his cellphone from his pocket, dialling a familiar number. It rang twice before it was picked up. "Miroku… I need a favour."

Sesshomaru would want a body.

He was gonna get one.

-R-

Blood.

A lot of it.

The whole pack had been on edge the whole day, the impending full moon itching at their instincts. They had guarded the cubs, ensured the safety of the old and sick, knowing that they were not the only one controlled by the light of the moon. The time to transform was near when two pack members came running, completely breathless. Blood. Dogs. Those were the only words he had made out before rage had fuel his speed. Confrontations were frequent, especially on such nights, but he had not expected them to get a head start. Had they crossed into their territories, knowing full well the punishment that would come from it? Kouga had followed the trail of blood all the way into the depths of the forest. It led him past their territories but not quite into the dogs'. It was fresh - a recent kill. It had to be with this amount of blood. He could feel his wolf inside, roaring with rage, demanding blood for blood.

The pull of the moon distracted his chase, begging him to shift into his true form and to give into the primal call echoing through his veins. He could resist the temptation a little longer. He was no ordinary werewolf, his alpha blood allowed him to fight the urges much longer than most. He could will his transformation - full moon or not. At least, to some extent.

At first, his eyes scanned the darkening horizon, unable to find the source of the blood. If it hadn't been for the nasty stench, the dogs had left behind, he wouldn't have spotted it. There, in a patch of grass was a tiny cub, all curved upon itself. The source of the blood. He snared; they dared to attack a defenceless cub? Dog were pitiful creatures with no honour. He had rounded up his cubs prior to this, and he knew it wasn't one of his. Still, he wasn't about to let one of his kind die in the forest. He dropped to his knees, gently cradling the tiny black-haired cub in his arms. He laid it in the curb of his arm, immediately spotting its wound; sliced throat. Who would do this? He sniffed at it, hearing it whimper, immediately recognizing that particular awful odour. Taisho. Bastards. That ice king who thought he was better than everyone. To think he would sink to such disgraceful tactics.

"I gotchu," he whispered to the cub as he turned around, carrying it in his arms and ready to take it into the protective folds of his pack.

There was no time to find its pack; he would find out whom it belonged to in the morning. For now, he needed to tend to its wounds. The full moon should be sufficient to make it pull through, offering the cub unusual strength for the entire night. He could no longer move as rapidly, not wanting to further the injuries of the cub by risking opening the gash in its neck any wider than it already was. It was a miracle the cub was still alive. Every few steps, it would whimper in pain which he took as a reassuring sign; it was alive, fighting for its survival. His previous rage had caused him to cover a lot of ground fast, but now that he was walking, the pressure of the moon was becoming too much to bear. He had to give in. Despite his near proximity to his packs' grounds, he could not take many more steps.

Kouga was far enough from the no-man's-land that no one should venture in this vicinity. He quickly spotted a large tree with a wide trunk and headed for it. He kicked a few leaves with his feet, piling them up at the root. He leaned forward, laying the poor cub on it. He took a few steps backwards, ensuring that his much large form would not accidentally cause it harm, and allowed the rays of the moon to control his body. He grunted, he whimpered in pain, the transformation process never getting less painful, no matter how many times he went through it. His body expanded, flesh turning into brown fur, fangs growing out of his mouth, but his blue eyes remaining, like beacons in the night. Once bones were done cracking, he dropped on all four, returning to the cub's side. He wrapped himself around it, his large frame protecting it from possible harm. He watched as the cub tilted its head to the side, trying to burrow itself in his fur, probably seeking his warmth.

'Don't worry little one,' he thought. 'I got you.'

-R-

The night dragged on, his ears perking up each time he heard the crackling of a leaf or the whistling of the wind. Eventually, and most likely due to the warmth coming from the cub's body, he had fallen asleep. It was not until the sun peaked through the horizon that he woke from his slumber. He lifted his head from the ground, cracking his stiff neck as the fresh morning breeze forced goosebumps across his skin. The morning dew had left a layer of droplets on him and it left his skin cold. He had not meant to fall asleep, but the fact that he slept through the night meant one thing; no one came back to ensure the cub was truly death… and no one came looking for it either… There was a body pressed into him, in human form this time, but as he felt it move against his naked chest, it dawned on him that it was much bigger than a child's body.

What in the…

He propped himself up with his hand, staring down a long mane of black hair that belonged… to a very womanly form. He jolted into a standing position, his eyes quickly roaming across perky, large breasts, a fine waist, and rounded hips. No, wait. It had been a cub! She had been so small! There was no way… but the blood on her didn't lie. The blood had crusted at her neck, a reflection of the wound she had endured during the previous night. Her limbs were bruised with purple marks and her face was sliced around her left eye. It was her, there was no doubt about it. Then what the fuck… He ignored her naked form, even if it sent his blood pumping and he began sniffing at her shoulder. Dog. She smelled like dog. The scent. It hadn't been solely from the attackers… it had come from her.

She… she was not a wolf. A dog scent clung to her skin.

But her scent was faint, not as nauseating as the other dogs. He could smell two other distinct smells other than hers. One was Taisho for sure but the other? He couldn't figure it out.

Fuck. He had protected her like a cub, like one of his own. She was a dog.

He slapped his hands on his face, doubts growing within his chest. What was he supposed to do? Leave her here to die? She wasn't his responsibility. She wasn't even a wolf. Her own kind could deal with her… except they would never come for her here. He had dragged a dog in his own territories. Could he go back to where he had found her? As he stared down at her sleeping body, he felt a pang in his chest. Her throat. Dogs had done this to her. They had put her down with no regards to her life. He didn't know her. But he knew whoever assaulted her; she had not defended herself. There had been no one's blood but her own. No one had come for her. If he returned her, they would probably try to kill her again, and he knew they wouldn't fail a second time. He was already surprised that the Ice King had botched the job. He should have known that the full moon would help her heal.

He kneeled back at her side, fingers gently grabbing her chin, which allowed him to tilt her head backwards. He was careful as to not overdo it, scared he might reopen the fresh wound on her neck. As he gained a better view of the gash in her skin, his eyes zoned in on another fresh wound; fang marks. He held his breath; these were recent. No more than 12 hours he was convinced. He had turned one person during his many years and he knew what it was meant to look like. Someone had turned her. After she was attacked? Was that why there was another scent? Did someone… save her? But then why leave her to die? None of it made sense. Surely Sesshomaru wouldn't have allowed it. Everyone knew he despised bitten creatures. He only responded to pure bloods.

As he looked at her taking uneven breaths, he knew one thing; if he left her here, she would die. If he returned her to the dogs, she would die. And he couldn't let it happen.

She was freshly turned, confused, hurt.

How could someone abandon a cub - a pup - a new baby by itself? She probably didn't know much about the lifestyle, the instincts, the dangers…

Not your problem, he repeated himself. Despite those words echoing in his head, he found himself wrapping his arms around her frame, picking her up from the cold ground. He watched her shivered before she cuddled up to him. He was not leaving her out here to die. She had done nothing wrong. Whatever had gotten her killed - it was none of his business.

He was taking her back to the pack.

-R-

"Kouga, she's a dog. We can't keep her here."

"Yeah, what if she's a decoy!"

"Enough," he snarled. "They sliced her fucking throat and left her to die. Without the full moon she woulda died."

It had not taken long for the pack to sniff out the smell of dog. All of them had gathered at the edges of the forest, almost ready to attack. It almost made him think that something happened while he was gone. It also didn't help that since he spent the whole night cuddling up to her, he himself smelled like a dog. Kouga had ignored the stares and instead, he had pushed through the crowd to head to the little cabin where he laid her in his bed, covering her nudity with a blanket. There was no need to have everyone see her naked. She probably wouldn't appreciate that. It was enough that she had spent the early hours of the morning next to him.

"That's not our fault."

Ginta squinted as he looked at Kouga's face. He angled his body away from him, a brow creased. "Wait, where you with her all night?"

"I thought she was a fucking cub," he spat back, leaning away from Ginta, his eyes darting away from his glance.

"What? She smells like dog!" It was impossible to miss that recognizable stench that clung to the fucking dog. They could spot them from a mile away.

He palmed at his neck. "There were a few scents. I thought she was a stray from another pack and got attacked."

"But she's a dog."

"And I'm telling ya, she looked like a cub."

"Wonder what kind of dog she is?" Hakkaku pitched in as he tried to peer at her face from where he stood.

Kouga smacked him on the back of the head. "She doesn't look like a dog when she's like this. Idiot."

"I think she needs to go," Ayame spoke as she inserted herself into the small circle. "You're endangering the whole pack by bring her here. She doesn't belong with us."

"I'm the alpha. I decide who belongs here and who doesn't."

"And you'd pick a dog over a wolf?" she pressed on. "What are you gonna do the day she attacks one of us?"

"She's new, she's a baby."

"A baby pup - not a cub," she clarified.

"It doesn't matter. Look, I make the call here. Not you, not any of you. I'm gonna wait 'til she wakes up and then I'll decide what I do." His eyes narrowed. "If anyone else has anything to say, we can take it outside."

And just like silence befell the pack. Nobody was stupid enough to try to take on Kouga; there was a reason why he was the alpha despite his young age. Although they respected his decision for now, no one was pleased with; werewolves stuck to the old ways. They did not mingle; they went through their transformation far from humans and kept them unharmed. Dogs were greedy, domesticated, they wanted to have it all. The weredog form, the glory, the human life. It could not be combined. There were rules to follow, an order to respect. Dogs simply did as they pleased and put every single one of them in danger as they did so. They also had a personal vendetta against the wolves, which prompted many attacks. They had lost a lot of their own to them. They could not easily accept one in their ranks. Even a baby.

Meanwhile, Kouga plopped himself down on the floor, one leg bent with his arm resting on it. He was using his free hand to pinch the skin of his throat, repeating his pack's words in his head. He was making it up as he went; he was fucking stuck. He could not ignore his pack's feelings, but he could hardly leave her to die. It wasn't like she was lost or he had somewhere to return her. This might not even be her decision. She might not have asked for this. Being bitten was a burden, almost worse than the curse of the wereform. He had turned someone once, hoping to save them. He had been a foolish cub and - and he had not helped her properly. He lost her. A young child. She was much older, but by human standard, she remained young. He had to at least hear her out right? If there was something he could do…

"Ow."

Her voice broke the spell of thoughts running through his mind and he hopped on his feet.

She parted her lips intending on speak but all she did was groan. Her throat. It hurt, it hurt so much. She hunched forward, choking down on a sob. Before she could even open her eyes, flashback flooded her mind. Sharp claws. Blood. Pain. Sesshomaru. "NO!" she shouted, louder than expected as she immediately sat up, and then felt a burning fire spreading through her throat. Suddenly, there was a hand on her arm and she forced her eyes opened.

Who?

"You're okay. You're okay." Panic clung to her, fear irradiating from her aura.

Her grey eyes searched his for answers, and he watched as she concluded that he was a stranger. She yanked her body out of his reach, placarding herself to the nearby wall, as though the newfound distance between them would somehow protect her. The slam against the hard surface forced her to wince, but she kept her eyes on him. He lifted both his hands in the air, showing his palms, trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible. "I won't hurt you," he spoke in a soft tone. "You're injured, you shouldn't move like that."

His words were enough for her to press a hand to her neck the lingering pain vivid as she recalled how she got it. She remembered the coldness of the blade, the warm blood that had followed and her slow descent into darkness as she cried, her sounds muffled by her bleeding throat.

"We can clean your wound."

"H-how?" She swallowed the excessive saliva accumulating in her mouth and winced in pain. "W-hat?"

"I found you in the forest," he began as he sat down on the bed but kept a distance. He figured it was hurting her to talk and he wanted to limit the amount of words she had to pronounce. "You were - "Did she know? And if she knew, how much knowledge did she have? "Do you know what happened to you?"

She pointed at her neck.

"And?"

She frowned, creases forming in her forehead. She lowered her head, trying to access the damages that had been done to her body; every muscles hurt, every bone hurt even if that wasn't possible. It was like someone had squashed every inch of her into a goo. As she glanced down she was forced to see that the only thing shielding her body from him was… a blanket? She lifted the edge, confirming that she was not wearing any clothes. A raspy screech past her lips as she tightened the blanket around her body. She was naked! WHY WAS SHE NAKED?

"I found you like this," he quickly supplied. It wasn't a complete lie. She had been naked - just covered in fur…

Why would she be naked in the middle of the forest? What did she remember what happened after? She had gotten a text from Inuyasha - he had asked her to meet him in the forest, which wasn't an unusual request. Sometimes he needed help setting up for the night when it was a full moon. But she knew saw him. He was never there…

Kouga watched as fear grew in her eyes, the recollection of her night probably hitting her. "If I say dog…?"

Her eyes widened, showing the whites. She knew.

"Someone bit you."

At his words, her hand touched lower on her neck, near her collarbone. Her fingers fit perfectly in the holes left behind by the fangs. She took in a sharp inhale of air but never breathed it out. Bit her. She had met Inuyasha in his once in a full moon form. She had been cutting through an open path of the forest to head home after staying way too late at the library. What she had thought to be a harmless dog had proven to be quite the opposite. It had run after her, trapping her within the depths of the forest. She had begged the animal, trying to soothe its rage, but it had not worked. Not until it got closer to her. Then, it had sat in front of her, never letting her leave, watching her until the full moon disappeared. It had led to a… bit more nakedness than she had wanted and a lot of screaming. And that was when she learned about Inuyasha and Kikyo.

Although Inuyasha always made it sound like he was the only one. And that his deformity as he called it was the reason Kikyo died. He hated what he was. Every day, he only spoke of how he wished he was human.

Why bite her? And why did this stranger know about this?

But she had bite marks… and she was naked. Could it be real? "Are y-you?"

He nodded. "I'm a wolf though - not a dog." He tried to not make it sound disgusting. He really did. He made sure to speak the word dog as normally as possible.

That was why he recognized the fang marks - and why he was not put off by this. Although she was surprised. Inuyasha never mentioned to her that there were other beings like him, other species. Then again, it was not like he ever spoke fondly of his conditions… which had led her to not ask too many questions. She knew better than to pry when Inuyasha did not wish to speak. It only sparked his anger. Still… None of this explained her throat though… someone… someone tried to kill her?

"Who did…"

"I'm not sure. I only found you. I think someone tried to kill you and someone else saved you… There was no one around… just you."

Before he could explain further, there was a knock on the door. The sudden intrusion was enough for Kagome to bring a hand to her chest, clutching the blanket closer. There were other people. Now that they had broken the little bubble around her, she realized that there were surrounded. Were they… like a pack? That was the proper word for wolves gathering, right?

"Not now," he barked. She was already having a hard time handling his presence - he didn't want to add to that stress.

"Kouga - I think you're gonna wanna see this."

He let his head hang forward before he resigned himself. "I'll be right back okay?"

She nodded. Why did he care so much? He didn't even know her! She didn't know him. And now she had to figure out what happened to her. The simple thought of the previous night was enough to ice her blood. Her hands were clammy while her chin and her lips trembled. Inuyasha wouldn't have left her alone like this. She trusted him. Did that mean someone injured him as well? But he said he found her alone. If he was anything like Inuyasha - he would have smelled his presence too right?

Meanwhile, Kouga slammed the door open, gripping at its frame so strongly that the wood was threatening to give out under the pressure. "What?"

Ginta didn't say a word; instead he shoved his phone in his alpha's face. In this case, a video was worth a thousand words. Kouga watched the clip which displayed the local news. He pressed the volume up button in an attempt to hear what the announcer was saying. And today, a body was found in the woods… Wait - that was where he had found her last night. How could there have been a body? She wasn't dead, and he knew for a fact that there was no dead body around - he would have smelled it. They were even showing the exact location where he had found her. It made no fucking sense. "What is this?"

"I don't know, but there's a bunch of humans out there now, the boys are making sure they don't get too close." If they did, they might start poking around and asking questions, and that was the last thing anyone wanted. Humans had a way of accidentally uncovering secrets and showing up where they were not welcomed. They might question why so many people lived together in the woods. Usually, they knew how to hide themselves better, but they always reunited for the full moon. It was bad fucking timing. The dogs were fucking it up for everybody - again.

Kouga scratched at his temple with his middle finger: why would someone make up a body? Why would someone pretend that she was dead?

He did not have a good feeling about this.

"Gimme a minute," he finally said to Ginta as he closed the door in his face. Kouga could hear the sounds of protests behind the door, but he ignored them.

He returned to her side, noticing how her ears had perked up. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Heard that?"

She nodded. How was it even possible? He had been at the complete other end of the room and yet she had heard the sound coming from his phone as though he stood next to her.

"There's a lot more where that came from." He put the phone down in front of her. "So you heard? Do you know… do you know who bit you?"

"No." She thought people like Inuyasha came in small numbers but apparently she knew nothing.

He did not want to sway the information he got from her, but he might need to provide possible options for her if he wanted some answers. "I mean, do you know the name Taisho?"

"I-inuyasha."

Inuyasha… wasn't that the name of that bastard? He knew the old alpha had two sons, one with a were dog and one with a human. He wasn't sure what the story was there - except that it was fucking idiotic to make a child with a human. He also knew that the ice king was the only one in charge. Something was up. "What about his brother? Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru… Sesshomaru! Her jaw clenched as she gripped at the blanket, threatening to shred it with her newfound strength.

"I think he's the one who did this to you," he said pointing to her neck. "I - I could smell him."

Sesshomaru had been there? But Inuyasha hadn't been? Had it been part of the trick? Inuyasha would never trick her and he would never collude with his older brother; they both despised each other. Inuyasha's self worth and confidence had been destroyed by Sesshomaru and Kagome had personally seen the damages the years of abuse had done on him. No. Whatever Sesshomaru had done, Inuyasha was not a part of it. He would never betray her.

"Do you trust him… Inuyasha?"

"Ye-yes."

"Then he's probably the one who bit you. He probably didn't have a choice. But I'm not sure who's saying you're dead." Was it that Inutrasha or whatever? "I think it's best of you stay low for now. We don't know if he's gonna come back for you. Either of them, and my guts tells me this ain't good. You can stay here."

He would get shit from the pack over this, but he didn't give a fuck. Until he sorted this out, she was staying here under his supervision. He couldn't send her out there when she didn't even know how to control her new powers and skills. She might end up hurting someone and that would be his fault. After all, he would be the one releasing her into the wilds with no one to watch over her or help…

Inuyasha? Biting her? She had talked to him about that; she had asked him if he had ever bitten anyone. He had always been clear; he wouldn't ruin someone life like that. He said he was cursed. Could he have broken his own rule and bitten her? From the sound of it… and the looks of it… she had been dying. She knew he already lost someone he cared about before… Still. Ugh. She wished she could talk to him.

"Mmmy phone?"

"There was nothing around you when I found you. I'm sorry."

Then she couldn't talk to him.

"I - go home."

"I'm sorry, I can't let you go." His tone was more demanding this time, more pressing. "I don't think it's safe. Someone worked really hard to make it look like you're dead."

What about him? What if he was a threat? Her head was swimming, her recollection of events spotty at best and now… now she wasn't human and she didn't even know where she was and who she was with… how could she decide like this?

He watched her clench her hands into fists, her fingers restless. She didn't know him. "I'm Kouga. What's your name?" he said as he offered her his hand his palm towards the ceiling.

She crumbled her fingers into a fist before relaxing her hand and putting it on his. "K-kagome."

"Alright, Kagome." Her name rolled off his tongue. "Do you trust me?"

It was the dumbest thing; she did. She shouldn't but she did. She felt sick to her stomach thinking about her new realities and now - now she had no one and she had nothing. All she had were brand new sharp instincts that told her she could trust the man in front of her.

So she nodded.

-R-