Chapter 40

The chains that locked Kouga's wrist to his legs rattled as he walked. There was a permanent grin on his face as he walked past all the inmates that had terrorized him. They may have violated him, beat him, but he came out on top. He was the one getting led to the front of the building while the others remained locked in cells like dogs.

"You will all rot in here while I am free." Throwing back his head, he laughed. He didn't care that he was still hated. The court may have been bought by his money. The evidence may have been thrown away. He may have won the retrial, but his misdeeds had still been plastered all over the internet and TV. He was free, but everyone would always remember what he did.

Still, Kouga didn't care. The stares of disgust, hatred, and disappointment didn't phase him. When the chains were unlocked, falling to the floor, glee filled his heart. When he was handed the clothing he was arrested in, malice filled his soul.

He was free.

The buzz of the doors signaled that they were unlocked, and Kouga pushed his way through, teeth glistening in a wicked grin as he finally stepped into his freedom. Ginta and Hakkaku were there, waiting for him like he expected.

They handed him more everyday clothing instead of the tux he had been forced on, and Kouga made his way to the bathroom, changing quickly. He took a moment to look at himself, not noticing the crazed look in his eye. The thought he looked better than he ever had before.

He made his way back out, following Ginta and Hakkaku to the car. "Where is she?" He snatched the keys from Ginta, unlocking the car door and opening it.

"The mall. She is there with the others." Hakkaku was the one who answered, stepping back away from the car as Kouga sat in the driver's seat. "Find your own ride boys. I've got some shopping to do." He slammed the door shut, the sound of the engine roaring to life.

Speeding out of the parking lot, he began the short drive to the mall. He was ready to see the woman who nearly destroyed him. He would ruin her, get into her head and remind her why she should fear him. He was the one in control now, and soon enough he would have Kagome back in his grasp. "I am coming, Kagome."

…

"Will the girls be okay alone?" Miroku looked behind him for the thousandth time, making InuYasha roll his eyes. Miroku had become so paranoid, he never left Kagome's side.

"She is with Sango, who knows how to defend herself." InuYasha stopped to look at a kiosk, skimming over the items they were selling. "You should have gotten her to learn self defense before she got pregnant."

"Can you suddenly touch her?" Miroku was grumpy. He didn't mean to lash out, but he just had a feeling. A negative ball of energy in his stomach that leaves him sick. He was worried about Kagome, constantly stressed and looking over his shoulder.

"Don't bite my head off." InuYasha looked at him annoyed, and Miroku rubbed his face.

"InuYasha, he is tense. Can you blame him when his wife's ex-husband could be released any day now and come straight for her?" Sesshomaru looked at InuYasha out of the corner of his eyes, his gaze telling InuYasha to back off for now.

"I'm sorry." Miroku looked back to where he last saw Kagome once more, his face tight. "I know it's not anyone's fault other than Kouga. I am on edge, and I don't see that going away anytime soon."

"Do you just want to go back to the girls then?" InuYasha could understand what was happening with Miroku. If someone was after Sango, and she was pregnant, he would never be able to relax.

"No. Kagome could use the girl time." It took everything Miroku had to say that. He wanted to run back to her the moment InuYasha offered it, but Kagome was with her best friends. A girls day was something she hadn't done in some time.

"How's the runt? Got any names picked out?" InuYasha kept moving, trying to keep Miroku's mind busy. Something needed to relax Miroku, or he would snap. Everyone was worried about Kagome, but Miroku wasn't safe either.

A small smirk broke on Miroku's face as he thought of his son. "He grows a little more every day. It won't be long before Kagome can't hide her belly anymore." It had been a few weeks since the gender reveal. The baby was still as strong as ever, and Miroku was more than ready for his son to be born. He was scared about being a father, and doing right for his son, but he was excited too.

Sesshomaru's phone rang, and he walked off so he could answer it. InuYasha kept talking, still trying to keep Miroku distracted. "How is Safe Haven coming along?"

"Good. We should be able to reopen soon. I have been advertising, and it seems we may have more customers than we did before the break in. That is always a plus. Kagura said she is just going to live with Naraku, and I am not sure what Naomi will do. The only girl there will be Yura." Miroku hadn't spoken to Yura since the break in. When she learned that she wouldn't have a place to live, she had gotten upset, but Miroku got her an apartment for the duration of the reconstruction. Still, she didn't seem happy. She was still a child, scared to be alone. At Safe Haven, she had friends, people to surround herself with, now she didn't. He was going to have to go and check on her.

"Miroku!" Sesshomaru only looked back at Miroku for a second before he took off running. Heart falling to the ground, Miroku took after him, knowing that if Sesshomaru was panicked, then Kouga was here. He was somewhere in the mall, and Kagome was alone.

…

Kagome held up the little blue onesie, smiling at how cute it was. She could see her little baby wearing it, and she held it out on her arm with the other outfits she was buying. Sango called her over to another part of the store, and she ran her hands across the crib bedding.

"I don't know." Kagome was apprehensive, unsure if she was going to use any bedding at all. "According to everything I read, bedding can be dangerous. Especially when the baby is younger and can't roll over on their own."

"That's true. I didn't think about that." Sango scowled at the crib bedding as if it disgusted her. Naomi patted Sango on the back and pointed towards other necessities like bottles. Sango thanked Naomi, and they went to look at that instead. "Have you decided on a theme for the nursery?"

"Not yet. We know what room it is going to be. The one upstairs with the bay window. I can sit in the window and let him see outside or read to him there." Kagome smiled, free hand rubbing over her belly. The amount of love she had for her son startled her. She had heard of love at first sight, but she hadn't even seen her son yet, and he already owned her heart. Miroku and her baby, those were to two that filled her heart to the brim.

"How cute?" A voice Kagome hoped she'd never hear again came from behind her. She spun around, dropping all of the clothes she was going to buy. Kouga was there, a grin on his face as he leaned against a rack of baby clothes.

"Back off." Sango moved to stand in front of Kagome, Naomi on the other side of her. Kouga looked at both of them. He thought them nothing more than bugs, insects that he would squash if they didn't move out of his way.

"How did it feel, Kagome. To fuck another man while still married to me?" Kouga took a step forward, Ignoring Sango as she stepped in the way once more.

"Amazing. After the first three inches, it was like I was a virgin again." Kagome narrowed her eyes at Kouga, hating him more in that moment than ever before. She finally thought she was free, though she could look forward to her future, but that wasn't the case. Kouga was still here, haunting her.

A flash of fury zipped through Kouga's eyes and before anyone could react, he shoved both Naomi and Sango to the ground, grabbing Kagome's arms and slamming her against the wall. She struggled to break free, but he was holding her arms above her head.

Sango jumped on his back, lip bleeding from getting pushed aside. Her arms went around his neck, but he grabbed her ponytail with one hand, keeping Kagome against the wall. Throwing Sango to the ground, Kouga placed his hand on Kagome's belly, causing everyone to freeze.

"Stay back, or the baby joins its sibling." Kouga grinned when Sango didn't move, eyes wide. Turning back to Kagome, he stepped towards her, his feet pressing down hard on hers so she couldn't kick him. "Sesshomaru posted pictures of this little bean all over his profile page. Imagine my surprise when I saw that you were pregnant with that fuckers baby. You cheated on me and got yourself knocked up. How could you do that to me, Kagome?"

"Please." Large tears rolled down Kagome's cheeks, fear for her baby rolling her stomach. Kouga was going to hurt her baby again, and with the way he had her pressed against the wall, she wouldn't be able to stop it. "Don't hurt him."

"So, it's a boy?" Kouga ran his hand up and down Kagome's belly, laughing when she whimpered in fear. This was what he had wanted. Her fear was exhilarating to him, and he was going to make sure she never lost it again. She was a fool to stand up to him.

"Kagome!" Miroku skidded to a stop. Eyes wide as he saw Kouga's hand over his son.

"If you move…" Kouga pressed on Kagome's belly and she let out a sob. Miroku was looking at Kouga with pure hatred, Sesshomaru and InuYasha right beside him. "You fucked my wife, got her pregnant. Don't you think that was wrong?"

"You beat your wife and killed your own child. You're a monster." Miroku was breathing heavily, glancing at Kagome, her belly, and then Kouga. He was stuck, unable to move without risking his son.

"And how I miss it. I'll get it back soon enough." Kouga leaned against Kagome, running his nose along her cheek. "I have missed your smell, Kagome."

"Hey!" A man, one that none of them knew ran up to them, a camera in his hand. "Aren't you Kouga? You just got released, and the first thing you do is go after your ex-wife. It must be nice to have so much money you can get away with being a heartless bastard."

A crowd began to form as the man's shouting caught everyone's attention. Kouga scowled, eye twitching in annoyance. He had wanted to have some more fun, but it seemed that was now over. Twisting Kagome around, he pressed her against the wall. A hand was always on her belly, keeping his insurance policy.

His free hand wrapped around her throat, and he started to back away, keeping Kagome between him and all of the others. Moving both of them over to the crowd, he pushed Kagome away hard enough that she began to fall, causing a distraction as everyone tried to catch her.

Sesshomaru was able to snag her before she hit the ground, Miroku immediately pulling her to him. By the time they looked up, Kouga was gone. He had used the distraction and the crowd to get away. Sesshomaru looked back down to his brother, seeing him rocking a hysterical Kagome. Miroku was barely holding it together, holding onto his wife so tight, Sesshomaru wasn't sure she could breath. Miroku looked up to him, meeting his worried gaze.

Kouga wasn't going to stop. He would be back, and they had no idea when. They needed to prepare. To prepare for anything, because as Kouga had proven, he was unpredictable. Sesshomaru knelt by Kagome, rubbing her hair to try and help calm her. "We will keep you and the baby safe Kagome. He won't get near you again."