A/N: It's been a long day. Throwing out this update for now and will edit later. My apologies, but I wanted to get this update before I forgot.

The sound of the tattoo gun radiated throughout the room and to Kagome's relief, it provided a distraction from the many questions that were buzzing through her head. Yet, even that was soon replaced with shock as a voice boomed through as the door to the tattoo shop opened and an entourage came through.

"Hey Alexa, play Two of Us by birds of Tokyo."

Turning her gaze to the door, she couldn't help but gasp.

"Ginta!" The friend from long ago rewarded her squeal of excitement with a cheesy grin.

"A little wolf told me my favorite priestess was getting a tattoo—and that, you know, you're alive!" With such teasing came the signature wolf grin that the entire pack seemed to come equipped with.

But almost instantly, Gintas nose turned up in the air and his eyes widened with shock. Turning to Koga, he raised both eyebrows with silent questions.

Questions that were apparently not for her?

Turning her gaze between the wolves, Kagome tried to understand what was occurring.

"We're finishing up my tattoo…" she began to explain.

Ginta nodded and made sure to finish her sentence with a wary tone.

"With Youki?"

The entire room seemed to go silence at such an announcement.

Oh.

Was that the unspoken question? Was such an event a huge matter? Thinking back to the wolf pack dynamics, she came to the conclusion that it probably was. Was Ginta worried with her choice? Or did he think he think she still loved another? Misunderstanding the situation entirely, she tried to ease the worried look Ginta was giving her.

"What, don't tell me you don't want me in your pack?" She had meant to do it teasingly, and as a joke. But as his eyes softened and he began to smile, she realized that was exactly what was occurring.

He was making sure she knew what she was doing, right?

Was that why his eyes swam with concern?

If so, why hadn't he simply said it out loud?

Yet, the more she thought about it, the more she began to understand his worry. She was entering unknown territory and for the first time ever, she realized she had no idea what type of responsibilities came with such a decision.

To her shock, it was Koga that spoke with a snort.

"He doesn't get to decide. I do." Turning to the wolf prince, she rolled her eyes at such a statement.

"Yes, but you're all my friends and I don't want anyone unhappy." She explained lightly. Yet, in the back of her mind she herself nearly snorted at her implication to their chemistry.

Friend?

Who was she fooling?

It seemed that once more, Koga had the same thoughts.

"Right. Friend. Well, after this tattoo I should have an automatic promotion to at least best-friend" He made sure to hold her gaze with a smirk and making sure to sound out the word friend.

Blushing, she turned away from his gaze.

"Sis, look, you're already letting the alpha win and have his way. Your tattoo may not be done but welcome anyway." Hakkaku joked while making his way through the small crowd.

Unable to help herself, she laughed at such childish comments.

"This is gonna burn. Be ready."

For a brief moment she wondered how she hadn't noticed how close Koga had gotten or more importantly, how close his mouth was to her ear. Closing her eyes and trying to distract herself from the thoughts of his hot breath on her ear, she failed miserably.

As luck would have it, the sheer feeling of being burned shot through her and removed any additional thoughts of desire. With eyes wide open and a whimper, she turned to him a panic.

But, instead of meeting her gaze, he instead was focusing at his tattoo gun and her wrist.

Whimpering, she bit her lip trying to cancel out the pain.

When that didn't help, she began to wonder where such pain came from? Before, her tattoo had never hurt this bad. Now, her body felt like it was on fire.

"Koga…" she tried to say his name between the breaths of sharp pain.

Instead of responding, he nodded grimly and in what seemed like understanding.

"You're a priestess, Kagome. You're choosing to be in a pack with you mortal enemy." His voice had meant to be carefree, but with the intensity of his tone, she knew he was apologizing in the only way he could.

Still, he held the tattoo gun steady, proceeded to try to finish the tattoo as quick as possible.

Wait, this pain was coming from the youki because she was a priestess?

With widened eyes, she began formulating a plan. Without informing him of her actions, she closed her eyes and began concentrating and focusing on her burning. Slowly, in a minimal dose she released her reiki all the while trying to make her pain subside.

To her shock, Koga all but growled out a curse under his breath. Turning her gaze to him, she watched Kogas hand waver.

Then, she saw it.

On the side of his neck, a glow like burn was appearing in the shape of what appeared to be a bauble.

What the hell?

Confused, she tried to halt her reiki so she could understand what was happening. Instead, the wolf prince growled at her abrupt decision.

"Don't stop. Keep going." He grunted, and to her shock, realization hit her.

She was making the mark?!

But, as she glanced at his marking closer, her eyes widened in realization of the imagine.

The jewel.

She was marking him with an image of the jewel?!

"Koga—I'm so sorry." She began, but instead he let the tattoo gun fall to the ground and with a proud smirk, he let out a victory yip. Following his, the rest of the pack yipped in celebratory response. Turning to his gaze, she looked down at her now finished tattoo, and with the completion, the pain was now dwindling.

Smiling at the emotions and yips radiating off the round, she tried to ignore the sheer exhaustion she felt. For now, she wanted to apologize and to thank him, all at once. Instead, the celebration of the entire room was interrupted with a cold voice.

"This was not expected." A voice shot up. Shooting her head up at the new individual in the room, she looked over the bodies of people in the room and tried to see who the intruder was. Finally locating him, she took in his appearance.

There, before the group, stood what appeared to be a businessman with black hair and hazel eyes.

And for a brief moment in time, her vision flickered.

Flickered as the man before her went from an average business man to yet another individual from the past.

But it couldn't be.

"I came here to assure the council that I had no idea why you had caused such discord with the Fox Lord…yet, it seems that now, standing before you and my brothers former priestesses, I will have to redact such a statement."

His tone was cold.

His eyes narrow.

And with the shock of a lifetime, Kagome gasped.

"Sesshoumaru?!"