Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to the creators of Inuyasha!

HUGE thank you to: XxCrimsonSnowxX, SlaveBane781, NightDreamer58, RubyGemGreen, Kagz419, GroundedValkyrie, MillieBelle for your reviews! It's always wonderful to hear from you!

Yes, so this is still a story I am working on (along with my other stories Mayumi, Of Angels and Demons, Moon Roses, and Doctor, Doctor), and I will be able to post more regularly during the summer, I promise! :) Thanks so much for sticking it out with me through this year guys! It's been awesome and I've truly appreciated the loyalty!

ONWARD!

Let me regale you with the story of how I met Koga's intended.

His fiancé, that is.

Yeah, that was a doozy of a day.

Past

"So…this is like a type of meeting?" I ask as Koga and I walk together along the riverside, coming back from another early morning training session. It had been weeks since Koga first introduced me to the dagger, and we had, had that awkward talk about demons and their sex drives.

I don't want to be revisiting that conversation any time soon.

"We call it a Gathering, actually," Koga explains patiently, in an oddly good mood this morning. "All the leaders of the Wolf Tribes come together twice a year, once in the early spring, and again in the late autumn, to discuss matters pertaining to the governance of our lands."

"What does that entail?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Border discrepancies mainly. Sometimes future planning," Koga sighs, running his fingers through his bangs, before turning his eyes to look upwards at the sun. "In fact, they should be getting here right about now."

"Future planning?"

Koga seems to hesitate for a moment. "Alliances," I raise my eyebrow at his very vague answer.

"What kind of alliances?"

"Why are you so chatty this morning?" Koga chuckles, looking at me with amusement, but I could also sense some unease radiating off of him. I tilt my head, shrugging my shoulders.

"Just trying to get the lay of the land, I guess. I mean, if I'm going to be a member of your pack, I should probably learn some of this stuff," I reply easily, not even thinking about what I was saying. It didn't really hit me till his silence that I had just assumed he would allow me to stay if I never found my way back home. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound assuming-"

"No, no, don't worry about it," Koga cuts off easily brushing away any residing awkwardness. "We'd be happy to have you here," He adds softly, and I feel like my heart is about to burst from my chest at his warm gaze.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Absolutely."

"Wow, Koga, thank you! I mean," I blush a little, unable to look him in the eyes then, I instead turn my gaze forward as we continue on down the path, "honestly, I love it here. If I can't get back home -."

"Koga!"

My eyes widen, freezing in place as I looked around almost frantically.

Was that a female voice?!

How long had it been since I'd even seen another woman? Was I going off the deep end?

"Oh shit," Koga mutters from beside me, having stopped as well. His own eyes are wide, looking around, but they aren't filled with curiosity like mine.

No, his shone with anxiety.

"Koga! There you are!" Both of us turn, the voice coming from directly behind now. I'm stunned when I see a woman, a beautiful woman, running up towards us with a bright smile. Her long red hair, pulled back from her pretty face, glistened in the sunlight, and her blue eyes shone with an attractive radiance. Her skin was absolutely flawless, as was her willowy figure.

It was clear by her unnatural good looks that she was a demon. Could it be possible she was a wolf-demon like Koga?

"I'm so sorry about this," Koga murmurs softly, his voice filled with regret. I tear my gaze from the quickly approaching visage of perfection, to look towards the wolf-demon who was slowly stealing my heart.

Gut-wrenching realization hits me like train at the look of uncomfortable guilt in his eyes.

Somehow, though I have no idea why he would feel guilty, I knew what was about to happen.

The demoness doesn't slow down as she approaches us, instead leaping into the air and attaching herself to the embarrassed wolf-demon beside me. Her legs were wrapped around his trim waist, much in the same way I have done in some of my shameful late-night fantasies. Her thighs were trim and muscled, though.

Mine were thick and slightly flabby.

His one strong arm wraps around her back, the other tucking under the girl's ass in reflex to catching her and not having her drop to the ground. Though, given how tight she was holding onto Koga, I doubted that would happen even without his help. I feel a prang of jealousy run hot in my veins.

How many times had I wanted to be held in his strong arms like that?

'If he could even lift my fat ass,' the self-deprecating thought rushes in before I can filter it out. After all, he has carried me before.

Just not like that.

"Ayame, come on, get off me," Koga's gruff voice brings me out from my dark and confusing thoughts, his hands gently prying the pretty girl off of him.

Present

Ayame, I would soon come to learn, was in a prearranged marriage to the very wolf-demon she had latched onto like a goddamn octopus.

And I actually started to feel sorry for the girl.

Like, genuinely sorry.

It quickly became apparent during the rest of the way back to the Den that Koga was disinterested in the wolf-demoness that continued to cry for his attention.

And she honestly seemed…sweet.

Koga had introduced us awkwardly, and Ayame had given me a once over, but the look hadn't been nasty. She had looked honestly curious at seeing me, a half-breed of unknown origin, there. She hadn't appeared jealous, or bitchy, or judgemental at all.

She was either extremely confident in herself, or trusted Koga to a degree even I would struggle to given the circumstances.

All the way back to the Den Ayame told me of herself, speaking animatedly about the future union between the Eastern Wolf Tribe and Northern Wolf Tribe through her mating with Koga. How everyone was looking forward to the ceremony in the spring, her Father most of all.

So she was like a wolf-demon princess to boot.

'As if by looks alone I no longer stood a remote chance…now I'm going up against royalty,' I snort derisively to myself, before shaking my head as we climbed the large rock stairs that led to the mouth of the Den. 'What am I even saying? There was never a chance, and I shouldn't have allowed myself to want one,' I mentally berate my stupid subconsciousness, hands clenching tightly into fists as the realization rolls over me like an unwelcome wave.

I wasn't falling in love with Koga…I had already fallen.

Somewhere between the bantering, the training, the ups and the downs, I was head over heels for the guy.

"There's my daughter!" A jovial looking elder wolf-demon grins widely when we enter through the mouth of the Den. I hang back, out of sight and hopefully out of mind by this point, sneaking off before I could be pin-pointed out. My room at the back of the cave wasn't far, and hopefully I could make it without being seen by the various new faces. "And how is my future son-in-law?"

I freeze.

There, on the spot.

'So he really is taken,' I think to myself, feeling like a boulder was slowly being lowered onto my chest. 'I should have known...' I trail off, shaking myself out of it and continuing on without chancing a look back. I didn't want to see if Koga was looking for me, or more so I was afraid to find that he wasn't. That he would have his arm wrapped around the girl, even if only to save face with his fellow Tribe Leader. Perhaps the disinterest I had seen before had simply been embarrassment. Koga wasn't a touchy-feely kind of guy, at least, not when he wasn't the one to initiate. I look towards the far right wall of my alcove as I finally make it into safety, swallowing thickly.

Like when he had basically pinned me that very wall with his body over a month ago.

A shudder of arousal rushes down my spine, but it's quickly extinguished by embarrassment and shame. I had allowed myself to see things differently than they were, had easily slipped into the false hope that for once maybe I wasn't seeing things, maybe someone did want me as a man wants a woman.

I should have known better.

I only get a few moments to myself, what feels like a few seconds to rein my emotions back into check, before I hear the voice of Ayame drifting into my sanctuary.

"Hey, Laura. The men are beginning to talk, so I figured I would come and find you. Koga said you might be here," Ayame explains, her voice pleasant. I swallow thickly, blinking rapidly to force back the tears I would not allow to fall, before turning towards Ayame with a fake smile plastered to my face. She clearly didn't notice, or perhaps the dim lighting of the torches cast an illusion of honesty, as she approached me without hesitation. "By the way, I'm sorry if my display with Koga embarrassed you earlier," she blushes prettily, looking sheepish. "It's just that we haven't seen each other since the previous Gathering last spring. I've missed him," she admits, her lips tilting downwards slightly in a tell-tale of a frown. "I don't think he's missed me, though."

"Don't say that," The words spill forth, my tone surprisingly kind as I look at the poor girl in front of me. If I allowed how I was feeling to show, we'd be an emotional mirror image right now. My heart went out to her almost instantly, much to my own displeasure. "I'm sure he has missed you. You know Koga, he doesn't do open affection very well," I gently remind the girl…who now looked so much younger in my eyes as she looked up at me with a hopefully expression.

"You really think so?"

"Definitely," I pause, swallowing thickly. "So, uh," no, no, no, why am I doing this to myself? "How long have you guys been…?"

"Betrothed? Since a couple decades ago, give or take a few years," Ayame answers, moving over to sit down on my bed. I move with her, sitting down as well as she pats the space beside her.

Dammit, why couldn't she have been a bitch?! This would have been so much easier!

"Now, tell me what's going on with you?" She asks, her head tilted curiously. "I've never heard the name Laura before, and you don't look like you're from around these parts," my mind races for an explanation.

"I'm not, I'm from the south, a village on an island just off of the coast," I reply, remembering her mentioning she was from the Northern Tribe. Hopefully she, nor any of her people, ever traveled that far south. Ayame's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"How the hell did you get here?"

'Dammit, I'm going to have to tell Koga my fabricated story later so we can keep this straight,' I think to myself in frustration, quickly coming up with a tall tale. "My family was traveling through this area, and we were attacked by a rogue flock of Birds of Paradise. They took my Mother and Father, but before they could take me, Koga happened upon us. Ever since he's looked out for me, allowed me to stay here the past few months until I can find a new home," there is an awkward pause where I wait, anticipating Ayame to call 'bullshit' on the entire thing. Her face softens however, and her eyes get dreamy.

"Koga is so great, isn't he?" Ayame sighs, clearly love sick. "He's going to be a good leader, and a fantastic mate. Our pups are going to be so lucky to have him as their Father," my stomach twists so painfully I'm sure I'm going to throw up at the idea of him being the Father to anyone else's kids.

My eyes widen in shock at the absurdity of my thoughts and feelings.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

"Listen, uh, if you'll excuse me, I'm suddenly not feeling all that well," I mutter out a quick apology before getting up and speed walking my ass out of there. Which was getting harder and harder to do with my vision wavering and my world tilting on it's axis. I was dizzy, my stomach still in a painful knot, as I walked my way through the main den. I don't stop to look for anyone on my way through, not even Koga. My heart was clenching so tightly I was sure I might be having a panic attack.

What is wrong with me?!

Somehow I manage to make it down the steps from the mouth of the cave, the roar of the waterfall a distant hum compared to the ringing in my ears. I stumble down to the bank, falling to my knees as I gasp in a breath when the sensations finally start to ebb away. Heaving in every blessed mouthful of air I could, I reach my trembling hands down into the water, splashing my face with the cool liquid.

Finally the world started to come back to real-time for me.

Though I still felt faint, things began to speed back up rather than continuing in slow motion, and the ringing in my ears settled so I could hear the waterfall beside me more clearly.

"What have you done to yourself this time, Laura?" I ask my rippled reflection in the water, green eyes filled with a heart wrenching pain. I knew the answer, though, without a single doubt.

I've fallen for the unattainable, and I was going to suffer for it.

"You weren't there for dinner," my back stiffens the moment I recognize the gruff voice behind me, closing my eyes for a moment as I center myself. I hadn't moved from my spot beside the river just outside of the Den for a few hours now. The sun had already set, leaving the skies a pretty blur of purples, pinks, and golds as the night began to creep in.

"It was a lot of new faces," I respond, sighing heavily as I continue to look out over the river. "I thought it might be easier on you as well, not having to explain my presence," I chew on my lower lip. "I told Ayame you found me after my family was attacked by Birds of Paradise, by the way. Should probably keep our stories straight," even to me my voice sounds so disconnected. "She's a really wonderful person, by the way. Very sweet and welcoming."

"Laura-" I can hear the guilt in his voice even as he just says my name.

The same guilt he had shown when Ayame had appeared.

"She'll make a fantastic wife for you some day. Or mate, I guess, is the term, right?" I babble on, not wanting him to either confirm nor deny what was going on with this prearranged venture of his. I hear a heavy sigh issue from the wolf-demon behind me, followed by his slowly approaching footsteps. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body as he sat down beside me, close enough that his arm brushed against my own as he did. I flinch away before I can stop myself, inwardly praying he hadn't noticed.

After all, the only reason I could figure he'd have felt guilt about not telling me about Ayame would be because he was trying to protect my feelings. Like the good guy he is, he no doubt knew I was attracted to him, had feelings for him, and had no idea how to let me down gently.

How fucking humiliating.

'How the hell do I always find myself here?' I can't help the thought of self-pity, chewing hard on my lower lip to stop from whimpering as the pain once again intensified in my chest. 'I always end up back in this exact spot,' the awkward 'you're really great but…', 'I love spending time with you, but…'.

But I was never good enough to be someone's Plan A, sometimes not even their Plan B.

All because I was overweight, and I didn't meet the beauty standards.

I wasn't the 'whole package'.

And that's something that hasn't changed, not even here.

"I made the alliance with her Father two decades ago. It was meant to bring the two Tribes together into one large Northeastern Tribe when her Father dies. I would mate with his daughter, ensure her safety and the longevity of his line, and in turn he would hand over his tribe to converge with my own," Koga explains, and I give him a small hum to indicate I understood. Well, because I did understand. To demons power meant a lot, and it was easy to see where Koga's thoughts were going in marrying Ayame. He'd become the leader of the largest wolf demon tribe in all of Japan.

I could hardly give him anything in comparison.

I also understood now why Ayame was so unsure of where she stood with Koga, and why Koga was no doubt acting so cold towards her.

He wasn't in love with her.

It was a union of convenience for him.

That only made my heart go out even more to the poor red-headed demoness.

"You need to treat Ayame better," I snap out, voice oddly defensive as I glare up at him, only finally able to actually look at the handsome demon. The abruptness of my demand even sends Koga off-kilter as he looks down at me with wide, confused, blue eyes. "That was utterly rude what you did to the poor girl earlier. She clearly adores you, even if you are only going to mate with her for power. I know you're not an inconsiderate asshole, Koga, but you sure as hell acted like one today! She's scared and unsure of herself and where she stands with you. Could you imagine being in her shoes?" I frown at the demon staring down at me, his own expression dropping from one of shock to a troubled frown.

"Is that why you are upset with me?" He asks softly, his gaze unreadable. "You're angry with how I treated that girl?"

"Ayame," I press upon him strictly. "She's going to be your wife so you should refer to her by her name," his mouth drops open a little in disbelief, shaking his head as he turns his gaze from me to look out over the river.

"Unbelievable…," he trails off, sounding a little frustrated himself.

"You're unbelievable!" I exclaim, verbal diarrhea now running rampart. "The girl is going to have your pups and you can't even give her a fucking smile?! The time of day?!" Koga snarls, standing from his spot beside me abruptly.

"You've no idea what you're talking about, half-breed. Mind your own business," Koga growls low in his chest, and I'm frozen in shock. The intensity of his voice paired with the glare he was sending my way actually made me feel like ice was creeping into my chest.

He…he looked pissed.

No, no, I've seen him pissed before…he was furious.

With me?

What the hell did I do?

'He's mad at me because I'm telling him to treat someone with decency? Really?' I think, totally flabbergasted as I watch him cast me one last dirty look over his shoulder before he wordlessly heads back into the cave.

Maybe I was best to sleep outside tonight?

Koga's POV

She honestly didn't get it, did she?

Though, of course, how could she? Laura had no idea what was really going on here.

I walk back through the cave, ignoring the calls of my brethren to come and take part in whatever festivities they had begun. I just wasn't in the mood. I walked by Ginta, who gave me a look of concern after no doubt seeing the thunderous expression on my face. I didn't even bother to acknowledge Ayame as she waved at me from across the cave.

I breezed past my supposed future father-in-law without so much as a glance.

Once back in the seclusion of my alcove I let the growl that had been building up in my chest release, the sound echoing off of the cavern walls as I beat the side of my fist against the boulder nearest to me.

She was just so…frustratingly oblivious.

And short of coming onto her like a ravenous wolf, I had no idea how to get that short-sighted half-breed to finally see.

There was no longer a betrothal.

There would be no alliance with the Northern Tribe.

My plans for a future where I commanded the largest pack in all the lands was squashed.

All because she just had to show up in my life.

Laura's POV

The next morning I was thankfully given the chance to escape before I could run into Koga. After last evening, after the events of yesterday in their entirety, I wasn't exactly keen to see him. So instead I headed to my new safe-space as Koga and the other leaders convened for another morning of meetings.

The archery fields.

Ginta and I had fallen into a routine of early morning archery practice together, both of us challenging one and other, and Ginta continuing to teach me tricks that he had learned through his long years of using a bow. He was quickly becoming a good friend to me in this place, though I also noticed he oddly kept his distance. Though he was always friend and supportive, he never touched me, not even to correct my stance or direct my aim. He would tell me what to do, continue to talk me through it until I got it right. It was odd, but I never questioned it. Ginta just might not be comfortable with touching other people, and who was I to judge his teaching techniques when they were working so well. It was quiet between the two of us, the only sounds coming form the arrows as they flew through the air and embedded in the trunks with a soft 'thunk'.

"Hey, Ginta! Hi, Laura!"

I tense the minute I hear her voice, disappointment dropping heavily into my stomach.

Ayame had discovered my hiding spot.

Lowering my bow, I turn and offer her a small smile. Ayame returns it ten-fold, looking a lot less anxious than she had last night when speaking to me about Koga.

Maybe he had listened to me?

'Great, now he decides to take my advice,' I think to myself bitterly as the pretty red-head walks up to us.

"Wow, you're pretty good," Ayame compliments, the words genuine as her bright blue eyes look at the tree that obviously held my arrows. None of them had missed the target, though they were scattered about it. Even still, knowing she was right, that I was pretty good, I still felt flustered by her praise. There was just something about insanely attractive people complimenting me on something that always put me off. Like they were lying, even if they were being honest.

"Thanks," I mutter, feeling the flush on my cheeks from her praise. 'Seriously, why did she have to be so nice? I don't want to like her!' Ayame bounced on the balls of her feet then, rocking back and forth with her arms tucked behind her back. She had a look of childish innocence about her in that moment that I couldn't help gravitating towards, and the feelings of annoyance with the wolf-demoness slowly began to fade.

"I wanted to go for a walk along the river. Not far, but I was hoping that you'd like to join me?" Ayame asks, almost shyly. "It's not often I get a chance to talk to other female demons, and I'm sure it's the same for you. I'd like to take advantage of your company while I still can," I blink at that, mouth parting slightly in surprise.

I mean, she wasn't wrong.

"O-okay, sure," I murmur, before hesitating for a moment, the memory of Koga's warning from months ago flashing to the forefront of my mind.

"Don't leave the vicinity of our Den without myself or another one of my men. The Birds Of Paradise are like vultures, and they'll scavenge for weak half-demons like yourself to pick up and eat for lunch."

'But Ayame is a full demon, so they should stay away, right?' I reason with myself, glancing towards Ginta. He looks unsure, but doesn't say anything as I hand him back the practice bow I had been using. "We won't go far, Ginta," I assure the wolf-demon.

"Just don't go past the bend in the river," Ginta advises, before muttering something under his breath. I swear I hear Koga's name, but I can't be sure as he turns to leave, heading for the opposite end of the field. No doubt he was going to continue training with his companions as they began to trickle in.

So that was how I found myself making surprisingly pleasant conversation with with Koga's fiancé as we walked along the riverside. It doesn't escape me how very romcom this really was. I mean how much more cliche do you get then making friends with the very woman who would be perceived as my rival for Koga's affections, had I any claim on them that is. Ayame was genuinely a nice person, if not a little immature in how she saw the world. For her it was all so simple; marry Koga, have his babies, and lead both the Northern and Eastern Wolf Tribes together. It was the perfect life in her young mind. She had no other aspirations, separate goals from those of her intended. She readily melded her own ideas of how she wanted her life to go with what she figured Koga would want.

She was in love with the bastard. Or, at least, the idea of him.

"I just…don't understand why you want to get marri-, mated, so young," I sigh softly, taking the rare opportunity to bring in my own input into the conversation. Ayame was a talker…and a bit of a self-centered one at that.

It was nice to find some flaws.

'Though she will probably grow out of them as she matures,' I can't help but begrudge. She seemed young, though in reality I had no idea how old she actually was. Probably older than me in age, but her physical looks and her mannerisms made her appear to be younger than me.

"It's the only way I'll ever be a leader myself, through a mate who is one," Ayame admits, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "My Father is the leader of the Northern Tribe, and if he would have had a son, the leadership would have been passed down to him. But he had me instead," Ayame frowns at that, looking down and the the side. "My Mother died giving birth to me, and I'm sure you're aware by now that wolf-demons mate for life. There wasn't anyone that could replace my Mother for my Father, so he had no more children. I'm it."

"And I am assuming the laws must make some sort of point of dictating that only male wolf-demons can be leaders of the pack?" I ask dryly, the archaic ways of this era slapping me in the face. With how forward thinking Koga seemed to be, I had honestly almost forgotten about women's decreased roles in any form of authority. Ayame nods, and I sigh softly. "I'm so sorry that you feel like you're backed into a corner like that. You shouldn't have to be mated to be able to lead your people," I frown, Ayame looking at me with wide eyed fear suddenly.

"No, no, no. You misunderstand me," She blabbered out quickly, waving her hands rapidly back and forth. "I'm happy to be mated to a strong wolf-demon like Koga! He's going to make a fine-"

"Ayame, stop," I frown, stopping and grabbing her arm to make her stop as well. She turns to look at me, uncertainty still in her eyes. "You cannot tell me that if you had the choice to lead your people without having to find a mate to do it through, you wouldn't do so in a heartbeat," I point out directly, Ayame clearly hesitating. "I'm not saying that Koga wouldn't make for a good mate. In fact, I doubt anyone could find someone more loyal to be bound to," I add, voice betraying me and going soft for a moment with longing. I clear my throat quickly, once again pushing down my feelings as far as I could. "It doesn't change the fact though that these laws aren't fair to women like you Ayame, who have the ability to be a leader in their own right."

"You think I would make a good leader? On my own?" Ayame asks softly, her voice fragile. I hesitate, offering her a small smile.

"I think that's not an opinion I'm meant to have. Do you feel like you could be?" I reply, Ayame tucking her lower lip under her blunt front teeth in clear deliberation. After a few long moments she finally nods, and I drop my hand from her arm. "Well, there you have it-"

A shrill shriek cuts me off, one that sends chills down my entire back to the base of my spine.

I knew that sound, though it had been so long since I had last heard it.

A large shadow flies over us, my gut dropping as my suspicions are all but confirmed when I look upwards.

Above us three large Birds of Paradise circled.

'Have we passed the bend? I don't remember,' I think in worry, both Ayame and I tense as the large demonic birds circled above us. Neither of us moved a muscle, and naively I wanted to believe that if we stayed absolutely still they wouldn't see us.

All hell breaks looks as the largest one roars into action, diving directly for us.

"RUN!" Ayame shouts, and it takes a split second for me to realize that's really all we could do. Neither of us had any real weapons, all I had was my dagger. So even though my gut was telling me to stand my ground, logic was screaming at me to follow Ayame as she dashed away.

Only, with being a full demon, she was much faster than me.

Large, clawed bird feet wrap around each of my arms before I can even make it half the distance Ayame had, and soon I felt the weird sensation of being lifted in the air at a high rate of speed. Struggle as I might, I couldn't wiggle even one arm free to try and tear my way through one of it's legs like I had before. As the Bird Of Paradise flew higher and higher, there was only one thing that I could do.

I could scream like my life depended on it, because it did.

Koga's POV

"KOGA!" My ears twitch as I try not to allow my annoyance show too clearly hearing that girl shouting my name. Ayame was like a thorn in my side right now, though I knew subconsciously I wasn't being fair to her. Her very voice, however, was grating on my last nerve. I grit my teeth, turning towards Ayame, only to feel myself freeze at the expression on her face. Her cheeks were red with exertion, like she had just run a great distance, and her eyes were filled with unfiltered worry and fear.

"Ayame?" I question, approaching the red-headed girl quickly. Though I held no affection for her, it didn't mean I wasn't concerned with her well-being. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Birds of Paradise," Ayame breathed out, and it's only then that I notice an ugly looking scratch on her right arm, blood leaking down it. Grabbing onto her arm as gently as I could, I look over it with concern.

"Where?" I ask sharply, getting to the point. If Birds of Paradise were trespassing on my territory there would be hell to pay.

"Down by the river, past the bend," Ayame admitted, a look of regret flashing over her features. I huff a breath of annoyance out through my nose.

"I've told you time and again when you visit not to go that far," I remind her sharply, watching her wince a little at the reprimand.

"I'm not a child!" Ayame snaps, tugging her arm away from me. "And that's not what's important! They have Laura!"

My world grinds to a halt.

"What?" I hiss out, eyes narrowing as my hands clench tightly into fists.

"I-I thought we'd be alright! I've never run into those buzzards this close to your Den before. I just wanted to talk with her alone," Ayame admitted, guilt washing over her annoyance in a split second. "I-I barely kept the two of them off of me, but the largest one had picked Laura up on it's own. She couldn't fight her way loose, it was too strong."

"You two got separated?" I snarl, wondering at the idiocy of the girl in front of me. She knew better, I know she did. She's fought Birds of Paradise before, and she knew the only way to survive was to stick together.

"I-I didn't realize she wasn't as fast as me," Ayame admits sheepishly.

"Of course she's not! She's a half-demon for fuck's sake!" I can't help exploding, hands shaking with rage. I look over my shoulder then towards my second and third in command. "Ginta! Hakkaku! Gather the men, we're heading to the nest," I move past Ayame, almost roughly, doing my best not to continue to lash out at the girl.

My mate might be dead because of her.

"Wait! Koga, please, I can help!" Ayame insists, following me like a puppy dog towards the entrance of the cave.

"You've done enough. Stay here," I order, looking over my shoulder to see the girl looking like a wounded puppy. Good. Maybe she'd learn a lesson or two from this. "Move out!" I shout over her towards the gathering crowd of my comrades, bounding out of the cave and forcing myself to keep pace with my men instead of blasting ahead.

I would be needing every set of hands and weapons I had to get Laura out of this alive.

Sooooo, I was actually really happy with the way this turned out! Please let me know your thoughts :)

Until next time!

T.O.T.