Chapter Four

Lurking

Inuyasha was able to follow his brother's advice and resisted the urge to leave the forest, though hardly a day went by when he didn't approach the border, following the scent that human girl left behind when she was so close to it.

She seemed to pass by the same place at the same time, twice per day, though she was sometimes accompanied by other females of her species.

And she always stood for a moment looking out into the forest, just where he was hiding in the branches to watch her. Inuyasha knew that she would never be able to discover him with her pitiful human vision, but he felt uncomfortable every time he saw her brown eyes gazing at the trees with such curiosity.

Would she be able to sense his presence?

Inuyasha frowned and shook his head, watching as the girl walked away down the same path as every day.

He dug one of his claws into the bark of the tree and moved it, leaving four grooves in it. He was dreaming of doing that to her human's throat.

Lately, every time Kagome passed the corner where she could see a part of the Forbidden Forest, she felt a small shiver as she looked up into the huge trees. The usual strange feeling was still there, as if something was calling to her from within the mysterious place.

Kagome closed her eyes and shook her head. It was probably due to the horrible nightmare of her birthday. Thankfully, weeks had passed and she hadn't dreamt of it again, but she remembered those eyes every time she went to sleep, and she dreaded seeing them again in her dreams.

She climbed the stone steps of the temple and entered the house, hearing her mother's voice.

"How was your last day of class?" the woman asked, peeking into the hallway.

"Quite good," Kagome acknowledged, smiling as she set her things down by the door.

Her mother smiled too and walked back into the dining room. Her brother and grandfather were finishing preparing dinner there. Kagome joined them and set the table.

"So you're free now?" Sota asked with a big smile.

"Just for a week. Final exams are starting soon, and I have a lot of studying to do," Kagome replied, serving food on her plate.

"I'm so jealous, you won't have any more classes," he muttered, sighing.

"That's if I manage to pass everything. If I fail any of them, I'll have to repeat the subject."

"You've never failed," said her grandfather, sitting down next to her.

Kagome smiled slightly and continued eating.

"When is your graduation?" asked her mother.

"After all the exams, in the summer."

"Aren't you going to celebrate finishing university before you start studying?" Souta said as he chewed.

Kagome looked at him with narrowed eyes and snorted when she saw that he was still chewing with his mouth open.

"Yes. In fact, we want to go out for a drink after dinner," she answered, meeting her mother's gaze.

"I'm fine with that, Kagome. But if you come back too late, call a taxi. I don't like you walking alone in the middle of the night."

Kagome nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket, asking her friends where they were meeting. Eri was the first to answer, saying that they would come by her street to pick her up in an hour.

"Can I go with her?" her brother asked.

Kagome sighed, looking him in the eyes.

"We're going to an adult disco, Souta. When you turn eighteen, you can come with me if you want."

He frowned and folded his arms, but their grandfather distracted him with a question about video games and Kagome was spared from his insistence on accompanying her.

She went upstairs to her room and, after taking a shower, put on a red dress that was one of her favourites and did a little makeup, highlighting her eyes with mascara and eyeliner.

When she saw the time on the clock in her room, she cursed under her breath and ran to the front door. Kagome slipped on a pair of heeled sandals and went out after grabbing her handbag and a jacket, saying goodbye to her family in a loud voice.

At the bottom of the stone steps, six people were waiting for her, including her three best friends. Kagome grunted when she saw that Hojo, a classmate who had been trying to date her for over a year, was also there.

She greeted all of them. The other three boys were also from her university.

The seven of them walked for quite a while until they reached one of Tokyo's trendiest nightclubs. They left their jackets in the lockers and entered the central room. It was full of people their own age, all moving to the music.

Kagome's friends laughed at the atmosphere and Eri grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to the bar to order something.

It had been over two weeks since their last outing and they deserved to unwind a bit, so Kagome relaxed as well and ordered a drink like them. When they were all served, they went to the middle of the dance floor and began to dance with each other.

As soon as the last ray of sunlight dipped behind the mountains, Inuyasha felt a tingling sensation again as his body changed into his human form.

He had already hidden his kimono and sword in the roots of a tree, so he climbed the metal fence and jumped over, making sure no one saw him do so.

Inuyasha pulled his long, black hair back into a ponytail and straightened the blue shirt he was wearing that night. As far as he had seen, human males did not usually have long hair. The few that did didn't wear it down, and he wanted to blend in as best he could.

Inuyasha let out a snort as he looked up at the sky, where there was no sign of the moon... but, even without his demonic powers, he could feel the presence of that human quite close.

He followed his instinct and soon reached the steps of what appeared to be an ancient temple. Inuyasha hid behind a wall and watched as the girl descended the steps and greeted six other humans, who seemed to be waiting for her.

They started to walk and he followed them, keeping his distance so they wouldn't spot him but not losing sight of them.

Even though he was human, Inuyasha could still smell her scent and it was getting on his nerves. She smelled too good and he didn't like the way that made him feel.

As he had heard the yōkai say, the scent of a mate was irresistible and that was why it was so easy to recognise them.

After his father, he was the first one unlucky enough to find her outside of his own kind. He would rather be like Sesshomaru, still without a mate, than have to endure the humiliation of the rest of the demons when they found out that his was a stupid human.

No, Inuyasha would make sure no one ever knew. He would finish her off that very night, though he would try to make it as quick as possible... he didn't want to make her suffer either, she wasn't to blame and he wasn't a heartless killer.

Inuyasha shook his head angrily. He was too emotional in his human form and he hated it. He couldn't let her exist anymore, her scent and her presence were like a magnet and he didn't want to live like that, wanting to be near her every moment.

He saw them enter the lower part of a building and frowned. He would probably need to pay to sneak in there, and he didn't know if he had enough cash. Inuyasha still didn't quite understand the value of money.

He stood in line with the other humans, listening to the sighs of several girls as they glanced at him and wondered where he had come from.

He ignored them and, after paying the entrance fee, made his way to the central hall. There was music playing and the humans were dancing as if they had gone mad, rubbing against each other, and some were even singing loudly.

Inuyasha twisted his lips into a grimace and looked around, recognising the human girl in the centre of the room.

"Keh," he snorted with contempt and walked over to one of the bars, leaning against it.

All those humans behaving like that seemed like idiots to him.

"Would you like a drink?" asked a girl behind the bar, looking at him with interest.

Inuyasha watched her out of the corner of his eye, not knowing what to answer.

"What do you have?"

She opened her eyes wide in surprise at the question.

"I have beer, sake, whisky, rum, vodka..." she said, pointing to the bottles on the wall.

"Beer is fine," he murmured, averting his gaze to where his prey was.

A few seconds later he felt a tap on his shoulder and, turning around, he saw that the girl was holding a small bottle.

"It's five hundred yen."

Inuyasha snorted again and pulled several notes out of one of his pockets, handing them to her. The girl returned the change and walked away to attend to another man who was calling out to her.

He sniffed at the beer and took a distrustful swig. The only thing he had ever tasted inside the forest was sake, but that beer tasted good and fizzy. Human food and drink still surprised him.

He looked back at the girl who had little life left and sighed. At least she was enjoying her last night with her friends. One of the humans was talking to her very close to her ear and, from the look on her face, she seemed uncomfortable.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, thinking about what he could do to get closer to her. Even if she was human, she had to feel something when she saw him. After all, he was her destined mate. Suddenly, the girl turned her head and looked at him. Her eyes went wide and he saw her cheeks flush.

Inuyasha smiled sideways. It seemed that getting her attention wasn't going to be as complicated as he thought.

Hojo wouldn't leave her alone and Kagome was starting to tire of him all too soon. He started to ask in her ear when she was going to agree to go out with him and she rolled her eyes, sighing as she took another sip of her gin and tonic.

Was he never going to give up? Kagome didn't know how to tell him again that she wasn't interested, he was too nice and quiet for her taste. She hadn't dated anyone yet because her body was asking for something else, someone who was different and passionate, so intense that he was even a little dangerous...

Kagome held her breath as she looked to the side, where a boy was leaning with his back against one of the bars. He kept his eyes on her, giving her a crooked smile when he saw that she was looking at him too.

His dark eyes glittered in the disco lights. He was wearing light jeans and a shirt that showed every muscle in his body, even his arms. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and his thick black eyebrows gave him an enigmatic expression.

Kagome swallowed, feeling increasingly nervous as he kept staring at her. Hojo was still talking, but she couldn't hear his voice anymore. Even the music seemed to have disappeared... the other people blurred and she could only see him. Something was pushing her to get closer and talk to him, she wanted to know his name so badly.

Kagome bit her lower lip and looked away for a second, concentrating on her drink to try to calm herself. She had never felt like that when she saw a guy before, and she would never consider talking to someone she didn't even know. That wasn't normal.

When she glanced back to where he was, Kagome shuddered. He was walking in her direction, his eyes never leaving hers, and it was clear that he was coming after her.

Kagome decided it was best to get away from her friends for a bit. She didn't want them to see her fidgeting and blushing when he approached her.

"I'll be right back," she said to Hojo, who sighed and turned away.

Kagome looked back at the mysterious boy and took a few steps towards him, feeling her heartbeat quicken and thud in her ears.

He stepped closer and Kagome suddenly felt her blood run cold as she felt the same sensation as in her nightmare. One part of her mind told her she had to meet him, but another started screaming for her to get away as soon as possible. Kagome put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, sighing and trying to ignore her thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

She snapped her eyes open at the sound of that deep voice, finding the collar of a blue shirt directly in front of her. Kagome looked up and there were those dark eyes that had taken her breath away.

"Yeah. I guess the atmosphere is a little stuffy," she replied, congratulating herself on being able to speak normally to him.

Kagome smiled shyly and breathed again when she saw him return her smile.

"What's your name?" the boy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Kagome."

"I'm... Inuyasha," he said, taking his time to say his name.

"You don't remember your name, or were you planning on giving me a fake one?" she answered with an angry voice.

"Maybe... but I've decided to let you know my real name," Inuyasha mumbled, looking at her intently.

His words set off all her nerve endings and an electric impulse ran down her back, though Kagome managed to conceal it by taking a sip of her drink.

"Tell me, how old are you?" Inuyasha asked again.

"Twenty-two, and you?"

Again, she got the impression that he was overthinking his answer.

"I guess I'm about twenty-five."

Well, he was not a boy but a man. Kagome frowned in confusion.

"You guess?"

He took a swig of his beer without taking his eyes off her.

"I'm just trying to make you nervous. Yes, I'm twenty-five. Too old for you?"

"No... you're not too old," she said, blushing violently.

He was very blunt, but it didn't bother Kagome at all. She was incredibly attracted to him, and she had just met him... How was that possible?

Perhaps she had gone crazy from all that studying. Yes, maybe that was it.

"Do you come here a lot?" Inuyasha asked when she didn't say anything.

"Sometimes... I come here with my friends whenever we have free time."

He glanced sideways at Eri, Ayumi and the others, then back at her. Inuyasha leaned over and spoke into her ear.

"Well, I like going to the Forbidden Forest better."

Kagome couldn't help but let out an exclamation of surprise, putting a hand to her mouth.

"Have you been inside?" she asked quietly.

Inuyasha was still staring at her, their faces very close.

"Many times, Kagome. Haven't you?"

She shook her head and his lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Do you want to go?"

Kagome raised both eyebrows in complete surprise.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. I'll go there later and you can join me if you want," he said, pulling apart and drinking some more of his beer.

Kagome glanced back, looking around nervously for her group of friends.

"I'd better not. I'm not going anywhere with a stranger, let alone to a place so dangerous."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Inuyasha asked, frowning as he saw where she was looking.

Kagome fixed her gaze on him and shook her head, getting him to smile again.

"What if you knew me better? Would you come with me to the forest?"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side at his own question and she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Maybe... I'm really curious, you know, and it's getting worse... I'm dying to know what's going on in there and if what they say is true," she admitted, leaning a little closer so he could hear her.

"I've been into the forest more than twenty times and I've never seen anything. I'll go with you anytime," he replied, so close that his breath brushed the skin of her neck.

Kagome nodded and heard her friend Yuka's voice, calling out to her.

"Would you like to stay with us for a while?" she asked, gazing into Inuyasha's dark eyes.

She saw a sparkle in them and his lips twisted downwards for a second, but it was so quick she wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

"Okay," he agreed, walking beside her until they reached her friends.

"Who's your new friend, Kagome?" Ayumi asked, eyeing Inuyasha carefully.

"My name is Inuyasha," he said before Kagome could introduce him.

Everyone told him their names and Kagome noticed that Hojo was looking him up and down with a pout.

The night progressed. Inuyasha bought her a drink and she paid for his next beer.

When her friends came over to tell her they were leaving, Kagome was really surprised. The time had gone by so fast around that guy.

She had tried to dance with him, but Inuyasha had refused, snorting and saying he didn't like it. She had also asked him about his friends and he had told her that he was alone, he hadn't been in the city long and didn't know anyone. This was so strange and Kagome felt bad for him. Being in Tokyo without friends or family had to be hard.

When they left the club he was beside her, mumbling something about the sun coming up and that he should go home.

Once on the street, her friends said goodbye to the two of them and left. Eri winked at her and Ayumi, who sometimes reminded her too much of her mother, asked her to take a taxi home. Hojo offered to accompany her, but Kagome declined.

Inuyasha had his arms crossed, wrinkling his nose as he watched everyone leave.

"Don't you live in that direction?" Kagome asked, pointing to her six friends in the distance.

He shook his head and she flinched as he turned his face in the direction of her temple.

"I live over there, if you want me to walk you home."

Kagome bit her lower lip again. She didn't think it was a good idea to go alone with him... he was still a complete stranger and he might have bad intentions.

Inuyasha looked back up at her, giving her a smirk.

"You don't trust me," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know if I should... we hardly know each other."

There were quite a few people on the street and it was Friday. Even if he was a bad guy, he wouldn't dare do anything to her if other people were around... and besides, that weird feeling was telling her that he was someone special, so Kagome didn't want to walk away just yet.

Inuyasha was still watching her with questioning eyes. Kagome sighed, averting her gaze.

"All right... We'll go together, I'd rather save the taxi money."

He smirked again and placed his hand on the small of her back, making her blush completely.

"Let's go," he murmured, pushing her a little and starting to walk.