Chapter Seven

Kagome could only smile as she hefted the small basket higher up on her hip, the wind shifting around her to play with her raven locks and tug at the hem of her skirt. Already her powers were recovering and adjusting to the new world they were in. She could pinpoint auras and feel the various natures of the beasts around her.

She could feel Parker's aura bounce around as he ran around the forest looking for the herbs she had described to him. Not too far away Bai was sitting on the ground shifting through the clumps of weeds Parker brought back by the handful.

Harvey was in the village making his rounds, after showing them to the area he often went to pick his own herbs, and such he had left them to their own devices with a promise to come fetch Bai after his day was done.

She was mildly surprised at how similar yet different the herbs, fruits, and vegetables of this world were. Some things were the same in not only appearance but use. Others looked familiar but had different uses and properties. Then there were the ones she had never seen before but were said to have the same properties of things she knew of in her old world.

Honestly, she should have been shocked at how easily it was for her to assimilate to this new world, she took things in stride and adapted much easier and faster than Bai. It was clear to see Bai was having a much harder time adjusting, she was young and though she was a year older than she herself had been when she had been pulled down the well Kagome had been raised on a shrine.

She grew up hearing stories of demons and spirits.

Bai was very much a modern-day school girl.

So of course she felt a duty to try and help the younger girl and she often found herself the buffer between Bai and everyone else.

"Pft, look at these two...rummaging around with weeds and plants...what's the matter, no males willing to bring you their kills?" The sneering female voice made Kagome grit her teeth as the owner of said voice entered the clearing, riding atop a large male leopard in his beast form. She was flanked by two other males in their beast forms, no doubt trying to flex on her and Bai.

Ever since they had shown up in this beastly world they were all anyone could talk about, more so herself than Bai due to her refusal to hide her looks.

"Eudora." Kagome's voice was even and brief in her acknowledgment of the other female before returning back to her task which only seemed to make the other female bristle. Kagome could care less. She had dealt with females like her in the past and she was over it. She could take her jealousy and bullying and shove it where the sun didn't shine.

Bai could only shift, her fingers fidgeting with the plants in her lap. She could feel the tension between the two females and it made her nervous. She hated confrontation and did her best to avoid it yet this woman had made it her personal mission to harass not only herself but Kagome.

Eudora let out a small hiss under her breath as the raven-haired woman walked past her to sit down by her uglier female companion. How was it that two unmarked females were all the village could talk about? They were both way past rearing age yet here they were unmarked and cubless and it only made all the males want them more!

Even Parker had been ensnared by Kagome and she had been working on snagging him for years! If she took him as her mate she would get his power and influence, so she had been playing hard to get. Wanting to make him work for it, to be grateful for the opportunity to mate with her, the most beautiful in the village, and these two come out of nowhere and shake shit up.

It made her blood boil.

"Kagome, Bai I found more!" Parker's voice was light as he entered the clearing yet he paused as he sensed the tense atmosphere, automatically he placed himself between the two sitting females and the pack of males and their female.

He wasn't stupid, he could see the animosity between the two groups and while he had offered to have a word with Eudora's males Kagome had waved him off. It was a female problem and they would deal with it. He didn't like the idea of letting her fend for herself even if it was against another female but he was hard pressed to tell her no.

"Ah, thank you Parker, come sit. You've been running around all day. Relax." Kagome beamed up at him and he quickly took a seat next to her, not all caring that their blatant dismissal of Eudora only served to upset her more.

Gritting her teeth Eudora forced her anger down and batted her eyes at Parker. "I'm going into heat soon Parker and I figured it was time I offer you a chance to mate with me..." She trailed off, trying her best to send a smoldering look at Parker.

Kagome was hard pressed to hold back the bark of laughter. The other woman looked absolutely ridiculous but it wasn't her place to say anything. If Parker wanted to mate with her and have a cub that was his choice...no matter how much the thought made her heart stutter in her chest.

She didn't have a claim on him, yes they shared a hut and spent every day together but he wasn't hers...and it was better that way.

Bai frowned, her anger poked, how dare she propose that right in front of Kagome! It was obvious that Parker and Kagome had something brewing between them no matter how much Kagome tried to deny it!

So for this...below average cow to try to steal away Parker...right in front of her pissed her off! She didn't care what the older female said about her but when she directed her harsh words to Kagome, her only female friend in this world, it made her see red.

Sensing Bai's growing ire Kagome ran a soothing aura over her angered one, hoping to douse the younger girls anger before it made her say or do something rash. She was touched that she was so upset on her behalf but it was unneeded and would only make things worse.

"No thanks." Parker's bland reply made Kagome crack and let out a small chuckle that she tried to pass off as a cough.

Eudora felt her face flush red as embarrassment and anger flooded her, she opened her mouth to try and retort but came up blank. Snapping it shut she clenched her hands in the fur of the male under her, urging him to get them out of there.

"You'll regret this! I bet they can't even have cubs! Why else would they be unmarked?" The insult was tossed over her shoulder as she and her entourage made a hasty retreat.

Kagome snorted under her breath, really what a shitty thing to say. Fertility and babies were not something to joke about or to be used as an insult. Having spent years in the feudal era she had seen many things...and nothing was worse than when it was related to child bearing...

Mood soured she huffed and tossed her herbs into her basket muttering under her breath. "Fucking bitch." Bai let out a startled noise at her crude languages but she didn't really care at the moment.

She was nineteen years old, her soul was much older, if she wanted to swear then she was going to swear.

Parker let out a bark of laughter as he threw an arm around her shoulders pulling her into his embrace. "Even if you can't have cubs I don't care. I don't want any female but you." His words were whispered into her ear, only for her to hear, and it made her face light up like a tomato.

Sensing the moment unfolding between the two, Bai stood and tossed them a small smile. "I'm going to head back to the common hut. I'll see you two later." She ignored the betrayed look Kagome shot her, no doubt not wanting to be left alone with Parker and their growing feelings.

As much as Kagome denied and fought it, it was plain to see the two had very deep and very real feelings between them.

Kagome could only inwardly groan as she buried her face in Parker's shoulder, she would get Bai back for this. She knew that she wasn't trying to lead Parker on, having explained that while Parker had his heart set on her and was trying to mark her in subtle ways that she wasn't ready to return those feelings...

Pulling back she swallowed thickly as she gleaned up at Parker from under her eyelashes, as his golden eyes bore down into hers she felt like a damn schoolgirl all over again.

She felt like she was no longer in control and it scared her.

"I-uh..." She trailed off her tongue snaking out to wet her lips in a nervous habit, ignorant of the way Parker's gaze followed it, a hunger lighting up in the golden depths. She epped as he moved, his head bending down to capture her lips with his.

She froze as he ran his tongue over her lips, his kiss clumsy and rushed. She pulled back, placing her hands on his chest to shove him away so there was space between them.

"N-no I'm sorry I can't!" Her voice was an octave higher as she began to panic, old emotional wounds being torn open once again.

Parker frowned as she seemed to hyper versatile, her eyes dilating. Instantly he felt horrid for pressing his kiss on her but he couldn't help it! He let out a low grumble, more of a whimper as he grabbed her upper arms to keep her from running.

"I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that...please don't go. Please!" The desperation in his voice cut through her panic and grounded her once again to the here and now, not the then and there.

This was Parker...not Inuyasha...

Taking a deep breath she forced herself to calm down. Her eyes closed as she semi meditated herself back into a stable frame of mind.

"I'm sorry Parker...but I can't...I can't be your female. It's not because I don't like you, I do...way more then I should. But before...in my life before this one there was a male that I loved...I gave him everything and in the end he couldn't get over his first love...it tore me apart. It broke me down in ways I didn't think were possible and I don't want that for you. I'm not ready and honestly, I don't know when or if I'll ever be ready and I don't want you to sit around and wait for me. It's not fair to you." She paused, tears gathering in her eyes. She closed them, trying to block out Parker's pained face as they rolled down her face.

She had been hoping to be sublet with her rejection but now it was too late, she would have to do this the hard way. Just like a bandaid, best to just get it over with as quickly as possible.

If he hated her and wanted nothing to do with her then maybe that was for the best...

Parker let out a comforting croon as he rested his forehead on hers, her words echoing in his head. No wonder she did all those small things to refute his claims...it all made sense now...he was angry that a male would treat a female so horribly, hurt her so badly that she was scared to open up again...

Yet now was not the time for him to think about that, no he had to reassure her that he was genuine with his feelings and that they had nothing to do with the fact that she was a female. As the son of the leopard king he could have anyone he wanted and he wanted her...not for her ability to breed nor for her beauty but because she was simply and wholly Kagome.

"Kagome, I understand but...I want you and only you and if you. Even if you don't want to be my mate just let me stay by your side. Please. Let me be selfish just this once...if you find happiness with another it will hurt me but I only want what's best for you. So please let me stay by your side..." He was begging and he didn't care, she was worth the humiliation.

Kagome bit back a sob, she knew she should tell him no, force him to move on yet deep down a part of her longed to be just as selfish, to hold on to the hand he offered her and never let go. Was it so wrong? To let him have hope that maybe one day they could be something more then friends? Who was she to send him away when all he wanted was to stay by her side?

It was his choice, and if he changed his mind and wanted to leave she would let him go but for now he wanted to be with her. Finally, someone was choosing her, not because of what she could do for them or for her station but because she was her, she was Kagome.

Sobbing she threw her arms around his shoulders and sobbed into his neck, muttering her answer over and over again.