Chapter 7

Hair of the Dog that Bit You

The sounds of dawn invaded the cave. Birds chirped and sang, bugs buzzed and one of the three sleeping beings stirred.

Kagome opened her sleep-glazed eyes, somehow she had ended up being the first of the three to wake. She was being smothered between two very large, very warm, male bodies. Kagome smiled she could get used to waking up like this, but she really had to go find a bush to water. She very slowly wiggled out from between the two inuyoukai. She looked around for something to toss on since Inuyasha had shredded her clothing. She spotted the neat stack of Sesshomaru's clothes at the edge of the pile of furs. She smiled mischievously to herself and pulled his haori out of the pile and wrapped it around herself like a robe.

Ha ha, it's mine now! Kagome had always wondered just how his clothing stayed so damn clean. He could be standing right next to her she would be covered in blood and guts and he would still be pristine white and red. It was annoying so now she was paying him back by stealing his haori.

She crept as quietly as she could out of the cave surprised there wasn't a barrier up around it. She really had to go pee and maybe find some water to clean up with. She grimaced when she looked down at the dried stains on her thighs and other places. She quickly picked a bush and emptied her bladder. She sighed in relief and made her way the short distance to a stream she knew was nearby.

Once she reached the stream she realized she was thirsty as well. Kami. I didn't realize that sex was such a workout. Need to keep a water bottle on me at all times. She giggled. Jeez, this is weird. How the heck did this happen? Mated to both of them. Both of them. Must be dreaming. Or maybe I died. Could be heaven?

Kagome slipped the silk haori off her shoulders and let it fall in a crumpled heap at the edge of the water. She stepped into the cool water and walked until she reached the middle of the wide stream. She couldn't find an adequately deep enough place to stand and wash so she shrugged and sat down in the middle of the stream legs folded in front of her.

"Hey what do you think your doing woman?" Inuyasha said playfully as he walked to the edge of the stream. Kagome was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the stream naked.

Kagome turned at his voice. "Hmm? Oh, I was just rinsing off. I was a little covered in… well all of us I guess." she could feel her face heating up and she just knew she was blushing.

"Exactly woman. Why are you washing us off?" Inuyasha replied. He picked up the discarded haori and held it open for her.

"I was kinda sticky." She countered and shrugged. She stood up and walked out of the stream. She remembered she hadn't gotten that drink and she really was thirsty. So she kneeled next to the water and bent forward till she could cup some water into her hands and brought it to her mouth. That's when she noticed instead of her short bitten-down nails, she had claws.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah? What is it Wench?"

"Why do I have claws?" Kagome turned around and held her hands out for him to see.

"That's not all Kags," Inuyasha smiled at her. He wasn't sure if she would be excited or pissed they hadn't told her she would change some. He never thought it would be this much though. His mother had had small claws and dainty fangs. But neither were very noticeable. He would ask Sesshomaru later why she had changed this much.

"What do you mean? What else changed?" Kagome started searching her arms and legs and stomach for any changes she could see but other than the claws she didn't see anything...that meant it was her face or hair! She whipped back around and actually looked at her reflection in the stream.

"OH, MY KAMI!" Kagome squealed. "I have Puppy ears! And markings! And fangs!" she turned to her hanyou mate."I have puppy ears and facial markings! Why did I not know this was a possibility?"

Inuyasha shrugged and pulled Kagome up to her feet and helped her pull the haori on and tied it tightly at the waist for her.

"So am I part demon now?" Kagome looked up at her mate's eyes.

"Kind of but not really," Inuyasha shrugged again. "I really don't know as much about it as I should you will really have to ask Sessh. I didn't grow up being taught demon stuff Kags. I don't know much more than you do." Kagome reached up and traced the pail purple line on his cheek it seemed that they had both changed some she hadn't noticed in the shadowy cave but now out in the open she could see the faded lines of Inuyasha's demon markings.

"I am not the only one that got some new beauty marks," Kagome giggled and caressed her thumb down the mark on his right cheek. "I wonder if this mating helped balance you?"

"This Sesshomaru believes that it did indeed help balance us all," Sesshomaru walked up to them he was wearing just his hakama and carrying a small buck over one shoulder. "Come it's time to eat and gather the pack."

"Aww come on is the honeymoon over already?" Kagome giggled at her always stoic mate.

"Winter is coming and I want our pack in a safe place before the first storms hit," Sesshomaru tossed the buck on the ground and came up behind Kagome he set his hands on her waist and allowed her to feel his erection pressing against the flesh of her ass. "First we must see to the care and safety of the entire pack then we shall see to more personal issues."

Kagome sighed she knew he was right but she had hoped for at least one day holed up in the cave doing wonderfully nasty things to her mates. "Ok, let's go then. Hey, why do I have puppy ears claws fangs and markings now? Tell me you know, because Inuyasha doesn't and I didn't even know it was a possibility."

"We poured a huge amount of youkai into you last night my little bitch it was bound to change you in some way. Yours is simply more noticeable than ours. The changes are another reason for us to find a safe haven for the winter we need time to explore our new bond and powers."

"So you guys both changed too?"

"Hmn" He gave the barest of nods.

"So what did you get from each of us?" Inuyasha could tell what he and Kagome had gotten from the older youkai but he couldn't imagine Sesshomaru got any new powers or features from the two of them.

"Time will tell Inuyasha but know this we all gained from this mating." he leaned forward and kissed Kagome on the neck where his bite was still healing. Then he grabbed Inuyasha by the back of the head and pulled him forward into a kiss as well.

Sesshomaru's actions surprised his little brother but Inuyasha didn't let that hold him back, one clawed hand went to the nape of Sesshomaru's neck and he pulled his oh so dangerous older brother in and deepened the kiss. Inuyasha pulled back panting and rested his forehead on his brother's.

"If the plan isn't to go back into that cave and fuck each other senseless you need to not do that stuff right now," Inuyasha's eyes were swirling with red his control hung by a thin thread. Sesshomaru nodded and actually blushed. The site of that bright pink blush on the older man's cheeks made Inu chuckle.

"Well let's get back then I guess since the Lord of the West has spoken," Kagome said and smiled. "Everyone is probably worried we didn't exactly tell them what was going on. And the kids oh I bet they are so upset." worry entered Kagome's voice when she realized they none of the rest of the pack knew if they were ok or safe.

Sesshomaru picked up the small buck again and took one of Kagome's hands and started to lead her back to the cave he needed to collect the rest of his belongings and then they would go back to the pack in the village.

Inuyasha wasn't too worried about the rest of the pack he knew Miroku and Sango would protect the pups then there was Kirara and Ah-Un and even Jaken they wouldn't allow anything to happen to Rin or Shippo. But he also knew that Kagome took her job as alpha bitch very seriously so he wasn't offended at all when once Sesshomaru had collected his swords and MokoMoko she took off on her own toward the hut they had left their pack in the previous night.

"You know she will always be like that running off as soon as she realizes she thinks she neglected something," Inuyasha looked at his brother and chuckled. "We are going to spend the rest of our very long lives chasing after her in one way or another."

"Hmm," Sesshomaru smirked at his beta. There were no doubts in his mind they would be doing exactly what his brother said.

Kagome ran into the village and saw most of the villagers going about their daily chores. She had forgotten that her appearance had changed so noticeably and soon whispers of a new female hanyou were spreading among the people.

Sango heard two of the village women talking about a female black haired dog eared demon who went to Kaede's hut while she was on her way back into the village after taking the children out to collect the morning's water. She was very surprised when on reaching the hut a changed Kagome threw back the curtain and rushed out. She swept up the two young ones into her arms and nuzzled her nose into first Shippo's then Rin's hair.

"Oh, my pups I have missed you," Kagome didn't know why she was having such a strong reaction to the kids. She hadn't been gone for long but it had felt like far too long in her mind. She rubbed her cheeks on their heads and petted their hair.

"Is she scent marking them?" Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru questioningly. They had arrived shortly after Sango and the pups.

"Hmn" it was very very hard to keep the smile from gracing his face. Their little mate's instincts were in high gear and they really did need to get someplace safe and private for her to get used to all the changes the mating bond had caused in her. Her instincts would be going insane for a while as she adjusted to the mating bond.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin threw herself at her adopted father. "Rin is so happy she has a real family now. Rin has two fathers and a brother and a mother! May Shippo and Rin go play now?" she released his leg and tackled Inuyasha in a hug as well then she grabbed Shippo's hand and ran to go play.

"Don't go too far you brats we are going to make breakfast and we will be leaving soon," Inuyasha warned the pups as they ran around Kaede's hut laughing and squealing. Inuyasha took the buck from his brother and began to prepare it in strips so it would be easier to cook for their human pack members. What wasn't eaten would be left with the old Miko as a thank you for sheltering and healing their pack.

"So what's the plan? Did you get a chance to speak to your mates about wintering in the old slayers' village Kagome?" Sango inquired she wasn't fond of the idea of traveling in the late autumn and she really wanted them settled and prepared for winter.

"No, I didn't get a chance to talk about it at all. And I think Sesshomaru has a plan?" Kagome turned to him questioningly.

"I had planned on wintering in our fathers Shiro. However it would not be conducive to the bonding of new pack members." Sesshomaru didn't want to take his pack into the vipers nest that was the demon court. Eventually perhaps but not now.

"So to the village then? There are really too many of us to stay here with Kaede all winter." Kagome tapped her chin with one now clawed finger.

"Hn. That is acceptable. I also have several dens that could suffice." Sesshomaru suggested.

"Well we don't really have much time before winter sets in we are just going to have to pick and hope for the best. So to Slayer village!" Kagome announced.

"As if the illustrious Lord of the Western Lands would stoop so low as to live in a demon slayers village!" Jaken squawked out indignantly. He never saw the booted foot coming for him. The Lord had kicked him so hard he flew out of the old Miko's village and half the way back to the Shiro.

"Well, at least we won't have to wait for him to catch up. You kicked him in the correct direction anyway," Inuyasha laughed so hard tears were running down his face.

"I will go collect the pups for the meal. Once everyone has eaten we leave," Sesshomaru kneeled down and pressed a soft kiss to the crescent moon on Kagome's forehead. "Say your goodbyes to the old Miko mate we will likely be snowed in till spring, and unable to visit," Sesshomaru informed them before he moved away from the outside cooking fire to go collect his pups.

Sesshomaru was not used to being around so many beings, the noise and smells overwhelmed him easily. He couldn't wait to get his pack to safety and privacy.

He found Rin and Shippo running around and picking the last of the summer flowers that grew in the field on the edge of the village before the forest started.

"Rin, Shippo, Come."

The children looked up and quickly complied with their new alpha and father. They fell into step behind him as he turned and started the trek back to the rest of the pack.

Once Sesshomaru returned the pups to their mother's side he sat down and watched as the pack ate and talked about what they thought the winter in the village would look like, while Shippou exclaimed excitedly about everything he wanted to show Rin.

"Rin can not wait to see all the fun thing Kagome brought back from her home!" Rin's accepting nature never failed to warm her father. She had had such a hard childhood before he had taken her on. And traveling around all of Japan with only a two-headed dragon a full-blooded youkai lord and a small annoying Kappa didn't stop the young girl from living her life to its fullest.

While the pack were all involved in their discussion about their new home, Kaede came back from checking on a new mother and baby that had been born a couple of days prior. "I assume you all mean to take your leave soon?"

"Ai, Baa-san we leave once everyone has eaten and all our gear is gathered," Miroku bowed to the old woman.

"We wanted to thank you for taking care of us for so long Kaede. But we will be taking our leave soon. And likely will not be back till spring." Kagome took the older woman's hands in her own.

"Child, go with my blessing and know that you are loved. You found your family even so far from your own time. Protect them well and cherish them," Kaede said before kissing Kagome on the forehead and turning to the young hanyou. "Inuyasha you have grown much in both strength and maturity, keep your pack safe, guard them well, love them. You have been given a gift in them, don't take it for granted." the old woman tweaked his soft dog ear and gave him a scolding look.

"Sango you have been granted a unique chance at a new family grab it with both hands, my child. Miroku quit grabbing the backsides of the girls! Shippo listen to your elders and learn from not only what they teach you but from their mistakes as well. My Lord, please watch over my children," with that she turned and walked into her hut. Kaede was getting on in years and wasn't sure she would make it through the winter. She just hoped the group of young adventurers took her words to heart. Over the years she had come to see them as the children of her heart and she wanted them to be healthy and happy.

Once their goodbyes were said it didn't take long to get Ah-Un packed up and leave a hearty stew cooking for Kaede before starting their journey toward the old village.