Chapter 2
The sun sank slowly into the tree line. Birds grew quiet and the crickets began their nightly serenade. As he neared the cave containing the rest of his pack, Kouga slowed to a walk. He had run the entire way from the clearing while carrying Kagome, proving her theories about his strength. 'Gods he's fast! I wonder why... oh...' she thought as she looked down at his legs and noticed a jewel shard in each. "Ready to meet the pack?" he asked. "Yeah." she replied, though, she was noticeably nervous. He could feel her tense up almost every muscle in her body. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." he said, trying to calm her. He set her on her feet and took her arm in his, guiding her into the cave. "Kouga you're back! What took you so lo... oh, I see." smirked one of the lesser youkais. He eyed Kagome hungrily and licked his lips. A low growl escaped Kouga's lips. He sounded so fierce that the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Was he... protecting her? "Touch her and you die... all of you!" Kouga stated as he surveyed the mixed emotions on his pack's faces. Most of them looked down submissively or quickly turned away. "Come on, Kagome." Kouga whispered as he helped her walk into his den and set her down in a pile a straw, which was where he slept. "I can't begin to thank you enough, Kouga. I..." she started. "Don't give it a second thought. I'm just doing what anyone else would have." he finished, cutting her off. "I don't know of any other demon that would willingly help me, not even a half demon..." she said, muttering the last part to herself so that he couldn't hear. "By the way, what were you running from? Were you being chased?" he asked with a look of concern in his eyes. "I doubt it... I got in a fight with the people that I travel with... I was told that I was weak." she stated flatly. "I don't think you're weak." Kouga said. "I can tell you have a big soul and a great spirit. If those people couldn't see that then they're idiots." He left the den for a minute and returned with bandages and water. "Can I..." he asked, kneeling down next to her. "I think I can manage." She smiled up at him. He looked at her wounds and then his eyes came to rest on the rest of her body. "You wear strange clothing. Why is it... so short?" he muttered, blushing. She looked up at him, chuckling lightheartedly at his bashful question. "I'm not from around here. Where I come from, everyone wears this." she said. "Everyone?!" he asked, looking her over again. "Well, not the boys." she laughed. He grinned sheepishly and looked up into her eyes. "Could I have some privacy for a minute, Kouga? I have to... check for wounds elsewhere." she asked, blushing. "Of course." he answered, leaving the den. Kagome surveyed the damage and lifted up her shirt, not seeing any cuts or injuries on her stomach. "You can come back in now, Kouga." she said while lowering her shirt. He entered with a blanket. "I thought you might be cold, and I know you're exhausted." he said. "Thank you Kouga" she said, taking the blanket and smiling up at him. She lay down and closed her eyes, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Kouga sat outside the entrance of his den, intent on guarding his "guest".
Inuyasha was worried. It was dark now and he had followed Kagome's scent to a series of caves. The others had hopped off of Kirara and were standing next to him, wondering what to do next. They're senses were nowhere near his so they had been following him blindly for hours. They trusted him, but were still doubting Kagome's safety. "Well? Where is she?" asked Sango, tearing through the silence between them. "She's in one of these caves, but... I smell... a wolf demon. Lots of them... She's with them!" he cried when he realized the danger that Kagome was in. "We have to hurry!" said Miroku as he took off for the caves. The rest followed swiftly but silently until they reached the main cave. Sango nodded to Inuyasha who took out his tetsaiga. "Let's go." he muttered.
"NO! Go after the hanyou! Forget the kitsune!" Kagmome heard yelling and she slowly opened her eyes. It would have been pitch black if it weren't for the three lit torches illuminating Kouga's den. "Where's Kagome?! I know she's here! If you hurt her I'll KILL YOU!" she heard a familiar voice yell. "Inuyasha?" she mumbled. She rose to her feet and looked outside the den. Inuyasha was fighting Kouga and two other wolf youkai off, while Sango and Miroku held a few others. She could see that they were all tired and she had to stop them before someone got hurt. "STOP!" she screamed so loudly that all, humans, hanyous, and demons alike, turned to look at her. "Kagome!" Inuyasha and Kouga yelled at the same time. They each looked at the other and immediately started fighting again, Inuyasha brandishing tetsaiga and Kouga using his own claws. "STOP FIGHTING! BOTH OF YOU!" she yelled at the two. They stopped what they were doing, Inuyasha had Kouga in a headlock and Kouga was trying to bite Inuyasha's arm. Apparently Inuyasha had decided to fight without his sword. "Kagome are you alright?! You're hurt!" Inuyasha yelled, noticing her bandages. "What did they do to you?!" "They took care of me Inuyasha, now let Kouga go." He did as he was told, though not without growling at him, and turned to look back to Kagome. "Leave." Kouga growled to his pack, sending them into another tavern in the back of the main cave. Sango and Shippou ran up to Kagome, hugging her tightly and bombarding her with questions. "Oh Kagome, we were so worried about you! What happened? Why are you covered in bandages? Are you alright?!" "Yes. Yes I'm fine. Just a few cuts and scratches, but Kouga took care of me." She turned towards Kouga and flashed him a grateful smile. He grinned back and Inuyasha growled at him. "Come on Kagome, let's go back to the village. We need to get some sleep so we can look for shards tomorrow." Inuyasha said. He turned towards the mouth of the cave and started to leave. "Who are you to tell me what to do?! You're the reason I left in the first place!" Kagome yelled as she glared at him. "So you want to stay here with this mangy wolf?" he asked angrily. Kouga was about to jump towards him when... "At least Kouga doesn't think I'm weak. He hasn't made me cry yet either." Kouga stopped in his tracks. She was choosing him over that mutt hanyou? 'She loves me...' he thought to himself. 'I knew it.' A smirk began to form at the side of his mouth. The words stung Inuyasha as she spat them at him. 'She's choosing him over me? No... she can't be.' "When did I ever say that you are weak?" "Do you want it in order of when you've said it, or just the ones recently spoken?" she said sarcastically. "You can go ahead to the village if you want, but I'm staying here tonight. Is that alright Kouga?" He nodded to her and she turned on her heel, entering Kouga's den with Sango and Shippou following her. Inuyasha was stunned at what he had just heard. 'Why doesn't she care that I want her with me...?"
The sun sank slowly into the tree line. Birds grew quiet and the crickets began their nightly serenade. As he neared the cave containing the rest of his pack, Kouga slowed to a walk. He had run the entire way from the clearing while carrying Kagome, proving her theories about his strength. 'Gods he's fast! I wonder why... oh...' she thought as she looked down at his legs and noticed a jewel shard in each. "Ready to meet the pack?" he asked. "Yeah." she replied, though, she was noticeably nervous. He could feel her tense up almost every muscle in her body. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." he said, trying to calm her. He set her on her feet and took her arm in his, guiding her into the cave. "Kouga you're back! What took you so lo... oh, I see." smirked one of the lesser youkais. He eyed Kagome hungrily and licked his lips. A low growl escaped Kouga's lips. He sounded so fierce that the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Was he... protecting her? "Touch her and you die... all of you!" Kouga stated as he surveyed the mixed emotions on his pack's faces. Most of them looked down submissively or quickly turned away. "Come on, Kagome." Kouga whispered as he helped her walk into his den and set her down in a pile a straw, which was where he slept. "I can't begin to thank you enough, Kouga. I..." she started. "Don't give it a second thought. I'm just doing what anyone else would have." he finished, cutting her off. "I don't know of any other demon that would willingly help me, not even a half demon..." she said, muttering the last part to herself so that he couldn't hear. "By the way, what were you running from? Were you being chased?" he asked with a look of concern in his eyes. "I doubt it... I got in a fight with the people that I travel with... I was told that I was weak." she stated flatly. "I don't think you're weak." Kouga said. "I can tell you have a big soul and a great spirit. If those people couldn't see that then they're idiots." He left the den for a minute and returned with bandages and water. "Can I..." he asked, kneeling down next to her. "I think I can manage." She smiled up at him. He looked at her wounds and then his eyes came to rest on the rest of her body. "You wear strange clothing. Why is it... so short?" he muttered, blushing. She looked up at him, chuckling lightheartedly at his bashful question. "I'm not from around here. Where I come from, everyone wears this." she said. "Everyone?!" he asked, looking her over again. "Well, not the boys." she laughed. He grinned sheepishly and looked up into her eyes. "Could I have some privacy for a minute, Kouga? I have to... check for wounds elsewhere." she asked, blushing. "Of course." he answered, leaving the den. Kagome surveyed the damage and lifted up her shirt, not seeing any cuts or injuries on her stomach. "You can come back in now, Kouga." she said while lowering her shirt. He entered with a blanket. "I thought you might be cold, and I know you're exhausted." he said. "Thank you Kouga" she said, taking the blanket and smiling up at him. She lay down and closed her eyes, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Kouga sat outside the entrance of his den, intent on guarding his "guest".
Inuyasha was worried. It was dark now and he had followed Kagome's scent to a series of caves. The others had hopped off of Kirara and were standing next to him, wondering what to do next. They're senses were nowhere near his so they had been following him blindly for hours. They trusted him, but were still doubting Kagome's safety. "Well? Where is she?" asked Sango, tearing through the silence between them. "She's in one of these caves, but... I smell... a wolf demon. Lots of them... She's with them!" he cried when he realized the danger that Kagome was in. "We have to hurry!" said Miroku as he took off for the caves. The rest followed swiftly but silently until they reached the main cave. Sango nodded to Inuyasha who took out his tetsaiga. "Let's go." he muttered.
"NO! Go after the hanyou! Forget the kitsune!" Kagmome heard yelling and she slowly opened her eyes. It would have been pitch black if it weren't for the three lit torches illuminating Kouga's den. "Where's Kagome?! I know she's here! If you hurt her I'll KILL YOU!" she heard a familiar voice yell. "Inuyasha?" she mumbled. She rose to her feet and looked outside the den. Inuyasha was fighting Kouga and two other wolf youkai off, while Sango and Miroku held a few others. She could see that they were all tired and she had to stop them before someone got hurt. "STOP!" she screamed so loudly that all, humans, hanyous, and demons alike, turned to look at her. "Kagome!" Inuyasha and Kouga yelled at the same time. They each looked at the other and immediately started fighting again, Inuyasha brandishing tetsaiga and Kouga using his own claws. "STOP FIGHTING! BOTH OF YOU!" she yelled at the two. They stopped what they were doing, Inuyasha had Kouga in a headlock and Kouga was trying to bite Inuyasha's arm. Apparently Inuyasha had decided to fight without his sword. "Kagome are you alright?! You're hurt!" Inuyasha yelled, noticing her bandages. "What did they do to you?!" "They took care of me Inuyasha, now let Kouga go." He did as he was told, though not without growling at him, and turned to look back to Kagome. "Leave." Kouga growled to his pack, sending them into another tavern in the back of the main cave. Sango and Shippou ran up to Kagome, hugging her tightly and bombarding her with questions. "Oh Kagome, we were so worried about you! What happened? Why are you covered in bandages? Are you alright?!" "Yes. Yes I'm fine. Just a few cuts and scratches, but Kouga took care of me." She turned towards Kouga and flashed him a grateful smile. He grinned back and Inuyasha growled at him. "Come on Kagome, let's go back to the village. We need to get some sleep so we can look for shards tomorrow." Inuyasha said. He turned towards the mouth of the cave and started to leave. "Who are you to tell me what to do?! You're the reason I left in the first place!" Kagome yelled as she glared at him. "So you want to stay here with this mangy wolf?" he asked angrily. Kouga was about to jump towards him when... "At least Kouga doesn't think I'm weak. He hasn't made me cry yet either." Kouga stopped in his tracks. She was choosing him over that mutt hanyou? 'She loves me...' he thought to himself. 'I knew it.' A smirk began to form at the side of his mouth. The words stung Inuyasha as she spat them at him. 'She's choosing him over me? No... she can't be.' "When did I ever say that you are weak?" "Do you want it in order of when you've said it, or just the ones recently spoken?" she said sarcastically. "You can go ahead to the village if you want, but I'm staying here tonight. Is that alright Kouga?" He nodded to her and she turned on her heel, entering Kouga's den with Sango and Shippou following her. Inuyasha was stunned at what he had just heard. 'Why doesn't she care that I want her with me...?"