I do not own Inuyasha or the music used throughout this story.

Spotify playlist link is in my profile and on my tumblr: thisdumbbitchcantspell

Music is based more on the atmosphere. Songs aren't being played in the story unless otherwise described.

Check Chapter 1 for a full list of warnings.

KAGOME

I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing Koga isn't a threat to mine and his relationship, whatever the fuck kind of relationship it is at this point, but I assumed that it was something worth pointing out. If only to stop him from throwing it around for the world to hear.

As much as I want to torture Inuyasha, I don't want other people to get the wrong idea about Koga and me. We've never been anything but friends, and that's an overstatement. We're more like business partners or colleagues. I don't know his birthday, favorite color, food, or anything really. Although, I'm sure he knows all of those things about me with the way I've seen him lingering around the shrine and talking to Sota.

I know he wants more between us. I'm not oblivious. I see the lingering stares, notice the excuses to touch me, the texts he sends in the morning and at night. I feel bad turning him down, knowing I'll never be able to return his feelings. But at some point, something's gotta give.

As I hold a trembling Shippo to my chest, I see that this is that moment something gives. Anger doesn't even describe the emotions I feel towards Koga after hearing Shippo tell Inuyasha that he's scared of him. That he picks on the underground kids. These kids are being raised in one of the cruelest, harshest environments, and he thinks it's okay to come in a bully them?

I hope Inuyasha knocks some sense into him before I do. Part of me wants to believe that Shippo is just fibbing because he's attached to me and doesn't like sharing, but a bigger part of me knows that Shippo wouldn't lie to me about anything. He omitted the truth by not telling me, but he didn't lie and he only did so out of fear.

Sounds like someone else I know...

The dojo doors swing open and in walks a livid Koga. He stops in front of the now closed doors and I watch his angry, piercing blue orbs bounce around the room and take in all of its occupants. Sango and Miroku are still sitting against the far wall of mirrors, both leaning in towards each other and whispering in secret conversation. Inuyasha stands in front of Shippo and me, his shoulders broad and his hands clenched in fists. I can practically see the protectiveness oozing out of him by the pores.

Koga's eyes narrow on Inuyasha. He whips out his phone, swipes, and taps a few times before turning the screen to us. "You think this shit is funny, asshole?"

I can't see what he's trying to show, but Inuyasha can and his shoulders rise in a careless shrug. "I thought it was cute, actually. I even made it my new screensaver." Inuyasha fishes in his pocket and opens his phone to show Koga, earning him a growl from the wolf. I try and peer around Inuyasha's big body to see his phone to no avail, but thankfully, Shippo's already jumping to his shoulder to be my eyes.

After a quick look, Shippo agrees. "It is pretty cute."

Inuyasha holds up a fist to Shippo, who enthusiastically bumps it. Koga turns his heated stare to me. "And what does Kagome have to say about her privacy being violated just so you can be petty?"

I step forward. "What-" My eyes find Inuyasha's phone screen. It's of us together, in my bed, cuddling like a couple. It had to be taken only hours ago. I'm clearly asleep, snuggled comfortably on his chest while he smiles like the smug idiot he is. My cheeks flush with heat and I glare at the phone. "You- you-!" I sputter for an insult, my ire turning my cheeks pink, but my embarrassment making it hard to speak.

And before I know it, I've proved Koga's point. He pockets his phone and crosses his arms, smirking like he's won with his chest puffed up. "See? She can't even look at you, you fucking pervert."

Inuyasha's head snaps towards Koga, eyes full of molten lava. "Pervert? That's fucking rich coming from Captain Rejected. Who's the one that's constantly sniffing after a mated woman? I have the right to hang you by your tail for that, so don't push me, flea-bag."

"Both of you, watch your mouth!" I yell, irritated that they can't control their tempers even around a child.

Koga has the audacity to roll his eyes. "Oh, come on, Kaggy, you baby the runt too much."

I damn near snarl at him. "Oh, really? That's interesting because Shippo just told us that you bully the underground kids. Is that true?"

He scoffs, but his cheeks take on a pink hue. "I-I don't bully them! That's ridiculous, Kagome, I would never. I just don't think they should be coddled! They're supposed to be soldiers for crying out loud!"

"They're just kids!"

"Damnit, you're too soft on them!"

"Don't talk to my Kagome like that!" Shippo takes us all by surprise with his boost of confidence, coming to defend my honor from his position on Inuyasha's shoulder, puffing his chest out with pride.

Inuyasha nods his head in approval. "What the kit said. Raise your voice like that at her again and we'll be talking with fists and claws."

Koga rolls his eyes again, training his focus back on Inuyasha. "Oh, please, I could wipe the floor with you."

"Is that a threat, wolf?"

I'm already rolling my eyes with a sigh, completely bored and somewhat annoyed by the second-grade bickering happening in front of me. I reach to grab Shippo off of Inuyasha's shoulder so he doesn't have to hear two grown demons having a pissing contest in front of him. "Come on, Shippo, let's go see what Jinenji is up to."

With the boys focused on each other, I manage to make it to the door and slip out with Shippo in my arms.

INUYASHA

(You're Going Down - Sick Puppies)

This motherfucker is getting on my last ever loving nerve.

I notice as soon as Kagome leaves with Shippo, his entire demeanor changes. He's a fucking manipulator. He acts all sweet and kind in front of her, but the second she's out of the room, his true colors shine through.

He's a fucking wolf, after all.

He takes a few steps toward me until we're almost chest to chest. "It's a promise, mutt."

I laugh in his face. "You're bold, I'll give you that. Your courage may even be considered admirable if you weren't so fucking stupid." He bares his fangs and growls in my face, but I don't even blind. "I'm only going to tell you one more time. Kagome is mine. Back the fuck off."

"Or what?" He lays his hands flat on my chest and pushes hard, causing me to take a step back. "What's a pussy like you gonna do? I've been by her side for years, protecting her, training Sota, even helping out around the shrine while you were off doing fuck knows what. How dare you call her yours when you abandoned her like a coward!"

I grit my teeth and growl low in my throat, hating that he's right. "I only left to protect her."

Koga barks out a laugh. "Oh, fucking spare me. You're a pathetic excuse of a mate." He shakes his head with a wistful look on his face, and my fists clench, knowing he's goading me, antagonizing me, and feeding off of my reactions. "You know what? It's probably a good thing you came back after all. I mean, I could never truly get with her while she's wearing your mark, but when I kill you and that disappears, I'll be able to claim her as my own once and for all."

That's all it takes for me to snap. My feet charge forward and a roar unleashes from my throat, my rage pumping hot and driving me. I'm on top of him before he's had a chance to blink, laying a solid punch to his jaw and marveling at the pain that radiates up my wrist accompanied by the crack of bone hitting bone. He manages to jump back and gain some distance, but I'm advancing on him fast.

No one told me this motherfucker was faster, though.

He springs like a cheetah on the balls of his feet, spinning in the air and landing a kick to my ribs. Before I can recover, his fist is connecting with my cheek and my vision blurs. I refuse to falter, though. I let the pain fuel me. My body is made for this. I've been molded into a perfect weapon. I can handle a few kicks and punches.

What I can't handle is the thought of this grimy piece of shit trying to stake a claim on what's mine.

"You hit like a fucking bitch!" He snarls, throwing his weight into his next kick aimed at my head. I duck and catch him by the thigh, throwing him back and laying him on his back with a hard thump. I rain blow after blow on his abdomen, reveling in the whoosh of air getting knocked out of his lungs.

"Says the one laid out on the ground like a bitch." I quip back.

He manages to twist his way out of my hold before I can secure it, hopping up on his feet with his fists raised, protecting his face. "Is that the best you fucking got? I expect more from a Taisho prodigy."

I try not to let the shock show on my face, but I must let it slip if his laugh is any indication. "Oh, yeah, I know all about the Taisho syndicate, mutt. The Northern Tribe did business with you lot years ago, but that was before Toga got made."

I swing, my claws catching on his shoulder, the smell of his blood perfuming the room and spurring on my demon. I can feel my eyes burning on the edges. I didn't realize my demonic side was so close to the edge, but hearing my father's name in his filthy mouth makes me feel feral.

"Don't talk about my family." I snarl, my vision turning red in the corners. "That includes Kagome."

Koga sneers, clutching his shoulder as blood seeps between his fingers from the gashes that are quickly healing. "I can't believe she picked you. You're nothing but a filthy fucking half-breed."

Half-breed. Fuck, no one's called me that in years, and I hate that he managed to find another way to make old wounds sting anew. He says the word like it's poison in his mouth, his lips curling up in disgust. For a moment, I feel like that scrawny little kid on the playground getting pummeled by rocks. The only thing that stops them is Kagome, and as if summoned by my tattered memories, the air in the room is suddenly so charged, so thick, it takes on its own presence.

"What did you just say?"

Kagome's soft whisper floats towards us from the doorway. I had been so preoccupied with Koga that I hadn't even realized she was back. We all turn to look at her, and I immediately see why the air in the room became so hard to pull into my lungs.

With a switchblade, my switchblade, clenched in her fist and eyes burning a hole into Koga, Kagome's aura is a solid matter of pink smoke surrounding her. Pink tendrils swirl around her feet, around her fists and blade, moving her long raven hair like it has a life of its own. She radiates rage and the physical evidence of her sheer power makes everyone in the room shiver.

Koga takes a step back, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Kagome, I-"

"What. The fuck. Did you just say?" She bites out every word like it's taking every ounce of strength to remain in control.

I know exactly why that insult garnered such a reaction from her. It's one that was used against me all my life. Kagome was always sticking up for me in school anytime someone uttered an insult under their breath regarding my heritage. Seeing that same fire in her eyes now compared to back then makes my heart do something funny in my chest.

It seems no matter what happens between us, she's remained in my corner. Even if it is with a closed-off heart decorated with the scars of my betrayal.

Koga's stupid ass doesn't realize the danger he's in right now. He raises both hands, one covered in blood from his now fully healed shoulder. His palms are out like he's trying to placate a wild animal. "We were just arguing, Kaggy, I didn't mean-"

"If I ever hear you say that word again, Koga," Kagome interrupts, her knuckles white and her power surging, wrapping around the blade and charging it. "I will fucking kill you."

Koga gulps, his face paling in fear before he nods. I don't think he's ever felt more threatened in his life, and as smug as I want to feel right now, I don't show it. The tension in the room is so thick, that I can practically see the blade in her hand slicing it. The pink smoke around her becomes more transparent until you can no longer see it. Her eyes are still full of rage, but at least she isn't about to purify our asses right here and now.

A loud clap has all of our heads snapping to Miroku and Sango. Miroku's hands are clasped together and he has a twinkle in his eyes. "Well, that was fun and entertaining. What a way to work up an appetite, am I right?" He turns to look at Sango over his shoulder before sweeping his eyes over to Kagome and me. "Dinner anyone?"

My cock hasn't been this hard since Kagome got stuck in a fucking tree during our third year of high school. She begged me to jump up and grab her but I couldn't stop staring up at her. Well, up her skirt, that is. She was wearing a dark red thong and I could practically smell her from my position on the ground. I pretended to lose my footing a few times before finally jumping up and helping her down. Silly kitten, getting stuck in a tree just to prove she could still climb in a skirt. She proved me wrong, but I still won that day. That image fueled my wet dreams for at least a year.

Watching her threaten Koga makes those fantasies look like child's play. If I thought getting a peak up her skirt made me rock hard, watching her wield a knife against a threat to her mate made me hard enough to cut diamonds.

More than that though, seeing Kagome brandish her reiki against Koga was reaffirming the belief that no matter what, she's always there for me. Fighting beside me. Fighting for me.

My pride has taken an ass-kicking, but I'll swallow my ego every day if it means having her choose me over anyone else. She might as well have fucked me in front of Koga the way she claimed me, stood up for me. Has she been doing that for the last three years as well? When she was heartbroken and unable to leave her room as Sota said, did she defend me even then? Even when I ripped her heart out and abandoned her?

I don't want to know, but part of me has to believe she'd never spoken a word of ill against me. Even if she's killed me seven ways to Sunday in her head, she'd never act on it.

Miroku and I ride in the sleek black SUV behind Sango and Kagome. I can practically fucking feel her 50 feet in front of me, my eyes never leaving the back window of their car. I'm pretty sure she knows I'm watching her too. I feel a sudden tickling on my wrist and look down at my mark. Is she touching it?

Does she run her fingers over it when she thinks of me as I do her? Does she know I can feel her dainty fingers caressing my skin when she touches the mark? Does she know we're connected through so much more than just red string and fate?

Before my thoughts can continue to run wild, a sudden gust of wind pushes on the SUV. Miroku makes a displeased noise, pulling on the steering wheel to remain in control.

"What the fuck?" He mumbles, but I can't even focus on him. Not when my eyes take in the way Sango and Kagome's car in front of us just swerved. My fists are balled in my lap, my anxiety spiking. Sango was a skilled driver, I have faith that she would pull over if she didn't think she could handle driving in bad weather. Still...

Another gust of wind hit our cars, stronger this time. I could almost see it as if the wind took on a physical form with tangible barriers and controlled boundaries. It was directed right at us. My eyes search the tops of the trees surrounding us on this desolate mountain road. They weren't swaying... they weren't moving at all. It was as if the air was specifically charged on us...

I watch the car in front of us swerve to correct their path, the wind pushing them towards a ditch. I reach into my pocket and dial Kagome's number.

"Hello?" She answers not unkindly.

"Tell Sango to pull over, the wind is too strong." I know my tone comes off harsh, but I don't have time to worry about it right now. She can ream me later when she's safe and the wind has died down.

I hear a disgruntled sigh. "Inuyasha, you're being paranoid."

Stubborn fucking-

"Kitten, I'm serious, that's the second time you guys have swerved and the wind is just getting stronger."

I can practically hear her eyes rolling on the other end of the line. "It's just a little wind, Inu, we're fine-fuck!"

My entire body freezes at the sound of her cry, but I don't have time to panic because another gust of wind hits our cars again, this time causing both of us to crash into the ditch. The SUV rolls onto its side, my seat belt digging into my stomach and shoulder. Pain shoots down my neck as my head bounces off the window, making the glass break into a spider web.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" I hear Miroku yell, but I can't speak, my eyes fixated on the horrific scene in front of me. I dropped the phone at some point, but I can see her and Sango's car in front of us, completely turned upside down. Neither has made a move to get out and it only makes me panic more.

Calm down, calm down.

I've trained for things like that. My instincts are heightened because my mate is in danger, but I'm still a trained soldier. I look over to check on Miroku. He's working on getting the seatbelt off of him. I reach over, slice through it with my claws, and then do my own. Miroku catches himself before falling on me, righting his body to climb out through his window. I'm right behind him.

Once we're both on solid ground, we both rush to the girls' car, only to see they're slowly working their way out of their windows. The scent of Kagome's blood almost sends me into mania.

"Kagome!" I'm on her a second flat, carefully but quickly pulling her fully out of the car while Miroku focuses on Sango. My hands are everywhere, inspecting every inch of her I can for signs of injury, trying to find the source of the bleeding. "Where are you hurt, baby? Tell me, tell me, what's bleeding, what's broken, fuck, where is it!"

My voice is hoarse with panic and my hands are fucking shaking. Kagome's small hands grab my much larger ones, holding them captive. "Inuyasha," My eyes snap to hers, which soften when they take in my manic state. "I'm fine, okay? I bumped my head on the window-"

"Your head-?!"

"I'm fine!"

"Guys!" Both our heads snap towards Sango's voice. She and Miroku are standing already, looking past our heads at something. "We have company."