**CHAPTER 3**
Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all sat in a circle around Inu-Yasha and the hanyou coughed purposefully into his hand.
"I have something I need to tell you," he put his arms in his robe and straightened, trying to steady his resolve. "But don't hold it against me.... please." Inu-Yasha looked right at Kagome and the girl from the 21st century gulped.
"I-I've...uh.... I've reached an age... where...." Inu-Yasha blushed furiously and cleared his throat. "I'm supposed to have a mate."
"WHAT?!" Four voices chorused together and he cringed.
"Well see... my body.... is..... is in heat for a life-mate and it'll be nearly unbearable for me until I find one," he said, sighing.
"Y-You're in heat?!" Kagome sputtered and Inu-Yasha nodded.
"For youkai it happens with both males and females of the species and we are drawn to one another."
"So, does that mean---?" Kagome tilted her head in puzzlement and Miroku, quick to catch on, patted her back.
"Do you need me to make it clearer for you Lady Kagome? Inu-Yasha is in a state of arousal, he's sexually excited, he's looking for carnal pleasur--"
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!" Inu-Yasha yelled indignantly and brought his elbow down on the lecherous monk's head.
Sango tapped her chin in thought for a moment and then looked over at the hanyou with a serious expression. "So are you saying that if you get too close to a female you might lose your self control?"
Kagome's head whipped in her best friend's direction and she missed the pained look in Inu-Yasha's eyes.
"No, it only affects me when I'm around one woman, the woman I'm supposed to be with forever."
"Oh, I see," Miroku said sagely.
"So what're you gonna do Inu-Yasha?" Shippo asked, tugging on the leg of the dog demon's robe.
"I don't know," the hanyou mumbled, staring down at the ground.
"Well don't worry," Kagome tried giving Inu-Yasha a smile but it didn't get past her throat. "All we have to do is find this woman for you and then you'll be fine. She can probably even help us look for the shards," the girl's cheerfulness was forced and Miroku and Sango glances met.
Inu-Yasha shook his head. "No, my perfect match isn't in my reach. She's never been...," his voice almost broke from the pain and he quickly stood, lest he proclaim his feelings for Kagome then and there.
"Oh, I see," Kagome whispered, swallowing hard. She thought he was talking about Kikyo.
"I'm tired. I've been fighting this all day," Inu-Yasha's voice sounded drained. "I'm going to bed."
Kagome stared after the hanyou as he leapt up into the nearest tree and sighed as she got to her feet. "Goodnight Inu-Yasha," she said under her breath, walking to the fire to set up her sleeping bag for the night.
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Kagome woke to the sound of a snapped twig and looked around in alarm, peering into the thick darkness for signs of movement. Spending time in ancient Japan had done wonders for her paranoia and she was always alert for a demon attack.
She could hear footsteps walking towards her and Kagome sat up, looking around quickly for her bow and arrows.
"I'm armed. Stay back!" She said in a strong voice that surprised her. The footsteps sped up at the sound of her voice and a familiar figure emerged from the thick shadows into the fire's circle of light.
"Oh! Inu-Yasha, it's you," Kagome was taken aback and looked at the hanyou in surprise. "You scared me, don't sneak around like that!" Relief flooded her face and the girl's fear quickly faded.
"What're you doing up? Can't sleep?"
Inu-Yasha's eyes were closed and he didn't say anything but his ears pricked up at her words and he walked purposefully over. When he reached Kagome's side he sniffed the air above her head and then knelt down till his face was inches from hers.
"Inu-Yasha? What is it?" The girl backed her head up a little and was caught off guard as the hanyou leaned over and licked her on the cheek.
"What the--?!" Kagome wiped at her face and stared at Inu-Yasha in bewilderment. "What's gotten into you?"
A low growl escaped from his throat and he nuzzled against her jaw, giving her another lick. He put his hand on her chest and catching the girl off-guard, pushed her down. Rumbling with satisfaction, Inu-Yasha lay down beside her.
"Inu-Yasha! What are you doing?!" Kagome tried to push him away and he nipped gently at her neck, ignoring her weak struggles. Sliding one arm under her head, the hanyou's other hand moved to rest on her waist. He smiled with his eyes still closed and Kagome tilted her head as something crazy occurred to her.
"Are you... asleep?" She asked softly. Inu-Yasha's ear's swiveled forward at the sound and he licked her face again.
"You are!" Kagome smiled and was rewarded with another lick. "Are you acting like this because you're in heat...?" She wondered aloud, looking up into the face above her. Inu-Yasha rumbled again and pulled Kagome into his chest, resting his head atop hers. She could feel his heartbeat and her own sped up as she realized the rumbles were a kind of purr.
Inu-Yasha must not be aware of this at all, Kagome reckoned, looking up at him. He's probably dreaming about his perfect match and I'm just what's around. The girl gritted her teeth at the knowledge.
After a few seconds Inu-Yasha seemed to settle down and Kagome decided it was the best time to try and ease her way out.
She put her hands up against his chest but when she tried to push away, the arm around her waist tightened protectively and Inu-Yasha stirred, murmuring.
"Mine......."
Kagome tried again and this time, Inu-Yasha growled.
"Well, I guess I'm stuck here for the night," she said aloud. "It looks like you don't want me going anywhere," she yawned despite herself and her eyelids suddenly felt weighted.
Hesitantly Kagome leaned against the hanyou's warm chest and closed her eyes. Sleep quickly closed around her and the last thing she heard was one last rumble from Inu-Yasha.
Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippo all sat in a circle around Inu-Yasha and the hanyou coughed purposefully into his hand.
"I have something I need to tell you," he put his arms in his robe and straightened, trying to steady his resolve. "But don't hold it against me.... please." Inu-Yasha looked right at Kagome and the girl from the 21st century gulped.
"I-I've...uh.... I've reached an age... where...." Inu-Yasha blushed furiously and cleared his throat. "I'm supposed to have a mate."
"WHAT?!" Four voices chorused together and he cringed.
"Well see... my body.... is..... is in heat for a life-mate and it'll be nearly unbearable for me until I find one," he said, sighing.
"Y-You're in heat?!" Kagome sputtered and Inu-Yasha nodded.
"For youkai it happens with both males and females of the species and we are drawn to one another."
"So, does that mean---?" Kagome tilted her head in puzzlement and Miroku, quick to catch on, patted her back.
"Do you need me to make it clearer for you Lady Kagome? Inu-Yasha is in a state of arousal, he's sexually excited, he's looking for carnal pleasur--"
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!!!" Inu-Yasha yelled indignantly and brought his elbow down on the lecherous monk's head.
Sango tapped her chin in thought for a moment and then looked over at the hanyou with a serious expression. "So are you saying that if you get too close to a female you might lose your self control?"
Kagome's head whipped in her best friend's direction and she missed the pained look in Inu-Yasha's eyes.
"No, it only affects me when I'm around one woman, the woman I'm supposed to be with forever."
"Oh, I see," Miroku said sagely.
"So what're you gonna do Inu-Yasha?" Shippo asked, tugging on the leg of the dog demon's robe.
"I don't know," the hanyou mumbled, staring down at the ground.
"Well don't worry," Kagome tried giving Inu-Yasha a smile but it didn't get past her throat. "All we have to do is find this woman for you and then you'll be fine. She can probably even help us look for the shards," the girl's cheerfulness was forced and Miroku and Sango glances met.
Inu-Yasha shook his head. "No, my perfect match isn't in my reach. She's never been...," his voice almost broke from the pain and he quickly stood, lest he proclaim his feelings for Kagome then and there.
"Oh, I see," Kagome whispered, swallowing hard. She thought he was talking about Kikyo.
"I'm tired. I've been fighting this all day," Inu-Yasha's voice sounded drained. "I'm going to bed."
Kagome stared after the hanyou as he leapt up into the nearest tree and sighed as she got to her feet. "Goodnight Inu-Yasha," she said under her breath, walking to the fire to set up her sleeping bag for the night.
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Kagome woke to the sound of a snapped twig and looked around in alarm, peering into the thick darkness for signs of movement. Spending time in ancient Japan had done wonders for her paranoia and she was always alert for a demon attack.
She could hear footsteps walking towards her and Kagome sat up, looking around quickly for her bow and arrows.
"I'm armed. Stay back!" She said in a strong voice that surprised her. The footsteps sped up at the sound of her voice and a familiar figure emerged from the thick shadows into the fire's circle of light.
"Oh! Inu-Yasha, it's you," Kagome was taken aback and looked at the hanyou in surprise. "You scared me, don't sneak around like that!" Relief flooded her face and the girl's fear quickly faded.
"What're you doing up? Can't sleep?"
Inu-Yasha's eyes were closed and he didn't say anything but his ears pricked up at her words and he walked purposefully over. When he reached Kagome's side he sniffed the air above her head and then knelt down till his face was inches from hers.
"Inu-Yasha? What is it?" The girl backed her head up a little and was caught off guard as the hanyou leaned over and licked her on the cheek.
"What the--?!" Kagome wiped at her face and stared at Inu-Yasha in bewilderment. "What's gotten into you?"
A low growl escaped from his throat and he nuzzled against her jaw, giving her another lick. He put his hand on her chest and catching the girl off-guard, pushed her down. Rumbling with satisfaction, Inu-Yasha lay down beside her.
"Inu-Yasha! What are you doing?!" Kagome tried to push him away and he nipped gently at her neck, ignoring her weak struggles. Sliding one arm under her head, the hanyou's other hand moved to rest on her waist. He smiled with his eyes still closed and Kagome tilted her head as something crazy occurred to her.
"Are you... asleep?" She asked softly. Inu-Yasha's ear's swiveled forward at the sound and he licked her face again.
"You are!" Kagome smiled and was rewarded with another lick. "Are you acting like this because you're in heat...?" She wondered aloud, looking up into the face above her. Inu-Yasha rumbled again and pulled Kagome into his chest, resting his head atop hers. She could feel his heartbeat and her own sped up as she realized the rumbles were a kind of purr.
Inu-Yasha must not be aware of this at all, Kagome reckoned, looking up at him. He's probably dreaming about his perfect match and I'm just what's around. The girl gritted her teeth at the knowledge.
After a few seconds Inu-Yasha seemed to settle down and Kagome decided it was the best time to try and ease her way out.
She put her hands up against his chest but when she tried to push away, the arm around her waist tightened protectively and Inu-Yasha stirred, murmuring.
"Mine......."
Kagome tried again and this time, Inu-Yasha growled.
"Well, I guess I'm stuck here for the night," she said aloud. "It looks like you don't want me going anywhere," she yawned despite herself and her eyelids suddenly felt weighted.
Hesitantly Kagome leaned against the hanyou's warm chest and closed her eyes. Sleep quickly closed around her and the last thing she heard was one last rumble from Inu-Yasha.