The Windcaller and the Coyote

by Alkaline Lady

R&R wanted. Final Chapter is up. Fluffy-chan=OOC and I/K pairing *not for Kikyou fans*

2. The Windcaller and the Coyote: I am livi...

**Author's Note: I don't own Inu-Yasha or any of the characters relating to series belonging to Rumiko Takahashi (pouts) But anywho, I had a blast writing the last chapter, and hopefully this one will probably be a little bit shorter, or longer depending on how pensive I feel while writing. I'm going to try and clarify some things (AHEM! The Title AHEM!) and bring it all together, get to the climax of the story and then bring it back down into some more mushy stuff! ^_^ Don't you just love mushy stuff?



The Windcaller and the Coyote: Chapter II



Inu-Yasha looked back at Kagome, she was still asleep in her bed looking so peaceful he decided he wouldn't wake her before leaving. He paused. I wonder if she's dreaming about that 'guy' she talked to that girl about? I wonder who he is...I f I knew I wouldn't even kill him, for Kagome's sake...It pained him every time she spoke of other males affectionately, he wanted her to realize that she was his, and that he was hers. He felt that familiar ache in his chest as he saw sunlight played in her hair, making it look like the black hair fanning out on her pillow was really a halo.

He heaved a sigh and leaned to kiss her gently on the cheek, that was all he could manage to do without wanting to abandon every idea of civility he'd painstakingly learned and just tell her what he knew. She was his, but she'd have to learn that herself.

She smiled in her sleep and her graceful fingers came up to touch the spot. He smiled slightly then was out the window and onto the ground below.

As he walked toward the Bone Well he sniffed the air, among other scents he could smell Wildrose in the area. The scent wasn't exactly fresh, it was hours old, but it didn't seem to lead anywhere else. He stopped where the smell was strongest and sniffed again. Her scent mingled with a different scent, still female but definately different.

He recognized the smell of the other woman from somewhere, but it took him a while to place it. Coyote had been there?! Had she followed their trail to the Bone Well and come out when he and Kagome weren't around? Wildrose's scent had disappeared completely by the time he reached the wellhouse, Coyote's was stronger than ever though. She'd gone through the well and was probably still around the area she'd arrived in.

Realizing that time was everything when it came to demons and their prisoners he jumped through the well and prayed to whatever god was watching over him that Wildrose wasn't there with Coyote. For Kagome's sake.



** ** **



Kagome woke up to the ringing of her alarm clock, and found herself fumbling for the off button. She wasn't nearly as tired as she had expected to be, he had that effect on her. When Inu-Yasha was around she simply slept easier. She looked around and found the room to be quite empty, the sleeping bag and pillow she'd set out for him were left untouched from the night before. He'd predictably chosen to sleep sitting up in the corner where he could keep an eye on her and could easily access the window when he woke up.

She raised her hand to her cheek again and smiled peacefully. She remembered her dream during the night, Inu-Yasha had actually been nice to her and even kissed her on the cheek. She could still feel his soft, warm lips on her cheek and wished he'd do it in real life. Hell, she wished he'd just kiss her in real life. I wonder what his fangs feel like...she giggled to herself and blushed, knowing full well that they'd probably be sharp and pointy just like hers only bigger.

Sighing and realizing that she'd have to go to school instead of skipping off to Inu-Yasha's time to practice techniques on getting him to kiss her, she pulled a robe over her nightgown and padded down the hall toward the stairs.

Her mother was already awake cooking breakfast. Kagome sat down at the breakfast table and toyed with a strand of her hair before her mother pushed a plate of eggs, toast and potatoes in front of her.

"Did you sleep well Sweetheart?" her mother asked.

Kagome blushed, remembering the dream again, "Yeah. Slept great."

"Is Inu-Yasha awake yet?"

Kagome felt herself blush even more, her mother made it sound so dirty that they had even slept in the same room.

"Um, he left a while ago I guess. He wasn't there when I woke up." Kagome replied. "I guess he went out my window, I don't really know what he's got against doors."

"Boys will be boys. I really wish he'd stick around for breakfast though. Who knows when he actually gets three meals a day. Poor boy." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Are you and Wildrose going to do anything this afternoon?"

"Nah. We'll probably just come home from school and be bored. Wildrose's foster parents are both at a conference somewhere." Kagome replied.

"You should pick up some of her things and have her stay here. It must be awful lonely in a strange house all by yourself." Mrs. Higurashi said as she sipped at her coffee.

Kagome shrugged and started to dig into her potatoes.



** ** **





Inu-Yasha sniffed the air for about the fiftieth time in five minutes. Coyote's trail was getting warmer, either he was getting faster or Coyote was taking her goddamned time getting to where she wanted to go. Or maybe both.

She was somewhere up ahead, probably ready to spring a trap and try to kick his hanyou butt to the moon. The key word being try.

The woods had gotten quiet all of a sudden and Inu-Yasha froze to listen to his surroundings. He heard the snap of twigs and the swishing noise of dry, dead leaves and brush up ahead. That was probably Coyote, plunging through the woods without fear of being attacked and without care for what was going on.

He sprang forward and bounded after the noises until he came to a clearing. Coyote stood there alright but she hadn't been walking through the leaves, she'd been brushing them aside with some kind of rake. She'd made a perfect circle with spears lining it.

Deciding against his violent urges Inu-Yasha jumped silently up into a tree and perched there to watch.

Coyote stood, sweat standing out on her dark skinned torso hunched over the pile of sticks and leaves and dried grass in the middle of wood. She knelt by the pile with two flint stones in her hand until she got sparks and the leaves and grass caught fire. The fire was small but she treated it as though it were an amazing feat to actually light a fire.

She stood up abruptly and dropped the flint stones at the edge of the circle. She started to pound the ground rythmically with her feet and a small chant echoed in her throat. He watched as she spread her arms out like wings and began to dance around the fire.

He flushed, he wouldn't be caught dead doing something like that. Not only would he look like an idiot but it put one in a vulnerable position dancing out in the open like that.

The chant grew louder and he realized she was invoking some kind of spirit. A breeze rustled through the leaves and the trees, stirring the now enormous fire into a column of flames. The chant grew into a shout and the wind picked up until it was a howling force that pinned Inu-Yasha to his tree.

He held his arm in front of his face to stop flying debris from blinding him and stared hard down at the flaming column. Coyote stood with her arms out toward the column as if to embrace it and he saw, stepping out of the flames, the spirit that Coyote was the embodiment of.

The spirit was just as solid as anyone was and Inu-Yasha was shocked to see how much this Coyote-spirit looked like his father. Coyote-spirit was taller than most humans could ever hope to be, his hair was a grayish-black color as opposed to the white that Inu-Yasha's father had, and in the place of the round human ears most people he knew posessed were two slightly larger dog-like ears.

With his back to Inu-Yasha, he couldn't tell whether Coyote-spirit's face was that of a man or a the dog he portrayed but the tail that sprouted from his backside told Inu-Yasha that he was not human.

The human, female Coyote held out her arms welcomingly as Coyote-spirit embraced her. Inu-Yasha grimaced as he realized that Coyote-spirit wasn't even clothed. Most demons had the dignity to cover themselves, even if it wasn't necessary, but Coyote and Coyote-spirit were different.

Coyote-spirit drew back and smoothed Coyote's deep black hair away from her face, he spoke to her in a different language but Inu-Yasha felt as though he could understand completely what was being said.

"Daughter Windcaller." Coyote-spirit said, "Your task is not complete."

"I am aware of that dear Coyote-spirit." she replied, "But...the one I came for...Sesshomaru does not come willingly to his death bed, to me."

Inu-Yasha's ears pricked, she wanted to kill him? Because of some mishap involving some humans? That was not a godly way to act. Windcaller...he'd heard that name before, and it suited Coyote, she had summoned the man from the flames through her chanting and the chanting had in turn summoned the wind. Besides that it was familiar from somewhere else too.

"What does he desire?" Coyote-spirit asked.

"The sword...Tetsusaiga, and the one who wields it, his half-brother. I have attempted to bring him but...he refuses to help our cause. So I fear I must involve a human." Coyote responded slowly.

Which human was she talking about? That better not be Kagome she's talking about. I'll kill that bitch if she tries to lay one hand on my Kagome.

"You fear this?" Coyote-spirit asked.

"I merely need your approval Coyote-spirit." she said coolly, "Then I will proceed."

"You have it."

"I also wanted to humor you with something that Sesshomaru revealed to me during one of our...nights together. He wants to be your son, if not by blood then by your bed." Coyote's graceful lips turned up at the corners into a cold smile.

"And you refused him?"

"What would you have me do?"

"If I had been you I would have taken his head while he made love to you." Coyote-spirit replied icily.

"And what would you have done if one of your wives had done that to you?"

Coyote-spirit was silent except for a rummbling chuckle that emerged from his throat. "You are falling for this demon yes?"

"Not I." Coyote responded.

"Ah, then your second half."

"Perhaps. She doesn't know of me yet and I suspect she's coming close to finding out."

Gods, I think I'm going to puke. Inu-Yasha thought irritably. His brother would have lost his head while bedding a beautiful girl had it not been for her 'second half'. He wondered miserably if he would have to go through anything similar with Kagome before she realized she belonged with him.

"It has been good to see your face again, Coyote-spirit."

"Windcaller, be wary of your prey, make sure he does not slip through your fingers, or hers for that matter." Coyote-spirit said before stepping back into the fire and dissolving into the flames.

Who is her second half? Inu-Yasha almost spoke the question outloud. Coyote sniffed the air around her. Inu-Yasha sank further back against the tree, hoping to the gods that she couldn't smell him through the smoke of the fire.

With that Coyote walked around the circle of spears throwing each one into the fire until she came to the last one. With a howl of rage she snapped the head of the spear off so it hung loosely to the side. Symbolic of her, Inu-Yasha supposed. She was alone and broken, trapped in the servitude of Coyote-spirit. The others around her, the ones she had held close as friends, family and even lovers were gone.

She shouted something in the language he'd heard her use with Coyote-spirit, only this time Coyote-spirit could not translate for him. The winds whipped up again and the enormous fire flickered a few times and died. With that she walked half-heartedly from the dancing grounds.

Inu-Yasha melted back into the forest and headed back toward Kaede's village.



** ** **



"She didn't get home last night!" Kagome cried frantically as she slammed down the phone.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up from folding clothes, "What?"

"Wildrose didn't make it home last night." Kagome repeated, "I just called her host family, and Mr. Yari said she didn't come home, that he thought she was with me."

"Oh dear. Well did you check the Bone Eaters Well? Maybe she went back to get a good look." Mrs. Higurashi suggested.

"No, Inu-Yasha would have seen her, or at least smelled her. He would have told me." Kagome said, reassuring herself of the fact as well as her mother.

"I'm sure she's fine. She probably just went to that store you said she likes, found a friend and lost track of time." Mrs. Higurashi reassured her.

"Or maybe she went to the arcade to get away from you." Sota teased, he stuck out his tongue at Kagome.

Kagome made a face at him, "Well, whatever. I'm going to see if Inu-Yasha's seen her."

"Be careful dear, and take a sweater with you."

Kagome was out the door and into the well before she could think of what her mother had said. She found herself inside the well on the Sengoku-jidai side. She climbed out of the well and saw Inu-Yasha just before he lifted her out of it and set her on her feet.

"Inu-Yasha! Wildrose didn't make it home last night!" Kagome told him.

"I know. I smelled her and Coyote around the well house before I left. I'm not sure, but I think Coyote has her." Inu-Yasha said.

"You idiot! Why didn't you come back and tell me?" Kagome yelled at him.

He backed up a step, "There wasn't time. I came through and picked up Coyote's scent again and followed it to a dancing ground. I saw Coyote-spirit. The spirit that Coyote serves, but I didn't see Wildrose anywhere."

"Do you think Coyote could have---"

"Killed her? I doubt it, I would have smelled her blood or at least her scent. Coyote probably has her somewhere else." Inu-Yasha said.

"What am I gonna do?! Her foster family is going nuts, they think she's dead! Gods, what if she is?!" Kagome was hysterical.

"Feh. Coyote is stupid, she thinks I will hand over Tetsusaiga and the Jewel if she has a hostage." Inu-Yasha snorted.

"If you won't give her the sword then I'll give her the Jewel. Maybe then she'll let Wildrose go." Kagome said angrily.

"Or maybe she'll just kill you and Wildrose because I won't give her the sword! You're so stupid when it comes to things like this!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

"Inu-Yasha if I don't get her back to her foster family then there will be an even bigger problem than Coyote wanting Tetsusaiga and the Shikon Jewel." Kagome said frantically. "I won't be allowed to come here. Ever! And besides that the well will either be exploited and ravaged until the whole time stream screws up or destroyed!"

Inu-Yasha suddenly realized what Kagome was so worried about. She wouldn't be able to come back and help find the rest of the jewel or fight Naraku, or even help him become a full youkai. He could be stuck as a hanyou forever and being a hanyou forever without her would be even worse.

Inu-Yasha knelt down in front of her offering his back, "Let's go to the village. We can get Miroku and Sango to help us find Coyote, hopefully where she is, we'll find Wildrose."

Kagome nodded appreciatively.



** ** **



Wildrose awoke to the sound of a crackling fire beside her. She looked up and noticed, instead of the trees surrounding the mini-shrine at Kagome's house she was inside a hut of some kind. It smelled heavily of medicinal herbs. She was confident that this was not anywhere near Kagome's house.

She sat up and looked around in the dim firelight of the hut and noticed an old woman seated on the ground wearing a miko robe and an eye patch over her left eye. This was Kaede-baba, Kagome had introduced them when she had first come to the village during the weekend she spent in Sengoku-jidai.

"Unh? Wha--What am I doing here?" Wildrose wondered outloud.

"Some of the men from the village found you at the edge of Inu-Yasha's forest. You were unconcious at the time so I suppose it's no surprise you don't remember being brought to my house." Kaede answered.

Wildrose felt the back of her head for a bruise, or at least a bump to come up with some reason for being out for so long. She found none. In fact she felt absolutely fine, as if she'd just woken up from a refreshing nap.

"Where's Kagome? I should be at her house, not here. Ugh, how did I get here in the first place?" Wildrose grumbled as she searched for answers inside her head.

All she could recall was dancing, half-nude in front of a fire, chanting in a Native American tongue and calling up the wind. Then a man stepping from the fire, not the one she'd been with before, but a new one, she could remember him clearly, a coyote's face with the body of a man. He'd spoken to her, called her his daughter, and even hugged her. This had to be Coyote-spirit. The one that she'd seen many kachina dances done to appease. She recalled the ritualistic dances her grandfather had let her watch, even though she was supposed to be sleeping. The kachina dances were usually forbidden to women, even just to watch them. But she was the chieftans granddaughter, he would make exceptions for her. The men would dance around the fire wearing only loin clothes, ritual masks and ceremonial paint, and they would sing in their language until the heard the distant howl of a coyote and knew that the Trickster spirit had been appeased.

She remembered that she'd been angry about something too. She raised her hand to her face and touched a scratch that she knew had been there since the weekend and realized that had something to do with it.

"We don't know, just that there have been plenty of youkai sitings near this village and it is too dangerous to travel alone and unprotected. Inu-Yasha and Kagome were not with you?" Kaede asked.

Wildrose shook her head and looked down at the necklace around her neck. The fangs glinted in the firelight, just begging to be examined closer.

Kaede reached out and took hold of the necklace, startling Wildrose into a small jump.

"Where did you get this?" Kaede asked politely.

"Uh---At a kachina dance." Wildrose answered.

"A what?"

"It's a ceremonial dance that my people do to appease Coyote-spirit into leaving our tribe alone." Wildrose explained, "Most of the time girls aren't even allowed to watch, but my grandfather is cheiftan so I am tolerated. I remember one of the dancers, she was a woman, came around and put the necklace around my neck. No one else seemed to see her. Then she disappeared into the ring of dancers again. Ever since then I've been having wierd dreams."

Kaede's eyes widened slightly, she'd heard of dances being performed but not by humans, not like that. But it sounded like one of her 'tribe's' miko had given her a gift that brought her great power.

"You must think I'm crazy to unload all this stuff on you about it. Gomen nasai." Wildrose said, her head lowered in what appeared to be shame.

"I do not think you're crazy. I think a priestess has given you a great gift, one you should respect." Kaede said with a gentle smile, "I can see why Kagome would choose you as a friend. You have so much in common it is almost scary."

Wildrose withdrew into herself, "Yeah. Scary."

She remembered the dance in her head clearly, the one she'd dreamt about before being waking up here. She'd even remembered waking up briefly and seeing Inu-Yasha darting through the trees but ignoring him. How could he be in stupid dreams about kachina dances? He wasn't even from the Americas.

He reminded her of the beautiful white haired man she spent her nights with. They were two different people she knew, but they looked incredibly alike. They both had the same gorgeous white hair and the same luminous amber-gold eyes. Eyes that could bore into ones soul.

She remembered the name that she had often whispered in her lover's tapered ear, "Sesshomaru."

She realized that she'd said the name outloud and Kaede-baba's head whipped around to look at her, almost horrified.

"H--how do you know of him?" Kaede asked haltingly.

"Huh? Who?" Wildrose replied.

"Sesshomaru...how do you know of him?"

It was Wildrose's turn to look at Kaede strangely, "Question is, how do you know of him?" she countered.

"He is Inu-Yasha's half-brother. He is a very powerful full youkai, as opposed to Inu-Yasha's hanyou." Kaede explained, "Know how did you know of him?"

"You have to swear not to tell anyone." Wildrose responded gravely.

"I--I swear." Kaede studdered.

"He is...my lover....in my dreams he comes to me." Wildrose said, "But it's seems like it's real. I don't know where I came up with that name, or his face, or even his body for that matter. But it would figure he's Inu-Yasha's brother. They look so much alike."

Kaede opened her mouth as if to say something then closed it again. This girl was starting to scare her. Kagome and Inu-Yasha told her very little of Sesshomaru but she knew him by reputation and sight. Inu-Yasha had even ventured to tell her a little bit of his most recent encounter, where he'd been told more about their new enemy, Coyote.

From what Inu-Yasha told her Kaede gathered that Sesshomaru and Coyote were lovers and enemies at the same time. Coyote wanted to kill Sesshomaru for something he'd done, but Sesshomaru had confessed to Inu-Yasha that they had a mutual physical attraction, if not a bit of an intellectual and emotional one. The two seemed destined for each other.

"Has Kagome or Inu-Yasha spoken to you of Sesshomaru?" Kaede asked.

"Now that I think of it, I can't remember either of them speaking of him." Wildrose said.

Suddenly the door to Kaede's hut was thrown open.

"Kaede! Wildrose is---" Kagome stopped inside the doorway to stare at Wildrose. "-here...?"

Wildrose simply stared back. Kagome finally walked inside.

"You didn't go home last night?" Kagome finally managed to choke out.

"I don't remember what happened. I was walking home and I got as far as the well house then everything just went black. I can't remember much else besides waking up here." Wildrose said.

"You must have had another fainting attack." Kagome said.

There was a long silence and then a bunch of chatter about missed homework and having to call worried family when they got back.

"Um--Is there any place I could possibly get a bath?" Wildrose asked suddenly.

She was looking down at herself. Completely covered in dirt and even had it caked under her finger nails. And she smelled like smoke.

"Oh! Oh yeah. Sure thing. I could use a bath too." Kagome said.

She did look like it, even though Inu-Yasha had flown them most of the way Kagome had worked up quite a sweat from running around looking for Sango,Shippou, Miroku and Kaede, besides that some of the dust that had been kicked up was now clinging to her in places. Even Sango looked a little dirty from the work she'd been helping with in the village.

Kagome shuffled through her bag and pulled out three different swimsuits. One for each girl.

"Sango, you wanna join us?" Kagome asked the weary Youkai-slayer.

"Uh sure!" Sango said cheerfully. "We just better not find any lecher monks spying on us from the bushes."



** ** **



The water was warm against her tired skin. Wildrose marveled at the hotsprings. There weren't any in the United States. All they had that was close to it were geysers, and she wouldn't really want to try bathing in one.

Kagome and Sango sat across from her on natural stone ledges in the hot water.

"Oh wow...I didn't think there could be anything better than a hot tub." Wildrose sighed and stretched her legs.

"Yeah. This is great huh?" Kagome smiled. "Sango and I come here all the time. It's harder to get the boys to bathe but we like being clean."

Wildrose nodded and relaxed against the rocks behind her. Hot springs had to be natures gift to women.

Thoughts began to make their way into her head again and Wildrose couldn't seem to push them away this time. She could remember most of the dreams of Sesshomaru vividly.

What he looked like, smelled like, how his hair felt in her fingers. Even how his skin felt as he lay there in her arms. She even remembered his tail brushing against her once or twice and how soft the fur had been. She felt her face heat up as blood rushed to her face. There she was in a hotspring with two of her friends thinking about those nightly dreams with her dream man.

Suddenly she remembered seeing herself reflected in his eyes. The reflection didn't look at all like hers. Never had she looked so wild before. Her hair turned black and let loose to float around her head like a dark halo, her skin was darker than it had ever been. The only recognizable feature to her was the fang necklace, she felt the smooth surface of the teeth on her collar bone even when he was nipping at it and nuzzling her neck.

"Inu-Yasha said he saw Coyote close to the area the men found you." Sango said jarring her out of her rememberence. "Did you see her at all?"

"How could she, she was unconcious Sango." Kagome pointed out. "But we better be careful. Coyote's smell is all over the Bone Eaters Well and the well house. She might even try coming back to my time." Sango blushed slightly.

Something seemed to hit Wildrose right between the eyes.

This 'Coyote' woman always seemed to show up when Wildrose wasn't there. The well house was the last place she'd remembered being near before passing out and there had been a sighting close to where they'd found her passed out. There was definately something amiss with this picture.

The nights with Sesshomaru, he hadn't been with her, he'd been with Coyote.

Wildrose stood up with a start at the realization and climbed out of the hotsprings.

"Where are you going?" Kagome asked starting to stand up.

"I'm uh--gonna prune up if I stay in here any longer. Besides I need to use the bathroom." Wildrose lied.

She smiled gently before running from the hotsprings. She hadn't even bothered to pick up a towel to wrap around herself but she didn't care.

Inu-Yasha however noticed her tearing away from the safety of Kagome and Sango and the hotsprings wearing little more than a bathing suit. He knew something had to be wrong in order for any of the girls to bare themselves that much and not feel incredibly humiliated.

He bounded quietly after her, curious about the strange change in her smell.



** ** **



Wildrose finally stopped running after she'd lost sight of the village. She was breathing hard and crying at the same time. Leaning against a tree she sank to the ground not caring whether she got the bathing suit dirty or that sticks and twigs were digging into the skin of her hips. She put her face in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably, glad that she'd run from the village so no one would see her in this humiliating position.

"Come out into my forest just to cry eh?" Inu-Yasha's voice asked from above her.

She instantly ground the tears from her eyes and wiped her face, "No." she lied.

"Feh. You lie worse than Kagome." he said. "If she were you she'd probably 'sit' me to hell for seeing her in such a state of undress."

Wildrose felt her temper flare, he was looking at her in a bathing suit that hardly covered anything, "What makes you think I was crying? And what makes you think I won't kick your ass anyway?"

"Your sobs could be heard by any youkai within a mile of you and your smell says your sad." he replied tersely. "Not that I care that you're crying, but Kagome would sit me to hell again if I let anything happen to you. And you? You kick my butt? You wish."

"I don't understand what you mean." Wildrose replied. Sit him to hell? What did that mean?

"You mean you haven't seen what happens when she says that god awful word? Not that I care or anything." he said.

Wildrose stood up and brushed the leaves from her backside. "You like her and you know it." she said it accusingly, just to see what his reaction was.

His eyes widened, "WHAT?! Yeah right! Me? Like that wench!? Not a snowballs chance in hell!"

"Oh cut it out! I can see it in everything you do around her. Even the way you watch her while she's sleeping. And don't act so surprised, you're not the only one who stays up late you know." Wildrose countered as she dusted herself off, "What I feel like doing is none of your business!"

"Feh!" he snorted again and rolled onto his back, still remaining cradled in the tree branch.

He listened as her feet crunched against the dead leaves and heard her walk a little ways and stop again. She didn't move this time, she just stood, about fifty feet away from him her back turned to him.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and saw her head was hung and her shoulders were shaking.

"You women cry too much." he said irritably then paused for a moment, "You can tell me if you want, or you can keep it to yourself. It doesn't matter to me."

"Nothing matters to you, you insensitive idiot hanyou!" she growled and then stormed off. "You're just a stupid animal! Why should anything matter to you?"

Inu-Yasha dropped down from his branch and contemplated going after her, after all she had just insulted him and had even made an assumption that he knew was wrong. He did so care about things. He cared about his sword, getting stronger, getting all of the Shikon jewel, avenging Kikyo's untimely death, and....Kagome. He cared about a lot of things. She was just making stupid assumptions. But then, she never seemed to do that before.

When she'd been with the group over Kagome's 'weekend' she hadn't said a word, even though it was obvious that some things did irritate her, she didn't even want to stick up for herself. She told Kagome once when she had asked, that it was just easier to do disregard something or do what one was told to avoid getting into a fight. From what he'd seen of her he gathered she was a rather quiet person, that she wouldn't speak unless spoken to.

Her scent said something was wrong, he'd learned to read that on all human women. He decided to continue following her.

He found her sitting at the base of another tree, crying again, but this time the sobs were more heart breaking than the first. She was confused, that was the smell he detected, she was confused and sad and angry. Why hadn't Kagome seen that? Or at least Sango?

After listening to minutes of her sobbing he was getting depressed himself. Women shouldn't cry at all. He mused. He hated to see any woman cry, especially Kagome, it just ate at him, he didn't know why. Probably because of his human half.

He saw her hands close around the necklace she always wore. It looked almost like Coyote's, but it was smaller and less decorative, it had demon teeth on it, just like Coyote's did. He wondered where she could get such a necklace, it had to be worth a great amount of money. Especially if it had demons teeth, they could be used as a ward against other youkai and they were also a negotiation tool. A necklace with demons teeth on it usually showed that the person wearing it had been close enough to a youkai for them to bless them. Meaning a youkai would feel safer around a woman wearing that and a full suit of armor than around a woman wearing nothing.

She gripped it tightly until he could smell blood being drawn. She was in emotional pain apparently.

Am I really Coyote? Would Sesshomaru care for me if I weren't? Why is this happening? I just want to be normal again! Wildrose cried in agony inside her head.

That hanyou, Inu-Yasha that Kagome was always hanging out with wasn't helping either. He was just as tantalizing as his brother, but he was Kagome's and he was also about five hundred times as irritating as his brother. He didn't understand anything about human females, which was the way of the world Wildrose guessed. Her father and grandfather had both complained on several occasions about how uncomprehendible women were, usually refering to her mother or grandmother. She knew he'd follow her, just to make sure that 'Kagome's friend' was safe and that irked. He didn't even refer to her by her name, which pissed her off even further, if he was going to try and be comforting he should at least call her by name.

She sniffed a little and realized her tears were drying up. She'd come to a realization that wasn't quite as painful as she would expect.

She was Coyote and she was Wildrose. Two people sharing the same body, it wasn't uncommon. She'd known a boy from summer camp that had a female alter-ego named Pheonix. The boy would be sweet one minute and turn into a real bitch the next. She guessed it wasn't so bad, after all, this boy had lots of friends.

"I am...who I am." Wildrose said outloud after awhile, "I'll just have to accept that...He'll just have to accept that."

So you've realized I'm here. How nice. Coyote's voice was in her head now, something inside her had popped when she announced the news to herself.

Sesshomaru! I want him! Wildrose's mind practically shouted.

So, you really have fallen in love with that damnable youkai eh? Well this is an odd little situation isn't it. He hates humans.

He makes love to you.

Did I say I was human? Coyote is never human.

How did you get inside my head. Wildrose demanded answers, she was sick of the dreams, waking up in odd places and most importantly she was sick of being lonely waiting for her knight in shining armor.

Oh you remember. That night at the kachina dance...? You remember...the only dancer in the circle that was a woman, you know women are never allowed to do anything like that...The necklace...I gave it to you.

The necklace?

Yes. The necklace. Those teeth came from Coyote-spirit himself. His daughter lives through you now. And I know all your wants...You want Sesshomaru and you will do anything to have him...won't you? Coyote's voice was a pleasant thrum inside her head, hypnotic almost.

Yes.

Isn't that nice? Well, you'll have to work for it Wildrose Windcaller. Sesshomaru hates humans.

He'll love this one. What do I have to do? Wildrose was almost begging for an answer.

You need the sword. The one that hanyou carries. Don't try to seperate them, just capture them both. And the Jewel. You need the jewel too!

I---I can't do that. Kagome has the Jewel. She'll never give up Inu-Yasha or the Jewel.

Then kill her.

I can't do that!

Inu-Yasha watched from the tree above. Wildrose was staring off blankly into space. Her eyes were wide and trance like, he couldn't read anything going on inside her head. Something was wrong, her scent had changed again. This time it was changing not only in emotion but in the actual signature of the scent.

What the hell?

Wildrose felt like she was in the middle of a game of tug of war. Coyote was pulling on one-side trying to give her what she wanted most and her mind was pulling on the other begging her not to betray her friends.

Then suffer without Sesshomaru. Coyote said flatly. I'll tell you one thing, the only person he thinks of when he holds me is me. Imagine if you could change that.

Wildrose remembered the way he'd looked at Coyote, the only thing she could see in his eyes was her. He was completely absorbed in getting what he wanted and what she wanted. She wanted that to be directed at her, not Coyote.

If I get you the sword...what do I get in exchange?

A night with him. I want more than the sword, so if that is all you will produce one night will be all you get. I'll even throw in my guise, he won't know it's you until you let him know.

Wildrose's mind raced. Did she really want him that bad? Of course she did. Her mouth was practically watering.

Where do I bring him? The hanyou, Inu-Yasha, I mean.

I'll tell you only when you retrieve the hanyou and his sword.

All right then.

Inu-Yasha had since left for the village when Wildrose finished her inner battle. Her scent had changed, right under his nose, her smell was unrecognizable.



** ** **



After the evening meal had been cleared Kagome and Wildrose picked up their things to go back out onto the trails with Inu-Yasha and the others. Wildrose and Kagome had already gone back for a few minutes just to tell her host family where she was, apologize for not coming home and grabbing her things from Kagome's house. Wildrose sat by the fire staring into it solemly and Inu-Yasha sat a little farther away from her than usual. Kagome, not wanting her guest to feel put out, cornered him about it. She sat on a branch beside his and stared at him until he finally looked at her.

"What do you want?" he muttered.

"Why are you avoiding Wildrose? You're being rude." Kagome told him almost angrily.

He was silent until she had been giving him the death glare for over five minutes.

"She creeps me out, okay?" he finally admitted and turned his head away from her.

Kagome was shocked. He'd never said anything 'creeped him out' before. It was kind of funny in a silly juvenile way to be afraid of a defensless girl.

"Just because she scares you doesn't mean you have to be rude about it." Kagome finally managed to say without laughing.

"She doesn't scare me! She's just wierd!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

"Like how?"

"Her smell changed." he said in that 'as a matter of fact' tone.

Kagome snorted and fought back a smirk, "My smell changes all the time, right?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So does hers."

"Hers is different. Your's stays basically the same, I can always tell it's you. With her...she smells like a completely different person than this afternoon. That's why." Inu-Yasha admitted.

Kagome's urge to laugh at his antics disappeared when she saw how serious he looked. And come to think of it Wildrose was acting a little wierd. She hadn't even asked about where her sketchbook was.

Finally she was able to say something, "Um--, I'm gonna go to sleep. I'm kinda tired."

Inu-Yasha shrugged and nodded and followed her with his eyes as she left.

Kagome paused near Wildrose to put a hand on her shoulder and say something he couldn't make out. She nodded and waited for Kagome to come back with two sleeping rolls.



** ** **



It was nearly midnight and Inu-Yasha was still trying to stare down the moon. He hated the moon. For him it wasn't one of those stupid romantic things that rose and fell with the stars in the night sky, it was something to be avoided. His monthly change was almost on them, and he didn't feel like explaining why a human was wearing his clothes, with his voice and with his attitude to another person, especially if that person was Wildrose and especially if Coyote was still around. Maybe Kagome would want to take Wildrose home before she realized that he was gone. He wondered if she still kept track of the moon's cycle.

Wildrose was still awake, he turned to look at her. She was sitting up, staring into the fire, like she had been doing since they'd stopped to rest. She looked like a shell of her former self, he thought, and her smell hadn't fixed itself. It was like the person Kagome first brought with her into this realm had forgotten who she was, her personality had done a one eighty, and not for the better.

She hadn't eaten with the others, she hadn't gone with Kagome to wash up before bed, and she hadn't even gone to sleep. She just sat there. She shuddered, as if the power of his gaze was a physical feeling. She finally turned her eyes to look at him.

"You're still awake?" He muttered.

She nodded.

"You should get some sleep." he said bluntly.

She stared at him blankly and stood up to walk over to the base of his tree, "Can I ask you a question?"

Inu-Yasha blinked at her. A question? He nodded briefly, curious to see what she'd ask him.

"Have you ever...wanted something so bad, you would do something horrible to get it?" she asked, she touched the base of the tree tenderly, caressed it actually, and grimaced, like it had burned her..

His heart jumped into his throat. Had Kagome told her about the Shikon Jewel and Kikyo? He felt a tingle run down his spine and realized she was talking about herself.

"Well...I supppose so..." he said slowly. "Why?"

"Then you'll understand...Forgive me." she said sadly and bowed lightly.

What had she done that was so unforgivable? He wondered. She wouldn't have hurt Kagome in anyway, she just wasn't like that. But she had said something about wanting something so bad you'd do something horrible to get it. It made images of Kikyo and the day he'd been pinned to the tree rise up in his minds eye. He blinked away tears and suddenly felt better. Even though he'd done some horrible things, Kagome was still there, with him, understanding what he was and never caring about it. Unlike Kikyo, Kagome was willing to take him as he was and the thought of her leaving made him cringe.

But what was this? He'd been ignoring what Wildrose said afterward. He brought himself out of his thoughts to here her mumbling in a different language. After a few moments he heard it grow a bit louder.

He recognized the language that Coyote and Coyote-spirit had been using and suddenly knew what the horrible thing she'd do was. She'd catch him for Coyote to get the something she wanted so badly. He jumped out of his tree only to be caught, midjump by the branch he'd been sitting on.

He called out in surprise and noticed that Kagome and the others were stirring. He had to get this fight away from them, his sleeping companions could get hurt.

"Stop struggling Inu-Yasha. You'll be set free, eventually. You might even be permitted to keep that silly sword of yours." Wildrose smiled darkly.

"In your dreams!" he snapped and clawed at the branch.

The branch let go, only when he'd scratched through the ones binding him there. He dropped to the ground and felt the roots of the tree moving beneath him. Roots moved up to capture his ankles and he growled his frustration.

Kagome was moving more now. She had been sleeping lightly, quite obviously, and was waking up.

"Wildrose...or Coyote, whichever one you are, if we are going to fight, we must do it away from here." Inu-Yasha told her, he couldn't hide the frantic note to his voice.

"If you're worried about the safety of your companions, give up." she smiled peacefully.

Sesshomaru is as good as mine. She thought with a smile.

Kagome sat up and rubbed her eyes. Wildrose stood in front of Inu-Yasha, hands on her hips, glaring at him and he stood there in a fighting stance, looking back at her almost worriedly.

"What are you---?" she started, Wildrose turned to her.

"I'm sorry Kagome." she muttered and turned back to Inu-Yasha. "Spirits of wood, spirits of earth, lend to me the power to capture him..."

The young miko was terrified to see more roots arise from the ground to take hold of Inu-Yasha's arms, she noticed he was bound from his ankles down by roots from the tree and she almost screamed.

"Wildrose! Stop! What are you doing?!" Kagome cried.

"So much noise..." Wildrose said irritably, "It must be silenced."

Kagome felt the ground shift beneath her and almost screamed again when the roots tightened on her waist holding her down, while more crept up to seal her mouth.

"Hmph, I got the Shikon Jewel after all. A bonus for me then." Wildrose smiled slightly, "I wonder if Coyote will mind that you are there, Kagome? Doesn't matter, I'll still get what I want."

"Let her go and your life will be spared." Inu-Yasha snarled.

Wildrose laughed quietly, "I'm sure it will Inu-Yasha."

"What do you want that's so important you'd betray your friend?" Inu-Yasha looked over at Kagome who stared back at him silently.

"My knight in shining armor, sweet, ignorant Inu-Yasha." she smiled.

Her knight? In shining armor? It sounded like one of those silly fairy tales Kagome read to Shippou on a nightly basis. They always started out with a damsel in distress and wounded up with her being rescued by a handsome prince wearing shining armor and they'd ride off into the sunset. It wasn't a bad image, he wouldn't even mind if Kagome had similar fantasies with him as the knight, but to betray someone for a silly fairy tale!

"Have you gone completely mad, Wench?" Inu-Yasha snarled.

Wildrose shook her head, "For the first time, I see things clearly now. I can't just sit around waiting for my dreams to come true, I have to get off my butt and take what I want."

"Wise words, coming from a stupid bitch like you!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

"Not so wise words, coming from an ignorant half-breed." Wildrose retorted with a frown, "If you look behind me Inu-Yasha, you'll see you are in no position to make idle threats and insult me. Kagome may be my friend, but hey 'no pain, no gain' right?"

With that the roots holding Kagome seemed to loosen for a second then ram down on her with three times the force they'd been holding her before. She wouldn't let Inu-Yasha be bullied just because she was in a little discomfort. She bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted the biting coppery taste of blood, but she refused to cry out.

Miroku was the first on his feet, and also the first to be thrown back into a tree, and be nearly swallowed by the trunk. Sango had already awakened to see her friends body nearly disappear into the tree and shrieked in terror. Kirara, dislodged from it's perch had already shifted into it's larger form.

Shippou had jumped forward, trying to attack Wildrose, without comprehending who exactly his target was. He reached her face and paused.

"Wildrose-chan?"

"Shippou-chan, stay out of this, it doesn't concern you." Wildrose told the kitsune calmly.

"Why?" Shippou was looking at Kagome, who was nearly in tears.

"Wild....rose....You're.....suffocating me." Kagome finally gasped out beneath the weight of the roots.

"I am so sorry Kagome-chan." she smiled sadly, "But I need this."

"Who is it?! Who do you need?" Inu-Yasha cried. "Just tell me! I'll get it for you! Just tell me and let the others go!"

"I can't do that. Even if I wanted to. He wouldm't accept that...he wouldn't accept me that way. This is the way it has to be done."

Sango was on her feet, she swung the boomerang at Wildrose, it missed by mere inches, sending Wildrose stumbling forward. Wildrose whipped around, her eyes started to glow.

"Don't make me do this. You people have been like family to me, I don't want to hurt any of you!" Wildrose warned.

Sango spat at Wildrose's feet. Wildrose looked down at the wad of spittle, dumbfounded for a moment, then shot Sango a venemous look. The roots and branches followed her gaze, smacked Sango into a tree beside Miroku, the tree seemed to melt over her, locking her in place a little above Miroku. She, like Miroku, lost conciousness instantly.

Shippou made a cry of pure terror.

"Shippou! Get out of here! Now!" Inu-Yasha hollered at him.

"B-but K-Kagome..."

"I promise I'll get her back in one piece! Just go!" Inu-Yasha commanded frantically.

Shippou took the promise to heart and bounded as fast as his little legs would carry him to the edge of the forest and disintegrated into the leaves and trees.

"You better not lose Inu-Yasha!" Shippou's voice floated back.

Now it was just Inu-Yasha, Kagome and Wildrose and it looked like it would be just Inu-Yasha and Wildrose in a minute. Kagome looked pretty pale, a blue tint was beginning to rise in her face.

"Kagome! Don't you pass out on me!" Inu-Yasha yelled at her.

Kagome seemed to wilt before his eyes. And Wildrose stood there, her hair unbound, floating out behind her and her eyes glowing like two moons in the night sky

"Why all this melodrama? Just stop struggling and give in!" Wildrose said tonelessly.

Inu-Yasha looked over at Kagome frantically, searching for one nod that would determine his answer. Her eyes were closed against the betrayal of a friend and against the pain of her guardian. He couldn't tell if she was just passed out because of the suffocation or whether there was something worse hiding behind her eyelids.

Oh gods....No sword is worth this! "Just stop hurting her!" he finally bellowed. "Stop choking Kagome."

"You give up?" Wildrose asked.

"Yes....I give up. She'll probably hate me for it. Just take what you want and stop hurting her." he breathed.

The relief heard in his sigh was genuine as he saw the roots holding Kagome loosen. The ones binding him however cinched tighter.

"Kagome! Open your eyes and tell me you're okay!" Inu-Yasha called to her.

He didn't care who heard him now. Not even if Kikyo herself heard him begging her to show him she was alive.

In response Kagome just moaned and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to restrain himself. He groaned and let his head droop pitifully.

"Nice to see someone helping me out for once...even if it isn't by choice." Wildrose sighed, relief was apparent in her voice as well.

She looked at Miroku and Sango who still hung in their wooden prisons in what seemed like a deep sleep. Kirara darted about frantically in it's smaller form mewling at it's master to wake up.

"I suppose it will be better just to leave them here for the time being. A simple shielf of thorns and wing will keep trespassers out." Wildrose explained as she wove intricate patterns in the air, which seemed to glow dimly and slowly fade.

He heard the sound of branches twining together and the screech of some strange bird, a youkai from her world perhaps. He watched his fallen friend and love desolately, he wished to whatever gods were watching now that she would just wake up, show him that beautiful smile of hers and tell him everything would be okay.

He gritted his teeth against the pain he felt in his chest, he'd let Kagome down somehow. He looked up at the moon and groaned, "Oh shit."



** ** **



Inu-Yasha dreaded the coming of daylight. The day would fade into night and Wildrose would find him a lot easier to contain. He wasn't allowed to be near Kagome.

In fact Wildrose had been so bold as to blindfold him and put a foul smelling herb in a muzzle which she tied to his face. He couldn't see Kagome and his sense of smell was incredibly dulled by the herb. He felt like his worst nightmare had come true and would have killed himself right there if he hadn't known Kagome was only a few feet behind him behind that girl she'd dared to call 'friend'.

He didn't dare speak, talking meant having to breathe through his nose, and inhale that sickening scent. He simply listened to hear the light but somewhat clumsy footfalls of Kagome and sometimes a curse directed at the ground that seemed to be her enemy on this hike.

He kept track of time by sensing the heat on his back as they walked. Wildrose had chosen a well travelled path, probably to avoid demons, the sun was hardly blocked by trees. He felt the sun as it sank behind the horizon.

"We have to stop now." Inu-Yasha gagged out.

"Feeling a bit sluggish today Inu-Yasha?" Wildrose taunted gently.

"Perhaps." he said solemly.

He heard Wildrose heave a sigh and dragged both of her prisoners by the rope that connected them to her. She brought them through a cluster of trees and forced both Kagome and Inu-Yasha too the ground. He felt her body-heat from a few inches beside him and knew that she was facing him.

"Oh Inu-Yasha..." Kagome's voice was forlorn.

He was silent and just reveled in how close her body-heat felt and how her voice sounded. It felt as though he could taste her words.

"Can you at least take the muzzle off him?" Kagome begged.

"Sorry, I don't want him smelling where we're going." Wildrose replied tersely.

"That's alright Kagome...I can smell you from here." he managed to say somewhat normally.

He heard Kagome move slightly away from him and felt his heart wrenched and wish she'd move back to him, just touch him somehow, he didn't even care if her knee hit him in the crotch, just as long as he could feel she was there.

The sun was now going beyond the horizon.

"Oh shit." he muttered again.

"What's wrong Inu--"

"Kagome, do you still keep track of the moon phases?" he asked sadly.

"Oh shit." Kagome repeated the phrase and he couldn't help but smirk.

The familiar sensation that started in his ears and usually ended with his feet was pricking his skin with pins and needles. He grunted and bit into his bottom lip to keep from making a sound.

His claws, which had been recently digging themselves into his wrists were retracting.He knew that Wildrose could see. She saw everything but she didn't say a word.

"Ever seen a hanyou transformation before Wildrose? Did Coyote show you that?" Inu-Yasha taunted.

"It's a classic loup garou situation. I'm not surprised dog-boy." Wildrose said.

"Loup garou means were-wolf in french." Kagome said unnecessarily.

"Is that so? I'm not a wolf." Inu-Yasha said bitingly.

"I know."



** ** **

Sesshomaru was angry. Incredibly angry. Not only had his sleep been interupted but he had heard Rin's cries from down the hall and he could do nothing to help her.

The truth be told he had wakened to find Coyote had slipped manacles around his wrists while he had slept. Not liking this game at all he insisted she take them off and let him see to his charge.

"Where is Rin?" He demanded of her.

"In her room, with that annoying servant of yours...Jaken, I believe." Coyote smirked as she straddled him like a horse. "Don't worry, you'll be together soon enough. We have to get all the players here."

"Enough games Coyote!" he snarled.

He pulled at the chains that bound his wrist manacles together, instead of even picking up the slack the chains extended. He even tried biting through the metal, though each time he did all he wound up with was a sore mouth. Not even his poison talons melted through the bindings.

"Don't bother with those chains lover-boy. They're made of an enchanted metal, it is meant to contain demons." she smiled and licked his stomach.

He lurched forward to get his hands around her neck and found that the chain leading from his hands was anchored to thin air and the chain had been pulled short, he couldn't even hit her for making him suffer this indignity.

"After all your years....to sleep with a complete stranger...You know what you are Sesshomaru? You are a whore. A real fine Great Demon you'll make." Coyote taunted mercilessly. "You can't even defend yourself against me."

She bit his bottom lip and smiled when he didn't bother to return her touch. He was far too humiliated, he was in the process of collecting his shattered pride when her weight left him.

"Keep your 'gift' in your pants you flea bitten dog." Coyote grinned.

He looked at his legs, which were tucked up beneath him and realized that she'd clothed him with a simple spell.Thank the gods he wouldn't be found naked to add to this embarassment.

He had to obey her when she yanked him from his bed by the chain on his manacles and headed for the chambers downstairs. She stopped at Rin's bedroom and opened the door.

Rin was not shackled at all, just simply restrained, kicking and screaming all the way, by a lesser youkai. He was relieved to see that at least she was fighting back.

"Shaddap you useless Pup!" the youkai growled and delivered such a stunning blow to Rin's head that Sesshomaru was worried she might be dead.

Sesshomaru felt a deep growl rise in his throat and emerge from his mouth as a warning bark. The youkai looked up with a grin and held Rin up by her delicate wrists.

"This yours?" he asked with a laugh.

"She is....and if you continue to mistreat her, who is obviously above your station, then you will face my wrath!" Sesshomaru threatened coldly.

"Big talk coming from a poodle with such a tight leash."

The youkai tossed Rin like a rag-doll into the hall. Coyote scooped her up and handed her off to Sesshomaru.

"Did I order you to do that?!" Coyote turned to berate the other youkai. "No humans are to be harmed! Have I made myself COMPLETELY clear?!"

The youkai seemed to heed her warning a bit more than Sesshomaru's. He nodded weakly and then returned to his game of torturing Jaken, Coyote didn't seem concerned about that.

"Coyote...Why don't you just kill me now?" Sesshomaru asked.

He was in a vulnerable positon. He couldn't do anything to harm her or the people she wishedto remain safe, yet she could beat the living hell out of him anytime now. But she didn't.

"I still need you to get a vital part of my mission completed." Coyote responded. "Now, be quiet."



** ** **



Kagome finally felt the bonds tying her hands come loose and was relieved when she could finally help Inu-Yasha. She stood behind him and untied the bonds on his hands and on the back of his muzzle.

He turned around and caught her hands in his, brought them up to his nose and inhaled deeply. He was still human but he could still smell her somewhat. Shocked by his actions she questioned him about it.

"I was making sure it was you." He replied.

She let go of his hands reluctantly to untie his blindfold. It came off easily and his eyes seemed to drink in the sight of her.

"Well, now that you two love birds have been reunited it's time for you to join the other player in this game." Wildrose said.

In the crook of one arm Wildrose held Tetsusaiga, on her wrist on her other arm she held the nearly complete Shikon Jewel.

Inu-Yasha felt the pain in his heart again, as he thought of how miserably he failed Kagome but pushed it aside as she bound up their hands again, this time with metal shackles. She then led them to a large room and pushed them inside.

Inu-Yasha instinctively put himself in front of Kagome when he noticed who else was in the room with them.

Sesshomaru looked up from the wounded human girl in his lap and gave them a blank look.

"What in the seven hells are YOU doing here?!" Inu-Yasha demanded.

"I recognize the bitch, but not you. Who are you?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Take a sniff and see Brother!" Inu-Yasha snapped.

Sesshomaru tested the air with his nose, "I see now. Welcome to the game Inu-Yasha."

"This ain't a fucking game!" Inu-Yasha snapped. "This bitch has Tetsusaiga!"

He gestured to Wildrose angrily to where she stood in the door way. She held the sword in one hand and twirled it around in her fingers absently. Sesshomaru glared at her but she held her ground, staring at him like a hungry cat.

"Unless you wish to be sliced into sashimi, human, I suggest you leave." Sesshomaru warned.

Wildrose smiled and then bound Kagome and Inu-Yasha to the wall, the chains barely long enough to allow them to come within five feet of Sesshomaru.

After she'd bound them she dropped the sword in the doorway and walked over to Sesshomaru, kneeling down beside him.

"You are even more beautiful then you were in my dreams..." she whispered.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly, "What are you babbling about?"

"You speak of your hatred for humans....But is it really well founded? Did you know you've been sharing your bed with a human these past few nights?" Wildrose asked, "Of course you didn't. You held Coyote...and me...thinking thoughts that I'd like to hear."

Sesshomaru made a face and backed away from her.

"Coyote! So this is your host eh?! Why was I such a fool?!" he slapped himself mentally and berated himself verbally.

"Wildrose Windcaller and Coyote Windcaller share the same body." Wildrose said.

Inu-Yasha sniffed, her scent had shifted to Coyote's scent and the auburn color in Wildrose's hair was melting away into black. Coyote simply stepped out of Wildrose's mind, leaving Wildrose's looks and clothing behind.

"Am I not still appealing, Sesshomaru?" Wildrose's voice asked.

"Never with a human!" Sesshomaru snapped.

Wildrose heaved a sigh.

You said I could have him for a night if I brought you Inu-Yasha and the stupid sword. I did that and I brought the Shikon no Tama. Where is your half of the deal Coyote?

I didn't plan on him rejecting my body. He smells you as a human.

Damnit why does he reject me?

"Sesshomaru, you realize that you only have two options. Do you not?" Wildrose asked.

Sesshomaru was silent. Wildrose smiled at him and touched his face tenderly.

"Get your hands off me. Filthy human." he growled at her.

Wildrose frowned and jerked her hand back as if she'd been burned, "I did so much for you...I don't understand."

Kagome felt a sickness in the pit of her stomach. She felt her heart reaching out to Wildrose, even though she'd betrayed her friends, no one deserved to be rejected by someone they loved.

"Wildrose he's not worth it." Kagome said simply, "If he won't reciprocate your feelings he's just not worth the agony."

Sesshomaru looked at her puzzled.

"What is your stupid bitch rambling on about Inu-Yasha?" Sesshomaru asked angrily.

"I can speak for myself, and my name is Kagome, not bitch. And if it isn't obvious, Wildrose obviously is in love with you. Don't know why....Damn Greek statue maker." **a running jokish type thing, read chapter one if you wanna know what I'm talking about**

Sesshomaru laughed at the last comment. Either this 'Kagome' was incredibly stupid or she'd gone insane, he'd wager both played an equal part in the things she said.

Join with me Wildrose and I can garauntee he won't reject you again. Coyote said tauntingly.

I----will do it.

Wildrose stepped back away from Sesshomaru frowning sadly.

"I've been rejected. That's the story of my life." Wildrose mumbled. "Sesshomaru, if I can't have you, then no one will."

"Do your worst human." Sesshomaru growled at her.

"Fine then...I will." Wildrose smirked.

The black that streaked her hair now completely absorbed it, her eyes shifted from hazel to a deep throated crimson and her finger nails had extended into three inch dagger-like claws. If her expression was any indication it hurt somewhat as her bones shifted and she grew taller.

Kagome let out a frightened eep and tried to move as far away from Wildrose as possible. Inu-Yasha moved to shield her from anything Wildrose might dish their way.

Sesshomaru on the other hand simply looked at her uninterested.

"So you're joining with your host eh Coyote? For what? Me?" Sesshomaru sneered and instinctively cradled Rin closer to himself.

"Arrogant pompous...son of a bitch." Coyote's voice merged with Wildrose's emerged from the throat. "For this insult and for what you've done in the past you will die. But only after you've revived the Anasazi. My people!"

Kagome shivered as she saw souls, cloud-like swirls of light that contained the spirit of their host, danced around Wildrose or Coyote and eerie wails pounded out a song that she was sure had to be a war beat from ancient America. Songs that had echoed through the forests and the plains of North, Central and South America for hundreds of years until the European settlers arrived and wiped many of them out. Had Sesshomaru been among the European's number? Torturing innocent tribes who had no clue who or what he was?

"Is that really what your host wants Coyote?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Not quite. But she will understand with time....and I will be appeased and she will be allowed to live her life, as youkai or as human, it is her decision." Coyote said smiling.

Red war paint decorated Coyote/Wildrose's chest, face and ribcage. The markings resembled claw marks, almost like Sesshomaru's markings or Inu-Yasha's when he had the youkai-madness. They seemed to draw Sesshomaru's gaze and he read them like a book.

"You want me to use my sword to revive your people? Then what's with them?" Sesshomaru asked gesturing to Inu-Yasha and Kagome.

"Wildrose is my second half...I would not want her unhappy. She decided that making you an offer that you could hardly refuse was a better idea. The half-breed and the sword are yours if you will do our bidding, if you do not and decide to go to your grave so be it."

"What about Kagome? Why drag her into this?" Inu-Yasha snapped.

"She's the keeper of the Shikon no Tama, the Jewel of four souls and a promising miko. Should Sesshomaru fail, I would not go to Coyote-spirit empty handed." Coyote replied, "The Shikon no Tama, once completed has the ability to grant one's deepest desire, does it not? Meaning no matter what I would have my people back."

"You on the other hand, dear hanyou, are of no consequence. So if your brother fails...it is better we wipe out the bloodline completely. A shame, I have a slight weakness for a pretty face."

Inu-Yasha felt Kagome tremble against him, he couldn't stand the thought of her being a mere 'tama-detector' to Coyote, even though that was often all he, himself, had treated her as. He growled and wished he hadn't handed the Tetsusaiga over to Wildrose.

"Last chance Sesshomaru. Mate with us and do as we bid you and your life will be spared, you'll also gain the sword you so crave and the ability to regain the honor your father stole from you with the birth of that half-breed." Coyote/Wildrose said calmly. It seemed to good to be true to Sesshomaru. He'd gain the sword, and probably learn to use it from the hanyou before he tore the bastard's throat out, and in killing Inu-Yasha he'd regain his honor. Coyote also offered herself in the deal, his mouth nearly watered. He'd be endowed with the extra strength and knowledge of Coyote. What was there to lose?

My pride. My dignity in honoring the vow I made to myself, that I wouldn't wind up with a bastard half-breed child like my father did.

Inu-Yasha glared at his brother from his place protecting his human bitch. Sesshomaru returned his stare silently, hatred for all that Inu-Yasha was, and all that his brother symbolized, had taken away from him, glittered in his amber eyes.

"What do you think Half-breed?" Sesshomaru asked coolly.

"I think the deal is a rip off." Inu-Yasha replied angrily.

"Yeah. I mean, what's the fun in just getting the sword from Wil--I mean Coyote? I thought you wanted to pry it from his cold dead fingers." Kagome echoed Inu-Yasha's thoughts outloud."Where's the fun in that when you can humiliate and kill your brother in the heat of battle?"

Inu-Yasha felt a sweatdrop develope at his temple. She was making it sound as though he were a push over.

Sesshomaru on the other hand was fighting an inner battle. The human wench was making sense, and he decided that it would be more satisfying to kill Inu-Yasha on the battle field. Not as he was, chained to the floor like some fucking dog, Sesshomaru thought sardonically.

"My answer is the same. Never with a hanyou, even a fake one." Sesshomaru growled ripping his gaze from his brother and the bitch.

"Fine. It will be as you will it." Coyote/Wildrose said finally.

She turned and left the room, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her.

"You both had better sleep while you can." Sesshomaru said. "She'll be back tomorrow."

"Feh. You sleep. I'm not going to shut an eye until I'm back in my hanyou form." Inu-Yasha's violet eyes narrowed.

"Heh. You look just like your mother with that irritated face. She always looked at me like that for one reason or another. But if that's the way you feel you can stay up and keep lookout for her or any of her servants." Sesshomaru replied.

Sesshomaru backed away from the short table and shifted his position so he held Rin with her head resting against his tail as a pillow. Inu-Yasha had never seen Sesshomaru be so gentle with any creature, especially with a human child. What had changed him?

Kagome let out a loud sigh of relief that attracted Inu-Yasha's attention. She looked tired, beautiful, but tired.

"You can sleep too if you want Kagome." Inu-Yasha said quietly.

"I'll pass thanks..." Kagome punctuated her sentence with a yawn.

She sat close beside him staring at his elder brother with a slight interest. She was fascinated by the tenderness that he was showing the little girl.

"What's her name?" Kagome asked.

"Her name...? It's Rin." Sesshomaru said hesitantly, looking up suddenly. "She's mine."

Kagome almost laughed at his response, he treated her as though she were a pet, but also as something more. She kept her smile hidden and noticed Inu-Yasha's solemn stare at the small girl.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked him quietly.

"He means that she'll be his mate when she's older." Inu-Yasha replied in a whisper only loud enough for her to hear.

He wished he could say the same about Kagome. Make that sacred claim to her. So many others had said that she was his woman, and even Kouga seemed to realize, not that he would admit it, that there was something between them other than friendship. She was the only one who seemed to be somewhat oblivious to the pull between them.

"Oh..." Kagome said, she sounded almost sad, "So she's got no choice at all?"

"She can challenge his claim if she wants to, but she's too young to understand, so she won't. But once the relationship becomes...uh--physical there's no way out of it. Unless one of them dies." Inu-Yasha explained.

Kagome acknowledged with a noise. She finally let her head rest against his shoulder, still watching Sesshomaru holding Rin. His head was leaned against the wall, his eyes closed in what looked like sleep, his arms wrapped around the child, he seemed serious but content and Kagome felt a pang of jealousy.

Inu-Yasha would never make such a claim about her. She felt her heart complain about the thought. She enjoyed being with him but she wanted it to become more. She remembered her bold move by pulling Inu-Yasha down ontop of her and held him in her arms, she also remembered the hug she'd given him before leaving for school and couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't objected and even why he didn't object to her using him as a pillow right now.



** ** **



Kagome woke to a deep rumbling from within Inu-Yasha's chest. She opened her eyes and noticed that both Sesshomaru and Inu-Yasha were both asleep, ignoring the threats they'd given to each other. Inu-Yasha was back in his hanyou form, and even though Kagome loved it when he was human like her she was relieved to see that familiar silver hair and set of dog ears.

She remembered why she'd awakened and listened again until she realized that Inu-Yasha was purring. The sound was rich and soothing even though she was shocked to find it's source was her half-demon companion. She blinked and was reminded of times when she'd fallen asleep with Buyo as her pillow, the purring cat had always been a stress reliever and his had the same narcotic affect on her.

She shook her head vigorously and heard the tinkle of metal from around her wrists. How could she forget?! She was in a chamber meant to be their prison, with shackles that felt alot more heavy bricks than anything else. She choked back a shout of anger and distress. Inu-Yasha's nose twitched and he stopped purring.

He stirred and finally opened his golden eyes to look down at her.

"Daijoubu?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

"You were purring." she said.

"I--What?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "I was not!"

"You were. I woke up and you were purring." Kagome smiled. "You almost put me back to sleep."

Inu-Yasha felt his face heat up and knew he was probably blushing like a fool. But it was pretty insulting to wake up and have a human tell him that his purring had nearly put her to sleep.

Kagome read his face, "Oh, don't take it the wrong way. I'm just saying it was soothing." she said rushing to cover up the apparent insult.

He blushed an even darker red, she'd liked it?

His ears pricked as Sesshomaru moved again, he was staring at them with a slightly amused look on his face.

"How about we concentrate on getting out of here, then you two can compliment each other until you're blue in the face." Sesshomaru suggested suddenly.

Kagome blushed furiously, "Why didn't you just break your chains?" she asked finally.

Sesshomaru sighed and frowned almost angrily, "I...can't."

"What do you mean you can't? You liar! You could just transform into your ture form and break free of them."

"I tried that already. It didn't work, the metal Coyote made this out of prevents me from using any of my youkai powers." Sesshomaru admitted irritably, "Believe me if I knew I'd suffer from this indignity I would have destroyed Coyote's soul when I had the chance."

"So she caught you at an indecent moment and threw those on you, huh?" Inu-Yasha smirked.

"Don't tempt me brother." Sesshomaru said menacingly.

"I should be saying that to you Sesshomaru." Inu-Yasha grinned.

"Well, why don't you break your chains?" Sesshomaru smirked.

Inu-Yasha's smile faded as he tried to pull the shackles apart with brute strength. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't break them.

"It's impossible."

"Not impossible. She only used a little bit of the metal in a different alloy to make your shackles. You're back as a hanyou, so she couldn't stop that, she just used enough to make sure you wouldn't escape." Sesshomaru explained, "But you can transform and break out of them."

"What are you blabbing about you effeminate moron. I'm hanyou, if you haven't already pointed out enough." Inu-Yasha snapped angrily.

"Let him talk Inu-Yasha." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru nodded at her in thanks, "As I was saying, you have the ability to transform, if you're desperate enough, into something like my true form. Albeit smaller and weaker because you're half-ling, but it should be strong enough to get you free of those restraints."

"You fucking asshole!" Inu-Yasha snarled as he got to his feet...



** ** **





**Another Author's Note: Teehee. I just wanted to piss you all off with another cliff hanger ending. God I hate those when I'm reading but sometimes it's necessary to give one's eyes a break. I did end it a little early I must admit but that means that I have an opportunity to write another chapter. I'm pretty confident that this one is a little less coherent than the other one, but that's all right, right?