~Disclaimer... I don't own InuYasha! However, if you read "Unleashed", you'll find I do own Sesshoumaru. Or, as I like to call him, "Bad Dog!" -grin- He may make an appearance here, eventually. If I let him...

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Her instincts were telling her to run and find InuYasha, but instead she put her arms around Kouga's neck and kissed him again. While her youkai instincts were telling her to find a stronger mate, her brain was telling her that she would never find him in time. And there was no guarentee that he'd even want her. Plus, there was something else. Something pulling her to Kouga, making her kiss him. Making her want him. His arms around her waist pulled her even closer, until there was nothing seperating them but cloth. Her arms went around his neck, locking her into his embrace.

Suddenly, Kouga broke the moment and pulled away from her lips. "Kagome," he breathed, "Do you want to leave?"

Her head was spinning and she couldn't for the life of her make sense of what he was saying. So she just cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Kouga almost laughed. He had never seen such a sweet look. He decided he'd better clear things up. "Do you want me to help you find InuYasha?" he asked sincerly. He wasn't about to be a replacement for that mutt. And he was pretty sure her heat wasn't effecting her enough to make her kiss him like that if she didn't have feelings for him. She wasn't that kind of girl. But he didn't know how deep those feelings really were. He wanted to be sure.

Now she was really confused. Sure, she knew that he could help her find InuYasha a lot quicker, but... Why would he? "Why would you ask that?" she said.

He replied honestly, "I don't want to be your mate only until you can find him. If you really don't want me, I'll help you find him. Or I'll protect you for the next three days. Either way, I won't be a tool of convinience. I love you, Kagome. And I want you to love me and be my mate. Forever..."

He breathed the last word in her ear and chills ran up her body. She leaned her head against his chest and said softly, "No."

He held his breath. 'No' what? he thought. No, she doesn't want me? No, she doesn't love me? No, she doesn't want to be my mate?

She smiled at his panicked expression and said, "I do want you, Kouga." She looked up into his eyes and continued gently, "I don't know if I love you as deeply as you love me. I...do feel something for you, but it's confusing." She leaned back into his chest and said, "I don't know if it's the heat or the heart, but something is telling me to stay with you. To be with you. To love you..."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing! She was actually choosing him!? Finally! he thought.

(LEMON)

(you have temporarily gone deaf and blind...)

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(several hours later and well into the night; under the cover of wildflowers)

(your senses have been restored)

Kagome woke to find herself cradled in Kouga's arms. The nights were getting chilly and she thought of getting up to find her uniform. But instead just snuggled in closer to his body. Still asleep, he pulled her in tight and let out a contented sigh. She smiled fondly at him, then turned her head to the sky. The stars were so bright and she found to her surprise that she no longer felt the despair that had plagued her for the past two months. She absently brushed her hand across the skin where her shoulder met her throat. The place where Kouga had marked her as his. She had marked him the same way. She had found that she did in fact love him. And she told him so. She knew that the reason she had trouble admitting it to herself was that, she also loved InuYasha. But her love for InuYasha had only brought her pain and despair and hopelessness. And not once had he ever told her he felt anything for her other than, perhaps, friendship. Kouga had no problems admitting his feelings, and that confused her at first. She thought the feelings she had for him were of a friend, a brother. But she now knew they weren't. And the feelings she had for Kouga were deeper than any she had ever had for InuYasha.

She let out a heavy sigh and thought to herself, I hate to say it, but I hope I never see InuYasha again... If I do, if he'll accept me, I'll be forced to leave Kouga. She wrapped her tail around the both of them, adding to the warmth eminating from his body. Maybe somehow, I can find a way to make Kouga more powerful than InuYasha? Then I can still be his friend, be around him without having to fight a losing battle against my own instincts! Then a thought occured to her.

"The Shikon Jewel!" she said aloud. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late.

"What about it..?" Kouga asked sleepily, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Oh, well... she thought, He's awake now.

"Well," she began, "I was just thinking that, if I gave you what I have of the Shikon, you'll be stronger than InuYasha. That way there won't be a chance that I'll lose you!"

His arms tightened even more and she thought they were going to squeeze the life out of her. "No." he said simply.

She looked into his eyes and saw such determination there.

"If I can't protect you on my own strength, then you deserve someone who can."

She shook her head and started to protest, but he put a single finger on her lips to silence her.

"I don't intend to give you up without a fight. Even if I can't win." he said, "But...if he IS stronger than me, he'll be able to protect you. He does it on his own, without any help. So if I were to use your jewel shards, I would be cheating."

He leaned in for another sweet kiss and she suddenly couldn't imagine life without the warmth and love of her mate, Kouga. The one she loved above all else.

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(A/N) Okay, Kouga Fangirls say it with me! "KAWAII!!" I think he's so kawaii wanting to protect her, even if it's not him doing it! Okay, gonna go bye bye now!

Ja ne!

'Nika'