~Disclaimer...I don't own InuYasha. Jodea Moondreamer does! And she owns Naruto, Ranma and Sugar the Demon Cat! I own my Fluffykins and Kuramy-poo! But soon I'm gonna own other bishys!

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Kouga wasn't about to lose her without a fight. She had told him exactly what would take place when InuYasha came for her, and now he had to put it all to use. He remembered her saying that she would be forced into heat and her instincts would take over completely. She would be drawn to find him. Drawn to mate him. She also told him that the only way to stop her was for another male to challange InuYasha in battle over her. She would allow them to fight and would then choose the victor as her mate. And there was nothing else that could be done. He had to defeat InuYasha.

Kagome flew wildly through the forest, ignoring everything but the overwhelming desire to find InuYasha. As she ran, she could faintly hear Kouga trying to keep up with her and calling her name. But in her instinctive state, it didn't make sense. Just more backdrop to the desire to find him.

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Sesshoumaru was patroling his lands when he sensed a powerful force baring down on him with incredible speed. He turned his nose to the wind and sniffed. A female! The shock he felt was not apparent on his face. Not only was the force a female, but an inu-youkai like himself. And she was in the highest stage of heat. If he were anyone else, he would have been overcome by the desire to find and mate her. But he wasn't. He was the cold and emotionless lord of the Western Lands. But he wondered how he could have missed the scent of a female in heat until now.

He cloaked himself with magic and silently thanked Rin for not wanting to follow after him this time. He perched in a tree and watched as the female sped past below, unknowing of his presense. Then he saw the wolf prince, Kouga, following after her. He smirked and thought to himself, Ah. So that is it. The bitch is his mate and she must have sensed the presense of a stronger male. The wolf obviously didn't know what he was getting himself into when he mated that female. (A/N=he's not insulting her by calling her a bitch. She is a female dog demon, therefore, a bitch.)

He removed himself from the tree and followed after them at a safe distance. He was certainly not interested in claiming her as his own. He had more important things to worry about. But he admitted that the wolf was indeed quite strong, and if she had sensed a stronger male, there was certain to be a fight to come that may damage the surrounding area. These were his lands, and he'd be damned if he would let them be destroyed by two males fighting over a bitch in heat!

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InuYasha came to a field and stopped. Something was coming, and he couldn't figure out what. He searched for Kagome for months before swallowing his pride and asking Sango and Miroku. He was outraged when he heard that she had become that wimpy wolf's mate! But now he was gleeful that he was a wimpy wolf. He knew about inu-youkai females and he knew what their instincts made them do. If he could just find her, she would come back to him. She had to! Not only was he her own kind, an inu-hanyou, but he was also much stronger than her present mate.

It had taken him almost an entire year to come to his senses. And all that time she was with the wolf. He had wandered the land absently, much as she had done for the first few months. In that time Kikyo had been plauging him constantly. Trying to drag him to hell with her, but his silent dismissal of her eventually caused her to back off. It wasn't long after her last attempt that he had come across a familiar scent. It was old, but it was definatly her. Kagome! When he caught her scent he seemed to break out of the haze that had been clouding his senses. He suddenly knew why he had been so lost and lonely without her all this time. He loved her! And now he was going to get her back, no matter what the cost.

A wind blew from the direction of the approaching...thing...and his eyes widened. Kagome! She was coming to find him! Was it possible that she still loved him!? But then she appeared before him and he saw her eyes. They were completely red, lost in her instinctive drives. His heart nearly broke when he saw that she didn't come to him of her own free will, because she loved him. But he wasn't about to let this oppertunity pass him by. Whether or not she loved him, he loved her! And he would have her as his mate!

Kagome approached him seductively put her hands on his shoulders. She nuzzeled his neck and he almost lost himself. But that was when Kouga appeared. He was instantly on Kagome, trying to pull her off InuYasha, who wasn't helping much.

Finally, Kagome rounded on him and he gasped at the wildness in her blood red eyes. "Do you challenge him?" she purred.

He nodded and said firmly, "Yes, I do."

"Hmm." she said and licked her lips. "Then fight." She looked between the males who were glaring at each other with equal determination to win and said, "The winner...gets me." She smiled and bared her fangs before backing up to watch the two males battle violently for nothing more than her.

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Sesshoumaru arrived in time to see the wolf and his half-brother battle it out. He hid himself and watched. As he watched the fight, he couldn't help but seem drawn to the female who looked on the battle with sadistic glee. Her lips were slightly parted and her elongated fangs were sparadically nipping at them. She was, perhaps, the most beautiful female he had ever seen. But that was not what kept his gaze on her. It was the purple starburst gracing her forhead, half hidden behind her bangs. He knew it as the mark of the Eastern Royal Family. But he didn't think the current Lord had any children. But then, she could be a bastard.

He chuckled slightly as he thought of the fact that Lord Seiichi may have an heir that he didn't even know about. It wasn't unheard of for a female to seek out a powerful mate when in heat, then leave him after the three days were over. As much as inu-youkai professed not to mate for life, if a female doesn't love the one she's mated, she won't stay with him after her heat is over.

For the first time, Sesshoumaru seriously considered taking that female as his mate. She was perfect for him. Powerful, beautiful, and of royal blood. And if he chose to take her, the two now fighting over her wouldn't stand a chance. Unknown to others, he had never really fought his brother with all his power. He wanted the Tetsusaiga true, but he couldn't deny that the half-breed was his brother. And he really had no desire to kill him. Not over a sword. But over a female, that was another story.

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InuYasha looked down at the battered and bloody Kouga lying on the ground. He smiled wickedly, pleased with his victory...and his prize. Speaking of his prize, she stood at his side with her arms around him and once again nuzzling his neck. InuYasha turned to lead his new mate away and said with disdain, "Like a wimpy wolf like you could ever beat me. Or could ever keep a taiyoukai like Kagome happy."

They turned away, but something pulled at Kagome. She felt a strange ache in her chest and looked back at the wolf still trying to get up and fight. Suddenly recognition dawned in her eyes and she stopped smiling.

Kouga saw the change and saw the red of her eyes receed slightly. He thought that perhaps she had beaten back her instincts and wouldn't go with InuYasha. But all she did was whisper, "I'm sorry." before her eyes changed again and she went back to smiling.

He watched as the woman he loved, the mother of his pup and the only mate he would ever have left with the dog-turd that had beaten him so miserably.

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Sesshoumaru had been on the verge of going down there and beating his brother into submission and taking the woman, until he heard InuYasha's words. He stopped before he reached their withdrawing backs and watched them go. Kagome, he thought. Wasn't that the miko that traveled with him? But she was human. Surely that can't be the same woman. They're too different. However... Then he left, wanting to know the truth, and sought out his spys. He wanted to know exactly what he had missed these past two years.

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(A/N) okay, as for whether or not InuYasha's being mean... Not really. He loves Kagome with all his heart and just can't stand to be without her. And as for the time when he was, what I like to call "Cuukuu over Kagome", how would you react to finding out your boyfriend/girlfriend/lover/wife/husband/closest friend/etc... was nothing like you thought they were!? I think he took it pretty well. I mean, all he did was wander around for a few months in a daze, lost in his own head! Think what he could have done. Destroyed villages, killing sprees, COMPLETE AND TOTAL DESTRUCTION!!! Not a pretty picture, is it?

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Thanks to: Sami, Trina, lilhillbillie, sleepybunny, treuse, Amai Kaminari, SeaBlu49,

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lilhillbillie: Sorry! But it rocked! Fluffy rules! Well, he's owned by a ruler... ^_^

Amai Kaminari: (blush) Wow. You really like them THAT much!? What can I say..?...wow!

SeaBlu49: Well, Kagome will stick with InuYasha as long as possible, let's put it that way.