A/N: ~mock gasp~ the suspense is building....dun dun DUN! Pssh I wish =\
Same as before, folks (ya know; the reviewing thing?) ~pokes reader with a
spoon~
~*~*~*~*~
Kouga stiffened. "What do you mean, she might not survive through the night?!"
Ginta recoiled, knowing his pack leader wouldn't take it well. "The pack isn't too pleased about the idea of a human moving into our territory, and already they decided they don't like her-"
"That's ridiculous!" Kouga cried, furious.
Hakkaku and Ginta glared as Serenity approached them. She smiled kindly at them, and was far too exhausted to take a hint from them. Kouga, however, shoved past the two males and led Serenity through the clearing and into the cave.
"What's wrong?" she asked, hesitant to get comfortable.
"Its not you," Kouga said quickly, setting down the bags and approaching her. "Lay down in the nest and get some rest; I need to take care of something."
Not about to argue with a chance at sleeping, Serenity quickly laid down on the straw and fell asleep at once.
~*~*~*~*~
Kouga called everyone's attention, and demanded to know what was going on.
A young male wolf spoke up first, "A human in the pack is like contamination! She would only cause trouble!" Encouraged by his boldness, the other wolf demons began to shout out their excuses.
Kouga was appalled by the audacity of his pack mates, and finally snarled, "I'VE CHOSEN HER TO BE MY MATE, SO YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH HER SOONER OR LATER!!!"
*Collective Silence*
"B-but Kouga!" someone cried out, breaking the silence. "Remember what happened the last time you placed your claim on a human female?"
Kouga bit his lip. The incident with Kagome had been rash, but the pain dulled over time. "I am well aware of what happened the last time! But as the leader of this pack, I have to mate at some point, do I not?"
Another voice: "With human blood in their veins, the cubs will become old and weak, and eventually die. Most likely before you do!"
Kouga couldn't stand the thought. He shivered.
Then someone else: "You will be eternally bonded to somebody that will die within a few decades!"
Kouga turned and left, unable to hear any more.
~*~*~*~*~Six Months Later~*~*~*~*~
When Serenity woke up, she found Kouga lying beside her in the straw nest.
She got closer to him and watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.
Kouga stirred, and opened his eyes. He looked at Serenity, who had her head laying on his chest. She smiled gently at him.
'Gods, she's beautiful," Kouga thought, slowly putting his arm around her.
Serenity was lulled back to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat, and while she slept, Kouga thought over what he said to the pack several months earlier.
'I'm glad I went through the trouble to try and mate with her,' he thought, the memory of Kagome in his head. 'It seems to be a mutual feeling this time, and I think she's worth it. Not only that, but I have a better chance than I did with that other wench.' Kouga sighed, and closed his eyes.
Hakkaku appeared at the cave entrance and shouted, "Kouga! The men you sent out last week to investigate that gulch have returned!"
Kouga perked up at this: he was anxiously awaiting the return of these wolves. He gently took Serenity off his chest and laid her on the straw.
Upon exiting the cave, Kouga's mood went from excited to mortified.
Out of the 25 men he sent to the gulch, only 3 stood before him.
"Wh-what happened?!" he cried, motioning the healers to prepare medicinal concoctions to heal the battered wolves.
"The gulch is TEEMING with the Birds," one wolf managed, sitting on the ground and panting. The other two joined him.
"How many?" Kouga asked, dread dripping from his voice.
"Hundreds of thousands, possibly more than that," said another.
Kouga shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead to try and ward off the headache that was coming.
Suddenly, snarls were heard.
Kouga turned and saw Serenity behind him, trying to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" she asked, kneeling down in front of the injured wolves. They bared their teeth at her, but she ignored it. Even though she was there for 6 months already, some of the wolves were still hostile towards her.
"Serenity," Kouga said sternly. "Go back to the cave."
She looked up at her mate and became irked. "You seem to have forgotten that I know how to treat wounds as good as the healers, darling. And not to mention that I have stuff from my world." With that, Serenity pulled out a bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, and Ace Bandages.
The injured wolves weren't too sure about letting some human put her supposed 'medicine' on their wounds. They growled savagely at Serenity.
"Knock it off," Kouga said, figuring that his mate wasn't going to obey his order to leave anyways.
Within 10 minutes, the wolves were fixed up and ready to go.
Despite their rude actions, it was obvious they were grateful.
Kouga watched Serenity as she went and played with a group of cubs. 'She's kind to everyone in the pack,' he thought. 'Why aren't they giving her some respect?'
Serenity was interrupted in her festivities with the cubs by a wolf cursing at her and pulling the children away. Kouga could smell sorrow coming from his mate as she plodded towards him.
"What did I ever do to them?" she asked Kouga, leaning against his chest. He put his arm around her and shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess being human is enough, he said, hugging her closer.
Together they walked under a shady tree to escape the summer heat. After they sat down on the ground, Serenity said, "I love playing with the cubs, Kouga."
"Mmm-hmm," he said, nuzzling his face into her hair. Serenity turned and looked him directly in the eyes. Kouga cocked his head at her.
"I have something to tell you," she said, standing back up and stretching before she began walking away. Snagged by curiosity, Kouga leapt to his feet and pursued her.
"What do you mean, you have something to tell me?" he asked when he caught up to her.
Serenity picked up Minoko in her arms and smiled. She jiggled the cub gently, causing her to laugh. "I'm going to be having one of these, Dear," Serenity said to Kouga, her pretty face flushed in excitement.
Kouga froze. "No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"How do you know for sure?"
"I could tell......and the healer's took a look at me yesterday," Serenity said, her smile brightening. She leaned over and kissed Kouga.
"Eeewww!" Minoko squealed, giggling, as Serenity set her down. The cub trotted away to chase after a butterfly.
Kouga remained bland in his expression. Serenity got in front of him and looked up at his blank face (he was a good 3 inches taller than her). She stood on her tippy toes and leaned against him.
"Darling; what's wrong?" she asked, her excitement beginning to fade. Kouga looked at her briefly before turning and walking away.
Serenity stood alone, wringing her hands as she watched her mate walk out into the forest without looking back.
~*~*~*~*~
Kouga stiffened. "What do you mean, she might not survive through the night?!"
Ginta recoiled, knowing his pack leader wouldn't take it well. "The pack isn't too pleased about the idea of a human moving into our territory, and already they decided they don't like her-"
"That's ridiculous!" Kouga cried, furious.
Hakkaku and Ginta glared as Serenity approached them. She smiled kindly at them, and was far too exhausted to take a hint from them. Kouga, however, shoved past the two males and led Serenity through the clearing and into the cave.
"What's wrong?" she asked, hesitant to get comfortable.
"Its not you," Kouga said quickly, setting down the bags and approaching her. "Lay down in the nest and get some rest; I need to take care of something."
Not about to argue with a chance at sleeping, Serenity quickly laid down on the straw and fell asleep at once.
~*~*~*~*~
Kouga called everyone's attention, and demanded to know what was going on.
A young male wolf spoke up first, "A human in the pack is like contamination! She would only cause trouble!" Encouraged by his boldness, the other wolf demons began to shout out their excuses.
Kouga was appalled by the audacity of his pack mates, and finally snarled, "I'VE CHOSEN HER TO BE MY MATE, SO YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH HER SOONER OR LATER!!!"
*Collective Silence*
"B-but Kouga!" someone cried out, breaking the silence. "Remember what happened the last time you placed your claim on a human female?"
Kouga bit his lip. The incident with Kagome had been rash, but the pain dulled over time. "I am well aware of what happened the last time! But as the leader of this pack, I have to mate at some point, do I not?"
Another voice: "With human blood in their veins, the cubs will become old and weak, and eventually die. Most likely before you do!"
Kouga couldn't stand the thought. He shivered.
Then someone else: "You will be eternally bonded to somebody that will die within a few decades!"
Kouga turned and left, unable to hear any more.
~*~*~*~*~Six Months Later~*~*~*~*~
When Serenity woke up, she found Kouga lying beside her in the straw nest.
She got closer to him and watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.
Kouga stirred, and opened his eyes. He looked at Serenity, who had her head laying on his chest. She smiled gently at him.
'Gods, she's beautiful," Kouga thought, slowly putting his arm around her.
Serenity was lulled back to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat, and while she slept, Kouga thought over what he said to the pack several months earlier.
'I'm glad I went through the trouble to try and mate with her,' he thought, the memory of Kagome in his head. 'It seems to be a mutual feeling this time, and I think she's worth it. Not only that, but I have a better chance than I did with that other wench.' Kouga sighed, and closed his eyes.
Hakkaku appeared at the cave entrance and shouted, "Kouga! The men you sent out last week to investigate that gulch have returned!"
Kouga perked up at this: he was anxiously awaiting the return of these wolves. He gently took Serenity off his chest and laid her on the straw.
Upon exiting the cave, Kouga's mood went from excited to mortified.
Out of the 25 men he sent to the gulch, only 3 stood before him.
"Wh-what happened?!" he cried, motioning the healers to prepare medicinal concoctions to heal the battered wolves.
"The gulch is TEEMING with the Birds," one wolf managed, sitting on the ground and panting. The other two joined him.
"How many?" Kouga asked, dread dripping from his voice.
"Hundreds of thousands, possibly more than that," said another.
Kouga shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead to try and ward off the headache that was coming.
Suddenly, snarls were heard.
Kouga turned and saw Serenity behind him, trying to see what was going on.
"What's going on?" she asked, kneeling down in front of the injured wolves. They bared their teeth at her, but she ignored it. Even though she was there for 6 months already, some of the wolves were still hostile towards her.
"Serenity," Kouga said sternly. "Go back to the cave."
She looked up at her mate and became irked. "You seem to have forgotten that I know how to treat wounds as good as the healers, darling. And not to mention that I have stuff from my world." With that, Serenity pulled out a bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, and Ace Bandages.
The injured wolves weren't too sure about letting some human put her supposed 'medicine' on their wounds. They growled savagely at Serenity.
"Knock it off," Kouga said, figuring that his mate wasn't going to obey his order to leave anyways.
Within 10 minutes, the wolves were fixed up and ready to go.
Despite their rude actions, it was obvious they were grateful.
Kouga watched Serenity as she went and played with a group of cubs. 'She's kind to everyone in the pack,' he thought. 'Why aren't they giving her some respect?'
Serenity was interrupted in her festivities with the cubs by a wolf cursing at her and pulling the children away. Kouga could smell sorrow coming from his mate as she plodded towards him.
"What did I ever do to them?" she asked Kouga, leaning against his chest. He put his arm around her and shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess being human is enough, he said, hugging her closer.
Together they walked under a shady tree to escape the summer heat. After they sat down on the ground, Serenity said, "I love playing with the cubs, Kouga."
"Mmm-hmm," he said, nuzzling his face into her hair. Serenity turned and looked him directly in the eyes. Kouga cocked his head at her.
"I have something to tell you," she said, standing back up and stretching before she began walking away. Snagged by curiosity, Kouga leapt to his feet and pursued her.
"What do you mean, you have something to tell me?" he asked when he caught up to her.
Serenity picked up Minoko in her arms and smiled. She jiggled the cub gently, causing her to laugh. "I'm going to be having one of these, Dear," Serenity said to Kouga, her pretty face flushed in excitement.
Kouga froze. "No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"How do you know for sure?"
"I could tell......and the healer's took a look at me yesterday," Serenity said, her smile brightening. She leaned over and kissed Kouga.
"Eeewww!" Minoko squealed, giggling, as Serenity set her down. The cub trotted away to chase after a butterfly.
Kouga remained bland in his expression. Serenity got in front of him and looked up at his blank face (he was a good 3 inches taller than her). She stood on her tippy toes and leaned against him.
"Darling; what's wrong?" she asked, her excitement beginning to fade. Kouga looked at her briefly before turning and walking away.
Serenity stood alone, wringing her hands as she watched her mate walk out into the forest without looking back.