See chapter one for disclaimers.
Chapter Two.
Night was falling when Inuyasha's breathing slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep. Kagome watched in fearful silence as the stripes on his face faded completely away and his fangs retracted back to their normal hanyou state.
He'd be mortified when he woke up.
Afraid to wake him but more afraid of staying, Kagome eased herself out from under the arm he'd draped over her and rolled away to stand. The cave was becoming impossibly dark. She glanced around the room, shivering in the cold that came with the setting of the sun. Her bathing suit was ruined and her clothing was still piled up at the lake.
Panicking, she paced around the cavern for a while before her eyes rested on Inuyasha's discarded fire-rat haori. She tiptoed to the garment, picked it up and wrapped it securely around herself, hugging its softness to her skin.
She had to escape before Inuyasha woke up.
With a last glance to be sure he was still asleep, Kagome made her way to the cave's entrance and slipped out. A narrow path led down the small hill in which the cavern was buried, which Kagome followed quickly until she felt she was out of his range of hearing.
Leaning against a tree at the base of the hill, she began to cry. Only now, safely away from the nightmare of earlier, could she feel the soreness of her legs and lower regions. She knew she was dirty with blood and fluids, making her a target for hungry youkai. If she didn't make it back to the village soon, she might never return again.
Resolved to her safe return, Kagome sniffled away the last of her tears and pulled herself back up to her feet. She'd begun walking toward the lake when a rustling from the bushes caught her attention. She froze, hoping it was merely a forest animal. Then she sensed something she'd completely missed in her earlier state: two shikon shards.
Gods, what now?
"Oi! Kagome, what are you –" Kouga came to a screeching halt as he took in the sight before him. His woman, shivering in that inukkoro's smelly haori, his stench all over her, mixed with the scent of…
Her blood.
Had she betrayed him and mated that arrogant bastard? The look in her eyes told a different story. A full minute had passed with no sound between them. The girl appeared to be beyond words. Shaking himself, he stepped toward her only to have her step further back.
"Kagome, what happened to you?"
She sniffled back a fresh wave of tears, and pulled the haori closer around her shoulders.
"He didn't."
Kagome hesitated, but nodded.
"I'll kill him!"
"NO!"
The fervor in her shaking voice gave Kouga pause, so he turned back to look at her, her eyes now wide with fear. His eyebrows knit in confusion, but she answered his question before he had a chance to speak it.
"He didn't do it on purpose," she whispered. "It was my fault."
Kouga's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer, relieved when she didn't back away this time. Taking this as a good sign, he continued walking toward her slowly, until he was able to take her arms in his hands and stare her down.
"This was not your fault," he reprimanded her gently, reminding himself that she was still shaken from her ordeal.
"I should have taken the hint when he was being distant," she began to ramble. "I practically threw myself at him, and he didn't even have Tetsusai—"
Kouga growled at her, and clamped a hand over her mouth. Kagome shrunk back a bit, but allowed him to silence her. She was too tired to argue at this point. She shivered again, this time from the chill of the evening breeze. Kouga picked up on this and quickly took her into his arms. She stiffened, but somehow managed to convince herself he meant well and relaxed again.
"You can't wander around like this, especially at night," Kouga began. "I'll take you back to the pack and we'll get you cleaned up and find something else for you to wear. Then you can tell me what happened, if you want."
Without waiting for a response, he took off at shard-enhanced speed toward the mountain where the remains of the wolf youkai tribe resided, his beloved Kagome in his arms. The trip only took ten minutes at his speed, but the howling wind prevented conversation, giving the wolf demon plenty of time to consider the recent developments.
He'd been sure the girl would be safe with her hanyou companion. After all, he was in love with that walking corpse, right? He'd protected Kagome with his life, a fact which Kouga was secretly grateful for. What caused his sudden violent reaction to her? He'd have to get the answers from Kagome, if she had them. She would also need to know some things about her situation. Facts which he doubted the naïve young woman or her other companions would have any knowledge of.
As they neared the tribal cavern, Kouga growled off the inquiring pack members that began surrounding them, walking purposefully toward his corner of the cave. He deposited the young, now sleeping, woman onto the soft grasses and called over a few of the lower-ranking wolf youkai to fetch her some clothing.
"Kouga…" Kagome awoke in the murky darkness of the cave, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the light. The wolf man was at her side in a flash.
"My tribesmen are getting you something to wear, and the women will be here soon to get you cleaned up." At her nod and small but grateful smile, he settled down to sit next to her, inspecting the small abrasions on her face and arms. "Kagome…"
"Yes?"
"May I ask, how did this happen?"
The miko closed her eyes and drew up her legs, holding them tightly with her arms. Kouga was about to back away from his question when she spoke in a soft voice. "We were at the local stream, cooling off from the heat," she began. "He'd been in a bad mood all day, and I didn't really know why. I guess I thought maybe it was the heat and the fact that Naraku's been missing for so long. I think he's been feeling pretty restless."
Kouga nodded. He'd been similarly annoyed by the evil hanyou's disappearing act, still seeking revenge for his fallen comrades.
"Anyway," she continued, "I didn't want to see him sulking so I tried to pull him into the water with us. I thought maybe if I could get him to fool around with us he might not be in such a sour mood. Instead, he took off running and I chased after him."
The wolf demon's eyes widened, as he began to piece the situation together. Did she realize…?
"He wasn't actually running that fast," Kagome recounted with some confusion in her voice, "it was like he wanted me to catch him; and sure enough, I did. I actually pounced on him, like a animal."
Oh how appropriate that comparison is, my love…
"I made some inappropriate comments about his pectorals," she blushed, "and next thing I know, he's whisking me off into a cave and… that's when…" She faltered, but knew Kouga could fill in the blanks. "So you see, if I hadn't chased after him, or nagged him, this wouldn't have happened."
"No," he replied firmly. "Certainly it wasn't the smartest thing to do," at her wince he mentally slapped himself, "but it may have happened eventually."
"How so?" Kagome was now listening to him intently.
"You're fertile," he answered matter-of-factly. "Any youkai within fifty feet of you can tell." She blushed, but he went on. "Older youkai males, those who are mated, and kits aren't going to be affected. However, mature young males, such as Inuyasha and," he hesitated, "myself… well we are more drawn to you. Usually only the more animalistic youkai will force themselves on a female in heat, but the more intelligent varieties have been known to do so. Still, I'm a little surprised Inuyasha did this."
"I was teasing him," she reminded him softly.
"Still," Kouga was looking into the distance, trying to sort the situation out. "He always seemed so protective of you, I'm amazed that he couldn't control himself."
"He left behind Tetsusaiga," Kagome explained. "The katana keeps his youkai blood sealed, because he's not able to control himself as well when he's in full demon form."
"That would explain it," Kouga sighed. The appearance of several wolves prompted Kouga to stand again. "Well, the women are here to clean you up. Try to get some rest and we'll figure out what to do about this in the morning."
"Arigato, Kouga-kun."
* * * * *
Kagome awoke again to an empty cavern, still sore from the previous afternoon but feeling much cleaner. She was wearing a somewhat ratty but functional kimono that Kouga's tribeswomen had recovered from an old village.
"Ohayo, Kagome."
"Ohayo, Kouga-kun." She stretched, working out the kinks in her muscles. The hay beneath was soft but not quite as good as her sleeping bag. Or bed, for that matter. She looked back up at the wolf demon. She couldn't stay here, but she wasn't entirely eager to return to the village either. "I'm not sure what to do now," she announced silently.
"I can bring you back to your friends," he offered. "Or you can stay here with us."
"I could go home," she added silently, beginning to think that was the best course of action. Oh, what would she tell her mother?
Kouga watched the play of emotions on the girl's face, and began to regret the news he had to impart. Kagome was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the concern in his expression. "There's something you need to know."
"Yes?"
He sighed, and took her hands in his own. "You're pupped."
Kagome blinked, not certain what he was telling her. "Pupped?"
"I believe you humans call it pregnant?"
Now her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. "What? No, that can't be! How can you know so soon?"
"That same scent that told me you were fertile now tells me you are carrying inukkoro's offspring." He sat down before her, taking in the slump in her shoulders. He wanted to comfort her, take away her pain. "Kagome, I know this must come as a shock to you. It will be difficult to share this news with your friends, but I will come with you if it will help. Or you can just stay here, and – and I'll raise the pup as my own. I still love you, Kagome, and if you will consent I'll take you as my mate."
Tears filled the young miko's eyes as she gazed at the kind-hearted demon before her. Could she do this? Could she stay here in this cavern and raise Inuyasha's child as a member of the wolf tribe?
"No…" She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the tears. "Gomen, Kouga. You've been so kind to me but I can't do that. I will find another way, even if it means an abortion."
"Ab-or-tion?" The unfamiliar term sputtered out of him.
Kagome blushed, not sure how to explain the concept to him. It sickened her, actually, but she was only seventeen, and single to boot. "The healers in my time can end a pregnancy when the baby is just started."
"How?"
"I don't want to go into it," she quickly replied. "It's not a pleasant experience from what I've been told but sometimes it's necessary."
"The pup would be killed?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
Kouga's eyes were filled with horror at the idea. "Why would a mother choose to kill her own pup?"
"Well, sometimes she didn't mean to become pregnant, and can't care for the pup on her own. Or sometimes the pregnancy threatens her health, or she was raped…" she paused on this, refusing to meet Kouga's eyes. "Anyway, it's an option, but I don't think I can do that. I – I still love him."
The wolf demon sighed. He'd always known.
"Gomen…ne… but it's true. Even now, I know that wasn't really Inuyasha. That's why – that's why I can't tell him what happened."
"He's probably out looking for you, you know."
"Hai."
"He's going to wonder why you are scratched up, why he woke up in a cave surrounded by your blood and missing his haori."
"I need a story," Kagome realized.
Kouga brushed away a strand of hair from the girl's neck. "You're going to need a good one," he agreed, "because you also have to explain why you are marked."
"Marked?"
"It's like your human marriage. When a youkai takes a mate, he marks them with a small scratch or bite on their neck to warn off other potential mates."
Kagome raised a hand to the place where she could feel a slight stinging. The raised and bumpy scar confirmed Kouga's observation. What did this mean? Did Inuyasha's demon blood see her as a mate? She shook her head. Now was not the time for those questions.
"We were attacked by a demon," she began, "and since Tetsusaiga was missing he transformed into full youkai."
"After he slew the demon, you brought him to the cave to sleep off his injuries," Kouga added to the story.
Nodding, she went on, "I sprained my ankle looking for medicinal herbs when you found me, and brought me back here for safety."
"And the mark? The pup?"
Kagome stared in silence. How was she going to explain that?
"Are mine."
Kouga gazed at her intently. If she wouldn't agree to be his mate, she could pretend. Perhaps over time she might even come to love him and become his in reality. He could only hope.
"Inuyasha will be furious," she whispered.
"Would you rather tell him what he did to you?"
"Iie."
"He still needs you to find the shikon shards, ne?"
"Hai."
"He will be very angry, but it seems you don't have much of a choice. Kagome," Kouga lifted her chin to look into her eyes again, "I will be here for you, in any way you need me to be. You can tell Inuyasha that we mated, and if he casts you aside then I will be there for you. If not, then you may continue to travel with him and deal with the rest when the time comes. And my offer stands: if you wish it, I will take you to be my mate."
Kagome considered her situation for the hundredth time and finally nodded. This was the only way she could see. "All right. I will tell him that you are my mate."
"Then that's settled. We'll get some food into you – you must take good care of your health with the pup inside of you – and then we'll bring you back to that miko's hut."
"Arigato, Kouga-kun."
"Anything for you, Kagome." With that, he left the girl to brush herself off and fetch their breakfast.
