CHAPTER SIXTEEN
*
Inuyasha sprang out of the hut, still half-naked and clutching the clothes that... that creature had pulled off of him. His golden eyes darted around, but she was gone. That meant she was at least as fast as he was, maybe even faster. She might be as strong too. In other circumstances, Inuyasha would have hunted the girl down and torn her to shreds. But Kagome's safety came first.
He ran through the village, finally stumbling into Miroku and Shippo. "Quick, have either of you seen Kagome?" he said breathlessly, pulling on his clothes.
"You took her up the mountain a little while ago," Shippo piped up. "Why'd you come back without her?"
The monk eyed Inuyasha's bare chest and flushed face. "May I ask what you've been doing, or would you prefer not to tell me in front of Shippo?" he asked smoothly.
"Like what? Why can't he say it?" Shippo asked.
Inuyasha growled softly, but for once Miroku was right about him. He turned and raced into the woods, sniffing the air. He could smell his own scent, going up the mountain paths. And Kagome. No, TWO Kagomes... her scent was going along two different tracks. Both were heading into the mountains, and one was a lot fresher than the other.
I'm such a fool! he snapped at himself. I almost... I almost made love to that thing, thinking she was Kagome. If I hadn't beeen scared and hesitated long enough, she would've had me, and then killed me. She said... everything I wanted to hear, everything I wish Kagome said to me. And when she said it, I just lay down in her lap like a lost puppy and let her use me. Dammit!
Inuyasha shuddered, thinking about what he had nearly done. He could still feel her hands on his back and chest. She'd stroked him, caressed him, and now he felt like being sick. Figures, he thought grimly. The first time a girl treats me that way, and it's all a trick.
Then rage filled him again. That girl wasn't going to get away with it. He'd find her -- once he found Kagome. And if she had been hurt, he'd make that filthy Naraku-spawn slut wish she had never touched either of them. If she even scratched Kagome, I'll rip her to shreds. But that can wait. Kagome... I'll find you! he thought desperately.
He skidded to a stop at the base of a small cliff. A freshly broken boulder was lying in pieces at the bottom, with a track of mud behind it. And Inuyasha could smell Kagome's scent on it. She had been here, and not too long ago either.
He leaped up the steep cliffside. "Whoever you are," he whispered, "whatever you're planning... you are DEAD."
*
"What do you mean?" Kagome whispered. Her heart was pounding -- but why, she wasn't certain. Inuyasha's touch was gentle and comforting, but somehow she felt... afraid? Afraid of what? Of... him?
She felt his hands resting tightly on her back. "Kagome... we've been traveling together for a long time, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Do you remember how it was when we first met?"
"Sort of... Inuyasha, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talkin' about this."
His answer was a rough kiss on the lips. Kagome's knees almost buckled. It was sudden and clumsy, and Kagome was stunned by it. Why is he doing this? she wondered apprehensively, not sure if she wanted to know the answer to it. He's acting so strangely...
She felt herself being slowly pushed back, against a gnarled tree trunk, still held tightly in Inuyasha's arms. Finally he broke the kiss, and stared into her eyes. "I just thought I should thank you," he said softly.
"What are you say-"
Kagome's words were cut short as he suddenly threw her to the ground, his claws digging into her upper arms before he let go. "Ow," Kagome muttered, flinching. Her bow and quiver had fallen from her back, and were lying in the dust at Inuyasha's feet.
The half-demon was staring down at her, his golden eyes devoid of emotion. "There aren't any shards on this mountain, Kagome, and there probably aren't many left at all. So it's about time I do what I said I'd do... from the very start."
Kagome sat up slowly. Inuyasha... what are you saying to me? she thought.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Inuyasha sprang out of the hut, still half-naked and clutching the clothes that... that creature had pulled off of him. His golden eyes darted around, but she was gone. That meant she was at least as fast as he was, maybe even faster. She might be as strong too. In other circumstances, Inuyasha would have hunted the girl down and torn her to shreds. But Kagome's safety came first.
He ran through the village, finally stumbling into Miroku and Shippo. "Quick, have either of you seen Kagome?" he said breathlessly, pulling on his clothes.
"You took her up the mountain a little while ago," Shippo piped up. "Why'd you come back without her?"
The monk eyed Inuyasha's bare chest and flushed face. "May I ask what you've been doing, or would you prefer not to tell me in front of Shippo?" he asked smoothly.
"Like what? Why can't he say it?" Shippo asked.
Inuyasha growled softly, but for once Miroku was right about him. He turned and raced into the woods, sniffing the air. He could smell his own scent, going up the mountain paths. And Kagome. No, TWO Kagomes... her scent was going along two different tracks. Both were heading into the mountains, and one was a lot fresher than the other.
I'm such a fool! he snapped at himself. I almost... I almost made love to that thing, thinking she was Kagome. If I hadn't beeen scared and hesitated long enough, she would've had me, and then killed me. She said... everything I wanted to hear, everything I wish Kagome said to me. And when she said it, I just lay down in her lap like a lost puppy and let her use me. Dammit!
Inuyasha shuddered, thinking about what he had nearly done. He could still feel her hands on his back and chest. She'd stroked him, caressed him, and now he felt like being sick. Figures, he thought grimly. The first time a girl treats me that way, and it's all a trick.
Then rage filled him again. That girl wasn't going to get away with it. He'd find her -- once he found Kagome. And if she had been hurt, he'd make that filthy Naraku-spawn slut wish she had never touched either of them. If she even scratched Kagome, I'll rip her to shreds. But that can wait. Kagome... I'll find you! he thought desperately.
He skidded to a stop at the base of a small cliff. A freshly broken boulder was lying in pieces at the bottom, with a track of mud behind it. And Inuyasha could smell Kagome's scent on it. She had been here, and not too long ago either.
He leaped up the steep cliffside. "Whoever you are," he whispered, "whatever you're planning... you are DEAD."
*
"What do you mean?" Kagome whispered. Her heart was pounding -- but why, she wasn't certain. Inuyasha's touch was gentle and comforting, but somehow she felt... afraid? Afraid of what? Of... him?
She felt his hands resting tightly on her back. "Kagome... we've been traveling together for a long time, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Do you remember how it was when we first met?"
"Sort of... Inuyasha, what are you talking about?"
"I'm talkin' about this."
His answer was a rough kiss on the lips. Kagome's knees almost buckled. It was sudden and clumsy, and Kagome was stunned by it. Why is he doing this? she wondered apprehensively, not sure if she wanted to know the answer to it. He's acting so strangely...
She felt herself being slowly pushed back, against a gnarled tree trunk, still held tightly in Inuyasha's arms. Finally he broke the kiss, and stared into her eyes. "I just thought I should thank you," he said softly.
"What are you say-"
Kagome's words were cut short as he suddenly threw her to the ground, his claws digging into her upper arms before he let go. "Ow," Kagome muttered, flinching. Her bow and quiver had fallen from her back, and were lying in the dust at Inuyasha's feet.
The half-demon was staring down at her, his golden eyes devoid of emotion. "There aren't any shards on this mountain, Kagome, and there probably aren't many left at all. So it's about time I do what I said I'd do... from the very start."
Kagome sat up slowly. Inuyasha... what are you saying to me? she thought.
TO BE CONTINUED