Legend:

'……' thoughts

"……" speech

Enter the Wolf's Den

By: wolf demoness

Chapter Fourteen: A Peaceful Interlude

As time wore on Inuyasha grew stronger and began to heal. Within the week of Kaede's arrival he was able to walk unaided. Days after that he was able to join the wolves on the training field. He began to recover his strength and impressed many of the younger wolves with his skill with a blade. Makoto, the pack's master swordsman took an interest in the young hanyou and soon they had set up regular lessons to improve the half demon's technique. Inuyasha became a popular sparring partner and the younger wolves would clamor for him when he walked onto the fields. Busy though he was with the rest of the tribe, he continued to walk every day with the leader of the wolf demons. Koga and Inuyasha were often seen together by the members of the pack. Indeed it was difficult to find one without the other most days. The only time that Koga was away from the hanyou was when he was pulled to a Council meeting, but since the meetings were open to anyone who wished to view the proceedings, it wasn't long before Koga invited the hanyou to sit in on the Council sessions. At first the Councilors were uncomfortable with the hanyou's presence and with the great deal of time he was spending with the Alpha. But Inuyasha, having spent time as a boy in his father's court, was easily able to cope with the politics that were emerging amongst the Councilors of Koga's pack. The politics of Koga's court were new, having just started with the Council's formation, and as a result they were infantile compared to the underhanded scheming that went on in the great inuyoukai's court during his life.

For the first few days Inuyasha observed the proceedings and gave Koga his opinions later, in the evening or in the afternoon when they'd walk through the den's inner territories. Eventually he began to speak out in the Council chamber itself. The elder Councilors were at first resentful of the young demon's impudence in suggesting that he, an outsider, knew what was in the best interest of the pack. However, even the most jaded xenophobic Councilor could not deny the import of the half demon's suggestions. Koga was immensely proud the first time one of his Councilor's had asked the half demon for his advice in open Council. When he thought back on it he wasn't sure if he was proud that his people were reaching out into the world around them, even if it the channel they were reaching through was the half demon. Or perhaps he was glad that the pack elders were beginning to accept Inuyasha, maybe it was a bit of both. The elders were the last hurtle the hanyou had to pass to gain complete acceptance into the pack. As the wisest and most distinguished members of the pack the other wolves looked to them, and were guided by their opinions. Not even the Alpha could change that. Koga had tried. He'd tried to make the pack accept Kagome. They had not. She'd been tolerated out of consideration for him, but the Council had never warmed to Koga's betrothed and so the pack had never really accepted her.

Koga found himself thinking of the half demon more and more frequently. The silver haired hanyou had an adroit and dexterous mind hidden beneath his rather volatile temper. He was quick to anger, but quickly appeased. He had a delightful, if slightly malicious, sense of humor that suited the wolf's tastes perfectly. Koga was above all things a warrior king and though he'd thought that a kind and gentle mate was what he wanted in life, nothing thrilled him quite so much as the rugged dangerous soul that the hanyou contained. There was nothing naïve or gentle about the half demon. He'd seen the worst the world has to offer and learned at a very young age that trust and mercy were often luxuries one could not afford. Though he was a congenial and welcoming companion, he had a darker side that he made no pretense of hiding. He was a warrior through and through and he could understand and would never hold Koga back from the necessities of being a warrior. In fact he would gladly join in the slaughter if it were truly a necessary thing. He was also a cunning politician. Sly and quick-witted he could easily outmaneuver the cagiest Councilor, that is when he wanted to. More often than not Inuyasha preferred to cut to the heart of the matter as bluntly as possible not caring who he offended in the process. But even more stunningly for someone so inclined, the half demon had a sense of honor and a system of ethics that were beyond reproach. The silver haired demon was direct and honest he never lied, at least unless it was about a wound he was hiding. Inuyasha had the most infuriating habit of denying that he was in pain and refusing to ask others for help. Koga firmly believed that he would lie to your face saying that he was fine and you should mind your own business even if he were an inch from death. Which is why the wolf never trusted any answer he got from the young demon lord regarding his health.

Despite his best efforts Koga's growing infatuation with the half demon was slowly coming to the attention of the Council and the pack in general. Though Ginta tried to ally suspicion by spending time alone with Inuyasha in view of the other pack members and accompanying Koga and the half demon as they walked in populated areas. The affection between the two demons soon became obvious to the rest of the tribe. Eventually the Councilors approached Ginta and asked him some very leading questions about the nature of the relationship between the two demons. Ginta, ever the consummate actor, pretended to be completely baffled by the Councilors insinuations before he ran back to Koga and informed him that they had trouble in the Council. Koga chose to ignore the Councilors suspicions, knowing there was nothing he could yet do to allay their worries.

******

"Hey, wake up," Koga whispered into Inuyasha's ear as he gently shook the hanyou awake.

"If I open my eyes to find that you're waking me up while it's still dark and Naraku himself isn't banging down the door you're getting it wolf boy." Inuyasha said his eyes still firmly closed as he sat up in bed and stretched languidly. Amber eyes opened to meet Koga's gaze. The half demon's ears flicked forward then back as he listened carefully to the night. After that the hanyou made a show of smelling the air before turning to the wolf demon, "No Naraku. You'd better have a good excuse or else." The venom in the silver haired demon's voice was offset by the small smile that played across his lips, quirking them upward just enough at the sides to tell Koga that for all his blustering the hanyou wasn't truly angry.

"Or else what?" Koga said back challengingly, though he too was smiling, enjoying the small game the two played.

"Can you live without your tail?" Inuyasha asked looking at the appendage in mild interest.

Koga gave a startled yelp and clutched his tail to his chest protectively; "I'd rather not."

"Then explain. Now."

Koga laid a hand on Inuyasha's thigh, "I want to show you something. Come with me, please?" Inuyasha groused a bit about being dragged out of his bed, but followed the wolf down into the main valley where most of the wolves lived. It was a full moon and the silvery light that illuminated their path was nearly as bright as daylight. When the two arrived they saw a great congregation of wolves in the den's center. There were no demons to be seen, these were the ordinary wolves of the tribe. They had gathered in a great circle around the center of the valley. They were all facing inward toward the center of their circle.

"What are they doing?" Inuyasha asked. From the vantage the two were observing at, nothing could be seen of the focus of the wolves attention.

"Watch," Koga pointed out to the congregated wolves. Suddenly a thin high wail cut through the night, an infant's cry. As if in response the group of wolves threw back their heads and howled into the night air. Inuyasha watched the gathering in fascination, until he felt Koga slip a warm hand into his grasp and give his fingers a gentle squeeze. "Follow me," the Alpha whispered and let go of the hanyou's hand to begin walking into the valley. When they arrived at the edge of the circle the wolves began to make way for the two to pass. As they walked by the circle closed in around them and the wolves pressed in closer on either side. Inuyasha could feel their anticipation in shivers up and down his spine as he followed in Koga's wake. In the center of the congregation was a mother wolf licking clean her newborn babe. She whined at Koga in greeting. Koga dropped to a crouch in front of the new mother and patted her on the head before lifting the young demon babe into his arms. "What is her name, sister?" The wolf whined and howled a low response to the Alpha. Koga's face broke into a wide smile and he held the squalling babe before him, "Welcome to the pack, Chiyoko."

Inuyasha gave a small jump when all the wolves around him howled. His ears flattened against his head as he tried to drown out the deafening noise. He didn't dare lift his hands to cover his ears. He didn't know what was going on and it's never wise to offend so many wolves at a time, especially in their den. When the sound died out, Koga turned and offered the babe to Inuyasha. "I don't know how to…" Inuyasha started.

"It's easy. Just make sure you hold her neck up," Koga placed the babe in the half demon's arms. The little girl immediately quieted and snuggled into the warmth of the half demon's chest, giving a soft giggle. Inuyasha was immediately entranced. He'd never held a baby before. She was so light and small. Her skin was so soft that he was afraid an accidental brush of his claws might break it. The little demoness was so fragile; the worried thought crossed his mind for a moment that he might break her accidentally. Inuyasha could hardly believe that anything so weak could be alive, but she felt alive. The life was radiating off of her in waves that left the half demon reeling. The silver haired half demon sat down on the ground holding the babe against his body. He was startled to see Koga begin to move the baby in his arms. Quickly the Alpha dressed the little girl in a small outfit he'd brought for the purpose, before he lightly kissed her on the forehead and took her from the hanyou's arms. He presented the babe to her mother and with one last pat to the she-wolf's head he stood and turned to leave.

Inuyasha stood and was beginning to follow the retreating wolf from the valley when he felt a tug on the sleeve of his kimono. The father wolf pulled on his kimono, leading him over to where his mate and pup lay. Not sure what to do Inuyasha crouched before the mother. She gave a low howl and lapped at the hanyou's cheek for a moment before butting her head into his hand. Inuyasha smiled and scratched behind her ears. "You have a beautiful cub," he told her before rising to join Koga. This time the wolves let him pass. Inuyasha walked toward the cliff edge and sat on his usual boulder next to Koga. "What just happened?"

"We just welcomed another demon wolf to the pack. You were the witness."

"Why me?"

Koga sighed and lay back to look at the stars over head. "Usually the Alpha and his mate welcome the new demons, but as long as I don't have a mate I can take any witness I want. Anyone I trust."

Inuyasha crawled over to lie beside Koga. He rested his head on the demon's chest. "Thank you," he said quietly, realizing the great honor that had been bestowed upon him. "How often does it happen?"

Koga sighed and began to run his fingers through the hanyou's hair. It was cool and silky and it felt good against his fingertips. Inuyasha was a comfortable weight against his chest and he thought for a moment that he could very easily become accustomed to this. "It used to happen ever year, in my grandfather's time. But now," Koga paused, "this is only the second demon I've welcomed in over a decade."

"Why so few?"

"We're dying out. There are fewer and fewer of us each year. Too many wolves are dying in battle. Those that remain grieve for their lost mates, many of them loose the will to live and let themselves die. Young wolves die in battle leaving their mates to mourn for them. Few ever have pups before their mates die anymore."

"And wolves only mate once. So none of them will ever find new mates to breed with," the hanyou continued.

"No, they won't." Koga replied quietly.

Inuyasha raised his head to look at the depressed wolf demon. He moved forward and pressed a brief kiss to Koga's cheek before lying back down, "The moon is beautiful tonight."

"Yes," Koga agreed drawing the silver haired young lord closer to him.

******

The next day Koga was siting down in the Council chamber conducting a meeting of the Council when he heard a voice he'd been dreading for some time. "What did you do?"

Koga turned and forced his face into a smile, "Yuuka, you're back! And so soon!" Koga stood and slowly began to inch toward the doorway opposite the one the demoness had entered. "I wasn't expecting you for another week."

"What did you do, Koga?" Yuuka advanced on the retreating wolf, her voice low and deadly. "He was almost well when I left. All you had to do was change the bandages and make sure he stayed in the bed. Any idiot can do that, Koga."

"Well, Yuuka, you see…I…" Koga cast about the room only to be met with the amused gazes of his Councilors, who'd apparently settled in to watch the fun, thankful that they weren't on the receiving end of the demoness' temper.

"Imagine my surprise when I heard that you had to call in a healer from a human village. So, I'm gonna ask again. What," she spat the word out, "did you do, Koga?"

"It was really an accident, Yuuka. You see what happened was…"

"Koga."

"Yes?" the Alpha said very intimidated under the woman's fierce glare.

"Run."

"Run?"

"Or I swear I'll shave your tail when I catch you."

Koga frowned, "Why does everyone threaten my tail when they're mad at me?" He looked up as Yuuka started to growl, "Oh, run. Right," and with that Koga was gone in a whirlwind of dust.

Ginta stood to address the assembled Councilors, of course he had to wait for the laughter to die down first, "Gentlemen and Ladies, I think it's safe to say we won't be reconvening for the rest of the day. I hear by call an end to this session of the Council. Saburou," Ginta called, "You did get this in the minutes, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah," Saburou said with a wide grin.

"Excellent," Ginta chortled. "We're adjourned."

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A/N:

1) Hello everyone! First off I've got to say that I'm really flattered by the record amount of reviews I've received in the last couple weeks and I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, but I have been unusually busy lately. A big thanks to everyone who took the time to send me a review, I love reading them!

2) Also, many thanks to Ebony Darkcloud for tipping me off to the color of Inuyasha's eyes, in his human form. I always appreciate the input. Violet, huh? I like it. ~_^

3) Coming soon: Chapter Fifteen: Epithalamium [Hint: If you don't know it, look up the word for a sneak peek at what the chapter's about.]