Disclaimer: Not Mine!
Warnings: Yaoi. Shounen Ai. Mpreg.
'……' thoughts
"……" speech
Enter the Wolf's Den
By: wolf demoness
Chapter Sixteen: Noblesse Oblige
Ginta and Yuuka smelled the two before they arrived. Yuuka had already worked herself into a frenzy over Inuyasha's pregnancy by the time the demons stepped into the clearing. Yuuka lunged at Inuyasha and began to hug him to within an inch of his life as Ginta moved over to pound Koga on the back in congratulations. Kaede showed her affection by sitting Inuyasha down and having him drink a tea she'd prepared for him, in case of this eventuality, to keep him strong through his pregnancy. She told him to drink one-cup everyday to make sure that the he and the baby were healthy.
When Kaede was satisfied that Inuyasha had drunk enough tea and the campsite was packed up they began to walk back to the den. Yuuka was still bouncing up and down excitedly. "I'm gonna be an auntie. I'm gonna be an auntie. I'm gonna be an auntie," she was chanting.
"But, Yuuka, you're not Koga's sister. So you can't be an aunt to his children," Ginta pointed out good-naturedly.
"I can be an auntie if I want to! Right?"
Instead of asking Koga she looked at Inuyasha with big wide eyes, her lower lip trembling as if on the verge of tears. 'Damn it!' the silver haired demon thought; he hated to see women cry. Inuyasha sighed deeply before saying, "Okay, Yuuka. You can be its auntie when it's born."
"Yaaayy!" Yuuka cried and flung herself at the hanyou once again.
******
As they crested the last hill surrounding the den a brisk wind blew past the company, pushing at their backs as if ushering them home, urging them on. Arriving at the den the company was met with curious stares. Runners had seen the small group of travelers as they approached the den and had alerted the pack that the Alpha had returned. Of course they had also relayed the fact that the hanyou and the human priestess had returned as well. Interest sparked a gradually increasing number of wolves to gather in the central valley and await the company's return. As the Alpha and the hanyou entered the central valley the demons of the pack could smell the change in scent that accompanied the establishment of a mating bond on their leader as well as the olfactory evidence of the hanyou's pregnancy. Murmurs and confused whispers ran through the assembled wolves. Koga, choosing to ignore the questioning glances his wolves directed at him, pulled Inuyasha closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and head held high continued on through the den. He'd decided early on to force the Councilors to come to him. He would not justify his actions to them on their terms. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips when he heard a few congratulatory howls originating from somewhere inside the crowd. Heartened, Koga tightened his grip on his mate and the two exchanged a relieved glance as they walked toward their home.
Koga and Inuyasha came to a stop at the fore of the party when a group of furious looking Councilors crested the hill directly in front of them. The angry wolves made straight for the small company and upon seeing how closely the Alpha and hanyou were standing their glowers intensified. "Koga! How dare you!" Osamu yelled out as he approached at the vanguard of several other Councilors who'd obviously assembled in haste if their shabby dress was any indicator. It was still early in the morning and many of the wolves that came to see the spectacle looked rumpled and tired as if they'd hurriedly risen from their beds.
Koga swore under his breath, moved his arm to release his mate, and stepped forward to address the Councilors, "Osamu, calm down. I'll explain everything in the Council chamber."
"I think we have a right to be upset with you, Koga," Makoto agreed with his peer.
"Indeed. How could you countenance not informing us that you'd found such a splendid candidate?" Osamu smiled slyly at the startled Alpha before turning to the assembled crowd. "This calls for a celebration!" the crowd roared its approval. "Make preparations for a feast in the caves," Osamu waved to a group of wolves who eagerly began running toward the den's center. "You there," this time a group of demon warriors and wolves were singled out, "bring down some fresh meat."
The assembled Councilors began to laugh as the old wolf's orders were promptly carried out leaving Koga with a stunned expression on his face. He had been expecting something a bit more hostile upon his arrival. "Very good, Osamu, but you forgot one thing," Makoto came forward and wrapped his good arm around Koga's shoulders. "Bring out the ale!" the Councilor shouted and was met with rounds of applause and howls from the wolves around him.
The feasting and revelry lasted long into the night. It was in the very early hours of the morning that Koga and Inuyasha retired back to Koga's house on the periphery of the den's inner territories. "We should do that every night," Koga said as he threw himself down on his bed.
"You'd all end up fat and lazy if you did," Inuyasha taunted his companion. "It was fun though." Inuyasha stretched out on the bed beside his mate.
Koga turned his head to look at his handsome mate. Inuyasha's hair reflected the glow from the taper they'd brought into the room. He was dozing so his eyes were closed. Visually Koga traced the curved lines of his eyelashes as they brushed his cheeks. Letting his eyes travel from the hanyou's cheeks down to his ruby lips, Koga could see tiny points glittering between his parted lips as Inuyasha breathed in slowly and deeply. His mate was a marvel. Most hanyous appeared entirely human or else, rarely; they were grotesque caricatures of demonic beasts. But his mate was elegant. His silvery hair fell in cascades down his back, highlighting his slender form. He was strong though, well muscled and thin, there was not an ounce of fat clinging to the half demon's form. And amazingly, for all the injuries he'd taken in battle, and there had been many, his skin was unblemished, save for the rapidly fading marks garnered from his latest hurt. The hanyou's pale skin was accented by the jet black brows above his eyes. When the demon was awake his amber eyes with their silted pupils and his ivory white fangs provided a hint of the exotic. He could have passed for an exquisite human at a distance except for the triangular ears sitting atop his head that marked his heritage as an Inuyoukai prince. Inuyasha was truly a wonder. "Quit staring at me," the hanyou said without opening his eyes.
"I like looking at you."
Inuyasha yawned then snuggled closer to the wolf, "You're a weird one, Koga. 'Wonder why I like you so much."
"I thought it was my ravishing good looks and my charming personality," Koga suggested mischievously.
"No. I think it was your unparalleled stupidity and your rock filled head," Inuyasha said with a smirk.
Koga winced, "You heard that?"
"Yeah. Me and half the pack."
Koga moaned and used his arm to cover his eyes. "I'm gonna have to talk to Yuuka about berating me in front of the tribe."
"Why don't you just set a weekly place and time? Then she can plan ahead and think up more creative insults and maybe a few good synonyms." Inuyasha leaned over his mate and moved Koga's arm away from his eyes. "She was starting to repeat herself by the end of that last speech."
"It lasted over an hour! I was happy when she started repeating herself because that meant that she was finally going to quit soon."
"Poor wolf boy," Inuyasha gently mocked his mate. "Yuuka's really got you running scared, doesn't she? Maybe I can get some training tips from her."
"I'll show you a trained wolf," Koga said as he rolled on top of the half demon, pinning his mate's arms above his head as he kissed him deeply. Koga broke from the demon's tempting lips to trail a line of hot kisses down to the crux of Inuyasha's neck. He paused for a moment resting his mouth against his mate's heated flesh, relishing the feeling of the half demon's rapid pulse throbbing against his lips. When he heard a low whine coming from the restrained demon he resumed pressure on that spot, sucking at the flesh until a metallic taste filled his mouth. Inuyasha writhed under his mate's attentions, struggling to free his hands, but Koga held the struggling demon to the bed, throwing a leg over him to straddle his hips while firmly holding the silver haired demon's hands stationary above his head. Satisfied with the darkening bruise he'd marked his mate with; Koga lapped at the abused flesh in apology before torturously, slowly making his way back up to his mate's lips. He kissed the demon again, brushing his tongue along the hanyou's bottom lip, begging entry. Permission granted; he explored the steamy cavern of his mate's mouth thoroughly, running his tongue over the points of Inuyasha's fangs and over the sensitive skin on the roof of his mouth. Impishly the wolf broke the kiss and smirked down at his flushed and panting mate.
Inuyasha returned his mate's smile, "Good boy," he said.
******
Immediately Inuyasha was given an active role in the Council. He sat at Koga's right and by virtue of being Koga's mate he became the co-ruler of the pack. Between Inuyasha, Ginta, and Hakkaku, Koga was now free of many of the burdens his position as pack Alpha imposed on him. Inuyasha was an able commander and he was also acquainted with the traditions of humans and other demons that proved invaluable to the pack in dealing with outsiders. The hanyou took an active role in negotiations the pack was conducting with hostile demons in or around their territories and with the human village in the pack's territory and those surrounding it. After a few weeks the casualty numbers that were reported daily cut in half. The Council attributed it to Inuyasha's guidance and he became more and more popular as time went on. When word got round that the pack's Alpha was mated to a Harbinger, lone wolves who'd been living in isolation in the mountains came down in droves to join the pack. For the first time in years the pack's numbers were growing by leaps and bounds. But the addition that Koga was most concerned with was not any wolf living in the mountains.
After a single week a small bulge betrayed the presence of their child within the hanyou. But the hanyou's clothes were baggy and hid much. It was just over a month before the obvious signs of pregnancy could be see through the demon's clothes. The pack watched the hanyou's growing waist with a barely restrained sense of excitement and anticipation. Everyone was eager to greet the child.
Inuyasha himself didn't allow his condition to slow him down. He rose early and worked with Koga on pack business all day. He trained on the practice fields and helped to instruct the young warriors in battle skills. The only consolation toward his health that the silver haired demon made was to drink the tea Kaede prepared for him everyday and to let Yuuka give him weekly checkups. Normal term for a dog demon was sixty three to sixty five days. Wolf demons carried only slightly longer, but the x factor in Inuyasha's case was his human genetics. No one could be sure how long the hanyou was going to carry so the two healers insisted on regular checkups and badgered Inuyasha incessantly about his health. It finally came to a head when, in the demon's seventh week, a very angry and heavily pregnant Inuyasha was seen chasing Yuuka through the den after the demoness had made the mistake of asking the hanyou how he was feeling one too many times that day.
Koga was very anxious about the birth of his first child. He wanted the half demon to take things a little slower but he knew better than to suggest to Inuyasha that he dispense with his daily routine. Actually he'd learned that the hard way. Koga was by no means in control of the half demon as Inuyasha had eloquently and loudly explained to him one night. It was Koga's firm opinion that Yuuka could take lessons from the hanyou and learn something about bringing the wolf down a few pegs. Inuyasha was not about to be treated like some type of invalid nor was he going to alter his normal routine in any way. He was going to do what he wanted, when he wanted and Koga had no say in the matter.
It was on the seventy first day of his pregnancy when the hanyou excused himself from the Council chamber. It was a little odd for the demon to leave so early, but Koga had noticed that Inuyasha had been very tired lately. He was just glad that the silver haired hanyou was finally going to get some rest. Inuyasha though had other things in mind. He walked through the den, pausing a few times to talk with acquaintances or to offer advice to a young demon training with unfamiliar weapons. When he finally arrived at his destination he knocked on the wooden door before him. "Hey, Yuuka! You in there?"
"Inuyasha? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Yuuka opened the door and invited the hanyou in.
Inuyasha walked past the demoness and sat down in front of the fire. "Feh. You worry too much."
Yuuka laughed slightly and poured tea for the two. "I guess I am getting a little paranoid," she chuckled put at ease with the half demon's relaxed posture and unworried countenance. The two chatted amicably and drank their tea until curiosity prompted Yuuka to ask, "Inuyasha, not that I don't like your company or anything, but why are you here?"
The half demon waved off the question; "I've been in labor for awhile so I'd thought I'd stop by."
"What!" Yuuka jumped up and seizing the hanyou's arm bodily dragged him over to her examination table. "Why didn't you say something?"
"It's not that big a deal. It doesn't even hurt that much," the hanyou rolled his eyes as if he were bored with the whole thing and he thought that the demoness was over reacting.
"Not a big deal? Gods Inuyasha!" Yuuka swore. "How long have you been having contractions?"
The half demon shrugged, "Yesterday," seeing that the demoness looked ready to explode he decided to clarify that statement, "Early last night, some time."
"Last night?" Yuuka asked. Inuyasha nodded. "It's after midday! And you're just telling me this now?" Another nod. "What the hell's wrong with you!" Yuuka screamed at the cringing demon. Inuyasha had never had the full force of Yuuka's wrath directed at him before and he now saw what a truly scary thing it was. The thought briefly crossed the half demon's mind that maybe he owed Koga an apology. "What were you thinking?" the she-wolf continued as she violently disrobed the hanyou. "Were you even thinking? Of all the bone headed, idiotic things to do…"
"Well I got here before anything happened, didn't I!" the half demon defended himself earning a withering glare from the demoness.
Yuuka jabbed the half demon in the chest and said, "I am going to deliver your children then you and I are going to have a talk about why exactly idiocy is not something to be proud of."
******
Three and a half-hours later Inuyasha was delivered of two sons. The infant children were identical. They had Inuyasha's silver hair and Koga's ears. Their eyes were blue, but that might change. All infant's eyes are blue when they first open, Yuuka assured him. Yuuka helped the half demon clean himself up and after an hour or two he was able to walk around feeling only slightly sore. "Yuuka?" Inuyasha called.
"Yes?" the demoness queried from where she was fussing over one of the twins.
"When's everything going to heal?" the demon asked looking distinctly uncomfortable. That'd been more painful than he'd imagined and he was slightly off put by the whole, messy, process.
"I imagine you'll be fine by tomorrow," she said absently.
"Um…then…it'll close?" the half demon asked feeling extremely awkward.
"The birth canal?" Yuuka turned to look at the blushing demon.
Inuyasha rubbed the back of his head and said sullenly, "Yeah."
"Nope," she said turning back to the baby in her arms. "Sorry, sweetie, you're stuck with it."
"You're joking, right?" There was a slight edge of panic in the demon's voice.
Yuuka sighed and came over to sit next to the demon. The silver haired man was cradling his first born in his arms, the small demon was adorable curled up in his father's arms. "I thought you knew."
"What?" the hanyou asked. His ears flattened against the sides of his head and his eyes dilated until the amber color of his irises was nearly swallowed up by the black of his pupils. "How was I supposed to know that! How can I know these things if no one tells me!"
"Oh, calm down," Yuuka patted the demon's shoulder comfortingly. "It's not like it's a major change or anything. It'll shrink down to almost nothing and you're not even gonna have to deal with periods. You won't even notice that it's there."
"Yuuka?"
"Yes?"
"I'd hate to see what you think a major change is," the half demon said in a strangled voice.
"Why?" the wolf asked puzzled. The hanyou just sputtered and choked on his words. "Whatever," Yuuka waved off the hanyou's odd behavior as residual stress from what'd just happened. Plenty of women acted strangely after giving birth, why would a man be any different? She lifted the baby she held up bringing his pudgy little face eye level with her own, "Wanna go meet your other daddy-waddy, widdle baby?"
"Don't talk to my son like he's an idiot."
"He can't understand me anyway," Yuuka said defensively rolling her eyes. The hanyou growled at her. "Oh, fine! Take away all my fun," she pouted, cradling the baby to her chest, hanging her head, and sticking her bottom lip out. Suddenly she perked up and started walking out the door.
"Where are you going!" Inuyasha shouted, slightly alarmed when she walked out of the hut with his newborn son in her arms.
"What?" Yuuka turned around looking surprised.
Inuyasha sighed heavily, "Where are you going?"
"I thought we'd go see Koga," she said giving the hanyou a pleading look, her eyes wide and her bottom lip trembling.
"Okay," Inuyasha sighed and followed the skipping demoness out of the hut and into the dark.
Just before they entered the cave system Yuuka thrust the second child into Inuyasha's arms and ran toward the Council chamber. Inuyasha swore softly as his sons began to cry attracting the attention of several wolves in the caves. He tried to quiet the babies while he followed Yuuka, cradling a baby in each arm. "That was your aunt," he said to his sons. "Don't pay any attention to her. She's crazy." It took the hanyou several minutes to catch up to the demoness because he had to stop and let the pack members he passed coo over his sons. They were cute babies and Inuyasha found himself swelling with pride at all the attention they were attracting.
******
"Hi, Koga!" Yuuka shouted as she jumped onto the Alpha's lap.
"Yuuka! What are you doing here?" Koga shouted falling over at the sudden onslaught from the she-wolf.
"What? I don't even get a 'hello?'" Yuuka crossed her arms over her chest and sulked.
Koga, recognizing when the demoness was in one of her slightly unstable moods, apologized. "I'm sorry, Yuuka," he said. "But were having a meeting right now and I'll talk to you when we're done, okay?"
"But, I have something important to say!" the demoness clapped her hands happily and began to bounce up and down on Koga's lap.
"Yuuka! Get off of my mate!" Inuyasha yelled from the chamber's entranceway. The Councilors who'd been laughing at the she-wolf's antics hushed as the hanyou entered. All eyes in the room were riveted to the half demon's burden. Yuuka slunk off of Koga's lap as the silver haired demon flopped down on the chamber floor, sitting Indian style next to his mate. "Here, take one," Inuyasha passed a baby to the stunned wolf.
Koga looked at the baby in his arms, then the one in Inuyasha's arms, then finally he directed his gaze up at his mate. "This is why you left today?"
"Yeah."
Koga closed his eyes and swallowed before taking a deep breath, "Why didn't you tell me?"
The hanyou shrugged and said, "You were busy."
"Busy," Koga said flatly, before reaching over to pull the half demon into a soft kiss. "I love you, but don't ever do that again."
"Do what?" Inuyasha asked looking utterly confused with his brow slightly furrowed and his ears perked up to stand at attention on the top of his head.
Koga smiled and wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulders. The hanyou was cute, but sometimes he just didn't get it. "I'll tell you later," he said kissing the demon yet again. "Ginta," he called.
"Yes, Koga?"
"Take over for me. We're going home," he said smiling broadly at his mate as he stood.
"Koga?" a voice called as the two approached the entranceway. "What are their names?"
As the Alpha it was his right to name his children without consulting his mate. Usually Alpha's named their children after themselves and their family members. Koga looked into his mate's golden eyes and said, "We'll tell you later."
When the two arrived at their home they dressed their children in outfits they'd been given and traded for in other villages before settling them in the crib they'd acquired and moved into the bedroom. Kaede was already in bed so the two tried to be quiet. Koga was enthralled with his cubs. He kissed the tops of their heads and the bottoms of their feet as he dressed them. He counted their fingers and toes and stroked their soft cheeks with the back of his fingers, being sure to watch his claws. Inuyasha was equally enamored of the small babes. The silver haired demon leaned on the side of the crib and watched as his mate fretted over the children. The hanyou smiled and reached out to touch the little demons from time to time. The infants soon fell to sleep under the pair's ministrations. Inuyasha told Koga which child was the oldest and the two quietly discussed names they liked. They'd had this conversation before, but it was as yet unresolved. In the end they chose to name the oldest Tetsuya and the youngest Ren.
When the children were asleep in their crib and the two finally found it within them to tear themselves away from their newborns, Koga led his mate over to their bed. Inuyasha was obviously tired. He was yawning and having trouble keeping his eyes open. The half demon allowed the wolf to lead him over to the bed, in an unusual display of submission brought on by his fatigue. Koga carefully undressed his wearied mate and laid him down. He pulled the blankets over Inuyasha before swiftly disrobing and joining him under the covers.
Inuyasha snuggled into his mate's arms and tucked his head under Koga's chin. "Are you alright?" Koga asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Inuyasha assured his mate.
Koga stroked a hand down the hanyou's back. "I mean really. Are you okay?"
There was silence for a moment and Koga thought that Inuyasha might have fallen asleep. "I'm a little sore, but it's nothing," the half demon finally admitted knowing that his mate would press the issue until he got an honest answer.
The wolf smiled and held the Inuyoukai closer. Koga moved his hand up to stroke the half demon's furry ears. Inuyasha sighed in contentment and leaned into the wolf's touch. Inuyasha was not so different from one of the wolves in his pack in this way; wolves loved to have their ears scratched. Half demon though he was, as an inuyoukai Inuyasha did have some dog like traits. Koga could understand that, wolves were canines too. Koga laughed when his mate practically purred in sheer rapture, "I love you," the blue eyed wolf said softly.
Koga felt a hand move in his hair. Inuyasha's fingers sought out the tie to Koga's hair and pulled it loose. He liked the wolf's hair when it was down and whenever they got a moment alone Inuyasha took the opportunity to liberate Koga's hair from it's bonds. Koga had even considered leaving his hair down to make the hanyou happy, but it turned into a tangled mess whenever he ran anywhere. He just didn't have Inuyasha's uncanny ability to maintain his coiffeur in the face of gale force winds "I love you too," the silver haired man whispered into the wolf's pointed ear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Next time: Chapter Seventeen: Of Canines and Mikos
Many thanks to Ryouga Saiyuki who caught a huge glaring typo for me! I fixed it as soon as I got your review. A 'yasha' is a female demon! Really? Well that's grist for my mental mill :-)