Chapter Two: Dreams in a demon's arms
Everything felt…surreal, almost dreamlike. Through the vortex of wind that spun around her, Kagome could see hints of green, gold and orange…The trees of the forest and the bright glow of the morning sunrise spun around her like a harsh illusion. She felt her world become warped and her mind spin with it. Kouga had wrapped one of his arms tightly around her midsection, supporting her by the tender flesh that covered her damaged ribs. She felt the sting of tears well up in her eyes, she wanted to cry out to him, say, "Kouga…stop this.", but couldn't find her voice. They were moving faster now and she squinted her eyes against the wind to look up into his face. He looked determined, angry even, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he carried her. She buried her face into the coarseness of the dark fur he wore around his armor, remembering what he had said earlier…
"Mutt face did this to you, didn't he?! I smell him all over your wounds…He'll pay for what he's done! I swear it!"
"Kouga…you have it all wrong…" She felt her body grow limp in his grasp as her consciousness deserted her again…The night before…she remembered the taste of medicine on her lips, it's cool soothing texture slipping down her throat…That was why she felt this way, so lightheaded and groggy. Someone had given her more…more of that elixir to help her sleep. She struggled to keep her mind sharp but felt it ebbing away…her eyelids growing heavy…her breath deep, her world…black.
"No…please don't let this be real…"
Kagome gasped and stood to her feet, scanning the small room warily. She remembered this room, this apartment, the clutter and the moving boxes. She clenched her small hands into fists and shook her head violently, her short raven hair whipping around then falling limply to her shoulders. She was reliving that day, the day he went away.
"No…This can't be real…", she choked, surprised at how young her voice sounded. "I haven't thought about this for a long time…I've tried so hard…"
Thin clear tears ran down her face and she lifted a tiny hand to wipe them away. This wasn't like the dream she had before…the one about failing eight grade…this was more real to her, more painful. A gentle white light shone through the open window of her room, her old room. The cherry colored curtains blew freely in the breeze and she winced. Everything was so clear…exactly like that fateful day.
She ran her palm along the smooth cardboard of a large moving box marked, "Toys" and felt her body tremble. She knew what was waiting for her in the other room and didn't want to face it…not again.
"Kagome."
It was her mother's voice that called her. Kagome tried not to budge, tried to stop herself from reliving that day but she found her own body betraying her. She felt herself move…past the filled moving boxes…past the open door to her empty childhood room…down the shadowed empty hall…towards that voice that called her still.
"Kagome."
At the end of the dark hall was an open door, the door leading to another room, one also filled with moving boxes…but something else was also there. In the corner of the empty room sat a young woman holding a sleeping infant…it was Sota, Kagome's younger brother. The woman faced away from the sunlight that shone through the bare window, dark distorted shadows covering her solemn face.
"Kagome, come here."
She felt herself moving again, slowly…almost floating to her mother's side. The woman holding the small baby smiled weakly, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks. Kagome felt her body shake as tears fell from her face as well. She knew what would happen. She remembered.
"Kagome…There's no need to cry anymore. Come here baby."
She bit her lip and trembled as her mother held her brother with one arm and hugged her with the other. Her mother now had a far away look, a thousand yard stare as she consoled her daughter.
"Kagome…", she began slowly, drying her tears, "Your father is going away for a while…You may be too young to understand this now but…sometimes grownups need time to…" she was cut off by her daughter, who began to scream at her in protest.
"No! I don't wanna hear it! Just stop it!"
Kagome felt her heart rip itself in two. She wanted to cry out to her mother…wanted to tell her what was going to happen…That her father was never coming back…If only they had just separated…If only he didn't get on that plane that fateful day…
She winced and her mother hugged her close.
"Kagome…", she whispered, her voice becoming soft and emotional, "I want to tell you a story…You will listen, won't you?"
Kagome sniffed back tears and nodded reluctantly before her mother continued.
"Once upon a time…long ago…", she began, "There lived a poor man and his daughter. The man loved his daughter very much and nothing brought him more joy than to see her happy….", she sighed sadly and hugged Kagome close as she continued.
"One day, his daughter was in the village and came across a noble girl who wore a necklace of beautiful white pearls. Oh, how she wanted pearls of her own…but she knew she was too poor to ever have them. Her father knew how much she wanted those pearls, and it broke his heart that he couldn't give them to her…" Kagome blinked and looked up at her mother. She remembered everything from that day…The boxes, the tears…everything except this.
"The next day he went to town after working in the fields. He came across an old merchant who sold faux pearls and bought a string of them for his daughter, telling her that the pearls were real. Years passed and his daughter never took them off, they made her so happy...She had the illusion that the pearls were genuine and didn't see that age had yellowed them and the necklace had become cracked. Her father saved and worked hard until her thirteenth birthday, when he went to market and bought her real ones." she smiled solemnly and continued.
"He asked his daughter to give him her faux necklace and she refused. It broke her heart to give up something that she loved so much… Over time he lost his patience and demanded that she give him the pearls, telling her that they were ruined and worth nothing. Though she wanted to keep them…she gave them to him as he commanded. To her surprise, he took away her faux pearls and replaced them with beautiful, real ones."
Her mother nodded and brushed Kagome's tears away. "So you see…for a while those faux pearls made the girl happy…she loved them, but they were only an illusion. Even thought it hurt…she had to give them up for something real." Kagome gaped at her mother's words. What did she mean by all of this?
"I too, had to give up an illusion to obtain something real…and it hurt.", she continued, her smile fading.
Kagome cringed and felt her emotions boil inside of her. "So you mean…", she choked, "That Daddy was an illusion?" She brushed her mother's arm away, her dark brown eyes full of hurt. "What's….What's real to you, mama?"
She lowered her head and felt her mother lift her up onto her lap, her mother's arm wrapping tightly around her. Her last word's came out as a low whisper.
"You are, Kagome. You are what's real, and I'll always love you."
She buried her face into her mother's shirt and continued to cry. The boxes and figures in the room became warped shadows and began to spin around her like a menacing whirlpool. Her surroundings began to dissolve, becoming unfamiliar.
"I love you too, mama…please don't leave me!", Kagome cried one finding her voice, reaching frantically into the dark void, but it was too late. Everything had faded into darkness.
"No! Ngh…don't leave me….please…"
Warm coarse animal fur brushed her bare legs and she awoke to find herself in the arms of a familiar demon…They were in a cave. Her breathing became ragged and echoed throughout the towering dark cavern. A small paper lantern burned by her side…the dim light reflecting the canine irises of dozens of other wolf demons. She was in Kouga's lair…
"Don't worry Kagome", Kouga whispered gruffly while petting her head, "I won't leave you…never. You're my woman."
"I'm…I'm not…", her voice trailed off as she strained her eyes to look at him. Even in the pale light of the single lantern, she could make out the avid blue of his eyes. Like Inu-Yasha, his pupils were narrow and animal like…only they weren't black, they were blue…just one shade darker than the rest of his eye. As she examined him, he smiled at her, running his fingers through her hair and cradling her in his lap. She came to her senses and blushed, using what little strength she could muster to shove him back.
"Kouga….", Kagome whispered nervously, "I…I'm not your woman."
He nodded in the dim light, the shadowed forms of his wolf companions looming behind him, watching them. She cringed slightly as he loosened his hold on her and leaned forward, sniffing the curve of her shoulder with his sensitive nose, tickling her.
"You're right.", he breathed at last, his hot short breath warming her skin. "You're not mine…not yet."
Kagome felt her pulse quicken and her mind race. What did he mean, not yet? What was he going to do to her? She felt his lips press against the smooth nape of her neck, causing her to shiver. Her mind wandered to…Inu-Yasha. Was he coming for her? How long had it been since Kouga had taken her? Her thoughts shattered as she felt long canine fangs brush the surface of her delicate skin…scratching lightly, nearly breaking through. Her pulse throbbed in the artery that was pressed against his incisors.
"Kouga!", she cried weakly in protest, "What are you doing?!"
She trashed violently in his arms, causing him to pull back in alarm.
"Kagome? I haven't claimed you yet…"
She felt her blood boil and her cheeks burn crimson as she gawked at him anxiously. Kouga slipped his strong hands in hers without hesitation and leaned forward.
"When a demon claims his mate", he began, his eyes locked onto hers, "He marks her with his bite, forming a bond with her…When I mark you, you'll become my mate…my mate for life."
Kagome trembled and pulled her hands back from his grasp, shuffling back on the large fur mat to move away from him. Her back pushed against the cold stone of the cave wall, icy moisture rubbing onto her skin. She saw him sitting patiently in the flickering light, his eyes glowing metallic from the luminosity.
"Kouga…You can't…just claim me…"
She panted from shock and swept a hand against her neck. He hadn't drawn any blood but the pain…by pulling away from him, his longs fangs had scraped the outer layers of her neck. Beyond the faint light of the lantern crept the other wolves. She could only see their elongated shadows sweep the cave walls, their movements echoing throughout the cavern…and there was Kouga sitting across from her, his sharp eyes searching her for another response. What would she say or better yet…what could she say? She closed her eyes and felt beads of sweat dot her forehead and run down her face. She was uneasy and the wolf demons could smell it.
"I want everyone out… Leave us."
She jumped upon hearing his voice, but he wasn't talking to her…he was ordering his pack to leave. Low inhuman voices sounded in the darkness around her…slowly fading into the distance until only silence was left. Kouga made no advances toward her…he sat across from her on the mat…the light dancing across his still figure.
"That look on his face…it's almost as if…he's concerned about me…"
She eased her back and slumped over, clutching her bandages as a wave of throbbing soreness swept across her body. She slumped over on her stomach, gritting her teeth against the pain, the rough animal pelt scratching her exposed flesh. A warm hand began to stroke her back, Kouga's long bangs tickling her cheek as her whispered into her ear.
"That half-breed did this to you…If he ever comes near you again…I'll kill him."
A/N/: I know, I know. This chapter's short for an update…but rest assured. Chapter three will pick up from here and will be much longer =)
Mata ne!