duende

.:atonement:.
chapter nine

He pushed himself up effortlessly, the oni head a crushed heap of soft tissue and bone at his feet. He ignored the drone of human sound that wrapped itself around him. She was the sole focus of his attention.

Kouga didn't hear their shouts of protest as he approached her crumpled form. Nor was he aware of the stray rocks and stones thrown at him when he knelt beside her. It wasn't until he touched her that he realized he was covered in blood. His claws left trails of smeared oni blood across her flesh, the noxiousness of it sending ripples of disgust through his belly.

He cursed to himself, the sound coming out like guttural barks as he shook the excess blood from his hands before allowing himself to touch her once more. Sango murmured incoherently as he pulled at her uniform. Pain brought her quick awareness and small, human hands tried to weakly push him away as she winced. The shutters and flinches gave Kouga pause and he waited for her to catch her breath.

Brown eyes blinked up at him as she tried to mask her weakness. "I– I'm okay…"

Kouga snorted. Reprimanding eyes stung her into submission as he pulled at her uniform once more.

She was badly hurt, just as he suspected. The clashing aromas warring around him marred her blood scent. Her physical weakness set him on edge as he pushed aside a torn flap of cloth, the edges of it catching in a partially formed scab.

He grimaced. It looked much worse than he envisioned. There was too much blood… more than he expected to see, but he had to remind himself that she was only human. Human flesh tore so easily.

Frowning, Kouga glared at the most severe of her wounds. The gash was deep… but how deep? Did the oni strike bone?Did she have a fractured rib, or more?Internal bleeding?

Unfortunately, she tried to use the torn edges of her uniform to help reduce the flow and now the fabric was caught in the dried blood. She winced as the coagulated blood refused to allow the textile to lift. He didn't want to hurt her, but he had to see the wound. He had to tear the fabric away.

It would hurt.

Delicate-looking hands calloused from battle dropped in resignation as she eyed him warily, her muscles relaxing ever so slightly. Holding his breath, he cut open her uniform and ripped the cloth back from her flesh in one, quick motion. She flinched and sucked in a pained breath, but said nothing.

Wasting no time, he lowered his face at the deepest part of the slash, examining the damage. Keen eyes slowly trailed over the length of the injury before he pulled back with relief. It seemed that the oni missed bone. It was a nasty flesh wound, but certainly not life threatening. At least, not for a youkai.

Kouga's frown turned anxious.

The gash was deepest near her left shoulder and trailed off into a thin, razor-fine cut that ended at the side of her right breast. She clearly needed stitches in her shoulder. The remainder of the wound looked bad, but bled little. That salve concoction she used to treat him when he was injured would probably fix her up.

He'd have to take her back to her village immediately and stitch her up himself, but she would be okay.

Relieved, Kouga sat back and let the tension drain from his muscles. In a couple of weeks, she would be fine. She was just lucky the damn thing's claws didn't land just a few inches lower or that her reflexes didn't fail her. Otherwise, the claw could have easily caught on one of her ribs and effectively ripped her chest cavity in half.

Kouga began to examine her for additional injuries when he heard her whisper his name. Aqua eyes stared hard at brown ones, waiting impatiently.

She swallowed and licked her lips. "Your body..."

The wolf looked at her queerly. 'My body?' Lips parted into a canine scowl as he looked at her with a condescending gleam in his eyes.

'Idiot!' he barked. 'I'm not hurt!'

It was at that moment that he realized what she had meant. He was still partially transformed. Then the scent and sound of humans assaulted his senses. Renewed fear wafted at his nostrils, aggravating his already flustered state. He heard bits and pieces of their conversation, including the whispered mention of his lost tribe and how all of the Yourouzoku should be dead. His current werewolf-like form only fueled their anxiety and Kouga looked over his shoulder to observe their actions.

They maintained a clear distance from him, but their curiosity still brought them dangerously close. Oblivious that their words could be easily heard by the wolf youkai, they continued their debate regarding just who and what he was. Some declared him to be an oni in disguise, as all of the Yourouzoku were dead. Others disagreed, confident that their village was now a target for a new tribe of youkai wolves. Still others said nothing as they silently tried to work up their courage to act.

A quiver moved through the group when they saw Kouga's watchful eyes upon them and many wisely fell silent. The wolf prince knew that it wouldn't be long before one of them felt obliged to intervene in his affairs. Sighing, he closed his eyes and concentrated on calming his blood and mind. Bone and muscle shifted as they decreased in density as joints made an audible 'POP!' as they realigned into his human shape.

Without a word, he moved toward the oni corpse to retrieve Sango's weapon. A strained hush fell over the humans as they watched his every move with growing suspicion. Strapping the Hiraikotsu to his back, Kouga returned to the exterminator's side and tenderly gathered her in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open only to find his dark hair teasing the tip of her nose.He felt her grow ridged in his arms and he spared her a quick glance.

"Kouga, I—"

"Relax Sango," he said softly, adjusting his hold and cradled her closer to his chest. "I'm taking you home."

Her voice caught in her throat, leaving her mouth agape but silent. Kouga could see her mind slowly processing his words as she struggled to keep her eyes focused on his.

"If you want me to leave you here," he whispered, "I will."

The offer hung between them for several seconds as Kouga waited for her to respond. Her body slowly began to relax in his arms and he knew her answer before she found the strength to voice it.

"No. Take me home."

Youkai lips quirked up ever so slightly as he replied with a gentle squeeze.

Turning to leave, Kouga came face to face with a young, human male wielding a katana. His grip on the weapon belayed his unfamiliarity with the blade as it trembled with unease. Unimpressed, Kouga began to move past him.

"Put her down."

The wolf's feet scrapped loudly against the earth as he paused, anger peaking.

Blade up and muscles tense, he said, "Put her down, youkai

The taiji-ya squirmed slightly in his arms. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kouga's voice intercepted hers. "Out of my way, human." Aqua eyes narrowed dangerously, "Now."

Four human males approached with two more trying to sneak up from behind. The wolf's hair began to stand on end. Couldn't they see how injured she was? He'd be damned if he was going to just leave her there!

The young man with the katana felt a renewed sense of courage as his comrades stepped forward.He squared his shoulders, determined.

The taiji-ya stirred and Kouga felt a trickle of her blood ooze down his arm. Anger surged, fueled by the scent and sensation of her blood. "Stand aside or die!"

"Put her down!"

"Kouga…" Sango's tired voice whispered.

The wolf ignored her. "If you force me to put her down, I will kill you," he glared at the humans surrounding him, "all of you!"

The male with the katana remained firmly in place, eyes obstinate.

His patience hinged on the understanding of their ignorance of the situation. They only saw a Yourouzoku and knew their reputation. In their eyes, he was simply trying to walk away with a meal.

If circumstances had been different he would have admired the foolish human for having the balls to stand up to a Yourouzoku to begin with, but instead Kouga felt contempt. He considered simply throwing Sango over his shoulder and slashing at the idiot but hesitated for fear of aggravating her injuries further. The boy wasn't worth his time.

'Shouldn't he be pissing himself right about now?' Kouga thought with annoyance.

"Where was this great display of bravery when that oni was salivating over the taiji-ya?"

Teeth ground together angrily. "Easy words for a man-eating youkai to say when he conveniently arrives just in time to gather the scraps."

A deep growl sounded from Kouga's throat as he felt his patience wear thin.

"I don't eat humans."

"You look Yourouzoku to me."

Kouga's hands involuntarily squeezed Sango at the mention of his tribe. Perhaps her wounds wouldn't be too badly aggravated if he supported her with one arm and disemboweled the presumptuous whelp with the other.

That would probably work.

"Put her down!"

"K—kano-san," Sango called out in a strained voice, "it's okay."

The blade twitched as Kano's face reflected his confusion. He licked his lips and furled his brows. "Sango-dono?"

"Kouga is my friend."

The Yourouzoku prince clenched his jaw, his eyes boring holes in Kano's face.

"You're injured, Sango-dono. You've lost a lot of blood. You're... confused..."

"No," she said, forcing her voice to sound strong in spite of her exhaustion. "It's okay. I trust him."

Kouga fought hard to resist the urge to look down at her. Something warm tingled in his belly when he heard her words and it spread throughout his body, making his heart quicken. Cynicism demanded verification of her sincerity, but the obstacle before him didn't allow him the luxury to see if her eyes matched her words. Even so, the warmth continued to spread and he found himself believing her words.

"Sango-dono." The human hesitated, his eyes moving from the wolf, to the taiji-ya, to the villagers standing nearby and back again. Kouga snorted impatiently and began to move past him, his expression daring the young human to challenge him once more.

"Will she be okay?"An anonymous male voice asked as the wolf made his way toward the forest, blissfully unaware that his every word was clearly heard.

A pause.

"I hope so."

"Do you really think he was Yourouzoku?"

"I— I think so…"

Someone snorted, then a new voice echoed toward him. "He can't be. The last one was supposed to have been exterminated months ago…"

• • •

She passed out during the trip back to the village. Kouga was thankful for that. It was easier trying to stitch up her wound that way.

Anticipating the need for several stitches, Kouga was pleased to see that his initial assessment was incorrect. The wound was deep, but her skin was far easier to stitch than that of a youkai. He couldn't help but to marvel at human fragility as he closed the gash in her shoulder. The dichotomy was intriguing and strangely appealing.

She seemed far stronger physically than she actually was.

The wound closed and her skin thoroughly cleaned, Kouga renewed his search for the salve that Sango used on him when he was injured. He did a quick search for the medicine when he first arrived at the village, but abandoned the hunt in favor of attending to her wounds directly. With the blood flow stopped and his sense of urgency down to manageable levels, Kouga felt comfortable exploring the cabin once more.

After several minutes of fruitless seeking, Kouga decided to expand his search to another cabin when he heard a distinct moan. Brown eyes blinked open to the bright afternoon light before squeezing shut once more. Kouga waited as he watched her with rapt interest. She grimaced and she licked her lips, and then attempted to lift her hand to her face. The movement was short lived. Hissing in pain, she quickly dropped her arm to her side.

"Keep your arm still or you might tear the stitches," Kouga warned as she blinked back against the bright light once more.

His voice gave her a sudden start and she glanced sharply in his direction. "K–kouga?"

A grunt came in response and she heard him moving some items around behind her, out of her immediate line of vision. Aching muscles loudly protested her attempts to crane her neck to get a look at the wolf. "What are you doing here?"

A pause.

"I brought you here."

Sango flinched as she tilted his head toward him, pain sending electric streaks of torment through her nerves. "You did?"

She heard him move toward her until she could see his face. He frowned.

"You passed out on the way here," he said. "I'm not surprised you don't remember."

Sango's brows furled together as she tried to recall the events of the previous night, but everything seemed like a blur. She could only remember disjointed bits and pieces, but leaving Yasuo's village was a complete blur from her mind.

"Do you want some water?" he asked, holding up a cup. "You should probably try to eat something. I think."

"You think?" she asked weakly.

He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "I don't know. Humans are so different from youkai, I'm not sure what the right thing to do is."

Sango nodded and turned her attention to herself. She felt light headed and tired, most likely due to blood loss and the lingering effects of the oni jaki. Simple bed rest would take care of that. The bruises, cuts and scrapes that marred her body would also benefit from her taking it easy for awhile. The one thing that worried her was the throbbing pain in her shoulder and back. She knew without touching the area with her fingers that she had stitches. The amount of pain and stiffness she felt in her upper body suggested that she had done quite a bit of damage to herself. Though how extensive that damage was wouldn't be known until the stitches came out.

'Has Kouga always known how to do first aid?' Sango wondered. 'All of my bandages feel secure and clean. I wonder if Kagome taught him how to do that?'

As the question turned over in her mind, she suddenly became aware that she was not wearing her uniform. She was wearing a katabira. The implications of what that meant caused her heart to beat faster and her face to redden. Kouga noticed the change and moved toward her.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm still a little light headed," she explained weakly, unconsciously pulling at her covers.

"Blood loss," Kouga stated. "Do you think you can sit up?"

"Yes."

Sitting down beside her, he snaked his arm under her uninjured shoulder and helped her to rise. Once upright, he offered her a cup of water, which she took with a grateful smile. No words passed between them as Sango brought the cup to her lips. After the first mouthful went down, she realized with a blush that his arm was still supporting her, even though it was unnecessary.

"Thank you," she said, voice soft. "I... I can sit up on my own."

He grunted, but didn't move. Nor did he look away from her. Sango felt her blush deepen and her heart pound harder. Kouga's brows drew together, concerned by the sudden flush of her cheeks.

"Are you feverish?" he asked, squeezing her gently as he leaned toward her. Then he inhaled of her scent.

The ruddiness extended to her ears.

"You don't smell sick," he murmured.

"I'm fine," she said just before taking another gulp of water.

He assessed her once more with his eyes, before nodding.

"I'll bring you more water in a little while," he took the cup from her. "You should rest. You're still not well."

"I do feel pretty sleepy."

His hands supported her tenderly as he helped her to lie back down. "You need to eat something to build up your strength," he said. "I'll have to hunt."

Pulling the bed covers around her, Sango snuggled into the softness and immediately felt the pull of sleep.

"Are you comfortable?" Kouga asked, gently pushing her long, dark bangs away from her eyes.

She blinked up at him and offered a tired smile, "Mm."

"Good," he smiled. "Get some rest, Sango."

The taiji-ya released a content sigh as she relaxed deeper into her bedding. It was nice having him near. It had been so long since someone had taken care of her, she almost forgot what it was like to be babied. It was nice. And more than a little comforting.

As sleep began to lull her away, the distinct sound of her door being open caused her body to jolt. She nearly sat up as her eyes sought out the wolf prince.

"Kouga?"

He stepped into view, peering down at her with open concern, "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

She ignored his questions and asked, "Are you going to leave?"

The wolf prince paused to peer at her quizzically. "I need to go hunt," he said.

"Right," Sango whispered. "Sorry. I just... I heard the door open and I thought..."

Without a word he sat down beside her and grasped her hand. Sango's eyes widened in surprise.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sango," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I will be here when you wake up."

The taiji-ya saw the sincerity of his voice reflecting in his eyes and she gave him a shy smile.

He smiled back, his expression beaming with confidence. "Go to sleep."

With his hand still wrapped around hers, she did.

AN: katabira: thin morning kimono. I imagine it is quite sexy. Actually, I don't know if it is or not. You people out there into the lemon/lime fics have probably already decided that it is quite sexy. I'm thinking it isn't, but I'm only thinking that just to be a tease. :p