The object of his hunt was only a small distance away. He could smell the fear come off of it in waves. It was like an aphrodisiac making his blood heat with its intensity. He came in closer, slower as to not frighten it or give away his position. He stayed crouched and appreciation ran through him. This animal was just in its prime, full of muscle and no doubt with an equal amount of aggression to go with it. There was no way it could have developed like that without it. The animal turned, sensing it was being watched. It snorted a time or two, testing the air for the smell of predators. Its small round eyes shifting, watching for any telltale signs of movement. He remained still, watching. When the animal moved one hoofed foot to run, he struck. He took it down with his initial charge. But it wasn't about to give up the fight for its life so easily. It turned its head thrusting one of its husks at whatever it was that attacked it.

He moved to the side avoiding the ivory that would have torn a human in half. With his claws he swiped at the neck, tying to cut the jugular vein. The boar's skin was tough, so it took some effort to penetrate it enough to do any significant damage. He decided to use another tactic. Using his demon strength he place his feet firmly on the ground and with his upper body strength twisted the animals head until he heard the obvious sound of bones breaking. Still the boar struggled, its feet kicking in the air in a vane attempt to win its freedom. He gave the boars head one final twist, and with that the animal ceased all moments.

He looked down and found that it had managed to gouge his arm. He shrugged the damage off as insignificant; his demon body will heal that soon enough. The sounds of his companions reached his ears moments before they appeared. He took a chunk of meat off of the carcass and instructed the others to eat their fill. They gave their thanks and began to devour the boar. After eating his meat he began to walk back to the village. Upon reaching the path that lay towards the river he hesitated. His eyes scanned the area, lost in memory. His feet took him down to the river. He looked over the rocky bank and saw Kagome standing there holding an arrow ready to shoot the demon. His face took on a displeased expression.

He relived the battle in his mind, and the terror he felt when he thought she would die. He closed his eyes in pain. The rush to retrieve the hanyo to save her, the miko preventing him from taking Inuyasha to the village. The kitsune urging him to the well. His hands moved jerkily through his hair. The feel of Kagome fading from his arms and then the agony of the wells rejection of him. His breathing became labored. The incredibly difficult decision to leave scouts in his place, because the pack needed him. He took a steadying breath. She wasn't dead. She would be coming back soon. He looked towards the water one last time and in his mind cleared that fear of losing her forever from his thoughts. He turned and continued on to the village, more sure of himself and strengthen in his beliefs and feelings towards Kagome.

"Inuyasha maybe we should just go back to the shrine. She has to come home sooner or later." Sota half complained. His feet were tired and he was bored out of his mind roaming the mall. They had already visited all the stores he knew his sister would frequent and had no luck in finding her. Inuyasha wasn't ready to give up, but he was ready to get away from all these people. They were making him antsy.

"Yeah, let's go." he conceded. They had barely walked out of the building when Inuyasha grabbed Sota by the collar of his shirt and began to run. Sota was confused as to why Inuyasha would act like that, maybe he spotted Kagome? He turned to ask Inuyasha that when he noticed that the hanyo's hair seemed to be darkening. He rubbed his eyes, not quite trusting them.

"Hey Inuyasha?" he began.

"Just be quiet until we get to back to the shrine, it's only a few feet ahead." Inuyasha said, effectively stalling Sota's questions. The shrine was in full view and he cut through the trees surrounding it in his haste to get out of view of other people. Sota looked to him again, he sought the night sky and noticed there was no moon out. So this is his human night. Kagome had told them everything including this particular event that would happen.

They were just about to reach the doors to Sota's house when they heard, "Sit boy!" Inuyasha went down hard on the concrete. Sota still in the hanyos grasp went with him. "Ow, sis couldn't you wait until after he let me go to do that?"

"Where were the two of you coming from, huh, Sota?" Kagome asked making no pretense in hiding her anger.

"Damn it Kagome! We went looking for you!" Inuyasha's exclamation could just barely be heard.

She hesitated looking down to Inuyasha. This wasn't how I wanted our reunion to be either. She went to her brother and told him to go inside. She wanted to let out all of her pent up frustration of having had to chase the two across the city; worrying that someone might notice that Inuyasha had dog ears attached to his head, because that idiot had lost his hat somewhere.

"Kagome perhaps we should all go inside?" Hojo suggested.

She had forgotten him momentarily in her anger. She did not want to do this in front of her mother or grandfather. Inuyasha drowned whatever her comment might have been, out.

"Couldn't even wait for us to come back. But you sure did manage to stick around long enough for that mangy wolf." The moment those words left his mouth he regretted saying them. Why could he never think things through before shouting them out to the world? He mentally kicked himself.

Kagome turned eyes filled with sudden rage to him. His ears involuntarily twisted back and flattened to his head. "I have been going back and forth for over a month now Inuyasha. I have waited and waited for all of you to come back. Everyday no sign of any of you. Kouga managed to come, and found me."

Hojo and Sota both took a step back. They did not want to be caught in the crossfire of this. She continued her verbal barrage on Inuyasha even as the hanyo regained his feet. He responded in kind, throwing his own questions to her. Hojo and Sota glanced to one another wondering which of the two they should attempt to restrain.

Inuyasha threw Kagome off when he asked, "Did you even miss me? I've missed you badly, not seeing you for two months."

"What? I haven't seen you in a year. What are you talking about?"

That feeling of impending doom Hojo had felt earlier in the day surface with a vengeance.

"I've been here every night while you were healing. And every new moon while you were in that 'hospital' recovering from the battle. Until two months ago because we were tracking a shard."

"You've been here?" Her anger seemed to have mysteriously dissipated with his confession.

He felt relief and went to stand closer to her. She jerked back. His anger flared again. "What is your problem? I'm not gonna hurt you stupid!"

She was hurt by that last comment. "I don't like to be touched." she answered in a meek voice.

Inuyasha was taken aback. What the fuck is going on? "You let that boy touch you enough." throwing a hand in the direction of Hojo.

She was getting angry again. She did not feel the need to explain whatever was going on between Hojo and herself to Inuyasha. " That's different."

"HOW?!!"

This was not something she wanted to share with anyone. Especially since she was still coming to grips with it herself. Those flashbacks she gets when she sleeps, they're Kikyo's dreams and memories. They had her confused for a while on what was her and what was her incarnate.

"It's not that I don't care." she said.

"Then what is it then? Huh? I can't hear you?" He was baiting her and he knew it but couldn't seem to keep himself from doing it. He didn't want to be here fighting with her. He wanted to hug and wrap himself in her scent again. To go and travel together creating good memories. He keeps asking himself why was he being such a jerk to her. If he keeps this up, she might decide not to return with him. He was preparing to apologize when she spoke.

"Inuyasha, I can't love you. I feel not only my feelings for you but also Kikyo's. I can understand where all of her anger comes from. And I won't let that happen to me."

His world sudden constricted into an insignificant ball of mud. She was using Kikyo as an excuse, he felt that as truth. He looked to the boy standing next to her brother and came to his own conclusion.

"So you've chosen that boy then?"

She looked back to where Hojo was standing with her little brother. Had she chosen him? She looked back to Inuyasha and saw he made no effort to hide his hurt from her. She felt her heart break in painful pieces.

Just because I said I couldn't be in love with you doesn't mean that I'm not. She couldn't say it aloud. Her silence had given him the wrong answers.

"Feh! I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want Me." he said and lowered his face so his hair hid him.

"Inuyasha," she wanted to reach out to him to ease the hurt from his face. Her hands were shaking with the effort to hold them to herself. She gripped her elbows to keep from giving in to the impulse.

"Kagome…". He lifted his head allowing her to see all the emotions he was feeling. Her feet moved on their own.

"Inuyasha…"She didn't want to see that look on his face. She didn't want to know she was the cause of it. But how could she face herself with the knowledge that she didn't belong in his world? That all this that could be, will never be. Would it be better to live in blissful denial for a bit? Would that be so wrong? She took another step towards him. He didn't move but his eyes continued to let her know he did love her. Maybe it would never be a strongly as he did Kikyo, but it didn't matter because he loved her and he was trying to let go of the past.

She looked back briefly once more, then slowly placed her hand on his arm. It was hard, so hard to keep the tears from forming in her eyes. Sadness at what she had to let go filling her being. She closed her eyes and just concentrated on the sensation of his arm. When his hand shakily came to rest on her shoulder, she gave into the tears. She leaned into him and he into her. Her hand moved up and went uncertainly around his shoulders her other hand rising to meet it. She clung to him and couldn't control the sobs that were coming from her lips. His arms tighten around her his head resting on the top of hers. She could feel his own tears falling on her head. And the swell of emotions erupted. Her entire body was shaking, his trembling as well.

Sota looked at the two of them hugging each other and felt saddened for his sister. He glanced up at Hojo, who's face was carefully blank. "Do you think we should leave them alone?" he asked the older boy. Hojo looked to Sota, his own eyes fighting tears.

"I think we should."

" How can you stand there and see her holding him like that and not get mad?"

Hojo thought the question over carefully in his mind. What can he say to that? He was mad, but sad as well. It's pretty hard to stay angry when the one you love is hurting so much and you just want to help that pain go away. What should he say?

"Sometimes, Sota, you have to learn to let go of the one's you love." He turned to look at them one last time. It was definitely one of the hardest lessons anyone would ever have to learn. " I'm going to leave now. Let Kagome know if she needs me to call me."