-1Chapter Six
East Rock

"KAGOME!!"

Ginta and Hakkaku threw Kagome to the ground as they hugged her fiercely, feeling her bones crunch under their enormous weight. "Hey—I'm glad to—Ugh! —See you too!" She managed to gasp out from underneath them.

"Lady Kagome we were so afraid you and master Kouga was dead!"

"No, we knew you would come back to us!"

More wolves from Kouga's tribe came over and pummeled her, barking and licking her face. Kouga drew his head back and made a hearty laugh as he watched from a distance, other wolves coming over to him with happily wagging tails. He patted them on the head and nodded to the human-wolves as they came rushing over, afraid they had almost lost their last leader for good.

It had taken them many days to finally catch up with Kouga's pack. When they managed to clear the last rise and make it back it was nearly dark and some of the wolves were too asleep to even realize they had come back. Kagome yawned and hugged the last wolf, very drained from their arduous race to catch up with the pack. She looked around squinting in the thick darkness. She spotted Kouga far off at the edge of the pack, overlooking his sleeping brothers. She stood there a moment and took in a deep breath, grabbing her bag; she trotted down the hill to him.

Kouga had sat down and was gazing at the stars when she came to him. He looked back at her. "I thought you could use some new bandages," she said, sitting down next to him. She carefully unwound the bloodied cloth around his head and put it aside, taking out a clean one and a few ointments. Kagome bit her lip and scooted closer to him to reach, Kouga bent his head down to comply, and she reached for one of her ointments. "This may sting a little." She warned, stroking her fingers gently across the cut in his head. Kouga fidgeted, but remained silent, gazing at the stars.

His hair was loose from his usual ponytail as she worked on him, trying as gently as she could to make it as painless as possible. Wrapping the bandage across his head she sat back and sighed, looking up at the stars. She dared a sidelong glance at him and quickly looked away. A deep blush bloomed on her cheeks, suddenly eternally grateful for the darkness around them.

Why do I feel this way? Her mind whispered, why cant I even look at him? Why do I feel so…so…

She stopped her thoughts as rapidly as they had come and forced them from her head. She stole another quick look at him. He caught her looking and turned to her. "Kagome?"

She looked down immediately and twisted the things in her hands uncomfortably. "Um, uh…you know…I…."

He gave her a very confused look, arching his eyebrows at her.

"You know, I feel much better today, I, think that the spider demon's bite has healed…." She swollowed and cleared her throat. "Err, I mean…" She sighed and took a deep breath. "I guess…I've never really thanked you. For taking me with you."

"Eh, don't mention it," He said waving his hand carelessly, "I'm just glad you didn't go back to that Inuyasha mutt. I knew you would come around eventually. Inuyasha never deserved a woman like you, anyway."

Kagome smiled weakly; obviously Kouga was as ruthless as ever towards Inuyasha, and still had just as much an ego as the first day they had met. She looked back up at the stars with him. She sighed, wondering what Sango, Miroku, Shippo…and Inuyasha, were up to. The thought stung. A bitter sadness crept over her. Even when Kouga and all the wolves were fast asleep, she lay wide awake long into the night.

--- --- ---

"I can smell 'em even from all the way over here. She's there. And that stupid dog is with her." Inuyasha growled.

Sango and Miroku sat together on Kilala as they toddled through the grass early the next morning, Shippo sighed heavily, who was perched on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Cant you just be happy that were seeing Kagome?"

Inuyasha's eyes went cross. "What? And smile when that idiot Kouga comes around? Yeah right! As soon as we talk some sense into her to leave with us I'll be glad if I never see any of those wolves again!"

"Kagome may not come with us." Miroku pondered matter-of-factly. "After all, she was very upset and I doubt she will forgive you easily…."

Sango looked behind her to Miroku. "He's right. Maybe you better apologize to her—"

"I don't need to apologize! If Kagome was—was stupid enough to run away like that then she deserves to stick around with those damn wolves! I don't care! I'm only going to get my jewel shards!" Inuyasha stocked off a few paces ahead of them, fuming and muttering to himself.

"I'm very worried…" Sango confessed slowly, turning to Miroku behind her. "I'm glad we get to see Kagome again, but…"

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid Inuyasha may do something drastic. I know he wants her back, but what if Kagome is happy there? I don't want to force her to come with us…"

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine." They both looked at each other and turned to Inuyasha, who was arguing with as Shippo shook his fists. Somehow, they both doubted that everything would turn out ok. Sango took her hand and gripped Miroku's. He held her tightly and took his other hand with his Wind Tunnel scar and gripped her other shoulder. They allowed each other that small comfort before going back to snapping at one another. Sango leaned into him, making sure Inuyasha wasn't looking and closed her eyes. "Please let everything turn out alright…"

--- --- ---

Kagome huffed as she trudged up the steep mountain, taking a small stop to wipe the sweat off her forehead. Clutching the straps of her backpack, she gulped in a ridged breath of air and put her feet out in front of her, climbing up the heavily forested incline. She was determined to keep up, and smiled against the dull ache in her legs, pressing forward and even passing some of the exhasuted wolves on the trail. One small pup galloped past in between her feet, Kagome felt it intwine in her legs and she cursed. Her ankle twisting as she lost her backpack and slipped in her footing on the ground full of dead leaves and twigs, a terrified gasp escaping her lips as the ground fell out beneath her. She felt the soil smack into her shoulders, the dense forest floor holding no support as the leaves slithered along her body, carrying her down the slope. The wolves pointed and shouted for help, their faces jolting in fear as they tried to reach out and stop her. She frantically threw her hands out for something, anything to grab onto. But nothing came within her grasp, even all the wolves too far ahead of her to hear her cries for help.

A thick oak tree loomed out over her path, she barely got a glimpse of it over the small instant of clear vision, her eyes went wide in fear, digging her fingers into the ground desperately to stop herself. She shut her eyes tight and braced herself to hit the tree; certain she would break her back. She felt a rush of wind past her face and hit into something solid, a deep voice moaning out in agony. She fell to the ground, her head spinning, wondering in some far place of her mind if she was capable of making such a cavernous sound of her voice. She held her head to stop it from spinning, breathing raggedly.

Opening her eyes, the world spun around in ruthless circles. She tried to focus and saw something looming over her vision, still unclear.

"Kagome?"

She narrowed her eyes and blinked, watching the figure of Kouga come into focus, looking down at her.

She made a mystified look up at him.

He was breathing rigid breaths. "You should feel lucky I caught you before you killed yourself." He growled. His voice and his eyes void of nothing but anger. "If you couldn't take the journey then you should have said something—better yet I should have left you behind!"

Kagome said nothing, her mind still dazed. But not enough that her face didn't twist into anger herself, starring at him levelly. She saw his arms to the side of each of her shoulders, trembling slightly. He grunted furiously, "I should have known better than to take you along."

Her eyes grew in shock. He looked down at her with furious anger, still looming over her body. She struggled to find the words stuck somewhere in her fragmented mind. "If—if you didn't want me then you should have left me!" She glared at him. "And stop accusing me of always being weak! One of your bastard wolf pups tripped me!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, a feral darkness shadowing his blue eyes. "Don't you dare talk about my pack like that! You ignorent…foolish, human!"

Her mouth dropped at his harsh words. The anger suddenly surged and she felt the need to slap him across the face. For a very long moment of silence she didn't know what to say, but slowly she turned away from him, trying to escape his hold but he pressed her down and kept her there. "Fine." She murmmured, almost a sigh to quiet to be heard, "If that's all you think I am…just some stupid, foolish, annoying human girl whos always in your way that you just use to hunt down jewel shards!" her last words came out as a shout, feeling the heat in her eyes as she glared up at him with her face scruntched up in hurt.

He blinked at her for a small moment; an instant she almost thought she imagined. It was then she blinked too, realizing it sounded just like she was scolding Inuyasha. Inuyasha…. She dared to look up at him and saw his blue eyes starring back at her, still too painfully aware that the wolf demon was practically laying ontop of her. His legs drawn up around her thighs where she could plainly see the bulge of sculpted muscle, and his strong arms flat-palmed on the ground around her so close that she could smell the dark scent of his body that faintly reminded her of smoked meat and rain.

It was there she looked up at him, unable to tear her gaze away as he glared equally back at her. His eyes slipped from her brown eyes below her neck…his gaze clouded and he lifted his hand, pausing for a long moment before he brushed the hair from her face, looking back at her again, the anger gone from his once furious eyes. She felt him lean closer, his arms closing around her, the space between them pressing together as his lips came down and…

"KOUGA!!!"

They both startled so badly that they launched away from each other scrambling to their feet. Ginta with Hakkaku doddling not far behind came tumbling down the mountain slope and skidded short of Kouga. "Kouga! We've found it! Were at East Rock! Were there! Come and see!"

Kouga looked to her, and she starred back at him. She could still see his hungry gaze, and how close they came to…

"Whoa, hey you know what!? I'm coming with you guys! No point in wasting time!" She yelled starting up the mountain as quickly as she had come tumbling down with Ginta and Hakkaku running behind, hooting in joy.

Kouga stood alone for a long moment. He gazed longingly as she ran out of his view and sighed, wishing he had not snapped at her like that, starting up the slope himself. Its only because… He scowled at his thoughts and shook his head bitterly. …You stupid fool. She would never love you. Why would she ever love a monster like you? You're worthless in her eyes… Kouga's face twisted into a harsh sneer. Kagome will never love you. You don't deserve a woman like her…

He came to the crest of the mountain and looked down the steep canyon wall to see a vast grove of lush grass and wood and scattered rivers streaming through the land. He looked down upon what must be paradise; where he would be the leader of all the Wolf Tribes. But such power did little to lift his spirits…knowing Kagome would never be there beside him.

--- --- ---

The moon was high in the dark sky of near midnight as Inuyasha came up the mountain slope, trudging through the deep growth of leaves and bushes on the ground, the wind howling in the air blowing his long white hair back and forth. Miroku scouted ahead, his staff chiming in the wind, as Sango and Shippo rode Kilala behind him. He crossed to the crest of the mountain and suddenly stood back as the steep cliff careened into view. "It looks like we're close…" he mumbled, stepping back and overlooking the canyon that dropped into a river valley, spotted with ravenous bonfires and masses of wolves.

Sango jumped off Kilala and peered down the valley. Kagome…are you somewhere down there? She thought as the cold wind blew past, bringing Inuyasha at her back. She dared a glance at him. He wore an intense scowl on his face, one that made her heart jump.

"Its about time we found this place." He grumbled, already making a move to jump down the cliffs if he had to. "The sooner we find Kagome the better. Lets go." He started down the cliff without an answer from anyone. Sango looked back at everyone worriedly, clutching the broad weapon across her back. "Kagome…" she trailed off her words into silence, I hope you're alright, Kagome… she thought, sighing deeply and jumping onto Kilala's back with Miroku at her backside and followed Inuyasha. I only pray things will turn out alright…Inuyasha you idiot! I can sense bloodshed pooling around us all tonight…

"Sango?" Miroku put a hand on her shoulder.

She started and blinked, looking back at him. He gave her a questioning look, but somehow gazing at her as if he too thought the very same thing. "It will be okay Sango." He said to her.

"No, Miroku…" she shook her head sadly, the wind rushing past her pale face. "No, I don't think it will…"

Down in the valley as the wolves celebrated around great bonfires and a feast of kills to feet the whole pack, Kagome made her way to Kouga's den. The stench of blood was yet again thick in the air as they fed, many chanting and howling around their fires that lit up the dark night. A cave made its way into her view, one where she knew Kouga would be. She looked closely inside. There she saw him, once again smeared with the blood of his pack as the day that he became their unquestioned leader, readying himself to address them again. He turned to her, tying the black sarong around his hips. Kagome froze, seeing him almost half naked and turned. "I'm so sorry!"

Kouga made a slanted smirk and shook his head. "Kagome, do you need something?"

She turned slowly to him, putting her hands at her sides and looking down to the ground. "No. I just…" she fumbled her hands behind her back, feeling a burning blush rise into her cheeks. "I…"

Kouga walked closer to her. Silent. Watching.

"I…" she finally looked up at him. "Kouga…I have something I need to say…"

Her words stuck in her throat as she looked up at him. Thought of Inuyasha ran through her mind, of times when they had laughed together and fought side by side…and then Kouga came into her mind. Kouga who had said he always loved her. She had never thought she could fall in love with the arrogant wolf demon, and yet, somehow…

Her words echoed in her mind over and over again…

Kouga…I think I love you…