PREVIOUS CHAPTER: THE NORTHERN WOODLANDS

"You don't recognize my voice Kagome?" the thing asked. Kagome could tell the thing was getting closer and she grew nervous. The voice did sound familiar she just couldn't put a face with the voice.

"I was wondering when you would finally show up. I thought you might have forgotten about me." Natilruh said stepping out of behind a tree.

CHAPTER 9: THE PACK AND THE LEADER

Kagome breathed in a sigh of relief as she saw her aunt's face come into focus. Her aunt seemed to look her over and then smiled and sat down. "Sit Kagome we must talk before you meet the pack," Natilruh said swishing her tail to the side.

Kagome and Inuyasha sat across from her aunt and Kagome looked to her aunt to start. Natilruh cleared her throat and spoke, "I see that you've finally gotten your true features?"

Kagome nodded. "Well I guess what I want to know is well how much has your mother told you?" Natilruh asked becoming now serious.

Kagome searched her memory for what her mother actually told her. "I guess that my father and her were together and had me, but the pack didn't really like that and that a neighboring pack killed my father and then my fathers pack was going to kill my mother and she fled."

Natilruh lowered her head and it seemed that she was also shaking her head like she didn't believe her. Kagome took offense to this, "What? Don't you believe me?"

She raised her head and there was a sort of grin in her aunt's face. "Oh Kagome if only you knew the real truth. It's not your mother's fault, but there is so much you don't know. Forgive me."

"So much I don't know about what?" Kagome asked now getting a little upset.

Her aunt's features suddenly looked grave and she slowly shook her head. "Kagome I wish that I could tell you, but not now, and not here. These woods have too many spies. In time you'll learn though."

Kagome was a little irritated with her aunt. She felt like she had a right to know. She glanced at Inuyasha. He turned his gaze to hers and gave a weak smile before turning his gaze back on Natilruh. "Ok well what you need to know before we reunite you with the pack. The alpha-male of our pack is Bengku. He is also my brother and your uncle. The alpha-female is Ganjel. Ganjel is now also your aunt because her and Bengku are mated. If I were you I wouldn't saw anything unwise in front of those two. Let me warn you though. These two aren't the nicest demons you've probably ever met, but they are the leaders of the pack, so you must at all cost show them respect. They have a little boy named Benhi. Be very kind to him if you'd like to live. He's always with his mother, but he does wonder around so be careful. He's a little brat if you ask me so just try to hold your tongue around him. There aren't many others that I would worry about. There are a few of Bengku's men that hang around, but I wouldn't worry about them. Just don't really say anything around them that you wouldn't want Bengku to know about."

"Wait a minute Natilruh. Shouldn't Kagome be the leader of the pack since her father was the former leader and she's his only offspring?" asked Inuyasha.

Natilruh closed her eyes as if she just heard something she didn't like. She nodded. "Kagome should be alpha and the leader of our pack, but she wasn't here to take her fathers place so Bengku took over."

"Since I'm back though should I become the leader or alpha whatever," Kagome said.

Natilruh laughed, and this in some way offended Kagome. "You think that Bengku would give up his status just because you show up? One of the worse things that my brother enjoys is power. Why do you think…." She stopped herself before she finished.

"What?" Kagome asked wanting her to finish.

Natilruh looked away. Kagome could smell her aunts overwhelming scent of hurt. Her aunt looked back at her and in almost a whisper said, "Someday I'll tell you Kagome…someday."

Kagome nodded and then looked at Inuyasha for answers. His features told her nothing and she looked back to her aunt. I wonder what she's so upset about. I wish she would just tell me instead of being all secretive about everything! From far off Kagome could hear a small thing coming their way. It was a small demon and that was all Kagome could tell. Natilruh rose to her feet and motioned for Kagome and Inuyasha to do the same. "Well we should get going."

Before they had begun their way towards the village a small child appeared beside Natilruh. "So you finally found me. What have you been up to all day Kando?" Natilruh asked the small child who appeared to be a wolf demon also.

The boy reminded Kagome of Shippou and she realized how much she missed the small fox demon. The boy was larger than Shippou, and he looked more like a six-year-old human child besides the small wolf ears that rose out of his head and a small tail. The child had a little more of a grayish tint to his hair than Natilruh and Kagome. The boy was about to answer Natilruh, but instead gazed and Kagome and Inuyasha. "Mama? Who are these people?" the child asked looking at his mother.

Natilruh smiled down at him and said, "Kando, this is Kagome your aunt, and this is Inuyasha her friend."

The boy looked at his mother again a little shocked. "But, umm…mama you said that Kagome was in a different time."

Natilruh smiled again before taking the boys hand and leading the way to the village. "Yes, she was, but she found her way to us and now everything will be better."

The boy smiled and looked back at Kagome. "I'm glad you're finally home. Now you can stop uncle."

Natilruh stopped and bent down to Kando's height. "Son, don't every say that again! You know what your uncle would do if he heard you say that! Another thing. Kagome doesn't have to help us if she doesn't want to so don't expect her to ok?"

Kando looked down and then Natilruh resumed their walk with Kando beside her. Kagome couldn't help, but feel very nervous. She looked over at Inuyasha who still had a blank expression on his face. "What are you thinking?" she asked him in a whisper.

He looked at her and smiled, "Nothing."

"I'm a little scared. I hope they like me," Kagome admitted looking down.

His hand caught her chin and he raised it to him. "Kagome they'll love you. How can they not?"

She smiled and his words made her feel a little better, but she was still a little nervous. It didn't take long to get to the village. Natilruh led the way through the village and Kagome couldn't help the feeling of being watched. As they made their way through the village Kagome couldn't help but notice the small huts and the demons that were in the village. They were definitely wolf demons, but they looked a little weak and underfed. They all seemed nice, but Kagome sensed that maybe something just wasn't right here. There were even wolves that occupied the village and they too looked small and unhealthy. Kagome felt a little sad for them. The demons and wolves all showed their respect to Natilruh and her son and even bowed to Kagome and Inuyasha. In the center of the village there was a very large building that almost looked like a shrine. It was very large and had stone steps that led to the doorway. Ivy clung to the sides of the building and bushes ran all around the building. Large trees hid the front of the building as Natilruh lead the way up the steps. Guards stood at the entrance and nodded to Natilruh as she stepped in. They seemed to eye Kagome and Inuyasha as they also stepped in. "This seems a bit odd don't you think?" Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's ear as they made their way through a large room.

"Don't worry I won't let anything happen," he said with his hand rested on tetsusaiga.

They entered a room with large furs covering the floor and walls. Natilruh stopped and looked at the other end of the room. Kagome felt a dark aura as she looked down at the other end of the room. A wolf demon sat in what looked like a throne with another wolf demon on his side sitting in a smaller throne and a small child sitting at their feet. The male wolf demon rose to his feet and began to make his way towards them with the others following behind him. The male demon was bigger than Inuyasha and was also a very dark brown almost black. He had the wolf ears and a long tail that came out of his dark blue armor that was all over his body. He had long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. Kagome could sense that the demon was dark and that she shouldn't trust him. The female demon that followed was a very light brownish gray color. She had the wolf ears and a long tail. Her features were rather bony. She looked fierce and unkind. Kagome couldn't help but think that she looked like one of her mean teachers that she didn't get along with very well. The female seemed to hold her self up well, but she seemed cold. She didn't wear armor, but a long dark blue dress with a light blue sash over her shoulders. The small boy looked rather strange Kagome thought. He was a wolf no doubt, but he looked very skinny and he was very short. He looked older than Natilruh's son, but he was smaller. He had the same cold look as the female demon and Kagome thought that the boy was the woman's son. He had the same dark color as the male demon so Kagome thought that must be the boy's father. The three wolf demon's stopped in front of Natilruh and them. "So, you've returned Natilruh. What have we here?" the male demon said looking at Kagome and Inuyasha almost glaring at them.

"I have returned Bengku. You didn't miss me did you?" Natilruh said almost laughing.

So this is my uncle and aunt. "Funny Natilruh. You know I've told you to tell us when you run off. It's not safe out there you know. Now, must I repeat myself?" Bengku said looking to Kagome and Inuyasha again.

"Yes, yes, Well this is you niece Kagome and her friend Inuyasha," Natilruh said in one easy breath.

The woman behind Bengku gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Bengku stepped back and looked at Kagome in shock. "Are…are you sure this is Kagome and Inuyasha, Natilruh?" he asked looking at Natilruh wildly.

Natilruh grinned menacingly and nodded, "This is them brother. Now if I were you I'd invite them into you home and offer them one of your nicest rooms before Inuyasha unleashes his tetsusaiga on you."

Bengku looked back at Inuyasha and glanced at his sword then back at his face and then looked at Kagome. "I'm sorry. Of course you're welcome in our home. What ever is ours is yours make yourself at home."

"Thank-you," said Kagome smiling.

Bengku nodded, but it didn't seem like he cared what she thought. He snapped his fingers and a servant appeared behind them. "Show them to one of our finest rooms and do whatever they say and make them as comfortable as possible," he said nodding and turning to the woman demon taking her hand and leading her out of the room with the child at their heels. Natilruh smiled, "They definitely weren't expecting the feared Inuyasha and Kagome."

Kagome looked at her aunts smiling face and decided not to ruin her joy as she followed the servant to their room. "I'll wake you in the morning and I'll tell you more about this place, but in the mean time you two get some sleep," she said winking and picking up Kando before leaving.

The servant led them through many hallways and finally left them in a large room. Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. "This room is huge!" she said before running and jumping onto the bed that was at the other end of the room. The bed had at least ten furs on it making it very comfortable. Inuyasha walked around the room inspecting everything. A large fireplace was situated across the bed and it had a small fire still burning in it. Inuyasha walked over to the large window and pushed the wooden doors open. "Kagome come look at this."

She jumped off the bed and hopped over to him. She gazed out the window. "Wow! It's amazing!" she said. Their room was obviously up high because it over looked the large forest and they even saw towering mountains in the distance. Kagome felt Inuyasha's arm wrap around her and pull her close. She snuggled up to him and they stood in the window watching the sunset.

Took long enough huh? Sorry I've been incredibly busy, but I managed to finish so I hope you like. Keep reviewing guys!

Disclaimer: I sadly don't own Inuyasha or any of the original characters of the anime/manga. However Natilruh, Sanku, Bengku, Ganjel, Benhi, and Kando are my own creations and they're all mine!