As Kouga and Inu Yasha pounded each other, Kagome stood in Sango's embrace, sobbing. She could not understand why Inu Yasha could not get it through his thick skull that she was happily mated to Kouga.
As both males struck at each other, neither one seemed to notice that the young woman that they fought over was crying her eyes out. Instead, both seemed intent on proving his dominance and would not stop until the other male submitted.
Kouga would never submit to the mutt. He was alpha. He had fought long and hard for his position and he would not give it up to the tick-infested hanyou.
Inu Yasha was not only fighting for his pride, but also his heart. If he won, Kagome would be his and he could force her to return to his side. And it would be at that time he would take her as his and erase the mark that the wolf gave her by giving her his own mark. He would not lose.
Kagome watched through heavy eyes as both males shed blood and yelled curses at each other. Finally, she had seen enough. She yanked away from Sango and ran out of the cave and towards the forest. She could not take it anymore. When would they stop fighting? She did not look back, nor did she hear Sango screaming out her name. The rain had gotten progressively stronger and Kagome could feel the raid drops mixing with her tears.
When she finally did come to a stop, she crumbled to the ground and instantly got sick. All because of her. They were fighting because both wanted her, and one already had her. She was so tired of it all. Was it so much to ask that Inu Yasha be happy for her? He expected her to accept his decision to be with Kikyo, but now that they were no longer together, he wanted to take her from the one who loved her more than life itself. As she cried, she did not notice the figure that had come up from behind her. Suddenly, Kagome felt something hard hit the back of her head, and Kagome's world became dark.
Neither Kouga nor Inu Yasha had noticed that Kagome had fled the cave. Ginta had run after her, but she was very quick and the wolf could not track her with the rain interfering with her scent.
Sango had seen enough. She grabbed her weapon and stalked over to the two males who were covered in blood. Just as Inu Yasha was about to jump on Kouga, Sango let her weapon fly, effectively stopping his attack. Both males looked stunned and then angry.
"Bitch. Why did you stop our fight?" Inu Yasha ground out. Sango glared at him and then turned to Kouga.
"Take a good look at all of the people here. Is there someone missing?" She asked, her fists clenching.
Kouga's eyes traveled over the cave and the widened. His mate was gone. So was Ginta. He looked up at the exterminator.
"Where is she? And where is Ginta?" He demanded, getting up from his kneeling position and slowly approaching Sango.
Sango balled up her fists and began walking toward Kouga, but Miroku stopped her from doing anything rash.
"Kagome ran out of the cave while you were fighting. She was very upset, and Ginta went after her, though I doubt that he will have much luck with this rain.
Kouga threw his head back and howled. He glared over at the hanyou and said, "When I get my Kagome back, you are going to leave. She would never have run away if you had not shown up. You are to blame for her leaving."
Inu Yasha's ears flattened against his skull and he growled at the wolf. He began to walk towards Kouga, but was intercepted by Sango. Without a word, she managed to get the hanyou to back down and she then pointed over to a wall and told him to go sit and shut up. Though he was not happy about it, Inu Yasha did as he was told.
Kouga moved to sit on the opposite side of the cave and stared out at the forest. Once the exterminator wrapped his wound, he would go after Kagome. He would apologize to her for fighting with the mutt, but explain to her that canine demons are very protective and that this was inevitable.
Miroku suddenly stood up. His face was pale and he rushed out of the cave.
When Ginta reached Kagome, she was lying in a small puddle of blood with a woman standing over her, chanting. The woman seemed frustrated, but kept chanting. Finally, the woman stopped and then stared down at Kagome.
"Well, reincarnation. It seems that Kaede kept something from her older sister. It appears that there is another that holds my true soul, while you hold that reincarnations soul. Consider yourself fortunate, and know, Inu Yasha will never love you. He loves only me and will go to hell with me, even if it is by force. Now, if you will excuse me. I must go meet Inu Yasha and decide where to go from here." The woman said. She then turned and walked into the forest. When he was sure that she was gone, Ginta walked over to Kagome and checked her over. He sniffed at her and then lifted her up.
"Don't worry, sister. I will get you back to the cave. That bitch won't hurt you ever again." He said, running as fast as he could through the forest. Damn that Inu Yasha. He knew that woman, and Ginta was sure that they had planned this entire scene. When he finally arrived, it was the monk who rushed out to greet him.
Kouga quickly stood up and looked to where Miroku stood. Ginta was holding onto something and was speaking frantically to the monk. After a couple of minutes, Miroku led Ginta in the cave. Ginta was carrying Kagome and she was severely injured. Miroku untied the sash from his robes and gently began to dry Kagome off. He looked at Kouga.
"We need to get back to the den. She will not be fit to travel for a while. This is serious." He said.
Kouga nodded and motioned for Ginta to bring Kagome to him. Once she was in his arms, Kouga began to whine softly to her, hoping to bring her around, but she remained silent. Sango approached Kouga and asked that he allow her to clean Kagome up and dress her in dry clothing. Kouga nodded and helped the exterminator to the back of the cave. He watched as she cleaned Kagome's wound, and then dried off her body. Thankfully, her head wound had stopped bleeding and she seemed to be resting comfortably. Once she was dressed, Kouga lifted her into his arms and brought her back near the fire. Miroku had unrolled Kagome's sleeping bag and Kouga placed her inside. He wrapped her in the furs that they had brought along and told the others that once the rain stopped he would be taking Kagome back to the dens and to follow him in the morning. After everyone agreed, they all settled down for some rest.
Inu Yasha watched as Kouga tenderly stroked Kagome's cheek. It was clear that the wolf loved her. After a while, Kagome began to respond to Kouga's caresses, and started to whimper. He carefully unwound the furs and lifted her into his lap. Once she was settled, he placed a fur on her and gently rocked her. He brought his lips to her ear and growled softly. It seemed to do the trick and Kagome fell back asleep, but not before snuggling into his chest. Inu Yasha watched as Kouga smiled down on the young woman in his arms before closing his own eyes.
Suddenly, Inu Yasha felt a pair of eyes upon him. He looked over and saw Ginta staring at him. He flipped the wolf off and turned away. What he would not give to hold Kagome in his arms.
Kikyo sat in a tree and waited for Inu Yasha to arrive. She was going to be patient and use her time wisely. Who could hold her true soul? It was certainly a mystery. She glanced in the direction that Inu Yasha had disappeared in several hours before. She could not understand why he had not shown up yet, but it really did not matter. The rain was letting up and soon, they would be on their way again.
After several hours had passed, Kikyo had reached her limit of patience. She got down from the tree and silently walked toward the cave. She masked her presence and watched as the wolf leader stepped out of the cave with that girl, Kagome. He was speaking to two other wolves and then turned and started to run. Kagome was held securely against him.
Kikyo glanced over at the cave again, and saw her beloved step out. He was staring in the direction that the wolf went and then she heard him say, "Damn it, he should not have been allowed to leave with her. She is my responsibility."
A shorthaired wolf got into the hanyou's face and snarled. "Don't give me that bull. I saw the one who attacked sister. It was a woman in miko clothing. She was trying to cast a spell or something on sister, but she was the one who inflicted the wound on Kagome. The woman also mentioned your name. So, what are you really up to?"
Inu Yasha looked stunned. "Describe the woman to me." He said, his eyes narrowing as he prayed to Kami that it was not Kikyo who attacked the woman who held his heart.
As Ginta began his description, Sango and Miroku's faces grew grim. Miroku shook his head. "There is something wrong about this. Ginta, you said that she was chanting, but you never said if the spell was complete." He said.
Ginta shook his head. "No, the woman was very upset and left Kagome after the spell failed. Do you know what she was trying to do?" He asked.
Miroku cleared his throat. "I believe that Kikyo was attempting to take her soul back, but something went wrong and she failed. Either that, or Kagome is not the one with Kikyo's true soul." He said, rubbing his chin in thought.
Inu Yasha had heard enough. "Go back to the den and stay with Kagome. I am going to find Kikyo and deal with her. This is the last time she ever comes near Kagome." He said, reaching for tetsaiga.
Sango wanted to stop the hanyou, but Miroku shook his head. "Let him take it. Kagome will understand. Let him deal with Kikyo, and we will do as he has suggested. It is time to go."
Sango glanced back at the hanyou, and then shrugged. Well, if Kagome got mad at anyone, Miroku could take the blame. After all, she tried to stop him from taking the sword.
The two wolves and two humans watched as the hanyou run towards the forest. After he was gone, the group left the cave and headed straight for the den. They could only hope that Kagome would be awake by the time they got back to tell them what had happened.
Kikyo went back to the tree and waited. She smiled when she saw the hanyou approach her. With narrowed eyes, she watched as he drew his sword.
"Hello to you too, lover. Why so angry? She is alive and with her wolf, so you have no reason to be upset." She said, shrugging.
"Why would you do such a thing, Kikyo?" Inu Yasha asked, his voice laced with anger and sadness.
Kikyo began to laugh. "Why? Why not? The soul is mine, but unfortunately, Kagome is not the holder of my soul. No, there is one other and I do believe that my dear sister knows the identity of the holder. We will go back and make her tell us." She said, turning away from the hanyou to look at the sky.
"No, Kikyo. I am done with you. You no longer have a purpose here and should be sent back to hell. Forgive me, I really did love you." He said as he pointed his sword at his former love.
Kikyo turned around slowly and gave a sudden flick of her hand. Inu Yasha was surrounded by her soul stealers and was soon fast asleep. "So, you would betray me yet again. Well, I should have known better than to trust you. Fine, I will do this myself. Goodbye, Inu Yasha. The next time we meet, I will do more than pin your sorry ass to a tree." She said, turning away once more to walk into the forest, leaving Inu Yasha in a heap on the forest floor. She would go to Kaede and make her reveal her true reincarnation, and then she would reclaim her soul once and for all. Nothing will stand in her way.
When Kouga reached the den, Kagome had started to wake up, but was still drifting in and out of consciousness. He had made good time and reached the den in the early evening.
Miku had seen him carrying in Kagome and called to the other women. They rushed over to their leader and Miku asked what happened. When they were told that Kagome had been attacked, Miku snarled.
"Who would do such a thing to such a friendly young woman?" She asked, her voice shaking with anger.
Kouga shrugged. "I don't know, but I will find out once the others get back here. For now, I am taking my mate inside and putting her to bed." He said. He heard the women giggle and then Miku ask in a playful voice, "Don't you mean, intended mate?"
Kouga smirked and turned around to look at the women. "No, I mean mate. We are mated and she is marked. Excuse me." He said, smiling as he heard the women squeal their delight. Oh, how he could not wait for Kagome to awaken to share in the excitement. When a couple united, it was a very big deal. And soon, pups were usually sure to follow.
Kouga walked into their bedroom and threw back the covers. He quickly got rid of her clothing and placed her into the bed and covered her up. When he was done, he left the room and walked outside. Miku had prepared him a plate of food and he sat down with the males and told them what had happened. They agreed that once the identity of the woman was revealed, they would hunt her down and take vengeance for the injury she had dealt to their new princess.
When the males all decided to turn in, Kouga walked back to his den and went to his hot spring. After he bathed, he went to lay down beside his mate. When he cuddled up close to her, he heard her whisper, "Kouga?"
"Yes, love. I am here." He said softly, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. He watched as she opened her eyes and look over at him.
"What happened?" She asked, her throat sounding like it was stuffed with cotton. Her head hurt and she could not remember what had happened after she had run off into the forest.
"You ran away when Inu Yasha and I were fighting. You were attacked by a woman, but survived. I brought you home to rest and recover, so please, my mate. Go back to sleep and we will speak again when you are feeling better." He said, pulling her to him and tucking her head underneath his chin.
He felt Kagome sigh and then felt her breathing even out. He knew that she had slipped back into the land of dreams and he could only imagine what kind of pain he would bring the woman who dared touch what belonged to him. She would pay, and she would pay dearly.