The Race For Kagome

By: LadySol

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I think this goes without saying, I don't own Inuyasha and Co. although I do own the good ol' boyz Korii, Mael, and Kentaii and the Lady Maekomari and Saeko. You may borrow them if you so wish, all I require is recognition, so don't go stealin' and claimin' em as yerz! Got that? Umm, okay point made. Anyway, enjoy the ficcy.

Chapter 16: What's in a Name?

AN: This one's for you Inuyasha's Mustang, way to kick me into gear!

Kagome had made it more than half way to the domineering looking Youkai before doubts started flaring up in her mind.

'Wolf Youkai eat humans don't they? Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all…Oh boy, to late now. Suck it up, Kagome!'

"Hi." Taking a seat next to him on the flat boulder, she mentally blanched as the Youkai looked up from his charge, mild annoyance written clearly on his face. 'Hi? What are you in like 5th grade? Way to go idiot!' Kagome managed to shrug off her distaste with her conversation skill and smiled what she hoped was her most charming smile.

"I'm Kagome, I'm um…" God help her she was actually going to say it!

"I'm Kouga's woman." Ack! It even sounded twice as terrible when she said it!

'Well, how else was I going to introduce myself?' Her relationship with the wolf prince was one hell of a rocky explanation at best. Kentaii didn't look like he had time to spare, either. Kagome was jerked out of her nervous thoughts as the fierce Youkai reached out and without warning placed his large, calloused hand on the back of her head pulling her face close to his. She blinked under his intense stare.

'What the hell! Is he gonna kiss me or something!' Actually, he licked her. Kagome nearly shrieked as Kentaii ran his tongue roughly across her cheek before releasing her completely. Kagome sat there, stiff as if someone had just poured ice water down her back. Kentaii stared back, he annoyed expression had morphed into something more akin to…amusement. Kagome managed to close her mouth, which was hanging wide open in shock, long enough to properly gather her anger at the Youkai's audacity.

"You think you're funny or something?" He just quirked an eyebrow, his expression still the same. If she wasn't so darned flustered she might have found the whole 'one eye' thing to be really scary but now she was way too worked up now to worry about that!

"You can't just go around and l-lick people you know!" Kagome's voice raised a hitch and she had to force herself to calm down. But seriously, the bastard actually licked her! Honestly, who does that? Kentaii barely moved, the only significant sign that he was actually alive and not made of stone was the constant rise and fall of his chest.

"Fine! You wanna be Mr. No Emotional Response, fine! This is what you get!" Before Kagome could stop herself she had lunged forward and laid the wettest, slimiest, and all together most awful lick she could muster right on Kentaii's face. The look on his face was priceless. Kagome sat back to admired her handy work.

'Serves him right, the sneaky bastard! Why the hell did he lick me anyway?' Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin in fright when she saw the wolf reach out for her. This time she did shriek as she found herself being shoved off the boulder. She hit the ground hard enough to make her wince. 'What is his problem? That's it! I don't care how much of his pack Kouga lost, he's about to loose one more!' Her reaction seemed instinctual to her. It was the kind of satisfying anger one experienced on the playground in kindercare when the bully was being…well, a bully.

She lunged for him. Apparently he wasn't prepared for it because soon she was back on the ground, only this time she wasn't in the dirt. Kagome let out a triumphant sound as she straddled the demon three times her size.

"You can't just push people, you jerk! How do you like it!" Kagome's anger dissipated when she realized Kentaii was staring up at her with the biggest grin she could even imagine on the terrifying Youkai. 'What the hell is he smiling at!'

"What the hell are you smiling at!" Sometimes it was good to echo you thoughts, undiluted by manners and all that crap. Before she knew it, she was back on the ground, her skirt hiked up just a little farther than she'd like too. She started to struggle in earnest now, thrashing wildly and swinging when she could. Kentaii deflected most of the blows and managed to ride her wild bucks and thrusts as if they were nothing.

"Hey, Kentaii! Stop playin' around with Kouga's woman, he's almost back and I don't think you want to see his possessive side." They both looked up at the new wolf demon who stood before them. He was tall, impressively so. 'He looks about as tall as Sesshomaru'. His hair was rather light too, and fair skinned as well. Kentaii grunted in response before ruffling Kagome's hair in a very brotherly fashion and releasing her. Kagome scrambled to her feet, kicking up dust. She was flustered beyond belief and Kentaii grinned all the wider. He turned to take his original post on the rock again, leaving her to the new face.

"I don't think I've seen him smile like that in…ever." Kagome looked to the guy standing next to her. He turned is attention to her and winked.

"I'm Mael, Kouga's second in command." Kagome blinked.

"Second in command? I thought that was kind of Ginta and Hakkaku's territory." Mael laughed.

"Those two? Please, when have you ever seen them fight?" Never, her thoughts quietly responded.

"They just keep the pup out of trouble." Ah, so they were like babysitters or something?

"Pup? You make him sound so young." Kagome wasn't sure what to think of Mael. He seemed nice enough, but aside from his golden boy looks and charm he seemed a bit…invasive.

"Kouga is young, for a demon that is. I remember when runt was born. It was raining that day; thunder and lightening like you wouldn't believe. It was an awful day for his mother to go into labor. Opposing tribes were in the middle of attacking our territory and there was a battle going on not forty feet from the caves and still Kouga insisted on being born." Mael smiled affectionately.

"It was as if he couldn't wait to be apart of the fight and just wouldn't take no for an answer. That's why she named him 'Kouga' you know." Kagome perked up. She hadn't been expecting a history lesson but it was a surprising opportunity to get to know the wolf prince better.

"Does his name mean something special?" She asked, hoping it wasn't an invasive question. Mael thought about it for a second.

"It's from an old demon dialect, but yes, roughly translated to human it means something like 'forcible persistence'. It was Kagome who laughed this time.

"She couldn't have named him better if she tried." Mael joined her quiet laughter and threw an arm around her shoulder and began walking her away from the water's edge.

"Come princess, your 'persistent' mate has returned with food."