Chapter 7: Once in a Blue Moon

Pain racks his body as the animal that he had been cursed to look like attempts to again breaks through and conquer his rational, ok, slightly rational mind. He lets out a howl before stopping, ears swiveling to and fro. He thought he'd heard something, and he diverts a bit of his own energy to listen.

There it was again, a knock. Inuyasha growls, who the hell could it be? His servants knew not to disturb him on these nights. That only left one suspect, Inuyasha realizes before biting back as another wave of bloodlust rushes through his veins, and with it, the pain of resisting it. His fears are confirmed when through the door he hears, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha, are you alright?"

He gasps in pain as this latest rush runs its course, "Ka...Kagome..." he manages to gasp before another howl rips from his throat.

She knocks harder, "Inuyasha? Inuyasha what's wrong?"

'Funny,' he thinks as he begins to be claimed by delirium, 'she sounds really worried. I wonder why.' He shakes his head, clearing it. He couldn't be distracted if he was going stay in control. He could feel he losing his grip on sanity, he always did, but heaven help him, he was going to stay in control as long as possible.

He mentally groans when he hears the door open, not having the strength to spare to yell to her. 'Oh no,' he suddenly thinks, 'her scent.' It had made its way across the room and was now lingering under his nose. He turns away in a fruitless attempt to keep from smelling it, but it's to late. The beast in him had latched onto it and it smelled only one thing.

Meat. Fresh, warm meat. Suddenly he is no longer in control of his body whatsoever as the instincts came bubbling up over his logic and sent his senses into overdrive, simply saying a single command over and over, 'Hunt, hunt, hunt...' and so his body hunts.

The smell is strong as it stalks forward. It could see its prey; it could smell...it stops to sniff before an evil grin comes to its face. It could smell fear. Its prey was afraid. It stalks ever closer, closer stealthy as the night, now all it had to do is wait for the right moment to pounce. It's prey calls out, the enticing smell of fear increasing every time it does. Then, just as its prey's back is turned, it pounces! It rolls over and over with the prey, planning how it will strike the neck when it is on top. How it will watch its meal bleed to death before gorging itself, the reward for a successful hunt. Finally it achieves the top, lunging its claws for the kill...when it stops. It stares at its prey, whose eyes are shut tight in fear. It lunges again for the neck...and again stops suddenly, like it was a puppet with the string stretched to far. Its eyes fill with a simple animalistic frustration, why couldn't it kill its prey?!

'Because I won't let you!' A voice responds that it can understand.

It growls and looks around for what dared to keep it from its meal. The voice continues.

'I won't let you kill her. You won't take my hope!' With that, in a monumental thrust, Inuyasha's mind overtakes instinct again and restarts the battle for dominance. He cracks an eye open to find himself over Kagome, claws lightly touching her jugular. With a will most could not even imagine, he lifts his hand off her and shakily puts it on the ground next to her. Then he finds the energy somehow to let out a strangled "Ka...Ka...gome..."

She opens an eye "Inu...yasha?" she asks softly.

He trembles as the beast howls to be fed before reasserting himself and saying, "Get...out...now."

Her eyes widen and she shakes her head in fear. His growl becomes drowned in a whimper as another wave of animal fury crashes down on him. After it passes he growls out, "Kagome, I...don't know how much...longer I can stay in control...I don't want to kill...you...so GO! Hide! Find...Miroku or Sango...they will know...what to do...and Kagome...?"

The girl nods, encouraging him on, "Do whatever needed...to stay away from me until sunrise...

NOW GO! BEFORE I LOSE CONTROL!" He closes his eyes in concentration, and smirks a little when he hears her run away. Despite what he might say, he knew Miroku was right. That girl was his last little glimmer of hope, and he'd be damned if he would let this stupid curse take her away too. So he fights on in a futile struggle, to let his last hope have the best chance of survival he can give her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kagome yawns as she stretches, looking around at the room she'd taken sanctuary in last night. She shudders. Last night. It had been the most terrifying night of her life. She curls up, trying not to think about it, but can't help herself. She had come face-to-face with death. She had always heard that your life passes before your eyes when you're going to die, but all she'd known was terror. Mind-numbing terror, along with those red eyes. Kagome shivers, they'd seemed to glow, and what filled them was too terrible for her to even begin to imagine. She knew they would haunt her dreams for a very long time, as they had done last night. She shakes her head to dislodge the image, thanking heaven that she was alive and had found Sango, who had led her here.

She stiffens when she hears the door open, "Lady Kagome?" Miroku's voice comes across the room and she relaxes.

"In here Miroku." She calls.

She hears a relieved sigh before he hops in and over to her, "Thank goodness you are unharmed Lady Kagome! Sango told me what happened and I rushed to make sure you were alright. More good news, dawn has broken and you have no more reason to fear."

Kagome sits up and stretches, "That's good to know. Miroku, what happened last night? I've

never seen him like that before!"

Miroku sighs and closes his eyes before explaining, "It is part of the curse, Lady Kagome. Every blue moon, that is, every second full moon in a month, Lord Inuyasha's animalistic instincts take over and for the entirety of the night he is no better than a beast that roams the fields, or the woods that surround this castle. Lady Kagome, you should consider yourself miraculously lucky to be alive right now."

Kagome nods, "I do, trust me."

Suddenly the door slams open and a ticked off looking Lord Look-at-me storms in, "Woman, where's my breakfast?"

Kagome just stares for a moment before being unable to stop herself from pouncing on him, arms locked around his neck "I never thought I'd be happy about this, but you're normal!" Inuyasha stands, shocked at the girl's embrace. Very, very tentatively he brings his arms up and places his hands on her back in a comforting manner. Kagome instinctively burrows deeper into his arms 'This feels right.' She thinks fleetingly, before letting herself get lost in his embrace and enjoying the moment.

A.N. Wow! I'm good, once again, only one night before you guys got the next chapter! And what a chappie eh? Bet you can't guess what the new side of Inu was this time lol, just kidding. Well, I'll try to keep it up. Wow, I just realized this story has only a little over half the chappies of my first one (which, by the way, is put on hold until I can get past my writer's block with it) but it's actually got more reviews! Cool beans! You guys must really love this story lol. Well, until next time, R&R please!