Disclaimer: Don't own Inu-yasha or any of his fellow Feudal era comrades.

The Nisou and the Wolf

Chapter 2

Birds singing. Kagome could hear birds singing. But everything was still black. She slowly opened her eyes to the familiar sight of hunters throwing their spears at their prey and their enemies. She rolled over to lie on her back and realized her hands were wrapped in gauze. They didn't hurt, as if injured or burned, but when she unwrapped one hand, carefully, her skin resembled that of burnt skin. She lightly touched the red flesh and there was no heat coming off the burn. But whatever happened to her hand, it needed healing. Someone had put a salve on both hands before wrapping them up. Kagome expertly re-wrapped her hand, grateful that for the extent of the damage to her hands, she felt no pain. So Kagome pushed herself up to a sitting position and saw Koga, asleep against the opposite wall. He wasn't leaning against it as before, he was lying down on the ground with the length of his body against the wall.

Kagome slipped out of the bed and padded over to the sleeping tribe leader. The first thing she noticed were his hands. Covered in salve. Well that explains that. She looked back over at the table next to the bed and saw the wooden box open, gauze hanging out the side. There were also some towels and a tray of fruit. Kagome immediately forgot about Koga and went over to grab an apple.

"Thought you might be hungry when you woke up."

Kagome turned to see an older woman carrying a pitcher and glasses. She recognized the woman from Shichiro's dwelling.

"Shhh." Kagome indicates the sleeping Koga. The woman looks over and smiles warmly. She places the tray on the bedside table and takes hold of Kagome's hand. "Thank you so much for the fruit. I don't know why, but I am famished."

"Silly child. You spent all night fighting that soul out of Shichiro and then healed him afterwards. Not to mention burning your hands in the process. Now let me see how they're doing." The woman unwraps Kagome's hand and looks pleased. "Much better."

"Much better? How bad did they look before?"

"When I was summoned by Koga, both your hands, front and back were burned. The back of your hands only sustained minor burns, but today they look unblemished and perfect."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A day or so. And that one…." The woman points a weathered finger at Koga. "He refused to leave you alone. It was all I could do to get him to finally eat and sleep. Damn stubborn fool. I tried to tell him you would be fine, but he wouldn't listen."

Kagome looks over at Koga, her hunger momentarily forgotten. "Um, would it be possible for me to see Shichiro? I'd like to see how he's doing."

"Sure. Follow me. That's where I was headed next."

Kagome takes a quick sip of the fresh juice and places a blanket from the bed on Koga before leaving with the old woman.

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Kagome sits on the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling above the green valley below. The breeze is warm as it brushes her hair back behind her shoulders, and she leans back on her bandaged hands and raises her face to the sunny sky. It feels so good to be out in the open! The old woman showed her this spot after visiting with Shichiro. She just didn't want to go back to the cave. She also wasn't going to run away while Koga was sleeping. She had thought about it, but decided to wait for him to set her free. She wanted him to realize he was wrong to kidnap her and ask her to help him corrupt the Shikon jewel. She knew he wasn't a bad person, and feared the three jewel shards he had in his body were beginning to corrupt his soul. That's why she stayed. If he let her go of his own volition, his soul was not corrupted. Please let me go home Koga. Prove my fears wrong.

Kagome's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a scream off in the distance, back at the village. She ran towards the sound of the scream, which was soon followed with more and more, until the air vibrated with the ear-piercing screams. As she reached the top of the hill overlooking the tribal area, she saw Gokuaku-chou, hovering and attacking while the wolf tribe defended themselves with spears, arrows and whatever else they could find. The women and children seemed to be tucked away in the caves, leaving the men, young and old to defend their homes and family against the shrieking beasts.

Kagome ran for the cave she'd been staying in. She needed her bow and arrows. She reached the base of the stairs she needed to climb with relatively no trouble. But getting up to the third level was going to be difficult. It offered no protection all the way up. She looked around for any sort of weapon, but came up wanting. She finally grabbed a few hand-sized rocks and started her ascent. She tried not to let the awful shrieking and the cries of the wolf tribe wounded distract her. But just as she reached the second level, she heard someone yell her name. She turned to see Koga, pointing outwards. As Kagome turned in the direction Koga was pointing, she saw it. A huge, two-headed Gokuaku-chou headed straight for her, talons at the ready. She managed to make it to the nearest cave, stumbling in at the last moment. She picked herself up and looked out of the entrance to check for an opening to start to the third level, but the monstrous bird was hovering, right outside the cave. She went back into the cave looking for any sort of weapons, but all she found were frightened mothers and their children.

Kagome returned to the entrance, openly facing the bird now, concentrating on the rock within her hand. That's when she sensed it. The bird had two jewels imbedded in both its foreheads. That's why it's so much bigger than the others and has two heads! Kagome focused her attention back to charging the rock clenched tightly within her fist with some spirit energy. Kaede told her it was possible to turn just about anything into a weapon; it would just be less effective than her bow, which was linked to her. She felt her hand start to burn and knew she had enough for a strike. She stepped out onto the ledge in front of the cave, the two-headed bird shrieked and flew towards her. Kagome reached back and threw the rock with all her strength, willing it to hit its mark. She watched as the glowing rock sailed true and smacked into one of the foreheads of the bird. As soon as the bird cried out in pain, Kagome ran for the stairs to the third level.

She reached the third level and saw the two-headed bird flying up to attack her again. She ran into the cave and retrieved her bow and arrows. As she approached the entrance, she didn't see the bird. With arrow drawn, she slowly made her way out the entrance and onto the ledge. When she was completely outside of the cave, body tensed for any attack, she heard the cry of the bird above her. She looked up to see sharp talons closing in on her. She aimed upwards and released the arrow. The bird was so close when the arrow was released, it didn't hit its intended target. Instead, Kagome watched as it pierced the wing. The bird let out a tremendous shriek, but kept coming. Kagome tried to dodge the attack but wasn't quick enough. She felt the talons tangle in her hair and she was suddenly yanked upwards. But the bird was having trouble with a wounded wing. Kagome reached for an arrow and stabbed at the scaly talons, but she couldn't get her hair free. Then she felt the ground come out from under her as the bird gained momentum and climbed upwards. Kagome clung to the talons that held her, trying desperately to think of a plan. But her mind was a total blank. Then suddenly Kagome was dropped and she tried to make her feet hit the ground, but she wasn't up far enough. She fell straight down and somehow managed to grab onto the ledge. But her bandaged hands weren't allowing her to get a strong grip and she felt herself slipping. As she desperately tried to pull herself up onto the ledge, she felt a hand grab hers and she screamed. Koga's head appeared over the ledge. "I've got you Kagome! Try to climb up!"

"Koga! Where's the Gokuaku-chou?"

"It's here. Now just climb. Quickly!"

Koga pulled Kagome up onto the ledge and she couldn't help but cling to her savior. He pulled her away from him, concern in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

"N-no. I don't think so." She looked over to see the giant bird, on its side, with a spear stuck in its chest. Koga jerked Kagome up and threw her to the side as two more birds came for them. Kagome's shoulder hit the wall hard and she turned to see Koga get raked across the back by one of the birds. "Koga! No!" She reached for her bow and arrows and released three arrows in quick succession. One of the arrows pierced the eye of the bird on her left and it immediately fell from the sky. The second and third arrows were imbedded in the second bird's side. It was injured, but not out. Kagome ran to Koga and helped him drag himself to the safety of the cave before the injured bird recovered. "How bad is it? Let me see!"

Koga pushes Kagome away and stands up, slightly hunched from the pain. "Let me go. I'm fine!" Kagome quickly scrambles for her bow and follows behind Koga. He steps out onto the ledge to retrieve his spear from the chest of the two-headed Gokuaku-chou. As he pulls the spear out, the bird jerks violently, almost sending Koga over the cliff. He danced along the edge before making stable contact with the ledge. The two-headed bird let out an ear-piercing shriek, causing Kagome to drop to her knees, hands over her ears. Koga staggered backwards, but kept his spear at the ready. The wounded Gokuaku-chou dragged itself off the cliff, flying lopsided, away from the dwellings, with the other birds breaking off their attacks and following their leader. And just like that, the madness ended, and the recovery began.

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"What do you think you were doing?" Kagome removed her hands from her ears and looked up to see Koga, chest heaving, glaring at her. "Why didn't you just stay in the cave where you were safe?"

"I wanted to help."

"You could have been killed." With this last statement Koga's face softened a bit, and Kagome could see concern in his eyes. "Are you ok?"

"Don't worry about me Koga. Let me look at you. It looks like that monster dug pretty deep into your back." Kagome got up and started to turn him around to inspect his wounds when he brushed her off.

"No. Forget me for now. Please, go help the others. There are many wounded that could use your help"

"But Koga--" Kagome's protest was cut off as Koga turned and headed down the stairs to the lower levels.

He turned his head back slightly, his voice giving away all his concern for his people, "Kagome please….Help the others. I'll be fine."

Kagome silently followed Koga down the stairs and began helping the wounded. She noticed that Koga went to each tribesman and asked after them, offering words of praise or condolence. She watched him politely refuse medical attention, and only once accepted a cup of water. Kagome assisted with the wounded for hours. She was using a healing spell on someone with a deep gash in his stomach when the old woman came to her side. "When you are done here, I'm taking you to get some rest."

Kagome could not protest right away because she had to concentrate on the spell. For some reason, it wasn't working as fast as she expected. Maybe I do need some rest. Kagome barely finished the healing spell, her whole body shutting down on her. She waited a few moments to regain her breath and for her legs to start working again. Then she slowly stood up, allowing herself to be led back to Koga's cave.

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The old woman left Kagome a cup of fresh water and some fruit. She was too tired to eat. She put the tray of fruit on the bedside table and sank down onto the bed, her exhaustion catching up with her. She looked at her bandaged hands. Why not? Kagome unwrapped one hand and stared at the smooth, unblemished flesh. The red from the burns was completely gone. She quickly checked and found the same to be true of her other hand. Kagome rubbed her hands together a few times as she leaned back into the soft pillows, ready for some sleep. The wounded had been tended to and night had fallen. But just as she closed her eyes, she heard a commotion at the entrance to the cave.

"You will have your wounds tended to and that's final!" Koga came stumbling into the room, pushed by the old woman. "Now sit down and shut up! I'll be back with more water and towels." Koga went and sat down on the far end of the room in front of the wall of the gods and begins to remove his armor and tunic, grumbling curses under his breath.

"Koga, no. Come sit on the bed. You're wounded." Kagome got up and went over to the growling leader. She tried pulling him up by the crook of his arm, but Koga resisted.

"I'll be fine. The bed is yours as long as you are my--" Koga looked up at Kagome, his face full of guilt. I can't even say it.

Kagome kneeled down next to Koga. "I'm not going to use the bed. You're wounded and need a comfortable place to rest. I will not let you sleep on the floor again." Kagome stands up and tugs at Koga's arm again. He reluctantly stands up and follows her. "Now sit still and I'll take a look at your back. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No."

Kagome pours some water from her cup onto a cloth and gently begins to clean Koga's torn and bloodied back. "This is going to hurt. I have to clean this gash. It has pieces of rock in it."

"I'll be fine."

Kagome begins to clean out the open gash. Koga groans in pain, his back arching from the contact. Kagome keeps cleaning, wincing with every utterance of pain from Koga. "I think that does it. Just relax for a moment while I get another towel." Kagome returns to clean the other two gashes. "I have an idea for these next two gashes. Let me brace you. It might help you and it will definitely help me do it faster if you're not pulling away from me."

Before Koga can object, Kagome moves to kneel next to him, facing his shoulder. She reaches one arm across his chest, getting a firm grip on the opposite shoulder, while the other hand washes the gashes. Koga still groans in pain, grabbing Kagome's arm and resting the side of his face on it. Now that Koga is sandwiched between Kagome's arms, the torture isn't as long and both of them release a sigh of relief when she's finished. Kagome brings her head around from Koga's back to face him, her voice a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

Koga just stares at a spot on the bed, not wanting to look at the priestess. He still holds on to Kagome's arm, the feeling of her skin next to him a comfort. "Don't be."

"Is there a certain salve or something you have that you'd like me to put on your back before I wrap you up?"

Koga looks up at Kagome as if he didn't understand the question. "Salve? Oh, yeah, in the box. The red jar."

Kagome goes to stand up when she notices Koga is not letting go of her arm. At least, not readily. She is able to slowly slip her arm from his hands to retrieve the red jar. When she returns, she kneels behind Koga and begins to apply the salve to the gashes across his back. She then takes a roll of gauze and wraps it around Koga's torso, each circuit forcing Kagome to hug Koga, causing her to blush a deeper shade of red each time. "I'm sorry if I hurt you too much. I used up all my energy with everybody else. But don't worry, I'll be better tomorrow morning and then I can take care of you. Now you should try and get some rest." Kagome returns the jar and gauze to the wooden box.

Koga listened to the words come out of her mouth and felt them drive a knife into his heart. She's apologizing to me? Why? How can she-? Koga's mind couldn't comprehend what was going on. He stood up and turned to face her, tried to speak, but couldn't. He wanted to look away, but he stood transfixed by those green eyes that seemed to be looking into his soul

Kagome watched as Koga's face contorted into a mixture of guilt and pain and desperation. She wanted to hold him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be ok. She wanted to tell him they would find a way to defeat the Gokuraku-chou, even if it meant giving him the jewel shards. She would tell him anything right now to make that look of pain go away. And then he did something she would never have expected.

Koga walked over to Kagome and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "Kagome." Koga breathed deeply, letting the sweet smell of Kagome calm his nerves. When he spoke, his voice was calm and low and Kagome could feel his warm breath on her neck. "Please don't apologize to me. You have done nothing wrong. I should apologize to you. I have done nothing but horrible things to you and you---" Koga shuddered as he took another deep breath. "You could have run away a few times. Why have you stayed? How can you stand to be around me?"

Kagome listens to Koga struggle with his words. Her heart goes out to the conflicted wolf. She slowly reaches around and returns Koga's embrace. She feels him tense at her touch, and she starts to withdraw until she feels Koga's hand drop lower down her back, pulling her closer, the length of their bodies pressed together. Kagome is careful about Koga's sensitive back as she wraps her arms around him and rests her head on his chest. "Koga, you're not a bad person. You were desperate to help your tribe."

"I could have just asked for help. I shouldn't have….shouldn't have kidnapped you." Koga pulls Kagome away from him and cups her face in his hands, staring into the big green eyes. "I am so sorry. Please….please forgive me Kagome. I know you have no reason to. But please forgive me. I know I don't deserve your kindness and I know I don't deserve…..you." Koga drops his hands to his sides and falls to his knees. He feels drained, and ashamed. He knew he shouldn't have begged, but he had to know if Kagome truly hated him. He's too embarrassed to face the liquid emeralds that see into his soul. Does she have that ability? He drops his head and waits for the inevitable.

Kagome tilts Koga's face to look up at her. She lets her fingers gently trace the curve of his jaw line as she wonders at his pleading blue eyes. "I accept your apology. But please Koga, get off your knees." Kagome urges him up with her hands on his shoulders and Koga obeys her gentle tug. He brings his hand up and caresses her cheek, then lets it trail down her neck, across her shoulder and back to his side.

Koga's voice is soft, but thick with emotion. "Thank you." Kagome can feel the heat rise in her cheeks from his touch. "You have such a beautiful soul, Kagome. You shouldn't be here."

"Koga, what are you talking about?"

"You should be home with your family. Not here. Not where you're a prisoner."

"I stopped being your prisoner a while ago. You said so yourself. I could have escaped a few times. But I didn't because I knew you were good and you just lost your way. So I stayed, hoping you weren't being corrupted by the jewel shards and would find yourself again. And you have."

Koga's eyes registered a moment of shock, "You stayed…for me?" Koga moved a step closer to Kagome, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Yes. No." Kagome takes a deep breath and smiles at Koga. "What I mean is I stayed to make sure you would be ok. I was…worried about you. I had to make sure your soul hadn't been consumed by the evil in the jewel shards."

"But it has been consumed."

Kagome gasps and takes a step back. She expects to see the wolf who kidnapped her appear at any moment, taking the good and gentle Koga away. Koga grabs Kagome's hand, afraid she's going to run away. "Kagome….wait." Koga closes the gap between them, bringing Kagome so close she can feel the heat radiating from his body. "I have been consumed by you. Your good heart, your determination, your bravery. You have shown me and my tribe nothing but kindness even though you were brought here against your will." Koga caresses her cheek and lightly rubs his thumb over her lips.

Kagome's voice is a breathless whisper. Her whole body is burning up, there's a tightness in her chest and even though her mind is telling her to stop Koga, her body is reacting to his touch and his voice. She is mesmerized by the blue eyes locked on her. "Koga, this isn't a good idea."

"I know." Koga's lips lightly brush Kagome's cheek and then her lips, where he lets his tongue glide across her upper lip, then her bottom lip. Kagome lets out a small gasp and Koga's tongue darts into her mouth, opening it a little more, exploring her warm mouth, and fondling her tongue. Kagome responds to Koga's tentative kiss. Her hands come to rest on his waist as she steps into him just a little more. Koga cups Kagome's face as he increases the passion of the kiss. She moans and runs her tongue along Koga's fangs before letting it stroke the inside of his mouth.

Koga runs his fingers up into Kagome's hair and pulls her head back to expose her neck. His lips devour her neck all the way down to the juncture where it meets the shoulder. He allows his fangs to graze her flesh and feels the shiver travel down her body. He resists the intense urge to bite her, his passion is taking over and his demon instincts are beginning to show through. He inhales Kagome's intoxicating scent and releases a low growl. He is almost panting from desire. He pulls Kagome back up and kisses her passionately before resting his forehead against Kagome's. His voice is low and breathless as he fights the rising passion and demon instincts. "Kagome. I..I have to leave you. The demon…it's coming through too fast. I didn't expect you…Please don't leave me tonight. I will come back, I promise."

Kagome brings her hands up to frame Koga's face. She kisses Koga once more, hearing the growl building within him. "I'll be here." She lets her hands fall to her side as she backs a few steps away from him. She can see the change in him. His eyes have turned golden, he's panting, and his mouth has become a wicked grimace, exposing his fangs. Koga quickly grabs his cloak and leaves before he does something they'll both regret.

Kagome hugs herself and walks over to the bed. She slowly lays down, bringing the covers up to her chin. She can smell Koga, on the blanket and on her. She closes her eyes and lets the tears slide silently down her cheeks as she prays for sleep to claim her.

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"Wake up sleepy head." Koga tickled Kagome's nose with a yellow flower, delighting in her wrinkled nose and squirming before she finally let the sensation pull her from sleep. Kagome blinks awake and smiles to see Koga resting his chin on the edge of the bed,

smiling at her and offering a flower. She reaches out and takes the flower, turning it slowly between her fingers, admiring the shiny delicate petals. She brings it to her nose, closing her eyes and inhaling the sweet scent. When she opens her eyes again, Koga's smile has faded and he looks worried. "What's wrong?"

Koga traces the bridge of Kagome's nose and lets his finger stop briefly on her lips, a warm smile gracing his lips. "Nothing. Everything is perfect right now." He leans in and gives Kagome a brief, soft kiss, lingering briefly to nuzzle her cheek before sitting back to look at her. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be. Neither one of us expected last night. We both needed to step back." Kagome sits up and places the flower behind her ear. Koga stands and offers her a hand out of the bed, and as he pulls her up, he brings his other arm around to support her back, loving the feel of his hand resting in the space between her shoulder blades. Kagome can feel the heat start at her cheeks and slowly work its way down her body as Koga holds her. She lays her head against Koga's chest and smiles to herself as she hears his heartbeat quicken. But it still can't keep a hint of sadness from her voice. "I have to go, Koga."

Koga squeezes Kagome tighter as he hears the words that haunted his dreams all night. "I know." He pulls back from the embrace and brushes Kagome's hair back as she turns her face up to his. His heart ached at having to give her back to that half-breed mongrel, but her place was with him and her friends right now. Naraku needed to be stopped, and when Kagome, Inu-Yasha and the others made their final stand against him, Koga would be there right by her side. But for now, he had to let her go. She had a mission; collect all the Shikon jewel shards. "I want to give you something before I take you back." Koga takes Kagome's hand and places it on his right forearm. "Tell me exactly where it is."

Kagome's face registers her shock as she pulls her hand away. "No. Koga you don't need to--"

Koga reaches once again for Kagome's hand and firmly places it on his arm. "I want to. Take this one now, and come back for the other two when you need them."

"I don't need this one. Keep them until I come back. You need them to fight the Gokuraku-chou. Their leader has four shards in its forehead."

"I'll be fine. Please Kagome. Let me do this."

Kagome looks down at her hand trying to control the shaking. She tightens her grip on his forearm and concentrates her senses to locate the shard. She runs her fingernail against his skin in a slicing motion. "There."

Kagome watches, tears welling up in her eyes, as Koga reveals his claws and uses his index finger to cut his arm open and wrest the shiny pink fragment from his flesh. He holds the bloodied jewel shard up to his face, marveling at how something so small could provide such power and be the cause of so much evil. His attention is drawn away from the jewel when he feels a cool, damp cloth against his skin. Kagome, tears streaming down her face, is cleaning his self-inflicted wound. She places her hands on the cut and her hands begin to glow. Soon, his entire body is engulfed in the blue glow as Kagome uses her spirit energy to heal all his wounds. The cut on his arm, the gashes down his back, and the cuts on his face. "Kagome, don't." Koga tries to pull his arm away, but Kagome locks his arm in her clutch as her face begins to register the strain. He watches as the glow fades away and Kagome's grasp relaxes. Her breathing is a bit labored and Koga reaches out to pull her into his arms to steady her as she sways to the side. "You didn't have to do that." He kisses the top of her head and gently strokes her hair.

Kagome's voice is muffled as she buries her face into his chest. "Neither did you."

"I'll be fine."

"What if--?"

"Then I'll handle it. I'm not helpless. The shard only enhances what I already have."

"Koga…."

"Shhhhh. No more. It's done." Koga breaks the embrace and puts the tiny pink sliver in Kagome's palm and she closes her fist around the shard. "I should get you back to Musashi." Kagome just stares at her fist. She's not sure she can move. Her legs refuse to obey. "Kagome, are you ok?"

Kagome manages a weak smile as she looks up at Koga. "No." She caresses his cheek and lets her hand trail down his chest to rest over his heart. "But I will be."

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Koga and Kagome agreed not to prolong the inevitable so they set out for Musashi right after breakfast. Koga cradled Kagome in his arms and raced towards the well. Kagome was going to go home for a few days, manage her life there, and then return to her friends in the feudal era. Hopefully she would only need a few days. She told them she would be gone for two weeks and already seven days had passed. What was she going to tell her friends? Should I even bother, or wait until it became relevant? What about Inu-Yasha? He's going to go ballistic! Kagome sighed and buried her face in Koga's neck, savoring every last moment she had with him.

Koga wasn't sure what the future held for him. But he would fight tooth and nail to make sure Kagome was part of it. There were three things standing in his way: the Gokuraku-chou, Naraku, and Inu-yasha. If he could defeat the two-headed leader of the Gokuraku-chou and retrieve the shards, that would take care of the deadly birds. Naraku was the most dangerous threat. Not only to him, but also to Kagome and everybody in their world. Naraku was the only being he was scared of. Not because of his power, but because he lacked a soul. A heart. He was ruthless and would only become more dangerous the more desperate his situation became. And then there was Inu-yasha. Why Kagome had that dog-boy as a friend he would never understand. The thought of him being around Kagome day and night while Koga remained with his tribe made his blood boil. The only advantage to keeping him around was his unwavering protectiveness of Kagome. Koga knew that if anything happened to Kagome, Inu-yasha would give his life to help her.

Koga saw the clearing that housed the well as he cleared a hilltop, racing down into the valley. They were close. He would have to let go soon. Koga involuntarily hugged Kagome tighter. "Are we close?"

"Just a few miles ahead."

"Koga, stop please."

The wolf demon came to a skidding stop and put Kagome down on her feet. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just want to walk the rest of the way by myself." Koga grabbed Kagome's shoulders, his eyes begging for answers. "Saying goodbye is going to be hard enough. I want the time to compose myself before I go through the well so I don't have to respond to questions I probably don't know the answers to. So let's say goodbye here. Please."

Koga wanted to refuse her request, stay with her as long as possible. But he was no match for the sadness in Kagome's face. "Alright. Here then." But Koga didn't know what to say that he hadn't already. He let his fingers run through her silky black hair, and gently guided her head back. He leaned in and kissed the base of her throat, one hand supporting her back, the other lightly trailing down her neck, his claws sending shivers through Kagome's body. His mouth lingered at the base of her neck again, but he forced the urge down and ran his tongue up her neck and over her chin, where his mouth devoured her lips. Kagome met Koga's passionate kiss, pressing her body against his, her hands roaming over his strong, broad back. Kagome heard the low growl in Koga's throat and tried speaking through the kiss. "Koga? Is everything--?"

Koga nuzzled and whispered in her ear. "It's fine. I'm prepared for what you do to me. And I'm not going to let go of you until you tell me to."

Kagome's body is not listening to her. It was clutching and kissing Koga, needing his touch and needing to touch him. She tried to clear the overwhelming sensations from her mind so she could think clearly and do what she needed to do. Her breathing was heavy, her body flushed. She managed to whisper her breathless plea into Koga's ear. "Koga….you have to….leave. For me. I can't…walk away. Please, Koga…release me."

Koga pulls back from Kagome and cups her face in his hands, putting some distance between them, but not willing to completely break contact with her yet. "Kagome….I'm not sure I can."

Kagome looks at her wolf and wants to give in but knows it wouldn't be good for either one of them. Then her breath catches in her throat as she realizes what she just said. Her wolf? She noted Koga's panting, his tense body radiating heat, his eyes sparkling with desire. Her wolf….yes. Hers. This realization helped her to let go for now. She knew she would come back to him, and he to her. Kagome ran her hands along Koga's arms and slowly removed his hands from her face and held them in her own. "I will come back."

Koga brings one of Kagome's hands to his lips, palm open, and gently kisses the soft flesh. Then his eyes lock onto Kagome's and she feels his fangs pierce her flash. She flinches slightly, but doesn't pull away. Koga kisses where he bit her one more time, licking away the small release of blood, and then lets her hand go. "Not if I come for you first, my nisou."

Kagome can't react before Koga disappears beyond the horizon, leaving only a trail of whirling brush and grass. She brings the hand Koga bit up to her mouth and feels his lips still kissing her, feels the fangs, feels the heat. She watches the horizon for a few moments before slowly turning and walking towards the well, Koga's words running through her mind. I'm not sure I can let go…..my nisou….not if I come for you first….my nisou…

To be continued…..