Torn Between Two Beauties
A/N: I know I said I wouldn't update until I had at least five reviews, but I accidentally left something out in the A/N at the end of the prologue. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter for more info.
Chapter 1
Nightfall had long since fallen upon the weary group of travelers. All but one now sleeping peacefully beneath the full moon, a kitsune youkai curled up against a tree, feigning sleep. A young kit, whom had grown quite attached to her, wrapped securely within her arms.
The peace would soon be broken, however, as a stranger would be stumbling into their camp. Or, at least, Aleissa would think he was a stranger. He slowly walked into the clearing, blood dripping from the many wounds he had received. Nose twitching from the smell of blood, Aleissa slowly opened her eyes to peer up at him. A wolf, and badly injured, too. Probably looking for an easy meal. A smirk adorned her soft features as she thought of the hunt. Oh, how she enjoyed allowing her prey believe it was the one doing the hunting.
As the wolf stumbled closer, she realized he was heading for Kagome. Well, he'd have to go through her first, literally. Kagome was sleeping not too far from whereshe was, and from the direction the intruder was coming, he'd have to pass by Aleissa to get to her. Just as he was passing by, the vixen, without waking Shippo, sprang up, grabbing him by the throat and forcing him to the ground. The tips of her claws piercing the side of his neck as she snarled down at him.
She had hoped to get rid of him without waking the others, but there was no hope of that, since when they fell Shippo woke up, and immediately started shouting as he clung to the arm that was holding the wolf down.
"Aleissa, stop. Don't kill him. He's our friend...sort of."
Aleissa released the wolf as everyone else started to wake, wondering what all the screaming was about.
Kagome, who had been the first to realize what was happening, aside from Inuyasha, who just huffed and ignored the whole thing, ran forward. "Kouga!" As she knelt beside him and took in the seriousness of his wounds, her eyes shot up to Aleissa in shock. "What have you done?"
Shrugging, Aleissa replied, "Nothing, he was already hurt when I tackled him to the ground."
Quickly, Kagome asked Shippo to bring her the first aid kit. Turning back to Kouga, she asked him gently, "Kouga, what happened? Who attacked you?"
Kouga looked around, a little disoriented, before looking up at Kagome, "Kagura."
Aleissa's eyes widened, not with fear, but with a burning hatred, at the mention of Naraku, or one of his incarnations. Immediately, she ran in the direction Kouga had just come.
Sango knelt next to Kagome, and looked down at the young Prince, "Kouga, is Kagura still nearby?"
Taking a deep, painful breath, he replied, "No, she fled long before I came to find you."
"It's obvious that Kagura was after Kouga's jewel shards," Miroku said, stepping forward, "but she must've realized we were in the area. So, why didn't she finish Kouga off and come after us?"
"She could've been working outside of Naraku's orders," spoke Inuyasha for the first time since they all awoke. "She was probably after Kouga's shards in hopes of using them as bribes to other demons for killing Naraku."
"Though you may be right, Inuyasha, why go after Kouga when we have more than he does?"
"Miroku's got a point," agreed Sango. "But it doesn't matter, Kagura's probably long gone by now."
The group didn't speak of Kagura again for the rest of the night. In fact, they didn't speak at all until Aleissa returned, adorning a few small wounds. Everyone, except for Kouga and Shippo, the latter now sleeping peacefully, Kouga was more passed out, looked up as she walked into the clearing.
"I caught up to her, but she got away using that damn feather."
No one said a word as the young vixen returned to her spot under the tree, she did not lay down, however. She, instead, sat leaned against it, her bangs shielding her eyes from view. Everyone knew she was pissed, and decided to save their questioning for in the morning.
Morning came, and with it a big problem.
"No way in Hell will I be carrying that damn wolf!"
"Inuyasha, Kouga's injured and can't walk well."
"Look, Kagome, it's bad enough that he's coming with us, but I ain't carryin' him."
"But, Inuyasha--"
"It's alright, Kagome," Kouga said, cutting her off as he tried to stand, "I don't need to rely on this filthy mutt. I can walk just fine." But Kouga could not walk fine, as the battle with Kagura had left his right leg shattered, preventing him from using it much. As Kouga started to walk around, trying to impress Kagome, he collapsed when a searing pain shot up his leg when he put just a little bit of pressure.
"Sit!" Kagome shouted as Inuyasha had started laughing at the wolf's misfortune.
"Bitch."
"Kouga, you're not fine. You can't walk with that broken leg."
"Might I make a suggestion," spoke Aleissa, "Why not let him ride Kirara? I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Would you, Kirara?"
The small cat demon mewed in agreement before her tiny form was shrouded in flames, revealing a much larger, saber-toothed cat.
Everyone agreed with this arrangement, and they were soon off. Inuyasha in the front and Aleissa in the back with Shippo, leaving Sango, Miroku, Kagome, Kouga, and Kirara in the middle.
Not long after they began the day's travel, Miroku abandoned his spot next to Sango (much to her relief) and moved back to walk alongside Aleissa, as he had been wanted to question her about her battle with Kagura.
"Aleissa, I was wondering if I might ask you a few questions."
"About what?"
"Your battle with Kagura. Did she say anything about why she attacked Kouga?"
Aleissa sighed softly, she had a feeling someone would probably ask her about that, "Like I said last night, I caught up to her and we fought it out for a bit. Then she noticed Naraku's insects and fled. That's all that happened, we said nothing to each other."
"So, it's just as we thought."
"What do you mean?"
Miroku looked up at her, before remembering that she wasn't present for the conversation that was held the night before. "After you ran after Kagura, we had already begun to question Kagura's attack. We came to the conclusion that she was probably working outside Naraku's orders. And your story confirms our suspicions."
As the two spoke in the back, another conversation was being held closer to the front.
"Kagome," Kouga called, "how long has the fox been traveling with you?"
"You mean Aleissa?" At his nod, she thought for a moment before answering, "She joined us about two months ago."
"Then how come I've never seen her before last night? I've visited you more than once these last two months."
Kagome thought back on the days that Kouga came to see her and, just as Kouga said, Aleissa was absent every time, "Oh, on those days, and sometimes the day before, Aleissa would leave, saying she had important business."
Kouga was about to comment on that when they all heard shouting from behind them.
As the voices grew closer, their words grew more clear, "Kouga!"
"Ginta! Hakkaku! I thought I told you two to stay with the pack!" Kouga shouted once the two had caught up with the group.
"You did," started Hakkaku.
"But we were sent to come find you," Ginta finished.
"Why?"
The two wolves looked at each other, before Hakkaku answered, "Kagura attacked the den a couple days ago, looking for you."
A look of pure horror appeared on Kouga's face, "How many casualties?"
"Just one," answered Ginta.
"Who?"
Looking at each other once again, they both answered simultaneously, "Ayame."
TBC
A/N: I have a small favor to ask of some of you, I need beta readers, people to read over a chapter before it is submitted. If you would like to help me out, send an email to i n u l u v e r 1 7 y a h o o . c o m just take out the spaces. I will, then, send you each chapter a week before I plan to post it, as I am only able to get on the Internet on weekends. In your email, please either send a revised version of the prologue, chapter one, or both. I would like to re-post them without any errors. I don't have a problem with the spelling, it's grammar. If I could get some of you to do this for me, I may be able to get the chapters up more quickly. Thanks for reading.