CHAPTER 4

BUMPING INTO AYAME

Kouga stood at the bank of a river out side the village he just left. Kagome and Inuyasha's village. His body shook in anger at the thought that it was that small village where they planned to make their home together. Kouga wasn't angry at them, but with himself. He had always known that Kagome's heart didn't belong to him, but he hoped, no, he believed that with time and with enough selfless deeds, he'd prove to her he was worth her attention, if not her heart. And now, after all he'd done to try to prove himself, he realized that Kagome's heart had chosen a long time before he showed up. Kouga felt like an idiot and a fool.

"Kouga!" He turned to see who had called out his name. Ayame? What is she doing here, he asked himself.

Ayame had woken up that morning to find Kouga gone. Without thinking it twice, she followed after his scent. She needed to know what he as going to do. Was he going to marry Kagome? She had to know. She traveled most of the day, but finally picked his scent up that lead her to a small river outside a village. She pushed her way through some bushes at the end of the forest and stopped at the river's bank. Ayame found Kouga several feet away… and alone. She called out his name and began to make her way over to him, but somewhere between her thoughts of Kouga and her happiness in seeing him, she felt her foot get caught on a rock; making her land on the pebbled ground. Ayame felt the palms of her hands and her knees tear as she landed on them.

"Are you okay", he asked as he walked over to her.

"I'm such an idiot." Her face had turned red as she sat back and looked down at her bloody palms and knees.

"You're not an idiot… You just tripped", he said as he knelt down next to her, taking her hands, palm side up, in his. He then looked at her with a small grin on his face, "Here, let me help you." He slipped one hand around her and another behind her knees, carrying her like she weighed nothing to the river's edge. She began to feel her heart stop and her body lose all feeling. Never in her life could she even begin to imagine what it felt like to be in his arms and, yet, there she was.

He set her down and took her hands. Dunking them under the cold water, he began to wash off all the dirt and blood out of her scrapped palms. She could feel her body getting hot and her face was the brightest red.

"You don't have to do this, you know…" Though everything inside of her was screaming out of joy. This was the first time since they first met that he had done something this sweet.

"Sure, I do… You did a lot more for me." He let a small smile creep back on to his face before giving back her hands. Sliding his hands between her two knees, Kouga held Ayame's legs in his hands. Her eyes grew huge and she began to fidget around. She knew he was only trying to rinse out her knees, but his hands where on her thighs. She was shaking half out of embarrassment and half out of nerves.

He noticed how uncomfortable she was at the fact that his hands where on her legs, but he needed to clean out her scraped knees. He poured water over her wounds and watched as it ran off her skin, leaving small beads that traced the path of the curves of her legs. He felt his jaw tense and immediately looked up into her eyes to make sure she wasn't watching him. She was. As quickly as he could and without losing her gaze, returned her legs to her. Neither one moved from their spot for awhile.

"Why are you alone?" She had to finally ask him. That was the reason why she had followed him all the way there.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I thought you'd be with Kagome by now…" Oh, yeah, that's right, he thought, Kagome married Inuyasha. With Ayame there, he had forgotten, for a few moments, the reason why he was even there to begin with.

"Kagome's married… To Inuyasha." The words started to sting all over again. Ayame sat there in shock at what she had heard. She was right, Kagome didn't have the same feelings that Kouga had towards her.

"I'm sorry… I know how you feel…" Kouga looked sharply at her.

"What would you know about how I feel, Ayame?" To him, she was still inexperienced in the matters of life.

" Kouga", his statement made her realize he really didn't know how she felt about him, "How can you say that?" She lowered her head. "I've always loved you. Ever since I was a little girl and you asked me to be your wife that night when the moon gave a rainbow at night. You're the reason why I was able to get through my Grandfather's training up in the mountains. So when you told me that it was Kagome who you wanted, my heart broke. You were so callus and cold. You don't even remember asking me to marry you. I'm just a tossed memory to you. An unremembered obligation. And you still ask me what I would know about how you feel?" Tears began to burn her eyes as Kouga was completely taken back by what she had told him.

"Ayame…" he tried to figure out something to say to her, but couldn't find the right words. He knew she had feelings for him, but he had no clue to how strong they were.

"Ayame! Ayame!" They were interrupted by a voice calling out. Both stood up as soon as they saw a injured wolf come out of the forest and stagger towards them.

"Uncle!" Ayame recognized the bleeding wolf demon. She quickly ran to his side and at the moment her hands held him in her arms, he collapsed. The wolf's breathing was shallow, but he somehow was able to speak.

"Ayame… You must come back now… Your Grandfather…"

"Uncle! What has happened!"

"Your Grandfather… He's dead…" Ayame lost all sense of everything. She clutched on to her Uncle's fur as tears flowed from her eyes.

"Who's done this!" Kouga immediately stepped in, seeing that Ayame was beginning to crumble.

"A demon… He said he was once a part of Naraku…"