CHAPTER 6

THE PRICE OF REVENGE

Dead bodies laid tossed aside on the mountain clearing that lead to the entrance of Ayame's pack's cave. But hiding in the shadows within the cave was something that neither Kouga or Ayame could imagine.

"Well, I wasn't expecting visitors", a sultry voice hissed. Kouga and Ayame stood in the middle of the open area, preparing themselves to fight.

"Who's there", Kouga called out. He took a step forward and moved Ayame behind him. She was so engrossed in the moment that the fact that he intended to protect her completely slipped passed her.

"And why do you care who's here", the silhouette asked.

"Bastard! You killed my pack and now you're in my cave! So show yourself, NOW", Ayame screamed as she clicked her sword from its sheath. Kouga saw the rage that was within her and knew that she was planning to fight to the death, so he clicked his sword open, too, while his right hand held on to the handle.

Its laugh echoed through the chilled mountain air. "Very well. If your wish is to die, I can take care of that myself." The silhouette took a step forward and allowed the moonlight to shower down upon it. Exposing its identity.

The demon had the face of a woman, but the body of a wasp. Its wings glistened under the moon's silver light and its hairy legs looked like tree trunks in the darkness.

"She's a wasp", Ayame gasped.

"You have Naraku's disgusting stench", Kouga yelled out at the thing looming over them.

"Do I? Must be because I was once part of him. Naraku liked to discard the demons that weren't useful to him every time he created a new body for himself. I was the last one to ever be freed from his body before he took in the Jewel and made his final body."

"So you're nothing more than Naraku's leftovers! This will be easy", Kouga laughed.

"Fool! Naraku only kept the strongest of demons. To ignore the fact that he kept me until the very end, is to ignore my power!"

"You talk too much", Ayame's nose still burned at the smell of her pack's blood and every time she looked down at the fallen bodies of her people, she was reminded of her aching pain and searing anger. She wanted this thing dead as soon as possible and whatever the cost.

She unsheathed her weapon and began running at full speed toward the wasp demon across from her. But the demon began to flap its wings; making sudden gusts of wind that knocked Ayame off her feet. She could feel dirt stinging into the scrapes that earlier that day Kouga had so gently washed, but that didn't matter to her at the moment. As quickly as she fell, she stood back up with her sword ready to attack.

The huge wasp demon had moved its way unto the air and the sound of its flapping wings hummed so loudly that it made the ground vibrate. Ayame was somehow able to gain her balance from the shaking ground and leaped up to slice her katana through the demon, but just as she was about to strike it, the wasp hit her with one of its legs. It knocked her back down to earth and made her slice her leg against a jagged rock. She grimaced at the pain of the huge gash that was spewing blood unto the already gory ground. She tried to get back up, but this time she couldn't. Her leg had broken.

"Ayame!" Seeing that Ayame wasn't getting up, Kouga ran to her side to make sure she was alright. "What's wrong", he asked while he knelt down by her side.

"My leg… I can't move it!" Behind them the wasp demon's laugh began to echo again through out the mountains.

"This will be easier than I thought", it cackled.

"SHUT YOUR TRAP!" Kouga rose up from the ground and turned to the wasp. "You shouldn't have touched her", he growled deep and low.

"Oh? And what are you going to do now? …Kill me", it teased back.

"That's right! I'm gonna rip your head off with my bare hands!" With that, he began to dashed in the direction of the demon. Sword still sheathed, but his knuckles popped and ready.

Kouga leaped into the air with a surprising fury. The wasp demon threw attack after attack at him, but he dodged them gracefully, using its legs as a place to push off. Each leap brought him higher up in the air, giving him the perfect view of where to attack. He clutched his fist tight as he cocked his arm back and move to strike it in its face, but it anticipated his attack. Using one its six legs, struck him hard in the chest; throwing him down. He landed on the ground with a long skid on his side and a heavy grunt. The wasp immediately landed and ran behind Kouga. He rolled over onto his back to try to get up, but the wasp woman came up over him and stomped down on his chest. It's foot began to crush him. He was struggling to breath so he tried to push its leg off, but the demon was putting all its weight on him.

Ayame was losing enormous amounts of blood and her head was beginning to spin, but the moment she saw Kouga under the hairy leg of the wasp, she forced herself onto her hands and knees. Crawling, she started to make her way over to him. She dragged her broken leg behind her, ignoring the excruciating pain. Taking her sword out of its sheath, she sliced right through the wasp woman's leg; cutting it off. It shrieked in pain before swatting Ayame. She was tossed back about a fifty yards before smacking, back first, into the mountain wall next to her cave's entrance. Her feet dangled a few yards off the floor as she felt the mountain's sharp rocks pierce through her. Warm blood began to run down and dripped off her legs. She gave out a soft groan before falling limp on the ground.

Kouga gasped to see Ayame drop. She was hurt so badly and she did it all to save him. He wasn't about to have her pain go in vain. So, with a determination that he had never had before, he turned back to the wasp demon. His eyes glowed a bright red and his claws were out. He rushed the demon and in one fatal leap, sliced it in half on his way down. Kouga landed softly on the ground as the wasp thumped onto the floor in two pieces. He let out a soft sigh. It's over, he told himself. It might've not been Naraku, but for now it would have to do. At least Ayame's pack's deaths were avenged. She wouldn't have to carry the same guilt that he did. He turned to look at the limp girl a few feet from him and went to her side.

"Ayame", Kouga said softly as he took her in his arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Why did you do that? I could've taken care of it by myself. Now you're half way to join your Grandfather."

She flinched at the pain in her body and groaned out, "I love you, Kouga… I don't think I could've lost you, too…" With that she fell unconscious; letting her head rest on his chest. He looked down at her. Her face was freckled with blood and dirt, but it was the first real time that he took a good look at her. He brushed the hair from her eyes and let his fingers run down the curves of her face before taking his thumb to caress her lips. He was taken back for a second at how astonishing she looked. Not only that, but she had shown so much loyalty and love to him; he was shocked he hadn't seen all before. Ayame was defiantly not what he had expected. Kouga felt the sudden urge to press his lips to her's, so he started to lean in closer and closer to her face, but out of the blue, stopped. I can't do this now, he thought. She's unconscious and badly injured. I need to get her to a safe place.

With Ayame in his arms, he stood up and left to the only place he knew, for sure, that she would be safe.