XXIII

Tueri Susceptor

Kagome flushes, and Kouga flashes a grin at her and then takes one of the bags of shards from his belt and pours some of them across his palm. He selects two of the largest pieces, and then puts the rest back – he won' use more than he needs. They are curiosities, these shikon shards...but he does not want to come to depend on them. Like his armor, they are a useful tool, but in a pinch he knows his own flesh, his own youki, his own nature are all he can rely on.

One at a time, wincing only a little, Kouga forces each shard into the flesh of his legs and feels them squirm in his flesh and then lie still against the bones of his calves, pulsing power into his blood.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, you stay here and guard the den; I feel...I feel power in these things. I bet I'll be there and back in two hours – maybe less. Kagome – don't move. You're safest here, you understand? Trust Ginta and Hakkaku like you'd trust me; trust the pack like you'd trust me, they know you're mine -"

"I'm not worried about me, Kouga – I know I'm safe, it's you I'm worried about. Be careful -"

"You really are worried, aren't you? I'll be careful, Kagome."

He touches her cheek, and then takes the bags of shards and hands them to her.

"Just in case; I don't want one of those things to grab hold of them, that'd be...a pain. I'll see you soon, Kagome."

He tries to give her a reassuring smile, and then he is gone.

Out of her sight, he grabs Ginta and Hakkaku each by an arm and squeezes tightly, digs his claws into the tender flesh.

"You protect her, you understand? You keep her safe – you keep her safe until I get back here."

He strides past them down the hall then toward the entrance of the den; they stare at his back as he moves away from him, and then glance at each other when he is gone.

"He's gone crazy over this woman -"

"Shikon woman, he called her. She's beautiful, but -"

"Yeah, but. That's not even been enough for our own females."

"The power, you think?"

"The power – of the shikon no tama? No, it doesn't do anything like that."

"But Kouga's gone crazy over the woman..."

Ginta shrugs and then looks back toward the entrance to Kouga's chamber, breathes deeply and contemplates Kagome's scent.

"Maybe it's just her – but we can worry about that later. For now she's his, and to be protected."

"That's for sure; I don't want make Kouga angry."

They wince in unison, and then move down the passage, following in the direction Kouga has gone.

"She'll have to be like our sister, then."

"Yeah, like a little sister. Do you think – do you think he's really going to keep her? Take her for a mate?"

Hakkaku shrugs.

"Don't know; anyway, she's all right with me – I don't mind her for a little sister. She saved Sho; I don't think he'd be alive if Kouga hadn't brought her back here."

Ginta nods his agreement, and they turn to their tasks. The pups go in to the deepest chambers of the den; the females are sent to follow and protect them in case the worst happens. A gray-haired quartet follows the females – Daisuke, Eiji, Fumio and Izumi, protecting the wisdom of the pack. Only Kameko remains, still in the shape of a great wolf.

When the others have all gone she lies down across the entrance to the Den and closes her eyes. She ignores the questions that Ginta and Hakkaku direct at her, and they are silent soon enough, concerned with other things – the guards that aren't injured must be assembled and instructed; in the back of their minds, they must worry for Kouga; at the forefront of their thoughts is the woman – the woman, and Kouga's instruction to protect her in his place.

A/N: And there we are! Today's chapter - meaning the chapter of June 27th - all tasty and complete! Today's chapter title, "Tueri Susceptor" translates to "protect the protector". More tomorrow, of course! *Note: My, what was I thinking? Edited, edited and...forgive the many mistakes there were before!

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