When I woke up the next morning, I thought on about what happened the past night. Was I really warming up to Koga or was I just imagining it? Did I really care about Inuyasha as much as I thought I did? Did I really miss him so much that I'd cry for him? My mind still had so many questions. I jumped into the tallest tree to think as the sun rose. I looked down as I saw Koga stretch out. I still felt that connection with him, but I don't think I could ever feel the way about him that I do Inuyasha.

I jumped down and thought aloud, "Have I really sold my heart to Inuyasha? Could I never really love anyone else the way I do him? I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do."

"I don't know, you tell me." Koga shrugged. I sighed, sitting down. "It's just that… last night, I lost it because I tried listening to your heart. Every time Inuyasha held me to his, I always felt safe; his heart comforted me during those months where I was all alone." I looked into Koga's eyes, "I tried to find that in you and I just can't."

I backed off. "I don't think I'll ever find that in anyone else; I feel like I need that connection in order to love someone else. I just don't want to have to rely on Inuyasha forever because… because… I just can't. It'd be inconvenient for him. Still, I think that he'd need someone like me looking out for him. His brother could have killed him the other day if I hadn't stepped in."

"Man! That mutt's an idiot! He has no idea whatsoever about you… he doesn't even deserve to know you."

"Yes he is! I've gotten to really know him over those days we spent together, and I liked the way I felt around him. So much about it felt so right. Truth is that I don't think I could ever forget him if I tried." I started walking away. "Koga, you head back home; I need some time to myself to think."

"All right. Just holler if that mutt gives you any lip."

"I seriously doubt it; I can handle him myself." I laughed, "thanks for everything."

"Anytime princess…" He smiled before disappearing into his tornado. I started my journey to find Inuyasha once again. I followed my nose and headed through the woods. I knew that the best way to handle this was to finish my business with him and move on with my life. While I wasn't totally convinced that Koga will ever give me that same feeling of reassurance, his plan kept sounding better all the time.

I had only been on the go for ten minutes when I heard someone following me. My ears kept twitching with the sound of 'sneaking around'. I finally turned around and demanded, "All right! Who's following me?" I then saw Raye come out of hiding. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to come with you." I shrugged, "you coulda said something. I'd have let you come if I asked."

She then laughed in an oddly evil way. "You're such a fool," her voice changed, "you're way too trusting, dear princess. You fell for the same trick twice." Her form disappeared and Naraku came out of it. "There never was a tiger demon named Raye here. I was merely using that as a disguise to get close to you. you're quite a powerful, though not quite full demon."

"What's it to you?" The hair on my neck stood up in both anger and fear. He laughed, "Then I think you'd like to know how the humans found about your tribe wanting the Shikon Jewel. I took the form of Kikyo's sister, Kaede, telling them that they were conspiring to come after the village. After what happened with Inuyasha, I figured that it'd be enough for them to go along with it."

"So, you were responsible for my mom and everyone else getting killed! Why would you do that? What would you possess you to do that!"

"Easy… your mother was one of the strongest demons left in this world. I had to get her out of the way so nobody would be able to stop me. I had pretty much dealt with all of the demons that could overthrow me except for four. That includes you, Koga, Sesshomaru and… Inuyasha. I thought I had gotten rid of him, but you kept him alive."

"But… Kagome was the one who broke the spell. I just made a little wish, no big deal."

He softly laughed. "Your presence was what kept him alive while he was pinned to that tree. All you had to do was touch him, feel his heart and it started beating again. Since you visited him so often, it kept his heart going. It's almost as if, when Kikyo shot him with that arrow, he lost the will to live. You reawakened that…"

I gasped, taking a few steps back. "There's no way… I couldn't have had that much of an effect on him. It's crazy. It's ludicrous! How do I know you're not making this up?"

"Why? Don't you want to believe you have that kind of link with Inuyasha?"

"No… because I can't love him! I don't want to love him like I do! It's not fair to Kagome, who's known him much longer than I have."

"I'd think you were more furious at Kikyo for nearly breaking his heart. Plus, you want Inuyasha for yourself."

"No, I don't! I can't always depend on him to protect me or to be there for me! I don't want to depend on him any more than I have to!" He laughed again. "You know; I haven't seen a demon as strong as you in quite a while. I think you could even be a match for Inuyasha and he wouldn't expect it."

I felt everything in me wanting to strike him down; I wanted to kill like there was nothing else. I finally put the jewel shards in my forehead so I could think more clearly. I faced him and let my demonic nature completely take over. My anger and rage all combined together as I charged for him with a shriek. I reached at him with my claws and fangs past his barrier, but somehow I was unable to touch him. He just stared at me menacingly and laughed. "You can't touch me."

"I sure as hell will! I will kill you and anyone that stands in my way! You've wronged so many people and I'm not going to take it anymore; I'm strong enough to take you on!" I got my claws at him, but he pasted his hand to my head. I screamed in pain as I felt him corrupt the shards in my forehead. All of this power came out of nowhere and I was clawing him like there was nothing else. I saw him bleed so I kept going until he used his barrier to deflect me away."

"Inuyasha shouldn't have taken you for granted… he should suffer for this…" He vanished and disappeared. I looked at my transformed claws with the scent of his blood on them. I saw that night was falling… I don't know what he did, but suddenly everything changed. I breathed heavy with this overwhelming desire to kill anything in my way. That was the only thing I knew or wanted to do.