Well, we'll see how Izuma reacts to her presence in the den. I am humbled by your responses in reviews. They really do motivate me to write more. Thank you for your support. Now onto the chapter.

Disclaimer: All original characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. Any events taking place are of my own imagination. Any similarities to actual people or events are strictly coincidental.

Chapter Five: Accusations and Confusion

In the distance, a tree shook slightly as a figure with silver hair leapt from it to the next one swiftly. It barely made a sound as it traveled at high speeds through the forest toward its destination. A grin graced its features as golden eyes gleamed in the early morning light. He'd made good progress. It would be early evening by the time he reached the ookami's den.

He'd left that same day with a very irritated, but understanding, mate in the care of the older miko. She'd understood his need to go, but Youka didn't like it in the least bit. This was their first pregnancy, and, especially since she was a hanyou, she wasn't sure how long she'd carry the pup.

Human pregnancies were nine months, but inu pregnancies, where full youkai were concerned, lasted only about two and a half months. If not a little less. She was nearing the second-month marker, and it left them both a little anxious about this 'trip' of his.

He bared his fangs into the expanse around him. He didn't care what she said, for making him leave Youka, she was coming back with him. No matter what. Even if that fleabag stood in his way, he'd just cut him down with Tetsusaiga.

He glanced at the fading night into the morning sky. The moon was still visible. A waxing gibbous, if what Kagome said was right. In a day or two, it would be a full moon. He smirked. It was good news for him. It would be another twenty-one days until the new moon. He still had plenty of youkai power left to combat his enemies with. More than enough to slay that stinking ookami and anyone else who got in his way.

Tsuki's heart was heavy. She'd watched the entire exchange from the night before. Her cubs were in pain, and Kagome was even more so. It hurt her heart to see such anguish. She was glad that in a day and a half that she could finally ease them of a little discomfort.

She glanced over at Yami, who was lounging against the wall, peering boredly into the pool before her. It reflected the ookami den, but she felt another force threatening to upset the balance. Zooming out, Tsuki focused the pool on a silver-haired figure moving swiftly toward the den. Inuyasha. He was on a mission.

The sudden redirection of the pool caught Yami's fading attention and he sat up looking alert.

"Hey, isn't that Inutaisho's second son? What's his name..? Inu..something," he managed still peering at the golden-eyed hanyou before them with his vibrant violet eyes.

"Inuyasha is going to try and take back Kagome," Tsuki muttered softly placing a curved finger above her upper lip in concentration. She knew her cub was strong enough to combat the hanyou if need be, but she wasn't sure that Kagome was mentally strong enough to handle this confrontation so soon after the loss of the infant cub.

"What do you think your cub is going to do about it," Yami asked curiously.

Tsuki couldn't help but smile, "Whatever he has to."

This only caused Yami to grin, "Then things should get interesting here rather soon," he stated readjusting his seated position.

"Indeed they shall," Tsuki said eyeing an amber-eyed ookami that was pacing the den agitatedly.

How will you handle this one, Kagome?

Her entire being felt as if it were made of lead. She was sure it was the fatigue from crying so much, but there was also the factor that she didn't have the motivation to move. Her head hurt, her right hand was tender, and her left shin felt bruised. All physical scars were left as placeholders for the emotional hurt that no one could see.

Kagome lay awake on the pelts near the back of the private den in the darkened cave. The sunlight from outside was leaking into the space, but it didn't beckon to her like it normally did. She knew she'd have to face the pack sooner or later, but she didn't know if she had the strength to. The death of the cub was just last night. However, she knew she didn't have a right to feel this way. What about Yuri? What about Izuma? Kouga? The rest of the pack? They still carried on. They had things they needed to do. Work to be done. Thus, she had to move as well.

Kagome pressed both of her palms flat against the furs beneath her, flinching at the twinge in her right hand, and raised her body off of the floor. Unsurprisingly, it took some effort. Her muscles weren't recuperated yet. It was astonishing how much fatigue could come from emotional distress.

Her actions garnered the attention of both ookami at her side. Hikari raised his head slightly while Youru stood up and walked over to greet her. Kagome smiled weakly as he pressed his nose into her palm, licking it good-naturedly.

"I know," she said as she placed both of her hands on either side of his black face. Even in the dim light, she could see his crystal blue eyes reflecting the light. He was truly a beautiful ookami. "I have to get up though," she continued before glancing over at Hikari who didn't look like he approved of this idea, "everyone else is continuing on with life. I shouldn't be the only one with the luxury of moping around."

Hikari exhaled harshly at her; his amber eyes sharp. She'd been emotionally drained yesterday, and he knew what that could do to a youkai. It undoubtedly had a stronger effect on a human. Her scent was tainted with exhaustion. She'd barely slept. Rest was the best thing for her, but it wasn't as if he could make her do it. In defeat, he laid his head back down and glanced at Youru, who also shared his thoughts, as he looked back at his brother.

Kagome scratched Youru's ears gently. She felt light-headed from lack of sleep, and her vision was blurring slightly from having her eyes open for far too long. Today was just going to be one of those days.

Sighing she leaned back against the wall of the den and closed her eyes for a moment. Youru walked toward her and licked her face. She gave him a small, weak smile before she took a tuft of his fur in her left hand. "Ready?" She asked her blue eyes meeting his. He exhaled sharply and she took it as an affirmative.

As she rose to her feet, quivering from exhaustion, she felt him trembling beneath her weight. She looked down at him curiously. Once she was leaned against the wall, she pulsed reiki through his body to check for injuries. She was happy when she found none, but she was slightly confused. Maybe he just wasn't as strong as Hikari was?

Her eyes flickered to the other's amber orbs. He looked up at her seemingly raising an eyebrow at her in question. "I guess that's why you help me, huh?" Hikari snorted as she ran her hand through Youru's fur. "Not because you want to, right?" A low rumble sound emanated from his chest as he raised his head. She laughed softly, "You're very argumentative for an ookami, or maybe that's just in your nature," she stated thinking about run-ins with Kouga when she had been traveling with Inuyasha.

They were always into it. Whether it was about her or not. They had always fought or argued about something. It nearly made her giggle at the memory.

Hikari rose before her and exhaled sharply before turning toward the den exit, and Youru was followed closely behind him. Kagome watched them go second-guessing her decision about meeting with the rest of the pack so soon. She couldn't stay in this private cave forever though.

With determination, she pushed off of the wall behind her. She would show her face today, even if she wasn't as welcomed as she'd like to be.

She staggered the first few steps before settling into a slight, temporary gimp toward the exit where Hikari and Youru waited for her. Immediately, bright light assaulted her senses. From the intensity, she guessed it to be about mid-morning.

Blinking several times, her eyes adjusted to the light, and then she peered around the cave.

The majority in the caves were females with a few males scattered about. She guessed it had to do with the security of the pack. They left a few males just in case. She wasn't sure what all the males would be needed for but this was ookami pack life; she wasn't an expert, yet.

The atmosphere was somber this morning in the den. She could feel it in the air. The sorrow was thick and suffocating. It immediately had an effect on her mood. Her eyes flited to the spot in the cave that the cub had died yesterday. Everyone was avoiding it like the plague, and she could hardly blame them. They probably still smelled it there. The ache in her chest renewed and she lifted her left hand to clutch at her heart. However, all was not lost.

As she thought about going back into the private den, a cub, the one with brown hair and striking green eyes, scampered up to her from a nearby ookamis lap. Kagome's eyes met the adult ookami's and he offered her a faint smile as the cub, that she'd learned was named Ryou, approached her. That smile did wonders for her.

She bent at the knee to reach for Ryou. His small yipping echoed through the cave causing all the other ookami and ookami youkai to look in her direction. He was so happy to see her that Kagome actually smiled down at the cub as she lifted him into her arms. The innocence of children.

Once where he wanted to be, which was in her arms, he proceeded to nuzzle under her chin and clutch at the fabric of her kimono in tight little fists. Kagome nuzzled him back feeling some of the tightness in her chest relieve itself in his presence.

She glanced up at the ookami who had smiled at her and started walking toward him when a savage, threatening growl challenged her. Out of instinct, she turned from the growl, protecting the cub, and threw up a barrier tightly around herself and the cub as a fist slammed into the lavender energy. She didn't have to look to know who it was, and she could understand his reaction but she was angry nonetheless.

She glared over her shoulder, her aura sparking slightly, as she turned back to face him, her blue eyes blazing, "How dare you attack me with a cub in my arms," she said darkly.

Auburn hair looked unkempt. Most of it sagged from the ponytail it was usually held in. His fangs were bared with red-rimmed amber orbs that were boring into her very soul. His whole body was tense, ready to lunge at any moment. She knew his sanity was borderline at best.

"How dare you hide behind the cub," he growled deeply his voice flickering from his and his beast's.

Kagome looked down at Ryou who was now trembling on her chest. His claws were firmly attached to the front of her kimono. Izuma had terrified him. He was looking for comfort.

She noticed the ookami, that she had been meaning to sit by, stand and look between them. He was on edge. He had black hair with dark brown eyes and a black tail. He seemed a little older than Kouga, and his eyes looked like they had seen too much. He looked to be debating the situation at hand. However, Kagome wasn't going to put him at risk for her sake.

"It's alright," she spoke gently as she stroked the cub's back, but her eyes were locked onto the other ookami's. His dark eyes flickered to hers and he looked unsure. She just smiled at him gently.

Focusing more on the cub, Kagome knelt, which earned her a deep, jagged growl from Izuma, gently prying Ryou's claws from her kimono. He whimpered at his only source of comfort being taken from him. She nuzzled the scared cub affectionately before dispersing the barrier and sending him back to the other ookami. The cub looked back up at Izuma uncertainly as he scampered back to the ookami.

She put up her barrier once more as the cub walked from her. Izuma crashed against it, again, growling more savagely than before out of frustration. Kagome rose to her feet and looked into his eyes calmly.

Hikari and Youru, that had been standing near her the entire time, made their way to her side. Hikari's hackles were raised and he wore a snarl with a menacing growl to match while Youru's lips twitched slightly, the tuft of fur on the crest of his back raised, and the deep growl that echoed in his chest made his intent clear. They weren't pleased.

Kagome looked back at the two ookami and met Hikari's eyes. "Stay back," she whispered to them. Hikari's eyes flickered to hers before returning to Izuma. He wasn't budging. Youru looked up at her confused before lowering himself further to the ground like his brother was. They refused to move.

Izuma growled to the ookami who merely snarled in response. They weren't going anywhere.

Izuma's chest tightened with anguish and anger. He'd watched her exit the den unsurely, as she should have, but then she had the audacity to reach for a cub after what happened last night. Then she smiled as if his son hadn't died. As if his life didn't matter. As if it wasn't her fault. He knew he was stillborn, but he needed someone to blame. She just happened to be the one to take that fall. She wasn't pack anyway.

He gritted his teeth. He could feel his beast rattling in its cage in his head. He knew he was nearly insane with loss. His heart ached for his cub and the loss of his mate's happiness. He could feel the tunnel vision of red beginning to take over. He knew he was going to kill her, but he didn't have enough presence of mind to care.

He didn't understand why she was here. He didn't understand why those ookami cared for her so much, or why his alpha seemed to value her presence, the presence of a miko, in an ookami's den. She was alien. She was unnatural. She was dangerous.

Yet, as he glanced to the ookami, Kyrou, who stood to assess his state of being, he could tell that the pack genuinely cared for her. Why? Confusion muddled his thoughts as his gaze centered on the miko once more. What was she?

Kagome took a step toward Izuma who growled threateningly at her, but she continued toward him. He snarled as the lavender glow reached his body. However, it merely passed over him without the pain of purification behind it. One more step and they both were inside her barrier nearly face to face.

The other male youkai in the den stood at this development each clenching and unclenching their fists in anticipation of Izuma's next move. They were all ready to come to her aid if necessary.

Kagome could feel the worry rolling off of their auras in waves. Some were even terrified. It made her sick to her stomach to feel such intense emotions related to her. Especially after last night. She didn't deserve them.

Tempting fate, she broke her stare with the angry amber orbed youkai and glanced around the cave. Their eyes were all focused on them, on her. The dark-haired youkai closest to her, his jaw was set and his eyes held worry as his gaze held hers for mere seconds. No one dared speak. "Sister," she heard him warn evenly. She looked back toward Izuma and merely nodded her head at his tone.

She was touched that someone, other than Ginta or Hakkaku, referred to her as such, but, as she peered into amber orbs, she knew she had much larger issues to think about.

His body was quivering. She wasn't sure if it was from anger or restraint of that anger. Blue met amber and clashed. Suddenly, she felt very tired. She knelt two feet from him. He growled deeply before her and she turned her head to the side baring her neck in slight submission. She didn't want to challenge his beast any more than she had to.

"I know words won't help you," she started, "I don't know if they will reach you at this point," she said her sapphire eyes hazing in thought as last night's events passed through her mind. They would haunt her for the rest of her life. "But I wanted you to know that I am sorry," she finished looking up at him with deadened eyes, "I understand why you feel the way you do, and," she said glancing back at Hikari and Youru who were not pleased with the developments that had taken place, "I won't stop you from doing what you feel you must."

The cave was deathly silent. Each youkai wondered when he would strike. The only sound resounding off the walls was the soft bells of her voice.

Kagome looked back into Izuma's amber orbs, "I understand how you feel."

In a split second, Kagome was slammed up against the wall by her throat. Her head bounced off of rock harshly jarring her senses. Izuma's claws dug deeply into the tender flesh that was her neck as an insane snarl ripped from his chest overpowering and drowning out her voice. "How could you possibly understand what I feel," he challenged disbelievingly, "I can tell you are still pure. You have no child to lose. What could you have lost that was so precious to you?!"

Kagome's head, which was forced to the side, glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, "My whole family," was her soft reply. "After the Shikon no Tama was destroyed, every single member of my bloodline died," she stated softly, "I was left in this world, that I still don't completely understand, alone. I had nowhere to call home," she continued, "I lost the hanyou, who I loved with all my heart at the time, to the woman who died before me only to have him turn around when the next best thing came along," tears brimmed in her eyes, "I lost my adoptive child to his future and my other friends to theirs and I was left behind," she let the restraint on her aura go allowing all of the emotions fueling her words be felt by him and those around her, "And, most of all," she continued, "last night, I lost a part of myself. Izuma," she whispered softly, "you may not know, nor completely understand why, but I loved your cub. My heart aches with yours for his loss. I miss him too," she couldn't help the tear that fell from her eyes.

There was a somber silence that echoed through the cave. Each ookami and youkai alike feeling her sadness as their own with such potent rolls of emotions. Ryou nearby whimpered softly as his green eyes brimmed with tears and Kyrou stooped to hold him.

Izuma, who had felt nothing but rage from the beginning, felt his angry mask fade as her emotions mixed with her scent. There was no deception behind her words. Her anguish mirrored his own, and yet he could not fathom this.

Kagome felt his grip on her neck relax some, "How," he voiced in his own voice. It sounded shattered and broken but his tenor timbre was still strong, "How can you feel like this," he questioned, "You're a miko."

Kagome smiled sadly at him as she turned her face toward his, tears glistening in her eyes all the while, "I have a heart too, you know," she said softly, "I'm not all reiki and spells," she looked into his amber eyes, "I feel, just the same as you do. My heart beats in the same place that it does inside your chest..just not for as long a time."

Izuma's amber orbs were trained on hers. Minutes ticked by, she could tell he was searching for the lie. He was waiting for the punch line that was never to come. Her answers were absolute. They were truthful. She meant them with every fiber of her being.

Finally, after what seemed like forever he released her neck. She dropped her barrier and he turned from her walking away without a word.

Sapphire orbs traced his retreat as he headed down another tunnel in the caves to an unknown location. She assumed it would be toward his mate.

A soft growl resonated from her left side and she looked down to see Hikari standing at her heel. He wasn't very happy with her. "I know," she said reaching for him and he jerked his head from her glaring at her with steely amber hues. It hurt her but she knew why he did it.

Sighing she watched as he sauntered off to a nearby corner, still close enough to watch her, and lay down. Youru made up for both of them as he nearly toppled her over nuzzling into her legs. Kagome smiled softly as she scratched his ears and he licked her palm. Ryou took that moment to bound over to her and attempt to climb up her hakama and kimono.

Kagome picked him up and cradled him to her chest when Kyrou started walking toward her slowly, glancing back at the way that Izuma had gone before leveling his gaze on her. "Let me look at that, Sister," he said more than asked as he took her neck into his hand gently turning her head with his thumb. His dark brown eyes quickly analyzed the damage.

She hadn't noticed but trails of crimson painted her neck where his claws had retracted on either side. They were deep gouges. It was meant to be a hold to immobilize prey, and it was a very efficient technique; especially since Izuma was one of the top hunters in the pack.

Kyrou sighed as he released her neck his brown orbs held slight relief in their pools, "The damage isn't as bad as it could have been," he said taking a step back from her, "your wounds will still need bandaging. Lord Kouga will notice them."

Kagome blanched slightly. Lord Kouga? She'd never heard anyone call him by a title let alone this title. Recovering, she nodded to him before returning her gaze to Ryou momentarily who had decided to be a mischievous cub and entangle his claws in her hair. "Thank you," she whispered to Kyrou who merely nodded.

She glanced around the den, already aware of all the eyes that were locked onto her figure. She felt slightly exposed to them knowing that they all knew her past now, but it was better to get it out in the open. It would cause fewer problems in the future.

Following Kyrou back to the fire, she sat down in front of it allowing Ryou to play with her hair as he pleased. She knew once she was healed she'd have to go back to Kaede's. She didn't really want to leave the ookami pack. She'd grown pretty comfortable in their presence over the last week. More so than she had anywhere else. Her eyes saddened. She'd have to go back to seeing Inuyasha and suffocating through the silence and unvoiced torment he put her through.

Her thoughts were broken by the presence of a towel before her eyes. The ookami across from was handing it to her. She took it from him with a grateful smile, placed it against her neck, and winced. The cuts stung against the fabric and when she pulled the cloth away there was a lot more crimson on it than she had expected there to be. His nails had gone pretty deep into her skin.

The deep timbre of the ookami across from her broke her thoughts, "What is your name Sister?"

Kagome blinked a few times before answering, "Kagome. What is yours?" It was the first time, since arriving, that an ookami from the rest of the pack had spoken to her.

"Kyrou," he states quickly, "you are the Shikon Miko?" It was more of a statement than a question but she decided to grace him with an answer.

"That's what they call me anyway," she replied eyeing him curiously. A smile broke out across the youkai's face.

"The rumors are true then," he said sitting back against a rocky ledge in the cave.

Kagome's eyebrow lifted, "What rumors?"

"Oh nothing," Kyrou said crossing his arms and closing his eyes in a very Kougaesc way.

Kagome wasn't having any of that as she kicked his foot gently but enough to get him to open his eyes and insisted, "What rumors?"

Kyrou chuckled good-naturedly, "The word across the land is that the miko, who gathered the shards of the sacred jewel eliminating it from these lands, was said to have an uncommonly kind nature toward all beings who reside here," he paused before continuing, "it is very rare to find a miko of your caliber with a heart to match, Sister."

Kagome blushed at the praise but took it as acceptance. "I just don't see why I should treat anyone differently because of what they are. You cannot control what you were meant to be. How can you judge someone based on what they are when it was no fault of their own?"

Kyrou laughed again closing his eyes, "Lord Kouga chose wisely," he said softly.

This only caused Kagome to blush deeper. Kouga didn't want her, did he? In the past, she knew he had.

She vividly remembered that day on the mountain top when he told her and everyone present, much to her mortification, that he loved her. He'd also proceeded to mention something about 'being with a real warrior' and 'never going back to scraps again'. However, it was too traumatizing and she'd blocked it from her memory, consciously.

Ryou yipped again garnering her attention. She smiled down at the cub before nuzzling his nose with hers. His green eyes widened when he spotted the red stains on her skin and he yipped frantically. Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly. Did it bother him? Hastily she covered the cuts with the cloth again hiding them from his view. His green eyes muddled with confusion at their disappearance, and Kagome could only laugh at his antics. He was so cute. Although, she'd never seen him with another female ookami like she had the others.

"Hey Kyrou," she said eyeing the ookami curiously, "who does Ryou belong to?"

Kyrou opened his eyes slowly and looked at the cub in her arms, a sad expression overtaking his features, "Ryou is an orphan here in the pack. His mother died after birthing, and his father was driven mad by her death. It wasn't too long before you were brought here by Lord Kouga. He has no one else. It is why he clings to you as he does."

Kagome's heart ached for the cub. Ryou seemed to notice the change in her scent and his emerald orbs peered into her blue hues before he whimpered softly. Oh how she wanted to take him as her own, but she wasn't an ookami and she was sure the pack was good to him. Everyone seemed to love him, but even she knew it wasn't the same.

Gently she ran her fingers through his dark brown hair comfortingly and not long after Ryou had settled against her chest cuddling into the warmth. His emerald eyes were growing heavy, he was just a baby after all. Kagome settled him into the crook of her right arm carefully as his breathing deepened.

Ryou had just drifted off to sleep when the entrance of the cave exploded in howls and barks from the approaching male ookami. Kagome noticed Kyrou visibly tense in front of her. Her eyes narrowed in worry then she too glanced at the entrance of the cave.

Male ookami, covered from head to foot in snow, came bounding into the cave for warmth. It was almost comical. It didn't take long for Ginta and Hakkaku's figures to enter the cave. She stood with Ryou in her arms and made her way toward them and once they saw her they did the same. Hikari and Youru followed shortly behind her.

"Hey, Sis-" Ginta said cheerfully before he stopped in his tracks. His eyes were locked onto the, now, reddened cloth on her neck after which he and Hakakku ran to her side.

"What happened," Hakkaku asked worriedly. He smelled her blood. It was strong. Whatever wounds she had, had to be pretty bad.

"Uhm," she started looking around the den uncertainly, "A little...misunderstanding," she finished quietly.

"Kouga's going to be pissed," Hakakku stated looking over at Ginta whose features were set grimly.

"Very," Ginta replied as he walked toward her his hands going to the cloth, "I'm just going to look."

Kagome obliged and relinquished her hold on the cloth. It was already sticking to her skin and pulled as Ginta tried to remove it. It only reopened the semi-sealing wounds causing a new flow of blood to emerge.

Ginta grimaced slightly. This wasn't going to be good. The wounds were pretty deep. The kind only an uncontrolled beast could produce. His blue eyes narrowed angrily. Even if she wasn't Kouga's, unofficial, intended, she was still his sister in his eyes, and anyone manhandling her like this was going to be held accountable. He only needed one inhale. That's how strong the scent, how recent, it still was. "Izuma."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly but narrowed shortly after, "Don't bother him anymore. What happened is done. It won't be happening again," she assured.

"He's not dead is he," Hakkaku questioned.

"Who's not dead," the tenor timbre stopped everyone in their tracks. They all knew it would be a matter of milliseconds before he smelled her blood.

He did not disappoint.