Grabbing a piece of cloth, Yume began to measure Kagome for her new clothes. Yume sat down in front of a low table and began to make tea for her guests, handing the strips of cloths to Shiori.

The miko put on the borrowed fur skirt over her underwear, and kneeled down beside her friend and took the cup of tea offered to her with two hands.

Yume looked down and placed her hands on her swollen stomach.

"So, Yume, what do you think the child will be?" the golden haired beauty asked as she hand stitched the fur skirt of the new princess.

"Well, Ichigo wants a boy; I really want a girl, but I don't want to disappoint my mate. I just want him to be happy."

"Yes, I know what you mean. Kibou is the same way with me. 'Give me a boy, mate' it really gets funny after a while."

All of a sudden, all three girls looked to Kagome.

"Kagome... Don't think I'm trying to pry into your personal life, but... do you ever plan on returning love to Kouga?"

"I don't know, honestly..." Kagome murmured, gazing down into her teacup.

With a worried face, Chikara sat down beside Kagome and whispered, "Kagome, I need to talk to you..." Looking up, she smiled. "Shiori, Yume, why don't we take Kagome to the springs to wash cloths and sew? We'll tell Ginta where were going so Kouga won't worry."

Helping Yume up, they collected the laundry, and walked towards the hot springs. "Ginta, were going out to wash; tell Kouga to come collect Kagome once he has returned home."

After a while of walking down the cliff leading to the wolves den, they arrived at a steamy spring.

Kagome was about to spring into the spring (no pun intended) until a soft-clawed hand began to lead her to the side, near the edge of a tall sakura tree.

"Kagome, I need to warn you; in wolf traditions, a male only needs the female's consent to court her and place the mating mark on her neck. No consent is needed for anything else..."

"Chikara, why are you telling me this?" Kagome asked, "I don't even know you..."

"I tell you this because I don't want you to end up like me." Chikara stood, sadness marring her perfection. "Kagome, if you like Kouga enough to be his mate, tell him, before he forces you into a life contract you don't even want."

"Chikara, did your mate force you?" Kagome asked, as the woman began to walk away.

"Don't get me wrong Kagome, I love him with ever fiber of my being. I just didn't want it at that time. If Kouga asks to have you, and you want him as well, tell him outright, truthfully, or love might meet you with force if you deny him," the wolfeness said, embracing the smaller girl before her in a hug.

WITH KOUGA

Kouga began to drag the large stag he had caught and killed back towards their home. There was enough meat on this kill to eat for sever days and to dry for a few weeks for winter.

At the entrance of the den stood his friend, Ginta, and a whimpering Tsuuki, who walked over to him immediately. ""Kouga, Chikara and her sisters took Kagome to the springs and told me to tell you to go collect Kagome there upon your arrival."

Growling, Kouga turned and began to stalk off. "Ginta, start cooking the deer."

WITH KAGOME

"AH this feels HEAVENLY!"

"Doesn't it? Almost enough to make you want to stay in for-" Shiori stopped and looked towards the sakura tree.

Chikara, looking towards the tree, stepped in front of Kagome, growling menacingly.

"Hanyou, you have no right to be here, leave now and I will not kill you!"

InuYasha dropped down from the tree, landing in a crouch, and stood up slowly.

Looking up, Kagome saw, for once in all the years she had known him, tears streaming down his pain-streaked face.

"Kagome, how could you?"

"Because she's not yours, never has been, never will be." Kouga growled out, pushing InuYasha into a tree, and holding him there with an extremely sharp-clawed hand on his throat.

Looking over his shoulder, he barely heard Kagome softly whimper, "Please...don't hurt him..."

Dropping him to the ground he turned on her, his eyes the color of newly spilt blood.

Was his mate defying him?

"What, Kagome. Do you love him? Do you want to be with him?" Kouga growled, grabbing her by her upper arm roughly, piercing her soft skin with his claws.

Wincing at the pain, she whimpered, "No Kouga... I don't love him... I want you..."

Letting go of her arm, he lightly took her hand in his, and growled, "Come Kagome. Chikara, take care of him."

She slowly follower Kouga, as he led her through the forest to the edge of the mountain cliffs, which would lead them to their home, where he decided that she was moving way too slow.

Picking Kagome up, he placed her legs around his waist and his hands supporting her back, her body flush against his, and took off at sickeningly fast speeds towards the wolf den, into his room, where he dropped her unceremoniously on the pallet in his room

WITH GINTA AND HAKKAKU

Looking towards the room that their leader occupied, then down at the dinner they had just finished cooking, as soon as Kouga entered the den.

"LIKE HELL I'M GOING TO GO IN AND DISTURB THEM!" Both shouted. Then, looking back at the door, then to the other, "YOU DO IT!"

Ok there are 3 kinds of matings:

One Sided. Both party's benefit, but one gets the better deal.

Forced Mating. This is also considered rape. Even if you want someone just as a friend, they take you completely by force.

Consensual Mating. Both parties agree and are met by equal love.

Chikara wanted to consensually mate with Kuro, but at the time was forced into it, ie: Kuro ended up raping her. By Kagome saying she loves him, she just made it consensual, so now she has the choice when they finish the courtship. By that one little word, she

If anyone is asking themselves why when Kouga's by himself the parts are so short, there's a hidden meaning behind it. It is that Kouga is nothing with out Kagome; he needs her to survive. I know, very romantic