A Petal Down The River

By Rose

:.:Is Hate Not A Form Of Love:.:

"Heya, pops," It kept ringing in my head a thousand times over and over and over again, taunting me, poking at me, laughing at me if you will. I looked up under my bangs and Kouga, who stood defiantly in front of Grandfather.

However, a deep rumbling proved to be Grandfather laughing, and I looked over at him nearly shell-shocked. Was he serious in not caring that Kouga disrespected him as so?

"Kouga, my dear boy, sit down, sit down," Grandfather talked quicker now, as if to get this down, and held out a wrinkly hand for Kouga to sit. He did so, promptly falling to the floor cross-legged and resting an elbow on his knee.

"So… Ayame's offer," Grandfather said, looking at me for approval and I nodded, "still stands, do you accept?"

There was a slight pause, and from what I saw, Kouga's face fell into a frown.

Did that mean he was going to say yes and he was that deeply sad about it? Don't worry, Kouga…

"I accept," his voice was cold, as if he were setting his life in stone for eternal torment. Maybe he thought he was, but I wish I could tell him that he wasn't. It'd only be a few days, only a few days to make sure that everything was perfectly set up-that everything was in working order and that he really did own the tribe. I'd leave then, I'd be gone. It'd only be two, maybe three days at max.

Grandfather smiled and nodded.

"The festivities will be tonight," he said, laughing and hitting his knee. I groaned, and lowered my eyes again. I had nothing to say to Kouga, to Grandfather, to anyone. I don't know how I'd have re-acted had I not had a plan fore-made in my mind.

As night came, we set up everything. The males of the tribes went out to hunt for the large meal we'd consume, and the females cleaned up everything and set out to make everything wonderful. After Grandfather and Kouga left, I went to my own quarters of Grandfather's den and laid down to think. After a few hours of leisure, I got prepared fro the festivities. As I was the one to be mated, I had to dress in according to beauty and innocence, and I did.

Grandfather had a kimono that he gave me, a gift that was given to him and his first mate, and told me I could wear it. I put it on, and smiled sadly at him as he tied up any of the loose strings on the kimono.

This would be my first, and last kimono, and my first and last mating festivity.

It wasn't until a bit before the actual festivities that I saw Kouga. I wanted to tell his sad eyes that everything would be alright- and that he really wasn't going to be stuck with me forever.

Even if he did mate with me, and I bit into him claiming as mine, Kagome was human-and they didn't go by that sort of rituals. He'd be free to be with Kagome the minute I left, and he would be.

"You'll be so happy," I whispered sadly, and walked away from where he was. I knew he couldn't hear me, or even probably see me, but it made me feel just the slightest bit better to tell him.

As night came, Grandfather pulled me aside and sat me down. He gave me a weak, and quick smile, before patting me on the shoulder twice.

"Ayame," he said quietly at first, and then coughed to clear his voice, "Ayame, you will do so well with Kouga. The tribe will prosper, you will have pups, everything will be better, so why are you so sad?"

"I am doing this for the tribe," I answered, and it was the truth, "but not out of love."

Grandfather smiled, and patted my head.

"You will grow to love him, like he will grow to love you," he whispered happily, as if that would make everything alright. I smiled at him, and got up and gave a curt nod of my head.

After I left that room, I went to where the other wolves were gathering for the festivities. They were all talking loudly amongst eachother and laughing. Scanning my eyes, I saw that Kouga had yet to join them. Taking a deep breath, I went forth.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha, the characters, Japan, or so on. You should all know this, though. I mean, seriously.

AN: I'd like to know about demon marriage rituals. I understand about the mating process, but I really haven't heard anything on how they conjoin for marriage. I'd figure it was nothing, but I've read a few stories where they add in their own marriage thing…

I really just want to have a festivity sort of thing, a party, the mating, and then the next day the legal contraction. And then, of course, Ayame runs away bladda, bladda.

Oh, while the next chapter will contain a lemon, I'll put warnings all over it so you know. It'll just be in that chapter, and only in the "warning signs". This is so I don't have to change the whole entire fanfiction's rating because of one little scene.

I understand some of you may go "Well what if little kids read it?" they have just as much access to my next chapter as they do to any other lemony fictions on any site anywhere, including this site.

Also, thanks for the reviews. (: They mean a lot when it comes to adding new chapters.

–nods-