A/N: First off, thank you to everyone for checking out this story. If I'm being honest I'm pretty new to Kouga/Kagome fics but wanted to give it a try. I've always loved the idea of them. So, thank you for giving this such good feedback.

In terms of chapters, I know it's been a bit. Excuse my chaotic life and having to run a brand new Alpha pilot at work. I've been super swamped and incredibly exhausted. Due to that this chapter will probably have some errors and need to be revised a tiny bit once or twice, but everyone has been incredibly patient, so I wanted to post it as soon as possible. Also, there will be some time jumps here in different POVs.

If anyone has questions please let me know in the comments below.


It had been four in the morning when she finally passed out from exhaustion. She wasn't sure if it had been from utilizing her power for the shield or simply praying for the response. Although, if she was being honest with herself, it had more than likely been the latter.

How she had hoped for a response.

When none had come, she had eventually lulled herself to sleep through tears and hiccups.

The fear, dread, and sadness that had surrounded her had been a place she didn't want to be. She knew better than to stay in such an unhealthy state. The thoughts of 'what ifs' and 'what is the point' had grown dangerous, and with it, she had closed her eyes and let herself rest. When early morning had come, and the clock read a far earlier number than she expected, she jolted herself awake instinctively, clutching her phone.

Turning it on, her eyes widened at the message displayed on the phone.


3 Unread Message


Without regard to the fact that she had slept for only a few hours and that it was now only early morning, she clicked on the messages eagerly. Holding her breath in anticipation, she prepared herself for the worst.

Had she gotten the wrong number? Or had the universe granted her reprieve and delivered a message to a wolf prince that she could only hope still survived after five hundred years.

Turning to the message, she read over it in confusion.


Not sure who this is. I think you got the wrong wolf. I can ask our Alpha if you have a name for whom you're looking for. He can help. (He's a romantic at heart.)


For a brief moment, she blinked.

Quickly, scrolling down, she read the second unread message that seemed to be sent only an hour after the first one.


Whoever you are, be careful. Our pack just got an AHOD from the council because of this pandemic. If we happen to meet there, then I can try to help you find your wolf.
I wouldn't wish lost love on my worst enemy.


So many mysteries whirled around in her head. First and foremost, she may not have gotten Koga, but she had managed to reach a wolf? For that, she considered herself lucky. Such a thing meant that her gut instinct had been correct. Their kind had, in fact, survived. Her heart swelled with relief and delight at such a thought.

After all this time, they were safe.

Then had come the second portion of the message. AHOD. Biting her lip, she tried to run through her knowledge of acronyms for both the present and the past. When none came, she debated on how to best decrypt such a message.

And council?

Now, she was worried.

She had obviously reached a wolf demon. More than likely not Koga, unless he had forgotten about her. Or his feelings for her from so long ago.

Or their words.

Unable to accept such a thing, she continued her thoughts. If Koga was still around, that meant that, more than likely, this would be his pack. Or a pack he resided in. Wouldn't it? While five hundred years had passed, she couldn't imagine Koga ever giving up his alpha title.

He had been perfect for such a role. His leadership had come natural, his protectiveness well deserved, and his power? The position had been made for him.

But now, the pandemic and council? That alone didn't sit well with her. Opening Google, she typed in the abbreviation. Scrolling through the possibilities, the first made the most sense.

All Hands on Deck.

Unable to control her hitched breathing, she tried to not panic further. But, reviewing the description of such an acronym did nothing to ease her worry.

Of, relating to, or being a situation in which every available person is needed or called to assist an all-hands-on-deck effort.

If the entire pack was being called for such a thing, wouldn't that mean something had happened? In addition, it had presented her with far more information than she had expected. For one, if demons had a council or a form of organization, would that not mean that their kind had survived and found a way to hide and integrate into society.

Yet now, they were being called on to come together?

For what reason? Had something happened? something new? With the virus?

Finally, unable to control herself, she scrolled to the last message.


I don't know if you belong to a pack or if you're not a wolf, but since you know about our pack that means you are also ours to protect. Whomever you are looking for would want you protected. If you have not received it yet, here are the coordinates for the AHOD. If you don't have a pack to gain entry, show them this text.


The message should have shocked her.

Or even given hope.

But instead, it was the bottom of the text that brought out every single emotion she had been holding back.


I, Ginta Matsuura, temporarily allow pack entrance to said user.


Unable to believe the turn of events, she hastily clicked on the location. Zooming in on Google Maps, her eyes narrowed. The event was only a twenty-minute walk from their shrine and right next to another shrine. How was such a thing possible? That the people she had been looking for were right under her nose?

Or, more importantly, currently at a shrine or Tokyo, of all places. Not only that, someone from her past had literally been thrown back into her life. As if such a thing was nothing short out of the ordinary.

Yet, like always, it seemed that the universe had not given her such a thing without price. Whatever or wherever Ginta was, she somehow knew she had to help.

Even now, she could not stop the unease that she felt.

Sure, it was the future, and things had changed. But, an all hands on deck at a shrine?

No, something was off.

More importantly, for once in her life, she knew she would be a valuable asset. No matter what was happening, she could provide some sort of assistance. After all, hadn't she held a barrier of an entire shrine for months from a raging pandemic? Hadn't she protected her whole family? Had she not helped defeat Naraku? If they were in danger, then she had to go.

Even if there had been no danger, she would have gone.

In a heartbeat.

Because despite everything, she had missed them as if they were her own family. Grabbing a hoodie and jeans, she threw them on in a rush. Scribbling a quick note to her family on her desk, she silently hoped they would understand her disappearance.


Ginta, reluctantly, admitted that he had been an idiot.

He had received a phone call and asked no questions. Although to be fair, Koga had left abruptly for a meeting of the Houses without much information. All that had been provided for the pack was the following;

"Something happened. I will be back. Protect the pack until I return."

And just like that, Ginta had been left in charge.

Everyone had known what such an announcement meant.

A meeting of Alphas.

A meeting of Lords.

Something had happened with the pandemic, and despite everything that had recently occurred, Koga knew what was expected of him. With no further words, the pack had nodded and watched their Alpha depart.

Hours had passed, and with it, the entire pack had been on edge. The last few days of playfulness and comradery had now turned into something much different.

Fear and anticipation.

All thoughts of finding a priestess from the past had vanished.

All hopes for their Alpha to be happy had even taken a backseat.

For now, they were on alert.

If all Alphas and leaders were being called together, that meant either information had been found out. Or something grave had happened. Either way, no one knew what to expect. For hours, they had sat waiting for news. When none came, many had assumed the worst. What if, this pandemic was going to last longer? Or, had the leaders found the cause of such a thing? Had it been specific to eradicate their kind?

A million questions buzzed throughout the pack.

Then, late into the night, his phone had gone off, and with it, an AHOD had come. Having their Alpha gone and him in charge, he hadn't questioned it. In fact, if nothing else, it had made sense.
Why wouldn't there be an AHOD if all leaders had been called together? In times of war, this had been the usual occurrence. Leadership met first, then brought everyone else in on what would happen next. This was not so different. It was a perilous time, and demons were dying from the plague, so he hadn't been surprised at such a request. With no hesitation or thought of informing his Alpha, he had relayed to the pack of was occurring.

At two in the morning, the pack had wasted no time and were on their way to the designated location provided to them. With it, a random text had come through.

Ginta had quickly glanced at it, expecting a message from his Alpha, but instead, the number was not one he recognized.


'You once said I deserve better. That I deserve the world. But what I've always regretted not asking is if I deserve you.'


Narrowing his eyes, he briefly wondered if one of the wolves was trolling him. But, given the current atmosphere of the pack and seeing them all near him, he knew such was not the case.

For now, he had no time for odd texts or late-night drama. Slipping the phone back in his pocket, he turned to the pack and gave the nod. With it, they continued towards their destination.

Two hours had passed, and with it, their arrival grew closer.

The location for their AHOD was a shrine.

Confusion plagued him.

Never before had there been an AHOD at a holy place. Not only that, the Demon council had not been on good graces with the Holy council since...well, five hundred years ago. Such a time had been the last occurrence of a pact between demons and priests and priestesses.

In fact, she had been the last of such an alliance.

Then, as if to take away his mind from such thoughts, his phone vibrated with another notification.


'I think, back then, you brought up feelings that I was not ready to handle. You were ever the patient wolf. If you let me, I'd like to try once more. I think I'm ready now.'


Staring at the phone even more baffled, he silently cursed the device. What wolf had brought this drama upon him? It was four in the morning, and whoever this person was, they were persistent about lost love.

Not only that, they knew them.

A patient wolf.

Just the description alone let him know that the user had the wrong wolf. He had never been described as such a thing.

Koga? Sure.

Him? Never.

Allowing himself a moment to pause, he typed a message back to the user. If she knew of their pack, it had more than likely meant she was searching for someone they knew.
If that was the case, the least he could do was offer assistance. He had seen the troubles and hurt that had been caused by lost love. If nothing else, he wanted to avoid another wolf being heartbroken. His Alpha had shown them how devastating such a thing could be. With a message typed up, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

The Shrine.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Kara, who now stood beside him, asked in a wary tone.

"It has to be. I feel others coming," Hakkaku spoke up as he finally caught up with the group. Having ensured no one was left behind, he had stayed at the end of the trail of wolves.

Nodding in agreement, Ginta rose his nose in the air and confirmed such a thing. Sure enough, he smelled all breeds and ages coming. Maybe, just maybe, he was being paranoid. Even now, he could recall how many times AHOD occurred in such a manner. Still, the location of such a meeting left him uneasy. As more and more packs, species, and tribes approached the shrine in confusion, they all exchanged a bewildered glance at one another.

"Who ordered this meeting?"

A strong voice spoke out from the now-forming crowd.

Sniffing, he glanced at what appeared to be a fox leader. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pulled up the text that requested the meeting and raised it for the black-haired fox male to see.

Just like him, the leader seemed to first be hesitant and then wary.

"It's a shrine. This can't be right." He announced once more to the crowd, and with it, a murmur of agreement came.

Then, as if explaining everyone's dread and hesitation, the shrine doors opened. Before everyone now stood a middle-aged priest with a victorious smirk plastered on his face. Next to him was a younger man in casual clothes.

Yet, that hadn't been what had made Ginta realize something was off.

One sniff of the priest and all those around him had known it was a trap.

After all, the priest reeked of infection.

A smell they knew all too well.

The last thing he heard before his world spun from the thought of leading the pack to their death was the elderly priest speaking a name.

"See how easy that was, Souta?"

It had only taken seconds for everyone there to realize what had occurred. Yet, it was seconds too late. Almost instantly, he smelled the infection grow in the air around them. It was almost as if being willed by the priest and nausea and dizziness that followed.

"Only a holy being can save you now, demons."

The words resonated throughout Ginta's mind as if he was surrounded by fog.

A holy being?

A holy being.

Holy fuck.

And quickly, everything clicked in place. The message he received today. What it meant. More importantly, who it could possibly be from.

Without trying to give away anything, he typed up a message on the phone that resided in his pocket. With the last of his energy he clicked the button that he knew would send the message. With enough luck, no one would notice. Without anyone the wiser, he hoped the user on the other end was whom he needed.

After all, their lives depended on it.


"If you or Koga get badly wounded-just do this."

The young priestess gave off a confused look, and the young wolf barked a small laugh while showing her how to carve out a simple symbol in mid-air.

"Don't worry, sis, it's...how we demons ask for assistance. Think of it this way, every alliance and friendship you've ever had can be beneficial. This mark tells others what pack is requesting assistance in a life or death situation."

But it hadn't made sense. She wasn't a demon. It appeared that the wolf could hear her thoughts as he nodded knowingly.

"It's complicated, but...trust me? Look, you know that both of you are important to me. Yeah?"

It was rare to hear so many words from the wolf. Due to such an oddity, the priestess had listened eagerly and full of questions. Reminding herself that war was coming, she had allowed the wolf his secrets.

After all, he was simply trying to protect Koga and her. That had been for the reason for his last minute meeting before the battle.

Even now, she could see the nervousness etched on his face.

The fear of the upcoming battle had left everyone scrambling to make preparations for any and all outcomes. Because of that, before the Battle of Naraku, Kagome Higurashi had agreed to Ginta's secret plea if the battle turned for the worst regarding Koga or herself.

Never had she imaged she would need to use it five hundred years later.


She had been on her way out ready to leave. The location had been planted and pulled up in her phone, and she opened her bedroom door eagerly only to be interrupted by a quiet voice.

A voice that seemed to be intent on no one hearing.

"Have you ever had regrets?"

Regrets?

Kagome tried not to become too nosey at such an inquiry but failed miserably. Turning her head towards the direction of her brother's room, she listened.

Why was he on the phone so early?

So urgently?

What kind of regrets could her brother possibly have? More importantly, why was he being so quiet on the phone with such a conversation?

"Yeah, me too." He muttered into the phone with an exhausted sigh.

What the…?

"Still, I try to tell them. Tell them it's a hoax. Tell them to not focus on it. I try to redirect them."

The pandemic?

Her little brother was going on about the pandemic in his secretive conversation?

"I mean, I know what we're taught but what if they're wrong? What if everything we've been learning is a lie? What if…demons aren't the enemy we're told they are?"

Wait.

What?

Heart pounding out of her chest and her breath hitched, she listened on.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But just think, we've been told this since we went into the training based on our descendent. Since we were six. What if we were exposed and indoctrinated with lies?"

And just like that, her world fell apart, all the while trying to understand her brother's words.

Training?

Ancestors?

Demons?

Quickly, she tried to quiet her suspicious and assumptions. Yet, the evidence was there, was it not? More importantly, she tried to think back on his words.

Six?

Six years old?

What training could he possibly have? Hell, the only thing he had been committed to since the age of sick was soccer. But what if…soccer was actually something else?
Again, she let her brain try to formulate coherent thoughts and draw to a reasonable conclusion. If he mentioned demons and ancestors, that left very little for misinterpretation.

She tried to think.

She tried to reason.

If Souta had started anything so early as the age of six, that explained a few things. For one, she hadn't traveled yet. For two, demons had not been actually real for her family. In fact, no one had even known that she had powers.

But then, at the age of six, what had he gotten mixed up in?


She had watched Souta leave the house with far more alertness than was usual for her little brother. Even still, she had sat and taken shallow breaths to prepare herself for her trip to the location on the phone. She had not known how long she had sat there trying to understand what had just occurred.

Had it been merely a few minutes?

Or hours?

She had no idea. For now though, her brother and whatever he was mixed up with could wait.

With enough mental preparation to take on the world, she had opened the door, fully ready to grab her bike and head for the location.

Except, her body stumbled and froze up as if danger was in every area. Without any preparation on what was to come, she felt her body all but refuse her basic commands. Unable to think or even notice the notification on her phone, she gasped at the sudden intense burning in her chest. Then, almost as if a dream or memory, she heard the words repeat over and over in her head.

"If anything happens, sis, just do this."

And just like that, memories from forever ago surfaced.

"If you or Koga gets hurt, don't hesitate-ask for aid. It's what a pack is for."

Even now, after hundreds of years, the directions from a certain wolf still confused her.

But somehow, she knew exactly what to do.

Somehow, she knew they were in trouble.

Her family.

Her companions.

Her pack.

And just like that, Kagome Higurashi fought her own body as she etched a symbol with her nails digging into her wrist. Ignoring the pain and the defiance of her own limbs, she continued as she recalled the memories of the symbol that she knew would now save her friends.

A symbol that had been taught to her from so long ago in secret.

Without understanding the consequences or what was happening, Kagome Higurashi summoned five hundred years' worth of friendships to protect those in danger. Unknown to her, a pulse of power went throughout the country with a simple request.

The House of Midoriko requests assistance and will provide protection.

Please answer, House of Foxes.

Come quickly, House of Cats.

Please assist, House of Dogs.

Fly with haste, House of Bats.

Please aid, House of Wind.

Bring help, House of Imps.

Ride like the wind, House of Horses.

Without hesitation, each and every house answered without delay.