"Somehow he managed to separate a part of himself and latch onto me. When I wished the jewel away, I didn't know he was there."
"Who is he?" I look up at Kouga's face and meet his eyes
"Naraku." My voice trembles over his name, sounding just as afraid as I feel. I watch as his eyes widen in shock, his head already shaking, unable to believe me. "When I got sent back, I didn't know he was attached. I didn't even make it out of the well house before…" I take a deep breath, swallowing passed the lump in my throat. "Before he manifested himself."
My eyes widened in shock as he slowly took form in front of me. He clearly wasn't at full strength, greatly injured from the battle yesterday, but I knew that didn't mean I'd be able to handle him on my own.
"Hello, Kagome," he sneered my name, as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. My voice froze in my throat, still trying to comprehend what I was seeing. "Surprised to see me?"
"You… you should be dead." I managed to force out. My voice betrayed my surprise, my fear, but held steady enough. I clenched my jaw, forcing down the shudder trying to rip its way up my spine.
"I am more than well aware, but I managed to lock on to a tiny piece of your energy. If it weren't for you, I would have slaughtered you and all of your friends." His eyes narrowed, the threat clear in his voice. I heard Souta yelling to let mom he had made it back from school and felt my heart stop. Naraku noticed, a cruel grin spreading across his lips. "That wouldn't happen to be your family, now would it?" I quickly reached back to grab an arrow from my quiver, only to find it missing. It's still in the feudal era, I remembered, panicked. "Perhaps I should introduce myself," he suggested, turning to face the door.
"Over my dead body!" I grabbed a hold of his arm, summoning as much of my spiritual energy as I could, and managed to sever it from his body. I quickly released the limb, watching in horror as it evaporated before it hit the floor. He glared down at me, grabbing a fistful of my hair with his other hand, and pulled me up to look him in the eyes.
"That can most certainly be arranged, little miko." He gripped my arm, tightly, before shooting out of the roof of the well house, taking off in the direction of Mount Kumotori, where his cave was still somehow intact from his years of hiding. I felt my shoulder dislocate from the jarring take off, but swallowed my scream of pain. He won't have the satisfaction, I promise myself. Once we arrived, he threw me against the wall. I hit my head hard enough that all I could see for several minutes were stars. I didn't have long to recover before he grabbed my head and slammed it, face first, into the floor. "It's your fault I failed," he snarled, "I will take great pleasure in destroying you, slowly, and then taking over this world." His promise was clear, but something clicked in my brain. The longer I can hold out, the longer he'll be stuck here with me, I realised. He won't leave until he's sure I'm broken. And I swore to myself he wouldn't win, I wouldn't let him leave this cave. I would be the sole target of his wrath.
"When he wasn't physically hurting me, he would mess with my head," I explain, unable to stop shaking, despite the warmth radiating from Kouga. "He'd create these… illusions, where he would show up as someone I knew and…" My voice cuts off, unable to admit the extent of the abuse, how damaged I truly was. Kouga had tried to hide his anger, but I can easily feel how tense he is beside me. He knows, the voice in my head says, the one that isn't me but isn't not me either, he knows you're ruined now. I bite my lip, trying to force the voice away, ignoring its words as best I can.
"You've been on Mount Kumotori this whole time?" He asks, voice taught with a barely suppressed rage. I nod my head. "You were here this whole time…" he trails off, lost in his own thoughts for a moment before he looks down at me. "Kagome, how long have you been here?" I shrug weakly against him.
"He kept me in a cave deep in the mountain, it was impossible to keep track of the days without any sunlight. I know I got back in June of 2000." I feel him shift beside me, looking down at me, but I can't meet his gaze.
"2000?" I nod my head again. "He's had you locked up for six years?" My eyes widen in shock as the weight of his words comes crashing down on me. Six years? My family must think I got stuck on the other side of the well, they never even knew to look for me… I feel the tears coming again and try to keep them at bay, but can't. They spill over in rivers down my cheeks. Kouga wraps both of his arms around my shoulders, once again pulling me against him. "I'm so sorry, Kagome. I should have known, I should have…" I feel his head shake on top of mine. "I promise you, I'm gonna kill that bastard. He's never gonna touch you again." My eyes widen in fear as a thought suddenly comes to me and I push against Kouga, trying to put as much distance as possible between us.
"Oh god, y-you're, you're real, I, I have to get out of here." I make a quick dash for the door, panicked, only for Kouga to jump in front of me, concern shining through his eyes.
"You're not going anywhere."
"No, you don't understand, you're real!" I yell, trying to get around him, but he counters my every move. "You have to let me leave!" He grabs my shoulders, forcing me to a stop.
"Nobody's going anywhere." He gently tips my head upwards until our eyes lock. I take in a deep, shaky breath, shaking my head.
"He's going to find me… and when he does, he'll find you. I can't…" My eyes squeeze shut against the onslaught of images depicting exactly what Naraku would do to Kouga. What he had tried to make me think he'd already done. Gently, Kouga pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms tightly around my shoulders. He cradles my head in his hand, whispering soothing words in my ear.
"Kagome, I swear, you're safe here. I've got so much security I'm not even sure how you managed to get in." At his words, I remember the strange shift in energy that led me to his house, the sudden warmth upon crossing an invisible barrier. "Only pack knows where I am. To the outside world, this place doesn't exist." He gently places a hand on my cheek, drawing my eyes up to meet his once more. "He can't find you here." A few minutes pass in silence as I consider his words. The energy had been incredibly pure, I can't imagine how someone like Naraku would be able to get in.
"But, my family," my voice cracks as fear leaks in.
"I'll send a few of my men to keep surveillance. Worst-case scenario, some of them joined the police force and have the power to relocate them. I'll take care of it." Slowly, I nod my head. "It's late, we should get you to bed," he suggests. I nod my head again and start making my way to the couch. "Uh uh, you're not sleeping out here." He drapes his arm around my shoulders again and gently leads me down the hallway with the bathroom. At the end of the hall, he opens the door to a bedroom.
"I didn't think this was big enough to have a guest room," I muse, admiring the simple, but cozy, decor. No pictures on the walls or dresser though, I notice, eyebrows furrowed.
"It's not. This is my room," I turn around to face him, shock plainly written on my face. "Don't worry, I'll just be on the couch in the living room. You so much as whisper and I'll come running." I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest.
"I'm not taking your bed." He arches an eyebrow, leaning on the doorframe.
"Well, you're not sleeping on the couch. Even if you weren't a flight risk," I wince at the term but know he's right. I would have booked it the second I thought I had a chance. "You've been through a lot. You need a proper bed to heal." At my expression, he sighs heavily. "I'll be fine on the couch. You sat on it, it's comfier than it looks," he jokes, that trademark smirk that I haven't seen in years on his face. I almost smile back. "What is it?" I bite my lip, staring at the floor. I can feel the fight leaving me as exhaustion starts to take over. The idea of sleeping in a new place, after everything…
"I don't want to be alone," I admit. My voice is barely a whisper, but I know he hears me. He disappears down the hallway before quickly returning and steps into the room, pulling an armchair out of the corner.
"Then you won't be." I look up at him, somehow even more surprised. "I'll stay right here, all night."
"Kouga…" He smiles down at me, his aura radiating his concern.
"It's not a problem. I don't really sleep much anyway. Now come on, let's get you in bed." After a moment, I nod my head and follow him to the bed where he's already pulled down the covers. Once he's sure I'm settled, he takes his seat, just a few feet away. "Remember, I'm right here if you need anything." I nod my head, snuggling into the blanket and pillows, trying not to moan at the feel of a soft mattress and proper bedding.
"Thank you. For everything," I whisper, already half asleep. The last thing I hear before the exhaustion takes over is his quiet,
"Good night, Kagome."