AN: Happy International Dog Day! Here's some Inu as a dog for the event! A lovely and highly anticipated update to Running with Dogs!! Enjoy!!

Chapter Eight

"A man might befriend a wolf, even break a wolf, but no man could truly tame a wolf."

― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Kagome: Age twenty-five (the next morning)

It had been hours since Inuyasha 'walked' out with Sesshomaru's men. Her eyes felt like paper from crying all night instead of sleeping. How was she supposed to sleep?! She had just mated with the Beta, the one person she was never supposed to touch, let alone mate with.

And GOD had she touched him.

Was that what mating was like, or was it what real sex was? The kind of mind-altering and soul-melting lovemaking Kagome had been craving with the person she'd been craving it with? Inuyasha and Kagome had sex before, and it was always amazing, but it lacked the level of intimacy she'd gotten with mating. Intimacy that walked out the door minutes after completing the deed. Kagome was sure, mated or not; she would ache as she did currently at the loss of Inuyasha.

Kagome had imagined that mating would be the end of all her struggling. That, whoever she mated with, would love her and hold her long after they connected fully. And although her mind only ever imagined Inuyasha as her mate (an impossible feat, but her heart wanted it and refused to listen), Kagome felt a loss. All her dreams of mating were dashed in a single evening. It wasn't supposed to be like this; it was supposed to be magical.

Her childhood mentality towards mating was forced into the light of adulthood, and it hurt.

Add in her fear of what was being done to her mate, and Kagome was a mess. Her clothes were where Inuyasha left them, and she couldn't find the strength to put on new ones. Instead, she had the sheets off her bed wrapped around her. They didn't smell like Inuyasha like they should. They smelled like her. Because in their heated rush, they didn't use her bed. Inuyasha had mated with her on the damn floor. It was hard to feel mad about that with other things pressing and Inuyasha breaking the rules to be with her.

In the end, Inuyasha had chosen her. He had gone against his alpha and pack to be with Kagome. It had her questioning everything he had said and done in the past two weeks. The fight he had with Koga? Before Koga had even asked her to be his mate? Was that all due to Koga being the one to train her? And what he said when he broke up with her? How he had ghosted her beforehand, was all that because he feared the moment they had hours ago?

Kagome wanted to tell herself that Inuyasha wanted her so bad he couldn't help himself, but with the last two weeks pressing on her belly and spine, it was a hard pill to swallow.

Was it that Inuyasha loved her, or was it as simple as him unwilling to share? How much of their mating was out of jealousy and lacking any real feeling towards Kagome?

She wouldn't know until he returned…if he returned. Would they kill a Beta for mating against his orders? And would they toss Kagome out for ruining everything? Shit, she probably killed the entire pack with her selfishness, mating with Inuyasha and ending any alliance they could have with another pack. If what Sesshomaru said was true, Naraku would kill this pack without blinking.

Kagome struggled to breathe as another wave of sobs hit, falling on the edge of the bed -barely- instead of the floor. She nearly had herself under control again, still sniffling and shaking but no longer bailing, when the door opened. Her eyes went to it instantly, the sight of Inuyasha's smiling face only sending her into another fit. She made out the fading of his smile before her tears blurred his image too much. He was on his knees before her a breath later, stroking her thighs affectionately.

"I told you to get some rest."

Kagome snorted, a combination of her stuffed nose and raging agitation, "who the fuck could sleep?"

Inuyasha chuckled but cut it short when Kagome shot daggers at him. "I'm sorry." He looked around the floor in silence that was short-lived. "You didn't even dress? That eager to see me again, Mate?"

When Kagome sobbed loudly at the term, Inuyasha hopped on the bed and wrapped an arm around. "The last thing I want to do is sleep with you, ever again!"

"Never say never…."

"I'm serious!" Kagome screamed, pushing away from him and pacing before him. "All it has ever done is cause trouble for me!"

"That's not fair! You think it hasn't caused me trouble too?!"

"Exactly! And now, the pack is going to die because of us."

Inuyasha's face screwed into a frown of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Kagome stopped, looking down at the man that drove her insane. "Sesshomaru told me about Naraku and the Shikon Jewel. How this pack won't survive on its own if at war with Naraku's. And how you're mating to the other pack is essential to our survival."

"Any pack would be," Inuyasha added, "as long as he has that relic. He can take down any pack no matter how strong."

"That's why we need to join with another pack!"

"I agree."

Inuyasha was smiling up at her with a twinkle in his eyes. It made her nervous. "Inuyasha…what did you do?"

He shrugged and fell back to the bed, hands behind his head. "I took care of things. Like a Beta should."

"I thought that was the Alpha's job?"

Inuyasha smirked again and pulled a hand out to offer Kagome. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Hesitating for a moment, Kagome took the offer, and Inuyasha used his grip on her to yank Kagome on top of him. It was a very intimate position with only a sheet wrapped around her, but it was far from sexual. Inuyasha ran his hands up and down her back, comforting Kagome as no one else could. If it weren't for the many questions buzzing in her brain, Kagome would have fallen into a profound sleep.

"Did you…refute our mating?" Inuyasha responded with a growl. "Okay, but I was under the impression that our mating was the end of the world? Even you made it seem that way."

"That's because Sess is small-minded, and I'm…not a people person."

"Yash, just tell me what happened, dammit!"

He laughed, bouncing her on top of him, and he rolled. It resulted in her laying on her side instead of on top. They faced each other this way, Inuyasha propping his head upon a muscled arm.

"Sess forced me to face my fiance and tell her what I'd done. Beg for forgiveness and all that bullshit. I was sorry that I hurt her but not that I mated with you, Kagome." He took a moment to run a hand through her messy hair tenderly. "You're the one I'm supposed to be with; I could feel it in my blood. And once I told Kikyo that…she understood. Of course, her father was another story," Inuyasha chuckled like it was a good thing, "but then Kikyo started in on him and how she never wanted to mate with me either."

"What?' Kagome couldn't stop herself from interrupting. She had thought Kikyo wanted Inuyasha as much as she did. Why else would Kikyo agree to mate with Inuyasha?

"Turns out, she's in love with a human. Someone named Suikotsu? Anyway, she threatened to run away with the guy, and the conversation turned quickly."

Kagome's heart was doing something funny in her chest, and it caught Inuyasha's attention. His clawed hand covered it as if to hold it inside her. "What about the alliance?"

"Ah," Inuyasha said with a proud smile, "well since both parties involved never wanted to be together in the first place, we came to a new agreement. Preservation of the bloodline, we'll all come together to fight against Naraku. Sess and I will be going from pack to pack to urge them to join. I won't hesitate to help anyone even if they refuse to join us, but it would help to get to them in time if we all had an understanding."

"So," Kagome was breathless, and it showed, "the entire wolf bloodline is going to join together?"

"Pretty impressive, ain't it? Proud of your mate yet?"

Kagome was more than proud; she was relieved so much that she fell onto her back with a sob-filled huff. Inuyasha rolled over to hover, but by then, she had her face in her hands. "I was…so worried…for weeks now. No…longer…I never thought…."

She spoke through hiccups, and soon, Inuyasha pulled her hands away, looking down at her with a face she had never understood. He ran his hand through her hair again, stopping to cup her cheek and brush a few tears off her face. "You are so…beautiful."

Kagome huffed a laugh, the embarrassing kind, with snot and tears mixed in. But Inuyasha didn't care, falling to kiss her. Using the hand on her face, he held her still to his affections, kneading her mouth with his. Until he had enough sweetness, pushing his tongue inside her mouth. A few seconds later, Kagome had her arms and legs wrapped around him; Inuyasha grounded into her. Heartbeats of dry humping, and Inuyasha sat back to rip the sheet off her body. He laid back over her, and Kagome couldn't stop herself from grabbing onto him hungrily.

It wasn't pretty. Not Kagome's snot-filled nose and tear-stained cheeks. And especially not her desperately clinging to her mate. But she couldn't help it, not that snot, tears, and not the firey need inside her. Kagome needed her mate, needed him to put the fire out now.

Inuyasha pulled away again, and Kagome barely let him go, her arms and lips stretching out to him. He pulled his shirt up, and her hands searched his muscled abs frantically. She didn't stop until she reached his chest, pressing a hand over his heart to feel it beat wildly. He leaned back over her, putting them at an angle that he deepened by grabbing her thighs and putting her heat against his hard crotch, still covered by his pants. Kagome hung from him with her arms around his neck, swinging side to side to rub against Inuyasha.

When he put a knee on the bed, putting his weight on it instead of his hands, he swiftly removed the last piece separating them. Inuyasha grabbed her thighs again, pulling her against him, this time to put them together fully. He moaned loudly against her mouth, never parting lips while Inuyasha finally nestled himself inside Kagome.

It was a move they'd done a few times in the past. So Kagome felt like a pro when Inuyasha stood, taking her with him and bouncing her in his hands and on his cock. She lifted her head back for a few moments, her heat billowing out and catching her spine on fire. Inuyasha marked her neck with his spit before giving her many love bites. A few breaking her skin that he lapped away the blood in seconds.

Kagome pulled her head back, pressing her mouth to Inuyasha's and taking over the work, grinding her clit into his belly. Their tongues lapped messily at each other's, panting into each other's mouths. But from the beginning, nothing about them was clean and organized. Nothing was ever planned between them; it all just happened.

Inuyasha dropped them back to the bed, thrusting deeper into Kagome and making her cry out. This time, when her head went back, Inuyasha nuzzled her skin. His nose was brushing her earlobe when she began to come. Spiraling hard and fast, Kagome tumbled, and Inuyasha caught her. He had his arms under her, holding her tightly to him and his lunging pelvis. It had his tip punching her womb and rubbing her g-spot.

They didn't bother being quiet; no one would hear them. And even if they did, Kagome and Inuyasha weren't hiding, not anymore. It was this realization that had Kagome screaming her lungs out in happy pleasure—then looking up at her mate above her as he came. Inuyasha stared back at her, only stopping for a moment when he released his load inside her. And again when he kissed her.

He was still on top, and inside her when he started licking the bite mark on her shoulder he had given her earlier. It was still sore, but his tongue made it feel better somehow. So, she grabbed the wrist she bit and did the same.

With his lips against her skin, Inuyasha spoke to Kagome softly. "I love you, Kagome. More than anything."

"I love you too."

They were silent after that, spending the rest of the morning wrapped in the sheets and each other as the sun rose and peaked. Kagome had dozed off a few times but awoke quickly and in a panic until she found Inuyasha under her cheek every time. Inuyasha caught on, brushing his hand down her back to calm her. "I'm not going anywhere, Kagome. Never again, you'll always wake up and find me here."

She knew that deep down inside, but Kagome couldn't shake the laws instilled in her. "Sesshomaru could order you to leave me."

"No, he can't." Kagome knew that too, but decades of fear were hard to shake; especially, when it had been less than twenty-four hours since she had everything to fear. It had Inuyasha taking his hand from her back and running it under her chin, pressing it up to look at him. "even if we weren't mates, he can't do that."

"He could order you to go far away out of spite?"

"Nah, that would affect my livelihood greatly," Inuyasha grinned as his eyes danced down Kagome's body.

"He could order me to go too. I'm part of the pack now, so I have to follow his orders."

"I told you, Mei, he ain't our alpha."

She sat up at that, looking down at Inuyasha in all seriousness. "What does that mean?"

"I'm sure my mother told you about Sess and my…situation?" Kagome nodded, and Inuyasha began drawing shapes into her arm. "I could be alpha instead of Sess. But since I took the Beta position, it creates a bit of a…loophole for me. And since you're my mate, I'm our alpha, not Sess."

Inuyasha took his eyes from his 'artwork' when he told Kagome he was her alpha, not Sess. She didn't need their mate to know the idea turned him on. However, it left her with more questions. "Why didn't you become the alpha if you're the next in line? Doesn't that weaken the pack somehow?"

"It does, but I didn't want to be alpha."

Kagome huffed, "I didn't think it worked like that?"

"It doesn't. Like I said, loophole." Inuyasha hooked Kagome's elbow and tried to pull her down. He wanted to go again. "Sesshomaru's weird blood allowed me to have the choice, and I chose not to be the alpha. End of story."

Kagome slipped from Inuyasha's grip, and he growled in horny irritation. "Every time you say, "End of story", it always means there's more you're not telling me. You expect me to believe you never wanted to be alpha? Not even if it kept you from being under your brother's thumb?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked towards the window instead of her. "Alright, Mate. The truth is, I was going to be alpha. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps more than anything, and Sess was thrilled to be the Beta. But then…" He stopped, and Kagome knew not to press that he would tell her if she was patient. "Then I met you," Inuyasha said suddenly, snapping his eyes back to her to watch her reaction, "and I didn't want anything else in this world more than you. So, I gave up my training to see you every day, to be a scout instead. The alpha doesn't have nearly as much freedom, and he definitely doesn't get to have a girlfriend, secret or not."

Kagome had to tear away from Inuyasha's stare, looking at his chest as his heart jumped inside it. "You…gave it up for me?"

"Yes." He answered instantly. "And I would take it away from Sess for you too."

Kagome shook her head, still looking at Inuyasha's chest. "I'd never ask you to…."

"It's not about that; it's about me wanting this mate more than breathing—more than my pack. You're…you're my pack, Kagome."

Keeping her eyes lowered, Kagome slowly jumped on Inuyasha, straddling him. She still couldn't look him in the eyes, her face on fire with his words and admissions—her face and her vagina. "A pack of two…would never survive."

"Then we'd better grow our family, right?"

Inuyasha hopped up, wrapping his arms and lips around her, and Kagome got to work on growing their pack.

oOo

Kagome: Age twenty-six

She refused to go. No one could make her! It was a sick joke that Kagome refused to be a part of! But then, Izayoi poked her head into Kagome's room. "Kagome…it's time."

"I'm not going! I don't need this!"

Izayoi stepped all the way in and closed the door. "You may not, but the pack does. And I need it."

Kagome was being selfish, slowly rising from her camp on what was hers and Inuyasha's bed to dress. Black, everything black, and it fit her soul perfectly. Kagome wanted nothing to do with the so-called funeral. They were burying an empty box because Inuyasha wasn't dead. The many weeping pack members around the hole in the ground said otherwise, but Kagome knew it in her soul. Of course, it didn't stop her from crying with them, but she blamed that on pregnancy hormones.

Others held their mates and children tight. All this was doing was showing Kagome how unfair all this was. They had finally gotten to be together. She and Inuyasha were together, and they were going to have a family together. Everything was getting on track; they were where they were supposed to be. Then, Inuyasha goes on a mission planned by Koga, and he's the one that doesn't come back?

It was a stupid recon mission! No one was supposed to get hurt. All they were going to do was see if rumors were true if Narkau's pack was gathering in the west end of the city. If Kagome weren't pregnant and benched, she would have gone with them. Hell, she fought tooth and nail to go, but Inuyasha was firm about it. She regretted withholding sex from him the two days before he left. If she could turn back time, Kagome would have made love to him endlessly until he left. No, she wouldn't have let him go. She would have told him to stay with her, to guard her and the baby. To keep his family and future safe.

Why hadn't she asked him to stay? Tried to keep him home? He might have caved if she begged. Kagome didn't want to do that to him or the pack; she didn't want to take any more strength than she already had from them. That said, she regretted it now. And all the tears and beating hearts didn't change that for her.

It came to the part where you toss dirt onto the box. Kagome was supposed to go first as his mate, but she refused to move. Izayoi threw her handful then froze. Everyone was turning towards the house; even those with the smallest blood percentage could hear it.

Someone was tearing up the compound.

Those who could shifted and took off towards the sounds, Izayoi grabbed Kagome and held her tight, the children and wives circling as well. Kagome slowly pulled away from her mother-in-law and the group, standing at the front, trying to see what was happening. The distance of the cemetery from the house made it difficult even with her heightened sight. All she could make out was the color of furs as they rolled around inside.

Soon, a few wolves sprinted out of the house. None from the pack, and Izayoi and Kagome tensed. It was going to come down to a choice for her; Kagome could save her pack or save her baby because the only way to save those around Kagome was to shift, which would kill the child inside her.

As selfish as it was, Kagome just couldn't bear to do it. Forget that it was the only thing that remained of her mate; it was her baby.

It didn't seem to matter; the wolves racing towards them with malice would kill them all. Kagome was doomed either way. The most she could do was push the children into the grave and stand between the beasts and them. Izayoi stood at her side in support. They would die together.

At least if Inuyasha were dead, Kagome would be joining him soon, closing her eyes to her painful death. The snarls she heard didn't make her open her eyes; it was the sound of ripping flesh instead. Kagome suspected a pack member had come to their rescue, and she was right. But it still made her breath catch to see it, bright white fur flashing as it rolled with another dark-colored wolf. Sesshomaru had rounded back and come to save them.

That's what Kagome thought. It was what they all thought. But as the big white wolf tossed the dark brown wolf off into a heap, Kagome knew they'd all been wrong. It was why she released a sob that was ladled with all the pain and stress she'd felt the last four days.

The white wolf wasn't Sesshomaru; it was Inuyasha.

She didn't even think, taking off in a full sprint to Inuyasha. Nothing would stop her, not even the screams from Izayoi and Sesshomaru to stop.

He didn't shift; he stayed in his wolf form, which tipped her off that something wrong. But Kagome shook it off, not stopping until she fell at his paws. Wrapping her arms around him, she rubbed her face deep into his fur. "Inuyasha…" She choked, and the wolf shifted its weight. "Yash, shift back. I want to hold you!"

He ignored her and started to growl. Slowly -feeling like the weight of the world pressed on her back- Kagome got to her feet and stood face to face with her mate. He lowered his muzzle to show her his eyes, and she gasped at the sight.

Inuyasha's eyes were red.

Not like they were when he was upset or passionate about something. These were the color of dried blood. It was as if he was dead inside, stuck in a rage that his soul couldn't escape.

"Yash…what has he done to you?"

"He did nothing," a voice Kagome wished she could forget answered, "I only freed him of his burden and gave him more power than he ever imagined."

"Inuyasha never wanted power! And he wasn't burdened!" Kagome screamed, never taking her eyes off her mate.

Naraku continued. "He was burdened, riddled with the weight of his pack and his mate to the point of exhaustion."

Now Kagome whipped her head to Naraku, ignoring the weakening in her knees at the sight of him. "I wasn't a burden."

"No, you weren't. Inuyasha loved you very much. Still does, hence his form."

"What are you talking about!' Izayoi screamed behind Kagome.

Naraku laughed, "you don't think he didn't know about your plans? How you never wanted him and Kagome to be together?"

"That's not true," Sesshomaru growled, speaking to Inuyasha, "we may have had misunderstandings on the subject, but you two are mated now…."

"So, you didn't plan to use him for the pack's gain?" Naraku purred.

Sesshomaru turned red in the face. "That was a long time ago."

"A year ago. And it was Inuyasha who forced your hand. So anytime I advance and kill a pack, it's his fault. Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

The white wolf growled in agreement, and Kagome fell to her knees before him. "Yash…I love you. We are having a baby; no one is going to take me from you! But you've allowed Naraku to separate us? Why?" Inuyasha pushed his muzzle against her, but Kagome's emotions were all over, making rage easy to access. "Come back to me. Right now!!'

"He won't sorry."

"I'm not talking to you, bitch!" Kagome spat, her hormones and missing mate making it easy for her to face her fears. "Cut this out, right now or so help me; I'll have this baby without you!"

Inuyasha took a step back and looked worried. But Naraku stepped between Kagome and him, grinning sickly. "Don't you see, I'm making sure that never happens. And with your mate in my pack now, you belong to me, Kagome."

Her eyes flew to Sesshomaru, who was shaking his head at her hard. "What are you…." It hit her like a ton of bricks. "What did you do to him? Is this the Jewel?" It all made sense; it was the only reason Inuyasha was turn to Naraku. Naraku had used the Shikon Jewel on Inuyasha and turned him into his lap puppy. "You did this to Inuyasha all so you could get me? Why?!"

"I know good blood when I see it. Or rather, taste it."

She shuttered at the memory. One too many close calls, but the one Naraku mentioned was the worst. Inuyasha had been sullen for a week, and Kagome hadn't understood until he explained mating to her. And since Naraku had gotten some of her blood, Kagome understood Inuyasha's upset past the scar on her ankle.

"If I come with you, will you release Inuyasha?"

Naraku thought about it but then shook his head. "No, he's a good soldier and insurance that you'll stay."

"Kagome, don't."

What choice did she have? Kagome had to save her mate. "Okay, Naraku. You win."