Naraku laughed as he ran his tentacles through her wolves. "Well, isn't that precious? They're trying to protect you." Naraku sneered as he killed two of her white wolves. He inhaled sharply when one wolf bit his tentacle and tore it off.

"I'm tired of playing let's finish this now." His tentacles lunged forward with such great speed that her wolves were thrown into a stonewall.

She ran when her comrades fell. Tears fell down her face like little jewels. She tripped over a tree's root and fell and with a snap, broke her ankle.

She limped from Naraku to warn Koga who was rumored to be in the area. She shrieked when a sticky, black tentacle wrapped around her waist.

" Gotcha! Why don't I have a little fun with you?" he sneered as her vision darkened as his tentacle squeezed her. She blacked out and the last things she saw were her broken friends.

4 weeks later

Naraku sighed as he beat his little toy to a pulp again. He had grown tired of raping her so he started making her his servant. Whenever she didn't do something right or when he was just plain bored, he'd beat her. He had sent Kagura on a mission to get his new slave.

He walked down to the dank and dark dungeon and grabbed his slave's chains. He glanced at her bloody and torn form and stared into her dull emerald eyes.

He laughed valorously as he dragged her out and let out his miasma and took off. He dangled her by her chains and swung her around and around.

His crooked mind gladly used this as a chance to relieve some more anger. He swung her faster and faster but stopped when it got to fast because he needed her alive. His plan to humiliate Koga wouldn't work if she died.

He landed in a clearing and he struck her with his tentacles and cut her. When he had cut her enough he sent out his putrid miasma to alert the local wolves of his presence. He placed one jewel shard in her head. He released his grip on his battered slave and his dark miasma and took off.

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Ginta and Hakuku were wrestling and romping with some of the ookami children until they ran upon the coppery scent of blood. Alot of blood. They followed the scent to a wide clearing. They saw a small red form so with curiosity peaked, they moved closer to examine it.

The white fur of the western wolves stood out against the crimson wounds around it. "It's a lady!" Hakuku exclaimed, "Go get Hideki!"He ordered the young ookami. About ten minutes later, they puffed as they literally carried the older demon.

"PUT ME DOWN!" the healer bellowed. Ginta was screeching a mile a minute as he pointed to the small body. A lager dragged Hideki's bag as he collapsed.

Ginta would have laughed if not for the situation. Hideki wordlessly cleaned and wrapped her wounds.

'Four days and she still hasn't awaken yet.' Hideki lifted her head as he poured broth into her mouth. The wolf pack had found 5 wounded white wolves and 2 dead ones. They assumed that she was the white wolves' mistress.

'Maybe Koga knows her.' The healer brooded as he did his natural routine and washed her fevered forehead. The white wolves sat at the end of her bed of leaves and kept watch.

Atsuki helped her father by making the soup for the injured onna. Hideki always liked it when she helped him pick out herbs when his vision started failing him.

Her cerulean eyes were filled with worry for her father and his patient. 'What if his sight fails him and he administers the wrong herb?' She always tried to push the thought away. The nightly wind chilled her tanned skin as moved closer to the fire. The onna was warm with her wolves around her, but Atsuki wouldn't get her wolves until she came of age.

A roar came from outside of the den as Koga whacked Ginta and Hakuku. "WHY do I smell NARAKU here?"

She heard the onna's breath pick up as she roused. A feeble moan exited her mouth as her lifeless eyes opened.

Koga followed the scent until he came to the sick and wounded side of the den. "Why is his putrid stench in my clan's den?"

Koga scanned the den until a white, furry bundle lay off to the side. 'Is that Naraku in his baboon skin or one of his minions ?' He boiled about this thought until he sniffed the air. 'Lilacs.'

He rushed over to the prone figure. The coppery hair...the tanned skin...the lilac scent. There was only one thing missing...the bright emerald eyes. He looked up to her face and his eyes widened in shock, as the once vivid eyes were now dull, duller than the rocks that covered the den.

"Ayame?" Koga choked out. He had given up on Kagome when she told him straight up that she didn't return the same feelings for him as he did for her. Her blank eyes began to brighten over the next two weeks while she healed. She would talk to her wolves who would scare off anyone who she didn't' feel like talking to.Koga spent more and more time with her listening to her beautiful laughter. He and Ayame kept their affair secret.

The fall equinox was coming and all the wolf clans were preparing to meet at Koga's den. The northern wolves arrived first and their arrogant bastard of a leader, Katashi, was stupid enough to crave Ayame. Soon the rest of their clans arrived and settled down for the lectures of the equinox. They would trade supplies for labor.

Darkness started to consume Ayame over the next week before the equinox and the males started to look at her differently. Until one night, the males left for hunting the darkness stated to eat at her.

She fainted in the middle of the mouth of the cave. Katashi had made his move as his pee-yellow eyes bled with red. Atsuki growled at him to back away from Ayame. Atsuki pulled the unconscious girl further into the cave. Ayame's fevered brow caused Atsuki much worry. Her fever subsided at dawn but Atsuki kept watch in case the fever came back.

In the morning the rest of the males returned and Atsuki reported to Koga the events of the night. His blue eyes were icy as he turned to Katashi and growled. Katashi just stared back innocently. Atsuki ran back to Ayame to give her breakfast but dropped the food as Ayame twisted and convulsed in her sleep. Atsuki attempted to wake her but to no avail. She ran to get water as Ayame fell through a dark abyss. Through the darkness, Ayame felt a presence inside the clearing before the cave.

Fear gripped her soul, and she jumped back into a defensive pose as she sensed a Presence outside of her cave, standing at the mouth of it. She awoke with a gasp. Where are my wolves? Where is my protection?
Why was she seeking them? They set her nerves on edge, they disturbed the peace of her mind, and she didn't want them! She couldn't stand their proximity right now!

What is happening to me?

The white of her eyes glowed with the deepest crimson, and she snarled as that Presence stepped inside, her fingers curling, and the knifepoints of her claws extending in fury at the intrusion.

What is it? Who are you? What do you want?

What was happening to her?

Her scrambling mind caught the icy fire of light blue eyes narrowed on her, the wide expanse of a hard chest revealed by breasted armor, the long length of rippling muscle that flexed and froze under each step of his powerful legs. Strong arms crossed over his chest, and he stood there, tall…arrogant...dominating...male...

Leave me ALONE. She cried with one part of her mind, while another ached to be closer to him...subdued...overcome...

I am AYAME. She spat at that alien thought. IT was the jewel! She would never be subdued by anyone, she would not allow it!

"What is happening to me?" Her eyes were open and staring, wide with fear and anger and the madness of her blood. She had not realized she had whimpered that weak thought aloud, and she growled after it, angry over her weakness. She was not weak...

"Ayame." His voice stirred something in her. She wanted to cling to it, claw away from it, run from and run to...

She recognized his voice, and she cut through the madness that would wash away her soul and managed to utter his name in a hoarse whisper of faint sound. "Koga."

That single word of recognition was a thread of sanity she could cling to in a world of sudden chaos. She held tightly to it, and the glow diminished slightly from her eyes. A spark of awareness returned to them, although she could barely keep the consuming frenzy at bay for long.

She must warn him...she must warn the others...her wolves could not die from Naraku's evil plot...she was certain that the dark hanyou was reaching out with long claws to still the life within her with consuming insanity, hoping to use her to wreak havoc on the clan...

"Something is wrong..." Her short, gasping breaths were harsh to her own ears. Her heart fluttered in her chest, which heaved with her desperation. "With me... Naraku..."

The ookami clan leader stiffened at that name, his blue eyes fire and ice.

"I think he is trying to...kill me...consume me...take control...I don't know if...I...can resist..."

Help me...

The fire diminished, and there was a flicker of...pity?...in the deepening blue depths.

"It is not Naraku." He said, his voice deep with odd intonations.

He was wrong. What else could it be? This chaotic frenzy was trying to consume her...Naraku's madness...

She must make him understand the threat she was to them all!

"No.You must understand...he is crazed...he desires your death...your Jewel shards...he would use me to kill you...all of you...keep them away from me! I would not hurt them! They are my brothers!" Her eyes closed with the sudden knowledge of it. They were her brothers, she did not want to hurt them.

"Please." She whispered desperately, the tears sparking in the corner of her tightly closed eyes.

"Ayame." His voice was sharp, and she opened her eyes, her fury glittering crimson blood in their depths.

He will not listen to me!

"You must listen." He told her, his voice deep and commanding. "Naraku has nothing to do with this."

"You don't understand..." Her chest heaved with despair. He must, he must understand! The madness would not be reined in for long, and then there would be no chance to warn him...to warn any of them...

There was a scramble at the mouth of her cave, and Hideki's graveled voice suddenly broke in with his usual bluntness.

"You are going into heat, girl. Nothing else."

She froze as her mind took in those harsh words.

I do not understand...

"What do you mean?" She whispered, her eyes wide pools of fear.

Hideki growled under his breath with impatience. "Do you know nothing, girl? You are youkai! Your cycle has come!"

Her nostrils flared in fear. What did he mean, her cycle? What if she were youkai? What was he trying to tell her?

"What do you mean?" She repeated, dreading his response.

The old wolf's eyes were compassionate. "You really don't know, do you, girl?"

Ayame's fearful gaze traveled to Koga's, who remained impassive, his usually expressive face frozen into stillness. He watched her, though, and waited.

Hideki came up beside her, and extended a gnarled hand to lay it comfortingly on her shoulder. She flinched under the contact, her skin tingling and burning, and her nerves raw.

What is wrong with me? She wailed inside, afraid of the knowledge.

"You're youkai, girl. Eventually, you would go into heat. All female youkai do, as their blood and cycle determines. Your time has come."

"But what do you mean?" She cried out desperately. "I don't understand! What is wrong with me?"

He patted her shoulder, and she tried not to flinch away from the kind gesture. "You cannot fight it, girl. The urge to mate is strong."

Mate? What did he mean, mate? She did not wish to mate! Horrible memories washed over her, awful memories of Naraku's cruel rape of her flesh, her mind closing down under the ravaging appetite of his penchant for torture and pain...

"No." Her eyes grew unfocused, the fear and dread consuming her.

Please, no.

"You cannot deny the call of your blood, girl. Your natural instincts will soon take over, and you cannot fight them." Hideki's grip tightened on her shoulder and jostled her gently.

The blood thundered in her ears, and she shook with terror. A faint sound came from outside of the darkened closeness of her cave, the howl of a wolf penetrating her consciousness and making the chaos within answer...

No...No...Please...no...

"Do not deny yourself, girl. You could be lost to the madness of your nature, forever. Do not fight it. Join with it, and you will survive it." Hideki growled at her, his eyes concerned for her soul.

"I...can't..." She said brokenly, her green eyes like washed jewels with the tears that, even now, she refused to shed.

"You must." His voice was hard and unrelenting.

Another wolf cried lonely and desperate outside.

She bowed her head, her body trembling with awakening awareness. The turmoil of frenzied insanity was rising up, demanding she bow to it, her nature.

"Come." That harsh command came from Koga, who had stood silent through Hideki's revelation. She kept her eyes down, her manner lost. She could not fight it. She could only survive it...

Under Hideki's gentle prodding; she took the first step forward. Dully, she followed after the ookami chief, her eyes on the rocky ground under her bare feet. Everything was overwhelmingly close and sensitive...the rough ground that scraped under her toes, the feel of Hideki's calloused hand on her shoulder, guiding her outside of the caves...

Her nostrils flared at the overwhelming scent of ookami, youkai and furry, and she paused just outside the cave mouth, her head jerking up and her eyes widening into frightened emerald pools as she realized that they were all there, staring at her, watching her with an intensity that sent a strange awareness flooding through her body and freezing her mind in overwhelmed terror.

Numerous eyes were on her, staring and glowing, the madness in her mind glaring back at her from the glinting eyes of multiple ookami. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her flesh goose-bumped with chilled awareness of the consuming lust in their eyes. Brightening gold on four-legged brethren and streaks of scarlet glowing from the penetrating gaze of youkai brothers...she could not stand it, she could not...

Her red eyes swept desperately to Hideki, who would not meet her glance. The old wolf was even staring at her, making her shiver under the hardness of his gaze before shaking himself out of it and squeezing her shoulder tight. His harsh voice whispered in her ear, trying to ease her fear.

"Soon you will not see it, girl. There will only be the chase..."

What did he mean? What was going to happen to her? She wanted to cry out with the unknowing frustration of it all, claw her way to freedom and run like the Winds she loved. Her blood raced with the desire of the thought, and she was almost consumed with it, deliberately unaware of the countless eyes that watched her every move.

There was a dark growl beside her, as Hideki warned off the tall youkai who approached her with too much familiarity.

Ayame froze as a smug whisper heated across her ear, making her skin crawl and her mind scream in denial.

"You will be mine, ookami bitch."

No!

She hissed at him, her claws curling and her eyes heating with fury. "Never!" She denied him. She would never submit to that arrogant dog!

"You have no say in the matter." His smug whisper made her blood boil, and she spun around, freeing herself from Hideki's grasp. Low growls were echoed around her, and she snarled at him.

"NEVER!"

His eyes were glowing with a reddish light across the blazing yellow glow of them. He inhaled her scent, deliberately stepping nearer, his fangs flashing. She felt suddenly afraid, and stepped back away---

---and into the hard expanse of another male's chest. She jumped, but strong hands gripped her upper arms in an immovable grip. She shivered, the fear eating inside of her. The growling descant of the angry ookami who watched overwhelmed her senses. The turmoil of her blood rose up, wanting to swallow her mind in consuming madness...

"The Gathering has not started, Katashi. Return to your place." The harsh voice was of Koga, and she shivered under the awakened sense of that deep, rich voice. She desired...she desired none of this...

The grey wolf-brother's smile broadened with a knowing look. "Soon enough, and she will be mine."

No. She did not realize that she had whispered that plea of denial, but Koga stiffened behind her.

"That remains to be seen." There was a hard edge to the ookami's voice, and she felt his claws clench slightly against her pale skin.

"Are you challenging me, Koga?" There was a dangerous light in the ookami's yellow eyes, the red glow expanding.

"You are hardly worth my time, northern dog. I could out-run you any day." The deep rumble behind her made her shiver in reaction.

Red streaks flashed through the grey wolf's eyes. "Only because you have the help of your Jewel shards, cub. Without them, you are nothing."

His claws now dug into her skin, bruising it, and she could not hold back the soft whimper of pain that escaped her. Immediately, he eased his grip, and she could not hear their growling speech as she became aware of the slow circles his thumbs made over the spots of her bruising, unconsciously easing them. She shivered, for quite another reason, and her mind screamed at her as the unknown feeling of desire washed over her anew.

No...No...No...

"You seek her yourself, then." Katashi's eyes narrowed as she became suddenly aware that they still snarled at each other from over her bent head.

"No." His hands tightened slightly, and her eyes widened with a strange sense of hurt outrage. Why would he not seek her? She was youkai, she was female, he was youkai, and male...

I am Ayame, and he is Koga. There could never be anything between us! He loves Kagome She told her more primitive nature severely, her eyes glowing with anger.

There was a sudden cold smile behind her, and the icy blue eyes flashed. "I will just make sure YOU will not claim her."

Katashi snarled. "You can try, easterner. But only a dishonorable bastard would flaunt an unfair advantage!"

Koga actually let her go, stepping away from her. Ayame nearly collapsed, but Hideki was there to support her weakness. As the two ookami youkai had argued over her, the others had gathered in, and she was besieged by the sensation of being constricted and closed off. She wanted to escape them, to flee their knowing eyes, their bated breath of anticipation.

Something gleamed bright pink and white out of the corner of her eye, and she turned her head sharply to track that light. Koga had calmly, deliberately, pulled the Jewel shards from his fur-clad calves and held them in his palm, his blue eyes darkening with malice as Katashi's lips thinned.

"Keep these safe." Koga growled at Hideki, who opened his gnarled palm to receive the sparkling Shikon shards. His blue eyes never left Katashi's, who glistened blood red with challenge.

Hideki's other hand tightened on Ayame's shoulder, and she jerked under it. Katashi stepped forward slightly; his flashing fangs and the knowing gleam in his blazing eyes making her flinch away even as the madness sucked away at her resistance.

No... She still tried to fight it. She would never consent to him...never submit...she was a weak female...she would leave these petty demons behind her...they thought her weak, easily caught...she would show them...she was strong...she would escape their raging lust...she was stronger than any of them...none would catch her, tame her, take her...

There was a stir through the watching crowd of ookami, nostrils expanding as they took in her spiked scent. The madness was filling and surging through her, heating her blood to boiling fury... they would never...never...

Eyes glowed, red and yellow, gleaming in the frenzied madness that filled her vision. She did not realize that Hideki's hand had fallen from her arm, that she stood alone and glowing in the center of them. Her eyes were vacant of awareness, the blood color glowing with rubied fire. Her skin glistened with a white light, her demonic aura expanding and growing as nature claimed her mind and swallowed her senses with their primal demand. A wind swooped down, stirring the long ends of midnight hair, making it dance sensuously on the breeze. The fire grew within her, claiming her soul as possession and turning her desire to one goal...freedom...

She screamed at them, her nature calling through. The ookami surrounding her parted slightly, allowing her an avenue of escape. She snarled, eyes glittering, and defied them to approach. She would tear them limb from limb if any dared touch her! She would not submit! Never submit! She was FREE!

She was up and away, her small feet carrying her away from them. The ookami stood frozen for a moment, the suddenness of her departure stunning them, before with howls and roaring calls of awakening, they scrambled after, one goal fixed in their minds...

Her hair whipped around her as she flew across the countryside on her feather. Kagura stared down at the only man she will ever hold feelings for other than hate, the taiyoukai of the western lands, Sesshoumaru. The only man she will ever love hated her with the outmost loathing. Naraku had unleashed the dragon that killed Seshoumaru's father. Inuyasha killed it but that still left a very annoyed taiyoukai.

She was on a new mission. She and Kanna were planning to escape with their hearts, while Naraku in his human night would be weakened. Just two days away was their freedom. She sighed sadly; this last mission would be the saddest mission of all.

If their plan failed, their last chance for escape was about to be destroyed. The miko was their next target. Kagura sneered; Naraku was really a bastard if he thinks he can get her. She had a new weapon on her side, the Tornado Blitz.

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(Kagome, the well)

Kagome sighed as she pulled herself out of the well, heaving her enormous, yellow bag over her shoulder. She sighed, mentally counting three, two, and one. "Kagome, You're back", cried a happy Shippo, as he threw himself into her arms.

Sango and Miroku emerged from the bush after him. "Kagome, you've returned so soon." Miroku asked. Sango hugged her younger sister.They walked towards Kaede's village and a red blur appeared.

"Kagome, what took you so long? I had to entertain your new friends the entire time. They're annoying me to hell!" Inuyasha huffed, pouting.

"Excuse me, but I was only gone for 2 days!" She shouted back at him.

"I can't stand having Shippo around, whining because you're not here!" Inuyasha stuck his nose up and then realized his folly.

She looked down sadly; she knew that Inu was still in love with Kikyo. She mentally screamed 'I'm not Kikyou' she mentally cringed when he stared at her annoyed.

"SIT!" His up-turned nose was planted in the ground.

He had been ranting about that Kikyo wouldn't let some school get in the way of the mission. " What's wrong, Kagome?" Miroku asked, concern in his violet eyes. Sango was standing next to him looking into her imouto's sapphire eyes.

"Sango, you want to go to the hot springs?" Kagome asked avoiding her eyes. "Sure, Kagome. Let's go grab Keiko and Botan your stuff."

They ran to the village. Well, Sango ran while Kagome hobbled carrying her heavy pack. Sango stopped as Kurama walked up to her. Kagome slowed down as she saw Sango slowed her pace. She waved to Kurama and she dropped her bag.

"Kagome, may I help you with your bag? You shouldn't need to carry such a heavy load." Kurama asked smoothly.

"Oh. You don't need to worry yourself with me but if your willing then yes." Kagome cheerily replied. Kurama walked over a grabbed the pack and slung it over his back.

"My, Kagome. You're quite strong to carry this around all the time." He charmed her. She mumbled a weak excuse and they raced to the village. Kurama won even with the rough terrain and heavy bag.

"Thank you, Kurama" Kagome took the bag and walked to Kaede's hut. Botan and Keiko were learning about the right herbs for certain wounds.

"Kaede-baa-chan, I'm back. Botan, Keiko would you like to go to the hot springs with me and Sango?"

"Yes!" the excited replies but then looking at Kaede they said, "After our lesson of course."

"You're dismissed."

" Yeah!" They grabbed a spare change of clothes and raced to the springs and jumped into the pleasant water. Yellow eyes stared at them with lust and greed; little did they know that they had an audience.