Author's Note: Hello everyone, thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoy! Sorry for the wonky time/date this is being posted at. I'm currently in Bali, so I'm a bit thrown off.
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to RubyWoo, who left the 700th review for YITM! RubyWoo, I wish that I had been able to contact you somehow to reply! Please know that your comment was very touching, it made me tear up a little, I can't lie. I'm doing okay, there was a rash of crazy things happening all on top of some very strong lack of motivation, but thank you so much for taking the time to leave such kind words. I hope you enjoy Chapter 42!
Awesome Betas: Penthesileia, Not_Towa_Wakasa
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Chapter 42: I've Got You
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Inuyasha
The crunching of leaves, the shuffling of dirt… Inuyasha let out an irritated huff and rolled his eyes. He'd recognize that pattern of footsteps anywhere. Kagome was stumbling around in the near-darkness trying to find him.
He visibly relaxed, glad it wasn't something worse coming his way. The night felt off somehow, and he couldn't figure out why. He lept up higher into the tree to get a better idea of where she was exactly. He scanned through the branches until he caught sight of her blue sweater. She was hugging it tightly around her, muttering under her breath.
The hell was she doing? He'd told her to fucking stay in the cave, and here she was, tramping around, alerting the whole forest to her location. Was she trying to piss him off?
He bit back an agitated growl as she drew closer. He didn't want to talk to her. He didn't want to be in her presence at all if he didn't have to. He didn't trust himself. But she was making it incredibly difficult as she stomped right under and past his tree, blind and bumbling, hands out in front to catch any obstacles in her way.
Rolling his eyes at her clumsiness, Inuyasha lept across a canopy of three or four trees before dropping to the ground, cutting off her path. He watched as she jerked back, a curl of satisfaction blooming within him, mixing in with... fuck... with the arousal that he felt every time she was near. It soaked his insides, causing his fists to clench against the urge to reach out and grab her up in his arms and finish what she'd started all those nights ago back at the cave.
Instead he frowned, and took what he hoped was a menacing step towards her. "Where the hell are you going?"
She held her ground, the brave wench. It both bothered and elated him that she didn't seem to fear him anymore. She crossed her arms and planted her feet. Her eyes were unable to focus on him in the dark but she was managing to look in his general direction.
How would she react, exactly, if he reached out for her in the darkness?
"I'm here to tell you to back off of Shippou," she said, her words piercing through the dirty fantasy unraveling in his head, "stop being so mean to him."
Fuck, it was always going to be about the runt from now on. He knew it would come to this eventually. Despite the fact that the little shit had been the cause of Kagome's wounds - and his wounds as well, dammit - she'd latched onto the twerp. She was too kind for her own good, and he sure as hell wasn't going to pull any punches to avoid hurting the kit's feelings.
"I'm just being honest with him," he growled.
"You don't get to decide these things without talking to me. You're not the only one here."
Yeah, he knew he wasn't the only one here, but what the fuck did she think he was doing, having a picnic? A little stroll through wolf territory? She was so goddamn frustrating.
Make her obey you like a good bitch, his youkai thrummed on the inside. Your mate must obey.
Yeah, except she's not my fucking mate, he seethed. Still, he was the only protection she had. Why was she making his job so goddamn hard?
"I'm the only one keeping you alive, so what I say goes," he managed.
"That's not going to be how this works, Inuyasha,"
Make her obey.
He grit his teeth. His youkai was becoming more demanding, and he didn't understand why. He couldn't think properly with his constantly raging at him behind his conscious. He took another step towards her.
"It is," he said, putting as much force behind his words as he could.
He was practically on top of her now, and his youkai whined with pleasure inside him. Her head was tilted back, her feet still refusing to move and surrender. Her eyes, still not quite focused, held an anger in them that he hadn't seen in a long time. It was that same anger she'd shown back at the Slayers house, after he'd wrestled the situation back under control.
He was so fucking close, the urge to reach out and grip her hair in his hand, to pull her head back further and taste the skin at the base of her neck, a taste he knew well, was overwhelming. The anger in her eyes excited his youkai. It drove his thoughts mad with her.
Why the fuck did you come out here?! he wanted to scream, Why the fuck don't you stay away from me?!
"It's not. You can't just stomp around and lay down the law, no matter how angry you are at me."
He had to give it to her: when she spoke, her voice held steady. But her lips continued to move, and all he wanted to do was take them with his own. To cut off her words and swallow them. The only thing he wanted to hear falling from those lips was his name, over and over and over until-
…until…
Inuyasha's eyes widened.
He was stupid. He was so goddamn stupid. How had he not realized why the air around him had felt so off? Because he knew now, why he'd been on edge. He knew now, why he'd been so uneasy.
Crunching. Panting. The stench of a hundred unbathed pelts. They were closing in, covering distance at speeds he couldn't quite comprehend.
...How… how had they snuck up on him?
"-or how much you don't want me around," Kagome was saying, completely unaware of the immediate danger they were in, "You can't just-"
He pressed his hand against her mouth. "Shhh," he breathed. Not like being quiet would do them any good now, but he needed silence to hear their movements. They had been tracked down, and there were so many. Too many.
Inuyasha's whole body felt tight, like a drawn bowstring. He took one last step and drew Kagome to him. Had her closeness affected his ability to sense them out? Had her presence left him utterly and completely vulnerable?
Probably, he thought, but does it fucking matter? No. No, it didn't matter. What mattered was keeping her safe. That was priority-fucking-one right now.
He knew by himself, he might have a chance. He knew he'd at least be able to escape if there were too many, which there were, dammit. But having to keep track of Kagome as well...
He turned to scan the darkness as they drew near, the stench now overpowering in his sensitive nose. They were closing in.
Had they found the cave? If they had, why would they attack here? He barely registered Kagome stiffen in his arms and the way she held her breath. He opened his mouth to tell her what was coming for them when a primitive growl split through the air, beating him to it.
More joined in, yellow eyes now blinking in and out of the trees as they moved. He could make out their bodies as they materialized from the darkness, large and lithe, covered in thick fur. Dozens, drawing closer, creeping up on them. A particularly large one, the leader of the pack, snarled. A signal of what was to come.
They dare to threaten us? his youkai seethed. Let me out. Let me out so we can put them down.
True, it would be easy for him to release his youkai, to let it take over… But then what? Kagome would be in just as much danger as she was now. Because when it did take over… when he let his youkai take control…
There was no fucking control.
Quick as a whip, Inuyasha spun and dropped into a warning crouch, snarling in reply to the threat. Fuck if he was going to let them think he was easy prey. He splayed his arms out to the side, signaling that Kagome was off limits.
Another snarl was an obvious dismissal of his claim. Yeah... he knew it wasn't going to work.
If he could distract the wolves from following her, she could seek shelter in the cave, possibly have the advantage of picking them off from higher ground one-by-one.
Another snarl ripped from one of the wolves, an immediate warning of attack. Inuyasha reached out behind him and gave Kagome a shove. "Get back to the cave!" he snapped before giving the wolves a warning snarl of his own.
She stumbled, but he didn't hear her run. She was frozen.
Dammit, this wasn't the time to be scared, she needed to do what he said. Inuyasha was a fast runner, but with the added weight of Kagome, the wolves would be all over them in no time. He opened his mouth to scream at her to go, but heard her turn and run before the words could slip between his lips.
Keh. Good, he thought. With Kagome out of the way, nothing was holding him back. His hands clenched into fists, and he felt the stir of his youkai within, revving him for a fight. It had been a long fucking time since he'd been up against so many.
The wolves were numerous, but he didn't sense any actual youkai in the immediate area. It didn't mean they weren't actively directing the wolves to attack. Wolves were an organized species by nature, but on this scale... in Wolf Territory…
Youkai were definitely calling the shots. Hell, they might have known he was there as soon as he crossed the invisible border.
A familiar curl of bloodlust unfurled in his veins. He let his youkai forward, let it slip into control just a bit - just enough to allow his more animalistic senses to take over, and readied himself for the attack.
But they didn't attack. They stood, pacing and panting, as if waiting for something. As if waiting for an order.
Then movement to his right. Inuyasha turned to cut off the wolf stalking towards him, and only by luck managed to see a wolf to his far left take off running.
Take off running after Kagome.
He roared, and his foot dug into the soil, immediately changing direction and leaping for the wolf. He slammed into its side, his claws digging deep into fur and flesh, tumbling over and falling into the dirt. Without a second thought he ripped his hand through its gut and squeezed at whatever organ he could wrap his fingers around until it popped. Blood poured down his arm and soaked the ground.
He choked on the foul smell as he stood, still gripping onto its insides, and threw it as hard as he could into the pack. They scattered around the lifeless body, before closing in on it and sniffing. A hundred snouts turned his way, lips rippling and dripping as they pulled back to show a sea of gleaming white teeth.
If you touch my human I will end you, his youkai turned vicious inside his head.
Two more attacked, leaping at him from opposite sides. He reached out for both but only managed to grab the one coming at his left by its legs. The other was at his neck, trying to rip his skin open and tear at the muscle and tendons underneath. He weaved his head and thrust his other forearm into the wolf's mouth, teeth grit against the fangs tearing into him. He snapped the leg in his left hand, and pinned its body under his foot, placing all his weight on it as it struggled. With that arm free, he shoved his fingers into the other wolfs' eyes, felt them stick around his fingers like berries, felt them burst and ooze over his skin. It was just enough to loosen its jaw, and he pulled his fingers from its eyes and grabbed its snout, feeling bone crunch as he squeezed and ripped it off his arm, throwing it, too, into the pack.
He took a step forward, but the wolf with the broken leg clamped onto his calf, distracting him for just one second. Enough time for a dozen of them to strike, piling on top of him until the woods around him became nothing but twisting, tangled bodies, all biting and tearing and clawing.
Red seeped into his vision as he fought his way out. And through all the blood and the haze and the mass of wolf fur, her scent assaulted him.
No. What the fuck was she doing, coming back here? What the fuck was she thinking?
His vision soaked red as he clawed, an animalistic scream tearing from his throat as he grappled and thrust his arms through the onslaught.
He had to get to her.
He had to get to her first.
Shrieking again, he tore through the withering bodies, broke free and ran.
Wolves bounded ahead of him, faster than he could possibly run, and yet- and yet - he pushed himself faster. Faster. Faster!
He could see her now, stumbling through the trees in front of him, blind as a fucking bat with her bow in her hands.
Fucking hell, was she trying to get herself killed?
He said nothing as he ducked low, running straight towards her. He slammed his shoulder into her stomach, hoping the bend of his knees and the upwards motion he used as he swung her belly over his shoulder would make the impact less painful.
Still, the breath whooshed from her as he connected.
"Oof!" she cried, before struggling against him. She screamed and kicked for only a moment, but must have realized who he was, because her body went slack against him as he ran, making it easier for him.
"I told you to stay at the cave!" he shouted over his shoulder, dodging trees and roots.
"You thought I'd just leave you there?" she shouted back, her voice still tinged with anger.
No, goddammit, she was too fucking nice and eager to help for her own damn good. But he didn't have time to say it. The wolves were catching up, hot on his heels. He felt Kagome move behind him, felt her upper body lift away from his back, like she was trying to get a good look at the wolves behind them.
He opened his mouth to tell her to stay still when he heard the distinctive whistle of an arrow pierce the air, heard it hit its mark. Kagome let out an elated cry behind him.
Again she moved. Again he heard her arrow hit its mark.
Goddammit she was fucking cool.
But it wasn't enough, even as she shot another arrow. Even as another wolf fell to the ground.
They were gaining distance, and he couldn't fucking run forever. He was a sprinter, not built for distance. There was only one option he had.
"Hang on!" he said, pulling her from his shoulder and pressing her against his chest.
"What are you doing?" she called over the wind.
"We have to sift!"
"No, wait!" she cried, "what about Ship-"
The air moved around them, taking them both.
"-pou!" the word rushed from her mouth as they reappeared.
"Forget about him," he said, trying to take stock of his surroundings.
"We can't just leave him, Inuyasha, we have to-"
"He can take care of himself," he snapped. They were definitely still in Wolf Territory, but he didn't recognize the landscape, couldn't tell where they were exactly. He'd sifted them higher, towards the center of Wolf Territory. Here the cliffs rose around them. The trees were sparse, giving them less coverage, even in the dark. "Do you sense the shard?" He asked, trying to quell the panic that rose up inside him. They weren't safe here, there were so many wolves. Too many.
"But-"
"Do you sense the shard?"
She huffed but closed her eyes for a few moments before pointing towards a mountainous cliff to their right.
"Fine, we'll head over-"
They slammed into his back. Kagome flew from his arms as he smashed chest-first into the rocks littered at his feet. The bodies ripped and tore and snarled. He held one off by the chest and another by the throat as it snapped at his face, drool frothing at its mouth. Where the fuck was Kagome? He could hear her screaming, words he couldn't focus on as he fought to keep the animals off him. He rolled back and managed to get his feet under one, kicking him off just as another took its place.
An arrow struck it between its eyes, and it fell limp on top of him.
….thhhhhhokk!
….thhhhhhokk!
Each arrow hit its mark, one after another. Kagome couldn't possibly get them all. There weren't enough arrows. But for Inuyasha, it was enough to get the upper hand. He rolled and tore through the rest, leaping to his feet and running for her again. He looked over his shoulder.
It was a blanket of pelts as far as he could see, pouring around the corner of a cliff. Here he could sense the youkai. He looked up and caught shadowy figures against the clear, starry sky. Just as he had thought, they were organized, and they were out for his blood.
"Again!" he yelled, forced to ignore their presence as he yanked back the wolves who had Kagome surrounded. His only option was to continue to sift closer and closer to the shards she sensed until they were right on top of him. And he had to do it before he ran out of juice.
He scooped her up and sifted.
When the sift ended, there was nothing but more wolves. More than before, which was fucking impossible. Kagome was ripped from him, he couldn't tell from where. What the hell was happening? How could there be so many ready to strike? Even with an organized attempt they would have needed weeks to call in reinforcements. It didn't make sense.
Inuyasha's surroundings blurred, the snarls and howls and rippling growls blending together with the blood pumping in his ears.
And then her blood.
Her blood.
"Kagome!" he yelled, fighting through the mass. She was off to his right, and he let out a roar, desperate to get to her.
Release me.
Inuyasha's eyes honed in on her, surrounded and bleeding from a bite wound. Which one had bitten her? The wolf wouldn't know the meaning of pain until he was through with it.
A strike came from nowhere. It wasn't the sinking of wolf teeth, but a fist, strong and solid against his jaw. It drove him to his hands and knees, and as he turned to look at his attacker, it struck again. Then again. He heard Kagome scream, heard her call his name. This time when the strike came, he was ready.
He reached out and gripped onto an arm, sinewy and muscular, and he reared back and struck.
"Weak," said the wolf youkai, unhindered by Inuyasha's attempt. His glowing yellow eyes were piercing and wild, his burnt umber hair shaggy and long around his head. "I've been told you were something to fear my whole life. And yet here you are. About to die by my hands."
Inuyasha felt his breath fall short and ragged, felt blood pool from his wounds. He pulled his arm back to strike again, but the youkai reached up and gripped his wrist, twisting it behind his back until he felt it snap in two.
Pain manifested in the roar that rushed from in between Inuyasha's lips. The youkai struck him again, and he flew back into the cliff wall, the pressure splintering the rocky surface. More pain blistered across the back of his head.
Again, Kagome screamed. A second wolf youkai, this one skinnier and paler than the other, black hair greasy and chopped short, gripped his hand around her neck. He knocked her bow from her hand and lifted her up off the ground and swung her over the edge of the cliff.
Another scream as she kicked out at him, her fingers clawing at his forearms, her knuckles turning white. Her eyes darted to Inuyasha, wide and scared. Her lips moved to call his name as the youkai let go of her neck. She seemed to float for a second.
Kagome had sat next to him, back at the first cave, laughing and picking dirt from her hair, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Her fingertips had brushed against his arm as dusk settled around her. Her heart had beat alive and whole and healthy in her chest.
It had been quiet, despite her words.
It had been peaceful, despite the night birds chirping.
Kagome…
Inuyasha thrust himself off the rock wall, lept for her, his good arm reaching out as the last bit of her disappeared from his sight, and his fist closed on nothing.
No.
His toes curled around the cliff's edge, and he kicked with as much force as he could.
She was falling ahead of him, her hair whipping around her head as the air rushed through it. He had to catch her. He had to. She was the only person with who he could be himself. She was the only person he wanted to keep safe.
She would not die because of him.
His fingers grabbed at her shoulder, and he pulled himself down towards her and twisted in the air so she was cocooned in his arms. He pressed his lips to her ear.
"I've got you," he said.
She replied back, but he couldn't hear her. Not over the howling wind, or the thrumming of his own heartbeat in his chest. But her hands stilled as she placed them over his own, and she tucked into him tighter.
The edge of the cliff fell away from them. It wouldn't be long now. Inuyasha might die here, his youkai silent and dormant inside him, his body broken and pushed to its limit, but at least his last act would be to save Kagome.
Because at this point, what was he worth without her? He was nothing if she was not by his side, smiling at him, laughing, touching…
He had to tell her. It was now or never.
His mouth opened to say it.
I love you.
She screamed.
The pain overcame him, unbearable.
And he was gone.
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Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you had a good one. Here's to finishing up YITM in 2018!
~SugarRos
