Author's Note: Sorry about the weird gibberish everyone. :)

.

.

Kagome
.

.

Kagome turned the string of beads over and over in the palm of her hand.

She didn't know what to expect as she made her way along the path back to the mesa, but she was sure of one thing: the necklace Kaede had made for Inuyasha wasn't just a protection against his full youkai; it was keeping the sunlight part of his curse suppressed.

She tried to stifle her disappointment. A small part of her hoped Kikyou had died of her wounds, which in turn could have set her family free. Just like Inuyasha was freed.

Though, now she knew Inuyasha wasn't free. Not really. The curse was still alive, still pulling him back into that stupid mirror. The unbridled joy he expressed when she stumbled upon him in the clearing was such a dramatic change from the Inuyasha she'd known previously. Joy, now that she thought about it, was a normal human expression that he probably hadn't felt most of his adult life.

...and then to have it ripped away again so soon… she shook her head at the thought, and rotated the beads with her fingers. If she was being honest, Inuyasha wasn't the only one who had changed dramatically. Kagome was different as well. It was hard for her to pinpoint, because there wasn't a word for it that she knew of, but she felt… calmer, maybe. Reassured, even though she was being thrown curveballs that would have unsettled or scared her before.

She felt as if she had been missing something, and now she had found it, or filled it somehow, but she couldn't figure out what was missing in the first place. She just knew she was better-than-okay, as if she had become solidified against any harm the wolf-youkai or their animal counterparts might do to her.

The rising wall of the mesa came into view through the trees. There wasn't a member of Kouga's tribe that she could see. She walked right up to the sheer edge and placed her hand on it, her gaze up towards the lip where sky met rock. What was she going to find, when she reached the top?

Inuyasha's words bounced around inside her head: "There are subtle movements and scents when it comes to youkai mating customs and habits… Human males are weak and will back off their women if they so much as glance at them wrong. Youkai are different. Especially full youkai."

Under normal circumstances, she would have thought Inuyasha just didn't understand Kouga and the others like she did. After all, she'd grown to know the Wolf King and his pack over the weeks that Inuyasha was imprisoned inside the cave. Kouga was frustrating and complicated and uncertain… but he was also kind and caring and hadn't harmed her. He had kept all his promises so far. He'd shown her something akin to humanity that made her think humans and youkai were closer biologically than one might first think.

But these weren't normal circumstances, and, well… she felt pretty certain that Inuyasha wasn't exaggerating.

Still… she didn't know if Kouga would welcome her back or rebuke her. Her uncertainty wasn't that Inuyasha might be in harm's way, it was whether or not she would be able to reach him. Inuyasha should have kept his mouth shut about mates and youkai and instincts. At least then she would have been able to act normal when confronted by the clan.

"You can't let them touch you," Inuyasha had said, "They probably won't try to, but if one of them does, I'll have to kill him. And if I do that, they'll try to kill me." His warning echoed in her head.

"Easy for you to say," she muttered. The wolves were the only way she knew how to get up and down the mesa. Dusk would be on her in an hour, and it would take far longer, and more strength than she had to climb the face herself.

Funny, now that she thought about it, where were the wolves? They tended to be active at dusk, getting some play in after dinner but before night settled. But the area at the base of the mesa was eerily destitute - void of both wolf and wolf youkai.

"Kagome!" Shippou came bounding around the curve of the rock. "They said you were coming, so I waited!"

"They who?" Kagome opened her arms and caught Shippou as he flung himself at her.

His little nose wrinkled. "The wolves. Kagome, they were right. You stink."

"What do you mean, I stink?" She wanted to give him a good shake, the little jerk, but he was already wriggling around and pushing against her chest.

"Kagome, put me down, it's really gross." He wiggled and squirmed and she opened her arms, allowing him to plop onto the hard, winter ground. He didn't even wince, just popped right back up, patted his rear and took a few steps away from her, holding his nose. "The wolves said that it was really bad, but I didn't believe them."

"Shippou, that's rude," she said between pursed lips. She could feel her cheeks flush. "Just go get someone to take me to the top. I need to confirm Inuyasha is here." She paused before adding: "A woman if you can, okay?"

"He's there!" cried the fox, then slapped his hand over his mouth. "He's there," he repeated in an exaggerated whisper.

"You saw him?"

Shippou nodded eagerly. "He told me to keep it a secret. He's so mad he threatened to kill me but he can't cause he's stuck."

"Not in the chains again?"

He shook his head. "No, in the mirror, like you told me when it was just the three of us for a while." A grin spread across his little face. "He looks so dumb right now."

"Okay, but don't tell him that, just think it." She bit her lip and glanced up.

"Kagome, I don't think any of the wolves will take you up there. Especially a girl one."

She sighed, "I can't stink that bad."

"You do…" his shoulders slumped forward, then straightened as if a thought struck him. "Oh! I can take you up! I can do it!"

Kagome tried not to roll her eyes. "That's really kind, Shippou, and I'm sure one day you'll be big enough to carry me, but for right now I think I'm too big."

He shook his head. "No, I can! I've been playing with some of the pups cause some of them are nice now but not all of them and one of the nice ones said they saw a fox do this really cool trick one time and he told me about it and I've been practicing and I can totally do it, watch me!" and with that, he scrunched up his eyes and puffed out his cheeks, and in a single pop he was suddenly very round and much larger than he had been before.

Like a balloon, he floated off the ground, his eyes as large as her whole head, at least.

"Hop on!" he said in his little Shippou voice. "I can bring us up!"

Kagome stepped back, taking all of him in. "How.."

His balloonish features shivered. "Just climb on, kay? Cause I can't hold it as long as I want to yet."

Gritting her teeth, Kagome gripped on - to what she thought was maybe his thigh? - and hauled herself up. She spread her limbs as far as possible, hoping the distribution of her added weight might help some. Up they began to move, in a meandering, slow fashion. Kagome couldn't help but close her eyes and hope they made it to the top.

"H-hurry, Kagome, get off!" Shippou cried, and she did, slipping and sliding down the edge until her feet hit the flat, compressed surface. An instant later, Shippou disappeared in a whiff of smoke before reappearing as his usual self.

"I did it!" he cried, arms on his hips as he puffed out his chest.

Normally, Kagome would have helped to build up that confidence with an agreeable word or two, but she barely heard him over the defining silence.

If it was eerie in the forest. It was outright disturbing up top. Kagome's eyes scanned the top of the mesa, trying to catch a friendly gaze. Nothing but a sea of faces, all turned in her direction. It was obvious they had been tipped off to her arrival, most likely by a seeker wolf, but why wasn't anyone saying anything? She'd been around them long enough now that most would at least give her a wave; maybe stop to chat a bit if Kouga was near.

Do they know Inuyasha's here? she thought, before striking the thought down. The daylight curse was instantaneous, no way would they be able to tell that he was back in his mirror. She wracked her brain trying to figure it out. The only other possible explanation was...

"The wolf youkai are going to act… different towards you now," Inuyasha had said. "There are subtle movements and scents when it comes to youkai mating customs and habits. This isn't… this isn't like being with a human, Kagome. This is more than that."

...is this what he'd meant by different? This was more than different, this was…

"Subtle my ass," she muttered, watching a crowd of wrinkling noses and watering eyes. It was far more humiliating than that, and she tried her hardest not to turn red with shame. "You'd think I hadn't bathed in a year."

Shippou cocked his head, having picked up her voice. "No, Kagome, you bathed, I can smell that, too."

She glanced down at him and couldn't help the tug at the corner of her mouth. "That's something, I guess." Seconds passed and no one moved towards her. They all simply watched, waiting to see what she'd do next.

Well, she wasn't going to give them a show if she could help it. She would act normal and head to her room. Just be casual, grab the mirror and then… well, she'd worry about that when she got through step one.

She fixed her eyes straight ahead and followed behind Shippou, who was much more animated than she was at the moment, his excited jumps and swinging hand motions urging her to continue. The wolf youkai stepped back as she moved forward, noses creasing and heads turning in not-so-hidden disgust. Into the wide cave opening they stepped, just as Ginta pushed his way through the crowd.

In an instant, she knew he was coming on Kouga's command, maybe to imprison her?

The thought that she might have an enemy out of Kouga, and thus Ginta, triggered a warmth she hadn't felt in a long, long time. Her eyes widened as Ginta approached, the inner fever seeping and swelling from the center of her chest. What didn't make sense was, why now? Why towards Ginta? The spreading warmth shocked her into silence, thoughts racing.

"Lady Kagome," Ginta said, a hint of frustration edging his words, the same look of disgust marring his features.

The warmth expanded into heat from her chest; it flowed through her veins, so familiar and pleasant against the oncoming threat. Ginta was closing in. Not good.

"Kouga has instructed that you be brought to him immediately upon your return." He reached out towards her arm.

"No!" she cried, jerking back away from him so his hand swiped at air. He froze, unsure of how to proceed.

"Don't… don't touch me," she finished, hiding the wrist he'd been aiming for behind her hip, aware that if he'd made contact he would at best get burned… And at most get his face melted off, she thought with a shutter.

"Lady Kagome…" Ginta's voice trailed off, eyes narrowing. "You don't seem well, and the rumors were true - you reek like your dog."

"I just need to get to my room, that's all," Kagome said. She silently willed her breathing to calm. "Take a bath, you know? Maybe then I'll smell better." She could feel the many eyes of the clan on her. She needed to get Inuyasha and to get out. The last thing she needed was for the wolves to fear her as well.

Ginta let out a huff. "I doubt a bath will help."

He knew. He definitely knew. But would he touch her without her permission?

Not like he hasn't done it before, she thought, but said "If you'll excuse me," instead, and stepped around him to move further inside.

The crowding wolf youkai parted as she walked by, allowing her the path she needed to get to her room. She forced her pace to stay at a walk. Everyone was already on edge, and a dead run might freak them out enough to tackle her despite how badly she smelled. And if they figured out she was a priestess… if they figured out her connection to Kikyou…

The thought of Inuyasha having to fight his way out of here again churned her stomach. Maybe she should just pick up the mirror and make a run for it?

What are you thinking, you idiot? she chastised herself on Inuyasha's behalf. You've seen how fast the wolf youkai run. You wouldn't make it five steps before they knock you down and rip your head off. She headed into the twisting tunnels, the turns she had come to memorize a map inside her head. She threw open the flap of hanging skin at the entrance of her room.

The mirror was propped up against her bed of furs, as it had been when she'd left it last night. But this time he was in there, his face visible from behind the glass, eyes as wide as her own. She gripped tighter at the beads in her hand.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, her name rolling off his tongue in relief.

Her heart thudded in her chest, still not used to the lack of rough edging on each syllable he spoke. She took the few steps to his mirror and knelt down.

"The beads," she stated, yearning to hear more of his voice. His thoughts were hers. She felt synced to him, although she couldn't physically hear what was going on in there.

"Has to be," he said, knowing what she meant without further context, "nothing else is different."

"Do you think Kaede made them like this on purpose?"

His brows furrowed. "She better not have. It means she knew how to break my curse all along and just didn't."

"The curse isn't broken, you're still in there, it just…" Kagome trailed off, "it keeps the spell at bay, at most. I don't think-"

"Kagome," he cut her off, his hands pressing at the glass, eyes darting over her shoulder in anticipation, "they're coming. Get me out of here and get those beads on."

She hesitated. "I can just carry you out of here in the mirror," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper.

He shook his head before she finished her sentence. "No. No way in hell. They have to know why your smell has changed by now. Kouga has to know. I can't protect you if I'm in here." His eyes held steady, daring her to disagree.

She might have, before today. She might have argued with him, defended Kouga, insisted he was being dramatic or hard-headed; but he wasn't hiding from her anymore, and she could… sense his level of seriousness, in a way she didn't quite understand.

"Okay," Kagome relented, leaning in towards the glass.

The relief on his face was just as apparent as when she first stepped into the room. "As soon as I'm out of this prison, you put those damn cursed beads on me and don't take them off," he said, before moving in for a kiss.

Euphoria.

Or, almost euphoria. His lips were so familiar, but oh my god, every time she got the chance to taste him it was like the first time all over again. The difference was she longer fought it, and neither did he. His arms wrapped her up to him as his chest rumbled beneath hers, his fingers playing with tips of her hair that fell down to the blades of her shoulder. Her body responded to him in turn, each mote of skin-to-skin contact illuminating the tindering she felt when they were apart, setting her ablaze.

How could he be so strong and so gentle at the same time?

His lips pulled away; moved to her ear. "Kagome, they're coming," he said, his breath warm against her neck. She let out a pitiful whine, mostly out of annoyance because he should just shut up and kiss her more. But his hand trailed down her arm and wrapped around her wrist. He lifted her hand up between them. She glanced at her fingers, which were entwined with the beads.

"Put them on me," he said.

"They caused you so much pain..."

"Kagome, they'll be here any moment, and he's going to try and touch you, and if I can't control myself, you have to control me." The muscle in his jaw clenched and she knew he hated saying the words, just as much as she knew he was right.

Slowly, she draped them back over his head and let them settle around his neck. They hung over the ridge of his clavicle, loose and unassuming. Her eyes darted back up to his own, and she pushed herself up onto her toes to reach his lips.

"I've got you," she whispered; words that she had clung to during his time as full youkai. She lingered for just a moment before pulling away.

She could hear footsteps now, and turned to face the entrance to her room, readying herself. She could make out his words before she saw him, Kouga's voice angry and demanding and irritated.

"Shippou," Kagome said, only a few seconds to spare. He scurried over to her and gripped at her shoelaces as Kouga's voice grew louder. "You're in charge of Inuyasha's mirror. If a fight breaks out make sure you get it out of here in one piece."

He nodded.

"-while I've been away for negotiations, and I come back to that fucking mutt smelling up the place," Kouga bellowed as he flung back the hide. "Kagome!" He entered and froze.

Inuyasha was solid and steady behind Kagome, she could feel him even though they weren't touching. She felt the stiffening of his muscles; swore his anger was already spiking. It was strange, but… she just knew.

"Kouga," Kagome said, stepping towards him. "I didn't realize you were gone. I hope you weren't out looking for me."

Just like the others had done, she watched his nose wrinkle and his brows knot. "Of course not," he said. "I'd know it if you left my territory, and you're safe in my lands. Besides, you're resourceful for a human." His eyes darted up above her head. "I see you found your pet."

"I found Inuyasha. We were just getting my things together-"

"I knew you would return, Kagome," Kouga interrupted, hands fisting at his sides, "but not him. Mongrel," he spat, how did you get past our defenses?"

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha over her shoulder; saw the grin spread nice and slow across his face.

"What defenses?"

Okay, they couldn't fight in here, where there was no space and no way to escape but death. She cleared her throat. "Ah, Kouga, I know you don't want him in your home, so we're going to head out." Her voice rose above the two men standing on either side of her.

"Of course I don't want him in here. He could change back to youkai at any moment, and he stinks of cur. He stinks so bad I can barely catch your own scent." He paused before his gaze flicked down, then back up.

She didn't have time to react as Kouga reached out for her.

Inuyasha let out a sound she'd never heard before, a barking growl that seemed to shake the floor under her feet. She didn't see his hand move from behind her, but Kouga let out a howl and clutched at his wrist, baring his teeth back at them.

"If you fucking touch my mate I will rip you apart!" Inuyasha snarled. His other arm had wrapped around Kagome's waist, pulling her back towards his side. Her heart pounded in her chest, but his hand was comforting, even as it gripped at and controlled her. She could feel the muscles rippling under his forearm, taught and ready for another strike.

"Inuyasha," she said, trying her best to keep calm. It was hard with her heartbeat racing to match his. "I'm okay."

"You're mine," he seethed from beside her.

"I'm yours," she answered, and she felt that it was the right answer, somehow. It was a thrill in her stomach, such an admittance of ownership, though she didn't understand why. She was her own person.

But she definitely wasn't just Kagome anymore.

Across the room, Kouga's eyes narrowed. "Kagome," he said, "I should be able to smell more of you."

Okay. Okay, so Inuyasha was right, things were definitely different. She didn't understand why Kouga was so slow to see the picture, because to Kagome it was incredibly obvious that Inuyasha was different now, but clearly he was only now just catching on.

"Did you fucking hear me," Inuyasha bristled, his teeth pulling back to match Kouga's snarl.

"I think I heard you call my woman your mate, you irritating pup." Kouga shook his wrist and straightened out. "You marked her?"

Snarl turned to grin and Kagome watched as Inuyasha's chest puffed out. "Keh, of course I did."

"You did not!" Kagome snapped, eyes narrowing at his lie. "I'm not marked anywhere."

Both men turned to stare, wide-eyed. Then, Inuyasha's grin was back, as Kouga's face seemed to drain of blood.

"Mate," Inuyasha's guttural, dark chuckle washed over her, causing a shiver to run up her spine, "be careful how you say such a thing."

"But you didn't, there's no bite or scratch or anything."

The grin on his face widened, and she knew he was getting some sick pleasure out of her confusion. "It's not that kind of mark," he said.

"Enough." Kouga's face had gone from one pale to deep red. His eyes locked on Inuyasha from underneath his lashes, and he opened his mouth to what Kagome was sure would be the start of a fight.

"Kouga!" Ginta interrupted, skidding into the room, eyes wide. "Kouga, they're back, a seeker from southeast quadrant just returned with a sighting!"

Kagome watched as Kouga's jaw snapped shut. He straightened out his back and spun to face his attendant. "Elderly and children to the river, all warriors on alert, spread out and pull back upon sighting. The only way we beat these things is to overpower and rip them to shreds."

Ginta didn't reply, he was out of the room as fast as he ran in.

"The fuck is going on?" Inuyasha asked, still holding Kagome at his side. Normally she would be insisting he give her some space, but she liked it next to him, touching him. He was warm. His warmth pulsed like the warmth in her chest.

Kouga turned back to face them, his eyes less angry and more resigned. "You're not the only thing that's been out to terrorize my clan, mutt," he said, his jaw clenching. "We've had four attacks already in the last six months. My seekers have heard the forest talking about them. They call them Naraku youkai... whatever the hell that means."

Kagome barely heard the last words Kouga muttered. Her hands instinctively gripped harder around Inuyasha's arm. She might have passed out if he hadn't been right there next to her, his skin to hers.

"We'll need everyone who can to attack when we've drawn them in," he continued, oblivious to Kagome's world having disappeared under her feet. "I hate to say it, but… we could use your claws. You fight with us here, and I might think about letting you leave in one piece."

Inuyasha said something in reply, but it was hard to make out as Kagome relived the trauma in her mind. That voice, the one that had filled her head with a deep, dark nothingness. The voice that almost destroyed her.

It was coming for her now, the Naraku youkai.