The booming thunder from outside the cave could barely be overheard from the beating of drums, whimsical sounds of flutes and the howls of the eastern wolf tribe.

The king sat high on his thrown, azure eyes scanning the room of the joyous gathering before him. Men and women both danced around the large fire pit, the red and orange flames blazing brightly as it cooked the meat of a bear's leg on a pike.

Koga smirked, how fitting for him to come across a bear during his hunt with his hunters.

The remaining body of the bear was hoisted up in the air with ropes and sticks. Its throat slit with blood glistening down to a clay bowl placed below it. His stomach cut open, inwards pulled out along with its ribs to be passed around for dinner tonight.

A soft laugh reached his pointed ears, causing him to look at the human girl sitting to his left by his feet.
She sat upon pelts of fur next to him as an honorable guest to the king.
Her hair cascaded down her back in black waves while some strands were pulled back into an elaborate bun with braids and silver beads, a hairpin with a simple pearl held the hair together; a hairstyle that the women from his tribe wore.
The kimono he gifted was beautiful on her. He remembered how she twirled around in it to show him how much she appreciated the gift; plum blossoms that were stitched on the fabric seemed to come alive at that moment while she danced.

To his annoyance, it seemed he wasn't the only man to notice the twirling miko before him. Quickly sending a glare at wondering eyes, he urged Kagome to sit on the pile of pelts neatly placed at his side, using the excuse that she'll miss the festivities before her if she didn't pay attention.

Now he sat watching as she joyfully clapped her hands to the beat of the music. Her hazel eyes darting to the scene before her and back to her new friend Tomoe as they talked.

He could hear Tomoe telling her to drink another cup of moon whiskey, the special alcohol that only wolf tribes from the east knew how to make.

"Come on Kagome!" The wolf demon yelled over the pounding music,"Just one more drink! I'll take one with you! And so will the King!"

Untamed brown curls decorated with feathers swirled around to face him, Tomoe smiled mischievously showing her white pearly fangs.

"Sure." He simply said, holding out his empty cup towards his grinning friend. She quickly grabbed the jug of whiskey next to her and poured it till it reached the rim of his cup.

Kagomes gaze followed his hand as he brought the cup to his lips and started to gulp it with ease.

"Now your turn." Tomoe grabbed the forgotten cup from Kagomes side and poured; whiskey spilling over the rim as she handed the cup back to the miko.

Kagome stared at the brown liquid, her nose slightly scrunching in protest.

"If you won't drink it, I will." Koga leaned over in his thrown, looking down at the girl before him. "I know this stuff is pretty strong for a mere human to handle."

He watched as her expression changed from calm to immediate irritation.
Her hazel eyes glared up at him, accepting the unspoken challenge.
She put the rim of the cup to her red lips and started chugging, droplets of whiskey slidding down to her chin.

"Go Sister!" Tomoe yelled as she put the whiskey jug to her own lips and started to chug the strong alcohol with her new friend.

Kagome pulled the empty cup from her mouth, whipping the escaped whiskey from her chin with her hand. A blush stained her cheeks as she looked up at the king with defiance.

"Well you proved me wrong." He smirked down at her, his fangs slightly showing.

"Sister Kagome, come dance with me!"

Koga almost didn't notice Kai wiggle his way through the dancing bodies of his pack, making his way to the human girl.
His little hands grasped hers within his as he pulled her to her feet.

"Oh Kai! I don't know the steps to the dance." She said hesitantly. She didn't want to mess up and embarrass herself in front of a whole pack of demons.

"That's okay! I'll show you!" He pulled the nervous girl to the center of the cave gathering where everyone was dancing.

The little pup immediately twirled around moving to the beat of the drums, his hands in the air as he shook his hips.
Kagome soon followed suit, her hair flowing around her as she twirled, the silver beads picking up the light from fire making it sparkle. She was laughing joyously as she flew her hands up in the air as she danced with wolves.

"Well would you look at that." Tomoe said, breaking Koga from his trance of the dancing miko. He didn't notice how his friend crawled up to the side of his throne, elbows resting on his armrest with her head placed within her hands. Her amber eyes watching the pup dance with the human girl.

"Look at what?"

"I just thought I'd never see the day where a human miko would be dancing with our packmates inside these very cave walls... and be surprisingly good at it."

Well now that she put it that way, the situation was a bit surprising. Especially considering how priestesses and demons were by nature enemies to one another.

Kogas eyes landed on her once again, the rest of the dancing pack members fading into the background.

She's dancing like she's one of us, he thought.

"Are you mad?"

"Mad? Why the hell would I be mad?" Koga asked confused.

"That a pup was braver than you to ask the miko for a dance."

"Shut up."

"You'll miss your chance you know.. who knows when a opportunity like this will rise again."

"That's fine." He lied.

The picture of Ayames freckled face appeared in his mind.
She was the only reason why he was not getting up from where the sat.

He brought the rim of his cup to his lips, chugging the rest of the whiskey down his throat with his sorrows.

"Oh! What a interesting turn of events. It seems Hakkaku is now dancing with her."

He almost spat the whiskey out from his mouth.

"WHAT?!"

His eyes glared through slits as he took in the scene before him.
There he was, his right hand man, his general, his friend dancing with the human girl.
He watched as he took hold of her delicate hand; twirling her around as she smiled and laughed.

Oh. Fuck. No.

The image of Ayame dispearced immediately from his mind as he stood up from his thrown and made his way to the dancing crowd.

Tomoe eyebrows rose in amusement as she watched the heated king push through the crowd of wolves.

Thought he didn't care, she thought as she took a swig from the jug of whiskey, I'd run if I were you Hakkaku.

He was almost there. He could smell her natural fragrance get stronger with every step he took. He could hear her laugh as she gasped for air from the constant dancing.

Now he was at arms length away from her, ready to pull her away from the other man.

"Brothers and Sisters!"

The beating of drums and flute quieted down.
The sound of the heavy breathing and the cracking of burning wood in the large pit was all your heard, while all glowing eyes, including hazel ones, stared up at the general on the stone alter.

"My King," Ginta shouted. His muscular form stood next to the dead bear at the alter as he held up a cup of moon whiskey in his hand, his face looking proudly at his King. "Let us get on with the blessing before we get to drunk to do it!"

Howls broke through the cave in agreement.

All eyes lingered their way to Koga, even Kagomes bewildered ones.

Kogas eyes glided from Kagomes curious ones to Hakkakus surprised ones. With a glare and a slight push from his elbow to his friend he pushed between the two forms separating them as he made his way to the altar to do his kingly duties.

Welps, whines and howls echoed off the cave walls as he took his place next to the dead bear and his general, Ginta.
Rough hands landing on each others cladded armor shoulders as heads fell forward till foreheads lightly touched one another, a greeting between pack brothers, a greeting between close friends.

Stepping away from Ginta, Koga turned around to face the hundreds of glowing eyes that stared back at him intently.

"Wolves of the Eastern Territory!" He shouted with smirk on his lips, his hands flying into the air.

Howls erupted from the onlookers, while clawed hands slapped the tribal drums.

"We celebrate this blessed night for the safe return of our two brave future warriors!" Koga shouted, his eyes landing on the two pups that sat at the foot of alter. Kai honorly kneeling while Takas legs were sprawled out before him; the one still bandaged.

Koga then said in a whisper, fully aware that the rest of pack could hear him.
"After the night is over and the sun has risen tomorrow, your punishments still await the two of you." the tribe broke out in laughter as the two boys groaned.

Turning to his left, Koga knelt down below to the dead bear, his hand grasping the side of the clay bowl where the blood poured from the bears sliced open neck. His clawed hand dipping into the warmth as he whispered "May mother shine bright and protect me." He lifted his hand dripping with blood and ran his finger tips down his face, leaving five lines of red.

Standing up from his kneeling position he turned around to face his tribe.
"How befitting was our capture from the hunt tonight! A bear of all creatures to wonder into our lands before our very own hunters and I! A gift from our God Kojiro of the hunt!" He shouted.
"Our gods laugh at anyone who tries to lay injure upon us!" The cave howled in agreement as he made he way down the alter towards the sitting pups.
"Tonight we give thanks to the huntsman Kojiro for the blessing us with such a meal to feast upon, to our warrior God Takeshi for blessing our pups with bravery to go up against the bear demon and to our Mother Moon for protecting our pups and for sending Sister Kagome to come to their need!"
The howls were louder than from before, as drums joined in as well. So loud you could hear it from miles away.

Crouching infront of the boys, Koga once again dipped his hand into the pool of warmth, removing it to slide his fingers down the faces of the boys, just like how he did to himself just moments ago.
"May mother shine bright and protect you." Koga whispered to them.

He stood up from the ground to face his other tribe members. He walked from one demon to the other doing the same blessing to each face.

Until he reached Kagome and paused; his hand held slightly up from the pool of blood swimming within the clay bowl.

He wasn't quite sure on what to do right now.

She wasn't wolf or even a demon. She didn't know their ways, their gods or traditions. This would look barbaric to any human... to her.

She looked up at him with curious eyes. Her face flushed from the dancing and whiskey.

He expected her to back away from him in disgust, sickened by him and by what was taking place around her.

But to his surprise, she instead stood in front of him and closed her eyes, her head slightly leaning forward towards him. Awaiting for the warmth from his finger tips and blood to slide down her face.

Kagome...

His bloody fingers glided down her perfect features slowly. His finger tips memorizing the feel of her skin, the arch of her brow, the feel of her thick eyelashes, the dip from her high cheek bones and the plump of her lips as they passed over carefully.

"May mother shine bright and protect you."